BOOK REVIEW - ASSIST ME TO PROCLAIM: THE LIFE AND HYMNS OF CHARLES WESLEY BY JOHN R. TYSON (HYMNISTS PART 2 OF 2)

 

Who is Charles Wesley? You may know him as the younger brother of founder of the Methodist Church (though some, including the author consider the brothers co-founders, while I've read one person that said George Whitefield was the founder but left the movement to the Wesleys to keep from dividing the movement). You may be a little more familiar with Charles than you think, though: he wrote thousand of hymns including "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (where the author took his title from), "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!", "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus," and "And Can It Be That I Should Gain."

There are some biographies that seem a little deep and that I need to work through. This one is an example. It is basically chronological,but the chapters deal with various topics, such as the controversy with Calvinism, Wesley's marriage and family, the persecution endured by the Church of England and how the brothers disagreed about remaining a part of the Church of England.

Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts are probably the best known hymn writers, and it was interesting comparing the two. (The library also has a biography on Watt: Isaac Watts: His Life And Thoughts by Graham Benyon - excellent book.) The chapter on Wesley's poetry compares the styles of writing. Also, both Charles Wesley and Watts were both preachers as well as hymn writers. Likewise, both wrote the words to the songs but not the music. Another interesting note - both John R. Tyson in this book and Benyon wrote on the subjects of their doctoral dissertations.

How familiar are you with Charles Wesley? Do you have a favorite hymn that he wrote?

BOOK REVIEW - ISAAC WATTS: HIS LIFE AND THOUGHT BY GRAHAM BENYON (HYMNISTS PART 1 OF 2)

 

My hunch is that if I asked someone what they think about Isaac Watts, they'd either answer, "He's a great hymnwriter" or "Who's Isaac Watts?" As one who, before reading this book, would be in the former category - after all, he's written hymns like "Joy To The World," "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross," "I Sing the Mighty Power of God," and "Alas And Did My Savior Bleed" (aka "At the Cross") - I learned there's a lot more to this gentleman.

Graham Benyon wrote his doctoral dissertation about Watts, but he wrote this book in such a way I would not hesitate recommending it to a middle schooler to read. Benyon did a good job of making this easy to understand and enjoyable to read. This is fitting for a biography for Watts, because he wrote songs for younger people as well as his classic hymns. He also wrote catachisms, and made his age appropriate for different ages.

You may know that Watts only wrote hymn lyrics, using meters for existing tunes, which was common for that day (Charles Wesley did the same). Watts also was a pastor, a teacher, and an apologist. When he saw something that he thought should be done better, he'd do that better. For example, he wrote a book on logic which was used at Oxford, Cambridge, and Yale, titled "Logic: The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry After Truth." That logic book is available on Amazon.

Watts saw the church of his day being so afraid of being over emotional (in those days, they called it being enthusiastic), and encouraged revival. In the areas of preaching, prayer (private and public) and singing, he encouraged doing it with understanding and reason and also from the heart, with godly emotion.

This is my favorite biography, and I highly recommend it.

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JANET SKETCHLEY

 

JR: Who would you call your writing heroes, the authors (fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry/lyrics) that sparked your interest in writing?

JS: Wow, this question brought back some fond reading memories, so thank you! Probably Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables, etc.) was the first to inspire the wonder of story and the desire to write when I was young. As an adult, Linda Hall’s Christian suspense showed me where my stories might fit, and Timothy Zahn’s twist endings continue to challenge me to dig deeper in my plotting. Then there are lyrical writers like Amanda Dykes, who inspire me to mine for strong word choices.

JR: Could you tell us about the Green Dory Mystery Series, and in particular the latest installment, "Bitter Truth?" (I'm pretty good at predicting if authors/musicians want to talk about their latest release.)

JS: New releases are like new babies—of course we want to talk about them! (I have a new granddaughter, too, so I’m doubly dangerous to be around these days.) Landon Smith is a 24-year-old survivor of human trafficking as a teen. After years of therapy, counselling, and prayer, she describes herself as, “I’m healed, I’m being healed, I will be healed.” This series brings her back to the seaside town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (Canada) to help a friend in need: Anna Smith, widowed owner of The Green Dory Inn.

Bitter Truth is book 3 in the series. Against all odds, Landon and her ordinary-hero neighbour Bobby Hawke survived a murderous plot six weeks ago. Now, she’s determined to leave solving mysteries to the experts. But when her friend Ciara is nearly killed in a daring daylight attack, Landon can’t sit this out. Not when she knows the anger of being a victim.

Her faith tells her to leave room for God’s vengeance. Her heart says to retaliate. The fight to expose Ciara’s enemy will uncover secrets and betrayal that could cost Landon her life.

JR: I also noticed you've written some devotionals. Would you like to share about them? Also, does your fiction inspire any of the devotionals (or vice versa)?

JS: I blogged a weekly devotional for years, many of which I eventually updated and compiled into daily devotional books: a year-long one and one for December. They came out of my daily quiet time with the Lord, and they’re conversational-style musings on Bible verses that impacted me. So while I can’t say any of them came from my fiction, and my fiction starts with a plot idea rather than theme, I’m sure the devotionals have at times influenced the spiritual threads in my fiction.

