Year Review/Preview

And so ends the year that was 2016. Wow, what an absolutely crazy, busy, exciting year. Maybe not so much in regards to this blog, but more so in regards to my life. I had a few huge career moves, an actual move across the country, and some pretty big transitions. Even through it all, I held a pretty good pace putting new material up on this blog, finishing some tricky projects and posts. I finished the year with 37 new posts, a total of 3708 page views, and an average of around 20 views per posts.

Looking back over the year, I conquered getting through the whole Bible, around April, and really only started then to shift focus to reviews and a collection of thoughts. The issue is that my time to work on the blog is very slowly diminishing. Priority is starting to be placed on other areas, and because of that, the amount of free time I have to put into writing posts is fading away. However, I do still heavily enjoy the product of the blog, and therefore will still continue to put in the odd review and thoughts into words. My focus will mainly be on devotional thoughts here and there, with an emphasis on current affairs and Biblical basis.

I've really enjoyed the results of this blog that I see as an interesting style of ministry, and I'm excited to see what 2017 holds for me personally, and for For Whosoever. Hopefully you all tag along side me for the journey!

The Meaning of Advent

Right now we're in the midst of this thing called the Advent season. For Christians this is a very important time of the year. Many non-believers know the term, but have no clue what it means. They simply see this time as the holiday season or as Christmas. But, for Christians, the term Advent season adds a little extra weight to our holiday celebrations.

The Advent Season actually begins before Christmas. It's a time of usually three to four Sundays before Christmas, with different strands of Christians celebrating in different ways. Most times the Advent season is counted down through a lighting of a candle each Sunday, or through a countdown of each day. However, the Advent season is much more than just a countdown. It points to something much larger, it points to the bigger picture of the original Christmas Nativity story.

The word Advent actually comes from the Latin phrase adventus which means coming. It points to someone or something special coming or arriving soon. Originally, the term was first used to describe a period of preparation. This period of preparation was for the baptism of New Christians at the feast or festival of Epiphany in January celebrated throughout the 4th and 5th Century. Essentially, these New Christians spent 40 days praying and fasting for this celebration. Really, there wasn't actually any connection between adventus and Christmas - our Advent season. In the 6th century, the Romans were the first to put the two together, however for a very important reason that I'll point later. It was during the Middle Ages that people actually started to see the Advent season as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Now, that special reason that the Romans put the adventus season into December, and the celebration of Christmas wasn't actually the first coming of Jesus. It was the second coming of Jesus, as described by Christ Himself, and in detail in Revelation. This changes our whole perspective on the Christmas season. All of a sudden, instead of just worshipping the coming of Jesus as a baby, as the Saviour, as the Messiah, we need to start worshipping, and preparing for the coming of Jesus as the King, Ruler, Judge, and Lord of All. It adds a whole new dimension to the holiday.

All of a sudden, our perspective shifts from what has happened in the past (which is vitally important), to what will happen. The Advent season is a reminder that the work of God, the work of Christ, is by no means completed as of yet. There is still wondrous things to come. We can fully expect for Jesus to return, and do even more than He did during His first time on Earth.

So this Christmas, when you see the Nativity Scene, or as you stand singing Christmas carols, or even as you read through the Christmas story, remember that this is just another chapter of the story. This is a time to remember what God has done, and to remember His promises of what is to come.

Chasing God Moments

Perhaps the greatest thing to treasure in our lifetimes are so called "God Moments." These are the times in your life that you feel the closest to God. It's actually incredibly difficult to put into words exactly how that feels, or even the experiences that come from those moments. But whatever the situation, you come away feeling invigorated, motivated, passionate. For a lot of people, this may be a certain song that suddenly stirs something within their soul, or a certain piece of art that resonates with them, or perhaps the most popular, a ministry/mission event that completely changes their perspective. I know for myself personally, especially at the end of a weekend retreat spent solely surrounded by friends and fellow believers dedicated to learning more and more about God, you always come away feeling different.

The interesting thing about these God Moments is that sure they may get you off your feet and ready to go for the Lord, but that rarely lasts. It's almost like the fire burns out, the light vanishes. Until, another God Moment arrives, and all of a sudden, your energy reappears.

Really, our lives should not be like this at all. We should have that fire that continually burns, that passion for the Lord that drives us forward each and every day. There realistically shouldn't be a single moment in our lives from the moment we accept Jesus as our personal Saviour to the moment we join God in heaven where we are not passionately pursuing His mission, in whatever capacity that may look like for each different individual. But, the reality is, it isn't like that. Again, like so many other things in life, the problem is the curse of sin, the curse of our human nature.

We really don't understand the extent of the results of the curse of sin. Humankind has been drastically impacted by the curse, to the point where certain things are unavoidable, even though we claim that we can change things. WE CAN'T! I know it's cliche, but it's true, only God can. This rollercoaster of energy or focus, this wave of passion stems from the issue that it's within our nature to be distracted, to easily forget, to fall away from God. It's not like as soon as you accept Jesus into your heart, that your whole nature is completely fixed. It's not like that at all. Being a Christian takes work, real, hard, effort. We have to put all our focus on drawing closer to God. We have to understand that falling away from God is the easy path; we have to remember to continue to pursue what we've been called to.

On a related topic, Remembering the Gospel, Beau Hughes from the Village Church stated that there are a few ways we can tackle this problem. One is by putting constant reminders all around us. Whether it be sticky notes of Bible verses, or pictures of stunning creations, or quotes focused on the heart of the mission, really anything to remind us of our God Moments, and to keep the spark ignited. A second thing to do is to continue to chase God Moments. Search for times and places to draw closer to God, and continually revisit them. Don't limit yourself to simply having these times twice a year on your weekend retreats. Find ways and times to embrace these moments every week, even every day!

