BOOK REVIEW - HEARING GOD'S WORDS: EXPLORING BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLGY) BY PETER ADAM

What does spirituality in Christianity look like? Is it primarily emotional, or is it more rational? Is it expressed in making pilgrimages or celebrating certain days?

Peter Adam's Hearing God's Words: Exploring Biblical Spirituality looks at how spirituality is shown in a brief study of 13 Biblical books (Genesis, Deuteronomy, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Luke, Romans, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation), as well as dealing with historical approaches, such as Calvin's Theology of Revelation and the Puritan/Quaker debate on whether God speaks through the Bible or through the Spirit.

As an artist and novelist, I found chapter 5 interesting as it looks at various issues. Adam provides a defense for those who believe that paintings/statues of Christ are a violation of the 2nd Commandment, and that there is no New Testament instance of holy days for the Church or holy places. I'm not sure I completely agree, and I might reread this book to deal with the issue better. For example, one of my favorite novels ("An Unholy Communion," Monastery Murders book 3, by Donna Fletcher Crow) dealt with a pilgrimage; for me, the interest is not so much the destination as the travel with fellow believers.

If you want a book that looks at Spirituality and that may challenge your presuppositions, I highly recommend this book. After all, we DO need our assumptions challenged every now and then.

 

EBED MELECH - BIBLICAL PEOPLE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT (PART 4 OF 6)

Ebed-Melech telling the king about Jeremiah, Lifeway Collection

I'm guessing that Ebed-Melech may be the best known individual in this six part series... okay, one of the two best known (next week will be another you may have heard of. I remember as a child reading two versions of Ebed-Melech's first of two appearances in Scripture.

Like last week's subject, Urijah, Ebed-Melech is mentioned solely in the book of Jeremiah. That's probably the main thing they have in common. In Jeremiah 26 where Urijah mentioned, it was the people wanting to kill Jeremiah and the princes who defended him. In Jeremiah 38, the princes wanted to kill the prophet and Ebed-Melech was the rescuer. Urijah fled the king of Judah in fear, Ebed-Melech boldly implored the king of Judah to intervene. 

For those unfamiliar with the story, the princes asked permission of King Zedekiah to throw Jeremiah in a pit. This was when Jerusalem was beseiged by Babylon and Jeremiah probably would not survive. Ebed-Melech went before the King, told him that Jeremiah's life was at stake, and asked permission to pull him out. He not only tossed Jeremiah the rope to tie underneath him, but also rags to put under his armpits to protect him. 

The NKJV calls him a eunuch, with a note that the word can be translated as "official." In From Every People And Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race, author J. Daniel Hays points out that translators and commentators incorrectly consider the dark skinned Cushites like Ebed-Melech as servants when the text does not require that interpretation. In this case, he states the Scripture implies that Ebed-Melech was someone King Zedekiah would listen to, more so than if he was someone's servant. 

Likewise, the picture above of Ebed-Melech makes him look someone who could have used physical help in pulling Jeremiah out of the pit. The drawing I saw in the Bible Story made him look more like he could have played football, as well as a cheerful smile on his face.

This is one of my favorite stories, because it does not end here. The next chapter tells of the fall of Jerusalem. During that tumult, God sent Jeremiah with this message: 

"Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.' " Jeremiah 39:16-18, NKJV 

I love the love God shows to Ebed-Melech in this passage, enough for Him to send His prophet in a time of calamity to give him a message of encouragement.

 

BOOK REVIEW - AWAKEN YOUR CALL: DAILY READINGS FOR PROPHETS AND INTERCESSORS BY JOHN ECKHARDT

When I saw the title "Awaken Your Call," I put this book by John Eckhardt on my reading list. In some ways, it's not what I expected, partially because I didn't look at the fine print on the cover. Nevertheless, I'm grateful I read this book.

The subtitle mentions it's a book of Daily Readings. This book is designed to be a daily devotional for a month, with 30 readings. Each is short, a 5-10 minute read each, so it's easy to read one each day. The sections follow a theme, but it seems they're a collection of readings rather than a book written in 30 short chapters, if you follow my point.