JR: With a common language, a neighboring border, shared culture - I remember the Canadian comic For Better and For Worse, and one of my favorite bands is Canadian (The Daniel Band) - and mission groups considering it a home field, I sometimes forget Canada is technically a different country. Are there benefits or frustrations being a Canadian author?

JS: When I was looking for a traditional publisher, they were all US-based. Many a Canadian author was encouraged to relocate their setting from Canada into the Northern States to make it marketable. I guess I could have done that, but there are more differences between Maine and Nova Scotia than I know. I’m sure it would have been obvious to readers. I did find a small publisher who accepted my first novel (mostly Canadian settings), but when that publisher closed and I turned to independent publishing, the first thing I did was reclaim my Canadian spelling to publish a second edition. Most Canadian authors use US spelling to keep things simpler, but it mattered to me. Chief benefit for indie Canadian authors: we get ISBNs for free. Side note: I still read For Better or For Worse in our newspaper.

JR: On your web-site, you have a tab for reviews you've done of fiction, non-fiction, and music/videos. I'd like to focus on one book in particular you've reviewed: Battle for the Soul of Canada by Ed Hird. Could you tell us a little bit about this book, and anything that people in the lower 48 could learn from?

JS: I can’t tell you as much as I’d like, because it’s been years since I read the book! But I’d say readers who are battling in prayer for the United States would find much of the content transferable. Building from 1 and 2 Timothy, Battle for the Soul of Canada emphasizes the importance of raising strong and effective Christian leaders. Rev. Ed Hird’s key point that I quoted in my review is that “the key to renewing the soul of Canada — and the heart of this book — is to be found in raising up Timothys”. That message is relevant for any nation. Ed and his wife Janice have written other books since then, and readers will find more details at edhird.com.

JR: Thank you for your time. Anything else you'd like to update us? How can we keep in touch with you?

JS: Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Jeffrey. You’ve asked some fun questions. My internet home is my website, where I post book reviews and details about my books, and I have an author page on Facebook. Readers who enjoy Christian mystery/suspense fiction are invited to sign up for my author newsletter or to follow me on BookBub for sale and new release alerts.

And speaking of new releases: Bitter Truth releases March 29, 2022. Interested readers might like to know that the ebook versions are currently discounted to $2.99USD for a preorder special, and the print books are (shh…) actually already available through Amazon. Buy links to various online stores are all collected here: books2read.com/bitter-truth.

INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN KINDER AND THEODY

Photo courtesy of Wil Church

Yes, another interview with a band I discovered from the group Female Christian Rock & Metal. And one of my favorites. Some of the questions were answered by lead singer Lauren Kinder (identified as LK); the others were from the band.

JR: What are the origins of the band? Who is in the group? And where does the name "Theody" come from?

LK: THEODY started as my solo project in 2013. I asked a few friends to play some shows with me, and we thought it would be fun to keep it going. We decided on the name THEODY which means “a hymn praising God”. We have had several member changes over the years, and currently, the members are Charles (bass), Chad (drums) and myself (vocals), and we have a few good friends that play guitar live with us.

JR: I believe you have two albums out: "Define The Relationship" (2016) and "Smoke and Mirrors" (2021). Could you tell us about these projects and the development (both personal and as a band) in that five year span? 

Photo courtesy of Wil Church

LK: “Define the Relationship” was a milestone for us as a band. Until then we had been playing a lot of songs I had written personally several years before. We wanted to write new songs that better represented the style of the group, and we were so proud of the outcome. We toured all over the country playing that album! 

In 2018 we released an EP titled “Prelude”. This is where Chad was able to contribute to the music for the first time. We leaned a little heavier with the sound and lyrics on that project. 

“Smoke and Mirrors” released in 2021. We collaborated with a good friend Tyler Simpson to write and record the project. He was able to help us finally produce a sound that I’ve always wanted but didn’t know how to achieve. In between releasing “Prelude” and “Smoke and Mirrors” we were blindsided by some personal issues that took a lot of time to work through. It definitely was a time of personal growth, and I used that to fuel my lyric writing! Our music style has changed a little with each release. Maybe it’s because it’s most recent, but I think we would all three say that ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ feels the most authentic to us.

JR: 2021 was a difficult year, and one of the disappointments I had was missing Theody coming to Indiana not just once but twice! (The first time, while you were performing at the Kingdom Come Festival, I was at home an hour away watching golfball size hail outside our window.) What do you like best and least about traveling on the road? What are the most interesting locations you've performed in?

THEODY: We have had vehicles break down on the road more times than I can count! So there’s always a little bit of anxiety that we might not make it to the venue when we are traveling so many miles on a rigid schedule. Funny thing is, we have only ever missed one performance because of car trouble (and that show was kind of a bust anyway, so we didn’t miss much). 

Some of our favorite shows have been the unassuming places, like a tiny room in an old school with no stage, a park in Oregon where the homeless gathered, a tattoo parlor lobby… It was also pretty exciting to play Exit/In in Nashville! 

JR: Who were some of your influences/heroes/mentors, be it musicians, teachers, authors (fiction or non-fiction), etc.? 

THEODY: We are definitely more music listeners than book readers! A huge influence for Charles is the band The Wedding. For Lauren, Red, Children 18:3, Wage War, Rivals. For Chad, Bring me the horizon, Breaking Benjamin, The devil wears Prada, August burns red, A day to remember, Switchfoot, Fit for a king, Kanye west… too many to list! 

