Has It Ever Occurred To You That You Might Be Wrong?

What a question to ask!! When we view any part of theology, we hold to our standards. Yes, there are certain unchangeable, unarguable parts of our belief system. Christ's virgin birth, and physical death, burial and resurrection are some examples. But there are often times when we have no idea what we are talking about.

We think we do. We have studied a topic or a passage for years and have held to one standard for years. But one day, we may see something that we have never seen before. And Biblically, we see that it completely changes what we have believed. 

What do we do in this situation? Do we change everything that we believe based on this one passage? As the New Year, 2018, approaches, I believe that there are several steps that we must take when faced with this predicament.

1. We must act humbly.
What do we mean when we say act humbly? Well, this is more about what we should not do than what we should do. This is about pride. 

When I was a freshman at Pensacola Christian College, I took the basic speech class. In this class, we had to memorize what was called the effective speaker principles. These 10 principles were to help us learn to be more effective in our speaking. The sixth principle was this: "The effective speaker reads and listens with discrimination, neither blindly accepting the ideas of others nor stubbornly refusing to consider opinions opposed to his own." 

When you think about this principle, it is all about pride and applies to every part of our lives. We should not pass someone's ideas off as rubbish because we feel we are over them in rank, skill, or study. We should not ignore an idea because our noble tradition has never considered this before. Rather our actions must be humble, so as not to turn off other people to the gospel. This pride in our lives can be a stumbling block to some people who would otherwise accept the truth of the Word of God.

Even when expressing our previously held opinions, we must act in a way that is humble. There have been multiple times in my experiences where I have been genuinely interested in a topic brought by a preacher. I am ashamed to say that their pride in their teaching turned me off to them. I lost the point of their teaching because their character did not reflect it. And any person can be guilty of this, from the pastor of a large mega-church to the local pastor of the First Baptist Church in Smalltown, USA. 

2. We must study thoroughly.
What must any person do when confronted with a problem? He should study it. Sure there are some situations when this is not fully possible- when a decision must be made immediately. But when we have the time, which we do with most decisions, we must thoroughly study through our problems, discussions, and questions.

We have a strong Biblical example of this. Acts 17:10-12 takes us into the middle of one of Paul's missionary journeys. On this journey, he went from Thessalonica to Berea. There, he taught from the Scriptures to this city. This was the people's response: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few (Acts 17:11-12)." 

Not only did these people receive what they had been taught, they studied it out. They made sure that what they had been taught from the Scriptures was true according to the Scriptures. They did not take one man's word for it. They studied for themselves what the Bible said. 

3. We must live submissively.
When we hear the word submission, we often don't think of it in a positive way. We think of slavery and bondage. We think of the oppression that was enforced on the Israelites in Egypt and the African-Americans before the Civil War. But what is true Biblical submission? It is a calm obedience to someone who knows us better than we know ourselves. It is allowing God to lead us in His will, His Word, and His way. And we must exhibit this submission in every day that we live.

There is nothing in our lives that should not be submitted and surrendered to Him. It could be that we do not want to change a part of what we believe because it means that we have to give up something that we enjoy-- an activity, event, or object. Whatever this may be in our lives, we cannot enjoy a genuine and full Christian life until our all is surrendered.

A song was written that says, "Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest as you yield Him your body and soul." This is the type of submission that the Lord requires of us.

So, has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong? 

I do not pose this question to get you to doubt your salvation, beliefs, or convictions. I am asking you to consider your response. How will you live in light of this question? How will you act when your convictions are questioned? Will you stay humble? Will you study God's Word for all that is in it? Will you submit every part of your life to Him?

Daniel: The Fourth Man in the Fiery Furnace

Source: https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/jer29-burning.jpg

Daniel 3:20-25

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

The story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah is a story that is often taught in Sunday Schools. These three young men were men of faith, trust, and hope. Each of them had a trust in God that stemmed directly from their names. Hananiah means "Yah is gracious," Mishael means "Who is what El is?," and Azariah means "Yah has helped." Why then do we never hear these names?

