D. Richard Ferguson's Blog, page 9

At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry by Steve Gallagher

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m not sure I would recommend the beginning of this book. In an effort to relate to the struggles men face, Gallagher describes various sexual sins in ways that could potentially increase temptation in the minds of men who struggle with lust. The most helpful chapters are ch.12-17, where he gives solutions.

A few minor concerns – on p.202 he seems to confuse repentance with victory. He describes a situation where a man who is remorseful but continues to stumble, and suggests that his ongoing stumbling shows a lack of repentance. He also holds to a view of demonic atmospheres, where demons of certain sins dominate a particular area (p.231). And on p.257, he makes a point about how love involves serving, regardless of emotion. That is true, but I think he goes too far in understating the importance of emotion. A man should serve his wife, but he should also take delight in her and have desire for her.

The most helpful principle I found in the book was his point about how lust is selfishness. When a lustful temptation arises, remind yourself that it would be selfishness, and think about what you can do to serve someone. If nothing else, pray for someone.

Overall, I think there are more helpful books on the topic of sexual purity. I recommend Finally Free by Heath Lambert.

The post At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry by Steve Gallagher appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Of all the Ted Dekker books I’ve listened to so far, this has the best storytelling. The characters are interesting, the prose is excellent, and the story held my interest throughout, which is not an easy task.

The narrator of the audiobook does an amazing job.

One big disappointment was the main theme of the book, which has to do with judgment. It is repeatedly claimed that neither God the Father nor Jesus judge anyone, and that Jesus called his followers to forgive the whole world unconditionally.

It is true that John 5:22 says, “The Father judges no one …” but the sentence goes on to say, “…but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” Jesus does judge. Indeed, his is the final judge of all mankind (2 Tim.4:1). Anyone who thinks Jesus forgives unconditionally should read his blistering condemnation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. God does not forgive unconditionally, nor does he love unconditionally (another claim made in the book). There is a sense in which God loves the whole world (John 3:16), but not as his children. To receive his fatherly love one must be his child, which only happens through faith in Christ (John 1:11-13).

The post A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life by Paul D. Stanley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be extremely helpful in thinking through the concept of mentoring. Most people have kind of a narrow concept of mentoring. This book broadens the per spective, describing seven different kinds of mentoring that range from the more deliberate and intensive (such as what he refers to as discipler, spiritual guide or coach) to the more passive and less deliberate, such as someone who is simply a good model.

For each type he gives lots of examples, specifies when they are most helpful, and describes both how to be that kind of mentor and how to respond to that kind of mentor.

A few weaknesses of the book are:

* questionable theology in the section on discipleship. He seems to think that not all Christians are disciples – an error of the “anti-lordship” movement.

* Most of the examples in the book have to do with mentoring outside the Church. It would have been more helpful to have more material on spiritual mentoring within the Church.

* The authors seem to be more influenced by psychology than by biblical counseling.

The post Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life by Paul D. Stanley appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Three by Ted Dekker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the better Ted Dekker book I’ve read. It held my interest throughout, which rarely happens with a novel (or any book for that matter). The storytelling was intriguing–especially the depiction of the delightful childhood friendship. Very heart-warming.

The message of the book is fascinating. The idea is that man has three natures, as revealed in Romans 7. The bad nature, that “keeps one sinning,” a good nature that wants to follow God’s law (but fails), and the “I” who is choosing between the two.

Dekker’s understanding of man’s nature seems to be that unregenerate man has within him both a good and bad nature, and, with God’s help, can choose the good. This falls well short of the traditional Protestant understanding of human depravity. However I still find it an interesting lens through which to consider Romans 7. Whether we want to call them three natures or not, we can’t deny that in that chapter, part of Paul only sins and another part of him longs to follow God’s law. And it may be argued a third part is the “I” who is distressed over the part that keeps sinning (though I’m not sure it’s possible to distinguish between that part and the part that wants to keep God’s law).

The traditional Protestant view (which I believe to be correct) is that it is our fallen nature that keeps sinning, and it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that ones desires to keep God’s law. Nevertheless, the text is clear that the part of Paul that wanted to keep God’s law was indeed Paul, in a very real sense.

At any rate, an enjoyable read, and a fantastic discussion started on the nature of man.

The post Three by Ted Dekker appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Thomas Wingfold, Curate by George MacDonald

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The one thing I know for sure about this book is that I need to read it again. This time, slower.

For most modern fiction readers, among whom the adjective “preachy” is an epithet in describing a novel, a book like this one will be most unwelcome. Numerous sermons appear in the story, sometimes taking several pages. And most of the dialogue is comprised of long, detailed theological discussions. For that reason, the story develops very slowly. It’s actually pretty boring in many places, to be honest.

On the other hand, for those who read fiction to be changed and to grow spiritually, this book is a gold mine. Much of the book is an apologetic against atheism. And MacDonald sets forth the arguments in far greater depth that is found today in most nonfiction apologetics texts. In fact, I think if most Christians were confronted with the arguments of the antagonists in the book, they would not be able to answer them.