JR: What would you say the highlight of Theody's tenure has been? Anything that happened that made you glad the band was formed? Any impact it made on people's lives? 

LK: It’s always great to see the crowd singing and shouting along. We have played lots of shows where you can feed off of the energy of the audience as much as they feed off of ours. Then there’s the shows where it’s a bit harder to read the room. There have been a few of those where someone came up to me after the show to thank me for something I said on stage, that it was exactly what they needed to hear, or that certain songs we played really spoke to them personally. It’s a humbling reminder that it’s about more than just putting on a good performance, but about connecting with other people. Writing lyrics is a vulnerable thing, and it’s rewarding when that transparency can help another person feel understood. 

Photo courtesy of Wil Church

JR: Thank you for your time. Is there anything else we should knowabout Theody? How can we keep up with what you all are doing? 

THEODY: Thanks for having us, and thank you to anyone who has read all of this! We have been quiet recently, but we do have some shows booked for 2022 and we hope to do more creating also. We are on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, or you can see our news and tour dates on our website theodymusic.com

RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR PRESIDENT'S DAY

"The Republican Club" by Andy Thomas.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when Juneteenth become a Federal holiday, wasn't President's Day one suggested to be eliminated in its place? Really?

 

Not me. I'll admit that when I grew up, both Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays were observed; I was surprised and even as a Junior-Higher disappointed when they combined the two for "Presidents' Day". 

"The Democrat Club" by Andy Thomas

I've read biographies on Taft, McKinley, Garfield, Hayes, Arthur, Filmore, LBJ, and Madison, as well as reading the auto-biographies of George W. Bush, watching a four hour PBS program on Theodore Roosevelt, and watching PBS' 10 hour The American President in '00 and reading the print version. On my list include Tyler, Cleveland, Carter, Benjamin Harrison, Polk, and Coolidge. (I've also read bios on three time candidate William Jennings Bryan, former Vic President John Calhoun, and former speaker of the house "Uncle Joe" Canon, with Patrick Henry on the to read list.)

I have mentioned in a previous blog that I also read Presidential ranking books. I especially enjoyed Ivan Eland's Recarving Rushmore, which took a different approach to ranking Presidents.

Allow me to mention some random thoughts about Presidential history. 

• You can divide Presidents into three eras: 1) No facial hair (Washington to Buchanan), 2) Facial hair (Lincoln to Taft, with Andrew Johnson and McKinley being exceptions) and 3) No facial hair II (Wilson on).
• Five of the first seven Presidents served two full consecutive terms; the next one was Grant (#18), and the following one was  Wilson (#28).
• The first four Vice Presidents who ascended into the Presidency (Tyler, Filmore, Andrew Johnson, and Arthur) were not elected to a term of their own; the following four were (Teddy Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, LBJ), and the ninth was not (Ford).
• We have had multiple two-term Presidents only twice: Jefferson/Madison/Monroe and Clinton/George W. Bush/Obama. (You might make an argument of Franklin Roosevelt/Truman as being a technicality.)
• The longest streak of one-or-less term presidents was eight, from Van Buren to Buchanan in a 24 year period. 
• Whigs won two elections, but neither winner survived his term.
• I read in a book about a Presidential candidate riding a train to a conference, stopping to pick up his running mate and introducing him to a governor of a neighboring state and a young Congressman from his home state. That quartet were then-future Presidents James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley. (The book, which I highly recommend, was Dark Horse: The Surprise Nomination and Political Murder of James Garfield by Kenneth Ackerman.)
• Three Presidents have had direct descendants become president (John and John Quincy Adams, William and Benjamin Harrison, George H. W. and George W. Bush). Only one of the set was re-elected.
• Since I started being aware of Major League Baseball in the '70's, the Yankees have been to the World Series eleven times. Their seven victories ('77, '78, '96, '98, '99, '00, '09) all occurred when a Democrat was in the oval house; their four losses ('76, '81, '01 and '03) were during Republican presidencies. 

Let me close with some thoughts of Andy Johnson's excellent paintings above. It makes me smile seeing certain comparisons of who sat in each spot between the two pictures: Lincoln and FDR, Nixon and Clinton, Ford and Carter, Teddy and Wilson. But I'm looking forward to seeing his "Libertarian Club" painting. He can do it of the LP nominees for President - it will probably be a while before he has enough LP Presidents to be called a club.

BOOK REVIEW: REJOICE & TREMBLE BY MICHAEL REEVES

 

The concept of dealing with "Fear of God" has intrigued me. Many Christians point out all the references to "Do not fear", and re-define the commands to "Fear God" to mean "Respect" or "Awe."  In Rejoice & Tremble: the Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord, author Michael Reeves deals with the subject.

Biblically, we see fear as something we're commanded to do (and particularly to fear God) and something we're commanded not to do. Same word is used in both cases. Reeves, however, states Christians not actively living in sin should have a filial fear towards God but not be afraid of God. He believes the alternate words "respect" and "awe" are included in how we should respond to God, but fall short of the full meaning implied.

This is a challenging topic. I've debated writing a blog on it, and doubt I can do it justice. Reeves makes a lot of good points, but for me, the book was strongest in the first half and was more boring as I progressed. It is still worth the read, but it also calls for thought while reading.

