Paths v5n1 2016 winter

News & Views from Walk Thru the Bible

Beyond the Past in Armenia Light in ISIS’ Shadow Weekly Devotionals for Winter

Winter 2016

Walk Thru the Bible 5550 Triangle Parkway, Suite 250 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 www.walkthru.org Volume 5, Number 1 Winter 2016 Published quarterly President Phil Tuttle Vice President of Advancement Michael Gunnin Editor Chris Tiegreen Designer Michael Koiner Contributors Chris Tiegreen Emily Tuttle

Walk Thru the Bible ignites passion for God’s Word through innovative live events, inspirational biblical resources, and lasting global impact.

© 2015 by Walk Thru the Bible® Ministries, Inc. Contents may not be reproduced in any form unless authorized in writing by the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright © 2011 by Biblica.

Used by permission of Zondervan.

All rights reserved.

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hile in Armenia in September, I realized I was teaching Crucible to people who knew very well what it’s like to go through one.

Armenians are still recovering from a genocide a century ago that much of the world refuses to recognize, and they are positioned between powers and cultural influences that put considerable pressure on them (see story on page 6).

After we went through the museum and saw the impact of the genocide in which 1.5 million people were killed, I wrote an email update and sent it to many of our U.S. and international staff.

Philip Tutu, our country director for Ghana, saw the email and responded that he was currently teaching Crucible in Cape Coast, a city from which more than a million slaves were shipped out during slave-t rading days. One week later, our international coordinator and Middle East director, Wahid Wahba, would be teaching in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, just a few miles from ISIS-controlled territory. And while I was in Armen ia I found out that 1,500 copies of Crucible had been given to soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine.

This sequence of stories, all of which hit me within a week, remind ed me of a consistent theme that keeps coming up in our ministry: Our tools work best where they are needed most. You’ll see that theme reflected again and again in this issue of Pathways, as well as in this ministry’s entire history.

Just last summer at our Middle East conference, there were terroris t bombings in four different home countries of some of our attendees while we were there; one of them was 150 yards from our partner ministry’s office in Cairo. Yet in all of these situations, God’s people continue to have fruitful ministries teaching God’s Word. No matter what is going on in the world— or in your life—His truth sustains us. And I hope you’ll be encour aged in the pages that follow by how it continues to change lives.

Phil Tuttle President

If you are not currently receiving Pathways and would like to, email pathways@walkthru.org or use the attached envelope to let us know.

FALL 2015

VOL. 5

NO. 1

FEATURES

6 A Remnant and Its Roots

How Armenia’s Christians Are Overcoming Their distant past is a story from Christianity’s earliest roots. The more recent past has left numerous scars. But Armenia’s churches are regaining their passion and reaching the next generation.

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Secure Faith, Insecure Land

Ministry in ISIS’ Shadow Christian leaders in Iraq urged our Middle East partners to go to the country’s Kurdistan region. The ministry opportunities they found there will keep them going back again and again.

Devotionals 22 T K M he

ingdom

ission

Weekly readings excerpted from indeed magazine

DEPARTMENTS

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New at Walk Thru the Bible

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Regional News

Resources for the coming year

Highlights from around the world

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Country Profile

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Step Into the Story

Armenia

A Bridge We’re Building—and How You Can Help

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Leader Profile

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Donor Profile

Positioned for Influence Beni Lup, regional director for Eastern Europe Now Pitching for Our Team . . .

Frank and Cathy Tanana

Images from the 1915 genocide still haunt the national psyche in Armenia, and years of communism still shape it, but a renewed faith is growing among its people.

What’s New @ Walk Thru Three New E-Books >

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hree of Walk Thru the Bible’s popular resources released within the last three years are now e-books available on Amazon Kindle, Nook, and iBooks: • Jesus in the Old Testament • The Best Story Ever! A family devotional that teaches the big picture of God’s Word (Old Testament) • World Religions: A Christian Perspective on Five World Religions

With both daily readings and reflection/discussion questions, Jesus in the Old Testament and World Religions can be used as a personal devotional as well as a small-group resource. The Best Story Ever! includes devotional stories and discussion questions designed for families.

Kindle downloads can be read through a Kindle app on any device, including laptops, tablets, and smart phones. Nook books are available on desktop or laptop computers through supported browsers. iBooks can be read on any device with iOS8 or later.

Going Global with YouVersion >

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ouVersion, which offers more than 1,000 versions of the Bible in more than 700 languages, is one of the world’s most popular Bible apps. The app has been downloaded by tens of millions of users for use on smart phones, tablets, and computers.

Now a portion of our Jesus in the Old Testament devotional and small-group discussion guide can be accessed by millions through the YouVersion Bible app.

The sample includes five days of devotionals on symbols and foreshadowing of Jesus in the book of Genesis.

To find the devotionals in your YouVersion Bible app, search “Jesus in Genesis” or look under new plans. On your computer, visit www. bible.com/reading-plans/1877jesus-in-genesis.

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Pass It On >

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o you love to teach God’s Word? Do you want to add a powerful tool to your ministry, increase your reach by expanding your audience, further your mission of making disciples, join a global network of teachers, and earn supplemental income? Walk Thru the Bible is looking for associate instructors with teaching experience, and upcoming training dates are still open.

Each year, more than a thousand Walk Thru the Bible live events are taught in North America alone, and thousands of lives are changed through them. If you want to help unlock the treasures of God’s Word for others, pray about taking the first step toward Walk Thru the Bible instructor training.

Training dates for 2016 are: • March 4-8 (Old Testament for adults) • June 24-28 (Old Testament and New Testament for adults, Old Testament and New Testament for children) Training takes place in Atlanta. For more information and applications, go to www.walkthru.org, highlight the menu tab for “Live Events,” and select “Instructor Training.”

Regional News Latin America > Detour was launched in Honduras in late October, with 2,200 people attending from Tegucigalpa and surrounding areas. President Phil Tuttle co-taught the training with Alejandro Oviedo, regional director for Central America. Many churches from several diverse denominations were represented, and pastors who were trained have already booked Detour events across the country.

This group of pastors have influence over more than 100 villages in the region and said they were now even more motivated to share God’s Word with their people in a more meaningful way.

Europe > At the request of the Ministry of Education in Moldova, teachers and trainers in Christian and public agencies are currently being trained in several Walk Thru the Bible courses on marriage, family, and leadership principles.

Asia >

Africa > More than 200 pastors in western Kenya were trained in Crucible last summer, and are now using the course in their ministries across the country. This initial training has been so successful and fruitful that pastors are requesting another training in the coming months to be able to expand the influence of this and other courses.

Walk Thru the Bible–Southern Africa recently hosted a People Puzzle Training in Johannesburg, South Africa, that certifies instructors to teach three courses: Solving the People Puzzle, Sharpening Your People Skills, and

Understanding the Love of Your Life. These courses help participants change their perspective on relational dynamics and help them improve relationships in every area of life. The trainees, from Botswana and South Africa, are now equipped to present any of these events in the Christian community or business environments.

Pastors from the Limpopo province of South Africa recently attended a Walk Thru the Old Testament event. Many, without any formal theological training, remarked how excited they were to understand the big picture of God’s story for the first time.

