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A Heavenly Party [Excerpt]

Joni Eareckson Tada’s vision of heaven vibrates with joy, and C.S. Lewis asks what we really want, in this devotion from the NIV Voices of Faith Devotional Bible: Voices from the Past and Present.  

My favorite part about Joni’s view is seeing the saints come together from across time: “There’s Moses toasting Martin Luther.” What Christians from history would you most like to meet, and what would you ask them?

-Adam Forrest, Zondervan

Joni Eareckson Tada

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Joni Eareckson Tada

Before we realize it … we shall find ourselves in the embrace of our Savior at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Heaven will have arrived. The Lord’s overcoming of the world will be a lifting of the curtain of our five senses…

Now, enjoy an unseen divine reality. Rev up your heart and picture yourself taking a seat at the Wedding Supper. As you pull up a chair to the banquet table, take a look at what’s on the menu from Isaiah 25:6: “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines” …

I get a charge just thinking about it! I wonder who will sit next to me, or across from me. I glance down the table and there’s my friend, Verna Estes, mother of seven, swapping baby stories with Susanna Wesley, mother of seventeen. There’s Moses toasting Martin Luther. St. Augustine giving a bear hug to that jungle missionary …

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Carving Up the Heart: 2 Views on Trust and Idolatry [Excerpt]

John Ortberg and Thomas Watson — two author/pastors who lived nearly 300 years apart — share complementary views about the sly faces of idolatry. [Excerpt from NIV Voices of Faith Devotional Bible: Voices from the Past and Present.]

Thomas Watson {AD 1620 – 1686}

Learn more about Thomas Watson
Thomas Watson

If God is going to be God to us, we must trust in him … “My eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge” (Psalm 141:8). “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (2 Samuel 22:3).

God is the only one in whom we can trust. Every other creature is a false refuge. They are like the Egyptian reed — too weak to support us, but strong enough to wound us (2 Kings 18:21) … Only God is a sufficient foundation to build our trust upon. When we trust him, we make him a God to us; when we do not trust him, we make him an idol.

To trust in God means to rely on his power as a Creator, and on his love as a Father. Trusting in God involves committing our primary treasure — our soul — to him. “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). As the orphan trusts his guardian to care for his inheritance, so we trust God with our souls. When we do, he becomes our God.

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Mothers: How You Could Get Published in the New NIV Mom’s Devotional Bible

 

Are you a mom? Love to write? A devotion about parenting or mothering written by YOU could be published in Zondervan's newly updated NIV Mom's Devotional Bible, due in stores spring 2013. We're excited to see your submissions! (Enter the contest by March 14, 2012)

 

What We're Looking For

Your devotional entry should be encouraging or inspirational in tone, and written from the perspective of a mother.

Your entry should be original, 250-300 words in length, and focusing on ONE of the following passages from the Bible:

  1. Deuteronomy 6:6–9
  2. Proverbs 22:6
  3. Proverbs 31:10–31
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:4–8
  5. Ephesians 2:8–9

The Lawyers Made Us Say This Part: Your entry must be in English, previously unpublished, and not submitted or accepted anywhere else at the time of this contest. And don't forget, your entry should be original to you and only about one of the five Bible passages listed above!

 

If Your Entry Is Selected…

Authors of the winning submissions will have their devotion and a short author's bio printed in the upcoming NIV Mom's Devotional Bible. Winners will also receive a free copy of the Bible.

So what are you waiting for?
Enter the contest at Facebook.com/MomsDevotionalBible.

 

Sample Devotionals

If you would like to see an example of what we're looking for, here are two:

Passage:
Genesis 1:26–31

A mother tends to define herself most easily in terms of externals: I am a mom. I am a wife. I am a daughter. I am a graduate. I am a teacher. I am a volunteer. I am what I do. I am what others need me to be. I am what I accomplish.

While these descriptions may be true, they are incomplete. They overlook the vital fact that we are made, inside and out, by God. We are created in his image and for his purposes.

When we gaze into the mirror of God's Word, we find that God has stamped on our being a reflection of his character, his essence, his being. That is not to say we are mini-gods in any sense. But just as children reflect the physical, mental and personality traits of their parents and even adopted children share the mannerisms and habits of their adopted families, so we who are fashioned by God manifest elements of his character in our beings.

Who are you, Mom? Genesis 1 and 2 spells it out. You are God's image-bearer (see Genesis 1:26–27). God expresses his being through both genders, male and female. You are a co-laborer with all of God's people in his world (see Genesis 1:28– 31).

When you live in the fullness of who you are, you show your children, your family and your world a full and accurate picture of your God.

So there, Mom. Take the definition for who you are from how God made you. You are a unique being fashioned after the God of the universe — inside and out!