 

 

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NANCY MEHL

 

JR: I've had the honor of interviewing you back in the day when I read my first Nancy Mehl novel in 2014 (Gathering Shadows, book one of the Finding Sanctuary series). I'm currently reading #16. (For the record, that ties you at second with Donna Fletcher Crow, and only seven behind Agatha Christie.) So if I asked you way back then how you got into writing, I had forgotten. So would you refresh my failing memory?

NM: It was a combination of two different things. First of all, I used to love “Murder, She Wrote.” One day I said to myself, “I know what I want to be. I want to be Jessica Fletcher!” Up until then, I’d tried all kinds of things, but nothing was the perfect fit. Then I heard someone teach that if you wanted to know what you were called to do, sometimes you could go back to your childhood and look at what you did naturally. Well, I was a voracious reader. I loved books! And I wrote “things.” First of all, I wrote a small book (pieces of paper stapled together) titled “Danny Goes to the Circus.” (Danny was my younger brother.) Then I wrote poetry in high school. I also recalled an assignment by my high school English teacher to write three poems. She would then read them to the class. She read mine and accused me of plagiarism in front of everyone. I never challenged her. (I wish I had.) But it got me to thinking. Had she believed I’d stolen those poems because they were good? Was it possible I was a writer? Maybe I really could be Jessica Fletcher Junior! So I decided to give it a try. After a very clear confirmation from God, I started writing and never looked back.

JR: My short term memory tells me that you have won a Carol award this year. My long term memory is saying it may not be your first award. Could you tell us about your award winning books? Did winning the awards in any way feel different from each other?

NM: The first award I won was in 2009. It was called the ACFW Book of the Year Award for mystery/suspense. The book was For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. It was a cozy mystery which was part of my Ivy Towers series. That same award became the Carol Award shortly after that. Last year I won the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Inspirational Mystery and Suspense for my book, Dead End, book three in my Kailey Quinn Profiler series. This series was about a behavioral analyst for the FBI. The same book won the Carol Award as well. I’ve been nominated for the Carol Award two other times. I was also nominated for the Reviewers Choice Award twice from RT Book Reviews. And I was thrilled to be nominated for the prestigious Christy Award for my book, Mind Games, book one in the Kailey Quinn series. I would love to win this award at least once during my career.

I don’t think the awards felt any different from each other, although winning the Daphne Du Maurier Award was neat because the contest was actually sponsored by a secular organization.

JR: Kaley Quinn is one of my favorite fictional characters, and I was happy to see her in the novel I'm currently reading. Would you like to tell us about Dead Fall and the Quantico Files series?

NM: The Quantico Files series tells the story of Alex Donovan and Logan Hart, both behavioral analysts for the FBI’s prestigious Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) for the FBI.

Here’s the synopsis for Dead Fall:

He has a deadly endgame in mind--and he's already chosen each victim . . . including her.

After putting to rest the most personal case of her career, Alex Donovan is ready to move on and focus on her future at the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit. When the BAU cofounder is discovered dead in his hotel room, the FBI is called in to work on the strangest case they've ever faced. How do you find a killer who murders his victims from a distance?

When it becomes clear that the killer is targeting agents in Alex's unit, they are ordered into lockdown, sheltered in the dorms at Quantico. Alex bunks with controversial agent Kaely Quinn, and as they work together, Alex discovers in Kaely the role model she's never had--despite being warned away.

As Alex questions the type of agent she wants to become, things get personal when the brilliant killer strikes close to home. Now Alex will do anything to find the killer--even at the risk of her own life.

JR: Another of my favorite characters is Hilde Higgins from your Curl Up & Dye trilogy. I'm sure Hilde and Kaley regularly meet for coffee a fiction world diner, since they have so much in common. Or let me put it a different way - what is it like writing different genres such as the cozy mysteries of Curl Up & Dye, romantic suspense like Finding Sanctuary, and thrillers like Kaley Quinn profiler and the Quantico Files?

NM: The genre I’m writing now is what I’ve always wanted to write. (Although I would love to tackle a few novels that look more deeply into the spirit realm – kind of like what Frank Peretti writes.) I started off writing cozy mystery because that’s the door that opened. I actually love cozy mystery so I truly enjoyed that opportunity. Then I was asked to write Mennonite-themed suspense. That changed to romantic suspense. Then my books became more suspense (less romance). Now my books are suspense/thriller, although I believe every book I write has a mystery flavor since mystery is probably the genre of my heart.

JR: I've mentioned that I'm working toward reading my sixteenth Mehl novel, and yet I haven't hit the halfway point yet. Besides the different genres, what changes have you made in your writing? What advice would you give a young writer? Are there people you still consider mentors, and do your characters sometime help mentor you?

NM: Wow. Lots of questions there. I think the changes in my writing have to do with doing more research into law enforcement. I love law enforcement and it means a lot to me to be able to represent these brave men and women in my writing.

To newbie writers I would advise three things. First of all, study the craft of writing. If you don’t, you’ll pay the price for it. Don’t send out proposals to agents or publishers before you know what you’re doing. They’re looking for writers who understand how to write a book. If you don’t, you’ll be rejected. Just remember that you wouldn’t want a surgeon to work on you who hadn’t gone to medical school. Same thing with writing. Go to school. I always advise Christian writers to join American Christian Fiction Writers. There is so much information there as well as great connections.

My second piece of advice is to read books released by the publisher you’re targeting. Find out what they like and write that.