Three conferences featuring three live events—Detour, Crucible, and Look of the Leader— were held in different cities in Pakistan in August, reaching 575 people. In one of the conferences, 55 young people dedicated their lives to ministry. National director Curnilius Gill says the events have helped spark a revival among Pakistani youth. As many as 230 leaders have been trained in another course, Chosen, in Pakistan this fall. These trainers have reached 50,000 people in their churches in less than two months, and are training 250 more leaders this winter. .

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A Remnant and Its Roots How Armenia’s Christians Are Overcoming the Past

“ARMENIANS ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER NATIONS BECAUSE OF HISTORY. SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY IT’S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ARMENIANS, BUT IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND US. STUDY THE HISTORY.” —ASATUR NAHAPETYAN, NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR WALK THRU THE BIBLE IN ARMENIA

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Asatur Nahapetyan, the general secretary of the Baptist Union of Armenia, serves as Walk Thru the Bible’s national coordinator in Armenia. We sat down with him recently and asked him to tell the story of God’s work among his people. His quotes are in bold; our commentary elaborates on what he told us.

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ften called the Land of Noah, Armenia is an ancient land with a complex history. Mt. Ararat, the believed landing place of Noah’s Ark, is the symbol of the nation, even though it now lies just across the Turkish border, tantalizingly close but unreachable to the Armenian people. The history of Armenia is rife with struggle, tragedy, and pain, but the Christian faith is the constant that has kept Armenia united. The Armenian people have much in common with the biblical patriarch whose mountain dominates their skyline—namely the understanding that despite suffering and loss, God always preserves a remnant of people who love him.

Asatur shared the story of his people and

Armenia was the first nation to declare itself Christian, and the need to learn Scripture and cultivate faith inspired its written language.

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how God’s faithfulness to them can be traced through all the hardships they’ve endured:

“Christianity gave Armenians identity.”

The roots of Christianity in Armenia run deep—all the way back to the first century. According to tradition, Armenia was first evangelized by two of Jesus’ disciples, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, between 40 and 60 AD. The Armenian Apostolic Church was built upon their foundation, and the faith began to grow in the nation. In 301, St. Gregory the Illuminator baptized King Tiridates III, and the king declared Armenia to be a Christian nation, the first in history. Gregory traveled the country converting people to Christianity and

became the first Catholicos, patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Armenia has its own distinct language. For centuries, Armenians spoke their language but did not have an alphabet to read or write it. In 405, at the request of the king, a church leader named Mesrob Mashtots created a written language so the Bible could be translated into Armenian. The development of an alphabet led to a cultural renaissance.

Armenian intellectuals published early books on philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and science.

Armenians proudly credit much of their heritage and cultural identity to Christianity for inspiring the need for a written language.

Because of its location at a strategic crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Armenia has always been a place other nations want to conquer. Throughout its history, Armenia has been occupied and ruled by a string of outside powers—the Mongols, the Persians, the Ottoman Turks, Imperial Russia, and the Soviet Union. Time

after time, as their country changed hands, the Armenian people fought to preserve their culture, their language, and their faith. Their national pride and calm confidence come from centuries of focus on what unites them—their language and their God.

“The biggest loss of the nation of Armenia came at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Half of all Armenians were killed.”

Every nation has at least one event that shapes its identity and changes how it measures time. For Armenia, that event came in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.

Under the Ottoman Empire, half of the three million Armenians lived within the borders of present day Armenia, and the other half lived in western Armenia (now part of Turkey). For decades Armenians coexisted peacefully with their Muslim neighbors but felt they were treated like secondclass citizens.

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Turkey lost a decisive battle at Sarikamish in World War I and blamed its defeat on lack of support from Armenians. The government spread propaganda throughout the empire to convince people that Armenians were a threat to their safety, and the stage was set for the first genocide of the modern era.

Beginning in April 1915, the Ottoman Turks systematically massacred young Armenian men, then intellectuals, and finally women and children. The Ottomans marched them into the Syrian desert to concentration camps where they denied them food and water. Soldiers raped and abused Armenian women. Hundreds of thousands died of disease, starvation, mass burnings, drownings, and intentional massacres. By the end of the genocide, an estimated half of the Armenian population was dead. Many of the rest were scattered around the world in what became the seven-million-strong Armenian diaspora of today.

In the years since Medz Yeghern (“the Great Crime”), Armenians have fought to convince the

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world to recognize the genocide. Although initial reactions from surrounding nations showed dismay and support for the Armenian people, it took only a few short years for the atrocities to fade from the world’s memory. By 1939, in order to justify his imminent invasion of Poland and the beginnings of the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler famously asked, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” In only 24 years, the world had forgotten. Today’s Turkish government does not acknowledge the genocide, and only 23 countries have affirmed the genocide as historical fact.

But the Armenian people have not forgotten.

On the walls of the Armenian Genocide Memorial and in the collective Armenian consciousness, the genocide is still a fresh wound. This year, at the centennial anniversary of their greatest national tragedy, Armenians stood together to declare their commitment to prevent future genocides around the world.

“The idea was to bring to zero ground everything connected with Christianity.”

“They tried to cut us off from our Savior, cut us off from our history.”

As the genocide unfolded, it became clear The Red Army conquered the newly indethat the goal of the Ottoman Turks pendent nation in 1920, and Armewas to strip the Armenian people of nia was forced to join the Soviet the glue that had held them together Union. Joseph Stalin’s regime “RUSSIAN through centuries of transition— persecuted Armenian Christians for AND ENGLISH another seven decades. They were their Christian faith. They burned churches and monasteries, killed not allowed to attend church, be RESOURCES priests, and destroyed ancient Chrisbaptized, or live their faith publicly.

DON’T HELP tian manuscripts. Christianity was As people drifted away from the perceived as a threat to the might of US, BECAUSE faith, Christianity was no longer the the Ottoman Empire. dominant belief in Armenia—for the MOST But a few faithful people took first time since the fourth century. huge risks to preserve the faith, and PASTORS “Faith kept Armenians as a along with it the national identity ONLY SPEAK nation, so it wasn’t easy to take it of Armenia. Women and servants smuggled precious manuscripts out ARMENIAN.” from us.”

In 1991, the Iron Curtain fell, of the country and buried them in and freedom returned to Armenia. the Syrian desert. When it was safe, The restrictions of Soviet rule disappeared overthey were returned, and Armenians slowly rebuilt night, and the nation was left to dig through gentheir national knowledge of Scripture. erations of neglect for the remains of their cultural identity. Who were they? What did they believe?

These answers were almost lost, but there was still a small group of faithful believers.

“Christ cannot be taken from the hearts of people, and the prayers of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were heard in 1991 when our generation came to Christ and revival happened.”

By 1991, there was only one evangelical church left in Armenia and one ordained pastor. Through his ministry and as a result of their disillusionment with the realities of their war-torn nation, hundreds of young people began to look to God for answers. A revival broke out, and many from the generation that had grown up entirely under Soviet rule came to know the Lord. They had a fire and zeal to share their new faith with anyone who would listen. The evangelical church grew over the next two decades, and now there are nearly 6,000 baptized evangelical believers in the small nation.

