Humble Orthodoxy By Josh Harris

from changedbythegospel.com

Humble Orthodoxy, Holding the Truth High without Putting People Down by Josh Harris is more than a timely word. It was a book that needed to be written.

The premise of the book came from his book, Dug Down Deep. The final chapter of that book was titled “Humble Orthodoxy” and it seems the readers were not shy about telling Josh that was their favorite chapter in the book and needed to be expounded on and given a book all its own. He,of course, obliged. Or maybe it was when Jon Piper told him to write a book on the subject.

Josh Harris, with a healthy dose of love and grace, seasoned with compassion, writes about the Christians need to be orthodox without being a jerk. We are to uphold the truth of Scripture without beating others about the head with it.

So many times we are either wishy-washy in regards to the truth of the Word because we don’t want to offend the world. Or we’re so convinced of our right-ness and their wrongness that we act like angry jerks.

Josh uses 2 Timothy as the text, or basis for this book. It works well. Paul was both staunchly enamored with the truth and was willing to die to defend it. He was not one to mince words with truth. But he was also full of love for all people.  We need to be the same way.

The book is just four little chapters, a total of 61 pages. But don’t let it’s small size fool you. It’s power packed full of goodness.  I think it could have well been a lot longer and the ideas expounded on even more. But as it is, it’s a quick enough read you can read every few days. It does come with a study guide in the back with questions to answer, a prayer and an action step to perform. I think this would work well for a short 4-week Bible study.

The book is small, both in volume and height. I am not sure I would have paid $10 for a copy. Unless I had read it first. Then I would know it is worth every penny.

I’ll leave you with my favorite line from the book. This one simply jumped off the page at me.

We are not those who are right; we are those who have been redeemed.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

Permission Granted by Margot Starbuck

Permission Granted by Margot Starbuck is an interesting read. I believe the premise of the book is to give Christians permission to love others as Jesus loves. I’m not sure we need permission. In fact, I’m  not sure we’re not already doing that. To be sure we could always do more but to say we’re not doing it at all is not true.

I’ve posted before about people in my town reaching out across denominational lines to be Jesus to  people. There is more to be done and there is more being done.

In Permission Granted, Margot led me to believe if I am not going into strip clubs, attending Gay Pride Parades (without being asked) or attending Porn conventions, I am not loving and being Jesus to the world.

I read over and over how sinners loved Jesus, they flocked to Him. And it’s true, they did. However, a look further into it reveals why they did. Did they flock to Him because they loved Him and wanted to be with Him? Some yes. But the majority flocked to Him because He healed them, He fed them. They flocked to Him because of what He could do for them. And when He refused to be a puppet on a string for them, when He required something from them, they simply stopped following Him. They stayed only long enough to get their needs met and when confronted with their own selfish desires and the need to choose, they choose to walk away.

I read in Permission Granted that Jesus attended “raucous parties” given by sinners. I do not read that in Scripture. He did eat with sinners, that I can find. I can find no real mention of raucous parties at all. I also rediscovered He ate with Pharisees as well.

It was re-cemented in my mind that if I am living  and loving and obeying Jesus, my life will stand out in a good way. People will naturally be curious. I will have to as 1 Peter 3:15 says:

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

I don’t need permission for that.

The examples Margot uses (attending a Gay Pride Parade, visiting a strip club, attending a porn convention…and really why do they have those?) and many she doesn’t, is not a good idea. We are called to be separate, to make a difference by being different. We are told in Scripture in dealing with fellow believers who are caught in any sin to be careful and mature about restoring. Why? So we don’t fall into the same temptation. Is it, or should it be any different when we deal with the world? No. Now I’m not saying we should beat them over the head with “you’re a sinner. Change your ways or fry!” Not at all. I’m saying we are not to partake, we are in fact to avoid ALL appearance of evil.

We are also to be careful not to offend our fellow Christians, we are not to cause one of them to stumble. And I can see very much how this behaviour touted in the book as the “way to love like Jesus” would do that very thing.  We can’t violate one command in the Bible to fulfill another. Yes, there are those who will be offended no matter what we do however, I have found that to be more true of the world than fellow Christians.

All in all, the book a fairly easy read. Parts of it are biblically sound, other parts are not.  I can’t say I recommend the book which to me is sad, because I really really wanted to love this book. Please, let’s remember if we are living our lives in obedience to Jesus, living and loving so He is glorified, we will make a difference, we will reach the “sinners” (special or not) of this world with the love of Jesus, lives will  be changed, He will be glorified and the world will wonder what hit them.