Think about this: How often do you define yourself by the negatives? Who you aren't, what you haven't accomplished, what you aren't doing. How might this negative definition of yourself affect your mood as well as your daily choices? How might it impact others around you? Switch your sight to God's view of you and get ready for great changes!

 

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Failure’s Not Fatal: The Latest Chapter in God’s Good News [Excerpt by David Garland]

 

Learn More about NIV Application Commentary: Mark Learn More

(Excerpt from NIV Application Commentary: Mark [eBook] by David E. Garland.)

 

God is a God of beginnings. The good news of Mark is that God begins again with the chosen people by sending his Son.

At the end of the Gospel … things look far more gloomy. The women slink away from the empty tomb and are mute from fear [See Mark 16].

 

The empty tomb

They thought the story was over. Instead they found an empty tomb, and a new part to play. See Mark 16.

Failure, denial, and fear are not the end of the story, however. When things seem to end, there is a new beginning. The gospel is good news because one can begin again.

 

God is the one who consistently makes something out of nothing.

One may wonder how these discredited disciples could ever emerge as leaders of a growing church and fulfill their mission, but we know that their failure was not fatal. Neither is ours. God is the one who consistently makes something out of nothing. What seems like the end, and a pathetic one at that, is only a new beginning. God will continue to work with and revive the people.

 

Mark makes it clear that "the church exists because of what God has done in Christ, not because of any outstanding abilities in its first members." The gospel proclaims that the one "who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6)…

 

How will we continue the story?

Christianity is not a closed book, and Christian readers are the latest chapter in a continuing story of God's good news. The question for us is … the same as it was for those early disciples, "Where do we go from here?" The next stage is up to us. How will we continue the story? Will we cower in fear or boldly proclaim the glad tidings of Jesus to the world?

 

Learn More about NIV Application Commentary: Mark Learn More

Learn more about NIV Application Commentary: Mark eBook

 

Question for Discussion: Did the first disciples have any advantages over us in sharing the gospel? Do we have any advantages over them? Leave your comments on this post.

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan


(Images & some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of NIVAC Mark eBook. Image attribution: From "An Illustrated Commentary on the Gospel of Mark" by Phillip Medhurst. Section Z. the empty tomb. Mark 16:1-8. By Philip Devere [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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Zonderkidz Heads to National Bible Bee + Top Resources for Kids’ Bible Learning

 

The Zonderkidz team is excited to attend National Bible Bee, which kicks off tomorrow in Nashville, Tennessee! We wish all the contestants their best in the event. You can learn more about the Bible Bee at www.biblebee.org, including how you can host a local Bible Bee.

Zonderkidz are actually sponsors of the Family Fun area at the Bee, and many of our titles will be available throughout the event. Before we hit the road, we'd like to share some games and resources that help young people get excited about learning the Bible.

 

Games and Activies for Bible Learning

A great way for kids to memorize Scripture and learn the books of the Bible is the Adventure Bible Memory Game App. Here's a video about the memory game.

 

You can find more online games, activities and resources at the NIV Adventure Bible website: www.adventurebible.com.

Visit the Adventure Bible Website

 

Two Great Study Bibles

Two study Bibles we're not bringing to the Bee (but we recommend them, anyway) are the Adventure Bible and the Teen Study Bible. Both contain a lot of study features to help young people better understand God's Word and apply it to their lives.

 

Learn more about Adventure Bible
Learn More		 Learn more about Teen Study Bible
Learn More

 

If you're attending the National Bible Bee, we look forward to connecting with you!

 

Find Zonderkidz on Facebook

For book giveaways, fun activities, daily devotional messages, and more, find us on Facebook:

  

- The Zonderkidz Team

(This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's opinions are their own, and are shared for information purposes only. To receive new blogposts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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Color Shots from the New NIV Study Bible

We’re excited to announce the brand new NIV Study Bible, and it’s better than ever. The updated study notes and new book introductions bring deeper clarity to God’s Word, but what we find most exciting are all the full-color maps, charts, and diagrams. It’s one thing to read about the sacred objects in the tabernacle, and another thing to zoom in on what they would look like:

 

The Tabernacle Furnishings

The Tabernacle Furnishings

 

The charts and maps help us zoom out to see the bigger picture:

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3 New Features on Bible Gateway Inspire an NIV & KJV Bible Giveaway

 

THE PRIZE: NIV & KJV Side-by-Side Bible
Learn More about NIV & KJV Side-by-Side Bible

UPDATE: The winners are Sarah B., Andy M., and Eric D. Thank you to everyone who entered! Follow Zondervan Blog for more opportunities to win books, and for original content from your favorite Zondervan authors.