Posting on Social Media

I want to implore everyone on social media, before your next post, read what you're about to share. Seriously, take a look at what you're about to spread all over the web. Only post something if you understand what you are saying, if you actually believe what you are saying, if you are ready to stand by what you are saying. That means there has to be facts behind your opinions. You can't just state whatever pops into your head, just because it sounds good, or it's going to get you the most views.

Our society is all about popularity. Social media only drives that urge forward. Today, it's all about sharing that picture that will get the most likes, or the quippy tweet that will get the most favourites, or the opinion that will get the most shares. It's gotten to the point where really all common sense has flown out the window. Instead of actually caring about what is going out to the whole world, people are just posting whatever they can to drive their popularity forward.

This can be really damaging. One of the biggest problems in society today is information. If you don't pay attention, or put forth an effort, you are only fed certain perspectives of information. A lot of times, these perspectives are geared toward getting a certain response. For some reason, it really seems to be working. People are just buying in to what this "information" says and wholeheartedly believing everything that is put out there. I love debates, but you can't have a good debate when you don't know what you are saying, or know every side of the argument. When you do just buy in to this one side of information, most times because it's the popular view, and you start spreading your uneducated opinions on the world wide web, you're only adding to the problem.

This includes politics, religion, personal information, pretty much everything! Spend some time researching your own opinions, your own beliefs. Putting in the work beforehand will make such a difference. Actually care about what you believe, and why you believe it. It will truly change your life.

The Purpose of Church

Regularly attending a church is a Christian issue that I've wrestled with for many years, and have come to the conclusion that it is vitally important and should be prioritized. Today, many seem to believe that not attending church is alright, or not committing to a church is fine. I would argue otherwise.

First, why is attending church regularly so important? It is key here to describe exactly what I mean by attending church. I don't necessarily mean attending Sunday services, although that is definitely an aspect of it. Attending a church is joining a family and growing in your faith alongside them. As a group, it is joining together and seeking God out. While it does include Sunday services, it also includes volunteering, praying together, meeting outside of church together, connecting with others in the goal of finding Christ together.

Aspects of Sunday services can be recreated individually, but the church experience cannot be. Church is all about a group of likeminded people, blessed by God to be a family to tackle life together.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

This group gathering develops aspects of the faith that otherwise are going to be untouched. You can try to grow by yourself as much as possible, but there is a ceiling that you will hit. A church unlocks that, and helps bring you to a whole new level. It's also a support system to keep you focused, and really living the life that Christ designed for you.

And secondly, why should you commit to one church?

This is the area that I have really struggled with over the years. I think it's one of those issues that really do deal with a balance. The balance goes between your commitment to your church, and your commitment to your own faith. This is a really hard balance to discern, because each situation is going to be different. With that in mind, I do think more importance should be put on committing to one church family. The exception is if what is happening within the church family is absolutely detrimental to your faith and progression. At those drastic times, it might be best to search for a new family to help you out. But do not use this as an out, an excuse; it's really a last resort.

The church is a family first and foremost. Throughout it all, everyone has something to offer, something to contribute to help through the growing pains. If everyone just gave up when things didn't go their way, the church would be dead today. Change is hard, and it's going to be difficult, especially in the church setting, but it is possible, and necessary.

Exodus: Gods and Kings Movie Review

Rating: 8.4/10
Website: http://www.exodusgodsandkings.com/
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/exodus-gods-and-kings/id940901911

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. As I've discussed before, it seems to be a real issue in Hollywood that Christian based movies have to be twisted in order to come up with the theatrical effect that you look for in a hit film. If that theatrical aspect isn't there, the movie, no matter the story, does tend to be very bland. While this film does take some liberties, I found myself just enjoying it rather then focusing on those differences.

The movie focuses on the story of Moses and specifically his struggles with God in terms of the pain he had watching the pain of the Egyptians he had grown up with. It showed how Moses struggled to let his natural character fall to the side in order to let God do amazing work. It focused on the patience required by Moses, and the rest of the Israelites.

While some may argue that God was painted as a cruel being in the movie, or that some of the plagues were stretched, or that the story focused too much on rituals, I actually thought that the production crew did a fairly good job depicting the story. Of course, there were some differences, but not enough in my opinion to comprise the story, or the reason behind the story. The casting was amazing, the production was outstanding. The only thing to bring up is that there was some violence with war scenes and such.

This movie really made me think, and opened my eyes to a whole different side of the Moses story. I truly enjoyed the film, and would highly rate it to anyone. I would even watch it with a non-Christian friend, and expect them to enjoy it. 

HBO Watch

Doubt

Doubt. Not exactly the first sin that would pop into our minds, but still a sin. Romans 14:23 states "But whoever has doubts is condemned...and everything that does not come from faith is sin." Now, I purposely left out the middle part of that verse. Taken out of context it does sound extremely weird, but is of dire important to our idea of doubt. Reading just this part of the verse, it sounds like Paul (the author of Romans) is stating that any form of doubt is condemned.

However, doubt is a natural human emotion. Now we can control our emotions to a point, we can limit them, we can train ourselves to only bring them up in certain situations. I don't think we can completely wipe out our emotions. We have to accept that doubt is going to be a natural emotion that is going to pop up at some point during our lives.

The middle part of Romans 14:23 states "whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith." I would argue that the lesson from this is that doubt in itself is not sin, but our reaction to it could be. Let me describe two different situations.

