Category: Christian life

          Do you ever wonder why people do not seem to hear the message of Jesus that we are sharing? More often than not, we answer the question that isn’t being asked when we try to evangelize or share the Gospel message. That is a problem.

          We need to learn first to uncover the actual question that the other person is asking, or has in their heart, before we try to answer it. Whatever it is. Wherever it leads. We may need to re-direct the inquiry gently or simply allow the other person to probe their own inquiry by asking questions in response.

          The Gospel message is awesome! It is unique. And it is supreme. There is nothing else like it in the world. So, why is the message not received by everyone with gladness?

          Because we try to answer the question our neighbor is not asking!

          When we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, we must be willing to go in deep! We might interpret that command to mean, “Go to some foreign place far away from your home.” But then again, most of us may not be called to go to another country or any other place at all. So instead, we may hear that as a command to get out and speak to our local community, our neighbors, our co-workers. But we think this command is even more profound than that. We all are required to go into the depth of the mind, heart, spirit, and soul—into all the world—where our neighbor truly resides.

          Some people can prove to be quite difficult in this. So, we must rely upon the spiritual weapons of our warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)[i] and always remember that the enemy of our souls and their lives is not flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12. It is a spiritual battle in which we engage. We must approach the unbeliever and one who believes with little faith gently and with respect. Romans 14. We need the Holy Spirit to lead and guide.

          That can be tiresome. Even Jesus, during the brief time he was fully man on earth in the flesh, appeared to become weary with people. Sometimes he needed to simply get away. But he is our best illustrator and exemplar of the rabbinic method of teaching.[ii] He asked the questions, or created the question in the listener’s mind, which needed to be asked to get the listener prepared to hear the answer. He started wherever they were. That is why Paul taught that we must be ready in season and out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2. And Peter wrote that we should be prepared always to give an answer for the hope we have within us. 1 Peter 3:15. If a person had a question for Jesus, instead of simply answering outright, Jesus would ask them a question or appear to seek clarification from them or he would make a statement to cause them to question in their minds, “Who is this guy?”

          At one point, His disciples recognized this teaching concept. In John 16:30 we read: “We know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” They were familiar with the teaching method of the rabbis. Jesus was using that method on the teachers themselves. We see that at an early age. The teachers were amazed at His understanding and the answers He gave. We read in Luke 2:46, “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”

          Remember, just as any statement can itself be a question, every question is also a statement of the premise upon which the questioner is starting. Remember when Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him with, “You say that I am.” Sometimes those premises may need some re-focusing. That is the reason that the teachers were amazed at the understanding young Jesus displayed in the questions that he was asking of them. Questions are always telling us something important about the questioner. We would do well to learn this teaching method.

          We must discern the real question before we can provide the true answer. Consider Proverbs 18:13. We must listen before we can give a correct answer.

          We find the secret to this methodology, both how and why it works, in the Shema. There, the Word says, in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV),

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The command is “hear” not simply listen, like you would to a babbling brook or singing birds but hear. That is not to argue or consider or weigh or an invitation to give your thoughts on the subject. It is hear. At the very core and with every fiber of our being, hear God’s word for us. It must, however, start with knowing that for which we must be listening. If like most, we start formulating our replies before we have fully heard the other, we miss the point. We cannot hear if we are listening for a different answer! No one can. When the heart, mind, spirit, or body of a person is distracted by some other question, they cannot hear the Word or the command of the Lord.

          We first must be seeking the right answer. Seeking is questioning. A prophet tells us plainly, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. That is much like the command of the Shema itself. Peel away the irrelevant questions. Examine the premises behind the questions posed. Remember even angry opposition may be covering deeply troubling questions.

          We first must be asking the right questions, i.e., seeking the right answers in our mind, spirit, body, and soul before we can find God’s answer—the Good News of God with us. It takes effort for the individual and it takes effort for the disciple trying to reach his neighbor’s world.

          No one can hide behind false premises if we truly want God. After all, He knows where we are hiding—and why. Recall how God sought fellowship with Adam even after he sinned. When God called, “Adam where are you?” do you think for a moment that God did not know where Adam was hiding? He wanted Adam to examine himself and his solitary position apart from God.