 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

The Poor

I’ve been reading a lot of books about helping the poor. It’s a good thing. We are commanded in Scripture to help the poor, the widows and orphans. In my reading one question keeps coming to mind repeatedly.

Who are the poor?

Now it might sound like I’m asking the same question the rich young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” But trust me, I’m not. I’m not looking for loopholes. I’m not looking for ways around the command. I think we first need to define the poor so we can know how to help them.

Some think the poor are only those like this:

from http://www.lancegold.blogspot.com

Black skinned and in dire need of food. Yes, they are poor, the live every day in abject poverty. They go to bed hungry, they wake up hungry. They aren’t able to go to school because they don’t have food, school supplies and might be needed to carry a heavy workload at home. To many people, this is the poor people.

But what about people like this?

from http://www.forbes.com

Could this man be poor? He obviously isn’t lacking in financial resources. He looks like he has every thing he needs. If we look only on the surface of things though.

The poor are not only those lacking in financial resources. I contend every single person alive on planet earth are in some way, shape or form poor.  With that in mind, I believe our focus on helping the poor, meaning those living in poverty, is too narrow.

If we broaden our focus to see that all men are poor and work to help them in whatever their needs are we are fulfilling the command.

It is very easy to see the poor as only those lacking financial resources because it’s easy to throw a few dollars into a collection plate or give to an organization that works to eradicate the poor. It’s a little harder to actually get our hands dirty investing in someone else’s life. It’s not easy to get involved with those who are needy.

We are all needy. We all have the cure for someone else’s need. Those of us who love and serve Jesus have exactly what someone else needs. Are we sharing it? Are we helping the poor if we leave Jesus out of the equation?

I contend that we aren’t. If we merely help the poor and ignore the needs of those who don’t look poor around us, we aren’t really doing what Jesus commanded.  If we help but don’t share the great love of Jesus, we aren’t doing enough.

I’m not at all saying we have to be “doing” all the time. I am saying when we realize the great gift we have, that Jesus alones meets all our needs, and we don’t share Him with others we aren’t helping. We’re keeping our lamp under a bushel basket.

I know there are some who are steeped in a legalistic gospel based on what we do. I’m not doing that. I’m saying our love for Jesus should extend to His people and the people of this world. Out of our love for Him should naturally outpour good works for Him. Not because it’s legislated from a pulpit, or the pages of a book or even this blog.

So how about if we start praying for eyes to see the needs in others? Even if they look “rich” in our eyes. Even if they don’t look like they need anything. Maybe what they just need is someone to notice them. To befriend them. To talk to them. To pray with them.

And yes, let’s not forget those who are starving for food. But so many are starving for something.

FirstHand

(This kind of ties in with my earlier post.)

A few months ago I was selected to take part in a survey about first hand faith vs. secondhand faith. You know, firsthand faith is faith that is your own, secondhand faith is someone else’s faith, maybe your parents, pastors, youth pastors, or anyone.

The survey was about how you have or haven’t made your faith your own. I don’t remember specific questions, but I do remember it came at a time I was struggling, not necessarily with making my faith my own, but just really thinking what I believed about certain things. Did I believe the right things? Did I really believe in God? I did believe in Him but I wanted to believe the truth about Him and not some preconceived ideals I had about Him.

The authors of the survey, Ryan and Josh Shook, took the survey results and incorporated the answers into a new book, FirstHand, Ditching SecondHand religion for a Faith of your own. I have not yet been privileged to read the whole book but I was sent a link to read the first chapter.

Let me tell you, it was good! The brothers went through a time of deep searching. They had been raised in the church, saw authentic faith lived out by two very human parents who tried to instill in them a love for Jesus and His people. They were leaders in their youth group. They looked like the classic perfect Christians, but inside they felt something was missing. They wanted more from life and was sure there was more to be had.

They tried living a different life, a life apart from faith and found it only made the internal issues worse instead of better. So they researched Christianity. They looked intently into Jesus, was He who He said He was? Was He what everyone else said He was? Just who was He? In the book, they share their journey to realizing He was exactly who He said He was.

If you are struggling, or know someone who is, with knowing just what to believe, what is true about Jesus, this book is for you!

Here’s the first chapter.

