Abstain from all Evil

Brennon Mannings quote "The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." 

I have been thinking about this quote in terms of 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Abstain from every form of evil." (ESV).  To start we can break down this verse into the Greek; let's do that by looking at the key words. Abstain and Evil. In the Greek, Abstain is ἀπέχομαι apéchomai, it means to hold ones self off, to refrain from. This same translation is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 where Paul commands believers to abstain from sexual immorality. In other words if an action violates Scriptural commands or principals, believers should avoid it. The word evil, πονηρός ponērós bad, of a bad nature or condition

• in a physical sense: diseased or blind
• in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad

As I look at this breakdown of what Paul is saying, I can't help but wonder why we have so many people claiming Christ Jesus as their savior and yet living like the world. Do they not realize that this hurts our witness? John 17:14-15 tells us that we are to live in the world, but we are not to be of the world. In other words, we are to be present in this world, but we are not to value what the world values. Yet daily we see our fellow Christians living like the world. As believers, we should be set apart from the world. This is the meaning of being holy and living a holy, righteous life—to be set apart. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to retain the insipid, corrupt mind that the world creates. Rather, we are to conform ourselves, and our minds, to that of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). This is a daily activity and commitment.

When I think about this commitment that we are supposed to daily make, I am reminded of the rich man that wanted to follow Jesus. Yet he couldn't leave behind the riches of this world to follow Jesus. Christ is calling us to give away our sin-sickness and to follow him. Yet there are so many that can't do this, they can't leave their carnality, instead they think that salvation is a license to continue to live however they want. What these sin-sick Christians don't realize is the world doesn't see their goodness; they don't see their walk with Christ, they see the sin, the hypocriticalness of what their lives are preaching. 

There is an old saying "You may be the only Jesus some people see." How can you be "Jesus" when you are living like Satan has a grip on your life? Sadly, you can't. You can't claim Christ while you are sleeping with someone you aren't married to, you can't claim Christ while you are enslaved to drugs, are practicing a false religion, while you are a denying that He even exists, you can't claim Christ while you are purposely living your life in contradiction to what God deems as right and holy. A true Christian obeys God because of what God has done for him in Christ. We obey him out of gratitude for what He has done for us. We obey him because we love Him, and we love Him because he first loved us and died for us on the cross. 

There is an old saying "Just because you were born in a bakery, doesn't make you a bagel." Just because you are in church every Sunday, just because you pray, just because you get your name ticked off a box weekly doesn't make you a Christian, if you are walking out the doors and living your life however, you want to despite what the Scripture tells you. Matthew 7:21 tell us "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (ESV) Proverbs 28:9 tells us "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." (ESV) Isaiah 1:15 says "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen..." The prophet is telling the people, "Because of your sin, you beg God and He is not listening." When will you give up your sinful lives? 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from l listening to the truth and wander off into myths." This is sadly the reality of many Christians today. They go to church, but it's a social club, they aren't there to really learn what God is saying to them or they decide to cherry pick what they want to live by and leave the meat of the Gospel behind because it doesn't jive well with how they want to live. 

To those Christians I ask, when will you start taking your lives seriously? When will you start presenting your lives as living sacrifices to God? 

The Bible is a faultless authority not only for what we believe but for how we also should behave. Paul called upon the Christians at Philippi and us to "be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. (Philippians 2:15-16). God's word helps us choose what is morally acceptable and reject what is a form of evil. Psalm 119:9 asks: "How can a young man keep his way pure?" The answer, "By guarding it according to Your word..." The Psalmist goes on to write "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11)

Break our Hearts from what Breaks Yours: Ending Anti-Catholic Rhetoric

We hate it when someone is blatantly racist or prejudice against a community of people. People get mad when people use the "N" word. Yet no one gets angry when someone continues to perpetrate a lie. In fact, many cheer on said bearer of false information. Those who stand against the lie, are told we are stupid, ignorant and treated like garbage. 