I have doubts about what I'm choosing to do for the future of my life. Because of that doubt, I stay stuck in my decision, never actually choosing to do something. Playing it safe, continually questioning, eventually leading to self-pity, despair, and depression.

Or, I have doubts about what I'm choosing to do for the future of my life. Because of that doubt, I start looking at my options, sizing up why I'm doing what I'm doing. I start to turn to others to help me, I start to question myself as to why I'm having doubts, and what God could be telling me because of that doubt.

To me, one of those is a sin because it's turning inward instead of heavenly, while the other is normal, especially in our human nature. Now obviously the difference between the two isn't that great, making it a very slippery slope between the two. But, let's connect it back to the verse.

Again, Paul is condemning those who doubt if they follow through with their action with their doubt still lingering. The issue he is specifically addressing here would be regarding what the people are eating. One of the biggest issues gripping the early church was Gentiles vs. Jews. Jews had an extremely strict diet, in accordance to the Mosaic law, whereas the Gentiles didn't. With this new bonding under the church of Christ, the two parties were struggling to adapt, with this being an area of contention. Paul isn't condemning the fact that the two parties are struggling to find answers. In fact, in many places in his letters, he encourages this type of discussion, with one of his favourite literary devices being rhetorical questions. Instead, here he is condemning those that aren't convicted. He isn't siding with a certain perspective, instead he's saying choose a perspective. One isn't better then the other in this case, but having no belief is worse.

Perhaps the biggest area of doubt rather then the future of our lives, or the decisions we make, would be the status of our relationship with God. That can present itself through our actual salvation, or maybe our progress, or maybe even if we are even doing what God wants us to. When it comes to salvation, many tend to doubt their status, or where they stand in God's eyes. The thing to realize is that we can't know for certain where we stand in God's eyes. All we can know for certain is that if we do believe in Jesus, then in God's eyes we are forgiven. Again, it comes down to putting doubt off and choosing faith. Knowing what God wants us to do is slightly harder. One book I love is Me Myself and Bob by Phil Vischer. One of the greatest quotes in that book regards the author's conviction that people should stop trying to be a star, and instead focus on your relationship with God. A sermon that backs that up would be the Will of God by Afshin Ziafat, which is my favourite sermon of all time. He states the same idea. What our careers are, what our earthly relationships look like, what our bank account sits at, doesn't ultimately matter. Instead, it's what our standing with God is like. Instead it's our prayer life, our progression towards a Christ-like life, our fulfillment of the Great Commission. Everything else is secondary. While I do think that God does want us to specifically do certain things in life, I believe He leaves a lot of it up to us to get to on our own. The doubt can be quenched when you look at how your relationship with God is developing.

Ultimately, what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid of doubt. Don't feel dirty when you doubt yourself. Instead use it, harness it, turn it into a stronger faith. Accept your doubt, and challenge yourself. Focus on what truly matters in life. Worry about that, and not everything around you.

Risen Movie Review

Rating: 8.4/10
Website: http://sites.sonypictures.com/risen/discanddigital/
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/risen/id1079613281

A lot of times with Biblical movies that are created and really broadcasted to the mainstream of culture, it's a fine line between completely off, or a theatrical failure. For some reason, it seems to be really hard for film makers to find the right spot between the two extremes. In my opinion, this is one of the better films to try to tackle this in an extremely long time.

Coming off the end of the year of Biblical interpretation movies with Noah and Exodus, this one tackles the Resurrection story, from the viewpoint of a Roman soldier, and really, someone outside of the Messiah picture/understanding. It opens up an interesting discussion of the different perspectives on the events leading up to, and after the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Biblically, the movie does tend to stick to the actual story. While it does seem to bend some stuff, it's not in an egregious way, and can slip under the eyes of even the most tuned Bible expert. I really got the impression that the movie was trying to stay as neutral as possible as well. It's not an overly religious movie, but at the same time does stay true to where the plot actually comes from.

Theatrically, the movie again does a good job. The casting was very well done, and makes for a very convincing watch. My only criticism would be some of the visual effects they used. It made it seem kind of corny and unrealistic, especially when it came to some of the miracles of Jesus.

Still, this is a great watch for anyone, but specifically Christian families (although there are some mild bloody scenes). It really does make you think, and enjoy the Gospel story and its effect from a different perspective. It also serves as good movie to watch with non-Christian friends, as it doesn't really push religion on them, but instead takes a critical, detective style look at the story.

Sony Pictures

Jesus' Piercing Insight

A passage that I have really been mulling over recently is the recording of Jesus and Peter's conversation after Jesus' resurrection. It's interesting how God continues to place passages over and over in front of you through multiple venues. I've studied this passage in my Christology class over last summer, and then it popped up in a conversation, and then in a devotional. Clearly, God has a reason for me understanding this passage.

John 21:15-22 - "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed  my lambs,' Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter said, 'you know I love you.' 'Then take care of my sheep,' Jesus said. A third time he asked him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, 'Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Then feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go.' Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, 'Follow me.' Peter turned around and saw behind him the disciple Jesus loved - the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, 'Lord, who will betray you?' Peter asked Jesus, 'What about him, Lord?' Jesus replied, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.'"

A lot of times when we read this passage, we have to ask why? Why did Jesus continue to ask Peter this? And why specifically three times?

The first two times, according to the original Greek language, Jesus used the word agapao, whereas the last time, he uses phileo. Does this mean something?

With the first two times, using the word agapao, Jesus is referring to sacrificial love. This love is the most noble, most powerful, really an act of will. Phileo is love that is friendship, or loving your brother.