          People resist the straightforward answer. Anytime and every time someone makes a definitive statement, the listener—whether audibly or quietly within the heart—challenges it, questions it, or asks for its source or the speaker’s citation to relevant authority. We are always ready for some debate. That is usually to justify where we are or to make some attempt at defining our own sense of morality. We like too much the giving of our own opinions, our own take on the subject at hand. Hearing is a lost art. That is why Jesus taught in parables.

          To understand a parable, you must think about it. You must examine your presuppositions. You must dig into it. You must understand the question that it is meant to answer. We know we must not attempt to make every parable stand on all fours to answer every question. The parables of Jesus are specifically designed to address specific issues. We first must understand the issue. It takes some effort to seek it first.

          The parables were used based upon the teaching from Isaiah 6:9 where the people are hearing, but not understanding; seeing, but not perceiving. Their hearts had grown dull. Within Matthew 13:10-17, where Jesus is explaining the use of the parables to His disciples, we see the contrast of the dull hearts of the people being compared to the “longing” of the prophets to see the things the disciples were then seeing and hearing from the Christ of God. They were seeking God with all their hearts—longing for Him.

          In summary, we who love and follow the Lord have an obligation and a deep desire to reach the lost, deceived, and dying with the Gospel of Grace, of Salvation and Peace with God through the finished work of Christ. But our neighbors have different questions, often colored by the deception of the world or lust of the flesh or myriad other influencers. We need to take the time to hear what they are asking.

          Even a stated objection or an angry shouted protest can be a question. Then, help them refocus the question or clarify what they mean. When they come to their realization that the real question is, like the woman at the well in Samaria, “How can I worship God?” and they long for or seek after God with their whole heart, mind, soul, spirit, and body, then with the help of the Holy Spirit they will listen and hear the answer. Of course, we may not always get to the ultimate question. We can do only our part of the process on any given day. But we are still sent and commanded to go into all the world.

          Let us first figure out the question before we try to give the answer.

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[i] All Bible quotations and scriptural references are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

[ii] See, Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2023), 19, 33, 36.

When we pause to think about it, the idea that we could “study God” in the sense that we can uncover the knowledge of who God is by our own course of study as one may do with rocks, plants, stars, etc., or pull back the curtain like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, seems rather presumptuous if not ludicrous. As a “branch of learning” during this human earthly existence, what could be more profound, more paramount, than fully understanding, even personally knowing, the Supreme Being? By definition, if he is the Maker of all things seen and unseen, how can we ever logically know God completely or even in part without His revelation of Himself? Then, what about His plans? We cannot deduce on our own merely by what is seen.

We believe God has revealed what we need in order to know Him to the fullest extent of our Faith—which is itself a gift from Him. He has given us nature and conscience. He has given us “others” because it was not good for man to be alone. He has given us Scriptures that are collected in our Bibles. He has given to those who believe in the Son whom the Father has sent the Holy Spirit of Truth. And he has given us Pastors, Teachers, and others with various ministries within the Church.

So, what does Scripture say about studying God and growing in our knowledge of Him?

In Deuteronomy 6:7, with respect to the words and commands God gave us we are admonished to teach them diligently to our children and to talk about them, think about them, in essence study them. In Nehemiah 8:7-8 we are shown an example how the priests of God helped the people understand the law clearly, giving “the sense” of what they were reading so that people would understand and comply with it. Acts 8:26-40 relates for us the story of Philip, following the Holy Spirit, joining himself to the chariot of an Ethiopian eunuch, a Court official of the Queen, to start where that man was, listen to his questions, and explain the Gospel of Jesus. And, in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11 we see that God gave ministries and offices and gifts to the Church to equip the saints and give us better understanding of God and our mission here. Yet in all this, we still only know in part and see in part, like looking through a darkened glass. See 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. We are exhorted nonetheless to study to show ourselves approved by God and able to rightly divide the Word of Truth, giving an apt response in every situation with Love and respect.

