Book Review: A Walk Through The Bible

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Leslie Newbigin’s little book A Walk Through The Bible. This very easy to read book is only 79 pages and can be purchased at The House Studio or other book distributors. I strongly recommend it. I was able to sit down and read through it so quickly that I didn't even have time to add it to my shelfari bookshelf.

This book basically sums up the entire message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. You are swept through each book of the Bible quickly (some are just mentioned) and given the big idea of each book and how it fits into the rest of the Bible. You get to see the big picture of the Bible. Here are the 8 chapters and what books of the Bible they cover:

1. A Unique Account (Genesis)
2. Chosen By God (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
3. Judges, kings, and prophets (Joshua through 2 Chronicles)
4. Return and Renewal (Ezra through Malachi)
5. God’s Kingdom and Jesus (Gospels and Jesus’ life)
6. Sacrifice (Gospels and death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus)
7. New life, new communities (Acts through Jude)
8. Future revelation (Revelation)

Sometimes we miss the big picture because we focus in on one book or one verse. I thought this book would be excellent Sunday School/Small group material. Every Christian should know the big picture of what the Bible is all about and the story of the Israelites. Why? Because this is our story too. We have been grafted in to this God chosen people and share their history through our faith in Jesus. So, if you want an easy to read big picture of what the Bible is all about read A Walk Through The Bible.

Rob Bell's Love Wins (Part 2)

Problems

There’s a fog that has descended on our small town this morning. It seems this fog might be a good metaphor for the book I just read called Love Wins by Rob Bell. What’s normally seen clearly by many has been enveloped in a fog. There’s uncertainty all around. The big idea of this book is that God may actually give individuals who reject Him on earth a chance in hell to choose Him. God loves us and wants all people to love Him and this book explores the idea or speculation that God may extend His love to those in hell so that in the end love can win.

One of the problems with this book is that its theory of love winning is based on theological speculation about certain passages in God’s word. One thing to keep in mind is that Rob believes in a hell and never really says he holds to the position he presents in this book, but he still presents it and tries really hard to back it up with scripture and reason.

I thought some of the exegesis done in this book was weak and left much to be desired. It seems Rob breaks down a Greek word that is not the correct Greek word in Matthew 25:46. He says this word can mean a period of time or a time of pruning, but the definitions given for the specific adjective used by Matthew clearly carries with it the idea of something that goes on forever or from everlasting to everlasting. This is how every translation translates this word. So, the question is did the many translators translate it wrong or did Rob translate it wrong? There is no direct evidence in scripture to support the idea of those who didn’t believe in Jesus while on earth getting a second chance in the afterlife or hell. Actually, the evidence seems to point in quite the opposite direction. 2 Peter 3:9 actually says God is patient with us so none will perish. Perish? Perish from what? This doesn’t mean none will perish, but that some will perish and God is doing everything possible to prevent that and He is “not wanting” (the word used in the NRSV) and hoping none will perish. What does that mean? Does it mean some will perish? God couldn’t say that if people didn’t really perish could He?

I have several good friends I meet with on occasion and we dream, speculate would be a better word, about certain things in God’s word and what’s to come. It’s fun and makes for great conversation. We ask things like; did angels really have sex with humans and create a superhuman race (see Gen 6)? Will God allow us to rule over planets in the life to come? How will we travel back and forth from those planets? Could Jesus have gone and died for life on other planets? Will we talk to animals in the New Jerusalem? These are things we talk and wonder about amongst ourselves. While it may make for interesting conversation, it’s not something we go out teaching to others. It’s just theory and guessing. What could we base it upon?

I feel as a pastor I have to be careful not to teach speculation, but truth. I felt as if Rob was trying to teach something based upon speculation. While the idea of everyone eventually coming to Christ is appealing, you just can’t find much scriptural evidence to back up such a thing. You get one life to live and amidst that one life you have to make a decision: will you follow Jesus or reject Him? There's no fog about it.

Any thoughts from those of you who have read the book?

Rob Bell's Love Wins

There are a plethora of good reviews on this book available. I highly recommend Ben Witherington’s reviews here. He’s da bomb when it comes to things like this. However, some of you wanted to know my thoughts on this book and so here they are (part 1 of 2).