The story is also peppered with countless spiritual insights that require the reader to set the book down to contemplate them if they are to be fully digested.

The post Thomas Wingfold, Curate by George MacDonald appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

The Baron’s Apprenticeship by George MacDonald

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as a teenager, and the portrayal of the main character’s honesty was so moving to me, to this day it inspires me. This book did what Christian fiction should do–it took something I already knew (that honesty is good) and made it look so appealing that it helped me grow and change in ways nonfiction can’t.

The post The Baron’s Apprenticeship by George MacDonald appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just now getting around to reading the books everyone else read in high school.

Animal farm is a detailed allegory about the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Stalin. The basic idea is the animals overthrow the oppressive farmer and take over, but soon the leaders of the revolution (the pigs) become just as oppressive as the farmer was–the story of Marxism. Each of the details in the story represents some aspect of the Bolshevik Revolution.

The story is a good one for our culture today because Marxism is making a push in the Black Lives Matter movement and politicians such as “the Squad” and many others in today’s Democrat party. The Marxist philosophy Orwell parodies in this story is on the rise today in the form of Critical Race Theory.

Critical Theory is a philosophy that says the system needs to be destroyed because it is inherently oppressive. It preys on people who feel oppressed, or who are open to be convinced they are oppressed and promises those people that if they participate in the revolution, they will finally be the ones in power.

When those people do gain power, they inevitably become just as oppressive or more oppressive than those they overthrew. (Can you imagine being governed by the rioters of 2020?)

I pray that our culture will be able to see BLM and Critical Theory for what it is and reject it.

View all my reviews

The post Animal Farm by George Orwell appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

Why Is Behavior So Hard to Change?

Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Why is that? Why do we have so much trouble getting our bodies to do what our spirit desires? When I know my life would be so much better if I could just change my behavior in a certain area, why is it so hard?

Behavior follows thoughts. It’s impossible to live in a way that isn’t in line with your thought life. What you think about set the trajectory of your life. This is why there are so many passages of Scripture that command us to set our thoughts on godly things.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).

“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).

The Steering Wheel of Your Life

Your thought life is the steering wheel of your life. It’s impossible to let your thoughts run in one direction and steer your behavior in a different direction.

The problem is we live in a world where spiritual realities are invisible. We can see temporal things but the most important realities—spiritual laws, faith, unbelief, divine rewards, angels, demons, God, even our own hearts—all invisible.

You get up in the morning and spend 15 minutes alone with God, you pray, fill your mind with spiritual truths from God’s Word, then go out into the world where a godless culture bombards you with a secular mindset for the next 23 hours. Even if you manage to punctuate those hours with prayer, still, those prayers last for seconds, maybe minutes, but not hours.

How to Focus on God the Rest of the Day

How can you set your mind on things above for longer stretches?

The primary way—the way Jesus was most fond of and that he taught us to use—is sermons. Jesus devoted his time to preaching (Matthew 4:23). It was the reason he came into this world (Mark 1:38). He taught his disciples to do the same (Mark 3:14).

A good sermon can keep your mind on things above for an hour or longer. Sometimes a lot longer if it’s an especially memorable message.

But sermons aren’t the only way to fix your thoughts on spiritual things. What if there were a way to set not only your thoughts, but also your affections—emotions, attitudes, desires, and imagination—on spiritual realities for hours, days, or weeks?

The Role of Christian Fiction

That was my goal when I set out to write the Walk with the Wind novel series. I spent years studying the art of storytelling, learning everything I could to accomplish this one purpose: to craft a story that would take abstract gospel truths and dramatize them in a such a way as to imprint them on the reader’s soul.

Most of the time, learning God’s Word is hard work. But when conveyed in a story—a story that transports you into another world to the point where you forget you’re even reading—that can press biblical truths into your heart in ways that can last a lifetime.

This is what the world does with their entertainment every day. They take worldly, godless ideas and make them seem wise and beautiful and attractive in the way they portray them in movies, novels, and other modes of storytelling.

How many times has a skilled TV screenwriter made you root for a murderer or drug dealer with their storytelling Jedi mind tricks? What if someone used those same techniques to help you love the things Scripture says are beautiful? I believe that is the role all Christian fiction should serve.

What Do You Think?

I would love your opinion. Was that goal accomplished in Escape from Paradise and At War with the Wind: the Fight for Abigail? And what other books have achieved that purpose in your heart?

The post Set Your Mind on Things Above appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

Why Is Behavior So Hard to Change?

Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Why is that? Why do we have so much trouble getting our bodies to do what our spirit desires? When I know my life would be so much better if I could just change my behavior in a certain area, why is it so hard?

Behavior follows thoughts. It’s impossible to live in a way that isn’t in line with your thought life. What you think about set the trajectory of your life. This is why there are so many passages of Scripture that command us to set our thoughts on godly things.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).