In the Greatest Commandment we are told that God is One and that we must love Him with our entire being. Jesus made this even clearer in saying we are to love God with all our mind. Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27. At the same time we must remember that the natural man (i.e., simply the human mind alone) does not receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14. And, we must not lean on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6. We must do all that we can on our own (like reading our Bibles) yet trust God to lead us and light the path for us to find Him. He says we will find Him when we seek Him with all that we have. See Jeremiah 29:13.

So, what do we make of this? Recognizing our limitations and human frailties, pride, and outright sin, we ought always to seek after God with all our hearts. There is no wrong in “Theology” itself (although our Theology might be wrong, shortsighted, or incomplete for a time) unless we presume to have arrived at understanding anything in full or anything at all without God Himself giving the insight. Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness?

Going forward, let’s remember that we know only in part. So, although we speak with confidence, we keep a teachable spirit. We do not add or subtract from God’s Word, but share in accordance with the measure of Faith that we have. Moreover, we must live our Theology with honesty and integrity. Be careful in your desire to teach, because you know teachers are held to a higher accounting. James 3:1. Importantly, live what you believe. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. And follow Jesus always, both publicly and privately.

Sorry this is so late. We just noticed it sitting in the folder. How distracted we can get.

Once again, these are not necessarily brand-new books or first-time reads for 2019, but they are the top five that we feel should be remembered and brought to your attention again. And, as we have said previously, these reviews are not exhaustive. We are hitting only some high points that we think might make these books useful or interesting to you also.

5. The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

This is a study of victimhood and how academic “freedom” is being held hostage by political correctness and the militant—actually in some instances violently vindictive—views of the so-called victims. Feelings triumph over reason. Accusation and mob momentum, who is yelling the loudest, and who says the vilest things “in defense” first—so long as they can fall back to claims of being oppressed—clashes with intellectual exploration. Debate is no longer honored, but only the effort to silence anyone who suggests questioning another—as long as that other can identify as a victim of some sort. It is worth reading to see how this new state of thinking has obliterated the “freedom” even to rationally explore an opposing point of view, let alone to criticize it.

4. The Imperfect Disciple by Jared C. Wilson (Twitter: @jaredcwilson)

Another excellent book by the author of Unparalleled exploring the fits and starts, the stumbles, doubts, and backstep of an honest and growing disciple of Jesus Christ. It is light, but worth the reading.

3. What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit by Stanley M. Horton

This is an old survey of the passages, stories, and various teachings concerning the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. It is full of scripture references. It is a study book, not a light read. You will want to check the scriptures, read the cross-references and other sources that Horton cites. If you have any interest whatsoever—regardless of whether you believe, accepts, or think you may understand the teachings concerning speaking in tongues and the baptism—in the Holy Spirit, this book should be consulted and considered. Even if you think you disagree with any teaching you’ve ever heard about the Holy Spirit, intellectual integrity demands that you reference, check, cross-check, and ruminate upon the biblical summaries compiled by Stanley Horton. If you are going to disagree, and presume to teach others to disagree with anything concerning the Holy Spirit or any teaching you have heard or think you have heard on the topic, you need to read the work of Stanley Horton and refute it—or more precisely, the Scriptures he has gathered in one place for you to consider and to know.

2. Friends Divided by Gordon S. Wood

This is the story of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. It explores their deep and affectionate friendship and admiration for each other, and lengthy correspondence between them and often including Abigail Adams, John’s wife whom they both respected for her wit and wisdom and treasured for her charm and beauty. Then, the political rivalry and great falling out. That was only to be surpassed by a much more truly remarkable reconciliation and rekindling of the affections and passions for this country and each other’s commitment that fueled these once-young revolutionaries, no visionaries, as they forged a nation with posterity in mind. It is a truly remarkable story of two men so different and so much alike that they even died on the same day, the 50^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