I enjoyed reading and thinking about Love Wins by Rob Bell. There’s been so much controversy (I’m sure more is to come too!) swirling around this book that I felt a little naughty just carrying it around. I enjoyed it for several reasons. First, it left the impression on me that God has done something really big in our world through Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead. This was one of the big positives going for this book. Do we truly understand the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Individual salvation through Christ is just the beginning of what God has done through Christ for us. There is so much more! Anyways, Rob sees and presents the big picture of what God has done through Christ and it’s great to be reminded of that every once in awhile. Christus Victor!

Second reason I enjoyed reading this book is that it’s good every so often to read a book you may disagree with. I don’t do this nearly as much as I should. If you’ve ever found yourself in a debate, you know that such a challenging time can help solidify and develop your beliefs more fully. You have to really think about what you believe and lay it on the line. If you’re challenged on it, you have to think of why you were challenged on it and why such a challenge is even a challenge in the first place and how to combat such challenges. Jail ministry has really helped develop my faith and solidify what I believe for just such reasons. Those we visit in jail aren’t afraid to ask tough questions that might normally seem off limits in a Sunday School class. That has forced me to be ready in season and out of season to explain what I believe using more than just my personal experiences.

This book has caused me to think about and examine what I really believe about heaven, hell, and the afterlife. Reading it is helping me fully develop and build a foundation for my thoughts about end things (eschatology is the big theological word for this). Another good thing about reading a book like this (a friend just reminded me of this in a recent discussion) is that you find yourself searching and studying the scriptures. So, find a book you know you won’t agree every once in awhile and read it. It will bring growth to your life.

Next week I'll discuss some problems in this book.

Easy Salvation

Well, sorry to not post last week. I was in TN with family. We go there every year and rent a cabin in the smokies. Great time! I learned some awesome new board games (Carcassonne). As usual I scored several new books at some of the discount bookstores down there. It was fun. I'm talking better deals than what you find on Amazon. Well, back to Willard's book on how the spiritual disciplines work.

Chapter 3 of The Spirit of the Disciplines deals with salvation as a life and not just a point in time. Can you remember when you first received Jesus into your life? As one coming from the Wesleyan tradition I relate well to the idea of salvation as a journey.

“Salvation is a journey.”

This is what one of my Profs from IWU would say in almost every class and then ask the class to repeat out loud with him. Thanks for reinforcing that great truth Chris Bounds! More than just the journey, this chapter deals with how faith affects our bodies. What does it mean that we can experience eternal life right now? If you read Acts you will notice that there was a power moving in the Christians in the New Testament that turned them into new creations, helped them rise above sin, and have victory over evil. Are you experiencing that? If not, maybe it’s time you start exploring the spiritual disciplines.

This chapter is a precursor to the next 3 chapters that deal with the theological basis for the spiritual disciplines.

Easy Theology

Thus men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up. (Henry David Thoreau)

Did you know each and every one of us is directed by a theology? Theology is simply what we think about God. Even atheists have a theology guiding them. So, how’s your theology these days? Where’s it leading you?

Chapter 2 of The Spirit of the Disciplines is about having a theology that leads/aids us in making change. To run with the quote at the beginning, it’s about making the effort to change. We know Jesus has commissioned us to make Christlike disciples in the nations (this includes making disciples who follow Jesus and who become like Him in character), but do we know how to go about it? This is where training in the spiritual disciplines comes in. A great quote from John Wesley was used to support bringing discipline into the Christian life:

It was a common saying among the Christians of the primitive church, “The soul and the body make a man; the spirit and discipline make a Christian:” implying that none could be real Christians without the help of Christian discipline. But if this be so, is it any wonder we find so few Christians, for where is Christian discipline?

The spiritual disciplines aid us in offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Rom 12:2). Willard closes the chapter by saying, “Full participation in the life of God’s Kingdom and in the vivid companionship of Christ comes to us only through appropriate exercise in the disciplines for life in the spirit.”

Do you agree/disagree with this?

Easy Yoke

Chapter 1
Do you consider following Christ to be easy?

