Book Reivew: Day of War

I recently read “Day of War” by Cliff Graham, the first in the Lion of War series, after seeing a recommendation of it on a Christian blog written to provide encouragement for mothers of boys. “Day of War” is a fictional account of David (before he became king) and his warriors, based on 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11. It is chiefly a story of Benaiah, David, Uriah the Hittite, and the Three (Josheb, Eleazar and Shammah).

The book starts out telling of Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, when he “went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.” Although I would classify this as a “guys’ book” from the very beginning, it had me riveted. Great story-telling, great imagery.

What interested me most about “Day of War” is that – although fictional – it paints a seemingly realistic picture of life as a warrior in Old Testament times. I’m not a history buff or a student of wars, so this account helped me understand why David and his army faced and endured what they did – and how so much killing could occur in the name of Yahweh.

Though rough men with distant, abandoned families and haunting pasts, they shared a trust and deep-seated belief in God (most of them, anyway). When preparing for battle and in the midst of adversity, David and his men speak this prayer to Yahweh: “Cover me in the day of war.”

Most of us don’t face war and battle like the characters of this book. And – I would venture to guess – most of don’t fully appreciate the freedom that we have to comfortably live our lives peacefully in Christ, knowing that we have that choice and will not be persecuted or slaughtered because of it.

But in one way or another, we all have our own days of war. Our own struggles and conflicts. We would do well to remember David and his mighty men, and ask God to cover us in our days of war.

meet the reviewer: kristy wright

Kristy Wright is a born-and-raised Minnesotan, spending her first six years of life in St. Paul before moving to the northern metro with her family. She spent four years in Marshall attending Southwest Minnesota State University and earning a Bachelor’s degree in English/journalism with a minor in literature. Kristy moved back to the Twin Cities in 2000 and settled in Cottage Grove with her husband, Jeremy, in 2003. The Wrights have two young children, Jesse and Alex, and spend most of their time playing with the boys and being with friends and family. Kristy has a background in writing, working as a reporter for two years and in communications for 11 years. She currently works as a Vice President at a St. Paul-based credit union trade association, a position she has held since 2011.

theVibe 01.06.12 – New Teaching Series: Pursue

 

Book Review: Indescribable

Book Review, submitted by Jon Schommer

INDESCRIBABLE

By Louie Giglio and Matt Redman

Published by David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO (2011)

Louie Giglio is the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta and Matt Redman is a songwriter and worship leader based in Brighton, England. In this book, they take the reader on a journey to the furthest known reaches of the universe, describing stars, galaxies, the sun, the moon, distance, light, and astronomical principles. They weave together Bible verses with scientific thought and paint a picture of a Creator who is beyond comprehension.

As I read this book, I became lost in wonder. On one hand, I was overwhelmed with how many Bible verses there are that relate to our Creator and the role of His creation in worship of Him. This book does a great job in aligning Bible verses in a way that leads one to worship God! On the other hand, I was overwhelmed with the enormity and grandeur of even the small part of creation we can now describe through scientific inquiry. As Ralph W. Sockman pointed out, “The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder!”

Giglio and Redman conclude the book by pointing out that the psalmist wrote, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). But just when be might be tempted to believe that God is too big to be concerned with someone as tiny as you or me, we read, “From heavens the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place he watches all who live on earth – He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do” (Psalm 33: 13-15).

Looking up to the heights of the cosmos increases our sense of the glory of God. At the same time, it helps us realize just how extravagant His divine love is. The same hands that flung the stars into space, also surrendered to the cruel nails of the cross to bring us salvation. Oh, such indescribable love.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  — 2 Corinthians 9:15

Book Review: The Power of a Praying Parent

Book Review, submitted by Jon Schommer

THE POWER OF A PRAYING PARENT
By Stormie Omartian
Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon (1995)

Being a parent …. It is the best of jobs. It is the most difficult of jobs. It can bring the highest highs and the lowest lows. No area of your life can make you feel more like a success and no area of your life can make you feel more like a failure.

In raising children, the most important things we can do for them is to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), live as examples for them (Proverbs 20:7), and pray for them (Lamentations 2: 19) in all situations and in all aspects of life.

In this book, Stormie Omartian begins by giving great insights about how to become a praying parent and how we can release our children into God’s hands. Then, she provides useful chapters that focus on topics that we can pray about. There are 28 topics (one in a chapter), so it takes just over half a year to pray through the book. When you reach the end of the book, you can just start over again!

Each chapter ends with a written prayer that can be prayed out loud and a number of Bible verses that relate to that chapter’s topic. It is a practical, useful tool for being a praying parent. There is even a chapter that focuses on insights for how we can pray for our adult children.

This is a practical book for helping us to do something that is extraordinary.

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5: 17

theAlley’s Christmas Worship Schedule

We have two worship times on Christmas Eve:  5:00 and then an 11:00 candlelight.

The 5 and 11 will be two different services with 2 different messages.  Glory to God and peace on earth!

Angels, sandwiches and an apology.

A number of you have been asking me when the Angel posts are going to start.  I apologize that they haven’t already been up and ask your patience.  The upcoming Sandwich event and a few other unforeseen schedule changes in my world have made it hard for me to find the time to get them ready.