Number three, find a good agent. Not one that asks you for money. Legitimate agents don’t do that. When querying, send them exactly what they ask for. Read their requirements. If you don’t, your query will be rejected.

Not sure if I have a mentor. I’ve certainly had God put people in my life that have helped me. Susan Downs is one of them and Raela Schoenherr with Bethany House is another. I love these women and will always appreciate them.

JR: Thank you for your time. I'm sure that Dead Fall isn't the end of the Quantico Files; what else are you working on? How's your family (both the two and four legged members)? How can we keep up with the latest?

NM: The last book in the Quantico Files is “Free Fall.” It will be out in June. I’m working on a new series now that features two retired behavioral analysts that have started a detective agency.

My family is fine…now. Norman and I were both hit with COVID around Christmas. He recovered after a couple of weeks. Mine took longer. I had what is called “long term COVID.” It was rough. I’m just now starting to feel like myself again.

Our dog Watson is doing fine. Still thinks our bed actually belongs to him. Since we moved he is determined to protect us from the evil deer that come into our yard. Sigh.

I’m on Facebook. I have a regular page and a fanpage. I’m also on Twitter. My website is: nancymehl.com.

Thanks for the interview, Jeffrey. 

BOOK REVIEW - AVENGERS VS. X-MEN (MARVEL COMICS)

Am I in my second childhood, reading comics again? Guilty as charged. Though have I left my first childhood? I remember a five year period of not setting foot in a movie theater. The last movie I saw before that period? Batman Forever (Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face, and Jim Carey as the Riddler). The first movie I saw after that? X-Men.

Are comics just time wasters? They can be. Or they can contain gems within the action for you to consider. This is definitely the latter category.

Artwork is awesome. The story likewise not only is exciting and has plot twist after plot twist, but it examines deeper psychological, philosophical, and maybe even theological issues. Such as our treatment of others. Such as whether power corrupts. Such as ... ah, but to go further would involve spoilers.

So if you are thinking of wanting to read this, you can pass. For those who've already read this or those content to see my thoughts, continue on.

I mentioned above the quality of the artwork. True, it is good. But is there a reason super-heroines and super-villainesses' need to shop at Victoria's Secret for their costumes? And it never really changed in comics. I remember the gals in Legion of Superheroes getting new outfits that were meant to wow the guys.

Now to the story. There were superheroes I found a bit boring personality wise (though I read their comics anyway). Top of the list was Superman, with Captain America and Cyclops right behind. Since this is marvel, the Man of Steel is absent, but the other two are front and center as the main focal points. 

I will admit - the Avengers movies changed my view on Captain America. Chris Evans' portrayal made me a Cap fan (which is ironic, because I didn't like Evans as the Human Torch). Then, I re-read some of the Avengers from the '70's and '80's and gained an appreciation for Cap. I'll deal with that in another blog, but now let me add that I never was a Cyclops fan, and this story confirmed that.

Another brief digression. I was reading comics regularly in '73 when they had a three month battle between the Avengers and the Defenders. It is interesting comparing this with the Avengers vs. the X-Men. The former was one on one, while the latter was group A vs. group B. Two Avengers were injured in their battle with the Defenders: The Scarlet Witch got hurt unintentionally as a result of the Silver Surfer stirring up a volcano, while the Swordsman was shot by a bad guy. Not so nice here. In the '73 battle, the two sides realized they had been duped by the bad guys (Dormamu and Loki) and united together to fight; there was no villains manipulating here, and the battle didn't end until one side was defeated. 

The plot is that Phoenix is returning. Phoenix almost destroyed the world when it took Jean Grey (Cyclops' wife), with Grey killing herself to save the world. Captain America and the Avengers see the threat and want to take the girl Hope who Phoenix is coming for as a threat. Cyclops, on the other hand, sees the return of Phoenix to be a benefit to the mutants. Cyclops was so single focused on that he almost destroyed the planet as a result.

I mentioned there were items to point out. This story shows how depraved men can be. Hope wanted to be killed rather than become the Phoenix. Emma Frost wanted Cyclops to stop her before she reverted to her dark side, which Cyclops failed to do. 

One side I'll mention is that of a couple of troubled marriages. Marvel fans may be familiar with the House of M story where the Scarlet Witch killed her husband The Vision (who I guess came back to life - he's an Android, after all, and we're dealing with comic books). The story starts the Vision telling the Scarlet Witch the Avengers Manor is not home. Later in the story, he's carrying her unconscious form from the battle, but no development on their relationship. Also in the story - X-man Storm at first fought with her fellow mutants against the Avengers, including her husband the Black Panther. Storm later sees how bad the mutants were in power and offers to help the Avengers, only to learn the Black Panther annulled their marriage. No indication of any reconciliation.

One last issue is one I'm concerned with in the real world, and that is the ability of oppressed groups to come into power and be at least as oppressive as the former oppressors.

 

RACIAL RECONCILIATION SUNDAY, 2022

 

I remember a few years ago seeing a calendar for events from the Southern Baptist Convention. Well, let's say I noted them in an on-line calendar I had. That's different from remembering, because I had forgot I did it. That is, until I noted the calendar yesterday.

When I was a member of an Assembly of God church in the '80's, I observed the denomination's weekly magazine declaring each week to have a special designation. Southern Baptists aren't different though to be fair, there might be other groups observing the same days. For example, the third Sunday in January is Sanctity of Life Sunday. In this case, the second Sunday in February is Racial Reconciliation Sunday.