Chapter 1 of The Spirit of the Disciplines is called The Secret of the Easy Yoke and is about the easy yoke of following Christ. Dallas contends in this chapter that there is something easy to following Christ. Do you believe that? Jesus says in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Did you know He said that? Most of us, when it comes to thinking about following Jesus, imagine it involves just doing what He did. This is the popular WWJD that we see so many teens advertising across the wrists. To a certain extent we want to do this, but following Christ is so much more. Dallas says, “To live as Christ lived is to live as he did all his life.” This is a great point and maybe why so many have trouble living as Christ. Do you live every moment of your life like Christ? We think we can just behave like Him in an instant when we haven’t been behaving like Him for the rest of our lives.

I love the quote by Oswald Chambers that Dallas uses, “The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting his way with us.”

Dallas concludes this chapter by reminding us that we can only act like Christ if we learn to live our total lives in the way He did. “The secret of the easy yoke, then, is to learn from Christ how to live our total lives, how to invest all our time and our energies of mind and body as he did. We must learn how to follow his preparations, the disciplines for life in God’s rule that enabled him to receive his Father’s constant and effective support while doing his will.”

What do you think?

Hearing God

Every once in a while I read a book that captures my attention for about a month or two. Ever come across a book like that? The Shack falls into that category for me. Then, even better, I will read a book that captures my attention for a year or two (maybe even longer?). This has been the case for Dallas Willard’s book Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God. This has been a very meaningful book to me in that it has opened my eyes to just how conversational our God is. It has me expecting clear communication from God. As the title suggests, this book is about hearing from God. Even more, it’s about developing a conversational relationship with God where you speak to Him and He speaks to you. Do you think something like that is possible?

I’ve blogged on this book before here:
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Today I re-visited chapter 2 (Guidelines for Hearing from God). Great chapter! A side note: this whole book would make for some great sermons. In this chapter Dallas lays out 3 guidelines to hearing from God that need to be kept at the forefront of our mind. They kind of help to keep us in check so we don’t end up acting like David Koresh or Jim Jones. Here are the guidelines in a nutshell:

3 Guidelines to Hearing from God

Guideline 1
Hearing from God is intended to draw us into a relationship with Him. This whole hearing from God thing is to be sought as part of a life that is in a relationship with His Son Jesus. This is the whole, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” from Revelation 3:20. It’s about fellowship with Jesus. Real fellowship involves conversation. If you enter into a relationship with Jesus you will hear Him speak to you. Think about that.

Guideline 2
Hearing from God in ways that individuals in the Old Testament and New Testament did is possible in our lives. We must have faith that God can and still does speak to us in similar ways. Willard encourages us to, “pray for faith and the experiences that would enable us to believe that such things could happen to us.”

Guideline 3
Hearing from God doesn’t automatically make us right with Him or right. Just because God speaks to us it doesn’t mean we are special. There is a certain amount of humility involved in our relationship with God. Also, because we have a fallen nature we may misinterpret God’s voice and what it is He’s asking us to do.

What do you think about these guidelines for hearing from God?

Crazy Love

I’m just a couple of chapters away from finishing Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Here are some initial thoughts on the book.

I see the book as challenging and pointing us to live a sold-out-life to Jesus Christ. Each chapter builds on that idea in a way. Topics like prayer, death, holy fear, and love are explored to help one understand them in a Christian context. There’s a call to live excited and expectant as we follow Christ each day. The thrust of the book is a call to live a holy life. It’s what we Wesleyans call entire sanctification. I’ve heard some that have read it ask the question, “Is it really possible to live this way?” With God all things are possible. What do you think?

So, I’m curious if any of you have read it and have thoughts to share on it?

A great book on communion!

I thoroughly enjoyed Making a Meal of It: Rethinking the Theology of the Lord’s Supper by Ben Witherington III. This was one of about four books I read this summer.

The book, which is somewhat small in page numbers, is a pretty heavy read. In it, Ben explores the history of what many of us call communion. He begins with a study on the Passover. Why? Well, it seems it was on the night of Passover (very early, maybe even pre-mature to when Jews celebrated Passover) that Jesus introduced the Lord’s Supper.

Bonus Thoughts
Each of the sections in this book could be crafted into sermons. You could do a whole series of sermons based off of this book. Great sermon fodder here!