1. The Life Story of Ben Yehuda: Tongue of the Prophets by Robert St. John

A marvelous, captivating book about a young man who in 1858 was born into a Jewish home in the Russian Empire. In order to avoid being drafted, his family placed him with another family in order to take advantage of a one-son exemption. This is the story of how a passion for Hebrew was birthed within him and how it consumed him until he became the father of modern Hebrew. His dedication was complete. The book reads like a novel. It is well worth the time to hear how Ben Yehuda had to invent modern Hebrew words to fit the ancient language of the prophets of God. Hear how he was treated with disdain by the religious leaders who felt he was tinkering with the sacred. But it is not only about the language. It is also about the difficulties in bringing Jews back to Israel. If you have any love for Israel, the history of its people and fascination with the language, you must read this book. It is one that we are sure we will read again. Eliezer Ben Yehuda died in 1922. Spent. He only saw Israel as a nation again in his heart. But he did hear the words of his beloved every-day language spoken in his homeland. It is the story of a devoted life.

Certainly, there are other and more likely better books for you in terms of edification, building up in the faith. There are perhaps some more informative, even some better written. Indeed, you may disagree with the value we see in these five. But alas, we can only share the little bit we have. These obviously are superficial comments, not anything near deep critique.

Enjoy. Feel free to comment. And, of course, suggest others to us for next year. They do not need to be trendy or even new. As Solomon once said, there is not much new under the sun anyway.

 

Think about this:

Jesus told His disciples who had remained after He was crucified to wait for the Promise of the Holy Spirit. Why? So that they would be His witnesses in all the world. And what do witnesses do? The testify. They speak. They speak what?

Witnesses speak that which they have personally perceived with their senses—what they have seen, what they have heard, what they have tasted and what they have felt. They speak of these things. (The alternative to a fact witness is the so-called “expert” witness who is allowed to give an opinion only based upon educational knowledge, training, and experience in a special field of study.)

Now, for Jesus, it is necessary for His witnesses to testify by the Holy Spirit. Why?

So that they do not have to be, in fact are not expected to be, experts. They speak with authority from first-hand knowledge and personal perception of the facts.

Now think:  What happened at the appearance of the Holy Spirit after Jesus came up out of the water of John’s baptism at the beginning of His earthly ministry?

A voice was heard from heaven testifying of Him. “This is My Son…” And that is God’s message still today! That the world may know that the Father has sent the Son, and that they are One. (Jesus was certainly aware of the Sh’ma Yisrael! Yet He spoke shamelessly and forthrightly about being One with the Father. And the religious leaders who wanted to—and did—kill His human body knew what He was saying! See Deuteronomy 6:4; John 10:30; and then, re-read John 17:20-21.)

That is the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; that we would have that first-hand knowledge—if that is our one and singular desire in all the world—of that same message from the Father to testify of the Son while knowing personally the Holy Spirt (all three in One) just as clearly as the disciples knew and walked with Jesus, telling all the world in the tongues of angels and of men of various nations that Jesus Christ is Lord, God’s Son in whom God is well pleased, doing the Will of the Father, fulfilling His purposes. He has not abandoned us! Immanuel is with us as He said He would be, even to the end of the age. (Look again at the Good News from Matthew. He starts with and ends with the message, “God with us.”) Let us walk with Him and learn from Him as His disciples had walked with Jesus each day.

That He may have preeminence! That Christ be all in all. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit and has in these last days poured out His Spirit upon all flesh that our sons and daughter would prophesy—speaking the Word of God. Receive what He has freely given.

Then, let us testify not as mere experts, but as witnesses!

Come, let us worship Him in the splendor of His holiness and sing, sing with all that is within us. Raise your voice, “O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made…. How Great Thou Art!”

We saw a piece lauding herd immunity. It made us think and discuss.

Herd immunity presupposes that if the entire herd is exposed to a deadly disease, eventually when enough are infected, the herd becomes stronger and resistant to the infection as antibodies are developed and immunity has grown.

That is very much the “survival of the fittest” notion espoused by Darwinians, clothed in a much more palatable and saleable package. The romantic concept and picturesque images of gentle cows with frisky calves in the “herd immunity” idea is based upon a community concept that is much easier to sell than the saying that we are willing just to let the weights on society—our elderly, our infirm, those with cancer and other forms of illnesses that compromise immunity—die so that the rest of us get stronger and, more importantly for a socialist viewpoint, we don’t have to take care of them anymore.

