A few of my favorite things...

This book is actually a commentary over the gospel of John. It is an easy read. Really, it is. I've read many commentaries, and this one reads easier than all of them and delves into the deep issues presented in this gospel. I realize reading a commentray isn't popular, but truly, it makes a great daily devotional. It breaks John into manageable parts and then explains each part clearly, and in a way that is easy to grasp. I recommend you give it a try. Click HERE to order or review.

This Advent calendar is easy and fun to use. The kids love opening up the flaps each day..even my 5th grader. (They fight over who gets to do it) And there is also a little guide that goes with each day. Its a very nice way to constantly refocus your kids on the real meaning of Christmas. (and its cheap!!!) Click HERE to order or get more information.

This is a great devotional I've started going through with my third and fifth graders. I really like it. It's simple to use and ties the Old Testament nicely with the New. I think it is a GREAT tool to help teach your kids the Bible. This particualr book will walk you through the entire Old Testment. Click Here to order or learn more.

Great Book!!

I'm currently reading the book Republocrat; confessions of a liberal conservative written by Carl Trueman. I absolutely love this book. He is frank, and doesn't worry about taking political sides. He shuns political stereotypes and encourages his readers to thoughtfully consider weakness on both side of the political coin. He exposes and critiques those on the left and those on the right in a very serious and thoughtful manner. I have never read anything so frank, and non-bandwagon-ish ever. He does not pander to the Left; he doesn't bow to the Right. It is absolutely refreshing and eye-opening.

Here is one excerpt he wrote after critiquing and exposing popular news organizations:

"Either human beings are critical creatures, provided with brains that allow them to think for themselves, or they are mere sponge-like receptors who believe whatever they are told by a third party. …We (Christians) are called to be good citizens in this world, and in a democratic society, that involves having as many well-thought-out and informed opinions on the things that really matter as time allows. It is incumbent on us not to surround ourselves with things that conform to our prejudices but to seek and listen to a variety of viewpoints. The listening is not and end in itself, as so many postmodern conversationalists would have it; the purpose is to become more informed and to have better-grounded, better-argued opinions. But that can happen only when watching the news becomes more than just having our gut convictions continually confirmed." (page. 58)

Amen. Amen. Amen.

To order this book, click here

When Helping Hurts: Discerning the need

In the book When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkart, much time is spent quite explaining the different needs poverty presents, how to discern what is actually needed, and some helpful hints on action that can be taken. Please remember, I'm summarizing many pages, and chapters of information so I am NOT doing this justice, but here is a general and very brief overview:

The first thing responders (those responding to the needs of those in poverty) must consider is if the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development. Fikkart explains that "the failure to distinguish among these situations is one of the most common reasons that poverty-alleviation efforts often do harm."

The first response Fikkart describes is "Relief."

"Relief" can be described as the urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or man-made crisis. When a crisis such as the Indonesian tsunami strikes, people are nearly or even completely helpless and experience plummeting economic conditions. There is a need to "stop the bleeding," and this is what "relief" attempts to do.

Next he describes "rehabilitation."

"Rehabilitation" begins as soon as the bleeding stops; it seeks to restore people and communities to the positive elements of their pre-crisis conditions. The key feature of rehabilitation is a dynamic of working with the tsunami victims as they participate in their own recovery."

The last step, which is a process of ongoing change, is "development"

"Development is a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved-both the "helpers" and the "helped" –closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. In particular, as the materially poor develop, they are better able to fulfill their calling of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruits of that work. Development is not do to people, or for people, but with people. The key dynamic in development is promoting an empowering process in which all the people involved –both the "helpers" and the "helped" –become more of what God created them to be."

Fikkart gives many examples and models of how this can, and is being done effectively around the world by organizations and missionaries. Obviously there are many models, but the key is learning how to effectively diagnosed and treat the symptoms one sees when faces with poverty. Brian Fikkart and Steve Corbett work at the Christian organization, Chalmers Center for Economic Development. Their motto is "Helping the church, help the poor, help themselves." The website, which has many resources on this topic, is http://www.chalmers.org/. I encourage you to look into this topic further.

When Helping Hurts: Monetary handouts

I am learning so much from this book! I'm actually having trouble deciding what to post as I have so much I want to share! Here's a brief, and not so thorough summary of what I've read so far. The authors of the book make some general premises that they support throughout the book. The main premise is that poverty is far more than a person having a lack of material goods, it is also a mindset; a mindset that encompasses "shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness. North American audiences tend to emphasize a lack of material things such as food, money, clean water, medicine, housing etc."

