D. Richard Ferguson's Blog, page 7

The Cure for Holiday Depression

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Gratitude vs. Greed

What do you do when you open a present and it’s not what you wanted? What’s the right way to respond—the godly way?  What’s the wrong way to respond?  Would it be fair to say the right response is gratitude and the wrong response is some form of greed? It’s gratitude vs. greed—that’s what will decide if you’re happy or unhappy when you receive a gift.

And that applies even if it’s a gift you did want. If your heart is controlled by greed instead of gratitude, you’ll be unhappy even when you get something you wanted, because you’ll just want more. Greed is at the core of all discontent.  When you have anxiety on the last day of a really great vacation because it’s almost over—that’s greed, right? Instead of being grateful for all the pleasures you’ve enjoyed on the vacation, you’re just greedy for more.

This is why kids tend to get irritable or depressed on Christmas afternoon. You say, “You have all these toys—why are you unhappy? Why can’t you just be thankful for all the gifts?” The reason is simple—it’s impossible to be greedy and grateful at the same time.

Every time you get a gift, your response will depend on which of those two comes out on top. There is a constant war that rages in every heart between gratitude and greed. And you can tell which side is winning that war by the way you respond to gifts—especially when it’s not the gift you wanted.

Mary’s Joy

One of the most profound examples of what a grateful heart looks like is Mary, when the angel told her what was going to happen.

There’s hardly a Christmas that goes by when we don’t stop at some point and imagine what it was like for Mary. She’s a young girl, marriageable age, and like every other young person she no doubt had hopes and dreams—some kind of idea of what she wanted her immediate future to be like. But then an angel comes and lets her know that her life as she knew it was over.

Luke 1:31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

He goes on to describe all these amazing things about how the child will reign over Israel forever in an eternal kingdom and all the rest. He gets done with all that, and look what she’s still stuck on:

Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

“Could you go back to the part about me getting pregnant, because … I’m not married.” I don’t blame her. There had been special people born before, but always in the normal way—a man and a woman. Imagine being a young woman—probably a teenager—and being told by an angel that you’re going to be pregnant. “Could you expand on that a little?”

Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“So … no man involved?”

Put yourself in her shoes. What will life be like if you get pregnant right now, before you’re married? A teen pregnancy in our culture is one thing. But to be an unwed, pregnant Jewish girl in ancient Israel—your life is over. What are you going to tell your parents? How are you going to explain it to your fiancé? And the legal authorities who might stone you to death? “Oh, this? Yeah—that’s from the Holy Spirit.” You might believe it because you saw the angel (and you know you’re a virgin), but unless God sends angels to everyone else in the village, what are you going to say?

And sure enough, when Joseph finds out, he decides to break it off. He’s going to keep it quiet, so maybe you won’t get stoned to death. But how are you going to make it in that world as a single mom? Not to mention the heartbreak of your fiancé—the man you thought you were going to live happily ever after with—just kicked you to the curb. You’ll probably never be married now. Whatever her hopes and dreams had been, they’re all gone now.

Mary’s Response

So how does Mary respond? She goes to see Elizabeth and says this:

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me– holy is his name.”

All she has in her near future is hardship, suffering, poverty, and shame. Future generations will call her blessed, but how many teens do you know that concern themselves with future generations? Most teens can’t really think beyond about age 30, if that far. How many teens do you know who would be thrilled to find out that the rest of their life would be really hard, but future generations would call her blessed?

How did Mary have such an amazing response? It’s very simple: she opted for gratitude instead of greed. Greed would look only at what she lost and the life she had hoped for and would be unhappy and empty. Gratitude focuses on what was given, not on what wasn’t given and results in fullness and joy. I made an effort to illustrate that point in a scene in Escape from Paradise where Adam is explaining to Abigail how she can reduce her cravings for fruit (which represents sin in the book).

The Figurine

*****

He drew a small cottage piece from the pack. He ran a string through it and placed it over her head.

Abigail inspected the wooden pendant. “It’s a carving,” she mused, running her finger over its contours. “Such detail. Who carved this? You can even see the tiny muscles straining in the child’s arms.”

“It’s a father and daughter. The box at her feet is a gift she just opened.”

“And she’s squeezing her father in gratitude,” Abigail said, still marveling at the statuette. “What a beautiful piece. Thank you.”

Breaking from her fixation on the pendant, she looked again at Adam. “But how does this help me turn off my cravings?”

“I’ll ask you the question Charles asked when he gave it to me. Why isn’t the girl crying?”

“Crying? Why would she? She just received a precious gift.”

“One gift. But how many gifts has she not received?’

“What do you mean? There are millions of things she didn’t receive.”

“Exactly. So how can she be so happy while being deprived of a million good gifts?”

Abigail nodded slowly. “Because … her attention isn’t on any of the things she didn’t receive—only on what she did receive.” Abigail studied the piece again. Something inside her melted at the touching display of happy thankfulness between daughter and father. It made her wish she was that little girl.

Adam took the piece from her fingers and turned it over. “There’s an inscription on the bottom.”

Squinting, she struggled to make out the miniscule print. “Si … Silence greed with … gratitude.”

*****

I give you that excerpt because that’s exactly what Mary did.  Whatever ideas she had in mind for what gifts she wanted from God in life, he gave her a very different gift. And instead of focusing on what he didn’t give her, she focused on what he did give her and it filled her with joy. And so instead of a bunch of “woe is me” and grumbling and self-pity, we get the Magnificat.

Gratitude Upon Completion

Everything I have said so far is basic, and probably none of that is new for you. But let me add one more perspective on this that, at least for me, really is new. I’ve been learning so much about gratitude in recent years, and what I learned most recently is the concept of letting the moment of completion trigger special gratitude. Here’s what I mean by that: When God gives you a gift, you don’t know the extent of that gift until it’s complete—until you have the whole thing.

My son Josiah wanted to go to college, God granted that desire as a gift of love to Josiah, and right now he is in the middle of receiving that gift. But if you ask Josiah to describe that gift, he won’t be able to until the end of next summer at the soonest, because that’s when he’s set to graduate. Part of the gift is still future, and Josiah doesn’t know what the remaining part of it will be.

When I say we should let the completion of a gift trigger special gratitude , what I mean is it’s good for Josiah to be grateful the whole time he’s in school , but the time of graduation should trigger a special moment of gratitude because that’s when that gift is completed and he can look back on the full gift. Any sooner and he doesn’t have the full scope of the gift in mind ; any later and it wouldn’t be as fresh in his memory , so while it’s good for him to be grateful his whole life for that gift , the most ideal moment for gratitude would be right at the time of completion.

The Problem of Greed

The problem is, when greed enters the picture, we tend to see the moment of completion as nothing but a loss. If you really enjoy college, a greedy heart my see graduation as a loss, because now that gift is over. Now, that might sound a little farfetched (especially if you’re like me and hated school). But it’s not farfetched at all when you apply it to other gifts. For example, a wonderful vacation. Most people feel depressed on the last day of a great vacation. Why? Greed—they want more. So what’s the solution? The solution is to see the last day of vacation as the completion of God’s gift. And it’s at the moment of completion that is the ideal time to be grateful. It’s in the final moment of your vacation that God puts a bow on that gift, and for the first time you’re able to see the whole gift.