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Khor Virap Monastery overlooks the Ararat plain at the foot of Mount Ararat at Armenia’s western border with Turkey.

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The Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan commemorates the massacre of an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million people in 1915.

“We received the faith from our fathers. They kept the faith. They kept it strong, they passed it to us, and we are so thankful to them. They did very well, and now it’s our turn.”

God saved Noah and his family from the global flood so they could spread His truth to future generations. He also saved a small group of committed Armenian believers from the agony of genocide and the faithlessness of Soviet oppression so that when the time for freedom came, someone would be able to tell the next generation of His faithfulness.

Today, the older pastors in Armenia are all first-generation Christians who came to faith after the fall of the Iron Curtain. They had no Christian background and no resources from which to learn except the Bible. “In 1991, we had only the Bible,” Asatur explained. “We have very few Christian resources available in our language. Only about three million people live in Armenia and speak the Armenian language. Russian and English resources don’t help us, because most pastors only speak Armenian.”

But big publishers don’t translate materials

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into Armenian because it is not a strategic investment of resources. Few people will use those materials, but for the ones who need them they make all the difference. The irony is that a language created for the sole purpose of giving Armenians access to the Bible is now the biggest roadblock to them receiving the resources and training they need to grow deeper in their faith.

“Walk Thru the Bible, who brought some Christian materials in our language, is a big, big support for us.”

Pastors and leaders in Armenia desperately need Walk Thru the Bible resources right now. The ministry has been working hard to build a team of local leaders led by Asatur, who can take materials and strategize ways to best implement them in their country. Like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32), they understand the times in which they’re living and they know what their nation needs to do to follow God. In September, Phil Tuttle and a team traveled to Armenia to train a group of these leaders in Crucible, a course on the life of King David. The

material was well received, and the men were hungry to learn and pass on what they learned to their churches. Being trained in a course from the Bible in their heart language was a new experience for many of them, and their joy was palpable.

“We pray that future generations of Armenians will be Christian rooted, but the work must be done today.”

As the current generation ages, its pastors are looking to the future. They were the personal recipients of the faith tradition passed on by the few faithful believers who made it through the Soviet era still committed to Christ, and they understand the importance of passing on their faith. Christianity often thrives in times of persecution and trial, so the challenge for the next generation of Armenian believers is to maintain the same passion for their faith that drove their fathers to overcome huge struggles.

In partnership with Walk Thru the Bible, pastors and leaders like Asatur are stepping up and preparing to pass the baton of leadership to the

next generation with the hope that they will love God with the same dedication as their ancestors.

“This is our dream: to bring us back to the roots of Christianity.”

Like their stalwart monasteries, the Armenian people have weathered centuries of storms, droughts, and challenges. They stand today, carved from stone and filled with praise, as a testament to the impact a few true believers can have.

Today, millennia after Noah’s lifetime, in the shadow of the mountain that witnessed God’s promise to him, Armenian believers still live lives of faith. The faithful remnant who believed throughout a century of tribulation has passed that faith on to their children, and now they pass it to their children so the next time trials come, they will be prepared to face them with the sureness of things hoped for and the certainty of promises not yet seen.

Watch this story in video at www.walkthru. org/armenia-video. .

Armenians have very few Christian resources in their own language, but Walk Thru the Bible is helping to change that.

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Country Profile

Armenia Population: 3 million

(Kurdish) 1.1%, other 0.7% Ethnicity: Armenian 98.1%, Yazidi 97.9%, Kurdish 1%, other 1% Language: Armenian (official)

Political system: Republic in the world, slightly smaller than Geography: 143rd largest country Maryland er thodox) 92.6%, Evangelical 1%, oth Religion: Armenian Apostolic (Or 2.4%, none 1.1%, unspecified 2.9%

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rmenia was the first country to officially become a Christian nation—11 years before the Roman emperor Constantine was converted and began formalizing Rome as a Christian empire. In the centuries since, Armenians have often been dominated by larger powers and suffered atrocities at their hands. Yet today, even after emerging from decades of antiChristian oppression, the faith of many remains strong. Evangelical leaders pray for the nation to return to its Christian roots.

Prayer Needs: The small evangelical church was almost wiped out under Soviet rule, but in the two decades since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the church in Armenia has grown considerably. Relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the evangelical denominations have been generally smooth, unlike the situation in neighboring Georgia between evangelicals and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

• Pray that this generation of Armenians can receive the tradition of faith from their parents and embrace it with the same zeal.

• Pray that times of peace and prosperity do not water down the power of the gospel in the lives of young Armenians. Faith thrives under persecution, but this generation of Armenians must learn to grow deeper in their faith without the external pressures their parents had.

• Pray for the team of Armenian pastors translating and distributing Walk Thru the Bible resources in Armenia. Pray that these materials will equip pastors and churches with the tools they need to help their nation move forward and continue restoring Armenia’s Christian roots. .

Sources: U.S. Department of State (www.state.gov), CIA World Factbook (www.cia.gov), and Operation World

by Jason Mandryk, 7th edition, ©2010.

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Secure Faith in an

Insecure Land

Ministry in the Shadow of ISIS

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his must be a safe place to stay,” thought Wahid Wahba as he arrived in Erbil, Kurdistan. The hotel was next to the American consulate. It seemed like a safe haven.

You can’t always tell in this area of northern Iraq. Though Kurdistan is said to be one of the safest regions in Iraq, “safe” is a relative term there.

Erbil is only miles away from ISIS-controlled areas. In fact, the next morning when Wahid asked his host pastor and his wife why all the shops in front of the hotel were empty, the couple looked at each other as if debating whether to answer or not. After hesitating, Pastor Sabry explained that there had been an explosion in front of the consulate only seven days earlier.

Wahid is Walk Thru the Bible’s international director as well as director for the Middle East/North Africa region. He and three ministry team members from Cairo were invited to Iraq by Iraqi attendees of this year’s Middle East conference in Lebanon, where pastors and church leaders received training in Walk Thru the Bible’s newest course and developed strategy for implementing God’s Grand Story throughout the Middle East. The Iraqi participants wanted

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them to go to Kurdistan and meet with Christian leaders about the Scripture-immersion campaign.

“What would you like us to teach while we are there?” asked Wahid.

“The Testing of Your Faith,” they immediately answered—one of Walk Thru the Bible’s older courses, but one that is particularly relevant to the people of Iraq right now.

So Wahid and his team members went to Iraq in September. Following are excerpts from his newsletter to the supporters of Middle East Leadership Training Institute (MELTI), Walk Thru the Bible’s partner organization in the Middle East:

Day 1 We were invited to minister in a youth meeting.

There were about 30 youth, more than half from Muslim backgrounds. (This is the part you do not hear on the news: wars bring many to Jesus.)

The program was very interesting, led by Nahla, whom the kids adore. Six of the kids recited 2 Peter 3:9, which they had learned last week: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

I shared my testimony, and how the word of God changed my life. Then Maged, our regional training director, led the group in a game: every two kids were given one pencil and one sheet of paper. He asked them to hand-in-hand draw something they did not agree upon. Maged gathered the papers.