January 2020 I wrote an article called "The Last Accepted Prejudice: Anti-Catholicism." In this article I spoke about how Anti-Catholicism refers to staunch opposition to the Roman Catholic Church and to its members, usually grounded in conspiracy theory, nativism, and misrepresentation of Catholic theology (and, often, copious amounts of tangentially related wingnuttery).

Today, September 3, 2020 in a Church funny group someone posted a meme of a statue slapping a lady that said "if Mary could speak to Catholics what would she say...Stop praying to me." Several people were saying "that's right, etc." And in the end I said "except Catholics don't pray to Mary." I went on to explain how the church sees Mary. Immediately I was "corrected", told that "they would give me time to google my answer." The hatred of Catholicism is so deep in people's heart, that they can't even have a discussion without putting one another down. 

I have come to the conclusion that people believe everything they can find on the internet, and they rarely will read a book or reputable site. Only whatever feeds their beliefs can be true. 

In 2000 James Martin, S.J. writes "Since last fall nine Catholic churches in Brooklyn, N.Y., have been vandalized; statues have been decapitated and defaced." In 2020, Jim Denison speaks about how the media doesn't report when even churches are burned. 

Instead of posting offensive memes; and instead of taking instruction from those who know exactly what the church teaches, we should be praying "break our hearts God from breaks yours!"

If you want to know what the Catholic church teaches check out these websites: 

https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church

Vaccine = Mark of the Beast?

I am sure you have heard well-meaning people say that the COVID-19 vaccine is the mark of the beast. I know that if you are like me, vaccinated, and happy that you were, you are tired of the lies that the far right keep making up to hold people in bondage.  First let me start off by saying "The vaccine is NOT the mark of the beast" A very simple study of the scripture, especially Revelation will assist folks in knowing this. 

Meme that is being shared on Facebook

I have spent years learning about God, and studying His Word, even earning a Master's degree in Biblical studies; and I don't know it all, and don't claim to know it all. I do, however, note that many that share the following meme on Facebook have been relatively new Christians who are just babies in the faith. And that they are falling for a lie straight from the pits of hell, because a pastor said so is devastating to me. I also find it amazing that people lose their minds over being told to wear a mask otherwise they won't get service, but they are completely find with no shoes no service or no shirt no service; literally that could be considered conditioning...

I know a lot of people will not read Revelation. It's a book that is hard to understand, it can be scary if you don't completely understand the Apocalyptic language. In fact, as many scholars will agree, the language of Revelation was better understood by the early church than it ever will be by modern minds. 

Revelation 13:16-17 states 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. (English Standard Version). 

Dr. Pate's Blog states the following: The beginning of the “End Times” is signaled by the rebirth of Israel as a nation, which occurred in 1948. This is the fulfillment of the dry bones prophecy in Ezekiel 37, which is interpreted in Ezekiel 37:21: “I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.” This sets the stage for the Tribulation period. Thus, we are living in the end times.

Now, while God through John does not give us a strict chronology of events and complete clarity as to what all those events are, He does provide some important facts and timelines. As mentioned above, the Bible provides us with an event that signals the beginning of “end times.” Because of that, we know that we are living in those end times. But, the Tribulation comes later (we are in end times, but we have not yet gone through Tribulation) and we know that the antichrist (the beast) is not revealed and does not rise to prominence until the Tribulation period. Thus, no one can be taking the mark of the beast until they are in the Tribulation period and the beast has been revealed. This is how we can be confident that the COVID vaccine does not involve taking the mark of the beast.

Let's read that again, "No one can take the mark of the beast until they are in the tribulation period and the beast has been revealed." You can't take the mark of something that according to Scripture hasn't been revealed yet. 

Not to mention that the person who will be indwellt by Satan (the beast) will demand worship of himself, he will have a false prophet, he will broker peace between Israel and the world. The Tribulation referred to in the book of Revelation is the Great Tribulation – a seven-year period where the Holy Spirit, the “great restrainer” is removed, allowing Satan to have free reign. It will be a period of false peace, world-wide disasters and tremendous loss of life. In a mockery of the triune God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Satan will have his own trinity – Satan (also referred to as the Dragon – a counterfeit God), the Antichrist (also referred to as the Beast – a counterfeit Christ), and the False Prophet (a counterfeit Holy Spirit). Paul warned of a “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,8-9 in a reference to the antichrist. It is John who refers to the antichrist as “the beast” in Revelation 13:1-10.

