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