Because their names were changed. While these names hold significance in the Hebrew to mean names of the one true God, the names that were given to them--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego--hold significance with the Babylonian gods. It is entirely possible that the meaning of the Babylonian names given to these three men were merely the same names with Babylonian gods replacing Jehovah in the meaning. 

And yet, who saved these men?

It was Jehovah. Jesus Christ was walking around in the furnace with them. When they refused to obey the command of King Nebuchadnezzar to worship the golden image that he had set up of himself, they defied the names that had been given to them by the Babylonians and held to the heritage of their Hebrew upbringing.

Yahweh was gracious to them. He saved them when He didn't have to. These men were willing to go through the fiery furnace and die for what they believed.

When asked the question, "who is what El is?", they could honestly say no one. No man or god could measure up to what God did for them. While man tried to kill them, the one true God saved them.

Yahweh helped them. He walked through the fire with them. He released them from the bonds that tied them. When they emerged from the fire they didn't even smell like smoke!! 

These 3 men knew who they worshipped. They loved Him. And He was the fourth man walking through the fire with them.

Book Review: Christian Faith, Formation, and Education, by Ros Stuart-Buttly

As with the other books I have reviewed and will review for Springer International, this book is a textbook, so it is not a read for the faint of heart. It is highly academic in nature and it is geared to make a class of readers think. The argument that the editors are attempting to establish throughout this whole book is that Christian faith can be and is essential to identity formation and education.

There are a few downsides to this book, one of which being the interdenominational approach. I have no problem with associating with other denominations from a Christian perspective, as long as we are in agreement on the vital doctrines of our faith. But this book went to a bit of an extreme, with some schools represented that would identify on the Protestant side of Christianity and others that would identify on the Catholic side of Christianity.

However, there is an upside. This is the encouragement of deep education on all fronts. The authors advocate "going deeper into the texts of one's own tradition; deeper into the texts of others; deeper into commitment to the common good of our world; deeper into the areas of both agreement and disagreement; and deeper into the distinctive sort of collegiality (often developing into friendship) that happens among those involved in the first four deepenings (82)." This deepening of education should be highly recommended for all Christians, even if we don't necessarily agree with each other. We should definitely concerned with knowing what we believe, what others believe, and why we agree and disagree. We should be concerned with helping our world become better (though I would not argue that our world is naturally good). And finally, we should all be concerned with developing friendships in other parts of Christian education, to help others deepen their knowledge as we deepen our own.

This was an interesting book to study and look through. And while I do not necessarily agree with the plurality that is advocated, the depth of education is something that I do advocate. I have covered only a small portion of the book in this review, but my rating affects the whole book. I give 2.5 stars out of 5 for this book, which while presenting some good aspects of Christian education also has some downsides in methodology and fundamental beliefs.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319628028

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Stuart-Buttly, Ros and John Shortt, Eds. Christian Faith, Formation, and Education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: Theology, Church, and Ministry, Edited by David S. Dockery

When we talk about the men who are in the ministry, we have to realize that they did not get into their current position by accident. There was a lot of careful study. Most pastors have been to some kind of seminary. If not, they have had at least some kind of theological education. This book provides a guidebook for those who are or will be involved with that education.

The first section features the past of theological education and the foundations of it. The second section features the actual material being taught in this education. The third and final section features the practical aspects- how this education affects ministry in general.

One of the things I loved about this book is its generality. Not that it was not committed to the essential doctrines of the faith, but that it applies to any seminary or Christian college around the country-- from a large multi-national university to the small, local church run Bible college.

The principles presented here can be applied to many situations. And they are so good!! I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

Bibliography of this Book:
Dockery, David S., Editor. Theology, Church, and Ministry: A Handbook for Theological Education. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2017.

FTC Disclaimer:
I have received this book as part of the BH Bloggers book review program which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Review: Immeasurable, by Skye Jethani

Immeasurable is a collection of essays by Skye Jethani which emphasize an inspection of the focus of ministry. He calls what many people view as the modern church, "Church, Inc.", which I truly believe can define what some people view as the church. 