 

BibleGateway.com has been revamped, and three of the new features have Zondervan Blog especially excited. We’re going to celebrate by giving away three NIV and KJV Side-by-Side Bibles (with a tan and black cherry leatherbound cover). Find out how you can enter to win under the Feature #1 section below.

 

Feature #1: Parallel Translations

Learn more about parallel translations

When you’re reading a particularly insightful or challenging verse in Scripture, do you ever wonder how other translations render that passage? Now it’s easy to compare different versions. When you’re viewing a verse, just click the “Add parallel” link to find your other translation options. This feature inspired Zondervan Blog to host this giveaway:

 

ENTER TO WIN: NIV & KJV Side-by-Side Bible

  1. Search for your favorite verse on Biblegateway.com.
  2. Add a parallel translation next to the verse. (Click the “Add parallel” link on the right side of your screen. You can pick any translation you like.)
  3. Copy both versions of the verse and paste them into a comment here on Zondervan Blog.

Leave your comment on this post by 3PM (EDT) on Monday, June 13.
You have 3 chances to win: We’ll pick a comment at random on Thursday, Friday, and Monday. Each of those three commenters will receive an NIV and KJV Side-by-Side Bible. Enter now before you keep reading!

 

You can learn more about setting up parallel translations on the Bible Gateway Blog.

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NIV eBook Special: “Buy One, Give One” Through Jan. 4

BUY ONE, GIVE ONE: For every digital copy of the updated NIV Bible sold through Jan. 4, 2011, Zondervan will donate a New Testament of a new NIV-like Hindi translation through Biblica, the worldwide publisher and translation sponsor of the NIV Bible. Read on for more about the new NIV eBook and the "NIV+" Mobile App.


Learn More about NIV eBook Now Available

128 million people.

53 countries.

6 continents.

1 Word.

 

Since 1809 Biblica has been providing Bible resources to people all over the world. As a result, hundreds of millions of lives have been transformed—from desperation to hope, from brokenness to peace, from questions to answers. Ever since Biblica began their work, they have stayed true to the ir goal: to give every person in the world the chance to encounter Jesus through God’s Word and be transformed. To date, more than 400 million copies of the NIV have been distributed worldwide through Biblica, Zondervan and other publishing partners.

 

As part of the NIV eBook release, Zondervan launched a holiday BUY ONE, GIVE ONE campaign. For every digital copy of the updated NIV Bible sold through Jan. 4, 2011, Zondervan will donate a New Testament of a new NIV-like Hindi translation through Biblica, the worldwide publisher and translation sponsor of the NIV Bible and a global Bible and publishing ministry. Zondervan and Biblica hope to donate 30,000 copies of the all-new Hindi translation of the New Testament.

 
About the NIV eBook
With quicker page turns and a numbered footnoting system that allows you to easily jump from Bible text to footnote and back again, this NIV eBook is faster and more robust than ever before. And with a new “How to Use This Bible” page included, navigating the Bible has never been easier. Learn More


Learn More about NIV Plus App Now Available

About the NIV+ App
You can choose from any digital Bible materials including devotional materials, study Bible materials, academic reference materials, atlases and maps.  The NIV+ App also allows you to turn on or off different layers of text and customize Bible reading for whoever is using the Bible.  For example, the Women’s Devotional Study Bible and Busy Mom’s Bible materials can be used by mom and then turned off in order for her daughter to view the True Images Bible notes which are age appropriate for young girls. Learn More

Platforms: iPad/iPhone, Droid, and Blackberry.

 

 

 

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Preview the New Updated NIV Church Bible

Sign up for a free Gospel of Mark Sampler & free updated NIV Bible for review
Sign up now

Are you a pastor or church leader interested in updating your Worship or Pew Bibles? Then you are eligible to receive a free updated NIV Bible for review.

Sign up for your Bible now and you'll also receive a free softcover Gospel of Mark Sampler, which will ship to your mailing address immediately. (Your updated NIV Church Bible will ship in March 2011.)

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Exciting Announcement about the NIV Translation

This is a very special day for Zondervan. We announced earlier today that Zondervan is partnering with Biblica and the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) to bring you an updated NIV in 2010. I am excited about launching this updated translation and wanted to share this news with everyone as soon as possible.

Since the NIV was first published in 1978, more than 300 million copies have sold worldwide – making it one of the most popular English books ever sold. However, the current NIV has not been updated since 1984, and it’s time to refresh the text by going back to the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew and translate God’s unchanging word using today’s most contemporary English.

The CBT is already working on the revisions and the process should be complete by late next year. The updated NIV will be available in 2011.

I hope this announcement is the first step toward an NIV that’s even easier to read and understand, and that it will continue to find its way into the hands and hearts of millions. For more information please visit www.NIVBible2011.com.

—Moe Girkins, Zondervan President and CEO

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