Some of them had meaning, others didn’t. He asked who among them resisted their partners. The lesson learned was that there can be contradictions between our will and the will of God. When we submit to God, He makes something beautiful of our lives. If we resist God’s will, the result is always a mess.

At the same time, out on the streets of Erbil, they had Sunday school for younger kids. With chairs and tables on the streets, they heard God’s Word.

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Day 2 “Your peace surpasses understanding, your peace will never vanish, whatever the enemy says, you fill our hearts with peace.”

These were the words of the worship song sung on the second day of the conference. I had tears in my eyes, listening to those words coming from people in a war torn country. Many of those singing have lost their homes, most of them have lost at least one loved one, others have seen loved ones killed in front of their own eyes.

As we were teaching The Testing of Your Faith we could see the pain and the courage on their faces.

There were 71 Iraqis attending. One was Raymond, a 25-year-old man who had been kidnapped by ISIS. ISIS asked for a very big ransom to return him, and although his father is not a rich man, he gave everything he owned to get him back.

Raymond’s relationship to his father was never good, but when he saw what his dad did and how much he paid to bring him back, he is now so grateful. He understands now what Jesus did for him.

Pray for the father who, though he knows he did the right thing, is now in dire need for the basics for his family. He is struggling to keep his family alive, and has a hard time putting food on the table.

Ashti and his wife, Jacqueline, were among the leaders at the conference. They brought a big group with them from Duhouk to the conference, including many children. MELTI had informed them that the cost for children would be 50 percent of the adult fees. At the end of the conference, Ashti paid 100 percent for the children as well as a $1,500 donation for MELTI. It reminded us of the church in Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 8:2-3. “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.”

Like the woman who gave her all, Ashti and his wife have a shelter that hosts refugees fleeing from ISIS. They told us about many European girls who come to their church who are pregnant from ISIS men. They are so traumatized that they cannot think

straight and cannot go back to their countries. The Iraq church ministers to these women, loving on them and praying for them that God will release and save them from their bondage.

The main need in Iraq is discipleship, so we decided to go back every quarter.

and the Christians they serve cannot put their security in their government, the nearby consulate, or their current position beyond ISIS’ control. They know, however, that they can put their security in God and His Word. And the Word is strengthening old and new believers and being spread throughout this land. .

Wahid and his team also met with leaders of different churches to explain how Walk Thru the Bible teachings, and particularly the God’s Grand Story campaign, can help them in their ministries.

As in many other areas in the region, these leaders

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Into the Word w e e k l y

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d e v o t i o n a l s

KINGDOM MISSION

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alk Thru the Bible exists to ignite passion for God’s Word wherever we go and to provide the opportunities and resources for eternal truth to work its way into people’s hearts.

One of the best ways for the truth of Scripture to sink in is to meditate on it daily. The following devotionals, adapted from indeed magazine, are a valuable tool to aid that process.

One devotional is provided for each of the next 13 weeks. You can read the weekly reading any day during your week, but you may also want to revisit it every day of the week to make it a regular part of your time with God. If so, many have found this approach helpful: On Monday, read the devotional. Become generally familiar with the Bible verse, its original context, and the insights in the devotional reading. On Tuesday, look upward. How does this verse or passage apply to your relationship with God? What does it teach you about His will and His heart? What aspect of His character is He inviting you to experience and enjoy? On Wednesday, look inward. How does this truth apply to your heart

WEEK 1

December 28–January 3 Acts 1:3-8

THE MESSAGE During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3) IN WORD Jesus came preaching the kingdom. His first message urged a change of heart, mind, and direction because “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15). He told parables of the kingdom, told us to seek the kingdom above all else, and instructed us to pray that it would come on earth just as it is in

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and your own spiritual growth? What does it teach you about yourself, your needs, or your goals in life? In what aspects of your personal life is God inviting you to grow and mature? On Thursday, look around. How does this truth apply to your relationship with others? What does it teach you about how to relate to them? What is God inviting you to do differently in your relationships? On Friday, look outward. How does this verse or passage apply to your ministry and mission in life—to your role in God’s kingdom, in society, and in the world? What does it teach you about God’s purposes? What part of His mission is He inviting you to participate in? On Saturday, look forward. How does this verse or passage apply to your future, both in this age and in eternity? What does it teach you about God’s plan for your life, now and forever? What aspect of eternity is God inviting you to participate in?

This approach can help you look at God’s Word from every angle and incorporate its implications into your life. As you saturate yourself in Scripture, God will shape your heart to align with His own.

heaven. So after His resurrection, during the 40 days He walked this earth in open defiance of death, what topic did He focus on with His followers? The kingdom of God, of course.

The kingdom wasn’t simply part of Jesus’ message; it was Jesus’ message.

This was the core of His teaching, the realm to which He called all who believe in Him, the lifestyle He demonstrated and proclaimed to those with ears to hear.

He invited us into a supernatural lifestyle because that’s how kingdom citizens live.

He intrigued us with kingdom paradoxes because some things can’t be easily explained. He showed us kingdom fruit because it’s available to all who make His presence in their lives a priority. He made it clear that history is hurtling toward a fulfillment of God’s purposes on this planet. The King was focused on establishing His domain.

If your conversations with the King aren’t filled with thoughts of the kingdom—what it looks like, how it thrives in your life, how you can cultivate it and further it—then perhaps your conversations are off-topic from His main concern. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about your immediate needs and the details of your life; He certainly does. But He cares about integrating them into His kingdom purposes. He wants you to see them with a kingdom perspective. He talks about the kingdom a lot.

IN DEED Good conversationalists talk about what the other person is interested in. When you do that with Jesus, you’ll find yourself in rewarding conversations that go deeper than you might have thought possible. Your understanding of the kingdom will grow, and your desire for it will be stirred. And you may see it coming in ways you haven’t expected.

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

Acts 14:19-22

Acts 28:23-31

Isaiah 63:1-5

January 4-10

January 11-17

January 18-24

A ROUGH TRANSITION

UNHINDERED

THE KING’S BATTLE

They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)

He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God. (Acts 28:30-31)

Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? (Isaiah 63:1)

IN WORD The book of Acts began with Jesus teaching about the kingdom of God, and it ends with Paul teaching about it—unhindered. That’s significant because we’ve seen hindrances in the middle of the story as early believers encountered opposition and obstacles, sometimes from within their own ranks. But the overriding message in Acts is that the good news of the kingdom is contagious and unstoppable. It’s accompanied by the power and provision of God, and it will continue until its completion.

That’s why the story of Acts ends without ending. It leaves us hanging in the middle of the plot, primarily because the plot is still being written. Even today, we are writing chapters of the kingdom in the way we live, speak, and act in the name of Jesus. As a prophet once wrote, the greatness of God’s kingdom will never stop increasing (Isaiah 9:7). Every believer is a part of that story, and every believer’s role is important. The reason the book of Acts doesn’t have a firm ending is that the ending is up to us.

Live in the book of Acts. Don’t try to duplicate the same stories of the early church as though the kingdom hasn’t grown or advanced since the first century; we live in a different time, and some of the issues we face are different. But the message is the same, the power available to us is the same, and the King who gave us the kingdom mission is the same. Acts isn’t just the story of Peter, John, Philip, Stephen, James, and Paul. It’s the story of you.