What drives us today? Who do we aspire to be like? Well, Jethani hits the nail on the head in his introduction! "Just as the Greeks exalted philosophers and the Romans exalted soldiers, we exalt entrepreneurs and CEOs (20)." We have come to the place in the church where this is our mentality. When we think of a great leader, someone who we connect to, we think of men who are compelling and driven to succeed. And while these qualities are not necessarily bad, when put in perspective with the Scriptures should they be number one in our lives?

Jethani does an excellent job answering this question. His essays are both well written and eye-opening, each one dealing with a different aspect of church leadership. From answering the question, "What should be driving the church leader?" to answering, "If I'm not on the radio, do I still have a platform that my church can respect?", each individual issue that is dealt with can be seen more clearly after reading this book.

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. Jethani did a wonderful job proposing issues that many pastors face. He did it in a way that each issue could be dealt with individually. You don't have to read every essay to learn something. The application questions are piercing and really make you think. I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Jethani, Skye. Immeasurable: Reflections on the Soul of Ministry in the Age of Church, Inc. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Ezekiel: The Glory of God

In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet references the glory of God on a constant basis. He sees the glory of God in different times and places. In fact, I would say that a theme of Ezekiel is the glory of God. And yet, in this book, we see the glory of God leave.

In Ezekiel 10, the prophet Ezekiel is seeing a vision of the temple. This vision is renewing a vision of God that Ezekiel had seen in chapter 1. But now, the Lord's glory is leaving. With the assistance of four cherubim, God's glory slowly moves out of the temple.

God had dwelt in the temple since the beginning of the structure. He had resided over the mercy seat in the tabernacle when Israel was wandering in the wilderness. He then moved His glory into the temple during the dedication ceremony that Solomon had after the temple's completion. His glory resided in this structure as long as He could. But now Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, and along with it, the temple. And God's glory had to leave.

He first moved from the inner part of the temple to the threshold of the temple. He then moved to where the four cherubim were. From there, He moved to the east gate and finally left completely by the Mount of Olives.

It was then that Jerusalem was destroyed and the inhabitants were taken into captivity. Eventually, when they came back, they rebuilt the temple and resumed worship. But God's glory did not return at that time. God's glory could have returned at one time in history though.

The glory of God came and lived on the earth. Jesus Christ came to the earth and lived a perfect life as the Messiah. But Israel rejected Him. They rejected the very glory of God on this earth. Had they blown it completely? Had they lost all hope of ever seeing God's glory among them again?

Praise God they have not. Ezekiel prophecies of this in chapter 43. In this chapter, Ezekiel sees a vision of God's glory coming back into the city of Jerusalem. But when will this happen? Well, God will come to earth again at the conclusion of the Tribulation period. At this coming, He will set His feet down on the same place where He ascended from in Acts and the same place where the glory of the Lord left the first time: the Mount of Olives. He will come back into the city the same way the glory of God left: through the east gate, to the threshold of the new temple and dwell in the sanctuary there for a thousand years!! There are so many other details that I don't have time to write about, but it is a truly fascinating study!! God's glory will one day dwell on the earth again!!

Book Review: Jesus' Crucifixion Beatings and the Book of Proverbs, by David Wenkel

When I first received this book, I was intrigued. For those of you who have followed my blog, you know that I am in the middle of a series where looking at pictures of Christ all throughout the Bible. So seeing a book on a picture that I had not yet considered made me curious.

This book is based on the premise and principle of the beating of the fool in Proverbs being applied to the punishment that was inflicted on Christ on the cross. Through a look at multiple verses in Proverbs that advocate the beating of a fool who refuses to see reason, and through the establishment that when we sin, we are foolish, the author makes the argument that when Christ took our punishment through the stripes by the whip, he took on the beatings of the fools of this world.

The one downside to this book is that it is not an easy read for just a Bible study. It is an academic textbook, and as such, one must take great care to sit down, read it, study it, and get many of the concepts that are in it. If I could give a recommendation to the author, it would be to publish a second work which simplifies the argument for the reader. But to the dedicated seeker and student of the Bible, this will not be an issue.

This was a very interesting book to study. I do recommend it and will take even more time studying this book to attempt fully grasp the truths that lie within its pages through the interpretation of the Word of God. 