Personally, I subscribe to the pre-tribulation rapture theory. The teaching of pre-tribulation is thus: the church will not be here, they say, when the man of lawlessness is revealed. The Thessalonian Christians will not see the appearance of the man of lawlessness according to pre-tribulation teaching.

But who is this so called man of lawlessness and how can you know him? Can you know him? According to the website Desiring God there are many things that can do or know in order to know the man of lawlessness; and I encourage you to read about the man of lawlessness. 

Book Review: The Parables: Jesus' Friendly Subversive Speech

This book, what can I say? Unless you are really familiar with the Jewish sages you probably wouldn't realize that Jesus' style of teaching was the same as the Rabbis that taught in the temple. To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. From explaining that the parables were Jesus' way of revealing deeper meaning to challenging my own understanding of the parables this book kept me intrigued. 

This book is truly a treasure for the layman and the pastor alike. Whether it is learning persistence from the widow, to the joy of salvation that God the father must feel when one comes home to Him. This treasury is straight-forward and doesn't shy away from telling others what they need to be looking for in the parables. 

I received the copy of this book from Kregel Publishers in exchange for an unbiased opinion of the book. 

Rejecting Faith

We've all heard of the person who was studying the Bible and found themselves suddenly agnostic. That whatever they had been studying in the scriptures didn't sit well with them and suddenly they could no longer believe in God. Struggles with faith are nothing new; in fact history is wrought with stories of these struggles.

But why does this happen? If we take the rejection of faith at face value, how does this happen? Do people really read the Bible and then reject what scripture says? I think yes, because they look at the Bible through modern eyes, and when they see something they don't agree with they immediately start thinking that everything we believe is incorrect. 

I was recently reading a book and the following stuck out to me "Context is the most important hermeneutical principle."(1) That is one thing that is missing from our study of scripture: Context. In that we forget context, we start missing that there are gaps in the way we think and what scripture says. There are several gaps, 1) The Language Gap: The Bible was written originally in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Biblical interpretation is like appreciating a Monet painting. At first, everything is a bit blurry, but once you stand farther back, you see how all the blurry shapes fit together into something beautiful. In this regard, there is absolutely no substitute for reading all of the Bible and reading it regularly; the more parts of the Bible that are in your head, the more the Bible will make sense. The Scriptures illuminate one another. (2) There is also a culture gap. The cultural setting in which each part of the Bible was written is very different from our twentieth-century western culture. To interpret each part properly, one must understand the culture of its time. The geographical gap. Understanding the geography of Bible lands is sometimes essential in unlocking the meaning of a passage. In 1 Thess. 1:8, for example, Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth.” The historical gap. Knowing the historical setting of a passage often helps immeasurably to understand its meaning. A major effort of research to develop the historical background of a passage often is the major key to its interpretation.(1)

So what is the best way to study scripture? Is there a best way to study scripture? Yes, there is. We must study all of scripture to understand it. R.A. Torrey says "You never rightly understand any one of the sixty-six books of the Bible until you study it in its relation to the other sixty-five. You never rightly understand any subject in the Bible until you understand it in its relation to other subjects in the Bible."(3)

First off we should be studying the Bible, the Bible itself. Act 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.(ESV) Notice please that it says they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” They did not search the “Talmud” nor the “Targums,” the commentaries on the scriptures, they went right to the scriptures themselves. They left the muddy streams of man’s interpretations of the scriptures and went to the pure, crystal spring, the scriptures themselves. (3)

Now this isn't to say that commentaries, the Talmud and other resources aren't good and full of wisdom and understanding; and I personally own 3 or 4 sets of commentary, but I don't place them or their authors above that of God. "Every child of God should dig into the Bible itself entirely independently of all commentaries or all lesson helps."(3)

