Sometimes the most helpful emails are those that get to the bottom line. If you have just started following my blog, you may have missed the top ten posts of 2012.
(Photo: from the Christian Film Database)
I have listed them here from number 10 down to number 1.
The best way to avoid missing any posts is to subscribe to my blog. That way, you’ll get new posts sent to you without always having to come to the blog. It’s easy and FREE to subscribe.
Tell me what you think: Were there any posts you enjoyed that didn’t make the top ten list? To leave a comment, just click here.
10. The 4 Quarters of Jerusalem United One Day?
(Photo: Replica of the Medeba Map, showing the Cardo street. The Greek letters read: “Holy City of Jerusalem”)
With all this diversity in the Old City, it becomes clear that there is a difference between the “reunification” of Jerusalem and the “restoration” the Bible predicts.
The Prophet Zechariah promises that even though “the nations” will attack the city, the Messiah will come and bring a restoration that includes complete reunification:
The LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one . . . and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security (Zechariah 14:1–11; see also Luke 21:20-27).
Scattered across the skyline of the Old City protrude all manner of crosses, crescent moons, and Stars of David—like a tangle of wheat and tares.
No doubt, as Zechariah wrote, it will take a Messiah to sort it out.
9. The Garden Tomb— Contemplating the Resurrection of Jesus
(Photo: The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem)
The Garden Tomb offers a wonderful place for meditation on the resurrection of Jesus.
- The serene surroundings include a peaceful garden with fragrant flowers, benches for relaxation and reading, pathways for strolling and prayer, and high walls to block out the cacophony of the unsightly surrounding streets.
- Visiting the garden costs nothing—nor does taking communion or keeping the souvenir wooden cup. Donations alone keep the place going.
- Individuals may take a self-guided tour with a brochure or join a group tour every half hour. The Garden Tomb Association guides all English-speaking visitors, but guests speaking other languages may use their own guides. Visiting groups require advance reservations.
on my upcoming trip to the Holy Land.
See the details, browse the tour itinerary, and
download a FREE brochure! After your journey to Israel,
you will never be the same!
8. Messianic Prophecies Change a Life
(Photo: My friend Amir at Masada, Israel)
Jesus’ fulfillment of the many Messianic prophesies couldn’t be mere coincidence. The Hebrew Scriptures record many prophecies about the Messiah.
Here’s a post that shows how these prophecies changed one life among millions.
7. How to Ponder Scripture Every Time You Stop
What a great sign! “STOP—Ponder Scripture.” The command is there—and at a crossroads many stop at every day. Yet the surrounding neighborhood seems unaffected. They see the stop sign—but not the street sign. God’s Word in our path is not only a convenience—but it’s also to be a comfort and a conviction.
This post gives three steps to ponder Scripture every time you stop.
6. Hezekiah’s Tunnel and Wall Give a Lesson from Archaeology
(Photo: Hezekiah’s Tunnel, courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Christians have a faith rooted in history—not mystery. The words on the pages of Scripture are supporting by simple elements we can dig out of the ground.
They prove nothing, but they support it all. With my own eyes I have seen Hezekiah’s wall, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Sennacherib’s Prism, and the Siloam Inscription. They are real.
So is my faith.
5. The Jesus Boat—A Nof Ginosar Abandoned Ship Resurfaces
(Photo: Floating the “Jesus Boat” on the Sea of Galilee. Courtesy of the Jesus Boat)
Because this ancient boat dates from the time of Jesus of Nazareth, some have sensationally dubbed the vessel, “The Jesus Boat.” Indeed, the seven- by twenty-six foot vessel could have held up to fifteen individuals, and it offers visitors a firsthand look the kind of boat Jesus and His twelve disciples would have sailed.
The Bible refers to boats of this kind playing a major role in the ministry of Jesus, with more than a half-dozen references in Mark’s gospel alone.
4. 6 Christian Sites in Rome You Should Know About
(Photo: Arch of Titus in Rome)
Rome is famous for the standard sites tourists see.
But I’d like to show you 6 Christian sites, those sites relevant to believers, including one place that isn’t even on the map.
3. Free Christian E-Books for the Spiritual Life
(Photo: Andrea Sánchez, via Vivozoom)
If you have an iPad or Kindle or some other device (even a computer) that allows you to read e-books, you’ll want to take advantage of some great free titles.
I did some digging and I’ve provided links to some great free ones—as well as how to search for others.
2. The Gates of Jerusalem Today and Tomorrow
(Photo: Jerusalem’s Golden Gate, courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
The walls and gates of Jerusalem have expanded and contracted over the centuries like the breathing of a living being. Even today, the Old City of Jerusalem is such that we have to enter the city through gates—just as people did for thousands of years.
There are 8 gates of Jerusalem today. But the Bible promises 12 in the future.
1. Timna Park—A Portrait of Your Atonement on Yom Kippur
(Photo: Tabernacle model at Timna Park. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
The best part of Timna Park is its least-known exhibit. Or perhaps, it’s the least-mentioned. A full-scale replica of the Tabernacle stands in the very wilderness where Moses and the children of Israel wandered for forty years.
It is like entering a doorway to history—and viewing a picture of your salvation.
Question: Were there any posts you enjoyed that didn’t make the top ten list? Please leave a comment below.