I will give this book 4 stars out of 5. While it is highly academic, it does show another good picture of Christ's sufferings for us and how He indeed paid the ultimate price for us.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319482699

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Wenkel, David H. Jesus' Crucifixion Beatings and the Book of Proverbs. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Easy, Legitimate Way to Receive Free Books!! -- UPDATE

For those of you who are looking for free books, an easy way to earn them is through Tyndale and NavPress's My Reader Rewards Club. 

You can access this club, and get a bonus 25 points to start off with through this link:
www.myreaderrewardsclub.com/login?pc=k7cw-905h-ilg8-pwpl-8g7b
Through sharing the program, referring others, completing *VERY* short surveys/quizzes, and reviewing Tyndale or NavPress products, you can earn points to put towards free books! 

UPDATE: After making my first request, I received my books about 2.5-3 weeks later. This is a great opportunity to get some good study materials!

Book Review: A Biblicist View of Law and Gospel, by Lester Stephenson

What should our view be of the law? Some would say, live by a set of rules that define every aspect of your life. Others would say that the law no longer holds any bearing on our lives as Christians. But what should our view be? In A Biblicist View of Law and Gospel, Lester Stephenson attempts to find a balanced view of the law and the gospel.

Through looking at passages of the law, the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself, Stephenson comes to a view of the law that is, as the title suggests, a biblicist view. This means that he does not look primarily at the teachings of other men. Rather, he goes directly to the Scriptures to dig out truths. Through this he is able to come to the conclusion, that the law and the gospel are indeed complementary. I do not want to spoil his arguments, but he makes several compelling arguments for why this is true.

For a truly Biblical look at the law of Moses in relation to the Gospel of Christ, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Stephenson, Lester L. A Biblicist View of Law and Gospel. Greenville, SC: Ambassador International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Ambassador International blogger review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: A Confident Peace, by Dr. Mark Becton

I personally consider the book of Revelation to be my favorite book of the Bible. Ever since I first discovered the Left Behind series, I have been hooked on studying Bible prophecies. And A Confident Peace by Dr. Mark Becton is a very good book on this great book. 

Rather than merely looking at prophecies for the purpose of seeing their meaning, Dr. Becton looks at the book of Revelation as a book intended for application. His subtitle even shows this: Letting Revelation Change the Way You Live. And what's the premise of this? How can we allow this book change our lives? Dr. Becton shows this in his statement of what Revelation's purpose is: it "is God's message of hope to those who now suffer because of their surrender to Christ (20)."

Through this book, Dr. Becton's approach to studying Revelation shows something that we can all learn from. Revelation is an amazing book with many personal applications. I highly recommend this book for those who are looking to learn more about how to live now in the light of what is coming. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Becton, Dr. Mark. A Confident Peace: Letting Revelation Change the Way You Live. Greenville, SC: Ambassador International, 2013.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Ambassador International blogger review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Song Story: Mary, Did You Know?

Today's song story is a very special one, because with it comes a special video. The popular song "Mary, Did You Know?" was recorded by myself and a large number of other volunteer guys at Pensacola Christian College. Our group, One Accord, has performed many times on campus, as well as at a local air force base Hurlbert Field. There, we have performed the national anthem twice, once for the unveiling of a memorial, and once for a joint air force cross ceremony. We just released our debut music video on Wednesday, December 13.

So what is the story behind this beloved song? In an article that originally appeared on staugustine.com, we find the story:

“In 1984, Jerry Falwell called and asked me to write the program for their next Living Christmas Tree. 

As I wrote the ‘speaking parts’ I began to think about Mary. I have always been fascinated with the concept that God came to earth.

In a conversation with my mother, I remember she said, ‘If anyone on earth knew for sure that Jesus was virgin born — Mary knew!’ That was a profound statement that stuck with me.

One thing they couldn’t take from Mary was that she knew her Child was not ordinary.

At the cross on Mount Calvary, while Jesus was dying, her silence was a great testimony to the fact of who he was and is. He said to them, ‘When you have seen me, you have seen the Father.’ Of course, for this they nailed him to a cross, and his mother never said a word.

As my mind went back to the manger scene, I began to think about the power, authority and majesty she cradled in her arms. Those little lips were the same lips that had spoken worlds into existence. All of those things were contained in the young child lying quietly on her bosom. Even now, he was the very one who had given life to his mother, Mary.

