Psalm 106

This is another retelling of the Exodus, but from a religious perspective.

It isn't just another list of events. The focus here is on the relationship between God and man. Simply put, he's faithful and they're not. It's still true. He still is, and we're still not.

The secret of my success

Several people have asked me how I'm always in a good mood over three years out from a cataclysmic stroke. The simple answer is that I'm not, but it takes too long to complain.

Why don't I not worry more? I worry all the time; I'm a natural worrier. That's one more reason it's not useful to have a good -- if morbid -- imagination. But there are things worrying won't fix, and so there's no point in worrying about them. They just have to be endured.

The key is to know the difference. Some people don't, and can't turn their worrying off. I'm thankful I do.

Psalm 105

God is hard on his people, but only because he loves them.

This long psalm is mostly devoted to recounting of the exodus, but there are a couple of lines that focus on Joseph's ordeal in prison. It wasn't a time of punishment from God, but of testing.

Review: THE CANADIAN by Tim Wheatley

I first read this book because I wanted to learn about Canada. If I was going to be a missionary to the Canadians, I would do well to learn how they thought and what was important to them. 

This book is a treasure trove of that kind of information. Unfortunately, it's also obviously an amateur production. On the whole, though, I found it far more useful than not. If you don't mind some odd formatting, I recommend it.

Psalm 104

The Lordis great. In fact, he's very great.

The psalmist goes into detail about God's creation of the world, but even that only encompasses a small part of who and what he is. All we can do is be like the psalmist and bless and praise him..

Review: HOW THE FIRST AMENDMENT CAME TO PROTECT TOPLESS DANCING by Susan Shelley

This book tackles a very complex subject -- constitutional law -- and not only makes it clear but shows why it became complex in the first place. The Constitution, it seems, was never meant to apply to the stats, but only to the federal government.

For taking a dense and highly technical subject and making it simple, I recommend it.

Psalm 103

This psalm says the same thing a lot of different ways. Essentially, it just says that God is good and we should all praise him for it. It's not a novel or unexpected message, but it's a good one.

Praise the Lord for he is good.

The Schleitheim Confesion, Article Six

The sword 

Violence must not be used in any circumstance. The way of nonviolence is patterned after the example of Christ who never exhibited violence in the face of persecution or as a punishment for sin. A Christian should not pass judgment in worldly disputes. It is not appropriate for a Christian to serve as a magistrate; a magistrate acts according to the rules of the world, not according to the rules of heaven; their weapons are worldly, but the weapons of a Christian are spiritual.

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This commitment to nonviolence was one of the things that attracted me to the Anabaptists in the first place. I simply believe that's what the New Testament teaches, and that that's what Christians are called to. It's not cowardice; imagine being beaten to a pulp without even fighting back even to defend yourself, or standing unarmed in the middle of 100 men pointting rifles at you. It's trusting that someone else will do the fighting for you.

Psalm 102

We have assurances that everything will be made right in future, but sometimes it's very hard right now. We just have to remember that that God's always been faithful in the past, and there's no reason to think he won't be in the future.

Things may look bad now, but we just have to be patient, because this too shall be made right.

Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF EM BOUNDS ON PRAYER by EM Bounds

Collecting all of Bounds' many books on prayer, this is a huge file, yet takes up very little space on the Kindle and was extremely inexpensive. If you like to read old books, there's no good reason to not get an ereader.

In a way it's a shame there's so much here, because Bounds tends to repeat himself. The books were probably aimed at different audiences, and were definitely not meant to be read back-to-back. The cumulative effect is of reading the same book over and over.

The books were written in the 1800s, and they read like it. I'm not saying that that's necessarily good or bad, but the fact is that styles have changed a good bit since then. They've harder to read than they used to be.

I can see why these books have become classics, but they're just overwhelming read all at once. I recommend the books but not the way I read them.

Psalm 101

I've dubbed this the Netflix Psalm.

Reading this right after writing about something I found on Netflix opened my eyes to just how much I've comprehend with evil. Whereas in this psalm David says he won't set any evil before his eyes, but I decide how much evil is acceptable. I'm not better than David. No man can serve two masters.

Studded with hooks

I want to talk about The Messengers.