The “herd immunity” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and any other illness or epidemic is costly to that very vulnerable population and to all of our souls. Consider,

Moreover, the Sweden example demonstrates that a targeted herd immunity strategy doesn’t do much to protect at-risk populations either. Deaths among the elderly in Sweden have been painfully high. In a more densely populated country like the United States, and with a larger proportion of vulnerable people, the human toll of a herd immunity strategy could be devastating. (from an internet article)

Driven from a purely economic or capitalist “freedom” perspective, there is no doubt that keeping business open, not closing down the community or limiting group sizes or congregation fuels the notion that “herd immunity” development is the better plan. So, we hear the cries that government officials have overstepped their bounds and, “You can’t infringe my liberties like that!” But is that really the heart of America?

Ruminate on this: even if you consider yourself a diehard Darwinian evolutionist, Americans have developed a deep-seated moral (now, where does morality come from Mr. Darwin) respect for the damaged of this world. We care for them, not discard them. Consider the well-known lines on the Statue of Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The fact is, we do as an American society (and, by the way, it’s not just America, look at many countries of this world beyond Sweden) care for the weak among us. We do not adopt policies to let them die. And, please mark this, we are not saying Swedes don’t care. This policy they’ve adopted simply misses the point. Give them the benefit of the doubt even if they’ve erred.

The expression of Dr. Rob Davidson (and this is not a general endorsement of everything Dr. Davidson might say, just an isolated statement that rings the bell) puts this in a nutshell,

The truth is:

If you decide to go to beaches in CA in groups, not wear masks in stores in MI, or just plain do whatever the hell you want to do anywhere else, you’re not fighting for your liberties, you just don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself. Just be honest.

We do care. And, as Christians we care more because of the great loss eternally for those who die without knowing the love that is in Christ Jesus. So, whether your neighbor is a Christian, some other “spiritual”-type person, or an avowed atheist or agnostic or whatever, we care and we will do whatever we can to stop the spread of this disease and stand by those who are afflicted. We should also stand beside—and financially help—those who have been sacrificed economically for the greater good in fighting this pandemic.

And for you overly self-righteous who pontificate that this is God’s judgment on the unbeliever and start preaching end times and apocalypse, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Remember this,

Unbelievers (the sought) afflicted with the present virus likely die in this crisis, alone, horribly stricken. Believer (His) on the other hand may very well walk through this valley on their way home, with The Shepherd who came to seek us all.

We are held to account. So if it is the end get busy! Take another look at Matthew 25:35-40. And, the righteous in the message from Jesus didn’t even know they did it!

God is patient, not wanting any to perish. Our hearts are tender toward those who perish alone, without God. Are we doing our part? Let’s do our part for stopping COVID-19 and every other threat to the health of our world, but more importantly (even at the same time) let’s reach out to those sought by Jesus and help them know the wondrous Love of God in Christ eternally.

 

Thinking more about the notion of “loving your neighbor as yourself” and the passage in Matthew 22:34-40.

It is understandable how this can be interpreted as “love your neighbor the same way you love and treat yourself.” Certainly, you don’t steal from yourself, lie to hurt yourself, and shouldn’t be killing yourself. But we think it’s much more than that. Remember, this one of the two principles is summing up the second half of the Ten Commandments; the ones concerning murder, adultery, false witness, stealing and coveting. Interpreting the summarizing statement of Jesus in the sense only of being as nice to others as we are to ourselves we can start to justify our conduct based on how far we have not gone to violate a command. But, as Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount, the Commandments go to something deeper in our hearts and spiritual. As we—if we are being truthful—see that we do not keep those Commandments because we sin in our hearts, we can see that the love he is talking about must be something deeper too. He was preaching life, not law, and grace, not works.