If you focus on all the enjoyment you’ve had in that vacation , all the good food, the fun things, the beautiful sights, the rest and relaxation, enjoyment of family —gather it all in and let your heart sing in gratitude in that moment. Do that, and you’ll be happy and full instead of depressed and empty.

The thing that first woke me up to this idea is Nancy Demoss’s book on gratitude , where she tells the story of a teenage girl who was killed in a car accident , and when the police came and notified the family , the first thing the dad did was gather the whole family in the living room and give thanks for the 17 years they had her.

It struck me because when I suffer a loss, in my best moments, I’ll thank God for his purposes in taking that thing away, but it usually doesn’t occur to me in that moment to be grateful for the span of time God did let me have that gift. If a loved one dies, that marks the completion of the gift of that loved one’s involvement in your life.

God gives us countless temporal gifts in this life. But temporal gifts are, by definition, temporary. They are like Josiah’s college experience—they have a beginning point and an end point. And while it’s perfectly appropriate to mourn a major loss (especially the loss of a loved one) , it’s also fitting to take that moment to foster gratitude for the fullness of that gift, now that you know the ending point of it.

Isn’t that what Job did? It was after he lost everything that he said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Why did he mention the giving part at the moment when everything was taken away? It’s because it was in the moment of loss that Job was reminded that the things that were taken away were first given. They were gifts that had a beginning point and an end point.

He understood that the coming and going of gifts is the natural rhythm of life. Temporal gifts are not permanent gifts. Just like your college experience, they have an end date, and it’s on that date that you find out for the first time the extent of the gift. So did Job mourn his losses? Yes. But he also blessed God (just like Mary) because he saw those losses as simply the ending point of gifts he had received from God. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, and you never know the extent of what he has given until he takes it away.

When I first got to thinking about this principle, I applied it to the big losses in my life (like the loss of my ministry and career several years ago). But recently I’ve been seeing the importance of this in small things. Now this is something that comes into play in my life every day.

Practical Applications

One example is with food. I have a serious eating disorder.  I always want more food after eating a meal—always. If I didn’t weigh out my meals and eat only that, if I just ate until I felt satisfied, I would weigh 500 pounds. I always want more food. But the principle has really helped me. Now, I finish a meal, and when I have that impulse of wanting more, I use that as a reminder—the end of that meal was the completing of God’s gift. So now isn’t the time to think about more food. Now is the time to think back on the enjoyment of the food God just gave me and be thankful for it. It sounds simple, but for me it’s been a game changer.

I don’t know which parts of your life might need this.  Most of you probably don’t have the same eating disorder I have, but you might have some other gratitude disorder. It might be when the gift of the weekend is over and you have to go back to work. When the weekend is over, that’s the moment to step back and recall the whole, full, completed gift of that weekend—the pleasures, the rest, the freedom—whatever it is you like about weekends, and be thankful. When we’re bummed about going back to work on Monday it’s because we’re just like children who are irritable after opening a whole bunch of presents. We’re operating on greed instead of gratitude.  We’re greedy for more weekend.

For someone else, it might be that birthday you don’t want to admit you’re having. Some phase of your life is over, and you weren’t ready for it to be over. Instead of getting depressed when you turn 30 or 40 or whatever, to take that moment to gather in all the blessedness of that past decade and be grateful for it.

And Christmas time is a great time to teach this to our kids and grandkids. After the opening of presents is over, maybe take a moment to put them all in a pile and express gratitude. Recall all the moments of laughter and the smiles and feelings (“What was your favorite part? Remember when your sister opened that gift and was so surprised? I love the part where we were all laughing …”  Now that this gift from God of Christmas morning is complete, step back, take it all in, and revel in gratitude to God and the enjoyment of his kindness.

 

 

 

 

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Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ by Michael S. Heiser

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you read one book by Michael Heiser, I recommend The Unseen Realm. You can find my review of that book here.

Bottom line: I highly recommend The Unseen Realm to anyone who wants to understand Scripture. Reversing Hermon, on the other hand, I would mainly recommend to those who are curious about the book of 1 Enoch and would like to know more about it.

Heiser is known for his work on what he calls the divine council—a group of exalted spiritual beings, higher than angels, who rule with God. These are the beings Scripture is referring to when it speaks of the sons of God, the powers of the heavens, or the watchers. At the tower of Babel, when mankind rebelled against God, he punished them by allotting the nations to various sons of God. These beings were given authority over the nations, but where never to be worshipped. Some of them fell and enticed the nations to worship them anyway. Part of Jesus’ work on the cross was to defeat these powers and reclaim the nations for God.

The most famous passage in the Bible about the sons of God is Genesis 6, which is a very brief account of how the sons of God cohabited with the daughters of men at the time of the Nephilim resulting in judgment by God. Interpreters have offered several suggestions on how to interpret that chapter. Heiser argues that the interpretation endorsed by other Bible writers is the one described in the book of 1 Enoch, since 1 Enoch is quoted favorably in Jude 14-15 and alluded to in other passages. And 1 Enoch suggests that the sons of God were evil spirits who cohabited with women resulting in a race of giants (the Nephilim).

This is all described in The Unseen Realm. Reversing Hermon goes further into explaining 1 Enoch.
1 Enoch is part of what scholars call the pseudepigrapha (books named after famous Bible characters but that were not written by those characters). 1 Enoch was not written by the real Enoch. It was written between the Old and New Testaments—probably a couple hundred years before Jesus’ time. The fact that it is called “Enoch” does not necessarily mean the author was attempting to deceive people into thinking it was written by Enoch. That name may have become attached to the book later.

Heiser does not suggest that 1 Enoch is part of Scripture. But he does regard it as important since it was highly regarded in Jesus’ time and quoted by Jude. If a Bible writer uses language from 1 Enoch in contexts that match the material in 1 Enoch, it stands to reason that the assumptions and perspectives of 1 Enoch would come to the 1st Century readers’ minds.

Heiser shows how many puzzling passages in the Bible make perfect sense if seen from the point of view this interpretation of the sons of God. I found his arguments, for the most part, to be very strong. In a few cases I remain unconvinced. For example, in chapter 4 he describes how God might have revealed the exact date of Jesus’ birth through the stars. It is a fascinating discussion, however he doesn’t address the difficulties in the view. If the star that the magi followed was a constellation, how did it stop over a specific house in Bethlehem?

In chapter 5 he suggests that the women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus would have called to mind the Genesis 6 story because they each were involved in either sexual immorality or an effort to make themselves beautiful (which 1 Enoch says is one of the skills the watchers taught mankind). It seems to me all people want to look good, especially women. It seems a stretch to say that a reference to wanting to enhance one’s beauty would necessarily make readers think of the watchers in Genesis 6.

Chapter 6, on the other hand, I found extremely helpful. It explains how Mount Hermon/Bashan/Caesarea Philippi/Gog represent the realm of the sons of God, so when Jesus went there and spoke of the gates of hell not being able to withstand the onslaught of his church, it would have been seen as a clear reference to the defeat of the fallen sons of God.

The book also discusses the content of 1 Enoch and the history of the church’s attitudes toward 1 Enoch. He also provides a list of NT passages that may be allusions to 1 Enoch. Some are more convincing than others.

