The Most Misued Verses in the Bible - A Book Review

I first became aware of Eric Bargerhuff's book, The Most Misused Verses in the Bible, via an excerpt in Christianity Today. I told my wife this was a book I needed to check out. When it came available for review I jumped on it.

This is a book that every believer needs to read and every pastor needs to take to heart. Bargerhuff takes the reader through seventeen of the most widely quoted verses that he feels are misused and misunderstood.

These verses range from "Do not judge..." (Matthew 7:1) to "Train up a child..." (Proverbs 22:6) and covers baptism, prayer and all points in between. I won't spoil the book but I will say each chapter challenged me to re-consider how I have used these verses in the past.

The basic premise of this book is this: Read the Scripture in context instead of cherry-picking the verses to fit our own preconceived agenda.

Reading this book was eye-opening for me. Though I did not agree with every conclusion, I found the journey spurring me on to look at Scripture in context before sharing the Word with others or applying it to my own life.

I can't ask for much more than that.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Miraculous Movements: A Book Review

Miraculous Movements by Jerry Trousdale is really two books in one. What drew me to this book was the tag line. I couldn't resist a book that says on the cover, "How hundred of thousands of Muslims are falling in love with Jesus."

Jerry Trousdale does share numerous stories of how Muslims are finding Christ all over Africa. Sometimes the change happens when a Muslim hears the story of Jesus face to face, sometimes the journey to Christ begins with a dream. The end result is the same, an encounter with the Living God. I would have been tickled if the book had ended there. However, the key to this book is the "How."

Jerry Trousdale works for CityTeam International. Throughout the book, Jerry shares the work of CityTeam International, including the use of a Discovery Bible Study and Disciple Making Movements. It seemed that the book dragged a little in these parts. Limited to the work of CityTeam in Africa, each story of transformation came back to these Disciple Making Movements. While obviously effective, it also felt like one long advertisement for this particular organization.

That being said, this is a book I would recommend to anyone interested in what God is doing in the lives of Muslims. Transformation is happening and we should all rejoice at that.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Amazing Grace!

                                              This video is amazing and really touched my heart.

Compassion in Tanzania

From May 6-11, eight Compassion Bloggers will be in Tanzania!

They will span Tanzania from coastal city to mountain village, exploring Compassion International's ministry to impoverished children and telling you all about it with words and pictures along the way.

You can follow them on Twitter

You can follow their Blogs

You can pray for them and hopefully, you will want to sponsor a child!

Zacchaeus - Not Just a Wee Little Man

My 2 year old has been running around the house singing the children's Bible song about Zacchaeus.  If you are unfamiliar with it, allow me to share the part my son is singing over and over:

 Zacchaeus was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in that tree
And He said, “Zacchaeus, you come down!
For I’m going to your house today
For I’m going to your house to stay”

So I was heading off to church last Sunday with my son singing this song in the back seat.  With the words rattling in my brain, I recalled that I have shared many Bible stories at church but never this one.

Fast forward to this Sunday.

The story of Zacchaeus is found in Luke 19: 1-10.

As I read the story, two things leaped out at me.

Let me share the passage here first:

He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.
And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The first thing I noticed was that the Lord called Zacchaeus by name.  He enters Jericho, walks along, looks up and says, "Zacchaeus..."  

The second thing was the end of the passage where it says Jesus came to SEEK and to save.

I fully believe Jesus went to Jericho that day for Zacchaeus, sought him out and changed his life forever.

It reminds me that Jesus calls all of us by name!  He seeks us out to change our lives forever.

He knows my name.

Humbling!

Who Said It? Does It Matter?

I wanted to wait a few days before posting this. Now that Easter is over, here is a statement that I hope will challenge and inspire you!

This weekend is a time to celebrate redemption at God's hand. Tomorrow, my family will join Christians around the world as we thank God for the all-important gift of grace through the resurrection of His son, and experience the wonder of Easter morning. 

These holidays have their roots in miracles that took place thousands of years ago. They connect us to our past and give us strength as we face the future. And they remind us of the common thread of humanity that connects us all. 

For me, and for countless other Christians, Easter weekend is a time to reflect and rejoice. Yesterday, many of us took a few quiet moments to try and fathom the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for all of us. Tomorrow, we will celebrate the resurrection of a savior who died so that we might live. 

And throughout these sacred days, we recommit ourselves to following His example. We rededicate our time on Earth to selflessness, and to loving our neighbors. We remind ourselves that no matter who we are, or how much we achieve, we each stand humbled before an almighty God. 

Christ's triumph over death holds special meaning for Christians. But all of us, no matter how or whether we believe, can identify with elements of His story. The triumph of hope over despair. Of faith over doubt. The notion that there is something out there that is bigger than ourselves...

Sounds like a good Biblical take on Easter doesn't it?

Would your opinion change if I said that this statement was made by President Barack Obama?

We can only examine the fruit we see in peoples lives.  However, in that examination of fruit, when we come across specks in the eyes of those we disagree with, we should endeavor to work on the planks in our own eyes first. Ultimately God is the one who knows the heart. This is a good reminder to pray for those in authority over us.

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

I wonder if Jesus... - Just A Thought #51

Spring is in the air and I am feeling a bit...restless. Not in a, dissatisfied with life, type of way. More like an, I need a new challenge, type of thing.

I have been wondering and praying about what might be next. Is this God stirring my pot in order to prepare me for something new or is God just stirring me to be ready for what He is doing right now? I don't feel like it's time to change jobs, towns, etc.

I feel like it is a time of new challenges. I do have some exciting stuff happening this summer and most of it is new opportunities. Maybe that is all it is.

All of this has me asking some other questions as well. Ones that have been stirring my thoughts. I don't have a lot of answers, the ones I have I don't want to share. Occasionally I just like to brainstorm, reflect and contemplate....

Things like....

I wonder if Jesus ever took a "mental health" day?

How disappointed is God by our church dis-unity?

Why do we want grace for ourselves and yet judge the sins of others so harshly?

What part of "loving our enemies" is so hard to get?

Why do we rank sin?

Should we not focus on the log in our own eyes first?

If Jesus loved the world enough to die for it, why are we afraid to love the "neighbor" that He died for?

What would happen if we as Christians focus as much on evangelism as we did on protests, legal actions and petitions?

These and other questions rattle through my mind.

Mark 12:30–31 says, "'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

I am coming to the realization that if I am passionate about obeying these two commandments my worldview will be blown wide open. If I love the Lord with all of my being and love my neighbor (the sinner I judge so harshly) as much as I love myself, I can look forward to Spring as time of new beginnings. A new depth in my relationship with God and a new heart for the lost.

Going back to the new challenges, maybe it's not so new after all. Maybe the challenge is to obey what He has already said we should do!