I began writing a list of questions I would like to ask Mary if I could sit down with her — questions such as, ‘Mary, do you know who is in your arms?’

‘Did you know the one who holds creation together, and the one who holds you together is lying helpless in the manger?’

‘Did you know that your baby boy will walk on water, give sight to a blind man and calm a storm at sea with his hand?’”

Lowry carried his lyrics with him for the next seven years. In 1991, he asked his good friend, Buddy Greene, to write suitable music for his poem.

Greene told me in an interview, “Mark handed me his lyrics, and I held on to them for about two weeks. One day I pulled them out and looked at them. They seemed to suggest a minor key approach to writing an accompaniment. I completed the musical setting in about 30 minutes. I called Mark at his home in Georgia and on the phone played and sang the song to him. He was ecstatic! He said, ‘That’s it!’

Two weeks later. we met in Mark’s hotel room in Nashville where we recorded the song on a small portable machine. It was then taken to Michael English who was preparing to make an album. He was the first person to record “Mary, Did You Know?”

This song has become a Christmas favorite and a blessing to many. May its message carry on for years to come!!

The quoted portion of this article originally appeared here: http://staugustine.com/living/religion/2014-11-28/story-behind-song-mary-did-you-know

Book Review: Bearing Fruit, by Robby Gallaty

In this book, Robby Gallaty begins in his first chapter by looking at how truth grows, and then spends the rest of his book looking at the different types of fruit that we need to see in the church.

I do not want to give much away with this book, but seeing how much the author focuses on our relationship with Christ before we can produce any fruit is very encouraging. Without Christ we cannot do anything. We most certainly cannot grow in our faith.

He delves into great detail on producing fruit in our Christian life. These fruits are:

• The fruit of repentance
• The fruit of ministry
• The fruit of sanctification
• The fruit of righteousness
• The fruit of good works
• The fruit of the Spirit
• The fruit of praise

Each of these fruits is important to see produced. Why is this? Because as Jesus said, "by their fruits ye shall know them (Matt. 7:20)." When we produce fruits, people will know who we are. Christians and non-Christians alike should see that we are followers of Christ.

To conclude the book, Gallaty includes a Bible study method, which has Bible reading and Scripture memory. This is an important part of growth in Christ and bearing fruit.

Gallaty does an excellent job of looking at the different types of fruit that we must produce in our lives by abiding in Christ. He writes in very simple terms that all Christians can understand. I recommend this book highly to help Christians grow and bear fruit, as the title would suggest, and give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Gallaty, Robby. Bearing Fruit: What Happens When God's People Grow. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the BH Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Portraits of a Pastor, Jason Allen

What is a pastor? What does he do? Is his job merely to get up in the pulpit and preach a sermon one to three times a week? In this book, Portraits of a Pastor, editor Jason Allen, along with eight other men, attempt to give the nine roles that a church leader should fill.

Jared Wilson writes of the role of shepherd. He believes that the role of the shepherd is the bare minimum role that a pastor should perform, as the word "pastor" is the equivalent of the word "shepherd."

Daniel Akin writes of the role of husband and father. He begins his chapter by saying, "I believe two of God's greatest gifts this side of heaven are marriage and family (33)." He encourages the pastor, and any man really, to love his wife and raise up his children.

Jason Allen writes of the role of preacher. He writes in his introduction, "I believe preaching is the pastor's preeminent responsibility (57)." He encourages the pastor to put out strong preaching straight from the Word of God

Owen Strachan writes of the role of theologian. Here, he focuses on the pastor's study of the Word. He encourages this study by saying, "The good news for us is that the good news works in us and through us (73)." The good news working in us is our personal study. It working through us is the teaching of that study.

Christian George writes of the role of church historian. He encourages the pastor to remember the past and take it with him into the future. Why does he encourage this? Because he believes that church history "encompasses the rest of [the disciplines of study]. Biblical studies, homiletics, philosophy, systematics, apologetics, counseling, and all other fields find their proper place beneath history's overarching reach (95)." No matter what, we cannot get away from the study of church history.