That's just a series I found on Netflix a few months ago. I have no idea who made it, or what network it was on. It wasn't even a very good series. But it had one thing going for a: it was very loosely based on the Book of Revelation..

And by very loosely based, I mean that it borrowed its terminology from there. It wasn't even remotely biblical; it's pretty ironic to hear a character solemnly intone "We can't change the Book of Revelation" when that's exactly what the show does.

The fact is, though, that that biblical language draws people (like me) in who should know better. The story is a typical save-the-world plot, and the religion that God apparently prefers is a by-the-numbers pluralistic hodgepodge. Still, each biblical word is a hook that digs in. We're dragged in despite ourselves.

The only thing that makes The Messengers special is this reliance on pop Christianity. It's enough, though, to pull in millions of viewers who wouldn't have watched twice. But sometimes you want real food and not just a hook.

Psalm 100

Do you know how long forever is?

However long you think it is, it's longer. Out finite minds simply can't conceive of infinity. But God can, and that's how long his love will last. We can dwell in it forever and never reach the end of it.

Review: FAREWELL TO MARS by Brian Zahnd

This is, as it says, the story of how an evangelical pastor embraced the gospel of peace. Interestingly -- and I've seen this in my own life -- the worst resistance came not from outside the church of Jesus Christ, but from within it.

Obviously, this book resonated with me. I agreed with its conclusions and most importantly found it solidly biblical.i recommend it.

Psalm 99

It meant a lot that the Lord of the Universe had chosen Israel to be his people. Having him as their god was a very big deal to them. 

He deserved praise, and they intended to give it.

Review: I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BE AN ATHEIST by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek

Apologetics is essentially the logical defense of the Christian faith, an attempt to show its reasonableness compared to all other options. In that way this book is an invaluable gold mine of apologetic arguments.

Unfortunately, it also has a smug, condescending tone, like the smartest kid in the room. I can recommend the information, but not the way it's presented.

Psalm 98

Making a joyful noise is not an excuse for not being excellent.  

Whenever we sing or play badly in church, we joke about "making a joyful noise". That's ridiculous; God deserves our best, not our worst. Let's stop settling for good enough and strive for perfection.

the Schleitheim Confesion, Article Five

Pastors in the Church 

Pastors should be men of good repute. Some of the responsibilities they must faithfully carry out include teaching, disciplining, the ban, leading in prayer, and the sacraments. They are to be supported by the church, but must be disciplined if they sin.

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This article deals with the qualifications and duties of pastors. There's no mention of seminary, Bible college, or any education at all. While a pastor is entitled to be supported by the church, he's not entitled to get rich off them or act with impunity. He needs discipline like everyone else.

Psalm 97

Be glad that God is in charge, because it could be a lot worse. There's no reason God has to be righteous or forgiving, but righteousness and forgiveness are the very foundations of his reign.

It's our good fortune that God's nature is good.

Review: THE ADVENTURES OF DR MCNINJA OMNIBUS VOL 1 by Christopher Hastings

Dr MccNinja is an independently-produced webcomic by Hastings. Dark Horse Comics printed a huge dead tree collection, and that's what I'm reviewing.

The writing is a mixed bag. While the characters are generally pretty far out there, they're used in stories that are remarkably traditional. Not nearly enough use is made of the characters' inherent silliness.The art is similarly double-minded. Hastings is an excellent draftsman, and he draws certain things very well. Away from that comfort zone, though, he seems to lose confidence.

The biggest problem is that as a comic featuring ninjas, zombies, and banditos riding velociraptors, it's very violent. I don't recommend it.

I have a flag

About 15 years ago I was really into vexillology, the study of flags, so I designed my own. There was all kinds of symbolism involved, but I mainly just thought it looked cool. I still do.

An announcement

I have a new post up at The Bible Exchange,  "Praying for daily bread with a full pantry". www.bibleexchange.com.

Psalm 96

The Lord gives his people everything, and all he asks in return is that we tell others.

Though this psalm contains many calls to worship God, but it's worth noting that worship is not a slow song. Nor is it something we do at 11 am on Sundays. . It's a way of life that acknowledges God's greatness and draws people into his kingdom.

Psalm 95

Praise the Lord!