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn is the story of Jessica Morgan and Kyle Buchanan. Jessica born into affluence but has decided to turn her back on it all and pursue life in a small town as a high school English teacher.

She goes about it in rather the wrong way. She runs away from home just before her 25th birthday. On her 25th birthday she would come into her trust fund and also become a Vice-President in her father’s company. Only she doesn’t want it and so she disappears to Glenbrooke, Oregon.

Her first day there she has a car accident and meets a nice firefighter, enter Kyle. He’s smitten and she’s aloof.  He’s a Christian and she’s not.

The book is their story. They both have secrets that want to hold them back. His previous fiance dies from AIDS, not pneumonia like the townspeople think and she is really a wealthy young heiress. Can they trust each other enough to share their secrets?

The story was cute. I didn’t care for the lies the characters felt they had to tell to be loved and accepted. I thought Kyle’s character didn’t sound too manly, more like a woman writing the dialogue for a man and that’s what it was.

I have read books by Robin Jones Gunn in the past. I’m a big fan of the SisterChicks series. But this book, and it is one in series, didn’t grab me like other books have.

I give it 3 out of 5 turning pages.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

Illuminated by Jackie Castle.

(From my 12-year old.)

Illuminated is the first book in a series by Jackie Castle, the White Road Chronicles. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone, especially Christians who need a little motivation in their walk with Christ.

The main character is, in essence, a girl without a past. Princess works at the evil Lord Darnel’s castle in Racah as Lord Darnel’s daughter/slave/pawn. She has  no recollection of her childhood outside of the castle.

But then a captive named Dean the Messenger enters the scene. She is drawn to the man’s calm, unwavering faith in the face of death. Dean sacrifices his life to give Princess a chance of escape. But the way is hard and the white path she must follow to safely reach the great King Shaydon’s throne in Aloblase is often difficult to stay on. She embarks on a journey to redemption, and it often seems that she will be unable to continue. Can she ignore Lord Darnel’s hold on her past and allow the mysterious Issah and majestic King Shaydon to redeem her?

I absolutely love this book! One of the things I liked about Illuminated was the ever-altering cast of characters surrounding Princess: Dean the Messenger, a frightened dragon, a surprising Okbold, stone-faced Jerin, a squad of Albernium warriors….the list goes on and on.

I also loved the way Mrs. Castle portrayed Issah, a guardian of the White Road. His gentle welcoming spirit toward Princess is soothing to her and weary heart.  He also shows us that being great has nothing to do with your social status.

My favorite character was probably Lotari, a stubbornly kind centaur. Despite being shy of humans, Lotari musters his courage and chases Princess through the forest, helping her reach the beautiful city of Aloblase.

The people of Many Rivers also provide uplifting entertainment. Kind and quick to share, they welcome Princess and her band of travelers. But they also are a little mischievous.

I’ll give this book 4 out of 5 turning pages.

 

 

I received a free copy of this book from the author for the purpose of review.

Taking Care of #1

(from http://3.bp.blogspot.com)

This will probably be short because I’m short on time but I’ve spent the past few days really thinking about this subject and it’s been an off-and-on thought process for the past several months.

I hear so often in church and Christian circles that we have to take care of ourselves or we won’t be able to care adequately for others. We first take care of our own self and then we can take care of others.

I think this is a bunch of hooey bunk. I firmly believe when we ensure we are getting adequate rest, exercise and nutrition; if we are doing what God calls us to do, in His timing, in His strength, with His power (that raised Christ Jesus from the dead!); if we are asking Him for wisdom when we are asked to serve, He will make sure we are taken care of.

He won’t overload our plate. He won’t ask us to serve to exhaustion. He won’t force us to move for everyone until we are burned out.

I firmly believe if we are doing the above; if we are serving to exhaustion, if we are only ever saying “yes” to everyone; if we are burned out on serving Him, that is OUR fault. God never asks us or requires us to say “yes” to everyone and every opportunity of service.  He also takes care of us.

It is when we think for some deranged reason that we have to say “yes” because they asked, or because it’s the “Christian thing to do” that problems arise. It is when we do His work, His will in our strength and power that we burn out. We fail. We fall flat.

And that is also when we’re convinced we can’t ever be used by Him. We’ve let Him down. Hogwash. That is precisely when we need to confess our sin of idolatry and move on in His strength. Yes, idolatry. Because we are putting our self in the place of God.

