Hebrew Translations and Additional Resources

While coming closer to God is a goal we all strive to achieve, it's not an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination. It can still be a hard and intimidating task even if you have the fundamentals of praying, reading the Bible, and community. Below are some additional resources that might add some value to your journey. Note that these resources should be used as supplements and not as substitutes to the fundamentals of following God. Nothing should ever replace praying, reading the Bible, and the community. In other words, you have a direct link to God. Why would you want to introduce an intermediary between you and God?

Bible

Let's admit it, the Bible is a hard book to read and understand. It doesn't matter what translation you choose, studying the Bible can be a grind because of its sheer volume of information and effort to apply it to our lives. If someone invented a Bible "supplement" that we could ingest or inject, it would be a best seller. Until that day, below are some aids that may make the task of studying the Bible more manageable and enjoyable.

Bible Gateway is an online tool that allows you to search the bible for topics to study. You can review many different translations in multiple languages. If you haven't bought a physical Bible, this site is great for comparing various translations side by side to help you determine which translation fits your language style. Some translations offer audio readings as well. The site is also available as an app on mobile devices.

Bible Hub is similar to Bible Gateway, but adds language studies against the original Hebrew and Greek translations. It can show the original language and its English transliteration against the English translation. It is for more advanced Bible users who are interested in word origin and context. The site is also available as an app on mobile devices.

For those who like to study offline, e-Sword is a free program that you can download and install on your PC and has similar capabilities to Bible Gateway and Bible Hub.

The Topical Bible at openbible.info lists many modern topics to which to search relevant bible verses and passages. The list is quite extensive and only quotes Bible verses and references. Therefore, it is up to you to take those verses and do your own research about what God has to say in the matter.

Bible Project is a company that produces short animation videos summarizing all the books of the Bible and to a lesser degree major Bible themes. It is great for grasping the overall story of the Bible, as well as a tool for selecting your next Bible study topic. The site is also available as an app on mobile devices and has a YouTube channel.

With Americans today being more visual- than text-oriented, Kingstone Comics produced the entire Bible in comic book form, allowing the user to visualize the stories of the Bible. They can be purchased as individual comics (digital or print) or in three hardcover volumes.

Media

Video

The Chosen is the only multi-season television series about the life of Jesus. Creator and director Dallas Jenkins began the project in 2017 with the goal of reaching one billion viewers. The show is without Hollywood support and financing, in order to keep creative control of the content. The show has been primarily funded through crowd sourcing, merchandise sales, and fan donations. The show is planned for seven seasons and season three has completed airing. The first three seasons can be watched for free through the website, app, or channels on smart television devices.

In 1977, Franco Zeffirelli directed an all-star cast in the eight-hour miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth. The story of Jesus, played by Robert Powell, is covered from his miraculous birth to his crucifixion and resurrection. The cast also included Olivia Hussey, Laurence Olivier, Anne Bancroft, James Earl Jones, Ernest Borgnine, James Farentino, Stacey Keach, Michael York, and Anthony Quinn. The miniseries usually airs every Easter.

The Ten Commandments (1956) is Cecil B. Demille's signature epic in the film industry. The Oscar-winning classic starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and Anne Baxter, tells the story of Moses freeing of Hebrew slaves from Egypt and leading them to the new land that would become Israel. The film is timeless and watched by many each year during Passover.

Audio

My love of music stems from the fact that I wasn't allowed to watched much television growing up. Instead, I played the piano and listened to a lot of music. Even today, you will always find me listening to 80's, country, or Christian music. Contemporary Christian music has evolved quite a bit in recent years, with artists like Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Danny Gokey, and Meredith Andrews providing inspiration to a new generation of listeners. Having an extra source of inspiration like Christian music can be just what you need to get through your day.

K-Love is a national Christian radio network that inspires and encourages you to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. They are available in most metropolitan areas over normal radio channels, but can also be listened to online or via an app on your mobile devices. You can listen to music from any decade and even Christmas music anytime! One of their challenges is to listen to them for thirty days and see if your mood is not uplifted by the inspirational music they play. In addition to K-Love, many other music services have contemporary Christian music channels, playlists, and podcasts. Options include Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and XM Satellite Radio.

Ministries

Dr. David Jeremiah is the pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, California. He is also runs the broadcast ministry Turning Point for God, which aims to reach people through books, television, radio and other forms of online media. The main emphasis of Turning Point is staying true to the message of the Bible, regardless of causes, current events or politics. Having studied the Bible for over forty years, he is arguably the most knowledgeable person regarding the Bible today, having printed countless Bible study guides and even his own Jeremiah Study Bible in three different translations. If you have any questions regarding the Bible, he would have the answers.

Joyce Meyer is a Christian author, speaker, and president of Joyce Meyer Ministries based out of Fenton, Missouri. Her ministry emphasizes taking the love of God and the Bible and applying it our every day lives, rather than just on Sundays. Her talks are straight and to the point, and she is not afraid to get in your face and make you confront your issues head on. If you are looking for someone who would hold you accountable for your growth in Christ, look no further than her ministry.

The book of Revelation reveals that as part of the second coming of Jesus Christ, 144,000 Jews will come to see that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. One for Israel Ministry seeks to bring about that reality. The One for Israel Bible college is the only Hebrew-speaking accredited evangelical college in the world. Using every technology at their disposal, their unenviable goal is to spread the message of Messianic Judaism in the most hostile region of the world. A recent estimate shows that there are approximately 30,000 Messianic Jews in Israel, which may be low since there are many more Messianic Jews that will not publicly acknowledge Jesus for fear of repercussions in their lives. One for Israel is a great resource if you are interested in how evidence in the Old Testament points to Jesus as being Messiah.

Let's face it, our culture is obsessed with sex. However, with the all the glitz and glamour that the media portrays, in actuality it is often built on the back of broken lives and dreams. And women face a disproportionate share of those consequences. Founded by Harmony Dust Grillo, Treasures Ministries seeks to change that narrative. Located in the heart of the pornography industry in Southern California, Treasures seeks to equip and empower women in the sex industry and survivors of sex trafficking to live healthy, flourishing lives and train others across the globe to do the same in their cities. They recently bought their first Freedom home in Los Angeles as a recovery home for women escaping the sex industry. However, their battle is an uphill fight as the other side has billions of industry dollars at their disposal to counter any progress. Harmony recently had her TEDx talk banned arguing against the legalization of prostitution because it was deemed too controversial, despite the fact multiple other talks in support of the proposal were permitted. If you wish to make a difference in the lives of female victims, then support or get involved with this important cause, as they would welcome the assistance.