Why Should We Believe the Scriptures?

       Some people answer this query by saying that the reason is found in the fact that the Bible is the only book handed down to us through the ages. That is not the best answer. Some ancient writings, like the Vedas, for instance, are almost as ancient as the Bible. And many tablets and monuments are in existence containing words written as long ago as the writings of the Scriptures. There are many powerful arguments for the Bible, but the greatest is that every person who will really study it finds that it does tell the truth about the human soul. When a man reads in an arithmetic that two and two make four, he does not stop to ask himself why he should believe the arithmetic. He knows instinctively and intuitively that the arithmetic is telling him the truth. So when an honest man studies the Bible he finds it full of truths about himself. The Bible tells him he is a sinner, and he knows that is true. The Bible tells him about God, and he finds in his heart a deep conviction that just such a God exists. The Bible offers forgiveness, and the man knows he needs it. Step by step, and point by point, the Bible shows the man what he is and what he needs and points the way to finding the fulfillment of his needs and desires. People find in the Bible help for bearing their trials, power to resist temptation, assurance of immortality and friendship with God. A man who never saw the Bible before, when he reads of God in it, realizes that he always needed and longed for God, but did not know how to find him till the Bible showed him the way. Particularly does it show him how to find God in Christ. That, after all, is the supreme mission of the Bible - to lead men to Christ. 

       But, again, taking the Bible as literature, we find that it hangs together, that it bears within itself the evidence that it is true. Start with the writings of Paul. Here is a level-headed, highly educated, practical man who has left to the world's literature certain letters to groups of friends. These letters tell about Paul's personal knowledge of Christ, his personal friendship for him, his personal endeavors to forward the work of Christ which he had formerly antagonized until Christ himself appeared to him and set him right. Paul tells of becoming acquainted later with men who had known Christ in the flesh - Peter, James, John and others. We find that these men also wrote about Jesus, John writing three letters and a narrative of his life; Peter writing two letters, and apparently giving much of the information to his nephew Mark, who wrote another version of the life of Jesus. Luke, another friend of Paul, and probably also a personal friend of Jesus, wrote another version of his life and wrote the history of what his apostles did through his power after he had risen from the dead and gone back to the heavenly world. These were all good, honest, intelligent men. We may believe what they wrote about Christ and his salvation, just as we believe what Caesar wrote about the Gallic Wars. Further, we find that Christ came from a people whose history is recorded in the books of the Bible and whose prophets uttered messages from God. Peter connects the messages of the prophets with those of himself and the other apostles in II Peter 3:2: "That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of our Lord and Savior." The Bible holds together about the person of Christ as the great divine-human document which reveals him to the world. 

More About Why We Should Believe and Spread Holy Scriptures:

• Why We Believe the Bible is God's Word
• Why We Believe the Bible Is True
• All Christians are commissioned to witness to God's love by our lives by Jennifer
• The Great Commission Means Sharing Christ's Story, Not Yours
• Growing in the Theological Virtues - the Witness of Hope (Joy, Fortitude, Perseverance and Love)
• The What and Why of the Great Commission

Does the Bible Teach Science?

        It is not a scientific textbook, nor was it written to teach science, but religion. The discrepancies between the story of creation as given in the Bible and that given by the scientists are very much such as we should find in two descriptions of a great battle, if one of them was written by a clergyman who knew nothing of military tactics, and the other by a military expert who knew nothing of religion. The important fact for us - the fact that is of more momentous interest than all the discoveries of science - is that God made the universe. For this knowledge we are not indebted to science, which has not yet attained it, but we do get it from the Bible. A person who wants to know the latest discoveries of science as to geology and astronomy, should study the recent books of science; but if he wants to know the way to God and eternal happiness, he should go to the Bible. Each has its own sphere.