IN WORD When the world thinks of Jesus, it pictures the Jesus of made-for-TV miniseries: misty-eyed, peace-preaching, disillusioned with the religious establishment, and advocate of a better way. He’s portrayed as a good teacher who was brutally, unjustly crucified—and, as an epilogue to the main story, was raised from the dead. He’s an enigmatic prophet and mystic from whom we can learn a lot.

But that’s not a full picture of the Jesus of Scripture. The portrayal is true as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough.

It doesn’t capture His role as the incarnate deity who came from heaven to ransom captives. It doesn’t reflect the zeal of His mission or the intensity of His words. It doesn’t depict the epic agenda of a God who decisively confronts a rogue creation and destroys the evil that ravages it. It gives us a lot of information about the Teacher and almost none about the Warrior King.

Scripture portrays the Messiah of God as a powerful, passionate defender of His beloved people. He strides forward in strength wearing robes of royal authority. Behind the King who rode a donkey into Jerusalem is a Swordsman who rides a warhorse in Revelation. The humble nature of Jesus as He relates to people is backed by a militant nature of the Son of God as He relates to evil. The Savior is not passively sitting in heaven watching the tragedies of earth unfold. He is an active general who is coming against evil in awesome power and devastating precision.

IN DEED If you really want Acts-like faith, take up the message that begins and ends the book—the good news of the kingdom.

This message includes spiritual salvation, but it’s bigger than that. It begins with faith in the King, but it leads to great exploits and adventures on His behalf. It addresses your individual life, but it draws you into a bigger story. Live in that story with all boldness and no hindrance.

IN DEED Remember that when you get discouraged about life in this world. Learn to see behind the scenes. Though evil runs rampant in the circumstances you see, you and your Messiah are partners in power.

You can join with Him in the battle and exercise heavenly vengeance on all that His enemies have sown in this world. Never forget that your Savior, meek and mild, is also a zealous warrior robed in splendor.

Appeal to His righteous power whenever and wherever you need it.

IN WORD Paul had been stoned, dragged out of Lystra, and left for dead. Perhaps he was—his impromptu executioners weren’t likely to mistake unconsciousness for death. But regardless of what state he was in, and whether he was resurrected or simply revived, he had been brutally treated. His and Barnabas’ message of the good news had resulted in some really bad consequences.

So when Paul and Barnabas told the believers in the next town that we go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they were speaking from experience. They weren’t simply having a bad day; they were in frequent danger.

And while their statement seems like a requirement—as if hardships can earn us the right to become kingdom citizens—it’s more of an observation. Entering the kingdom of God is a wonderful experience, but it isn’t always an easy one. There are challenges. The kingdom of darkness doesn’t give up its denizens easily.

You’ve probably experienced that phenomenon. Like the Pharaoh who had to be convinced through ten plagues to let God’s people go, the captor of our souls doesn’t remain passive when we leave his domain. The fact that his domain is illegitimate and ultimately defeated doesn’t deter him; he still fights for territory. And the most intense battlegrounds in this fight are the territory of your heart, your fellowship with other believers, and your perceptions of the King.

IN DEED That’s where many believers get tripped up. We suffer hardship and then accuse the King of allowing it. But God isn’t the source of the hardships. We stand in the midst of a clash of kingdoms.

Having seen the light, we’re done with the kingdom of darkness, but the kingdom of darkness isn’t done with us. We should therefore not be surprised when we run into obstacles or opposition. It’s normal on kingdom pathways. And our response must be like that of Paul and Barnabas: get up and keep going, persistently and relentlessly until the kingdom comes in full.

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WEEK 5

WEEK 6

WEEK 7

Isaiah 63:1-5

Isaiah 63:1-5

Isaiah 63:1-5

January 25-31

February 1-7

February 8-14

THE FIGHTER’S ZEAL

THE JUDGE’S MESSAGE

THE BELIEVER’S AGENDA

“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!

It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”

(Isaiah 63:1)

“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me.” (Isaiah 63:3)

“For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors.

(Isaiah 63:4)

IN WORD God is often perceived as emotionless. After all, if He created all things and is sovereign over them, He has no need to get angry or jealous, or to celebrate as though He’s surprised about a good turn of events. He’s always calm and dignified in our minds, never rousing Himself to battle. And while that perception is very religiously embraced, it isn’t accurate. It isn’t how God portrays Himself in Scripture.

No, God strides forward in strength, loudly proclaiming His righteous agenda, His royal robes stained in blood from the battles He fights. Isaiah’s rhetorical question in 63:1 comes on the heels of God’s emphatic, global announcement of the mission of the Savior (62:11), and it’s answered decisively by the Lord Himself: It is He, the I Am, the One who gets mad at evil and counters it with truth and righteousness, the One whose overwhelming power is mighty to save. This is no dispassionate God. If we really understand the passions of God, it changes the way we live.

We aren’t afraid to ask Him to confront the evil we see and to give us the courage and power to confront it with Him. We don’t have to add “if it’s Your will” to prayers that we know to be entirely consistent with His will. While the world wonders why God remains so distant and passive, we see Him blood-stained from battle and the last warrior standing. We know the power of His sword and how precisely it cuts down lies and wickedness. We follow His lead and approach the kingdom of darkness with zeal and a holy agenda.

IN DEED Most Christians walk through life feeling beat up. Get close to the heart of God, however, and that feeling has to vanish. Our God is a God of action. He does not remain silent when we invite Him to rouse Himself to intervene in our battles. He doesn’t get pushed around by the adversary. Knowing that the mighty Warrior is on our side gives us the freedom to feel and act victorious. And it gives us the faith to see the victory come.

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IN WORD According to Isaiah, God was appalled that no one was with Him to represent Him and intercede on behalf of this world (v. 5). No one supported Him in His wrath or His redemption, so He worked out salvation with His own arm.

He clothed Himself in human flesh and accomplished His victory Himself—all by Himself. We didn’t think the way He did about the condition of the world, and we didn’t see the solution. None of us was with Him. But now we know. We know what His vengeance will be like. We know that He hates evil so much that He poured out His wrath on His bloody, beaten Son. We know how mangled Jesus was on the cross, and we understand now that this mangled figure is a picture of God’s attitude toward our sin. We know that when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead, it will not be a gentle, peaceful event. And we know what’s in store for those who spurn His righteousness and His salvation.

Knowing all these things, what should our response be? How should we address the needs of our world? Should we preach mercy, or warn of impending judgment? Should we demonstrate the kindness of God that leads to repentance, or should we proclaim the severity of God that crushes sin? The answer is yes—all of it. Mercy and kindness, severity and judgment. The heart of God is big enough and passionate enough to contain both. Ours must be too.

IN DEED What God really desires for us— He makes it clear when, through Isaiah, He looks around for partners—is to be honest with our world. We are to be honest about the extravagant mercy of our Savior, and we are to be honest about the terrifying nature of a God who hates all that violates His righteousness. We are to teach the way of salvation and the consequences of rejecting it. We are to lead with a clear demonstration of His kindness and follow with a clear statement of His wrath. We are to speak the truth in love.

IN WORD The Messiah has a dual agenda: vengeance and redemption.