The book is organized into four parts:

• PART I – Genesis 6:1-4 in its Original Ancient Contexts
• Chapter 1 – The Sons of God and Nephilim
• Chapter 2 – The Sin of the Watchers in 1 Enoch and Other Enochian Tests
• Chapter 3 – The Mesopotamian Apkallu, the Watchers, and the Nephilim

• PART II – Reversing Hermon in the Gospels
• Chapter 4 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Birth of Jesus
• Chapter 5 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Genealogy of Jesus
• Chapter 6 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Ministry of Jesus

• PART III – Reversing Hermon in the Epistles
• Chapter 7 – The Sin of the Watchers and Human Depravity
• Chapter 8 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Head Covering of 1 Corinthians 11
• Chapter 9 – The Sin of the Watchers and Baptism

• PART IV – Reversing Hermon in the Book of Revelation
• Chapter 10 – The Sin of the Watchers, the Nephilim, and the Antichrist
• Chapter 11 – The Sin of the Watchers and the Apocalypse

 

The post Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ by Michael S. Heiser appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapters 17-18 Study Questions

Chapter 17 MeaningsThe Banquet Halls

The banquet halls stand for individual churches, and the weekly meals represent Sunday worship services where teachers and preachers “serve up” God’s grace to the people like table waiters. This is why I depicted church leaders as servers at the meals. The Seven in Acts 6, who were the prototypes for deacons, were put in place to serve food to widows so the Apostles would not have to “neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables” (Acts 6:2).

The banquet halls made of wood (the same material as the cottage) depict churches that operate according to Scripture. Golden banquet halls are churches that have adopted worldly values and ways of thinking. Wood, in the story, represents the Scriptures—unimpressive to men, but glorious to those with eyes to see. Gold represents the world’s glory.

Some churches, out of a desire to appeal to the masses, compromise biblical standards and trim the offensive parts of the gospel. Such churches become worldly and lose their spiritual power.

Guardians vs. Warriors

The guardians stand for angels. The concept of each person having a guardian angel is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but that certain angels are assigned to certain people seems to be implied in Matthew 18:10.

The primary task of angels is to minister to the saints.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).

The warriors depict demons.

Popular stories of spiritual warfare have depicted a war carried out mostly between angels and demons with humans offering prayer support. In Escape from Paradise, I have labored to show a more biblical model—a war between humans and evil spirits with angels offering support to the humans (Ephesians 6:12, Hebrews 1:14).

There is some indication in Scripture, however, of conflict between angels and demons when demons attempt to prevent angels from ministering to us. The evil spirit behind the Persian empire resisted the angel sent to Daniel for twenty-one days until Michael came and helped him (see Daniel 10:13).

Chapter 17 Questions

EXCERPT

Surrounding the … cottage stood hundreds of smaller buildings. … “Every week we all gather there to observe the cottage.”
“Why would you do that? I thought you could enter the cottage itself.” -p.139

QUESTION 1

In what sense does the Sunday gathering resemble a banquet? What “delicacies” are served? See John 21:15.

MY ANSWER

The pastor’s primary task is to feed the flock. Ministering God’s Word to people is cast in terms of feeding because the truths of Scripture satisfy the appetites of the soul and nourish and fortify the heart.

QUESTION 2

What are some reasons believers gather rather than simply seeking God individually? See Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 4:10; Proverbs 18:1.

MY ANWER

Heb.10 – God designed us to need mutual encouragement to successfully live the Christian life.

1 Pe.4 – God dispenses the grace we need through the various spiritual gifts. Without access to a wide variety of Christians and their gifts, we miss the grace God has for us.

Pr.18 – Isolating oneself is a trait of selfishness, not spirituality.

QUESTION 3

God designed churches to do many things. Given the following passages, which function of the church do you believe God wants to be most central? Mark 1:38; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:15, 4:13.

MY ANSWER

The preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

EXCERPT

“We enjoy individualized exploration of the cottage daily,” Watson explained. “But many of the most beautiful colors are not immediately apparent. So on the first day of each week we gather, and as we dine, the banquet servers, who study the cottage daily, point out colors we could not see on our own.” -p.138

QUESTION 4

Read Psalm 119:16-20,24. On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of desire for and delight in God’s Word? What could you do that might help increase them?

MY ANSWER

I’m thankful to God that he has given me a deep love for his Word. From childhood, I have always had a passion for it—one of the few elements of the Christian life that seems to come a little easier to me than to many others. I like to think I’m at a seven or eight, but that’s only if I compare myself to certain people who name the name of Christ today. But in comparison to the author of Psalm 119, with his soul consumed with longing for God’s laws at all times, it may be a stretch to put me at a two or three.

I think the best way I could increase my desire for Scripture would be to reduce my tendency to attempt to satisfy the appetites of my soul with the world’s junk food, spoiling my appetite for real food and drink.

QUESTION 5

Given the fact that all believers have the Holy Spirit to teach them, why do you think the Scriptures place such a high premium on the importance of teachers and preachers? See Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Timothy 3:2.

MY ANSWER

The Holy Spirit does not simply infuse knowledge into our heads. He does teach us, but when he does so, he uses means. He uses the Bible, and he also uses teachers.

Understanding God’s Word requires a great deal of study, meditation, and prayer. God gifts certain people with special ability to understand Scripture, apply it, and communicate it. To reject that is to reject the means the Holy Spirit has ordained, which is to reject the Spirit himself.

EXCERPT

Surrounding the … cottage stood hundreds of smaller buildings. Some were ornate, with opulent decorations and impressive architecture-not as impressive as the buildings in the city, but similar in style. Some were even gold in color. The ones closest to the cottage were the least remarkable, built mostly with wood. -p.138

QUESTION 6

Read about a church that considered itself rich in Revelation 3:17-18. If you were to visit a church like this, what do you think it would be like?

MY ANSWER

I would expect it to be packed. All services and events very well attended. Amazing facility. Great reputation in the community. And impressive numbers on every external marker of church success.

QUESTION 7

In some ways, we adapt to the culture around us so as not to offend (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). In other ways, we are forbidden to conform. Where do we draw the line between the two? See Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 6:17-7:1.

MY ANSWER

We must contextualize the Gospel so that it is understandable to receptive unbelievers. Common examples of failure to contextualize:

Forcing western traditions that are unrelated to the Gospel upon a foreign cultureSpeaking in “Christianese” that is incomprehensible even to the receptive unbeliever.Failing to preach the Gospel in such a way as to demonstrate its applicability and implications for the life of the average person.Having a snobbish, unloving, unwelcoming, inhospitable, exclusive or indifferent attitude toward the lost.

On the other hand, while it’s important to adapt ourselves to the context, we must never adapt the gospel. Also, we must never adapt ourselves to anything in the culture that is sinful (compromise).

There should be a stark, immediately noticeable contrast between us and the world in affections, motives, speech, and actions (Php.2:15). Our efforts to win their friendship and movement toward them must never occur in the areas of their vices (Jas.1:27). Accommodation is good in areas of tradition and culture that are completely neutral but must never involve areas of morality and purity.