He gives the following scenario:

"Similarly consider the familiar case of the person who comes to your church asking for help with paying an electric bill. On the surface, it appears that this person's problem is a lack of material resources, and many churches respond by giving this person enough money to pay the electric bill. But what if this person's fundamental problem is not having the self-discipline to keep a stable job? Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying problem and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline. …A better – and far more costly – solution would be for your church to develop a relationship with this person, a relationship that says, "We are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future. Let us into your life and let us work with you ton determine the reason why you are in this predicament."

He continues to describe how forming relationships with those in need is essential to helping them overcome poverty. He says,

"There will likely be lots of ups and downs in the relationship. It all sounds very time consuming, and it is. 'If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.' (Isaiah 58:10) 'Spending yourself' often involves more than giving a handout to a poor person, a handout that may do more harm than good."

To order click here

When Helping Hurts

I wasn't going to order this book. The title looked boring and it also looked like an entire book about why I shouldn't have to give or serve those less fortunate than me. Thankfully I resisted my initial reaction to the title based solely on the person recommending it to me: Todd Pruitt, my former preacher. He has a great library and almost every book he's ever recommended I have love and learned tons. So I ordered it. It has since sat on my shelf. I picked it up this morning and started reading it and to my great surprise I am completely riveted. The author's premise isn't to enable lazy Christians to remain lazy; but to prod them out of their seats, encourage them to consider the poor, and urge them to set about helping them in constructive ways that really make a difference.

I have already been convicted and challenged just in the introduction and first chapter. The author has already exposed error in my thinking and beliefs about the gospel and Jesus mission here on earth.

For all of my friends who freak when they hear about the cause of the poor mixed with the gospel and think , "Oh I know, it's some of those emergent church folks in sheep's clothing pushing social activism and watering down truth," You are wrong here. I've read their literature and this is absolutely NOT it. The author, Brian Fikkart, was raised in a rural Wisconsin "that consisted of twelve-hundred no-nonsense, fourth generation Dutch immigrants." He has been a member of a theologically conservative Presbyterian churches his entire life. He is not a wishy, washy theologically weak, socially conscience liberal. So with this in mind, consider the following statements and if they peak your interest, order the book. I personally can't wait to finish it. I can't wait to see how my theology can be tweaked to be more accurate and my life better reflect my Saviour Jesus Christ because I fall short; way short.

Brian Fikkart begins by telling a story he read another book. The author described his father, a model Christian named Reverend Marsh who lived in Laurel, Mississippi during the civil rights movement. During this time The Ku Klux Klan was killing African Americans, burning their churches and was responsible for numerous physical assaults. He says this;

"…the daily installments of Mississippi burning, the crushing poverty of the towns African American inhabitants, the rituals of white supremacy, the smell of terror pervading the streets like a Masonite's stench, did not figure into his sermons or in our dinner table conversations or in the talk of the church. These were, to a good Baptist preacher like him, finally matters of politics, having little or nothing to do with the spiritual geography of a pilgrim's journey to paradise. Unwanted annoyances? Yes. Sad evidences of our humans failings? Certainly. But all of these would be rectified in some eschatological future – "when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be."

Fikkart reflects on this story and writes:

"Reverend Marsh had reduced Christianity to a personal piety that was devoid of social concern emanating from a kingdom perspective. He believed Christianity consisted in keeping one's soul pure by avoiding alcohol, drugs, and sexual impurity, and by helping others to keep their souls pure too. There was little "now" of the kingdom for Reverend Marsh, apart from saving souls, For Reverend Marsh, James 1:27 said, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:…to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.": Somehow he overlooked the phrase that pure and faultless religion includes "looking after orphans and widows in their distress,"

Fikkart then reflects on Jesus' ministry. He writes;

"Jesus earthly Ministry began one Sabbath day in a synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus stood up and was handed a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. "Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'the Spirit of the Lord I on me, because he ahs anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." …the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and began saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in you hearing." (Luke 4:17-21)

Interesting stuff…huh? It's even better than this but I can't quote the whole thing! I would encourage you to pick up a copy! I believe it will be worth your time. Click Here to order.

Counterfeit Gods

I'm currently reading the book, Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. In it, he reveals the idols we now worship in our modern society; money, sex, and power. He details, how they, and all idols, enslave us, and how blind we are to them. Here is one candid quote about the signs of political idolatry:

"One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, "What a shame, how difficult," but rather "This is the end! There's no hope!"

This may be the reason why so many people now respond the U. S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel. When their political leaders are out of power, they experience a death. They believe that if their policies and people are not in power, everything will fall apart. They refuse to admit how much agreement they actually have with the other party and instead focus on the points of disagreement. The points of contention overshadow everything else, and a poisonous environment is created."

This book is fabulous! I highly recommend it!! To order this book click here.

God is Good

"God is the source of all good and the standard by which good is measured. We may not like what God does, but we are in no position to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Every breath He gives us - we who deserve immediate and eternal death - is a gift."