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." Colossians 1:16 (NIV)

Explore Interesting Thoughts About Science & Religion:

• The Center for Science & Culture and The Discovery Institute and Defending Intelligent Design interview with Phillip Johnson by NOVA  and Science Proves Intelligent Design (Genetic codes are specific and are not chosen through random selection!)
• Darwin's Black Box from TalkOrigins Archive
• The Marriage of Science and Religion by Holmes Rolston III and The marriage of Science and Religion
• Mathematics, the Handmaiden of Theology: Augustine and Cantor on the Infinity of God 
• Is Carbon Dating Accurate? and How accurate are Carbon-14 and other radioactive dating methods?  and Is Carbon Dating Reliable?
• Understand Hebrew translations for the concepts of time in scripture.  
• Christian parents can go and read here about teaching scientific theory to young children.

Can We Find Any Reference to Christ in Contemporaneous Secular Writers?

       Yes. There are references to Christ in connection with Christians, by several historians. Tacitus, who was praetor under Domitian in A. D. 88, only fifty-eight years after the Crucifixion, refers to Christ (Annal XV :44) . Pliny the younger, who was tribune in Syria about the same time, also refers to him (Epistle X:97). There are also references in Lucian, who lived about the middle of the second century. He states explicitly the fact of Christ having been crucified. Suetonius and Eusebius also refer to Christ. Besides these evidences, there was the persecution of the Christians under Nero, which is recorded by all historians. Nero died A. D. 68, only thirty-eight years after the Crucifixion. It is therefore clear that there were many Christians before that time. How could the sect have come into existence without a founder? If you saw an oak growing in a place where there was no tree fifty years before, you would suspect that some one had planted an acorn there, and if four men told you how, when and by whom it was planted, you would be prepared to believe them. So there is good reason for believing the Gospel narratives, when you read in secular history of the existence of the Christian Church fifty years after the Crucifixion. Their stories are a credible explanation of a well-established fact. 

More Eyewitnesses Outside The Faith:

• Is There Any Evidence For Jesus Outside The Bible? 
• Is There Any Evidence that Jesus Existed?
• The Oldest Secular Accounts & Historical Evidence On The Existence Of Jesus Of Nazareth
  

What Are the Proofs of Bible Authenticity?

       "Can we prove the authenticity of the Bible by outside evidence ?" is a frequent question. The authenticity of the Bible is being proved by the old records on monuments, by tablets recently deciphered, and by discoveries in Bible lands. That is if by authenticity you mean its historical truth. As to inspiration, the best evidence is its effects. The man who loves the Bible and tries to conduct his life according to its precepts is a better man for the effort. The Bible-reading nation advances in the best line of civilization, caring for its poor and afflicted, and becoming in all ways better. Another evidence of its being inspired is the revelation it gives a man of himself, holding a mirror to his gaze by which he recognizes himself. Another evidence is its survival. No book was ever more violently attacked, no book was ever more misused, yet it has outlived the attacks of foes and the faults of friends and is read today more widely than ever. These are a few of the reasons for believing it came from God. 

More About the Bible's Authenticity:

• Compelling Evidence of the Authenticity of the Bible
• Evidentiary Support for the Authenticity of Scripture
• Inspiration of the Bible

Remaining Faithful

"So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right,
and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you."
 1 Peter 4:19 and "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals..."
 Revelation 5:9

Description of the illustration: cathedral, light through a window, scriptures about remaining faithful to God, blue monochromatic designs

"For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God
 you may receive what is promised." Hebrews 10:36 and 'For whoever
does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:35

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when
 he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God
 has promised to those who love him." James 1:12 and "perseverance,
 character; and character, hope." Romans 5:4

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The Raising of Lazarus

"Then Jesus shouted, 'Lazarus, come out!' And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in gravecloths, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, 'Unwrap him and let him go!'" John 11: 43-44 (NLT)

Description of the illustration: copy of a Giotto, full color, mourners, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, grave, tomb

       The Raising of Lazarus or the Resurrection of Lazarus, recounted only in the Gospel of John (John 11:1–44), is a miracle of Jesus in which Jesus brings Lazarus of Bethany back to life four days after his burial. In John, this is the last of the miracles that Jesus performs before the Passion and his own resurrection.