“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).

The Steering Wheel of Your Life

Your thought life is the steering wheel of your life. It’s impossible to let your thoughts run in one direction and steer your behavior in a different direction.

The problem is we live in a world where spiritual realities are invisible. We can see temporal things but the most important realities—spiritual laws, faith, unbelief, divine rewards, angels, demons, God, even our own hearts—all invisible.

You get up in the morning and spend 15 minutes alone with God, you pray, fill your mind with spiritual truths from God’s Word, then go out into the world where a godless culture bombards you with a secular mindset for the next 23 hours. Even if you manage to punctuate those hours with prayer, still, those prayers last for seconds, maybe minutes, but not hours.

How to Focus on God the Rest of the Day

How can you set your mind on things above for longer stretches?

The primary way—the way Jesus was most fond of and that he taught us to use—is sermons. Jesus devoted his time to preaching (Matthew 4:23). It was the reason he came into this world (Mark 1:38). He taught his disciples to do the same (Mark 3:14).

A good sermon can keep your mind on things above for an hour or longer. Sometimes a lot longer if it’s an especially memorable message.

But sermons aren’t the only way to fix your thoughts on spiritual things. What if there were a way to set not only your thoughts, but also your affections—emotions, attitudes, desires, and imagination—on spiritual realities for hours, days, or weeks?

The Role of Christian Fiction

That was my goal when I set out to write the Walk with the Wind novel series. I spent years studying the art of storytelling, learning everything I could to accomplish this one purpose: to craft a story that would take abstract gospel truths and dramatize them in a such a way as to imprint them on the reader’s soul.

Most of the time, learning God’s Word is hard work. But when conveyed in a story—a story that transports you into another world to the point where you forget you’re even reading—that can press biblical truths into your heart in ways that can last a lifetime.

This is what the world does with their entertainment every day. They take worldly, godless ideas and make them seem wise and beautiful and attractive in the way they portray them in movies, novels, and other modes of storytelling.

How many times has a skilled TV screenwriter made you root for a murderer or drug dealer with their storytelling Jedi mind tricks? What if someone used those same techniques to help you love the things Scripture says are beautiful? I believe that is the role all Christian fiction should serve.

What Do You Think?

I would love your opinion. Was that goal accomplished in Escape from Paradise and At War with the Wind: the Fight for Abigail? And what other books have achieved that purpose in your heart?

The post Set Your Mind on Things Above appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.

Escape from Paradise Chapter 11 Study Questions

Chapter 11 MeaningsBeing Taken

Watson’s face goes white at the news that his dear sister has been “taken.” Being taken by the little ones represents becoming captive to sin. Paul refers to our former life as unbelievers as the time when we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:20). That enslavement ends at conversion (v.22), however, even believers can voluntarily re-enslave themselves. When we give control to the flesh, we find our best efforts to forsake certain sins unsuccessful (Galatians 5:17).

Note: While Escape from Paradise is a parable of coming to salvation, At War with the Wind is a parable of a believer trying to escape bondage to a sin to which she has enslaved herself.

Giants and Children

Apparent physical size, in the story, represents greatness in the eyes of men. The “great ones” were seen as giants by the people in the lowlands because those people had such high regard for them. The same men were seen as small in the high country because people there saw their true stature.

In our society, the “great ones” are the celebrities. It’s not uncommon to hear them described as “larger than life”—even at their funerals!

But from a biblical point of view, pop stars, athletes, and movie stars who reject Christ are not great in any sense. They are fools with such miniscule souls that they care about nothing beyond this world.

The truly great ones are people who are lowly and unimportant in the world’s eyes. This is why I depicted believers as children.

The small stature of the mountain people in the story illustrates not only the low opinion the world has of believers, but also our humility. Jesus was clear that we cannot enter heaven unless we become like a little child (Matthew 18:3).

The War, the Warriors, and the Wild Animals

The conflict between the cottage people and the warriors represents spiritual warfare—the battle between believers and demons.

While the lowlanders (unbelievers) see the cottage people (Christians) as enemies, the cottage people understand their opponents are the warriors (demons), not the lowlanders. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spirits (Ephesians 6:12).

The wild animals, who are the regional powers ruling the warriors, represent demons in the hierarchy of authority in the spiritual world. These beings are mentioned in Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:16, 2:15, 1 Peter 3:22, and possibly Romans 8:38.

Study Questions

EXCERPT

“There are far worse fates than what happened to those people.”
   “Worse than having your chest ripped open?” -p.92

QUESTION 1

What does it mean to be afraid of God as the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell rather than fearing those who can kill the body? (Matthew 10:28)

QUESTION 2

Consider the logic Jesus uses in Matthew 5:29—30. Is there some area of your thinking that needs to be corrected by that logic (It would be better to lose _____ than to have an eternally negative outcome)?

The post Escape from Paradise Chapter 11 Study Questions appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.