The other thing I believe that we do wrong when we study the bible is that we do so in order to find out what we want the Bible to teach. Not what God intended for the Bible to teach. Do not study the Bible to find out what you can make it mean, but to find out what God evidently intended to teach. Men go to the Book not to find out what God has to say and what He really means to teach, but to find something that will corroborate their own view, or something that they can somehow twist into agreement with their own pre-conceived opinions. (3)

Really studying the Bible is quite easy. There should only 4 steps to studying the Bible: 

1.Pray: Pray before and throughout your study of the Bible.

2.Say: What does the text say?

3.Mean: What does the text mean in its context?

4.Apply: How will I apply this text to my life today?

The Bible says we should study God’s Word correctly and avoid wrong teachings (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:1–17; 4:1–4). So we need to teach people an easy way to study the Bible that will lead to a correct understanding of Bible texts. I encourage you to memorize the four words, “pray,” “say,” “mean,” and “apply.” Then use these four steps to study the Bible. (4)

Bibliography
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(1) James F. Stitzinger, “Study Tools for Expository Preaching,” in Rediscovering Expository Preaching (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), 216- 219."

(2)  John D. Barry et al., eds., DIY Bible Study (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). 

(3) Torrey, R. A. The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study How Properly to Study and Interpret the Bible. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1921.

(4) French, Robert A. Diving for Pearls in God’s Treasure Chest: An Easy Way to Study the Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1999.

Book Review: Making Disciples of All Nations

This book exceeded my expectations and left me pleasantly surprised. I was raised SBC, attended Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and honestly thought I knew it all when it came to SBC Missions and the Mission Board! Boy was I wrong! This book gave this girl somethings to think about. Growing up in the SBC (now Methodist), and hearing about Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon in groups like GAs and Acteens, we all wanted to grow up to be the next great missionary. However, growing up and hearing about the International Mission Board doesn't do it's history or even the history of the SBC justice! This book puts everything into perspective.

There are several things that I like about this book. Some are listed in a previous review by another reviewer, so I won't bore you with them. What I love about this book is it's readability! Typically books on the history of Religious movements/denominations are dry and bare bones. This book was not at all boring; instead it was inviting, and intriguing. The authors kept me wanting to read more and more. 

The second thing I love about this book is the fact that it's a history book about the International Missions Board of the SBC. Yet, it tells us why the SBC was founded, it treats all leaders equally without favoring one over another. I would have liked to see them delve a bit deeper into the history of missionaries, because even as far back as the 1690s William Edmundson was coming the US as a Quaker Missionary and traveling extensively speaking the gospel, but barring those details this is a SBC history, and far and by large the SBC is am American phenomenon. 

Lastly, I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering missionary work, but not because it's a guide to missions, it's not, this gives you an idea of what you are you embracing as well as the history of missions work.

*I received this book from the Publisher for free in exchange for an objective review.

Book Review: 40 Questions on Biblical Theology

When I received 40 Questions on Biblical Theology  I was excited. I shared that I had received the book with my pastor who only said "good luck." 

This book is thorough, concise, and even devotional. Anyone teaching a beginners course on BT or new to the discipline must have this book. I receive a free copy of this book from the publisher, Kregel Publications, in exchange for an honest review. It is definitely a must have for any one wanting to learn more about Biblical Theology, especially our lay members in the church. 

Having attended a seminary, I still felt that my books were inadequate when I picked up this book. I love that the book's forty questions are subdivided into five headings:

1) Definition

2) Method

3) Illustrations via Themes

4) New Testament Application of Old Testament Themes

5) Applications

Does this book deserve readership? Absolutely. I almost wish this book was a part of a deeper study on the five headings; and definitely wish this book was a book that more seminarians had to read. 

Do I think this book is particularly hard to read? No, I believe it is an easy read; it's concise and straight-forward. It's not written in a text book style, though that is exactly what it is. I give it 5 stars for ease of reading.