      Jesus then delays his departure two days. The disciples are afraid of returning to Judea, but Jesus says: "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." when the apostles misunderstand, he clarifies, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe."
       When they arrive in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days. Before they enter the town, Martha, Lazarus' sister, comes to meet Jesus and tells him: "if you had been here, my brother would not have died". Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again and states: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
       Martha's affirmation that she does indeed believe, "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world", is only the second time (after Nathanael) that someone declares Jesus as Son of God and the first time someone equates him as 'Messiah' and 'Son of God' together. The only other time this happens in the entire gospel is in the explanation the author of the Gospel gives for writing his Gospel at the very end.
       Upon entering the village, Jesus is met by Mary and the people who have come to console her. Upon seeing their grief and weeping, Jesus is deeply moved. Then, after asking where he was buried, the shortest verse in the four Gospels, and the entire Bible is found - Jesus wept. After that, Jesus asks for the stone of the grave to be removed, but Martha interjects that there will be a smell. To which Jesus responds, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
       So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
       When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
       The miracle of the raising of Lazarus is the climax of John's "signs". It explains the crowds seeking Jesus on Palm Sunday, and leads directly to the decision of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to plan to kill Jesus. Theologians Moloney and Harrington view the raising of Lazarus as a "pivotal miracle" which starts the chain of events that leads to the Crucifixion of Jesus. They consider it as a "resurrection that will lead to death", in that the raising of Lazarus will lead to the death of Jesus, the Son of God, in Jerusalem which will reveal the Glory of God.
       Lazarus is mentioned again in the Gospel of John chapter 12. Six days before the Passover on which Jesus is crucified, Jesus returns to Bethany and Lazarus attends a supper that Martha, his sister, serves. Jesus and Lazarus together attract the attention of many Jews and the narrator states that the chief priests consider having Lazarus put to death because so many people have come to believe in Jesus on account of his raising Lazarus.

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What Is Higher Criticism?

       The ordinary study or criticism is directed to finding out the meaning of the passages, their correct translation and their significance and bearing on doctrines. The higher critics go above and back of all that, applying to the books of the Bible the same tests and methods of examination as are applied to other ancient books. They try to find out who were really the authors of the books and when they were written and whether any changes have been made in them since they were written. This latter question they try to solve by a close examination of the text. When they find, for example, such an expression as "There was no king in Israel in those days" (Judges 17:6), they conclude that that sentence was inserted as explanatory, by some one who edited the book after the contemporaneous historian had finished it. Or to take an example of a different kind: There is a statement in Psalm 51:16 that God desires not sacrifice, while in the nineteenth verse it is said that he will be pleased with sacrifice. The explanation the higher critics give is that probably the latter verse was added later, by some priest who did not wish the people to cease bringing sacrifices. The best scholars of the present day believe that many of the conclusions reached by the higher critics are erroneous, and that others are mere guesses for which there is not sufficient evidence.

More About Interpreting Scripture:

• Interpret Scripture Accurately
• Six Principles for Interpreting Scripture
• One Bible, Many Interpretations

"The Measure of A Man" by 4Him

Inspiration of the Bible?

       The question is asked, "How can I know that the Bible is inspired?" Even in this late day, when the number of Christians has multiplied from a mere handful to four hundred and seventy millions, or fully one-fourth of the entire population of the globe, there are people who doubt the inspiration of the Bible. At different times during the last twenty centuries assaults have been made against the Sacred Book, which Gladstone termed the "Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture," but without avail. It has a firmer hold on the hearts of men than in any previous age. Mr. Moody, the greatest of American evangelists, was once asked whether he regarded the Bible as inspired, and his answer was brief and to the point: "I know the Bible is inspired," he said, "because it inspires me!" There are countless thousands who will echo this answer and whose lives have been transformed by the same inspiration. Not only the great religious scholars, but the masters of secular literature regard the Bible as unapproachable in its high standard of expression, its magnificent imagery, the transcendent nobility of its rhetoric, the authority with which it appeals to the hearts of men, the universality of its application and the power it exercises over the souls of men. It bears within itself the evidence of inspiration, and wherever it is known and read and its precepts followed, its influence is uplifting and inspiring. The theory of inspiration does not exclude, but rather implies, human agency, however. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." II Peter 1:21. 