Common examples of compromise:

Making entertainment the purpose of “worship” music (“Worship” that does not have God as its focus is detestable to God – Isa.29:13).Lifting human methods above expository preaching (Preaching was the method Jesus used Mt.4:23, commissioned the Apostles to use Mt.10:7, and that we are to use 2 Tim.4:2).Moving the Church from the center of God’s plan (Eph.1:22,23, 3:10, Heb.12:22,23)Making the main function of the Church focus more on the lost than on the saved (Ministry is described in Scripture mostly in terms of ministry to the Church, Eph.4:11-16, 1 Cor.12-14, see especially 14:26).Moving closer to the world in the area of vices (such as coarse language Eph.5:4, use of alcohol designed to approximate the way the world sins with alcohol to win their favor Jer.15:17, or excessive involvement in entertainment; particularly impure forms Ps.101:3).Minimizing the offensive aspects of the Gospel such as sin and the evil of the human heart (Ro.3:10-18), culpability before God (Ro.3:19), judgment (Acts 17:31), wrath (Rev.16:19), hell (Mk.9:43), the need for repentance (Acts 17:30), the sovereignty of God (Acts 17:24-27), and Jesus’ calls to complete devotion (Lk.14:26-35).Developing a “church” in which those who love the Lord with all their hearts are in the minority (Heb.12:22,23).

EXCERPT

“I suspect it was the strength of another,” Watson said. “A guardian, perhaps.”
“… The Ruler assigns them to protect us and help us when we need it.”-p.141

QUESTION 8

What is the primary task of angels? See Hebrews 1:14.

MY ANSWER

To minister to people.

EXCERPT

Sol, Watson’s guardian, had only used one hand to steady Watson and push him up the hill. His other still clutched his sword. Below lay three warriors, all gravely wounded and regretting the decision to engage Sol. -p.141

QUESTION 9

Some take Matthew 18:10 to imply that each believer has a specific “guardian” angel assigned to him/her. What is your view?

MY ANSWER

I think it’s likely that we have guardian angels.

EXCERPT

Gadol surveyed the gathering of humans in the banquet hall. “They don’t even realize we’re here, do they?”

QUESTION 10

What role do angels play in church services? See Ephesians 3:10.

MY ANSWER

They learn about God’s wisdom by watching the church.

EXCERPT

His stomach growled. He knew he should be concerned about more important things-like learning the truth about why his friend was murdered. But try as he may, his mind could not be diverted from its fantasies about the fruit in that little bag.

QUESTION 11

When you know you should focus on more important things, but some craving or lust is captivating your attention, what is the solution? See Colossians 3:1-2. What are some strategies for doing this?

MY ANSWER

The solution is to set your mind and heart on things above, not on earthly things. The more time we spend thinking about things from a biblical, spiritual perspective, the more repugnant sin will look to us and the more attractive righteousness will appear.

Some strategies are Scripture memorization and meditation, listening to Christian music, listening to sermons, conversations with godly people about spiritual things, reading books, articles, etc. with biblical insights, and prayer.

EXCERPT

“What did you do with the fruit?” Adam asked.
“Hid it down that way,” he said, pointing with his chin, then flinched at a stab of pain. “But I don’t want it. Honestly, I’m sick of running after fruit. I’m sick of it all.”
… Adam’s His stomach growled…. his mind could not be diverted from its fantasies about the fruit in that little bag.

QUESTION 12

What can make the giving up of one’s life of sin feel like gain rather than loss? See Matthew 13:44-46; Luke 15:16-17; Psalm 63:3.

MY ANSWER

The more we fix our attention on all God offers, the worse the world’s delights will look in comparison. This requires faith, trusting what God promises, time spent thinking about those promises, and delightful experiences of those promises.

EXCERPT

Levi struggled to focus, then read aloud. “Turn to me. I have crushed you to pieces, but I will heal you.” He closed his fingers around the piece, and color returned to his face. -p.144

QUESTION 13

Sometimes God tears people apart to bring them to repentance (Hosea 6:1). What might that look like?

MY ANSWER

I imagine it in terms of God allowing a series of painful hardships while withholding the strength I need to endure them, so the trials feel unbearable and I come to the end of myself.

EXCERPT

“You nearly did,” Kailyn answered. “But I’m so glad you didn’t. It would be a horrible thing for a man to die without ever meeting the only one who can give life.”
Kailyn really does have a one-track mind, Adam thought.
“But I don’t want it. Honestly, I’m sick of running after fruit. I’m sick of it all.”
Watson and Abigail exchanged a hopeful smile. Kailyn beamed. -pp.142,143

QUESTION 14

What can we learn about evangelism from both the words and the emotions of those Jesus sent to call the blind man in Mark 10:49?

MY ANSWER

Rather than calling the man himself, Jesus told the disciples to do it. That’s how he reaches the lost—using our mouths to call them to himself.

When they called the man, they were excited for him—like he had just won the lottery. We should deliver the good news as if we were giving something of infinite worth, rather than apologizing for it or presenting it as if we were offering something strange or of questionable value.

They commanded the man to respond. “On your feet.” We have authority from the Creator to command that people respond to Christ. We need not be timid about it.

Chapter 18

EXCERPT

“He has a high fever. And his wounds have reopened.” … Kailyn parked in front of Adam and locked her eyes on his. “Is it the gold, Adam? Were you dreaming about the bands? Or the bag of fruit? Something is aggravating these wounds. What are you longing for?”

QUESTION 1

Romans 13:14 commands that we not give any thought to indulging the desires of the flesh. What effect does thinking about sin have on the flesh? See Romans 8:5.

Some translations say, “make no provision for the flesh.” I believe the NIV rendering is clearer (“Do not think about how to satisfy the desires …”). The Greek word translated “provision” or “think” is pronoian, and it refers to giving forethought to something. The only other use in the New Testament is in Acts 24:2, where it is translated “foresight.”

MY ANSWER

When we have our mind set on the flesh, it results in living according to the flesh. The flesh’s destructive impulses become the dominant influence (above our rational thinking) and push us into behavior that ruins our lives and leads to death.

EXCERPT

“How do you do that?… I just snapped at you, and you’re on your knees tending my wounds.”
She shrugged, continuing her work. “The Ruler sent for you. He wants you to come home.” Then she raised her eyes and added, “And so do I.”

QUESTION 2

What principles can you find in the following passages that would help you respond to hostility with a soft answer? Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:29–32; Romans 12:16–21.

MY ANSWER

Pr.15 – If I want the hostility to come to an end, the promise that a soft answer will turn away wrath is a strong motivation. The simple action of a soft answer can accomplish what might otherwise take months or years.

Eph.4 – Being reminded that hostile responses grieve the Holy Spirit is a strong motivation if we remember how dependent we are on closeness with the Spirit for everything we most desire in life.

Also, when the way this passage describes gracious responses (kind and compassionate) and hostile responses (unwholesome, non-edifying), those descriptions make the right responses feel more desirable.

And thirdly, being reminded about Jesus’ graciousness toward us is the strongest motivation for being gracious to others, because no one ever sins against us as egregiously as we sinned against Jesus.

EXCERPT

Adam looked again at the cottage piece. “I can’t carry that. It will cut me to pieces. How did it get so splintered?”
“It becomes sharp when it touches your Judas desires. Think of a porcupine with its quills lying flat. If you move your hand in the direction they lay, they are soft and pleasant. But if you rub against the grain, you catch the sharp ends. When your desires and your will move in a good direction, the cottage brings strength, comfort, and healing. When your heart moves the other way, the barbs catch you to keep you from slipping farther.”

QUESTION 3

What determines whether God’s word is sharp (Revelation 2:12,16) or soothing (Psalm 119:102-103)?

MY ANSWER

Scripture is sharp when we have unrepentant sin and it soothes when we repent. As in the illustration in the excerpt, biblical principles are like sharp quills that feel soft when you slide your hand in the same direction they lay, but if you go against the grain, they stab you.