From the book If God is Good, by Randy Alcorn, p. 144

Leprechauns…

More great stuff from the book If God is Good; Faith in the Face of Suffering and Evil written by Randy Alcorn. In the chapter I'm currently reading, Alcorn discusses the problems the atheist world view has with extreme evil and moral outrage. In this compelling discussion, he makes a very interesting observation about the atheist's treatment of God. He writes:

"Many atheist books and blog seethe with anger. Remarkably, the authors do not limit their anger to Christians. They seem most livid with God.

I don't believe in leprechauns, but I haven't dedicated my life to battling them. I suppose if I believed that people's faith in leprechauns poisoned civilization, I might get angry with members of leprechaun churches. But there's one thing I'm quite sure I wouldn't do: I would not get angry with leprechauns. Why not? Because I can't get angry with someone I know doesn't exist.

Though I see why atheists get irate at Christians, I don't understand why they seem so furious with God – unless, deep inside, their atheism isn't a rational denial of God as much as an attempt to retaliate against him." (page 136)

A Fabulous Book!!!

So about a month ago, or longer, I said I was reading Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, but I got derailed when I start reading If God is Good by Randy Alcorn. This book deals with the problem of evil suffering and reconciling that with an omnipotent, omniscient God. It is fabulously written!! Randy Alcorn is an incredible writer and has created a logical, yet Biblical case where he shows how suffering, evil and God do fit together. Here are some quotes from the chapter entitled, "What are Some Possible responses to the Problem of Evil and Suffering?"

Here is Alcorn explaining how trials can test faith, for the good.

"Believing God exists is not the same as trusting the God who exists. A nominal Christian often discovers in suffering that his faith has been in his church, denomination, or family tradition, but not Christ. As he faces evil and suffering, he may lose his faith. But that's actually a good thing. Losing your faith may be God's gift to you. Only when you jettison ungrounded, untrue faith can you replace it with valid faith in the true God – a faith that can pass, and even strengthen in, the most formidable of life's tests." (p. 12-13)

"Sufferers have told me, 'We did everything right. We attended church and gave our money to missions – and then God did this to us. I don't get it.' At times like these our faith gets exposed as an insurance policy in which we pay our premiums to protect us from harm." (p.37)

"We need only read scripture, look around us, or live long enough in order to learn that trusting God doesn't ward off all evil and suffering. He never said it would." (p. 38)

Alcorn also explains that a fundamental lack of understanding in who God is oftens lead to a misunderstanding of trials and suffering.

"A friend wrestled with the problem of evil after a terrible accident. He concluded that we err whenever we speak of only two or three attributes of God in relation to the problem of evil. He meant that we must bring all of God's attributes to the table. If we see God only in terms of His love, mercy, and compassion, we will not envision the true God, but only an idol of our own imagination – and that is precisely what we see in the airbrushed God of various modern solutions to the problem of evil." (p. 37)

Click here to order this great book.

A New Book!

I just started reading the book 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. I'm excited to see what he has to say about a healthy church. The introduction really wet my appetite; maybe it will prompt you to read it too - or at least start thinking about what a healthy church really looks like when one uses the Bible as your measure of health instead of our own subjective opinions. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:

"How is a church supposed to act? What does it mean for a church to be faithful? And how can you tell whether or not you're succeeding? Is the fact that a lot of people are attending the proof that what they're doing right and blessed by God? It's hard to argue with numbers. Faced with attendance in the tens of thousands, mega complex buildings and budgets bigger than those of small countries, its not easy to question whether this is really a good idea. 'Of course it's a good idea!' the evidence seems to scream. 'Look how BIG it all is!'

"But is size the measure of success? We all know the right answer is no, but I wonder how many of us truly believe it deep down – or how many of us know what to sue to measure success in its place? Maybe you're uneasy about the shallowness of the modern church. Maybe you're looking for another measuring stick for true health. But whether you're a pastor looking for a blueprint to build your church or simply a Christian asking what matters most in a church, I believe this book can help you."

I'm excited to read Mark Dever's analysis of church health. My lofty plan is to summarize each of the nine marks detailed in this book in nine different posts, so be looking for more to come!

A Couple Great Quotes From my Book

The Bible does not just tell the story of God's work of salvation; at the same time it reveals God's character. He is its hero from beginning to end. Sometimes we miss the point by asking to quickly, 'What is this saying to me?' A good first question to ask whenever we look at a passage is, 'What does this tell me about God?' Very often the application for us will then be obvious. The Bible is, above all, a book about God. (p.65)

...But even when we do not understand God's purposes, we can be sure that they are loving ones and that they always guarantee that His will is done. (p. 64) (I need to frame this...don't I?)