With these questions, Jesus is looking right into Peter's heart to see what stage of love he is at. Peter truly reveals himself when he looks around to try to pass off this gaze on somebody else. He's definitely progressed, but he's still not completely ready to stand by Jesus' side. His love is there, but it's not quite at the stage it should be. Because Christianity is based so much on love, it should be our aim to constantly be improving at this stage. We should always be checking ourselves to see where we're at, and where we should be going. We should use that piercing insight of Jesus to really rattle our consciousness so that we start actively loving again.

The Importance of Evangelism

In my first year of university, perhaps the most important lesson I took away was the importance of evangelism. Surprisingly, I've been a member of an Evangelical Missionary church, and the priority of the task of evangelism has never been impressed upon me. I never really grasped just how much we need to evangelize before this year. This brings up some initial concerns for me. First, how is the church failing in teaching the principles of evangelism? Secondly, if the members of the church are not grasping the importance of evangelism, what does the future look like for the church?

Answering the second question first, without evangelism, our church future looks extremely bleak. Evangelism is the way in which we add to our numbers. In Acts 2, the Pentecost is described. Essentially, Peter and the other disciples went into the streets (or possibly on top of a roof), and began to evangelize, spreading the good news about Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit inspiring their words. Acts 2:47 states that the disciples continued "praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." At one point after this Pentecost, 3000 people were baptized! So without adding to our numbers, just using common sense, obviously the church is going to die out pretty soon if we don't evangelize.

Now onto the first question, why is the church currently failing? I believe there are two correct answers to this dilemma. There is a lack of passion, and people are afraid. Technically, we can tie these two issues into one as you'll see in a minute. Both of these answers can be a little intimidating to tackle, as you can really offend some people. But that in itself is lack of passion and being afraid.

Everyone who knows me hopefully understands that I think passion is the key to Christianity. It's my mission, the point behind me striving to work through ministry. Passion is what should initially spark our eagerness to evangelize. Our passion should be multi-faceted. We should be passionate because of our love for our Lord, and therefore that carries through to doing whatever He says, which includes going out into the world and teaching, baptizing and making disciples (the Great Commission). We should also be passionate about our own lives, and how our faith has changed us. That excitement should generate a need to spread the news.

The second reason why we are currently failing would be that people are afraid. As I stated, this is also tied to the lack of passion issue. We are afraid that we will waste the opportunity, we are afraid that people's opinions of us will change, we are afraid that we'll ruin Jesus for people, we are afraid of pretty much everything. The thing is, when we are afraid, we're completely forgetting about Jesus, and His power. God's power is greater then anything we'll ever face here on Earth, and so we have no reason to fear.

I'll be honest, evangelism is something that I struggle with. I'm a very reserved person, I tend not to discuss personal things with people. I have my moments where I'll definitely step up to the plate, such as explaining something, or debating, or speaking in front of a crowd, but personal evangelism isn't my strong suit. However, as a Christian, it's something that we all have to work on. It's one of the essentials of our faith.

The Blind Side Movie Review

Rating: 8.7/10
Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/the-blind-side/id348180373

While this movie does stretch the true story ever so slightly, The Blind Side is still an amazing tale, and a great watch. Of course, the actual basis for the story, Michael Oher has continued to have success beyond the point that this movie covered. But this beginning story included in the movie is the perfect combination of reality and a cinematical experience. It tugs at the heartstrings while also motivating and inspiring anyone regardless of social status.

The movie obviously dramatizes and romanticizes the plot, which tells the story of a young large man who is shunned by everyone before being taken in by a kind family who foster this man's career, turning him into an unstoppable football player. The film is filled with moralistic values, societal ideals, and cultural theories. Ultimately, it really is an insightful film, delving into many of our pre developed prejudices about first impressions, poverty, and even race. The story reminds us to never judge anyone based upon appearances. Instead, we should back everyone's dreams, and help each other realize our full potential. That's why Extensio Animi Ad Magna - Stretching the Souls to Great Things is my motto or mission statement.

Wikipedia

Reading Revelation

This is perhaps the weirdest book of the Bible. It includes some vivid imagery, seemingly crazy prophecies, and some fairly doomed pictures of upcoming events. The book was written by disciple John while he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. To the believers at that time, the message of this book was so important, because they needed some hope, or something to look forward to especially with the rampant persecution coming from Emperor Nero (or Domitian, the book isn't clear on the date of writing).

John attempts to paint a picture of what God is looking for, what is going to be happening, and what we can expect in eternity. Revelation starts with a letter to seven major churches in Asia, that provide an amazing encompassing picture of the future and state of the church. These letters are vivid, extreme warnings to all time periods of churches to not fall away, but dedicate yourself to Christ as a body of believers. The book then describes the earthly and heavenly events that will signal the lead up to the end of time. There will be terrible pain and suffering, unlike what we have ever experienced before, as the war between Satan and God rages on in the battlefield of people's hearts. Natural disasters, human evil, sickness, and poverty are only a few things that will be heightened near the end times. But we as Christians have some to look forward to during all of this; heaven. Revelation describes the end result of this war, a victorious God who restores His original creation with a new heaven and a new earth. Constant worship will surround us everyday as we enjoy eternal internal peace, and uninhibited fellowship with our Lord.

For the Love of His Truth

Reading Jude

Jude is another incredibly short letter, not even including chapters, just verses. Again the letter focuses on dealing with false teachers. The letter also deals with immorality, and righteous living. Jude deals with these issues by showing the fate and danger of living in disobedience. He also talks about how to deal with this, by actually putting up a fight. We need to be aware, and active against those false doctrines that may be present. We can't sit idly by while they destroy all the good in Christianity.

