Author: thewrdnz

Words, and hearing the voice of God

Bible Blog - help with the Bible, Bible inspiration

By Cartia Moore Words have so much power. One line from Star Wars can change the whole face of the storyline “Luke, I am your father” – Darth Vader. What an absolute shocker that was. I am always astounded by the power of the voice and of words. Proverbs chapter 15 verse four says: ‘Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.’ There is power in words themselves, but there is also power in the way that it is said. There is a song by Hawk Nelson that says, ‘Words can build you up, words can break you down, start a fire in your heart or put it out.’ The undeniable truth is that words are powerful. The swift gentle response to an angry heart. The fired up and demanding roar of a justice-lead politician. The determined and enthusiastic words from a passion-driven person. It is incredible the effect they can have on a person.

Young Student in Syria follows her calling despite the dangers of war

Bible Mission

“I have a calling. I want to help children,” Maya says. Maya is using her experience to help others Maya listened to God. She studied Medical Health because she wanted to work with children. After completing her degree in Damascus, Maya worked for Catholic relief organisation Caritas. Her own experiences and terrible memories during her studies have allowed Maya to work with traumatised children and she has made the need for Bible-based trauma healing training known. Trauma healing is clinical therapy based on the principles of the Bible. It is designed to help bring healing to Syrian families and children who have suffered trauma from the daily experiences of war. The programme is run by the Bible Society in Syria.

Easter’s Seriously Surprising Story

Bible Mission

More than 65,000 Kiwi kids and their families were reached with a seriously surprising Easter story Bible Society’s colourful little booklet, The Seriously Surprising Story has been positively received by tens of thousands of Kiwi families this Easter through churches, in Salvation Army Family Stores and schools. “I know our students will enjoy reading The Seriously Surprising Story books that were received last week,”  said one Catholic School Principal. Bible Society published The Seriously Surprising Story to reach the many Kiwi kids who do not know about Jesus or know the real meaning of Easter. The booklet encourages children to engage with the biblical story of Easter as they read about the journey of Jesus’ followers from Jerusalem to Emmaus. On the road, Jesus’ followers meet a stranger and tell him about some of the amazing the miracles Jesus performed. The children will be surprised to learn that Jesus himself is the stranger! Bible Society New Zealand would not have been able to bring The Seriously Surprising Story to Kiwi kids this Easter without the generosity of its supporters and donations. You can still order copies of The Seriously Surprising Story on Bible Society’s website.

An Easter message of hope – Sister Margaret Mills

Bible inspiration

Christ is Risen. This is the message of the Easter Story. The Hebrew and Christian Scriptures remind us of our tradition and the stories that give meaning to our day-to-day life. Shaken by the massacres at the two mosques in Christchurch on 15 March, I offer a question to ponder – What has brought us together?  The pain for the Muslim community, which will leave a lifelong scar. Shock for us as a country, many of us thought that this could not happen here, we are too small. Jesus’ death brings growth Many in Jerusalem, Israel, may have thought that the death of Jesus could not happen in Jerusalem, but it did.

Thousands gather for new Catholic Bible in Guatemala

Bible Mission

The arrival of Catholic Poqomchí Bible represents hope in Guatemala, a country battling poverty and drug related violence. For the country’s 70,000 Poqomchí people, more than half of whom are Catholic, it could be life-transforming.  Vilma de Cojoc, leader of the town’s Catholic community, summed it up, “Without the Bible – the Word of God – life is impossible” More than 2,500 people attended the launch of the Bible, some having travelled for hours along dirt roads from the mountains of the Sierra de Chamá eager to welcome the Bible in their language. Resonates with Catholic traditions Emilio Morán, a catechist in a church in Quiché, was delighted when his church received copies of the new Catholic Bible. “How exciting to have the Bible in the language of our grandparents, who taught us our culture,” he said. “Now we will hear the Lord’s voice in the language we speak and understand.”

Nuns in Iraq stay strong amidst the horrors of war

Bible Mission

An order of Dominican nuns in Iraq, committed to living and preaching the Gospel amidst the horrors of war, are determined to stay. “We will not leave our people. Wherever they go, we will go,” says Sister Huda who is 66 years-old. She, along with other remaining sisters, is serving 200 children, most of whom are from Mosel. Bible Translation Work The Dominican Nuns also partner with Bible Society Iraq to facilitate Bible Translation work. Bible Society Iraq CEO Nabil Omeish explained the two groups have been working together for 30 years on the Bahdini (Kurdish language) New Testament Bible translation and are also working on the Old Testament. Sister Huda recalled the sufferings they have experienced, and the hope and faith that sustained them.

Breaking down the Old Testament

Bible inspiration, Bible tips

For Jesus himself the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) was his Bible. In the New Testament he quotes from the Book of Deuteronomy which concludes the Pentateuch, the most important section of the Bible for Jewish people.  Then he speaks the words of the prophet Isaiah, such a significant figure among the prophets of Israel.  And finally he draws on the Psalms at the heart of Wisdom literature.  The three sections of Pentateuch, Prophets, and Wisdom literature make up a large and important part of the Bible. When St. Jerome said that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ,” he meant both parts of the Bible which is a huge library of books.  You know there are different types of books in a library, all with their own ways of being written.  You may also be aware that different cultures have their own stories of how the world came to be, how humans came into existence, and often stories were told about why things are as they are.