John Mark Yeats writes of the role of evangelist. The pastor must be reaching out to the local community. If he does not do this, the church will cease to grow. He must be telling all people about the good news of Jesus Christ.

Jason Duesing writes of the role of missionary. He encourages pastors to be "world Christians" and to push their congregations to be the same. Pastors must keep a global view of the ministry of God and stay involved with missions around the world.

Ronnie Floyd writes of the role of leader. He advocates that the pastor be part of a "brand;" something that gives him distinction in this world-- the brand of Jesus Christ.

Daniel Whitney writes of the role of man of God. He begins with a simple, yet profound statement: "Not every man of God is a pastor, but every pastor must be a man of God (161)." He also uses a very good illustration just a few sentences later: "Godliness is to the pastor what flight is to the eagle. Without personal godliness, the wings of pastoral ministry are broken (161)." Godliness is essential to every pastor's ministry.

Each of these writers, while having a different item to study, has the same purpose: to encourage pastors and to help them press on as better servants with a clearer vision of their role. Each role mentioned here is vitally important. Not one was explained in a weak manner. Having a different author for every chapter helped keep the roles strong. This is a very good book and helps pastors, especially new pastors, realize what role they need to fulfill. I give this book a rating of 5 stars out of 5.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Allen, Jason K, General Editor. Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

A Biblical Approach to Entertainment

SOURCE: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02362/video-game-2_2362669b.jpg

We live in an entertainment-driven culture. Everywhere you go--every village, town, city, and country--there is some form of entertainment. As Christians, figuring out what entertainment we can be involved in can be confusing. We are commanded to be in the world and not of it, and advised against a look at life that says "eat, drink, and be merry," but does that eliminate all entertainment?

The Bible does not give specific mandates or commands in regards to entertainment. But there are some principles that we can find in the Bible to establish a Biblical philosophy of entertainment. Each Biblical principle that I have found manifests itself in a question that should be asked of each form of entertainment. I will not be looking specifically at forms of entertainment that directly contradict the Bible, such as pornography, music with sexual content, or getting drunk. Rather I will be dealing with what I will call amoral entertainment, entertainment that in and of itself is not wrong. This may be television, music, movies, sports, or another form of entertainment like these. Let's jump right in!

1. How will this affect my relationship with God? (Prov. 21:17; II Cor. 6:14-15)

Proverbs 21:17 - He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

II Corinthians 6:14-15 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Our relationship with God should be paramount whenever we consider participating in a certain form of entertainment. God should always be first in our lives. This is the principle behind Proverbs 21:17. This verse does not speak of the man who enjoys going to a baseball game once in a while or the woman who enjoys watching her weekly television shows. This verse is speaking of the man who puts his sports above God or the woman who lets her tv replace her relationship with God. While a form of entertainment may be good in some respects, it becomes wrong when God is below that entertainment.

In II Corinthians 6, we see a series of contrasts of good things and bad:

• Righteousness vs. Unrighteousness

• Light vs. Darkness

• Christ vs. Belial (Satan)

• The Believer vs. The Infidel

• The Temple of God vs. The Temple of Idols

Each of these contrasts leaves us with the same question: do we have a relationship with God or the world? Again, is our relationship with God first in our hearts rather than our relationship with the things that self wants. If participating in an activity takes our focus off our relationship with God, we must not participate. If going to a sporting event turns someone into a cursing maniac, should he go? No. If watching cable tv tempts one to pay for a channel that he knows he should not watch, should he get rid of cable? Absolutely. The things that hinder my relationship with God may be different than yours. We must each safeguard our relationship with God individually.

2. How will this affect my mind and my thoughts? (Phil. 4:8)

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Stemming directly from our relationship with God is the question of how entertainment affects our thoughts. Our thought life is the hardest part of our lives to control. When God saw man in Noah's day, he judged them not only because what they did was evil, but also because "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Man's thoughts must be controlled and must be good.

Paul advocates this control of the mind in this verse. He wants the people who read his letter to have true, honest, just, pure, lovely, honorable, virtuous, and praiseworthy thoughts. If their thoughts did not line up with these characteristics, he wanted to help them change. Not for his sake or because he said so, but because it is honoring and pleasing to God to have good thoughts.