Quotes from the book: God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts

What I'm reading now.

I just started reading the book entitled God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts. Here's one excerpt from the introduction of the book:

"I had already completed a theology degree at university, but it left me unable to find my way around the Bible. There had been detailed analysis of individual books and passages, but no one had shown me how they fit together. My friend however was able to travel through the Bible with apparent ease. It was as if he was using a map while I was left without any sense of direction. I asked him how he did it. He told me about a book that outlined the main elements in the story of the Bible from beginning to end.

"My aim (in writing this book) is to provide all Christians, from the new convert to the mature believer, with an overview of the whole Bible that will help them see how the different parts fit together. I want to put in my reader's hands the map that I have found so helpful. "

If you've ever wondered how the Old Testament ties into and prepares readers for the New Testament, then this is the book for you. (PS: Its an easy read too!! You could get through it in a week!)

Christ = Life

“It’s imperative we see that God is not interested in making our lives better. He’ll have nothing to do with being a supplemental enhancement to support our personal goals and ambitions. He’s not a sidekick, co-pilot, or self-help guru, and we should stay as far away from so-called Christianity that presents God as a way to improve our lives. God is life itself. Christ is life itself. We cannot live apart from God.”

*quote from the book, Your Jesus Is Too Safe, -p. 225

Here's Some Autumn Reading for ya!

I’m reading a new book entitled Why We Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Cluck. It is such a great book! I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you’ve given up on church, or are disillusioned with it, if you’re tired or thrilled with church this book will be worth your time.

Here’s just one excerpt:

“…The church has often been despised. It would be wrong to wear unpopularity as a sure marker of faithfulness. But by the same token, we should not assume we have failed just because outsiders dislike us. It is well known that the Romans despised the early Christians. They were considered odd, unlearned, ungodly, culturally lowbrow, and socially unprofitable. The Romans thought the Christians practiced cannibalism because they ate the body and drank the blood of Jesus. Some thought they were incestuous because they called each other 'brother' and 'sister' and took part in love feasts. Others thought they were atheists because they had no icons for their God….Their early press was uniformly bad. It can be helpful to know how others perceive us, but not always. In our self-esteem-oriented, easily offended, suffering-adverse world, I fear that the church is too eager to be liked….Of course Christianity has an ‘image problem.’ At times, this is our own fault. But at other times, our lack of an image has been just as damning. We’ve been indistinct from the world with nothing to set us apart, nothing to suggest a transformed life or renewed thinking bound by the Word of God.”

Get a cup of coffee, crack open this book, and enjoy the fall weather!

Jesus Intrudes on Our Space

I’m reading the book entitled, Your Jesus is Too Safe by Jared C. Wilson. It is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it. In it, Mr. Wilson reveals the Jesus the Bible really portrays, not the Jesus we see paraded around to fill church seats or sell books. Mr. Wilson also shows his readers that the reason the world doesn’t “get” Jesus is because we “have spent decades selling a Jesus cast in our own image” and ignored what the Bible actually says about him.

In one section He talks about Jesus the prophet. He reminds us that the role of the prophet was to intrude upon the lives of the hearers. He says, “This is what Jesus the prophet does. He inserts himself into our workaday lives, he invades our space and exposes our hearts. He tells us the ugly truth about ourselves, but not to shame or punish us, but to open us up, to provoke us and prompt us, to disarm our defenses and turn us –all of us, our whole selves-toward him."

What I'm Reading

I’m currently reading the book entitled Putting Amazing Back Into Grace; embracing the heart of the Gospel by Michael Horton. I consider this an essential book for all Believers because it takes you back to the Biblical foundations of what it really means to be saved by grace alone. The back cover gives an excellent summary of the book’s premise. It says, “(This book) reminds you of the Reformation's radical view of God and his saving grace, the liberating yet humbling truth that we contribute nothing to our salvation. In it, Mr. Horton makes many noteworthy points." Here are just a few excerpts.

“Some argue that God created humans because he wanted to have creatures who loved Him of their own free will…Once again the Psalmist offers the Biblical answer to that central question. In the last two lines of Psalm 104:31 it states, ‘May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works.’ This is the purpose behind our creation and our daily existence. For the same reason an artist takes pleasure in his masterpiece, God takes pleasure in His works. Thus, the purpose of our creation is the pleasure of God. It is not for our happiness or pleasure that we exist, but for God’s.”

“Instead of withdrawing from society, then, holiness embraces the world. Instead of viewing the world as the source of sin, we begin to recognize that the world itself is only a reflection of the brokenness we all cause. 'Christian' cars emit exhaust fumes too. Once we see that sin is not ‘out there’ but ‘in here’ we begin to lose our self-righteous distance and we can be agents of reconciliation. ‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.’”

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