Kingdom New Testament

Reading Third John

Third John is another personal letter, most likely written by the disciple John to a co-worker Gaius. This letter is to encourage that co-worker, warn against the teachings of a local, Dioptrephes, who was actually a part of the church in Asia, acting like a religious dictator at times. Finally, John also commended Demetrius who was setting a great example for all Christians to follow.

Even with such a small letter, the discussion regarding hospitality is in depth, and matched nowhere else within the Bible. Even with the doctrine of hospitality being so important to the Christian life, surprisingly this is one of the only discussion areas in the Bible on the topic. As Christians, hospitality should be one of the things most on our mind, especially as an evangelism method, and church ministry.

Warner Ministry

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis Book Review

Rating: 8.1/10
Buy Text: Amazon Canada
Buy E-Copy: Kobo

C.S. Lewis is an acclaimed author, dabbling in fictional and non-fictional books, and is internationally known for good reason. This trilogy, while maybe not being as famous as some of his other works such as The Chronicles of Narnia, is still an amazing piece of fictional literature. Lewis uses the same style that he used in The Chronicles of Narnia, a form of symbolism. He uses his characters and plot line to discuss more complicated issues, such as the quest for moral excellence, differing world views, and the battle between good and evil.

At times the language can be extremely academic, and hard to follow continually. Because the material is so in depth and filled with knowledge, you can get caught up finding yourself lost within the plot. However, Lewis does attempt to intersperse these theological discussions through the elements of action.

All in all, a good fun read. The idea behind all three novels is extremely unique, and well executed in a typical Lewis fantastical way. It makes for an interesting, and thought provoking reading experience.

Quotes

"The love of knowledge is a kind of madness." Out of the Silent Planet
"And I say also this. I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the waters so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes." Out of the Silent Planet
"And how could we endure to live and let time pass if we were always crying for one day or one year to come back -- if we did not know that every day in a life fills the whole life with expectation and memory and that these are that day?" Out of the Silent Planet
"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered." Out of the Silent Planet
"Bent creatures are full of fears." Out of the Silent Planet
"Whatever you do, He will make good of it. But not the good He had prepared for you if you had obeyed Him." Perelandra
"The world is so much larger than I thought. I thought we went along paths -- but it seems there are no paths. The going itself is the path." Perelandra
"There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one." That Hideous Strength
"Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something, together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not." That Hideous Strength
"We all have different languages; but we all really mean the same thing." That Hideous Strength
"'They would say,' he answered, 'that you do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but have lost love because you never attempted obedience.'" That Hideous Strength

Amazon UK

Reading Second John

This epistle, the second from John, is almost identical in material to First John. It again focuses on the basics of following Jesus. Discussions about truth and love are key, especially against the backdrop of false teachings. Actually, the purpose of this letter is to combat the false teachers that were rampant at this time. John reminds the church that they can only rely on the Bible for real teaching. The Bible, God's Word, is completely and utterly the truth. The other important method of combating false teachers is through the right company. Surrounding yourself with other fellow Christians that you love and that love you back is vitally important, especially when searching for the truth.

What's Hot

Reading First John

This book has really taken on a new light for me, after spending a year drawing from the book and following the outline for youth devotions. The book is filled with passionate, inspiring teachings, especially for Christians who want to know what their faith is all about, or what makes it so different. The book is short, and simple, with lots of catchy phrases that really drive home the point, which is such a needed discussion topic for all ages in society today.

First John is all about the most important aspects of our faith, and describing what God is like. The letter is divided into three parts, each looking deeply into the character of God. John describes God as light, love, and life. Those three characteristics should mean the world to Christians, and should describe their lives as well.

Tampa Underground

Reading Second Peter

This is another letter bearing Peter's name. It is not as widely accepted as First Peter, as being written by the apostle Peter, as it is very different then First Peter. However, the actual content is very similar. The message is generally the same, focusing on persecution, and dealing with false teachers. This letter also includes the reason why Christians should continue to persevere through persecution; the hope of Christ's return.

Really, the purpose of this letter is to encourage spiritual growth, combat false teaching, and to motivate watchfulness. Again, these lessons apply so drastically to our current church, and to our current situation. We definitely need a reminder on these three key issues, in order to keep ourselves passionate and inspired. Our faith is definitely a race lived out in our lives, and we need to keep on enduring.

Open Mike

Reading First Peter

This is another letter not specifically written to a certain group, but was written rather generally to all believers. Peter was the author of this letter, focusing on encouraging any suffering Christians, and encouraging them to continually pursue holy living. Really, this personal holiness is supposed to continue even through persecution and trials, as Peter states. That's the test of a true Christian, a true follower of Christ, mimicking His actions and behaviour through the great persecution ever on the cross. Peter warns every Christian to expect persecution; it's a normal aspect of following Christ in a world that is filled with sin, and dominated by Satan.

This today is becoming more and more relevant. Today, in North America, the persecution is mainly verbal, instead of physical, but there are extreme cases. The biggest one that I think Christians in Canada face is when we voice our opinions. A lot of times, people seem to think that they are allowed to state what they think, but that we shouldn't be allowed to, as when we do it, we are forcing our beliefs on others. But isn't that exactly what culture is doing by stipulating that?

Ashville Church of Christ

Reading James

James is another short letter included in the New Testament, with this one being an extremely well rounded book filled with good theological advice. The letter was written by the brother of Jesus, and one of the integral leaders in Jerusalem of the early church. Because of that stature, this letter is extremely Jewish, and doesn't really focus on the issues surrounding Gentile believers. Instead, it focuses on the leadership structure, and some of the issues facing the Jerusalem church, including temptation, persecution, and worldliness.