The Greek word used is αγαπησεις. It is not a self-love, but a selfless emptying love. It is the kind of love that Jesus displayed on the cross—“Father forgive them for they know not what they’re doing.” It is a love we cannot do in our self-serving, self-preserving flesh. We cannot simply gin up by our own will the measure or quality of love to which Jesus refers in this passage. He was not using the word for erotic or brotherly love, or even the love of a parent for a child, but rather unselfish love.

So the idea is that when first we love God with our entire being then, as the result and only because He called us and redeemed us to love by means of Him loving us first, we ought to (in fact, by operation of the Holy Spirit of Christ at fruitful work in believers, we are compelled to) turn that around to our neighbors to love them as we have been loved; with agape love—which is only God’s love. We love them—with God’s love—as though they were us being loved by God. And, we know how loved we are if we know Christ. Loving not in a utilitarian sense of hope for a return on our investment but as God’s hand extended—as He extended His to us—even before being loved in return and regardless of any return at all.

Finally, it is not yet another unfulfillable command to show us our failure or to give us a false sense of accomplishment when we think we’ve succeeded. Like all of the law, it is only fulfilled in Christ. As we are one with Christ and with His Church, we love God as He loves and love our neighbors as He loves with all the Glory and Praise to Him alone. In our failure to do so as we are prone from time-to-time to fail or be selfish or self-seeking or conceited we see our continual need for Christ.

Love your neighbor as yourself is to see your every neighbor as the imago Dei: the image of God, just as precious to Him as we are to Him. We need to know so, even when we feel low. It is only partly about the way we treat ourselves. It is more about the way God has treated and transformed us.

 

 

We heard a Preacher, a Pastor, declaring in a recent podcast that, after making clear he did not want to, “Put God in a box,” he did not believe God would speak to anyone today in the same way He spoke to the Apostles and the Prophets—because we have the Bible.

 

So, we wonder: Does this Preacher ever say to his congregation before he begins a Sunday morning sermon that “we are now going to hear the Word of God,” then proceed to expound and expand with words that are not found in Scripture? If God doesn’t speak through Pastors and Teachers (and others) today, then why do we have them or even care to listen to them at all?

 

This “party line” of dogma is just as offensive and box-binding as the teaching that God speaks only through the Church leaders, priests, and Councils, and in particular through the Pope when he speaks or writes ex cathedra even to the point of adding to or even contradicting the written Scriptures. The same is true of charismatic believers who “prophesy” over others or give them words of knowledge that are not. They all put believers in the box. Each substitutes its own tradition—for the sake only of control, or for their own fear of losing it—for the truth of Scripture. 

 

We must test everything said in the Name of God by the Scripture. We interpret Scripture and every other utterance by Scripture. That is the measuring rod which God has provided for the Church to keep us from straying in our doctrines and creeds. That does not mean that God has ceased to speak to men in multiple ways and forms even today. What He says, or what we think He says, will be consistent with Who He is as revealed in the Word. That is why Jesus instructed folks that “the Scripture cannot be broken” and to search the Scripture because they speak of Him. It is, likewise, why Peter reminded the Church that the prophetic utterances of Scripture were not the product of private interpretations. The Holy Spirit moved upon those authors with a message that is consistent throughout–the revelation of God, Who He is, and His Christ never changes.

 

We may err. Our reception may be poor or the message be obscured by static or other white noise of our own making or intentional junk with which we cloud our lives, but that does not mean God is not speaking to us. We may not be hearing because we are not listening. He may be speaking through the mouths of babes. We may even misinterpret or misapply the Word in our zeal. But, He has shown us a more excellent way to test the leading or Voice we think we hear. He has taught us how to test the spirits—Is Jesus divine? Did He come in the flesh?—so that we are not misled. And, He has given us Pastors, elders and leaders to oversee and help us to understand sound and unsound doctrine. And most important for today’s Christian, He has provided the Holy Spirit in the Church with gifts of discernment. We can and must trust and listen to the Holy Spirit as God continues to speak to us collectively and individually today just as He did in ages past. His message is still the same, as it was yesterday and will be forever—even as our circumstances and needs may keep changing under specific challenges that confront us in the present day.

