“Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68 Is there a particular Bible verse that has had a huge impact on your life? For Bible Society President, Cardinal John Dew, it was something Jesus said to Peter in John 6 that had a profound impact on him. Watch the video to hear Cardinal Dew talking about the impact of this passage and the Scriptures have had on his life.
The Old Testament book of Nehemiah is a fascinating insight into what happens to God’s people just before Jesus is born. After being exiled to Babylon, they are allowed to return to Judah and Jerusalem some decades later. They rebuild the Temple and then Nehemiah leads the people in the rebuilding of the city walls. It’s a great story of how a community bands together and achieves something everyone thought impossible. Our guest writer today, Barry Kirby from Wellington explains… Nehemiah is our man of focus today. When the book opens, Nehemiah is serving under the Persian King. He is a cupbearer to the King. This allows his access to, at the time, one of the most powerful men in the world.
Many Chinese Christians don’t have a Bible and can’t afford one. Every year, Bible Society’s around the world raise funds to distribute Bibles throughout China. This is Liu’s story. In Oct 2015, the Bible Society China Partnership met Liu Fengqing, a Catholic from Shandong Province. Liu bought Bibles to bless those who couldn’t afford them. Three years later, a generous donor decided to donate Bibles through the Bible Society’s China Partnership to Liu’s home church after reading about her story. Upon receiving the 112 Catholic Bibles, Liu’s priest commissioned her to distribute them to the needy. The Bible Society team visited Liu again in November 2018. By then she had distributed more than 60 Bibles to needy families – many of who were elderly, sick or disabled. They are all her friends whom she has come to know through her home visit ministry. Together with a few volunteers, she has been visiting more than 10 villages for over 10 years. Liu and her team clean up homes and buy food for needy families. Some of them do not have family members to take care of them. Through her acts of service, some of those she ministered to have come to accept the Catholic faith. One of the recipients of a new Bible is 39 year-old Zhang Pengpeng. Zhang has suffered from rheumatism since he was 18. He is paralysed, unable to move his legs or his left arm. Zhang lives with his elderly parents who are poor. Together, they had a New Testament, but not a full Bible. This is their first. Zhang reads the Bible every day. He says that his overall impression of the Bible is God’s message to care for the poor. Despite his condition, Zhang always smiles. He is so thankful to Liu for the Bible.
Daily reading of Scripture is an important part of the Christian faith journey. So why is it so difficult? Maybe it’s because we are so consumed by daily life – the busy-ness of business, family, church and myriad of other things. Maybe it’s because we get distracted by TV, phones, gaming, shopping or eating? Maybe it’s because we’d simply rather do something else. In fact all of these are true. Bible Society’s research shows that these three things are the biggest barrier to Bible reading; “I’m too busy”, “I get distracted by other things,” and “It’s not a priority for me”. If you’re nodding your head when you read this, know that you’re not alone! But committing to a daily pattern of reading the Bible, as hard as that can be, can be one of the most rewarding and fruitful things you will ever do. Check out the video of Catholic leaders sharing why daily Scripture reflection is so important to them.
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.
Bible Society has just launched its brand new comprehensive small groups resource – LYFE. And it’s FREE! Whether your group meets at a café, club, church or in your home, Bible Society has just launched a brilliant new small group Bible resource that is perfect for digging deeper into the Bible with your friends. It’s called LYFE, and is designed to help groups connect the ancient writings of Scripture to life in 21st century New Zealand. LYFE is a 36 session Bible study resource based around six key spiritual formation themes including prayer, justice and the Holy Spirit. Each study features a short video of a New Zealand Christian leader sharing their thoughts on the topic.
“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.