This book is written from a theology that differs from mine. For example, the author identifies himself as an apostle; I've spent most of my life in churches that believe there are no apostles or prophets since the apostolic era (1st century) ended.  However, there are items from his readings that I could learn from.

One thing I admire about this book is that it's written with the goal of encouraging believers to operate in their calling. Combined with that is his exhortation to those who were in local churches that preached the Word but did not encourage the prophetic calling to stay in those churches. Too often, believers who disagree with others on a key point treat them as if they rejected the truth. I'm blessed when I find someone without that attitude.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES/CAUCUSES

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

Ready for one of those blogs where I give a few thoughts? Well, this will be one of those!

POINT 1 - I don't know how much of a real contention this was, but I read one (only one) article saying that Biden wanted the first Democratic primary to be South Carolina instead of the long standing tradition of it being New Hampshire. The reason? They wanted to give a state with more diversity like SC to start the campaign as opposed to one with less diversity like NH. 

As I said, I only saw one article on it, and nothing on television or elsewhere, so it may not have been as contentious as the article made it. Possibly, the Democrats for a change saw it as I did. The fact is that if a person believes in diversity, they don't need to create diversity for people to know it. 

POINT 2 - One thing that has been true and still is - sometimes I strongly disagree with something Trump says or does but then realize Trump is more reasonable than I thought. Latest example deals with his absence from the debates, especially when I heard him say that he would be glad to do the debates when it's down to him and one challenger.

After all, what will entering the debates do to help Trump? He's leading the polls. He has a target on his back. And his views are known. He has no need to take on a half-a-dozen contenders. But he is willing when it's one on one. I might prefer him being at the debates, but I can see his point.

POINT 3 - We have not had a rematch in consecutive elections in over a century, since Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison faced each other in 1888 and 1892 with the incumbent losing both times, and then McKinley defeating William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1900. I, unfortunately, see all indications that unless something drastic happens we'll have Trump vs. Biden II in November. I hope not. I'm rooting for Haley on the Republican side and will have a heart attack if the Dems ever put up someone I can vote for. 

Today is the New Hampshire Primary. Last week, Trump trumped the Iowa Caucus. Yes, there's Super Tuesday coming up, but unless we have a surprise today, it will be a uphill battle for anybody other than the former President. True, Biden got the nomination four years ago while not being in the race for the early contests, but there's nobody like that on the Democrat side.

Well, maybe the Libertarians can field a candidate that like Johnson looks credible for the office and like Jorgenson is a person I am rooting for.

 

URIJAH THE PROPHET - BIBLICAL PEOPLE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT (PART 3 OF 6)

The Murder of Zwingli by Karl Jauslin

I'm sure there's several questions about this entry. Such as "Who is Urijah the Prophet?" "Is this the same as Urijah the Hittite?" "Why does he have a picture of a Reformer when the blog's about a Biblical character, and why does it have to be a depressing one at that?"

I'll start with the last question first. You know I usually include at least one picture, but when you're dealing with obscure people as this series is, you'll find there aren't many artists painting these. I was surprised and pleased to find an artistic rendition of Naamah (two weeks ago). So I'll have to go with loose connections, but by the end of the blog, you'll know the connection.

Urijah the Prophet is my moniker for him - he's not called a prophet, though he does what prophets do. And no, it's not Urijah the Hittite, Bath-sheba's first husband. But let me give the immediate context.

Jeremiah 26 starts with Jeremiah, as usual, warning of God's judgment. I've noticed that people love hearing about God judging others for their sins, but it's a different story when the spotlight shines on them. And the people were not happy with Jeremiah's gloom and doom, and wanted to kill him. 

One unique thing that happened here is that the princes came to Jeremiah's rescue (not so later in Jeremiah's ministry). They told the people that Micah son of Moresheth (the minor prophet) gave a similar message a century or so earlier and he wasn't executed. So they spared Jeremiah.

