What is Lent? And what does it have to do with the Jewishness of Jesus? CMJ contributor Aaron Gann explains how Jesus' 40-day wilderness experience connects with the Israelite wilderness wanderings and points to his identity as the King of Israel.

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Jesus sent all his followers to tell others the Good News that God loves us. We see God's love in Jesus coming and dying to pay the penalty for our rebellion. Rev. Philip Bottomley reminds us that the best and only Good News there is is that God raised Jesus from the dead and will forgive anyone who trusts in Jesus and makes him Savior and Lord of their life. Any other so-called means of salvation is false and fake news. In Romans 10:15, thinking of runners who in ancient times carried the news, Paul says that those who carry this Good News about Jesus have truly "beautiful feet." So let us go and tell the good things of God!

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Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Many of us know about the 12 days of Christmas, but what about the 40 days of Christmas? In the Gospel of Luke, the birth narrative doesn't end with the manger, with the shepherds or even with Messiah's circumcision. It only ends once Luke has told us how Mary and Joseph had fulfilled all the Law of the Lord related to childbirth. What does this Torah-faithfulness and Jesus' Jewish DNA have to say to Christians in the 21st century?

This sermon was given by the Rev. Cariño Casas on the Feast of the Presentation at Grace Anglican Church near Pittsburgh. Cariño serves as the Communications Director of CMJ USA and as a deacon in the Anglican Church of North America.

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Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Today we will share with you a short essay by Angela Winter on how Christians can meaningfully remember the Holocaust and stand against antisemitism today.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is on January 27. As our Jewish friends and neighbors mourn the Holocaust this month, we must mourn with them, acknowledge the antisemitic failures of the Church, and be ready to stand and suffer with the Jewish people.

Angela Winter, CMJ USA board member, is a former features reporter with The Baltimore Sun who teaches classes in churches about the history of Christian antisemitism. She writes about Jewish-Christian relations, Protestant Christian theology, and the Holocaust. Reading by Cariño Casas.

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Music credit: Suspenseful Calm Piano And Cello by MusicLFiles

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8826-suspenseful-calm-piano-and-cello

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

On the Church Calendar we will soon be entering into the season of Epiphany, a time when we focus on God’s manifestation to the Gentiles in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. Many have claimed to be the Messiah of Israel, but most of those claimants have not had any interest to Gentiles or brought the light of God to the Nations. It is only Yeshua of Nazareth that is known for both His Jewish and Gentile followers, a truth celebrated in the season of Epiphany.

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Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this season of Advent, as we look toward Christmas, we share a short sermon on Zephaniah 3 by Rev. Cariño Casas. In Zephaniah, God calls out the sin of Judah and the nations. Though God's holiness is rightly angered by our wickedness, God's character of mercy makes a way to mercifully cleanse us through the redeeming work of Jesus the Messiah.

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Today, we finish our Psalm study with Aaron Gann as we look at Book Five of the Psalms, chapters 107 through 150. In this section we encounter the Egyptian Hallel, the Songs of Ascent and the Great Hallel. While the Psalms have served as an inspired hymnal for the Jewish people and the followers of Jesus, what do we see when we read the Psalms as a book of prophetic poetry?

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Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Today, we look at Book Four of the Psalms, chapters 90 through 106. Last time, we ended on a mournful note as the psalmist questioned the Lord's timing and faithfulness. Aaron Gann shows us that the gloomy questions find hopeful answers in Book Four.

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Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Today, we look at Book Three of the Psalms, chapters 73 through 89.

Aaron Gann shows us that this section of the Psalms, which include passages by the Sons of Korah, includes a lot of word play and collective asks God, "How long must we wait for redemption?"

To learn more about CMJ USA, to sign up for our newsletters, or to make a donation, visit http://cmj-usa.org.

Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Today, we look at Book Two of the Psalms, chapters 42 through 72.

Aaron Gann shows us that this section of the Psalms opens with a lament and pleas for help in the face of exile and oppression. We'll also encounter psalms written by authors other than David and psalms pointing to the long-awaited Redeemer.

To learn more about CMJ USA, to sign up for our newsletters, or to make a donation, visit http://cmj-usa.org.

Music credit: Still You by Joel Loopez

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7410-still-you

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license