EXCERPT

Destruction. I’ve already been there and back. But then again, so had Kailyn. She had lost her family too. But she seemed happy. Adam had enjoyed moments of levity, but his joy was so … fragile.

QUESTION 4

What enables our joy to survive the hardships that destroy the world’s joy? See Habakkuk 3:17-19.

MY ANSWER

As the passage says, it is the fact that he is our Savior and that he provides strength and vigor and life. If we believe that, and we know how to receive those things from him, we will find them more valuable than all the things we lose during our hardships.

EXCERPT

“I don’t just ‘cope.’ I’m happier now than I have ever been. When I lost my family, the Ruler made me a promise. He said he would give me a hundred times what I lost.”

QUESTION 5

Consider a loss you have suffered for Christ. How does the promise in Mark 10:29-30 apply?

MY ANSWER

The 100-fold reward is fulfilled through the church. If you lose your blood family because of your commitment to Christ, you receive hundreds of family members in the household of God. In my case, the loss that came to mind was the loss of my last church. I lost my ministry, my career, and my friends because of my commitment to following Christ. But still, the 100-fold promise applies. It took several years, but now I have been welcomed into a new church where I am surrounded by spiritual mothers, fathers, and siblings.

QUESTION 6

The family we enjoy in the household of God is a hundred times greater than the blood relatives we might lose when we come to Christ (Mark 10:29-30). In what ways is our spiritual family superior to our physical family?

MY ANSWER

The most obvious is the size. If you are a believer, there are thousands of homes all around the world where you would receive a warm welcome. You have millions of siblings, mothers, and fathers.

Secondly, the relationships are deeper. They are based on commitment to Christ, so they supersede everything else in life. There have been billions of people who have lived and died and never once experienced a relationship like the ones routinely in the church.

QUESTION 7

Consider how passages like John 13:35 and Romans 16:16 depict relationships between believers. If people in the world saw how you interact with other believers, would it be obvious to them that there is a deeper bond and a warmer affection than the world’s friendships?

MY ANSWER

Perhaps, but not as obvious as it should be. Warmth is not something that comes naturally to me. I long to become a more affectionate person.

EXCERPT

“There is a kind of pleasure that comes from fruit-unquestionably, but it is happiness-killing pleasure. The fruit fills your stomach but empties your soul.”

QUESTION 8

See Proverbs 5:3-4, 20:17 for two examples of happiness-killing pleasure. Can you think of an example in your own life?

The post Escape from Paradise Chapters 17-18 Study Questions appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapter 17 Study Questions

Chapter 17 MeaningsThe Banquet Halls

The banquet halls stand for individual churches, and the weekly meals represent Sunday worship services where teachers and preachers “serve up” God’s grace to the people like table waiters. This is why I depicted church leaders as servers at the meals. The Seven in Acts 6, who were the prototypes for deacons, were put in place to serve food to widows so the Apostles would not have to “neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables” (Acts 6:2).

The banquet halls made of wood (the same material as the cottage) depict churches that operate according to Scripture. Golden banquet halls are churches that have adopted worldly values and ways of thinking. Wood, in the story, represents the Scriptures—unimpressive to men, but glorious to those with eyes to see. Gold represents the world’s glory.

Some churches, out of a desire to appeal to the masses, compromise biblical standards and trim the offensive parts of the gospel. Such churches become worldly and lose their spiritual power.

Guardians vs. Warriors

The guardians stand for angels. The concept of each person having a guardian angel is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but that certain angels are assigned to certain people seems to be implied in Matthew 18:10.

The primary task of angels is to minister to the saints.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).

The warriors depict demons.

Popular stories of spiritual warfare have depicted a war carried out mostly between angels and demons with humans offering prayer support. In Escape from Paradise, I have labored to show a more biblical model—a war between humans and evil spirits with angels offering support to the humans (Ephesians 6:12, Hebrews 1:14).

There is some indication in Scripture, however, of conflict between angels and demons when demons attempt to prevent angels from ministering to us. The evil spirit behind the Persian empire resisted the angel sent to Daniel for twenty-one days until Michael came and helped him (see Daniel 10:13).

Chapter 17 Questions

EXCERPT

Surrounding the … cottage stood hundreds of smaller buildings. … “Every week we all gather there to observe the cottage.”
“Why would you do that? I thought you could enter the cottage itself.” -p.139

QUESTION 1

In what sense does the Sunday gathering resemble a banquet? What “delicacies” are served? See John 21:15.

The post Escape from Paradise Chapter 17 Study Questions appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the most fascinating book I’ve read in a very long time.

Michael Heiser is a respected scholar, and the material in this book has been peer reviewed and is widely accepted among scholars. I begin with that because the assertions in the book may strike the reader as fringe ideas. They are not. But most readers will find them unfamiliar.

The primary thesis is that that Scripture affirms the existence of a “divine council” made up of powerful spiritual beings, higher than angels, that bear God’s image and were God’s family prior to the creation. They are called sons of God, powers of the heavens (or simply “powers” in the Epistles), and the heavenly host. Some of them rebelled and became evil. At the tower of Babel, God punished the people by dividing them up into nations and allotting the sons of God to rule over the various nations. These beings are responsible for a great deal of the evil in the world and play a very significant role in God’s dealings with people throughout the Bible. God’s plan is to judge the fallen powers, reclaim the nations for himself, and elevate Christians to take their place in the divine council.

Heiser goes through the whole Bible, section-by-section, clearing showing the role these beings play at every point. As I listened to the audio book, Heiser dealt with one passage after another that has always confused me and showed how they made perfect sense with these beings in view. This includes insights into messianic prophecy, the day of Pentecost, the Transfiguration, and many end times prophecies.

There are some interpretations I don’t’ agree with. The most significant is Heiser’s view of predestination. He argues that not everything that happens is ordained by God. His argument is that since God foreknows some things that don’t happen (as seen when God says things like, “Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented if …” He knows what would have happened in different circumstances, even though it didn’t happen), therefore not everything God foreknows is ordained. He then assumes that even some things that do happen, while they were foreknown by God, were not ordained by him. This strikes me as terrible logic. The fact that God didn’t ordain things that didn’t happen does not prove that he didn’t ordain things that did happen. Heiser gives no explanation for the many passage that speak of even negative things coming from God, such as Acts 4:28, Ecclesiastes 7:14, and Amos 3:6.

I should also point out, however, that his ideas about predestination have very little to do with the thesis of the book, which stands just as firmly regardless of whether the reader agrees or disagrees with his view of predestination. It is not a problem that the powers of the heavens are capable of choosing evil any more than it is a problem that human beings can choose evil.

Another point I’m not sure I’m convinced of is his view that the angel of the LORD is the pre-incarnate Christ. He argues that since that being is identified with Yahweh, he must be God. It’s true he is identified with Yahweh, but he is also called an angel, even in the New Testament. For me, it seems easier to explain why an angel would be identified with Yahweh (messengers sent by kings were often identified with the sovereign who sent them. I would find it much more difficult to explain why God himself would be called an angel (although I must admit, Heiser’s explanation is the best I’ve heard, and I am considering it. But as of yet, I remain unconvinced.)

My disagreements aside, this book has revolutionized my understanding of Scripture. I highly recommend it.