He sets off exploring what Passover meant to the Israelites in Egypt. Why did God give them this meal? What was its purpose? Some might suggest Passover dealt with Israel’s sins and their need for forgiveness. Ben challenges that thinking by asking us to look at the texts on Passover and the context. When this meal was given the priesthood was not established. Atonement for sins came through the sacrifices and shedding of blood made by priests. How can you have that if you do not have the priests? As for context, the different texts on Passover (e.g., Ex 12, Lev 23:4-8, Nu 28:16-25, Deut 16:1-8) do not mention anything about forgiveness or sin. So, if Passover is not about forgiveness or sin, what is it about?

Passover was a reminder meal with a bit more. It was the meal that reminded Israel of how God stepped into their world and rescued them. It was the meal that reminded them of how quickly they exited Egypt as free men and women. It was the meal that reminded Jews several hundred years later that this was their story too. Jews continued this meal up to, and maybe even after, the time of Christ to pass this great story on to the next generation. This meal helped the Jewish people grow closer together. This meal stood as a bit more than just a reminder meal in that it took Jews back, in a figurative way, to that first Passover in Egypt and allowed them to see that it was their story and that they were a part of the exodus of Egypt. This meal celebrated freedom from oppression and deliverance from God. A whole new way of life (the Jewish calendar) emerges in the context of the first Passover.

Well, I’m going to keep it short and cut things off here. I’m only touching the tip of the iceberg here, so much more to this book. However, this was probably more than most of you cared to read. This is a really good book. You will walk away feeling like you have a greater understanding of communion and its purposes if you commit to reading this.

So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore (Part 2)

We continue with the review of So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?

To be truthful, it’s precisely this kind of view (the one held by the character John in the book) that weakens the overall body of Christ. I found this view to be extremely selfish and built around the individual. There’s no commitment to your fellow brothers and sisters with this view. It’s all about you. You want to go to the 10am worship service, fine. You don’t, fine. Sure, it’s ok if they go to church and do church stuff, but they have no place telling you that you need to be there too. You have freedom in Christ!

This re-defining of what church is wouldn’t fly with the real New Testament authors (John being one of them). Their letters are written to local churches (which have structure and leaders) to strengthen their commitment to Jesus and each other. Paul even says in Romans 5:5 that believers belong to each other. Don’t tell me he’s just referring to the too-big-to-see Body of Christ and not the local church. He's writing to a local church. A statement like that implies obligation to your brothers and sisters in Christ because of your relationship with Christ. One couldn’t just drift off for a few weeks and not be held accountable for such an action. The early church depended on its members showing up.

By the way, there’s an extra section in the back of the book that is an article about why the author doesn’t go to church anymore. If you read it you’ll notice it sounds just like his character John.

Angela asked some great questions on last week's post that I wanted to re-post here and answer next week. They are:

Angela asked,

- What does Jesus teach us about this topic?

- Did he have any roots?

- Did he tell us that we should be connected locally somewhere?

- With the same people every week?

We'll answer and talk about those next week.

So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore? (Part 1)

I love sitting down with a warm cup of coffee to read a good book. Mostly I read books by authors I like and agree with. However, it can also be enjoyable to read books by authors you don’t know or who you don’t agree with. This can help strengthen your own faith and beliefs. That is the case for me with the book So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore?.

At first I liked the emphasis in this book on life being all about living in a fresh relationship with God the Father and about hearing and responding to Him daily. That is so important and more Christians need to live like that. However, there comes a point where the discerning can see that the author(s) are trying to push their own agenda to the forefront in this book of what church should look like and be. At first they lead you into thinking that maybe house church is the answer, but that notion is quickly beat down. So, what is the answer to church? You can most clearly see that by looking at one of the main characters of this book, the apostle John.

The character that represents the apostle John is a drifter. He comes and goes as he pleases. He’s not connected locally to anything. No roots. He’s a sojourner who shows up unexpectedly to offer his wisdom and advice on how things should be done. You can challenge him all you want but he will have an answer to your questions. So, it’s no surprise that John has a dim view of the way church is done today. Church to John is all about hearing and responding to the Father. Sounds good right? Well, because of that John thinks you don’t need to attend a local fellowship that has worship services every Sunday at 10am. You just have to be listening for the voice of God and be obedient. Maybe God will speak to you in a coffee shop while with friends and then you can share that message with them and *poof* you have just had church. Maybe you’re at the bar and you start talking to someone about God’s love and *poof* you have just been in church.