As I changed my profile picture as I do at times, I also look at various frames for that photo. Surely somebody did a frame for Racial Reconciliation Sunday. Anybody? No? You mean I have to create one for next year?

As with any reconciliation, it takes two parties who, as it says in Philippians 2:4, look out not only for their own interests but those of others. In the reference, it appears to be talking about the individual, but it can also apply to your "tribe", whether we're talking skin color, nationality, gender, political party, church denomination, theology, alma mater, sports team, favorite cola, etc. 

Now some people will give a hearty "Amen" when I speak of the need for reconciliation (allow me to be speaking of any form of reconciliation, including but not limited to racial). However, they have a different picture than I do on a couple of issues:

1. They don't think I'm making enough effort, and that I should give at least 100% of my energy to it, though probably more than that.
2. They also disagree with me that they should make ANY effort. 

Do they want reconciliation? Not really. They would rather have power. They want control. They want to dictate the terms of agreement.

Let me state: Racism is real and a bigger problem than most whites are aware of. Some of that is conscious prejudice and some of it is unaware. And Christians are called to speak out against that evil. 

However, is it possible that words like "racism," "sexism," and "homophobia" are used in situations they don't fit and become a form of bullying? 

You may have heard about Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes' prayer to help her hate white people. Could she have a legitimate reason for the anger? Yes. Should we listen and learn? But is this aiding racial reconciliation? Is judging white people because of their skin color any different than us treating people with dark skin as inferior? I doubt it. Us vs. Them never solves the problem.

I've heard people comment that the most segregated places are churches on Sunday morning. Is this an example of racism? Not really. Sometimes it is based on who lives close to a church. Other times, it is people normally feeling more comfortable with people like themselves. The churches I've been in are welcoming of people of different races and nationalities (a former church had Korean, Filipino, and Mexican attenders as well as an African-American) yet are still pre-dominately white. But the key is being willing to welcome anybody.

What are you doing to promote Racial Reconciliation? Are there things we should start doing we currently aren't, or things we are doing that are a hindrance to this goal? How do we keep moving forward to this goal in spite of those who favor power to true reconciliation?

The ERLC (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) of the Southern Baptist Convention are strong advocates for Racial Reconciliation. If you are interested in additional resources, click here for a list from the ERLC.

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AS PART OF WHAT SHOULD BE A NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 11 OF 11

Righteous Living Christian Church Indianapolis (Irvington)

 

Thank you very much to all of you who have followed this series. Hopefully it has given you things to think about. And PLEASE let me know your thoughts in a comment.

Allow me to debrief in this blog in three parts. 

1. A return to context, particularly what follows Romans 14.
2. How does Christian Liberty fit in with Christian life as a whole?
3. What is the point of Romans 14 and Christian Liberty?

You ready? I am.

CONTEXT

Chapter 14 ends with a statement that what isn't of faith is sin. It goes right into Chapter 15 (remember there are no chapter and verse divisions in the original, and that they're added for reference), which states we ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and please others, not ourselves, according to Christ's example and be granted one mind with each other so as one we can praise and glorify God. Romans 15:7 repeats the theme of Romans 14:1, stating, "Receive one another as Christ as received you."

CHRISTIAN LIFE

Is Christian Liberty something that stands by itself? Let me give a list of important aspects of our everyday Christian life, and see if it fits.

Bible reading/study? Actually, it does. Each one reading Scripture comes with presuppositions, biases, opinions, traditions, knowledge (and lack thereof), and life experiences. Will they all be the same? Nope. Should they be? Only if God made us all identical. In other words, Nope. Thus, Christian Liberty is not only a part of group Bible studies but enables us to challenge our thoughts and grow as we listen to each other as equals.

Prayer? This one is tougher because prayer usually is between one and God, as well as agreeing with each other in prayer. If you want to say it doesn't fit here, I'll permit that. On the other hand, when we pray about struggles with other believers or learning to love them more, I believe there is a connection.

Fellowship? Does this question need to be asked? Clearly, Christian Liberty is a part of fellowship with fellow believers, especially when seen as a manifestation of loving one another.

Evangelism? I personally believe that Christian Liberty is designed for evangelism no less than for fellowship. Why? Because we have the freedom to go where God calls us. I know some friends who were in a Christian band. They arrived at the church they thought they were booked at and found an empty parking lot. They called their contact, and found out they were booked at a bar. Would your band play at a bar? Well, this one told the owner they sang Christian songs, shared between songs, and gave an altar call. The bar owner shrugged and said he needed a band. To make a long story short, a half dozen came to the band's church the next morning, got saved, and became active church members. This band exercised Christian Liberty by following Jesus into that bar. 

Righteousness/Holiness? A person acting in Christian liberty properly will be living righteously and holy; he/she won't be using it as a license to sin. However, do we agree what holiness/righteousness looks like? Uh, what about us all looking at things differently? Christian liberty discourages us from judging others when their view of holiness and ours differs.

WHAT IS THE POINT?

One weakness of the church (and human nature) is that we expect others to conform to our standards. Romans 14, as the rest of Scripture, teaches we should instead focus on others, letting them be themselves and be more concerned about us offending them than them offending us.

Okay. Series done. Your comments?