The post The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapter 15 & 16 Study Questions

Chapter 15 MeaningsThe Dark Cloud

Only when Adam first crosses into the high country does he realize he has been in a dark cloud all his life. This depicts the spiritual darkness of the world. Unbelievers hate the light because it exposes their sin (John 3:19-20). The result is they live in the darkness and are blinded by that darkness (1 John 2:11).

Later, darkness descends on the group whenever someone in the group sins in secret. This illustrates how even believers can bring darkness upon themselves by imitating the way unbelievers live. This is why Scripture calls us to live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

The Weapons of the Wind

The weapons given by the wind represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I portray them as weapons in the story because spiritual gifts are the primary tools by which the Church carries out its work. And the Bible depicts the Church as being at war with the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18).

EXCERPT

“The lowlands are under a cloud. … You can’t see the cloud while you’re in it. It’s only visible from the light.” -p.123

QUESTION 1

What is the significance of the terms “darkness” and “light” in describing the world and the kingdom of God? See Colossians 1:13; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14.

MY ANSWER

Light represents both righteousness and truth. Darkness stands for evil and deception/confusion. Light exposes reality; darkness hides it.

EXCERPT

“When people eat fruit, they prefer to do it in the dark. They value privacy above all because they believe it gives them freedom. The more people seek privacy, the more the atmosphere itself grants that privacy. Every year, the cloud in the lowlands grows darker. It’s one reason so few people ever escape the orchard. They hate the light.” -p.123

QUESTION 2

What is currently hidden in darkness that Jesus will expose? See 1 Corinthians 4:5.

MY ANSWER

My motives

QUESTION 3

What is it about the darkness that results in ungodly actions? See Ephesians 5:8-14. 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8. In practical terms, what can a person do to walk in light rather than darkness?

MY ANSWER

When we live in darkness (privacy), so no one sees our actions, or we’re alone without accountability too much, sin flourishes.

EXCERPT

“Do not mistake ease for guidance,” Watson said. “The best path is seldom the smoothest.”-p.124

QUESTION 4

If the best path isn’t always the smoothest (See Matthew 7:13-14), how does one discern God’s guidance? See Psalm 23:3. When is it okay to take the smoother path? Compare Acts 9:24-25 with Acts 21:12-13.

MY ANSWER

God guides us in paths of righteousness. When making decisions, any path that involves unrighteousness (whether it be in motives, attitudes, or actions), that is not the way God is guiding. If there is no unrighteousness involved, we can be assured we are in God’s will, regardless of the outcome.

Paul’s decision to escape those who were after him in ch.9 did not involve unrighteousness. But avoiding Jerusalem in ch.21 would have, because it would have meant he was putting his own safety ahead of his calling and the work of the gospel.

EXCERPT

“It still hurts, but I feel strong. Abigail was right about the cottage piece. The healing power in that thing is unbelievable.”-p.124

QUESTION 5

How might one experience spiritual healing without any decrease in pain? See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

MY ANSWER

When God gives extra grace, it can result in Christ’s power resting upon you, resulting in joy and strength even as the pain continues.

EXCERPT

“Will my eyes ever recover”?
“It’s possible. The remedy for that is the same as for the wolf bites. When faith is damaged-whether by doubt or by believing wrong things, it is restored only through wrapping your hands as tightly around the cottage pieces as you can until you can get to the cottage and receive the cure.” -p.125

QUESTION 6

How does one cure the problem of faltering faith? See Romans 10:17.

MY ANSWER

Faith comes from hearing God’s Word (with the proper attitude—a submissive, eager, receptive heart that responds in obedience).

EXCERPT

“It’s different here,” Adam said.
Watson looked at him. “You mean on this side of the river?” –p.126

QUESTION 7

What are some ways the church is different from the world? See Matthew 5:47, 6:7-8; Mark 10:42-43; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1.

MY ANSWER

Mt.5 – Christians love their enemies.
Mt.6 – Christians pray to God as our Father, rather than treating prayer as a ritual.
Mk.10 – We lead through servanthood, while in the world, people lord it over those they lead.
2 Cor.6 –
We are righteous; they are wicked.
We are light; they are darkness.
We serve Christ; they serve Satan.
We believe; they do not.
We are the temple of God, where he dwells; they are an idolatrous “temple.”
We are holy; they are unclean.
We are God’s children; they are not.

EXCERPT

“When you go through the cottage, you receive an assignment and a specialized weapon you’ll need to carry out that assignment. The weapon is unique-no one gets exactly the same as you.”-p.127

QUESTION 8

What is the purpose of the spiritual gifts? See 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7. How might your gift be used for this purpose?

MY ANSWER

1 Pe.4 – to dispense God’s grace to his people.
1 Cor.12 – To edify the church.

My gifts are in the area of teaching. I’m striving to use them to build up the saints through teaching, preaching, counseling, writing, and encouraging the saints at church in the small groups I’m in.

EXCERPT

“Are you saying that’s your weapon-your smile?”
“It’s the most powerful of all our weapons,” Watson said. “We all envy Abigail.” -p.127

QUESTION 9

Sometimes Christians consider virtues like faith, love, and self-control as especially important, while joy is relegated to “icing on the cake” status. How would you rate the importance of joy in light of Romans 14:17; Philippians 1:23-26; and 2 Corinthians 1:24? What is it that makes joy so important?

MY ANSWER

Joy is every bit as important as the more celebrated virtues. The reason it’s so crucial is that our most important task is to glorify God, and nothing glorifies him more than when we delight in him. As John Piper famously says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

EXCERPT

“… your smile? … how is that a weapon?”
“The only way the enemy can harm us is by corrupting our desires. … The more a person enjoys the Ruler and his delicacies, the more good desires are strengthened and the harder it is for the enemy to pervert them.” -p.127

QUESTION 10

What are some ways the Christian life would become easier if you had greater joy in the Lord?

EXCERPT

   “And it’s a weapon that protects us all,” Kailyn added. “There have been plenty of times when my joy dried up but was rekindled just by being around Abigail.” -p.127

QUESTION 11

In what ways have fellow believers helped increase your joy in the Lord? And can you think of anything the Lord might want you to do at this time to work for someone else’s joy?

MY ANSWER

The greatest way fellow believers have increased my joy is by walking with the Lord. I absolutely love it when I see righteousness. And it makes me especially happy when they make spiritual progress as a result of my ministry in some way.

Other ways people bring me joy is by encouraging me, instructing me, protecting me, and helping me draw nearer to God and walk in his ways more.

One thing I need to pay better attention to is expressing my joy. I think my natural disposition is such that it seems to others like I’m in a bad mood most of the time. I think I could help others have more joy if I were more expressive about my own. Very often I’m happy, but I do nothing to express it.

Chapter 16 MeaningsThe Room of Delights

The Room of Delights illustrates the process of God teaching us to seek joy in him alone rather than through relief from our suffering. Jesus taught that even in times of mourning, we are blessed when we have his comfort (Matthew 5:4). Even amid persecution, we have cause to rejoice (Matthew 5:10-12). Even in times of weakness, we have strength in him (2 Corinthians 12:10).

The side of empty pleasure illustrates the unfulfilling pleasures of this world apart from God (see 1 Timothy 5:6; Ecclesiastes 2:1–11). The side of painful happiness illustrates the joy found in God’s presence even when circumstances are painful (see Habakkuk 3:17-18).