More About the Inspiration of the Bible:

• The Bible: The Inspired Revelation of God
• The Inspiration of Scripture by James W. Scott
• The Inspiration and Inerrancy of The Bible

Who Wrote the Various Books in the Bible?

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16 - 17 (ESV)

 

The remaining books of the Old Testament, not included in the listing below, were written by the prophets whose names they bear, with the probable exception of Jonah.

1. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - Moses (scholarly opinions differ here, but so far no thoroughly convincing arguments have been advanced to disprove the Mosaic authorship of large portions of these books)
2. Joshua - Joshua (also ascribed to Phineas, Eleazar, Samuel and Jeremiah)
3. Judges - ascribed by Jewish tradition to Samuel; 
4. Ruth - unknown
5. I and II Samuel - unknown (probably the work of Samuel, Nathan and others)
6. I and II Kings - unknown
7. I and II Chronicles - probably Ezra
8. Ezra - probably Ezra
9. Nehemiah - Nehemiah
10. Esther - probably Mordecai, or Ezra
11. Job - uncertain (has been attributed to Moses, or Job)
12. the Psalms - David, Moses, and others; 
13. Proverbs - Solomon and others;
    Ecclesiastes - formerly ascribed to Solomon, now thought by many to belong to a later period 
14. Song of Solomon - Solomon 
15. Isaiah - Isaiah 
16. Jeremiah - Jeremiah
17. Lamentations - Jeremiah
18. Matthew - Matthew
19. Mark - Mark
20. Luke -Luke
21. John - John
22. Acts - Luke
23. Romans to Philemon - Paul
24. Hebrews - unknown (has been ascribed to Paul, Luke, Apollos, Barnabas)
25. James - James
    I and II Peter - Peter
26. I, II and III John - John
27. Revelation - John 

More About the Authors of The Bible:

• Who Wrote The Bible?
• Who Wrote The Bible? by gotquestions.org

Birthday Clip Art Index

Birthday clip art samples from our collection below.

• More food related clip art under the Church clip art index  
• More Birthday posts from The Doll Coloring Book Blog 
  

All graphics/illustrations/clip art on this web journal are free to download and use for personal art projects, church related hard copy or webpages. Images are not to be redistributed in any other collections of clip art online. Please include a link back to this web journal if you use the materials for web articles. Link to htpp://christianclipartreview.blogspot.com

1. A Gift for You - comes with a transparent background
2. The Birthday Cake
3. Birthday Bear - for a child's party or baby shower
4. The children's birthday party - vintage photo of children's party
5. Birthday Announcements for Congregations 
6. Psalm 118:24 Birthday Theme
7. For your sweet tooth - black and white illustrations  
8. It's Your Birthday!
9. Little Twinkie Cake
10. Send a Vintage Salute for A Soldier's Birthday!  
11. Birthday Girl Crown
    

Page last updated November 7th, 2021.

Psalm 118:24 Birthday Theme

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Description of the illustration: birthday cake, birthday candles, blowing out the candles, little girl, photograph

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Birthday Announcements for Congregations

"Have your cake!" "...and eat it too!"

Description of the illustration: costume party, white powdered wigs, deserts, cookies, birthday announcements for church web pages, email, newsletters etc..., vintage photograph, speech bubbles
 

"Birthdays this month." "How delightful!"

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A Gift for You

 

 

Description of the illustration: a Birthday gift, present, package, hot pink ribbon, stripped wrapping paper, transparent background

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The wedding at Cana...

Description of the illustration: water turned to wine, illuminated manuscript, Jesus and his mother Mary attend a wedding

       The transformation of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John. In the Gospel account, Jesus, his mother and his disciples are invited to a wedding, and when the wine runs out, Jesus delivers a sign of his glory by turning water into wine.
       The location of Cana has been subject to debate among biblical scholars and archeologists; several villages in Galilee are possible candidates.
       John 2:1-11 states that while Jesus was at a wedding in Cana with his disciples, the party ran out of wine. Jesus' mother (unnamed in John's Gospel) told Jesus, "They have no wine," and Jesus replied, "O Woman, what has this to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother then said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:3-5). Jesus ordered the servants to fill containers with water and to draw out some and take it to the chief steward waiter. After tasting it, without knowing where it came from, the steward remarked to the bridegroom that he had departed from the custom of serving the best wine first by serving it last (John 2:6-10). John adds that: "Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him" (John 2:11).