The first time He came, it was all about redemption. The second time, it will be all about righting wrongs and judging wrongdoers. We can be grateful that the redemptive work came first; otherwise, we’d all fall under His righteous sword.

But God mercifully sent our Savior long before judgment, and He has given us at least a couple of millennia to reap a harvest of salvation. Though the day of vengeance and the year of redemption are both on His heart, the year of redemption came first and lasts longer. The day of vengeance is just a matter of cleaning up the rebels’ mess.

According to Scripture, the ultimate goal for God’s people is to be conformed to the image of the Son. If the King has vengeance and redemption on His heart, what does that say about us? The implications are clear: we are to be as fired up about evil and as zealous about redemption as He is.

We are to have a dual agenda just like His. That doesn’t mean that we are to take up a lifestyle of violence in order to bring about God’s agenda. Other religions make that mistake and wreak all sorts of havoc on this world. We, on the other hand, have a different sort of violence to embrace. Wherever we see hatred, we oppose it with relentless love. Wherever we see injustice, we make things right.

Wherever we see poverty, we provide.

Wherever we see pride, we counter it with humility. And wherever we see evil, we pray our hearts out and take an unwavering stand against it.

IN DEED You may see Christian character as a passive approach to the world’s problems, but it’s far from that. It’s an active, intrusive, even violent opposition to the kingdom of darkness. It shines light into corners that can’t stand light. In your life as a believer, adopt Messiah’s agenda.

Expose lies and injustice, and sow seeds of righteousness aggressively. Live with a heart of hostility toward evil and mercy toward its captives.

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

Zechariah 9:9-17

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53

February 15-21

February 22-28

February 29–March 6

MODEST MISSILES

HEAVEN ON EARTH

WORLD CHANGERS

They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. (Zechariah 9:15 niv)

He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

IN WORD As we rest in the strength of God, He rearms us with His kind of weapons. These weapons are like slingshots; they’re dwarfed by Goliath’s sword and scorned by any self-respecting army.

But they rely on the power and accuracy of God Himself, deflecting the glory of victory from man to God. As instruments of human warfare, they are completely impotent. In the hands of our Warrior, however, they are powerfully destructive.

Yes, our prayers can destroy the works of the enemy. They can thwart his evil purposes and expose his lies. They are weapons we can use from inside the fortress, where we’re safe and God is on the battlefield. They have the power to cripple evil generals and take captive guerrilla fighters. To the world, they look like kids’ toys, but empowered by God, they can slay giants. There are only two things that can render them impotent: neglect and unbelief.

It’s true; God won’t answer prayers we don’t pray. If we don’t sling the stones He handed us, they won’t have any effect on the battlefield. Likewise, if we sling them without any belief that they’ll hit a target or that God will empower them, they fall to the ground harmlessly. God uses the warfare of those who can rest in His power and shoot slingshots from the fortress. If we don’t do our part, He may not fight our battles.

IN WORD We celebrate the gift of salvation. Most of us celebrate because of the eternal life we know we’ll have in heaven.

Though we suffer pains and trials today, we know it won’t be this way forever—that in heaven there will be no more sorrow and no more tears. We look across the Jordan and into the Promised Land, wondering when we’ll cross over and leave this wilderness behind. We love the prospects of our future.

But our King’s ministry is much more than a ticket to future glory. It has present applications that, by faith, allow us to taste glory right now. Many of God’s promises are for “the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). His benefits are more than a distant hope (Psalm 103:2-5). The punishment that Jesus suffered on our behalf brought us peace—notice the fullness of life experienced by His followers in Acts— and we are healed by His wounds. The blessings of salvation began the day Jesus left a tomb in His wake. If we place all of our hopes in the future, we’re missing an enormous part of salvation.

I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death.

(Isaiah 53:12 niv)

IN DEED How many stones have you flung at the enemy today? Are you using your humble weapon of warfare? Like a boy facing Goliath with five stones, or another boy offering Jesus a few loaves of bread—or even like the humble Messiah riding into town on a donkey—we can trust God to take what’s mundane to us and use it to powerfully change lives. His kingdom is built on such humility. We can wield our modest weapons with confidence that they are more effective than the high-tech arsenals of our adversary. Our prayers are in God’s hands. No enemy can withstand such an assault.

IN DEED Does your life revolve around a future hope or a present reality? The truth is that both should shape the decisions of each day. But when the life we live doesn’t measure up to the life we’re promised, we’re often content to shrug our shoulders and assume the promises of God are all for our life beyond the grave.

God disagrees. He gave His disciples the gift of faith—an unnecessary gift in the clear vision of heaven, by the way— in order to bring heaven into the now. Jesus even commanded His disciples to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven. The truth of salvation is not just that we will go to heaven, but that heaven will come to us in the here and now—if we believe. Live in that truth, praying and acting as though the kingdom is invading your life. The punishment that brought us peace and healed our wounds means that it truly is.

IN WORD Imagine what the inheritance of the Son of God is. Psalm 2 says the whole earth and all the nations are included in His inheritance. Paul referred to heavenly riches and Peter spoke of an inheritance that will not fade away. What’s really incredible is what else the New Testament writers say about the inheritance of the Son: it is shared with us.

That’s what Isaiah’s prophecy is pointing to. God looks at the obedience of His Son with delight and turns all creation over to Him. Jesus is the heir of the King’s estate, and with an infinite King, the estate is greater than any mind can imagine. The extravagant God is ridiculously wealthy with all kinds of riches, and He wills them all to His Son. His Son, in turn, shares His inheritance with His bride—all who believe in Him. It’s the best deal we ever got.

Did you realize that? The Bible gives us two pictures of eternal inheritance: The Father gives everything to the Son, who shares with His brothers; and the Father endows everything to the Bridegroom, who allows His bride to marry into His wealth. That means that God bestows on us what Jesus deserves from His obedience. And if we think about what Jesus really deserves . . . well, that’s a staggering thought. And the truth is that it’s ours as well as His. IN DEED Too many Christians walk through this world convinced that God only answers their small prayers, that His arm has to be twisted to give us what we need, that He’s reluctant to use us to change lives. But God and Scripture shout “No!” When He promises His Son the nations, He promises us the nations. When He promises His Son the extravagantly live-giving, fruit-bearing Spirit, He promises us the extravagantly life-giving, fruitbearing Spirit. Faith takes hold of those promises and won’t let go. And those with that kind of faith become history-makers and world-changers. To Him—and to us— are given the spoils of His victory.

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WEEK 11

WEEK 12

WEEK 13

Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1-3

March 7-13

March 14-20

March 21-27

SHINE

MADE FOR GLORY

DRAWN TO GLORY

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

“Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:2)

“All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”

(Isaiah 60:3)

IN WORD In a prophetic passage about Zion, and ultimately about all of God’s people, Isaiah sees the light coming into a dark earth. But he doesn’t just picture the light of God piercing the darkness. He pictures the light of God on His people piercing the darkness of the world. The words of this prophecy are not an appeal to God to rise and shine. They are an appeal to the people of God to rise and shine. The day of oppression, of captivity, of living under the darkness rather than above it, are over.