3. How will this affect my relationship with others? (I Cor. 8-9; 10:31-33)

I Corinthians 10:31-33 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

While we must each take our own relationship with God and our own thoughts into account, we must also take into account the relationship with God and thoughts of others. In I Corinthians, Paul addresses one of the many issues that had come up in the Corinthian church. Some members of the church saw nothing wrong with eating meat offered to idols. Others believed that this was an act of worship of those same idols. Paul himself said that the eating of that meat was not necessarily a sin. Here, however, is the sin: when someone who was ok with eating that meat became a stumblingblock to those who was not ok with it. As Christians, they had the liberty to eat that meat. Some knew, as Paul did, that it was not sin. But Paul pronounced a great principle in the last verse of chapter 8: "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." Paul was willing to never eat meat again if it meant that he did not cause his Christian brothers and sisters to sin. 

What about us? Is there a bigger "meat offered to idols" situation in Christian circles today than entertainment? There are many forms of entertainment that we can participate in, and, as I mentioned previously, the things that hinder our relationship with God should be banished from our lives. But we must also be aware that there are those who have different standards than we do. And we must be careful not to violate their standards and their conscience.

Let me illustrate this principle from my own personal experience. Growing up, I was not allowed to listen to any contemporary music at all. It was the standard that my family held to. As I grew older, my mom started allowing me to make some of my own choices as far as music, as long as I did not violate Biblical principles. However, while I was allowed to listen to more contemporary music in my personal life, I was not allowed to listen to all of this around my dad or my grandfather. Not because it was bad. Not because they would hate me for it. But because they hold to a different standard, and I would violate their convictions. 

4. Is this an appropriate time for this activity? (Ecc. 3:1-8)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

This final question takes right after the previous one in the issue of using discernment in choosing our entertainment. Rather than the who this time though, we will be dealing with the when. There will be some occasions where a form of entertainment is appropriate and other times when it is not. For example, it is not appropriate to be listening to the 4th quarter of the Alabama-Auburn football game during your great-aunt's funeral. And it is definitely not appropriate for a man to be scrolling through his news feed on his phone while his bride is walking down the aisle. Those things can be good at an appropriate time but are extremely detrimental when used in the wrong context.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

What does this mean for our entertainment? First, it means that there is no definite answer to what will be right as far as entertainment goes, nor will there ever be any standard that is 100% right for every person. Second, it means that we must form convictions about entertainment that follow Biblical principles. God has written down many principles in this world that He wants us to follow. It is now that through careful study and prayer that we must form our convictions. Finally, we must use discernment in our use of entertainment, with who we use it around and when we use it.

Book Review: "Your Guide to the Apocalypse", by Matt Hagee

Jesus is coming again. We know this as believers. The church has been taught this fact for years since He left the earth. His disciples were told by angels when He ascended, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11, KJV)."

Since that time, the study of Christ's return has been one that has consumed men. God used men here on earth: Paul, John, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jesus Himself to teach on the end times. Now that we have the Bible, men are constantly attempting to interpret prophetic passages. Matt Hagee endeavors to do this in this book, Your Guide to the Apocalypse.

Hagee does a good job of looking at the events leading up to the events of Scriptures teaching. This book, while it does look at some events of the Tribulation, is more of a stage setter for what is to come. And I like that about this book. Because the truth is, if we are truly saved, we will not be here. Our goal is to win souls to Christ before He comes back. The worries of the gospel in the Tribulation will be put back on Israel through the 2 witnesses and through the 144,000 witnesses (see Revelation 7 and 11 for more details on those).

I also appreciate his look at the letters to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation. These letters are so often overlooked in studies of the book, but they are very important letters. God put them there for the benefit of the churches then, but also the churches now.

As I have said, I greatly appreciate Matt Hagee's take on the build-up to the prophetic events and the addressing of the letters to the 7 churches. I would recommend this book to one who is curious of what is to come. I would also like to issue a caution that is true with any Biblical topic, but specifically eschatology (the study of the end times)-- be extremely careful to take a look at God's Word while reading this book. Look up and study the Scriptures for yourself along with this book. This is merely a guide. God wants us to study the Word for ourselves too.