SHALL WE GO COUNTER-CULTURAL AND GO WITHOUT? - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 10 OF 11

Manley's Irish Mutt Pub & Eatery, Indianapolis

Does anybody agree with me that we are plagued with an entitlement mentality here in the U.S.A.? Wait, let me rephrase that: Does anybody NOT agree with me that we are plagued with an entitlement mentality here in the U.S.A.? I didn't think so.

On one hand, American culture would love the concept of Christian Liberty, where each individual is encouraged to be themselves and to enjoy non-sinful items (that is, items they are not convicted are sin). But as you probably know (if you don't either you haven't read the previous 9 installments of this series or I've done a terrible job with my presentation) the passages promoting Christian liberty encourage not practicing that Christian liberty if it offends a fellow believer.

In both Romans 14:14 and 14:20, Paul states something that seems to contradict the Old Testament dietary laws: Nothing is unclean of itself. His point? The Gentile who grew up on bacon wrapped lobster dinners ate nothing unclean, because he never read Leviticus 11. Paul echoes that statement in 1 Timothy 4:3-5 and Titus 1:15.

However, Paul also pointed out that to the Jew steeped on the Mosaic dietary codes would consider that bacon wrapped lobster unclean, and with that conviction, that tasty item would be unclean to him. So if the Gentile became a Christian and joined the Jew for a lunch and knew the Jew considered his usual to be unclean, Christian love would be getting a chicken sandwich to avoid offending him.

In verse 21, Paul said it was good to never eat meat or drink wine or do anything by which a brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. It's kind of interesting that this is the only place in the discussion where alcohol is mentioned. Some Christians believe it is wrong to drink. I don't. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to dirnk. I've always wanted to try a Mint Julep or a Grasshopper because I love mint, and they have mint. Have I ever had one? Unless you count the non-alcoholic Julep they have on New Orleans Square at Disneyland or the Keebler mint and chocolate cookie, no, and I probably never will. Not because it's a sin, but I don't want to either offend a believer who is convinced it is a sin or  introduce temptation to a new Christian who struggled with alcohol in the past.

I have one more installment after this, but permit me to use Manley's Irish Mutt as an example of things to think about with Christian Liberty. 

Being a dog lover, that name grabs my interest. The menu looks interesting as well. I could get a Baja Fish Taco or a Thai Shrimp Taco, though I might be as predictable as I can be and get a Chicken Parmesan sandwich or a BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Pizza. If you noticed the picture, though, the place identifies itself as a pub. The menu lists drink specials for each day of the week. 

So is it wrong for me to stop by the Irish Mutt and have a Thai Shrimp Taco and a Coke?

Let me give some issues to think about:

• Is there a difference between going to a bar that serves good food (Irish Mutt, Applebee's) and a restaurant that serves alcohol (Cracker Barrell, Pizza Hut, most Mexican restaurants)?
• If the Irish Mutt the only place I can get Thai Shrimp Tacos, is it fine to get it to go on occasion?
• Does it change the answer between a) going by myself, b) inviting a friend who has no problem with going or c) being invited by someone else?

Of course I can give you my thoughts, but:

1. It's too easy for me to give you my answers. You need to answer this yourself.
2. In answering this after thinking about Christian Liberty, you might discover that the answer you would have previously given might have some weaknesses for you to wrestle with.

I'm looking forward to hearing your answers!

ARE WE PURSUING BUILDING OTHERS UP? - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 9 OF 11

  

Cross at The River Community Church, Cookeville, TN

If you look at lists of spiritual gifts, you'll find there's one of encouragement (exhortation). However, there is no spiritual gift of discouragement, nor one of criticism. This might be news to some people.

How does Paul describe the Kingdom of God? "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17, NKJV. Too often we get hung up either on enjoying the foods God created (see 1 Timothy 4:3-5) or on avoiding certain foods. But is either extreme what the Kingdom of God is? 

Consider "righteousness", "peace", and "joy" as equal parts of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we focus on righteousness, and volunteer to be the one who assigns a definition to that word and usually nobody else has peace and joy. Others see righteousness as contrary forces, that you have to be miserable to be righteous. 

Peace is a quality that shows up again two verses later: "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Romans 14:19, NKJV. Is peace and building others up things that we pursue? 

Those who make their convictions a mandate for others are not following this verse. They might think they are, just as a tyrant may think conquering another nation would bring peace. Unfortunately, one party defines and enforces the requirements for there to be peace, which is that everybody else sees things their way. They may believe that they're building others up by proclaiming what they consider to be "the truth", but actually they are

Likewise, those who don't think you should judge them and misuse Christian liberty for their not-necessarily-godly desires are not paying attention to Romans 14:19. In fact, they're not really different than the above group. They may not demand unconditional surrender, but they aren't willing to give anything up for peace either. Likewise, they are more apt to build themselves up (or more accurately puff themselves up) than to try to strengthen someone else.

What are we doing, individually and corporately, to pursue the things which make for peace or to edify one another?

A NEW YEAR'S... MAKE THAT A NEW DAY'S RESOLUTION - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 8 OF 11

Saving Castaways by Franciszek Ksawery Lampi

 

How many of you have made New Year's Resolutions? How many have kept any of those Resolutions for the first 38 days of this year? Did I see any hands raised?

Romans 14:13, New King James Version, reads "Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way." (Emphasis added).

I think Paul gives us a great resolution. But is this meant to be a New Year's Resolution, which doesn't last long? Or should we consider it a New Day's resolution, one we make every time it's a new day? It's achievable to attempt to keep this for 24 hours, isn't it?