Do you see anything wrong with this view?

Next week we’ll talk more about problems and implications of this view of church.

So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?

My uncle Rick recommended a book to me a couple of weeks ago. It’s made for some fun spring/summer reading so far. It’s called So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore?. It puts a spin on the passage of scripture in John where Jesus tells Peter that if He wanted, He could keep John alive until He returns. The spin? What if John the Apostle is still alive? What if he never died? Well, it looks like that is exactly who the main character in this book meets. The character (Jake) meets John at various points in his life and they talk about knowing Jesus.

There’s a really big emphasis on the relationship we have with Jesus and how one really lives out that relationship. According to Jake, (this is not verbatim from the book, just my reflection) John lives like He is best friends with Jesus, like he knows what Jesus would do in every situation. To Jake, being with John is like being with Jesus. We are called to live like that too. Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1 come to mind, “Imitate Christ”. Another example of this call for our lives in found in the Old Testament. Remember Abraham and Moses? There were times they acted out God’s actions on behalf of God for other people. They were in some mysterious way God to others around them. I’m not saying they were actually gods, but that God allowed them to act out the incarnation (which He did Himself later).

I like the emphasis on the relationship between a person and God because that is such a big part of what this life is all about (fulfillment of the Great Command). You gotta have the relationship with Him to really find out what life is about and what you are about.

I’m enjoying this book so far, still got a little more to read. More thoughts when I finish.

Sabbath (pt 3)

Chapter 3 of Sabbath by Dan Allender investigates the issue of time and how it can be made holy. One important note brought out in this chapter is that Sabbath was given before the Fall and as a commandment to the Israelites. God takes Sabbath seriously. Why? One marvelous quote at the beginning of this chapter answers, “Sabbath is not merely an event that happens in time; it redefines the nature of time and how we are to live it.” To me that sums up why Sabbath is so important. It leads to a proper perspective on time.

To really get at what it means to practice this Sabbath keeping in a God-honoring way we must first look at what we believe about time. What are our preconceived notions about time? What does America think about time? Allender shares some stats here that aren’t too surprising when you consider how prideful we are about work in this country.
§ 1 out of 3 is chronically overworked.
§ More than half of white collar workers log more than 40 hours a week.
§ 75% of these white collar workers work on the weekends.
§ 37% of Americans take fewer than 7 days off per year.
§ Only 14% take vacation of two week or longer.
§ Americans take shortest paid vacations in the world.
§ 20% of those who do take vacations report to stay in touch with the office.

Are these stats due to faulty thinking of time? Most people think they need more time, can make more time, can steal time, and spend and use time. This chapter points out that time is actually beyond our reach and control. Sure we have watches and alarm clocks, but they don’t really control time, they just control us. Time is, “to be breathed like air.” A proper way to think of time is to look at it as a gift and to honor it. Then we can enter the Sabbath and see it as, “the day that bridges two great events in time; creation by God and the re-creation of the new heavens and earth by God.” Sabbath is a day to play. To have fun. To see something beautiful happening around you and just sit back in your recliner and watch it.

Entering into Sabbath requires three things: receiving the day, intending the day, and protecting the day. When we receive the day we prepare and anticipate her arrival. We are excited about what is to come. Intending the day means we do all the necessary preparations for our activities so we don’t have to work on the Sabbath. If we are going to eat stew we buy the ingredients the day before and put it in the crock pot to cook so we don’t have to do anything. Protecting the day means we do whatever we can to keep the day set apart as special. If we have to turn off our cell phones we turn them off. If we avoid TV we avoid TV. The point is to have a plan to make this day truly unique and different from the other six days of the week.

Any thoughts?