One passage that has really impacted me from this book is James 3:1-12, about taming the tongue. I've heard a few sermons about this, but one really struck with me, about how the tongue can really impact and hurt people. Sometimes, verbal abuse can hurt more than even physical abuse. This verbal abuse can be something you say, or sometimes something you don't say. That's really been my focus lately, not saying the right things at the right time. God is really trying to teach me not to be afraid, but to speak out about what He has on my heart.

Village Bible Church

Reading Hebrews

Embrace the Word

Hebrews is an interesting letter, slightly longer then usual, and very theological in nature. It is one letter that isn't classified to a specific author, although many believe that Paul is also the author of this one. The letter is geared towards showing the supremacy of Jesus, and exactly what His role as the son of God was, and the other roles He fulfilled. The author studies how Jesus is superior to the angels, superior to Moses, superior to the Aaronic priests, and superior as the High Priest. All of this superiority has to mean something though, much like the rest of the biblical lessons. It has to apply, or make a difference, or have an impact. In this case, that superiority affects how we view Jesus, and respond to His sacrifice for us. Our application takes its form in how we follow Jesus day to day in faith and perseverance. With all of His superiority, Jesus really didn't have to sacrifice Himself for our sake. Instead, He could have stayed with His Father, and ruled the galaxy with immeasurable power. However, He made the decision to give up that superiority on the cross, be made the lowest of all humans, and die as a sacrifice. Ultimately, we know the story ends with Him being restored to His rightful place at His Father's side, with all power once again in His rule. Still, on that cross, separated from God, the pain our Lord must have been going through is unimaginable. And He did it all for us.

Reading Philemon

Philemon is an interesting letter, quite different from the rest of the New Testament. Really, the purpose behind the letter is what sets it apart. Rather then providing teaching, or directions, this is a letter to a specific person on behalf of another specific person, Onesimus. Onesimus was a servant who had ran away from his master, Philemon. Paul is writing for Onesimus, begging Philemon to forgive his servant and no longer be angry. Both Philemon and Onesimus were believers, which allowed Paul to talk using common themes. Interestingly, Philemon under Roman law could have actually had Onesimus arrested and killed for his actions. Instead Paul begs Philemon to accept his former servant back, as a person, and a Christian brother.

Open Mike

Reading Titus

Titus is another Pastoral Epistle, a letter from Paul to a church leader. This one is directed to Titus, a Greek believer who served as a leader for the churches on the island of Crete. Much like the other Pastoral Epistles, Paul's purpose in this letter is to encourage, and direct these young leaders in circumstances such as dealing with false teachers and the sinful nature of men.

Paul starts by providing qualifications for church leaders, including overseers, elders, and deacons. He also provides some tips in how to identify false teachers, as well as a warning to the church to avoid the false teachers. Paul also provides some great encouragement regarding how a believer should live their life, within the church and outside the building.

Bible Prophecy Talk

Reading Second Timothy

Just like the previous letter, Paul wrote to Timothy here to further instruct him in his leadership journey, and to provide a farewell of sorts. This is the last letter that Paul ever wrote, right before his martyrdom in 67 AD. Because of that, it is an extremely personal letter, and gives great insight into one of the greatest early church fathers. 

The letter starts with encouragement to Timothy, regarding facing persecution, staying faithful, and remaining in the Gospel. Paul also provides some warnings for Timothy, mainly concerning his duties as a church leader. Finally, Paul provides his views in regards to death. He reviews his life, and states that he is satisfied, and above all, excited to finally be with his Lord. 

Mars Hill

Reading First Timothy

First Timothy is a common book of the Bible that pastors and church leaders will turn to for advice, doctrine, and encouragement. It was written by Paul, and is classified as a Pastoral Epistle, a letter with specific leadership guidelines. The letter is actually directed to a young leader, Timothy, who is an extremely interesting character in the New Testament. Paul had a deep relationship with Timothy, and writes here to encourage and direct him in his pursuit as a Christian leader within the community. 

Paul starts by encouraging Timothy to stand up for the one true God, and fight against false teachings. Then, he tackles the leadership issues within the actual church, talking about female leadership, overseers and deacons. He also talks about the church and its role, as well as how to minister, and discipline.

Especially in today's times, having clear roles within the church can help clear up many of the issues that are ongoing. It can help direct the church into the future, keeping it strong in society so that we remain an ever constant aspect of culture. 

Haiku Deck

Reading Second Thessalonians

This letter from Paul is extremely unique, as it focuses on the topic of the coming return of Jesus Christ. While Paul does discuss this issue in part in other letters, this letter is entirely dedicated to the topic. The letter was sparked by the belief from some people in Thessalonica that Jesus had already returned. Paul wrote to quash this theory, and point to certain signs that would foretell Jesus' return.

Paul starts by talking about why we hope for Jesus' return, and why we should continue hoping. He makes sure to point out that no one knows the date of Jesus' return, but that shouldn't change or alter the hope that we should have in any way. While we may not know the exact date, Paul does provide some signs that the return is soon. He points to the antichrist being a man of lawlessness, one that the Holy Spirit has been commanded not to restrain. Once the Holy Spirit is removed, believers will be taken up to Jesus (which is a possible mention of the Rapture), and the end times will begin.

Contemplatives in the World 

Reading First Thessalonians

This letter was probably the first that Paul wrote, or definitely one of the earliest. Once again, it was an extremely personal letter, with the majority of the content spent on encouraging the believers at Thessalonica. Paul wants this church to keep working hard for Christ, and continue hoping, and waiting patiently for the return of Christ.