I've seen a couple of lists of verses that encourage judging to counter the misuse of "Judge not, lest you be judge" (or is it to justify disobeying the command Jesus gave us in Matthew 7:1), and I see a lot of verses and concepts ripped out of context. The most common is "Judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24), which in the context it belongs in was actually directed to Pharisees who were judging Jesus for healing on the Sabbath! Do those who make this claim want to be associated with the Pharisees? The most ridiculous is "There's a book in the Bible called Judges." Uh, those judges include rash Jephthah and lustful Samson; are those to be our models as well? But they ignore verses like Romans 14:4 and 14:13, as well as James 4:11-12 (again, is this willful?).

One interesting thing: the NKJV rendering above translates the same Greek word two different ways in the verse. Let me share that verse again, highlighting that word and its differing translations: "Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way." 

Am I right in saying we too quick in judging others when they offend us and too slow judging ourselves that we don't offend others? 

As we continue reading in Romans 14:14-16, we see that we should willingly limit our liberties so as not to cause others to stumble. Let me give an example. Let's say an unsaved friend I'm witnessing to invites me to dinner and not knowing I don't drink pours me a glass of wine. I have the freedom to drink that wine (or more likely for me, sip it). However, if a mutual friend is also invited and I know that other friend has either a problem with Christians drinking or is overcoming a problem drinking, then I would refuse that wine, hopefully before the other one has to say anything, for their sake.

This reminds me of something I've heard from John MacArthur. If we have to choose between offending an unbeliever or a fellow believer, who should we offend? Some would, for the sake of the Gospel, avoid offending the unbeliever. MacArthur suggests the opposite, based on Scripture (primarily 1 Corinthians 8-10). One reason is preferring the unbeliever over the believer tells the unbeliever we're more concerned about the unsaved than the saved and diminishes the motivation to get saved.

Of course, when we think of avoiding placing a stumbling block before a weaker brother/sister, we tend to think of smoking or drinking or gambling or tatoos or to some listening to rock music. These apply, but allow me to give another activity that might offend your fellow believers: Heresy hunting.

Some will say "What? How can you say that we're not supposed to call out false teachers and expose errors? Are you saying we should tolerate error?" No, we shouldn't. However, some people aren't merely pointing out false teachers when they see wrong teaching; rather, they are looking for heresies to attack and actually delight in it.

Why do I say heresy hunting (you could call it doubtful discernment, as the Jubilee Bible 2000 translates Romans 14:1, as I mentioned at the beginning of this series) is a stumbling block? Let me ask a few questions.

1. Are they known more for what they're against than what they're for? In other words, are they quick to criticize and condemn and save their rare words of praise for those who share both their negativity and the targets for that negativity?
2. Are they showing a lack of love to those they oppose? For example, do they insult and poison the pot towards their opponents? Do they overlook anything positive or correct that those who disagree with them say or do? Do they (the heresy hunters) act like they're looking forward to their adversaries being judged by God?
3. Are they proud and exalting themselves as the one who knows God's mind? Do they assume that those who disagree with each other aren't studying Scripture or loving God with the same diligence they are? Do they believe they've got all the right answers to debates that have lasted centuries if not millenniums?
   

But am I doing any better right now? Sometimes I struggle determining if an offense to an action is genuine weakness or if the "offended brother" is what one of my Bible College teachers called "Professional weaker brethren." Am I ever guilty of reluctantly abstaining from something I enjoy with resentment toward the one I'm offending?

I have the painting "Saving Castaways" by Franciszek Ksawery Lampi at the top of the blog. Are we being quick to save those castaways? That's what God has called us to.

Are you following Paul's Spirit inspired advice in not judging one another? Is there anything we do that offends fellow believers that we need to abstain from?

WHO ARE WE ACCOUNTABLE TO? - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 7 OF 11

Rock Island State Park, Tennessee

Yesterday, I focused on Romans 14:4, and pointed out that other believers are accountable to God, not us, so we're not to act as their judge. Today, the focus is on Romans 14:7-12, and the fact that everybody is accountable to God. Verses 7-9 point out that we don't live for ourselves but to God, because we are God's. The next three verses remind us that we all will appear before God and give account of our lives (see also 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 1:17).

How often do we see ourselves as belonging to the Lord? We call Sundays the Lord's Day, but is the focus of the day the three hours in the morning when we assemble together to worship or on the three hours to six hours in the afternoon when the NFL takes over the TV? 

Even with church, do we REALLY see ourselves as the Lord's? Let's look at the music. Some people want a nice contemporary worship time, resembling the music they listen to at home. Others want a more traditional worship that they're more comfortable with. But are we more concerned with the accompaniment or with the words coming out of our mouth and especially if they reflect what's in our mind and heart?

Now, let's move to the sermon. Which of these two thoughts are more frequent while the Pastor is preaching:

1. I needed to hear that. God needs to work with me on that area so I'm pleasing Him more.
2. Is (fill in somebody else's name) here this morning? I hope so: he/she really needs to hear this message.

Too often we're focused on the shortcomings of others when we really need to instead turn our eyes inward and realize we are going to give account of ourselves before God. We're too worried about specks in others' eyes to see the planks in our own. 

Do you realize you are here solely for God's glory? Are you aware you will someday stand before Him?