 

The material things with which we deal today, the way we dress, how we communicate or transport ourselves may have changed since Bible times, but those Prophets and Faith Heroes we study were men and women just like us! There is no reason we cannot have the same experiences with God–whenever those may be His Sovereign will and serve His purposes–as they did of old. We cannot have them if we do not believe we can or accept them in faith, itself a gift from God. We must believe and wait upon the Lord, being faithful by His Grace even when He seems silent to us or we do not hear Him or “feel” that He hears us. Has God forgotten us? By no means!

 

If God chooses to speak in an audible Voice, a still small Whisper, by the Prompting of the Spirit, in the Thunder or by means of a donkey, we ought to be listening. Let’s hope we are.

 

We trust not only that God still speaks today–to believers, to the Church, to Church leaders, and to the world–but that He hears our prayers too!

 

He is alive!

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:20-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So, what does he mean when he says “hate” about our relationship to our brothers, our neighbors? Does he mean hate in the sense of active evil, or malicious harm? Is he talking about purposeful ambush or deception to do injury? Or, is he talking about the antithesis of loving?

This is similar to Jesus making the expression, raising the bar if you will, on keeping the law concerning murder. If you hate your brother you have broken the commandment. And, in case the hearers wanted to justify themselves on keeping the law, if you have lust in your heart you’ve commit adultery. How often do we think of our passing comments about others as gossip and our gossip as bearing false witness?

The absence of love may be the equivalent of the hate to which John is referring. After all, he is contrasting our profession of love for God, whom we cannot physically see with our eyes, against an attitude held toward our brothers who occupy this land with us, isn’t he?

Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians tells us what love is. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor. 13:4-7 ESV

So, perhaps when we are not kind, not patient, or if we seek our own advancement ahead of our neighbors, if we don’t prefer others before ourselves, or if we keep bringing up or reminding them of their past wrongs toward us or what we adjudge to be their myriad other failures–in short, when we fail to love as the Spirit says love is–we are actually hating in the sense which John uses the word. If we say we love God but hate our brother, we are liars!

That may be hard to accept. But is God calling us to anything less?

These are not necessarily first-time reads for 2018, but they are the top five that we have read or re-read during the year and feel should be remembered and brought to our attention again. They are not 2018 or even new publications. And, finally, these reviews are not exhaustive. We are hitting some of the high points that we think make the books interesting and useful to you also. They are all easily obtained online, through Amazon, or Christian Books, and other outlets. We’ve included some Twitter handles on a few of these. We hope they are helpful to you.

5. Hearing God by Dallas Willard.

This was a good reminder of the circumstances in which we can and should and must hear God. It is also pointing out that the men of old, some of our heroes from Scripture, the prophets whom God used mightily were all men just like us. They were not built differently, had no special ears or sensors that we don’t have built into our human forms. As they heard God, we can hear God. He desires to communicate with the crown of his creation. We were made in His likeness–for Him and to commune with Him. We don’t hear God when we stop listening for Him. There are many rivals to the still small voice in today’s noisy world. We need first to remember He is always near and always calling us to draw near to Him.

4. Betrayed by Stan Telchin

This is about the shock, gut-wrenching revulsion and struggles that a Jewish father went through when his daughter came home from college to drop the bomb and tell him she had become a Christian, a believer in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah of God. Much like the investigative reporter in The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (@LeeStrobel), Telchin sets off to read the New Testament in order to dismantle his daughter’s faith and show her the fallacy of her new belief. Unbeknown to him, his wife was doing the same and they were both being the subject of earnest prayer by their daughter, her church, and the housekeeper. The book is a beautiful journey, expressing the struggles and hurdles that our Jewish brothers and sisters have to overcome just to begin to look into Jesus, let alone accept Him for Who He is. We love our Jewish friends. Reading this, and reading Paul’s heartfelt expressions about his Jewish brothers in the NT epistle to the Romans, helps us better understand the veil before their eyes and the genuine zeal they have for faith and family and culture. The best value to us was the insight to the Jewish traditions and misunderstandings of the New Testament. They have to understand it is not some anti-Semitic handbook! If they read, just read it, they will see it is written for the most part by Jews. Telchin’s understanding of the schism that developed in Rome between the new Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians around the time of a Jewish uprising against Rome helps explain and lends some basis for understanding the present-day rift, suspicions and veil. We must do our parts to help the whole world—including our Jewish friends and neighbors—to understand the promise to Abraham, the Seed that is the blessing for the entire world. This book gives some valuable insights, tools for the toolbox.

