The photo that graces the “cover” of the May/June issue of KALEIDOSCOPE (our online newsletter) is the Jordan River. Isn’t it beautiful? Many people don’t picture this river flowing through lush greenery, but there are points along its route that are surprisingly fertile. An apt description since it is the historic site of baptismal new birth.
Approximately 156 miles long, the Jordan River is in the Middle East and flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and on to the Dead Sea. Located in a holy area that is quite important to Christians, Jews and Muslims, there still exists one river crossing that is a 2000-year-old Roman bridge. With a long history that dates back to biblical times, Christians revere this location where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
The Jordan River is one of the world’s greatest attractions for tourists, and at the end of this month, my husband and I will once again be leading a group of spiritual sojourners to its home…a place where many believers experience baptism in a life-changing way.
The meaning of baptism is the topic of this newsletter, and I encourage you to read my newest Precious Gems teaching The Mikveh and The Baptisms on this powerful ritual that has withstood the test of time and remains as a bold proclamation to the world for all those who seek to follow Jesus—Yeshua. As you may know, there are different kinds of baptisms, and I hope you’ll find this teaching informative and inspiring. The same for Bron Barkley’s article called Washed in the Blood, in his Word-Up column, and Jonathan Settel’s Colors of Sound article titled Is it the Song of Moses?
This issue is chock full of fantastic articles, books, blogs, and a recipe from Kristen Barkley and Marpe Wellness that you won’t want to miss. And we’d love to hear from you if you are interested in starting a small group home fellowship like BH in Michigan; check out the “Ask Victoria” Q&A for more on this exciting ministry outreach (in early development) from our First Century Genesis team.
As we go to “press” on this issue of Kaleidoscope, I’m honored to announce that my memoir, Just a Little Girl, was nominated for the prestigious 2018 Selah Award for outstanding excellence in Christian publishing. Although we didn’t take home the award this year, my editor, Allison Bottke and I were blessed to have been included in a roster of inspiring books. And speaking of Allison, don’t forget to check out her Bridges and Boundaries column with her article; Loving Our Troubled Adult Children with Open Arms.
Our desire with every issue of KALEIDOSCOPE is to bring you unique and inspiring content that will encourage, uplift and empower you with the transforming truth that Jesus-Yeshua—is the connective link in all things.