I’m not sure how or when it became popular to say “yes” to everything and everyone. Mark Lowry  has stated, “If God calls you to be a janitor, you’d have to step down to be president.” And if God calls you to be a janitor you shouldn’t be president if someone begged you. Just because someone asks you to serve does not mean it is what God desires for you.

If He has called you “proclaim freedom for the captives”, working in the nursery might not be for you. But ASK Him. And if He says “No”, then you have to say “No” as well. But if He says “Yes!” then you must as well.

But please, if He says “No”, don’t say “yes” because “no one else will do it.” Bad idea! Very bad idea. I would shout “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!” If no one else will do it, maybe it shouldn’t be done.

So as you go about your days, pray for His heart, His mind, His strength and His guidance and do, whatever He calls you to do with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Radical

In Asian countries believers in Jesus Christ face hardship every day. Every day they are faced with the potential loss of home, family, freedom and their very life. And yet they still continue to meet together with their fellow believers to worship. They travel, often on foot and in the middle of the night, many miles just to meet with others. They spend their time not praying for a release from the relentless persecution they face, rather they spend their time worshiping, truly worshiping Jesus. Praising Him for who He is, for what He has done. They have an uncanny grasp on who Jesus really is.

A grasp it seems most people of European descent, which includes the country I’m proud to call home, lack. It’s not that we think Jesus is less than God, we know He is very God and very man. But we’ve made Him a god in our own likeness.

My husband told me a quote he heard,

“God made man in His likeness,
And man returned the favor.”

Now that might be true for Americans, but I doubt it’s true for all Americans or even all Christians worldwide.  But it does bear pondering.

David Platt in his book, The Radical Question, says,
“But do you and I realize what we are doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our image and making Him look like us. And the danger now is that when we gather to sing and lift our hands in worship, we are not actually worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead, we are worshiping ourselves.”

His question then is, “What is Jesus worth to us? To you?” What are we willing to give up for the cause of Christ? Would we willing give up our multi-million dollar churches? Our homes? Our cars? Our weekly dinners out? Our Starbucks? Our designer clothes? Are we willing to live in the land and lap of luxury and not crave our slice of the American pie? Can we live trying to keep up with the Joneses only not materially but spiritually? Can we look at someone living life sold out to Jesus Christ and say, “I want that! Only I want more than what they have!” ? Can we?

This book was very convicting. It was also what I had been thinking and pondering in my own life lately. I don’t want to settle for mediocre Christianity. I want to dive in. I want to be immersed in Jesus.

There was only a couple of things I didn’t care for in the book. I am really about sick to death of Christians trying to guilt trip American believers. God placed each one of us in America for a reason. He could have placed us in Asia or the Middle East or Africa. But He, in His infinite wisdom set us here. Our boundaries are the borders of the United States of America. But our influence reaches world wide. Yes, I am blessed. Yes, compared to most of the rest of the world I am rich beyond compare. But it is because God and His grace, His plan and not my doing.

The other thing, yes we are commanded to help the poor. Why do we think the poor are only those lacking vast financial resources? What about the rich business man who is poor emotionally? Or spiritually? Are we not to care for and help those as well?

Why do we equate helping with giving a hand-out? Look at all the aid the USA has provided both at home and abroad, have we wiped out poverty? Have we made anyone rich with our handouts? No. In fact, I might dare go on to say, we’ve made the problem worse.  The way to help the poor is not to give them a handout, but a hand UP. Even for those in the church.

It is one thing to help financially when someone’s needs exceed their income at that time. It is another thing to enable someone to not work for their living, to not work for and earn everything they have. The Bible very clearly states, “if a man does not work, he won’t eat.” (yes, that is my paraphrase.)

So while we are running around handing out money hand over fist to those we think are poor, we are completely ignoring their real need. Which is  Jesus.  Money does not heal all wounds. Those poor are not just lacking finances.

Of course before we can see Jesus as the true answer to their needs, we have to realize He is the true answer to our needs as well.

 

(I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.)

Real Church

Fifteen years ago or so, I was in a Christian bookstore in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri when my eye was caught by the title of a book, written by an author I hadn’t heard of before. The book title was “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe”. The author was Leonard Sweet. I read that book in a devouring sort of way. I quoted it. I loved it. That book still ranks near the top of my all-time favorite non-fiction book list. I will probably never get rid of my copy and will probably often peruse its pages, still gleaning truths.