Paul does include some doctrinal issues in this letter. He focuses on unity, especially between Christians within the church. He assures believers that mourning the dead is alright, and is spiritually and morally fine. Paul spends lots of time discussing why and how Christians should wait for God's arrival, and also how this should affect their conduct every day. 

First Thessalonians is a simple, yet very profound letter that can have amazing impacts on our lives today. It is a great read for encouragement, and also for learning. Perhaps it is also one of the best Epistles to read first, with the others being more theologically heavy.

Lutheran Layman

Reading Colossians

Colossians is a letter once again dealing with false teachers. The false teaching in this case was that all matter is evil, and the source of this matter is especially evil. Because of this philosophy, they taught that God could not have created matter, because He is not evil. Extended, this meant that our bodies are evil, and God could not have created us. Ultimately, because of that, these false teachers taught that evil conduct was fine, and pursuing evil pleasures was acceptable.

Paul set out to shed light on these false theories, especially the fact that they limit the greatness of Jesus Christ. The book contains some amazing doctrines referring to Christ, and His relation to creation, the church, and the follower's life. He dealt with every aspect of the false doctrines and then personally addressed and encouraged the church to fight against these teachers, and draw closer to Christ.

One Harbor Church

Reading Philippians

This letter is another Prison Epistle, and is an extremely personal, heartfelt book from Paul. Paul had a deep relationship with this church, being with the key founders and helping them build their church within this city. This was also the city where he and Silas were released from jail by an earthquake, and converted the jailer through their behaviour in the incident.

This letter contains some amazing encouragement terms, as well as some great truths of the gospel. Paul encourages these old friends to continue rejoicing, and to continue being thankful. He encourages them to live more Christ-like lives, and to continue persevering being a light in this city. This book is an amazing read for the church, and provides a great insight into Paul's life, and the early church's development.

Awaken Church Florida

Reading Ephesians

Doctrines of Faith 

Ephesians is my favourite book of the Bible, for many reasons, one being that it contains my favourite Bible verse (Ephesians 2:8-10). The book is another letter from Paul, and is also classified as a Prison Epistle, as Paul wrote it when he was in prison. The letter is all about encouragement, specifically to those who are believers, but it can be used to minister to non-believers as well.

The letter really keys on one of my main missions; passion. The Christian walk should be all about passion, in everything we believe, everything we say, and everything we do. Paul states that we can find that passion by finding ourselves in our salvation in Jesus. Of utmost importance is the knowledge that this passion, this identity, this salvation has to come from God. We have to realize that by ourselves we can do nothing, but with God, we can do everything. It's only through Him, and because of Him, that we have a reason to be passionate.

Another major theme in this letter is the emphasis on the reality of the struggle between good and evil, between God and the Devil. Paul constantly preaches for protection, and awareness against temptation, and a sinful nature. He marks the importance of unity within the Christian family to protect against Satan, as well as in the power of God, and a Christ like nature.

Reading Galatians

Another Pauline letter, with this one most likely being the first Paul ever wrote. This letter focuses on one of the key issues facing the early Acts church, which was the combination of Jewish and Gentile believers. Obviously, Peter spearheaded this movement, but Paul was integrally involved as well, at times reminding Peter of the basis behind this belief.

Paul starts the letter by describing his conversion experience, stating that key to this was a real Gospel presentation. An authentic gospel message has the power to change any person's life. But a fake gospel message can ruin any person's life. That gospel is the most important thing in a Christian's life, one that we should strive to protect.

The gospel is also one of the most powerful things in a Christian's life, and shouldn't be limited to only certain people. It's power stretches worldwide, and its transformation potential cannot be held back. The church must realize this truth, and live accordingly. 

Olive Drive Church

Reading Second Corinthians

Calvary CSD

Second Corinthians is the follow up letter from Paul, but it's very similar to the first one, with many of the same issues being addressed. The main point of this letter is to defend himself, and defend the church from false teachers and heresy again.

Paul starts by defending himself in front of the church. Apparently, people were questioning his authority, and position as an apostle. Paul defines what an apostle is, what qualifies someone as an apostle, and then goes on to apply all that to himself. He takes it so far as to say that his message is the only right message. The apostle's message is the only one that you should follow.

Paul again extends this to combat the false teachers, and instead impart the apostle's authority onto the issues that this church was facing. He talks about accepting suffering for Christ, giving generously, and the benefits of examining yourself using Scripture.

Reading First Corinthians

Kingdom New Testament

The next book of the New Testament is most definitely a letter to a specific church with a very particular situation, but the doctrines and lessons included are extremely applicable to the church today. Paul was writing to a church that was embroiled in debate and division. Surrounded by wickedness, and other pagan religions, the church had began to adopt false practices, and remaining "believers" had begun to compromise the underlying principles of the faith with their actions, and interpretations.

Paul wrote a letter of renewed conviction, correction, and motivation. He tackles the division, questions of morality, and questions of everyday Christian life occurrences. The book is an amazing tool for us to use today to help us conquer our daily questions, and trials.

Perhaps the greatest conclusion from the book is the underlying need for unity. Throughout the church body, the family, teams, groups, e.t.c., there has to be unity. Every time conflict rips through the church, relationships are affected, and the perception of the church is also impacted. This can not happen when our priority is to minister to the communities that we are present in. This doesn't mean that every Christian has to agree on every topic. To me, unity is moving towards a common goal. The exact movement may differ, with the paths being slightly changed for each person, but the end result will always be the same. Paul is quick to make sure that there are common principles that have to be agreed upon, and that's definitely true. But if we do disagree on some topics, I think we should look at the disagreement, and ask if it truly matters to our faith, and if so, by how much. If it is a needless debate, then it's time to move on, and refocus on our relationship with God.

