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As many as 7 billion copies of the Bible have been printed making it the best-selling book of all time. The full Bible has been translated into more than 700 languages, and the New Testament into over twice as many. In the United States, the average household possesses more than 4 Bibles. What is it about the Bible that makes it so important to so many people? Here are fi...

Here are a couple of books that explore tough questions Christians often face as they seek to live out their faith in a post-modern world. Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World, by Andreas Kostenberger, Darrel Bock, and Josh Chatraw (BH Publishing). Truth Matters is designed for busy college students. It is short, well-written, and easy to read in a few hou...

Breezewood is a small town in western Pennsylvania, located at the intersection of two major highways. It has been called "the city of motels." Every year, millions of travelers exit the highway in Breezewood, looking for a chance to rest. Even though the population of the town is only 1,413, it is estimated that 1,000 people are employed there in restaurants, gas stations...

I once knew a man who ate the same food every day for years a liverwurst sandwich and Italian butter cookies. He swore by this diet and lived well into his nineties. But to be honest, if that is all I had to eat, I'm not sure I would want to live that long. Most of us crave variety in our meal plan. We enjoy tasting different kinds of food. Strangely, however, when it co...

When I was in elementary school and the teacher took attendance at the beginning of the day, students would respond to hearing their name by saying "here" or "present." Those who were absent, of course, would say nothing at all. There were only two options. You were either in school or you weren't. Present or absent. There was no in-between, no degrees of attendance. No on...

When the writers of the New Testament contemplated the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, they saw these events fulfilling centuries of sacred promises expressed in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here are some of the Old Testament prophecies that find their completion in the birth of Jesus Christ. The descendent of the woman: When the Lord cursed the serpent for enticing the...

December 9, 2021 Dear Friend of ACC: As we approach the end of another challenging year, I am grateful for the faithfulness of God. Do you remember what life was like a year ago? The COVID-19 vaccine was not yet available. Most NYC students attended school from home. Our city was a few days away from closing indoor dining again, after a failed attempt to get restaurants...

I am always surprised by how much airplay John the Baptist gets in the four Gospels compared with the attention given to baby Jesus. With all the emphasis this time of year on the nativity narratives, you would think the birth of Christ must be a major focus of the biblical record. But compared to what the Gospel writers say about John the Baptist, the story of the babe in...

One of the themes of the Advent season is the theme of preparation. For centuries, faithful Israelites prepared for the coming of the Messiah. They did this by believing God's promises and obeying God's Word. Today, we prepare for the Messiah's return in the same way. Malachi 3:1-4, a traditional Advent reading, points to two ways God helps us in this work of preparation....

When I was a kid, my family took a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system with over 400 miles of underground passageways. I don't remember much from our visit, but I do recall one moment during the tour when our guide asked us to stand quietly while all the lights were extinguished in one of the underground cav...