Scripture: the Big Picture / Son = Father = Spirit? / Who is Beatrix?

Author

Douglas Jacoby
March 31, 2026

Good morning! I’m back from the Faith & Veritas conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sponsored by Harvard Law School. I went mainly on the recommendation of an old friend (a Harvard Law graduate I hadn’t seen in 45 years!), and am so glad I came. This was a truly faith-building weekend, themed around Ezekiel 22:30 (standing in the gap), saturated with prayer and challenges to authentic discipleship.

The speakers were surprisingly vocal about their faith, and wise in their Christian walk. It was an honor to chat with many of them personally. They were professors from Harvard Law School, Pepperdine, Lipscomb, Stanford, and other schools; the president of Christianity Today, the CEO of the Barna Group, the director of the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, the CEO of the Templeton Foundation, an Oxford philosopher, at least two former judges, a former presidential adviser, and a Hillsong singer of “Oceans” fame.


In Cambridge we also learned about the history of Harvard, America’s oldest university. It’s where George Washington was quartered, along with the troops (barracked in the dormitories) during the Revolutionary War. It’s where eight of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated.

It’s also where I spent two years (getting my MTS from Harvard Divinity School), so walking miles and miles through the old stomping grounds was both nostalgic and inspiring. The conference will take place again in 2029.

After five fresh Q&As (next section), an appeal for your financial support, and a few other matters, we’ll introduce you to Beatrix—a source of pure joy to our family—born 28 January in Tennessee.

Q&A

Five new Q&As are ready. These touch on a number of Bible passages (Isaiah 9, Judges 12, Galatians 6, Romans 1, John 5). Challenge your thinking…

GETTING THE BIG PICTURE OF THE BIBLE

The Bible is the most fascinating book in the world‚ once you learn how to read, interpret and apply it. Like the picture on the lid of a jigsaw puzzle box, A Quick Overview of the Bible will give you the big picture and show you how the different parts of the Bible fit together to present God's timeless message to the world. But how do the two testaments fit together? Should we be following the Old Testament?

The second title, Messianic Judaism, tackles this topic, including the confusion caused by those less than clear on whether the old covenant is still valid today.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

There are many ways to support this ministry.

Currently our focus is Africa—and also the ancient city of Colossae (as in Paul's letter to the Colossians). The site is now being excavated, and IBTM has been contributing.

Areas of special need:

Training—$105,000 needed for calendar 2026—$7435 received so far.

Uganda—$3347 (Bibles)
Kenya—$2568 (teaching materials)—$1800 received so far
Nigeria—$3000 (evangelistic materials)
Ghana—$750 (evangelism)
Sierra Leone—$300 (evangelism)
Liberia—$300 (evangelism)
Gambia—$150 (evangelism): $130 received, $20 to go
Indonesia—$780 (website access)—$100 received

Colossae—$4000: archaeological excavation. Photo: with Turkish guide Levent Üzüm.


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SURVEY RESULTS

Thank you for your input on the title for the new iFaith series, as well as your preferences in newsletter content (practical Christian living and biblical material). This is helpful.

In our next bulletin: more Q&As, plus a great article on Approachable Leadership.

WHO IS BEATRIX?

Finally, we love pets—probably you do, too. I grew up with a series of dogs: a black Poodle (Gette), a German Shepherd (Inga) and then a Cockapoo (Mimi). Vicki grew up with dogs, too. Since we’ve been married, we’ve had a Cocker Spaniel (Columbus), Border Collie mix (Bailey), and a Bernese Mountain Dog (Darcy). The Bernese is our favorite breed, for their gentleness, affection, and coloration.

As of Saturday, we have a new family member, Beatrix, another Bernese. Perhaps you will meet her one day! Her mother had eight pups (first litter), and Beatrix’s original name was Faith. Vicki drove up to Tennessee to collect her, as I was at the conference in Cambridge. For those of you who know puppies, at 9 weeks it’s very much like having a baby—a good thing!

Beatrix, 8 lbs—on the way to 90!

Thanks for reading our bulletin. I hope you found something that meets your needs, or calls you higher—or both.

One last matter. Many of you are website subscribers. That is, you are paying a premium for extra material—and thereby supporting the work of the ministry.

For that we are grateful.

However, since 2008, when the premium option was first presented, overall cost of living has risen 49%!

With that in mind, our new annual price will be $52, instead of $36.50. (That is, instead of effectively $0.70/week, it’s now $1.00/week. Is it worth it?)

This is our first ever price increase.

Your current subscription will not be affected—until it renews. Thanks for understanding—and for your trust.

For all bulletins 2004-2026 (100s of pages of biblical material), click here. Access the website here. New material every week—typically, every day! Become a website member ($1/week, paid annually) here. Your membership is a tremendous boost to this ministry. To donate, click here.