I'll give 4.5 stars out of 5 for a good guide to what is coming.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Hagee, Matt. Your Guide to the Apocalypse: What You Should Know Before the World Comes to an End. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Blogging for Books book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

WHERE TO PURCHASE: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/544966/your-guide-to-the-apocalypse-by-matt-hagee-foreword-by-john-hagee/

Lamentations: The Weeping Prophet

When we look at Christ in the book of Lamentations, we don't need to look any further than the title. The entire book is full of the lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, who was known as the weeping prophet back in the Old Testament. Why did this prophet get this title and how then can we see Christ in the same light? 

It was because of the sins and ultimately the destruction of Judah. They had become so wicked that God allowed them to be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Jeremiah had so desperately wanted the people to return to God that seeing the city of Jerusalem in its destroyed state moved him to tears. From the very opening of the book, we see Jeremiah's tears: "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!
how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! (Lamentations 1:1)" 

As you move through the book, you constantly see terms of sadness and hopelessness. Words like weep, mourn, and distress show the condition of the hearts of the righteous who still follow God. Words like desolate, solitary, cut off, and captivity show the condition of the country that has been left behind by the people who once followed God and of the people who now live far from home.

And through all of these lamentations, all of this hopelessness, all of this destruction, we can still see a picture of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is seen in the author, Jeremiah with the same name-- the weeping prophet.

Just as Jeremiah wept over the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus also wept over Jerusalem. Luke 19:41-44 tells this story of Jesus. 
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Just as Jerusalem was destroyed in the time of Jeremiah by Babylon, it would one day be destroyed by the Romans. And Jesus wept because of that! In another passage he pleaded with the citizens of Jerusalem, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37)" It broke His heart that His people would not follow Him.
And it still breaks His heart.

It breaks His heart when sinners reject the salvation that He died to secure. It breaks His heart when those who He has saved live like there has not been a sacrifice made for them. It breaks His heart to think that there are those who have not even heard His name once. 

Where does that leave us? Our hearts should break for what His heart breaks for. It's cliche, I know, but seeing sinners die and go to hell, seeing believers live in sin, and seeing people die without ever hearing the gospel should break out hearts. We must strive to emulate the heart of Christ and allow His burden to become ours.

Jeremiah: The Righteous Branch

Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth."

In Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah begins this chapter by issuing a warning to those leaders of God's people who would destroy God's flock from within. These are men who have neglected God's calling to lead Israel specifically. He then prophesies that a remnant of God's people will be gathered together again. They will be ruled by one called here the "Righteous Branch." This branch is a symbol of Christ's Millennial Kingdom.

When Jesus comes again one day, He will establish a Kingdom on this earth. Where the image of the branch comes in is this: the branch is a new plant that has been cut out of the old one. It is a shoot or a sprout growing out of the ground. While it is based out of the same kingdom and the same family, it is a new line, a new king, a new worship.

It was prophesied that one of the last kings of Israel, Jeconiah or Coniah, would not have a ruler come from his line anymore. And if Jesus were the biological son of Joseph that would have disqualified him from ruling. But Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, who did not descend from this cursed line, yet was still by right in the ruling line through his stepfather Joseph. This is where the righteous branch- the sprout- comes from. Christ comes to the earth to rule and to reign, fully in the right of His kingdom but making it new.

This is a prophecy, along with the prophecy of the virgin birth, is a great prophecy for us as Christians to know. Some would use this prophecy to say that Jesus Christ is not fit to be king because His father comes from this cursed line. But because we know that He was not the biological son of Joseph, we know that He is not disqualified. These two prophecies further show how much we can trust God and His Word. It is imperative that we continue to develop our trust in Him that our faith may never waiver, and this righteous branch, this new kingdom out of the old kingdom, is a great example of God's sovereignty and His ability to accomplish His will through the terrible actions of others. Coniah was an evil king, again, to the point where God cursed His seed from ever being able to be on the throne. But God worked to where His Son still has the right to sit on David's throne without this curse being upon Him. Is not our God amazing! Is not our God good! Is not our God righteous!