This psalm is almost entirely praise to God, and calls on the people to kneel before his greatness. That's the only posture that makes sense when faced with omnipotence 

Review: THE COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE read by Various

I listened to an audio recording of this, which was available as a free download from christianaudio.com. Honestly, I still feel like I paid too much for it.

it isn't the recording quality. That's fine; it's neither stellar nor terrible, but just pretty good. It's the translation itself. Several years ago, a number of mainline denominations got together to produce a new Bible translation they could all use, with an emphasis on gender-neutrality 

This is the result, and it reads as much like a legal document as it does the word of God. I don't recommend it,

Psalm 94

God will punish the wicked; don't worry about that. It's on his timetable, though, not ours. We can ask him long it will be before it happens, but we won't get an answer until everyone else does.

We just have to have faith. Imagine that.

Review: THE FUNDAMENTALS ed by AC Dixon and RA Torrey

This consists of 90 essays written about the turn of the 20th century, on a wide range of biblical topics. They were written to combat Modernism, which was rampant at the time, and were originally sent free to every clergyman in the US.

The good news is that the information is solidly biblical and still extremely relevant. The bad news is that the essays are long, scholarly, and repetitive, especially if read back-to-back. I recommend it as a reference, but don't read it straight through like I did.

Psalm 93

God is strong and powerful.

By implication nothing else is. There's nothing and no one that can stand up to God for even a second. It's our good fortune that he loves us.

The Schleitheim Confesion, Article Four

Separation from evil 

The community of Christians shall have no association with those who remain in disobedience and rebellion against God. There can be no fellowship with the wicked in this world; there can be no participation in works, church services, meetings, or civil affairs of those who live in contradiction to the commands of God (Catholics and Protestants). All evil must be resisted including their weapons of force such as the sword and and armor.

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This is an article I both agree and disagree with. There is a desperate need for the Church of Jesus Christ to be separate from the world; they have nothing in common and no reason to be involved with each other. On the other hand, the idea of having no association whatever with non-Christians tends to kill missions and evangelism and create an insular church with a bunker mentality. I also believe a person can be mistaken about some things and not be lost.

Psalm 92

God is very good to those who love him. Does this mean that as long as you do certain things God has to bless you? Of course not. That would make you mercenary, not loving.

No one gets to hold God hostage.

Review: THE KINGDOM THAT TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE-DOWN by David Bercot

This seems like an update and expansion of Bercot's earlier book, Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up. Though doesn't appear to be much in common between the two, this book occupies a similar place at the center of Bercot's teaching.

The biggest difference between the earlier book and this one is that while Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up spent a good deal of time introducing the early Christians and their beliefs, this book shows beliefs as they have worked out over the past 25 years or so.

There's no shortage of teaching about grace and love, but it's rare to actually see them in the real world. I recommend this book.

Psalm 91

God will always protect the one who clings to him.

This psalm was quoted by Satan during the temptation recorded in Matthew and Luke. But to focus on that is to miss the whole point of the psalm. Those who place themselves under God's lordship also place themselves under his protection.

You will borrow and not lend

in the Bible debt is a curse. It's a divine punishment. Now it's seen as part of the way the world woke. And that's true. It is part of the way the world works. What's less clear is why it's part of the way the Church works.

When Christian couple gets married, they're expected to already be several hundred thousand dollars in debt or to get that way as soon as possible. Then they're supposed to spend the next few decades paying it back. During that time they're expected to get even more in debt for luxuries they can't afford and most people can't even imagine.

Congregations get millions of dollars in debt for new buildings to draw people in, who will then spend the next several years helping pay them off. Of course, more people means bigger building in an ever-increasing spiral. It's in a pastor's best interest to grow the church as large and as fast as possible.

I'm not accusing pastors of having cynical or mercenary motives. The ones I've met were by and large good men who genuinely cared about the Kingdom of God but did what they were trained to. It's the strategy as a whole that's flawed and has left the country strewn with big churches with even bigger debts.

Both individual and congregational debt have the same effect. Instead of asking what we ahead do, we have to ask what we can afford to do,

Psalm 90

God is great. At the end of the day that's all that can be said about him.