3. YouVersion the Bible app.

This is not a book per se but we have to list it because it has become such an invaluable tool. So easy to download! So easy to use. So easy to share with others. We have been able to help even unbelievers get access to the Bible and give us a common ground to discuss what they are reading. We can easily switch to the same version they are using, copy and paste troubling portions of Scripture in order to email or text help for them to understand and learn. The best feature is the ability to form a group to read a plan and discuss or comment on the daily readings limited within the reading group. The app has been a great blessing as we’ve completed several “through the Bible” reading plans. It keeps the reader on track for the daily readings and easily catches you up if you fall behind or miss a day now and then. We recommend the program to you—a great way to keep up your Bible reading and give you ready access wherever you are. Have your phone? Your Bible—in multiple translations—is always with you. https://youversion.com/the-bible-app/

2. Once an Arafat Man and the follow-up book The Mind of Terror by Taas Saada

Much like Telchin’s journey in Betrayed, these chronicle the journey of a Palestinian Muslim from hatred, the displacement of his family, violence against Israel, and trouble with his fellow Muslims to love for a Jew—His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and thereby all people, including Israel. It is an amazing journey that only God could orchestrate. The books give us valuable understanding of the genuine human struggles of the Palestinian peoples, as well as the difficulties that Muslim’s have in accepting the message of Christ. The inside story from Taas Saada can be shocking at times. The current ministry of Taas and his wife Karen (@karensaada) to Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Israel and Jordan, to the displaced Palestinians and others is an inspiration. They work hard to bring peace to children. The power of the Holy Spirit emboldening Taas and opening doors while closing others, the protection and opportunities available to them are nothing short of miraculous. These books demonstrate the goodness of God, the God who forgives, redeems and remakes, and the need for the Church to clear its own vision and get moving in Love.

1. Unparalleled by Jared C. Wilson (@jaredcwilson)

Easily the best book read this year! This is the author’s simple review—not bogged down with a lot of deep theology—of the Grace of God. The anecdotes are poignant. His section on abortion and the utilitarian confusion many anti-abortionists adopt underscores the significance of all humans being created in the image of God. It is an easy read. The audio book, read by the author, is worth having too. The Holy Spirit confirms the writing as consistent with God’s Word. The pastoral insight is conveyed with self-effacing style. Although any writing contains some self-promotion, you get the sense this book was written for sinners to grasp the magnitude and meaning of the Grace of God—our only hope—in Wilson’s unintimidating totally honest style. His review of the other monotheistic religions and other spiritual or philosophical schools of thought and demonstrations of the unique message of Jesus Christ is worth the price of admission. It is a very useful book to encourage the Church in sharing the mysteries of Faith, our Gospel, with confidence. The message of Jesus Christ through the Body of Believers in today’s world is unique because it is the only message of salvation that is based upon God’s finished work, not our works. There is nothing we can do to increase God’s love for us or diminish or change the work of Christ already accomplished before we were born, when He hung His head and said, “It is finished.” We can never earn His Grace. Wilson demonstrates how compelling the simple Gospel can be and shows how wrong the accusers who say Christianity is exclusive are. This is a very special book that I recommend everyone obtain several copies of just to give away.

Obviously, there are other books that may be better for you in terms of edification, building up in the faith, teaching, answering questions and so on. There are some more informative, even some better written. Indeed, you may disagree with the value we see in these five. But alas, we can only share the little bit we have.

Enjoy. Feel free to comment. And, of course, suggest others to us for next year. They don’t need to be trendy or even new. As Solomon once said, there’s not much new under the sun anyway.