I have since read several of Leonard Sweet’s books. Soul Salsa, The Gospel According to Starbucks, Nudge and now Real Church in a Social Network World.  Mr. Sweet has become one of those authors that when I see his books I automatically think I have to read it. I love the way he challenges my thinking, urging me to action and not complacency.

Real Church in a Social Network World, from Facebook to Face-to-Face is both soul-satisfying and soul-challenging.  Often as my eyes read the words on the page, my soul shouted “YES!” or “Exactly!” or even “Wow!”  I highlighted many paragraphs, too many to even share some of them here.

I found this book to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. That isn’t to say every other book I’ve called “the best” has paled in comparison, not at all. This book though is good because it will be a book I will find myself reading over and over again.

What I love about the book:

• It challenges me to a better, deeper relationship with Jesus.
• It constantly points to Jesus
• It offers no “one-size fits all” approach to relationship
• It values relationship.
• It showed me areas I was settling in my walk and challenged me.

This book often moved me to tears. I cried tears of joy because I was doing something right! I also cried tears of great sorrow because I wondered how much I had hurt the heart of my Savior, because on some issues I had really missed the boat.

The book isn’t long. Six chapters and less than 100 pages. I read it last evening and I realized anew that I should never start a good book after supper. I had to stay up late to finish it. And like any good book, I cried at the end, not because it moved me but because it was over.

What the book lacks in length, it more than makes up for in depth. If you are looking for a book that will revolutionize your spiritual life, one that “will spur you on to love and good deeds” look no further than this one.

 

(I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.)

 

Books fall Open…

Yeah right…it’s more like books are slammed, thrown, yanked open and I fall in. Who can resist a book?

Who can resist a book by Max Lucado? Or who can resist a book about grace? That single element, character trait we all desire in others and yes, if we’re honest, we want in ourselves as well.  We’re often saying, “there but for the grace of God, go I”, which has always struck me as a nice way of saying “that person is an idiot” or if not an idiot, they are obviously a much bigger sinner than I am.  I am not sure the statement is even true. I don’t think God‘s grace can anymore keep us from sinning than we can walk to the moon. If God’s grace could keep us from sinning, why do we sin at all? Does His grace only keep us from the big sins? Do we not commit adultery because of God’s grace? Do we not murder because of grace?

My heart beats the heart beat of a sinner. T’is true. As much as I’d like to pretend otherwise, I sin. I have grace, but that grace is not a license to sin more. The Apostle Paul addresses this very thought, “Shall we go on sinning that grace might increase? May it NEVER BE!” (Romans 6:1-2 emphasis mine) I can’t expect to gain  more and more grace by committing more and more sin.  Not in the least! I have all the grace from God I could ever need. I can’t get more from Him because I don’t need more from Him. His grace, through Jesus atonement, bought my redemption.

Wow. I need no more grace.

Except from others. I do need others to extend grace because I still mess up and my mess ups affect others. Just tonight I had to apologize to two friends because I messed up.  They were both very gracious to me.

In case you’re wondering what all this has to do with Max Lucado and books called Grace. Mr. Lucado has written a wonderful book called simply, Grace.  I can say it’s wonderful because, although I’ve only read the first chapter, I’ve read other books by him and the first chapter was exceptional!

One phrase caught my attention, “The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening.”  Happening…that is in the present tense. Christ didn’t happen to us…He is happening.  I know we’ve all heard the cliches about God being a God of the present and He is. I think though we still tend to leave Him in the past.  I don’t want God to be a God of my past and I don’t want Him to just be a God of my future. I want Him to be God of my Present.

Grace brings God to the present. He didn’t happen to us at some point in historical time. He IS happening to us and in us.

He hasn’t lived–He IS living
He hasn’t walked–He IS walking
He hasn’t taught–He IS teaching
He hasn’t saved–He IS saving
He didn’t intercede–He IS interceding
He hasn’t loved–He IS Loving (and is, in fact, Love)
He hasn’t come–He IS coming.

There are a million or more things God IS doing that we tacked on -ed to instead of bringing it to the present with an -ing.

I want to bring God to my -ing. I want to realize anew and a fresh that He is not only IN my present but He IS my present.  I want to walk and live like this in an ingrained reality. I want to revel in His presence in my present.  I want to know His grace, to experience it with all of my senses so I can in turn be a conduit of His grace to others, so I can bring Him and His presence into their present as well.

Imagine what would happen if we as believers did this? Staggering and more than a little mind-blowing.

Wow!