Reading Romans

Romans is strategically placed right after Acts for a simple reason; it's a perfect read to understand the basic principles of Christianity. Paul wrote this letter to help new Christians understand more about their faith. The book is keyed on sacrifice, salvation, Christian living, and righteousness.

Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, who hadn't heard any apostolic teaching outside of the Gospel. Because of this, they were beginners in the faith, and they needed some sound, strict doctrine. 

Paul reminds everyone that we are all in the same boat. Spiritually, we all start in the same place; as sinners. However, the same gift of grace and salvation has been given to us all through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This sacrifice is a gift, because we don't deserve eternal life. Instead as Paul explains, for our sinful lives we deserve death; eternal death. Jesus came and wiped away that debt, and gave us the opportunity of eternal life if we'll only choose to believe in Him.

Past that, Paul also goes into deep depth in terms of righteousness. Righteousness is what we should strive for, with Jesus as the perfect model. As Christians, that is of utmost importance. We must be striving for righteousness, rather then be stuck in our old behaviours, our old mind, our old will. With Jesus, we should always be working on changing our lives for the better.

Wordpress

Reading Acts

Acts is the second part of the letter Luke, the doctor, wrote to his patron (the person who sponsored his work) Theophilus. The book contains the story of the resurrected Jesus, the beginning of the early church, and the spread of the Gospel. It reads very much like another Gospel account, just an extended version with a new timeline. If anything, it's a story, of God's church, the successes and struggles, the pains and triumphs. It is perhaps the best historical record of how Christianity developed.

For me, the biggest theme in the book is passion. For those who know me, passion is my focus. I think that if everyone in society was more passionate, we would see the world drastically changed. If anything, that passion should be way more evident in every Christian's live, because we have something purposeful to be passionate about it. We have something that is life changing, transforming, all powerful, and ever present to be passionate about it. That's what this book displays; Christians on fire for God.

The book is a perfect picture of what passion in action looks like. It starts right from the beginning. Peter was on fire with the Holy Spirit, Stephen defended his faith to the very end, Philip spread his faith to anyone who would listen, Paul was drastically transformed, and spearheaded this movement throughout persecution, trials, and growing pains.

Indy Cornerstone

Reading John

The last gospel is also perhaps the most peculiar. It is clearly a gospel set apart from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and that's why it isn't included in the Synoptic Gospel grouping. The gospel takes a more dynamic tone, one that is more personal, yet more colorful.

The gospel was written by the disciple John, a person who was clearly close to Jesus. He is labelled as a disciple whom Jesus loved. Because of this, it seems John really focused on Jesus' identity. He was extremely descriptive in his signs related to the mission, discourses, and miracles of Jesus. John also seems to really focus on the gift of Jesus, and the true impact of His sacrifice.

John's Gospel account is extremely powerful, and is recommended by many to be the first Gospel account to read for new converts. It depicts Jesus perfectly, and is completely focused on the totality of His mission.

Share Faith

Reading Luke

Probably my favourite gospel account, Luke is one of the most descriptive books of the New Testament. It was written by Luke, as a part one of the two part series (with Acts being part two). Luke was closely partnered with Paul in his missionary journeys, serving as a doctor, and as a worker with the Gentiles, specifically the Greek believers. This two part series was written to a specific person, Theophilus, who was probably someone in a high political position who had great wealth. This Theophilus was also most likely Luke's patron. Past that, not much is known about the intended audience of Luke's two part series.

Luke was definitely a scholar, and that shines through in his Gospel. His usage of the Greek language is extremely sophisticated, and the detail included is rich with information.

The focus of Luke's Gospel is on the power of salvation. Everything is focused on the power of the spirit, and how God orchestrated everything to provide the gift of salvation. Luke emphasizes that this gift is provided through the power of God, universally to all people. 

Rediscovering the Bible

Reading Mark

While Mark is the shortest Gospel account of the four, it is most likely the earliest written, and earliest accepted account. The book is believed to have been written by John Mark, who actually has an interesting story that is woven throughout the New Testament. His mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for believers, where Mark first met Paul and Barnabas, and joined them on part of their first missionary journey. He did desert the two part way through the voyage, but was accepted back by Barnabas to Cyprus. Paul meanwhile did not accept Mark back, at least not right away. By the end of Paul's life, he did indeed welcome Mark back into the ministry, and actually praised him for his work. 

It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was actually the first written account of Jesus' ministry, most likely around late 50 or early 60 AD. This would mean that the first account of all of Jesus' miracles, sermons, and actions would have been a mere 20 years after His death and resurrection. It is also believed that Matthew and Luke wrote their gospels using Mark as a major source.

Because Mark was merely intending to write down a quick account that would serve as a refresher of Jesus' life, his aim was more on short episodes focusing on what Jesus did rather then say. However, with this focus, Mark also seems to draw a lot on the theme of suffering and persecution. 

With that in mind, a picture clearly painted throughout the book is regarding the gift of God. This certain account was written to encourage believers, and remind them what they are suffering for, which is indeed a gift from God; Jesus and the gift of salvation. The sacrifice of Jesus, the new covenant, and the chance to be redeemed in His sight is all a gift of God to His people. We didn't do anything to deserve this gift, anything to merit the present, instead it came from the grace of God, because of His undying love for us. 

Share Faith