Start Here book

About This Book
You want to do hard things.But you don’t know where to start. You are changing the world around you. But you are tired and burned out. You feel called to do the extraordinary for God.But you feel stuck in the ordinary. Do Hard Things inspired thousands of young people around the world to make the most of the teen years. Now Alex and Brett Harris are back and ready to tackle the questions that Do Hard Things inspired: How do I get started? What do I do when I get discouraged? What’s the best way to inspire others? Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide to doing hard things, right where you are. Are you ready to take the next step and blast past mediocrity for the glory of God?

START HERE (click for book link).

Sabbath (pt 2)

Chapter 2, titled Sensual Glory, explores the connections between this holy day and sensuality. Delighting in God’s creation involves all our senses and it must be preceded by awe and gratitude. Allender points out that God’s creation is truly the work of an artist. Good art requires us to sit back and take it in. To appreciate what is before us.

I was just in the Smoky Mountains staying in a cabin with a beautiful view of the mountains. It was delightful and inspiring to look out from the back porch of our cabin each day and give thanks for the masterpiece that was before me. It was fun to just stand and stare. We are encouraged at the end of this chapter to surround ourselves on the Sabbath (whichever day that is for us) with beauty. We are to plunge our senses into magnificent colors, fine textures, great smelling fragrances, soothing sounds, and good tastes. This is enjoying and delighting on the Sabbath.

So, what do you think?

Sabbath

One of the books on my Shelfari I’ve been working my way through is Sabbath by Dan Allender (part of the Ancient Practices Series by Thomas Nelson Publishers). I picked this book up for next to nothing on vacation last week in TN. I'm glad I found it. This series focuses on learning and applying seven spiritual disciplines. This particular book is on the discipline of Sabbath.

Chapter 1 (Highlights)
Here are some thoughts and reflection from the first chapter.

Chapter 1 examines why we don’t Sabbath. So, why don’t we? For one, we live in a culture that takes great pride in work. Those who work hardest are most respected. We are proud to work 14-16 hours a day. Pride is actually what leads to this unhealthy work ethic. Even more dangerous is that this newly-developed pride can lead us to start thinking we can control time and do what others cannot or have failed to do. This thinking keeps us going and going and going. Dan Allender’s main reason for why people don’t practice Sabbath is that they struggle to believe that God wants them to have a day where they just sit around and bask in the pure delight, wonder, and joy that is all around them. This seems like a waste of time to most people.

Another aspect touched upon in chapter 1 is defining what Sabbath is. Sabbath is more than rest because we are tired because God rested on the seventh day and He doesn’t get tired. Good point. Something I never really took into consideration when reading that passage in Genesis. So, if it’s not just rest because we are tire, what is it? Allender believes on the seventh day, “God celebrated and delighted in his creation.” A good illustration of what this rest is like is given in the paragraph that follows. Allender uses pregnancy and the time after the birth to describe what God’s rest on the seventh day was like. First mom and dad wait patiently while the baby is being formed in mom. Then, one day the baby is born and becomes a separate and distinct thing. It’s a new life. We can see her. We can touch her. Now mom and dad begin bonding with this new life they have created and a fellowship begins among them that could last for eternity. Maybe God’s rest on the seventh day is like this. It’s the point in time where He begins building the relationship with His creation and enjoying His work. It had to be beautiful (still is, but sin has tainted things from what they used to be). He sees what has only been an idea in His head take shape and form and become reality.

Reflection
Some questions I’m thinking about are:
- How hard is it for me to break and Sabbath from work?
- How do I define Sabbath?
- How do you define Sabbath?
- How do I celebrate Sabbath?
- Is there anything I can improve upon with this discipline?

- How do you celebrate Sabbath? Do you?

Some good books and good coffee (UPDATED)

It's snowing up in the Smokies today. The view from my window is nothing but snow covered trees and mountains. Beautiful! What's even better is that I'm warm inside our cabin drinking fresh ground coffee. In case you were wondering about the view here you go.

One of my favorite places down here is a discount Christian bookstore. They have some great deals. I scored a few good ones the other day. Here's what I got (I hope to return and find a few more good deals).

I had to hit another bookstore down here and spent a little more money. Actually, I felt a bit like I was stealing these books because I got them for so cheap. Two of them are commentaries, one about studying the bible, and one on discipleship. You would be amazed at how cheap books are at these stores. It's awesome!