That’s a great message for people who feel powerless and who, according to their past experiences, might have every reason to feel that way. There’s nothing in this passage that says, “Base your expectations of God on your past experiences.”

There’s nothing here that points back to disappointments or futility. No, this is an ode to a new day, a signal that a new era is breaking into this world and that it’s coming through the people of God. This is a declaration that times of disappointment and futility are passing away and new things have come.

Do you realize the implications?

In God’s redemptive story, a new day has come, is coming, and will come. It applied at first to the captives of Babylon, but it was bigger than that, a plot twist in the epic of God’s restoration of a broken world.

Jesus initiated a new era, but this era hasn’t nearly reached its apex yet. The light is still unfolding and overcoming darkness.

IN WORD “God will not share His glory with another.” This paraphrase of Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 is often expressed in absolute terms, as if God never shares His glory with anyone at all. But these verses were stated in the context of idolatry. For a fuller picture, we need only to look at Moses, who shone with the glory of God (Exodus 34:29-30); at the prayer of Jesus to share His glory with His followers (John 17:22); at how God transforms His people into a glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18); at how we will be glorified with Christ (Romans 8:17-18); and at Peter’s insistence that we can participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). In fact, we were originally made in God’s image and are being restored to that image in Christ. Is it possible to bear His image without also bearing His glory? Of course not. The idea is absurd, and the result would be less-than-glorifying to Him. No, we were created for glory.

According to Isaiah’ prophecy, the Lord rises on His people and His glory is seen on us. We are participants in the divine drama, not just spectators, and not antagonists. He doesn’t just show His glory to us; He shows His glory through us.

Whether we’re comfortable with that is not the issue. It’s His desire. He can do what He wants with the people He has created.

He is fully free to lavish His goodness, grace, and glory on us however He wills.

IN WORD Even from the beginning, it was clear that God was interested in more nations than just Israel. By calling this chosen people His “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22), He implied that there would be others.

After all, firstborn does not mean onlyborn; there have to be others for something to be the first. And as often as God gave directions for the “aliens among you,” instructed His people to be a light for other nations, and declared that many would be drawn to the temple in Jerusalem or to the Jewish people as a whole, it’s clear that this mission was global from the beginning. His presence, wherever He is and whomever He is with, becomes a magnet for those with ears to hear and hearts to know Him. Though Isaiah 60 seems at first glance to be speaking of the end—of the kingdom of God in all its fullness in the new heavens and new earth—it clearly speaks of a time when earth is still shrouded in darkness. It speaks of our age. And it tells us that in this age, God’s people can rise and shine and reflect His glory. Even in an age of darkness, there is a time when nations come to the light, not just of His glory, but of His glory in you.

We’ve seen that to a degree; faith has made inroads in virtually all of the nations and large ethnic groups of the world, though many remote people groups remain unreached. While we pray for more to come into God’s light, He prophesies that they will come into ours. As we step fully into our calling as redeemed and restored human beings, both created and restored into His image, nations will be drawn to His/our glory.

IN DEED You have an invitation, a calling, a responsibility to shine. God wouldn’t ask that of you if you weren’t able to do it.

All of creation is waiting for the revelation of those who are His children (Romans 8:19). We are reflections of His glory, now to some degree but always in increasing measure. As humble and unassuming as you may want to be, you were really designed to shine with the glory of God in such a way that people living in a dark world notice. You don’t have to force it or fabricate it; you simply must live in close fellowship with Him. His light has risen, is rising, and will continue to rise upon you.

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IN DEED How do we respond to such extravagance? We let Him. We realize our part in the redemption story and live as restored creatures fully alive and thoroughly saturated with the presence of God. We have no need to be pushy, pretentious, or contentious in our relationships with others; we live as those who are deeply, forever loved. Yes, we may pray bold prayers for truth to be known and miracles to be displayed, but we leave the results up to Him. We no longer live in futility or fear; we live as those who are highly favored.

And we do it in the midst of deep darkness, where glory shines the brightest.

IN DEED It’s possible to live well beneath the glory of God even while He is holding it out to offer it to you. We do that when we work for Him rather than with Him, pray to Him rather than in Him, and reason about Him rather than receiving from Him. But the nations are depending on our capacity to reflect the nature of God, whether they realize it or not. They are waiting to see who is truly not of this age.

They are looking for the difference. And as we open ourselves to His glory, they will see it. .

Step Into the Story

When God Calls Your Name Chosen to Build Bridges

C

hosen, the third course in our Biblical Character Series, has already been transforming lives in India, Nicaragua, Lebanon, and North America, some of the first places it was tested after being developed.

Now Walk Thru the Bible is ready to equip our international partners to translate, publish, and distribute this resource on the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The full title of this transformational resource is Chosen: When God Calls Your Name, and it includes a live event, DVDs and workbook for small groups, and a full-length book.

Why is a course on Mary a vital part of our strategy? For one thing, she is one of the most courageous characters in Scripture and teaches us a lot about how to live by faith in trying times. Her story captures both the promise and pain of being set apart by God to accomplish His purposes.

But more than that, interest in Mary links major segments of the church. “She creates a bridge for us into diverse audiences—Catholic, Orthodox, and even Muslim,” says President Phil Tuttle. “We

see this course as a vital tool for reaching millions around the world, not only with her story but with the biblical story as a whole.”

Mary is the only woman named in the Quran—other women are mentioned, but not by name—so she has tremendous respect among Muslims. And while there are significant differences in how Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox see Mary, all have plenty to learn from her story as it is presented in the Bible.

Because of these common interests, this course has appeal among millions of people who otherwise would not be exposed to Walk Thru the Bible teaching.

More than 100 pastors from across the Middle East and North Africa were trained in the Chosen material last summer and plan to use it in Orthodox churches and among Muslim-background believers. Many attending the training have endured persecution and other difficult circumstances but have continued seeing many people come to faith in Christ through their ministries. A leader in Kuwait named Yusef said after the training, “This course on Mary will satisfy the needs of the

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Step into the Story

(Contd.)

church in Kuwait. We serve all denominations, and this will help us reach them.” A Coptic Orthodox professor emphasized that the course, like Mary’s humility, will take the focus off of human agendas and glorify God. “The feedback has been very positive,” Phil says. “We’re hearing wonderful testimonies about how lives are being changed.”

The funding now needed for worldwide translation and distribution amounts to $150,000.

That will put Chosen in front of audiences in places as diverse as central Asia, eastern Europe, and Latin America, among others.

In Pakistan, for example, 230 leaders were trained in September and have already reached 50,000 people. Those trained include pastors and lay teachers, many of whom minister in at least two or three churches, if not more. So each teaching they are offered spreads very quickly among their congregations once they are trained and begin preaching and teaching.

“The response from the churches has been

very good,” says Curnilius Gill, country director for Pakistan. Though many have traditionally thought of Mary as a character study for women, men in Pakistan and in other regions have been strengthened and encouraged through the study to persist in their calling against opposition and obstacles. And, of course, women connect with the material particularly well, especially in a culture that tends to minimize their significance in God’s plan. Mary was highly favored and played an indispensible role in God’s purposes.