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Christ's Temptation...

"But Jesus answered, 'The scripture says, 'Man cannot live on bread alone.'"
 Luke 4:4 and Cross Reference "He made you go hungry, and then he
gave you manna to eat, food that you and your ancestors had never eaten before.
 He did this to teach you that man must not depend on bread alone to sustain him,
but on everything that the LORD says." Deuteronomy 8:3

Description of Illustrations: scriptures quoted from The Good News Bible, profile of Christ, gold and white colors, gold text

"Jesus answered, 'The scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God
 and serve only him!'" Luke 4:8 and Cross Reference "Have reverence
for the LORD your God, worship only him, and make your
promises in his name alone." Deuteronomy 6:13

"But Jesus answered, 'The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord
your God to the test.'" Luke 4:12 and Cross Reference
"Do not put the LORD your God to the test,
as you did at Massah." Deuteronomy 6:16

The Visitation Framed

Description of Illustration: The Visitation, Mary and Elizabeth, Advent, frames, transparent backgrounds

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The Prophets Window

Description of the illustration: stained glass window,"The Prophets Joel, Zephaniah, Amos and Hosea, from the north aisle of the nave, Fairford

Thought About Defining God: "In form, the word “God” is small indeed, but in meaning it is infinite. It expresses the greatest thought that ever entered the heart of man. It is lisped by the children, read ‘and known of all men; but also inscribed at the zenith of the universe, and shedding its glory on all below it."—H. W. Everest.

Kneeling in prayer...

Description of the illustration:stained glass window, kneeling, praying, "Kneeling donors, from "Acts of Mercy" window, All Saints', North Street, York, 15th Century

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Methuselah Window, Canterbury

Description of the illustration: stained glass window, Methuselah, Canterbury, originally in choir clerestory, 12th Century

Methuselah (Hebrew: מְתוּשֶׁלַח‎ / מְתוּשָׁלַח‎, Modern Metušélaħ / Metušálaħ Tiberian Məṯûšélaḥ / Məṯûšālaḥ ; "Man of the dart/spear", or alternatively "his death shall bring judgment") is the man reported to have lived the longest at the age of 969 in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656AM (Anno Mundi, after Creation), seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood. Methuselah was the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah.

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The Ark of The Covenant

Description of the Illustration: black and white, angels, Holy, cherubim, gold, altar, Mercy Seat, ark,

       "They are to make an ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. Make a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.  Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat.  Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites." Exodus 25:10-22 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

 

Ark of The Covenant as seen from it's ends.

The Ark of The Covenant simplified illustration for Chrismon Pattern.

Scriptures Given for Chrismons Including The of Ark of The Covenant at Christmas:

• ''There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.'' 1 Kings 8:9
• ''There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.'' Exodus 25:22

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Death of the first born...

"But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel..." Exodus 11:7

Description of Illustration: black and white, Pharaoh expends the first born upon his pride., Egyptians in mourning, God's vengeance

This is what the LORD says: "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."

— Exodus 11:4–6

       Before this final plague, God commanded Moses to inform all the Israelites to mark lamb's blood above their doors on every door in which case the LORD will pass over them and not "suffer the destroyer to come into your houses and smite you" (chapter 12, v. 23).

       After this, Pharaoh, furious, saddened, and afraid that he would be killed next, ordered the Israelites to leave, taking whatever they wanted, and asking Moses to bless him in the name of the Lord. The Israelites did not hesitate, believing that soon Pharaoh would once again change his mind, which he did; and at the end of that night Moses led them out of Egypt with "arms upraised". However, as the Jews left Egypt, the Pharaoh changed his mind again and sent his army after Moses' people. The Jews were trapped by the Red Sea. God split the sea, and the Jews were able to pass safely. As the Egyptian army descended on them, the sea closed before they could reach the Jews.