EXCERPT

“When you mentioned my smile, you looked at my scar. Let me tell you how I got both the smile and the scar. It happened in the room of delights … It has a series of stone barriers down the center. The left side is the path of empty pleasure; the right, the way of painful happiness.” -p.129

The side of empty pleasure à the unfulfilling pleasures of this world apart from God (see 1 Timothy 5:6; Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

QUESTION 1

Can you think of instances in your life when you chose a pleasurable path that left you empty?

MY ANSWER

Too many to count. Mostly what comes to mind are instances of overindulgence. Especially with food. The pleasure of indulging isn’t a fraction the intensity of the agony of regret—especially when it’s an issue of immorality.

QUESTION 2

The side of painful happiness illustrates the truth of Habakkuk 3:17-19 and Psalm 4:7. What are some examples from your life of when you chose painful happiness over empty pleasure?

MY ANSWER

There have been times when I was irritated at my wife over some little thing and was tempted with the empty pleasure of expressing my irritation. When I have given in to that temptation, I’ve always regrated it. But in the times when I chose to overlook it and show her love, the rest of the day we enjoyed closeness and happiness—a million times more satisfying than voicing my irritation.

QUESTION 3

In those times when you had joy even in the midst of pain, what was the source of happiness? See Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, 5:19-20.

MY ANSWER

The source of all joy is God. Even when I enjoy a person or activity or something in the creation, it is an act of God that enables that enjoyment in that moment. Apart from that act of God, it would be impossible for me to enjoy anything.

EXCERPT

“It took several more times on both sides before I realized what was happening. Each time, no matter which side I chose, the Ruler stayed on the right side. When I went left, despair came because I wasn’t near him. So the pleasure didn’t matter. And when I went right, I was close to him, so the pain didn’t matter.” -p.132

QUESTION 4

What is the relationship between the presence of God and human joy? See Psalm 89:15-16, 16:11, 21:6.

MY ANSWER

Causing joy in the human spirit is an attribute of God. Just as fire makes things hot, God’s presence makes the human spirit joyful. There is no possible case in which a human spirit could encounter God’s presence and not become joyful.

QUESTION 5

Contrast the effect suffering has on the happiness of shallow pleasure with the effect it has on the joy that comes from God’s presence. Compare Jonah 4:6-8 with Acts 5:40-41, 16:24-25. See also Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.

MY ANSWER

The happiness that comes from earthly pleasures is incredibly fragile. Jonah becoming suicidal when his shade plant dies is comical, but it’s an accurate picture of what earthly joy is like. Happiness based on money can be wiped out in a second if the money is lost. The same goes for every other example of earthly joy-givers. Even the greatest, most intense earthly pleasure wouldn’t keep a smile on your face for even ten seconds if you were being flogged like the Apostles, much less fill you with joy that made you want to sing.

EXCERPT

“The purpose of that room was to teach me that refuge is better than relief.” -p.133

QUSETION 6

What is your analysis of the statement “refuge is better than relief” in light of Psalm 73:25-28 and Habakkuk 3:17-19?

MY ANSWER

Ps.73 – With God as his refuge, the psalmist has strength even as his heart fails. It’s better to have strength and be in pain than to have no pain, but no strength either. Imagine two men. One is a very healthy, strong young athlete. He’s working on his roof and takes a 15 ft. fall. It hurts, but he dusts himself off and walks away. The second man is old, frail, and weak. He stumbles on a rug in his carpeted living room, falls, and breaks his hip. Which man would you rather be—the one who suffered a far worse fall, but had strength, or the one who had only a very minor fall but lacked strength?

Hab.3 – The prophet is joyful, glad, and full of strength, even in the midst of catastrophic problems. I would rather be happy in the midst of a catastrophe than be empty and dry in the midst of plenty of wealth and food.

EXCERPT

“On the day you see what it is, you must decide. And it will be a hard decision. A painful one. That day will be the best day or the worst day of your life.” -p.134

QUESTION 7

When a person chooses whether or not to follow Christ, one might expect the person to come away happy no matter what they decide, because they are free to choose whichever option they most desire. Yet some come away rejoicing and others grieving. Why is this? See Mark 10:17, 21-22; Luke 19:6-9.

MY ANSWER

Those who reject Christ are following their greatest desire, but it’s a Judas desire. It betrays them, and bars them from the path of blessing. The rich ruler was sad because he knew the benefits of following Jesus and he very much wanted those benefits. But he was unable to take hold of them because his love of money made it impossible.

Love of this world is a horrible task master. It won’t free us, even when we are desperate for something better.

QUESTION 8

Some see the decision to become a Christian as nothing more than agreeing to pray a prayer or raising a hand at a pastor’s invitation. How would you characterize the decision? See Luke 14:26-33.

MY ANSWER

The decision to become a Christian is a massive decision—bigger than whether to buy a house or who to marry. Much bigger. It involves giving up everything you have, including your very life. It involves humbling yourself—even crucifying your old self. Jesus told us to count the cost before making the decision because those who make it in a shallow way often don’t last. They are like the shallow soil in Mark 4, where the person hears the word and receives it with joy, but when he faces the heat of persecution, he quickly falls away.

EXCERPT

Abigail stopped and took Adam’s arm. “Listen. Don’t worry about the room of delights. For now, just think about the banquet hall. All you have to do there is sit, eat, and enjoy. Trust me-you’ll love it!” -p.135

QUESTION 9

How is it that Christians tend to have such love for the Church even after they have been mistreated by people in churches? See Ephesians 5:25–26; Revelation 5:8; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5 1 Corinthians 3:16–17, 5:4; Ephesians 3:10.

The post Escape from Paradise Chapter 15 & 16 Study Questions appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapter 15 Study Questions

Chapter 15 Meanings

The Dark Cloud

Only when Adam first crosses into the high country does he realize he has been in a dark cloud all his life. This depicts the spiritual darkness of the world. Unbelievers hate the light because it exposes their sin (John 3:19-20). The result is they live in the darkness and are blinded by that darkness (1 John 2:11).

Later, darkness descends on the group whenever someone in the group sins in secret. This illustrates how even believers can bring darkness upon themselves by imitating the way unbelievers live. This is why Scripture calls us to live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

The Weapons of the Wind

The weapons given by the wind represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I portray them as weapons in the story because spiritual gifts are the primary tools by which the Church carries out its work. And the Bible depicts the Church as being at war with the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18).

EXCERPT

“The lowlands are under a cloud. … You can’t see the cloud while you’re in it. It’s only visible from the light.” -p.123

QUESTION 1

What is the significance of the terms “darkness” and “light” in describing the world and the kingdom of God? See Colossians 1:13; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14.

 

The post Escape from Paradise Chapter 15 Study Questions appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

The Façade by Michael S. Heiser

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook because I’ve been listening to the author’s podcast (the Naked Bible Podcast), and I have enjoyed it. Michael Heiser is a scholar in biblical studies and ancient near east culture, and his podcast focuses on biblical theology. If you are interested in in-depth study of Scripture, I highly recommend his podcast. It’s outstanding.

His fiction writing, on the other hand, leaves quite a bit to be desired. In my judgment, the novel is poorly written. It has all kinds of point of view problems (“head hopping”), there is a whole lot of telling and very little showing, there aren’t any interesting characters, the use of overuse of adverbs to describe dialogue becomes comical at times, the plot is difficult to follow, and, worst of all, I found the whole story boring.