In this psalm Moses recounts the great deeds of God, from even before Creation. He also asks God to lift his curse and bless the work of the Hebrews' hands.

Review: MISREADING SCRIPTURE THROUGH WESTERN EYES by E Randolph Richards and ...

... Brandon J O'Brian

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I got a bachelor's degree in religion, and the single most important class I took was one that basically taught me to read the Bible. The gist of the class was to figure out what a passage would've meant to its original readers before trying to apply it to our culture.

This book makes the same point from a different angle. It looks at the very great damage that's been done by treating ancient Middle Eastern documents like modern Western ones. It's a lesson we in the Church all need to learn, and I recommend this book.

Psalm 89

God made a lot promises in his word, and he hasn't broken one yet. The problem is when we take promises as absolute when they're really conditional.

There's always an if.

Review: OISHINBO VOL. 2: SAKE by Tetsu Kariya

If anything, I actually care less about the subject of this volume than that of the previous one. So why do I like this series so much?

It's not the story, which is usually just as excuse to talk about food. It's not the art, which is merely serviceable. And it's not the characters; like the previous volume, this one includes stories taken completely out of context, leaving no room for character development. 

In spite of all that, I really like this series. Maybe it'll because it's like a good documentary, teaching while it entertains. Regardless, I recommend it.

Psalm 88

Even a dying man can pray.

This psalm is a cry to God from a soul with nothing else left. Even his friends and family have been taken from him, but he's still concerned for God. Dead men, after all, can offer no praise.

The Schleitheim Confesion, Article 3

THE BREAKING OF BREAD 

Only those who have been baptized can take part in Communion. Participation in Communion is a remembrance of Christ's body and blood; the real body and blood of Christ are not present in the sacrament.

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Communion -- or the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist or whatever you call it -- is the central act of Christian worship. It's one of the reasons we're told to gather together. As such it is for Christians only. Allowing others outside the faith to participate in this symbolic act is harmful, not helpful, to them.

Psalm 87

The most important thing about Jerusalem is that Zion is there. This mountain came to symbolize many things, from the city to this nation to God himself. Most notably, it was seen as this place where Earth met Heaven.

It seems only right to paise the greatest place in the world.

Review: TIME AND THE GODS by Lord Dunsany

This is the third collection of Dunsany's mythological short stories that I've read, and the idea is wearing a little thin. This is essentially The Gods of Pegana Part II; it's so similar to the earlier book that it just seems redundant. If you've already read this other book, there's no point in reading this one; if you haven't, this isn't the place to start. I don't recommend it.

Psalm 86

Please listen, God. You always have before.

The psalmist has multiple reasons for thinking that God will hear his prayer. He asked him to, it will lead to more praise for God, and most importantly God's always listened before.

Feliz cuatro de julio

That may be "Happy Fourth of July" in Spanish, but I'm not sure. I do know that this is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and is widely regarded as the birthday of the United States of America.

Millions of hours have been spent arguing about the religious feelings and motivations of the Founding Fathers. I don't want to add to the fray; I just want to say two things and get out of the way.

Being a member, or even a regular attendee, of a church doesn't make you a Christian. And even if this was founded as a Christian nation, it hasn't acted like one.

Psalm 85

Again, the psalm tells about God's power and how he has used it and should be using it.

The psalmist knows that God has the ability to do whatever he wants. It's just a matter of him wanting to. And it's not that he doesn't want to. This is the same God who sacrificed his son for people who hated him.

An announcement

I have a new post,  "Horror", up at The Bible Exchange, which really tells me they need higher standards.  www.bibleexchange.com 

Review: LUD-IN-THE-MIST by Hope Mirllees

This is considered a classic of fantasy, one of the foundational documents of the genre  it doesn't hurt that it's very good.

The story is presented as a mystery. It focuses on the Chanticleer family, upper-class merchants who resemble the Dutch merchant families of the 17th and 18th centuries. They find the family's position threatened as they're drawn ever-deeper into a plot involving Fairy.

The book harmed its reputation,I recommend it.

Psalm 84

To be honest -- which is a shouldn't think I have to use -- psalms like this just make me feel inadequate. When I read something like this, in which the psalmist talks of his overwhelming love for God's house, I wonder:

Why don't I feel that way?