God’s calling on people’s lives didn’t end with Scripture. It continues today, and all who want to know His plan for their lives will learn valuable insights from Mary. As the mother of Jesus, she became a bridge between God and humanity’s need for a Messiah. Our hope is that with the financial resources we receive for translation and distribution of Chosen, she will be a bridge between diverse groups who need God’s Word in their lives. .

How You Can Help Please pray for the impact of this resource—that it will extend Walk Thru the Bible’s reach in the more than 120 countries where we work and give us an audience with multitudes who have had no previous exposure to our life-changing biblical resources.

We need to raise $150,000 in order to get this teaching into hearts and lives around the world. Please consider whether God might be prompting you to partner with us in the translation and distribution of Chosen, and please let us know by: • calling Mitchell Ridgeway, manager of donor services, at 678-578-5534 • connecting to www.walkthru.org/donate 28

Leader Profile

Positioned for Influence BENI LUP, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EASTERN EUROPE

B

eni Lup was a pastor, church planter, and Bible school director back in 1999, and his ministry was under attack. A priest had turned the legal system in Romania against him for proselytizing—“trying to deceive people,” the priest said.

“We couldn’t find a lawyer to fight against the church, so I had to learn law myself,” Beni says. He went to law school, earned a degree, and eventually got all the legal rights he had asked for.

And not only did he secure his rights to preach and teach; he developed relationships with government officials, got invitations to speak to the Romanian Parliament, and now uses his many connections to teach Walk Thru the Bible courses in public agencies and schools.

When Beni first connected with Walk Thru the Bible, he saw it as the tool God would use to re-evangelize and restore Europe. “Many people believe Romanians will be the ones to reach Europe,” he says. “I do believe that, and I believe Walk Thru the Bible is a key to that. I see lifechange through all of our classes. We give DVDs to parliament members, we broadcast on European satellite. So we are reaching a lot of people.”

Beni was appointed to lead a Romanian Parliament commission on human dignity that gives him opportunities to minister to government members. He is also in a Christian foundation that has been sponsored and accredited by the European Parliament to promote Christian values within the member states of the European Union. He has even

conducted some Walk Thru the Bible events under European funding.

As Walk Thru the Bible’s regional director for Eastern Europe, Beni and his wife, Eugenia, as well as other partners and colleagues in ministry, are able to conduct events and training in Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, and Moldova. They train children’s workers, conduct youth camps, and offer parenting classes in public schools and through public adoption agencies. They are also trying to fulfill requests for prison ministry and do a lot of work to combat human trafficking, which is rampant in Romania and neighboring countries.

Walk Thru the Bible resources and training play a significant role in their efforts as they equip churches, social workers, and parents to effectively deal with the sex trade and its victims.

Romania entered the European Union in 2007, which opened the doors for many Romanians to emigrate to other countries. Romania lost about 200 instructors trained in Walk Thru the Bible courses, and Beni at first saw the loss as a huge setback. But when he began receiving calls from Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, and other European countries with Romanian immigrants, he realized how much of an asset these dispersed instructors were. They were positioned to teach Walk Thru the Bible events in Romanian churches all across the continent.

In 1999, Beni was being harassed by local religious authorities. God leveraged that experience into a ministry that now reaches into government institutions and public agencies throughout Europe, addressing spiritual and social needs in diverse language and people groups. His hope that Romanians will reach Europe with biblical truth is being realized. .

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Donor Profile

Now Pitching for Our Team . . .

FRANK AND CATHY TANANA “We were really excited to play a bigger part in this ministry. It gives us a wonderful opportunity to use the resources God has given us to have an impact all around the world. To see people come to Christ and grow in His Word is exciting for us.”

Being involved with Walk Thru the Bible has built their own faith as well. rank Tanana was a left-handed pitcher for six “I’ve seen revival and rejuvenation in my different major league baseball teams from own soul through being involved with Walk Thru 1973 to 1993. He won more than 240 games the Bible. God is at work all around the world. and was a three-time All Star. Frank began Hearing the stories from the ministry has expanded following God in 1983, midway through his career, my view of what God is doing, and it’s encouraged and became a leader within profesme in my faith,” Frank explained. sional baseball’s Christian commuCathy agrees: “It’s so encouraging Major League career: nity. Since retiring from baseball, and faith-building.”

• 20 years with six teams: he and his wife, Cathy, have lived Frank and Cathy believe California Angels, Boston in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Walk Thru the Bible is a trustworRed Sox, Texas Rangthey spend their lives in ministry, thy place to invest their support. ers, Detroit Tigers, New speaking, evangelizing, discipling, They believe in the mission, and York Mets, and New York and teaching people about God. also in the people God has raised Yankees.

They have four married daughters up to do His work through the and 11 grandchildren.

• 240 wins in over 600 ministry.

The Tananas have supported starts “Having spent time with the Walk Thru the Bible since 2012, but leadership of Walk Thru the Bible, • 2,773 strikeouts, 18th allhad been familiar with the minisand having heard stories of what time try and its resources from much God is doing around the world earlier in their Christian walk. They • Three-time All Star through its global leaders, we’re attended a Walk Thru the Old Testagreatly impressed with this minisment live event at their church and saw firsthand try. We’re all in,” Frank says. how easy learning the Bible could be. “We used to “There are only two things read through the Daily Walk Bible at home,” Cathy that last—the Word of God and the remembers. “Then our good friends invited us souls of people—and we want to to a conference and we made the decision to get invest our time and resources in involved with Walk Thru on a deeper level.” those,” Cathy says. “That’s what “Cathy and I love the Word of God, and matters.” . that’s the core of Walk Thru the Bible,” Frank says.

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The Last Word

A

s you’ve read this issue of Pathways, I hope you’ve been encouraged by the many ways God is using Walk Thru the Bible around the world. Every single day, this ministry is impacting lives. From churches in North America to remote villages in Africa to undisclosed, secret locations in the Middle East, we are actively engaged in producing resources and hosting events.

On a recent trip to view our work in Armenia and the Republic of Georgia, one of Walk Thru the Bible’s donors made this observation:

When I saw in Armenia the response of the pastors to the course and that they said, “Please come back and bring other courses,” that showed me that this is actually working.

That’s the beautiful thing about Walk Thru the Bible—our resourc es and events work. They transform lives. We do more than simply produce content. We produce biblical materials that transform lives.

As 2015 is coming to a close, I’m reminded of how many people have given sacrificially to support Walk Thru the Bible. I’ve met with hundre ds of partners who have prayed and financially supported our work. I continue to be amazed at the rich generosity of God’s people to fund the ministr y.

If you haven’t yet sent your financial support for 2015, would you prayerfully consider sending a gift prior to the end of the year?

Walk Thru the Bible actually works! By His grace, God continues to use this ministry around the world in increasingly significant ways.

This will only continue by the faithful financial gifts of our ministry partne rs.

From all of us at Walk Thru the Bible, thank you for your partnership in this ministry.

Sincerely,

Michael Gunnin Vice President for Advancement

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF PATHWAYS: God’s Grand Story is being launched in 2016 in many countries, where thousands of people have already signed up for the Scripture-immersion campaign. The course is expected to reach hundreds of thousands this year.

Discover more about Walk Thru the Bible at

WWW.WALKTHRU.ORG