I promise that I won’t abandon the project but can’t promise an exact release date.  Thanks everyone for your patience.

Fasting Challenge and Some Tips

I’ve heard some great feedback from you all as we fast together.  God is answering prayers.  God is challenging people.  And God is bringing clarity.

Over the last few days we received a good number of questions about the details of the fast.  ”What can I eat?”  ”What shouldn’t I eat?”  ”Is it okay if there is salt on this?” or “How do I manage this with my kids?”

Let me answer all of those with one challenge.

- Remember the reason for the fast-

I as your pastor am more concerned and impressed that you are taking time to seek out God and surrender to Him than I am by the details of the specific level of your fast.  Some people or Level One, Two or Three. Most people are making up their own levels.  1.5 or 3.5 or the supposed Level 4 fast.

I want to encourage you to continue with the commitment you’ve made for the express purpose for which it was made:  To seek God.

So, what does that mean?  If you find yourself more worried about the details of what to eat and it’s teaching your  kids more about diet than God.  Then listen, teaching them to seek God is MORE important than creating a diet of legalism.  However, my hope is that you will identify an adjusted diet even for your kids that will be used as an aid to teach them to depend on and seek God.

Fasting is NOT easy.  Even the Daniel Fast.  But in so denying our physical appetites, and our caffeine fixes we pray that our spiritual appetite would be awakened.  Let every hunger pain or habitual look in the cupboard for something sweet remind you to seek the Lord’s face.

As you continue to hunger and thirst for all those things you’re currently deprived of I pray that it would increase your hunger and thirst for the things of God.

Tapping a deeper well

I said on Sunday that I would post a webisode on angels to fill in the gaps we didn’t get to in Hebrews chapter one.  As I’ve continued to drill into the Scriptures on the topic I think that one webisode simply won’t suffice.  I’ve decided to take a little more time to prepare and therefore  to create a series of webisode teachings on angels.

Watch for them to start rolling out on a weekly basis throughout the month of December.  Thanks for your patience, I think it will be well worth it.

Never see it the same again (2 of 3)

From FLAT to FULL

This is week two in a mini-blog series on life changing Biblical insights.  Last week I wrote about one concept then showed a litany of places in the Scripture that speak about it.

This week’s focus is on one passage and one VERY powerful truth.

Many of us grew up with a “flat” understanding of God.  It was presented as knowledge that should be internalized, memorized and regurgitated on command.  We learned facts and principles that looked good on paper but seemed to have little impact on our lives.  The truth was there.  The word was there.  But we had a flat understanding of God.

The same was true of the Pharisees whom Jesus is talking with in John 5:39-40.

³⁹ “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! ⁴⁰ Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

These are men who could recite entire books of the Bible from memory.  Yet, Jesus says to them, “You don’t know anything if you don’t know me.” In fact, multiple times in the New Testament Jesus tells the religious leaders of the day, these VERY well learned men, that they don’t know their Scriptures.  The words are nothing if not for Him.  The words are empty if not seen as being about him.  They have no power and only flat truth.

When seen through him. When he begins to leap off of the page.  When the truth of him is NOT merely seen as something to be learned but rather as C.S. Lewis says, a truth by which we see everything else.  Then it moves from being flat to full.  When you see him at the center of it all you begin to notice that through him you see everything else anew.

He is the treasure.  He is the fullness.  He is the fulfillment.  He is the way, the truth and the life.

I know many of us know “about” him.  But, let me ask you, are you beginning to see Him for the fullness that he is?

Never see it the same again (1 of 3)

It’s been said that true wisdom in not found in reaching a pinnacle of wisdom but rather knowing how much you don’t know.  The more that I dig into the Bible the more amazed I am at it’s limitless depths.  Just when I think I have something figured out I’m amazed at just how great the wisdom of God is.

One thing that has caught my attention lately is some deeper insight into the name given Jesus as the “light of the world.”  But, don’t just read what I have to say. Look at what an initial reading through some Scriptures on it teach us and contemplate on your own what this means.

John 8:12 : Jesus calls himself the light of the world.

John 1:4 : Jesus is called the “Word of God” who was God and was with God at creation.  It also says of Him that His life brought LIGHT to everyone.

Genesis 1 : God creates LIGHT on the first day of creation.  Significance is that the sun was NOT created until day four.  What was the light?

1 John 1:5-7 and Psalm 27:1 : God is LIGHT.  To be in right relationship with God is to walk in the LIGHT.  To stray from Him is to be in Spiritual darkness. God is our LIGHT and our salvation.

Exodus 26 : In the old testament tabernacle.  The holiest place within it, called the Holy of Holies had no lamp for the LIGHT of the presence and glory of God provided light to it.

Isaiah 60:19-20 and Revelation 21:22-23 : In heaven there is no sun to provide light for Jesus, the lamb of God is it’s LIGHT.  We will tabernacle (dwell) with Him in that place.

1 Timothy 6:15-16 : The risen Jesus. The King of Kings lives in LIGHT so brilliant that no sinful human can approach him.

Matthew 5:14 : You are the LIGHT of the world.  His grace reflected through you will praise your heavenly father!  You reflect His LIGHT!

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