Then, we get to verses 20 - 23 of that chapter:

"Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt. And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people." Jeremiah  26:20-23, NKJV

No, we don't know more about this Urijah than this. Did God call him as He did Jeremiah? It doesn't say. Was his fleeing to Egypt a lack of faith? Maybe, but we have no record that his fear was disobedience to God. 

That is why I felt the painting of the murder of Zwingli the Reformer was appropriate for this blog. Not completely: Zwingli went into battle and was killed in the fighting. But we need to remember that obedience to God is not a guarantee that we won't face the consequences from an ungodly King.
 

BOOK REVIEW - SHEILDING THE BABY (PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT BOOK 1) BY LAURA SCOTT

 

Was the reason for the double murder the jealousy of Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit's Crime tech seeing her ex in with single-father Luke Stark's sister? Or is it connected to the attempts to kidnap Luke's nine month old son? Will officer Danica Hayes and her K-9 partner be able to solve this case without the help of Luke's long-lost, armor-wearing brother Tony? (Sorry, no Iron Man in this novel.)

"Shielding the Baby" by Laura Scott is the first installment of Love Inspired Suspense's 2023 K-9 continuity series, Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit, featuring a different author for each of the 8 novels. 

The first story in these series has the challenge of connecting the author's novel with a crime that won't be resolved for another seven novels. This is the fourth kick-off novel I've read, and this is the best. You have plenty of plot twists, leaving you wondering if there's one or two crimes going on. I also enjoyed the development of Luke and Danica's story. 

I highly recommend this story, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 

BOOK REVIEW - TORTURED FOR CHRIST (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) BY RICHARD WURMBRAND

 

I have been aware of this book for most of my life  (and all of my adult life). When I was a teenager, I heard my pastor mention this book on a Sunday night sermon. About a year later, I heard Richard Wurmbrand at chapel at my college. My wife and I get their monthly newsletter and served as volunteers for a few years. However, I have never read this book until now.

One reviewer commented that the book moved from auto-biography to manifesto. Reading it, my impression is the author intended it to be the latter. He admits he went through horrific torture, but Wurmbrand makes it clear that he wasn't an isolated example and that there are things we can do. He didn't write this book to focus on himself but to focus on those still enduring persecution and on what we can do (his list includes leading a godly life).

He states two important things Christians need to do: 1) Hate Communism and 2) Love Calvinists. Some reviewers didn't like Wurmbrand calling atheism evil and equating the belief there's no God with a system that tortures others. His point is not that all atheists are torturers, but the foundation of their disregard for life and freedom is the belief that there is no God to reward the righteous, no Deity to punish the wicked, so they can do whatever cruel thing they desire over the powerless. Telling - Wurmbrand quotes a Communist publication calling Christ's command to love your enemies dangerous. 

The critical reviewers stuck at the "Hate Communism" part, but ignored that he also says a true Christian will love Communists. He points out that he and others in countries where there's persecution are praying for their persecutors. 

I mentioned this is the 50th anniversary edition. Most of the material is from the original book from '68, with some added information reflecting the fall of the Soviet regime and the increase of persecution in the Muslim world. He stated in one section that the original book was written in three days! Thus, it is a book of the heart. Additionally, it points out how his focus is more on Russia and Romania, because that was where this happened.

This is NOT an easy read. Part of it are the horrific acts performed on the author and others. Part of it is an activist tone, and some things seem to be a little repetitive. But should Christians avoid things that are challenging? Uh, no. And definitely we should be aware of how we can comfort the afflicted; don't be naive enough to think we will always have it easy.

352 UNNAMED MIDIANITE VIRGINS - BIBLICAL PEOPLE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT (PART 2 OF 6).

"Hope in a Prison of Despair" by Evelyn DeMorgan

Yes, I'm into an obscure portion of Scripture today: Numbers 31. You probably are aware of Balaam and his talking donkey (Numbers 22-24), who was hired to curse Israel but blessed them instead. It's possible you know that Numbers 25 tells how Moabite women seduced men of Israel  at Baal Peor to turn them to idolatry, and God sent a plague against those. But then, Numbers 31 tells of God telling the Israelites to take vengeance on the Midianites. No Israeli casualties, but killed in that battle was Balaam the false prophet.