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Wearing the Tallit by Alphonse Levy

Description of the illustration: woodcut, Jewish, Rabbi, shawl, reading in the temple

In addition to the morning prayers of weekdays, Shabbat and holidays, a tallit gadol is also worn for Selichos in Ashkenazic communities by the prayer leader, even though it is still night. A tallit is also worn at night on Yom Kippur, from Kol Nidre, which begins during the daylight hours until after the evening (Ma'ariv) service.

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Jewess of Samarkand

Description of the illustration: fine drawing, native costume, headdress, Bukharan Jews, Russian, greyscale

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Vintage American Flag Illustration

Description of the illustration: stars and stripes, flag waving in the wind, vintage color and design

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Blessing the new moon...

"From now on, this month will be the first month of the year
 for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on
 the tenth day of this month each family must choose a
lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each
household." Exodus 12:2-3 (NLT)

       Kiddush Levanah (Hebrew: קידוש לבנה; trans. Sanctification of the Moon) is a Jewish ritual, performed outside at night, in which a series of prayers are recited to bless the new moon.

       The source of the Kiddush Levana is in the Babylonian Talmud, (Sanhedrin 42a), Rabbi Yochanan taught that one who blesses the new moon, in its proper time, is regarded like one who greets the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as it is written in Exodus 12:2:, "This month (is to be for you the beginning of months..)”

       This verse in Exodus 12:2 is the source of what is considered to be the first commandment in the Torah, which is to sanctify the new month, and is based on the lunar calendar. Although Kiddush levana is not the method of sanctifying the new month, we may be able to understand Rabbi Yochanan's opinion that one who ‘blesses the new moon’, is also showing respect to the first commandment in the Torah, and therefore it is like greeting the Shechinah (Divine Presence).

       Many synagogues post the text of the prayer in large type on an outside wall. Read more...

Jesus, The Light of Men

"For so the Lord has commanded us, "I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT
 FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO
 THE END OF THE EARTH." Acts 13:47

Description of Illustrations: black and white drawings of a man in a row boat, lighthouse, calm sea, clouds in back, four different scriptures about Light and Salvation

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory
of the LORD has risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1

"Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness,
 but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light."
 Ephesians 5:7-8

"Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
 They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths."
 Job 24: 13

"I have given you an example..."

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:14

Description of the Illustrations: water pitcher, basin and towel for foot washer, stained glass windows, transparent backgrounds

"When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
But Jesus called them aside and said, "You know that the rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority
over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants
 to become great among you must be your servant,..." Matthew 20: 24-26

"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly,
 not grudgingly-- not for what you will get out of it, but because
you are eager to serve God." 1 Peter 5:3

"I Have Given You An Example" John 13:15

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Wells of the oaths at Beer-Sheba

"Then he named the place Beersheba (which means "well of the oath"),
because that was where they had sworn the oath." Genesis 21:31

Description of the Illustration: desert peoples at the wells of Beer-Sheba, 7 wells, Beersheba or "well of the oath" scriptures from Genesis and 2 Chronicles, black and white versions of the illustration

 

"Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people,
 traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim,
encouraging the people to return to the LORD, the God of their ancestors."
 2 Chronicles 19:4

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Nehemiah remembers the oaths...

"You made known to them your holy Sabbath and give them commands,
decrees and laws through your servant Moses." Nehemiah 9:14

Description of the Illustration: desert peoples at the wells of Beer-Sheba, 7 wells, three scriptures from Nehemiah illustrated with the wells of Beersheba

"In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you
 brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession
 of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them." Nehemiah 9:15

"Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have
 so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services." Nehemiah 13:14

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Praying Hands and Prayers

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
 With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
 for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18

 Description of Illustration: praying hands, drawing, traditional, prayers from scriptures, greyscale, white background

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
1 Chronicles 16:11

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will,
he hears us." 1 John 5:14

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