Love & War

What a beautiful Thursday morning. Snow all over. I love it. John and Stasi Eldredge have co-written a new book about marriage. Love and War: Finding The Marriage You’ve Dreamed Of is the book. I haven’t been blown away or had any “Aha! That’s what I’m doing wrong!” moments while reading it (maybe I need to read it again), but my wife sure has liked it. Nevertheless there is a lot of good points and material covered. Like what?

Main points from first half of the book:

- You and your spouse live in a love story that is set in the middle of a very real war.
- Marriage is from God, it is a picture of His love to the world and to help us.
- Your marriage is a perfect storm because we live in a fallen world and we all are affected by sin. Yet, God uses marriage to transform us.
- The greatest gift you can give your spouse is to have a real relationship with God.
- If you have to choose between companionship and eros, go with companionship. It is the bedrock of marriage.
- You have an enemy, and it is not your spouse. The sooner you realize this, the better.
- God has rigged this world for adventure. You have a mission, your spouse has a mission, and your marriage has a mission.

These are just some of the highlights from the first part of the book. All pretty good stuff as you can see. Guys, this might be a good Valentine’s Day gift for your wife. Ladies, this might be a good Valentine’s Day gift for your husband. It's at bookstores and online now. I hope you all have a happy Valentine’s Day!

See ya next Thursday.

Angels (Book Review)

I was originally supposed to post this yesterday, but forgot.

There’s a great book out by David Jeremiah entitled Angels (Who They Are and How They Help…What the Bible Reveals). This is an easy read and I recommend it to any one out there curious about angels and their role. If you happen to have a friend who is asking questions about angles this would be a good book to give them. Be sure of this, there’s a lot of garbage out there right now that incorrectly portrays angels (good and bad), this book will help set people straight. Anyone who has watched the new movie Legion should read this book as quickly as possible.

I like the way the book is broken up and there is even a scripture index in the back if a certain passage comes to mind that can quickly take you to the author’s thoughts/commentary on that particular passage. Here are the chapters of the book in case you are wondering what’s in it:


1. What in the world are angels doing?
2. In the presence of angels – part 1
3. In the presence of angels – part 2
4. The angels and God
5. What angels are
6. When angels appear
7. The angels and us: How much alike?
8. Angels you’ve heard about (and more)
9. The greatest angel
10. Showing us how to worship
11. Showing us how to work
12. Coming to carry me home
13. Hell’s angels
14. The angels and Jesus

Dr. Jeremiah is very conservative in his approach to Genesis 6 and rejects the possibility that angels could have had sex with humans and have created a hybrid-superhero race of people (see Gen 6:4). He does not want to touch this and quickly skimps over it brushing the “sons of God” off as just mortal men. I was kind of bummed and expecting a little more here because 2 Peter and Jude allude to angels doing something really bad before the flood.

Not enough to make me not use this. I will keep this in my library as a handy resource on angels in case I’m ever asked about them. Pick yourself up a copy and you’ll be equipped to answer any questions thrown at you too!

A Couple of Bible Studies I've Written

I’ve been working on a MA degree in discipleship the past three and half years. I’m very close to being done. The degree has focused on how leaders of a church can help assist their church grow in their walk with the Lord through various activities and teaching. We’ve spent a lot of time on curriculum design and how to gear curriculum to making disciples. Some of the fruit from this labor I now humbly lay before you.

Over the past couple of years I have written a couple of Bible studies (I turned these in as projects for a class) that pull from some of the various things I’ve been learning in class on how to teach in a way to make disciples. I wanted to put my best foot forward when I was turning these projects in so I had them bound in book format.

The first one I wrote was on the book of James. It’s called Walking James. Both are available for purchase at LuLu (just click on a link). It was an incredible learning experience for me to have to write a study on a particular book of the Bible. I really enjoyed doing it.

After James I moved to Luke’s Gospel, and to keep the series going, I named it Walking Luke. They can be used by individuals but I designed them to be used in small groups. The James study is 15 weeks and Luke is 9 weeks. I had a former teen (Dion D) design the covers of these. He did an awesome job. I also had a brother-in-law help with the interior layout. So, if you are really bored and have a lot of time on your hands here is something for you.