I was also unimpressed with the narration. The reader has an amazing voice, but he seems to me like an over-actor. He makes the characters sound whiny and ridiculous.

On the other hand, I did find the book helpful. I didn’t read it to be entertained–I read it to get an idea of Heiser’s views about the sons of God in Genesis 6. And he does present his argument for his divine council view in the story. So that accomplished my purpose for listening through the book (although it would have been nice if I could have just skipped right to the chapter where all that is explained without having to suffer through the rest of it).

I think you can safely skip this book, but if you’re interested in biblical theology, or you just want some good scholarly studies of several books of the Bible, subscribe to his Naked Bible podcast. It’s outstanding.

The post The Façade by Michael S. Heiser appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapter 14 Study Questions

Chapter 14 Meanings

The Author of Life/Ruler

The author of life is a reference to the Ruler (Jesus). Jesus is called the Author of life in Acts 3:15 and the Ruler of the kings of the earth in Revelation 1:5.

Cottage Pieces

Observing cottage pieces illustrates reading the Bible. Studying a cottage piece and grasping it tightly illustrates taking the truth of Scripture to heart.

The inscriptions on the cottage pieces are the text of Scripture. The inscription on the piece Adam receives in Chapter 14 is the parable of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44).

Dropping a cottage piece illustrates forgetting or doubting a portion of God’s Word. The truths of Scripture do us no good if they don’t remain in our hearts (James 1:23-25).

Empowerment

Being empowered represents receiving the Holy Spirit. All believers received the Spirit at conversion (1 Corinthians 12:13), and each has received a manifestation of the Spirit (a spiritual gift) to be used for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). It is the Holy Spirit who empowers believers to accomplish God’s purposes (Romans 15:13).

EXCERPT

“It’s important,” she said, holding it out to him, “that you hold the colors in your mind. If they fade from your memory, study the piece again. That will give you strength to walk.” -p.118

QUESTION 1

How does one become strengthened through God’s Word? See Psalm 1:2–3; 1 John 2:14; 1 Peter 2:2.

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Can Christians Claim a Religious Exemption to the Vaccine?

[For those who prefer to watch rather than read, the video version of this post is here.]

In a speech last Thursday (9/9/21), President Biden began by expressing his frustration “with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated” and went on to lay out several coercive measures to force vaccination on those who have hesitated.

The reasons for hesitation are varied. The question on the minds of some is whether a Christian can claim a religious exemption.

For a religious exemption to be valid, according to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the objection must rise from religious beliefs that are “sincerely held.”

The Mark of the Beast?

Since New York implemented it’s policies disallowing unvaccinated people from many businesses, some have seen a connection with Revelation 13:17, where those who refuse the mark of the beast are not allowed to buy or sell.

Would concerns about the mark of the beast be a legitimate reason to claim a religious objection? If one can honestly claim such concerns are sincerely held beliefs, the answer is yes.

But should Christians be concerned about whether the vaccine is the mark of the beast?

Fears of inadvertently receiving the mark of the beast may be quelled by considering the alternative—the seal of God. Those who receive the beasts mark on their foreheads suffer God’s wrath (Revelation 14:11). Those who receive God’s seal on their forehead are protected from God’s judgments (Revelation 9:4).

I find it odd that so many Christians obsess about the mark of the beast but show comparatively little interest in the seal of God. If one has the seal, he need not worry about the mark. Why is there not at least as much effort put into obtaining the seal than there is about avoiding the mark?

A mark on the forehead symbolizes one’s allegiance. If your allegiance is to Christ, you are safe—even if someone tricks you into getting a tattoo, chip, or vaccine.

Body as Temple?

What about the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)? Or purifying yourself from everything that contaminates body or spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1)?

Neither passage has anything to do with protecting your body from physical harm. They are about moral defilement. Whatever harm the vaccine may do to the body, it cannot defile you morally.

My Objections

If I were required by my employer to take the vaccine, I would resist on the basis of a religious objection, but not out of concern for the mark of the beast or protection of the temple of the Spirit. My first objection would be on the ground of stewardship.

Stewardship and Wisdom

God has given us bodies and called us to use them in his service. We are to carry out his work and serve others. Taking unwise risks with our bodies is foolish—a way of living God has forbidden. Just as we should be good stewards of our money, it is even more important that we manage our bodies well, as they are worth more than our money.

COVID 19 is not a significant health risk to me. And much more is known about COVID than about the side effects of the vaccine. Indeed, nothing is known about long term effects. There have been many instances in which perfectly healthy people have taken the vaccine and have had very serious side effects or even death.

What is the likelihood of suffering side effects worse than the effects of COVID? I don’t know. And I have no way of knowing. The scientific research on anything connected to COVID has become so politicized that I have no trust in it. So much money and so much political power is invested in a particular narrative, and so many clear falsehoods were propagated about the issue in 2020 that I have no confidence that information from any source will be accurate. After a year of stories about people who died of COVID after being decapitated in a car accident, I’m skeptical about all reports.

If someone came to me with a new investment and said, “It’s never been tested and there is no track record to point to, but trust me, it will perform better than the stock market,” I would be a poor steward if I took all my retirement out of the 401K and risked it on the unproven investment scheme. It would be even more foolish to risk my health on an unknown risk. Especially when those assuring me of its safety have a strong financial and political interest in me taking the shot.

NOTE: If a fellow believer made the judgment call differently and decided that for them, the risks connected with the shot are worth it, I would certainly not say that those people are wrong. It’s not my role to make that call for others–only for myself. For them, it may very well be the wisest course to get the shot.

Standing against Oppression

Another possible reason a Christian might object is to stand against oppression. The heavy-handed control government officials are using in connection with COVID seem to go beyond a concern for public health. At this time, 75% of adults in the U.S. have taken the shot. Given the pandemic status of the virus, a considerable number of the remaining 25% have had COVID and possess natural immunity (which has been found to be 6 to 13 times more effective than the vaccine). Even with that number vaccinated, the number of COVID cases now is more than double it was a year ago. The motive behind the vaccine push seems to be something other than public health.

Many politicians, after 2020, seem to be drunk with power. Under the justification of a health emergency, many government officials have claimed absolute authority to do whatever they claim to be in the interests of public health. For politicians to posses that much power is dangerous, and history shows it always results in oppression.

As we learned in the civil rights movement, stopping government oppression requires large numbers of people resisting. As a Christian, I believe I have responsibility to do my part in standing against illegal government oppression to protect future victims of oppression.

A Hill to Die on?

If the government threatened me with jail for preaching the gospel, I would still preach. If they said, “Renounce what the Bible says about homosexuality, or go to prison,” I would go to prison. For that matter, I would die before renouncing anything in the Bible.

Would I die before getting the jab? No. I wouldn’t even go to jail over it. The command to preach the gospel in Scripture is undeniable. But the decision about how much risk is too much—that’s a judgment call. I would not go to jail over a judgment call. But that doesn’t make it any less a religious issue. It is still a sincerely held religious belief and therefore falls under the category of valid religious objection.

The protections of the Civil Rights Act were meant to be broad. Lawmakers (correctly) went out of their way to prevent employers from placing any requirements on employees that might anywhere close to forcing people to behave in ways that contradict their religious beliefs. It doesn’t have to be an issue you would go to jail over, only something you sincerely believe.

 

 

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