Well, the children of Israel took home booty. Lifestock was no problem. The women were. Moses was mad at them, based on the crisis at Baal Peor. So they inquired of God, and they were told to kill the married women, but they could spare the virgins. The total of women prisoners, then were 32,000. 

Then, the spoil was divided 50-50 between those who fought and those who didn't. The Lord asked for a tribute of 1 of 500 from the fighters and 1 of 50 of the non-fighters. By the way, the divided booty included the ladies. The number set aside for the Lord were 352 (32 from the soldier's share, 320 from the people's).

But what does it mean for them to be given to the Lord? Sacrifice? That is inconsistent with the entirety of Scripture. Were they set apart for the priests and Levites? The High Priest is to marry within Israel, but no prohibition for other priests or Levites. Did they form an order of nuns? No record of that.

Speaking of no record: I went to the commentaries/study Bibles I have to see if they offered any clarification. Nope. J. Vernon McGee, one of my go-to sources, skipped over all the booty discussion. The Ryrie Study Bible, the MacArthur Study Bible, and the Complete Jewish Study Bible added nothing. Well, Ryrie did point out that Numbers 31:28-31 mentioned 1 of 500 of the soldiers share went to the Lord as an offering and 1 of 50 of the people's share were given to the Levites, but that's all.

I thought of writing a novel dealing with these ladies and what they went through. Were they angry and bitter? Were they fearful and miserable? Or did at least some of those 352 women come to believe in the God of Israel?

BOOK REVIEW - A PRIVATE EYE: THE MORAN FILES BY HAL AMES

 Can George Bronson solve the mysteries involving serial killers, the mafia, and rival private investigators and keep his sanity, or at least his life?

"A Private Eye: The Moran Files" is an interesting and entertaining collection of stories involving George Bronson, Private Eye. He has an interesting cast of characters helping him, such as his police detective friend Pedro and a mysterious woman who either is his most dependable ally or his most dangerous enemy (or maybe both).

I enjoyed this collection of stories and recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW - PRAY & GO: YOUR INVITATION TO BE A GREAT COMISSION CHRISTIAN (CHURCH ANSWERS RESCOURCES) BY THOM RAINER

Does the concept of witnessing terrify you? Do you want to help evangelize the world, but don't know how to start? Would you be encouraged with a, let's say, month long plan broken up into small and simple projects?

Pray & Go: Your Invitation to Become a Great Commission Christian by Thom Rainer is "A 30-Day Journey" to encourage Christians - either individually or as a study group - to become equipped to start witnessing for Christ. 

Each day is about 6 pages dealing with the subject of the day. There is a specific project for the day which is manageable to do with a busy schedule. As the title hints at, a lot of those projects are simply praying for you, your pastor, unsaved  people, and your church, while others will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and speak about your faith.

Most books I read once. There's only a handful that I would read over and over again. This is the newest item in the group.

 

NAAMAH - BIBLICAL PEOPLE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT (PART 1 OF 6)

Marble bas relief at Orvieto Cathedral, Italy, picturing Naamah teaching reading (left) while her half-brother Jubal plays music.

 I love mysteries! You may be aware that the author I've read the most novels by is Agatha Christy. She's got competition: Donna Fletcher Crow is catching up, who has three different mystery series. 

With that in mind, join me in reading Cain's genealogy in Genesis 4:16-24. Just a list of names - no record on how long they lived as the Genesis 5 genealogy does - till it gets to Cain's great, great, great grandson Lamech (not as long a genealogy in Genesis 5 either). 

Lamech was a character. He is the first person recorded in Scripture to have multiple wives (it names two: Adah and Zillah). He also murdered someone for insulting him, and has no remorse over it.

It does include the children of Lamech in this text, and most of them were an interesting group. Let me quote:

"And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah." Genesis 4:20-22, NKJV

The men of the family were important. But my mystery loving gene kicked in with Naamah. What do we know about her? She's the daughter of the Cainite Lamech (not to be confused with Noah's father Lamech), her mother is Zillah, and her full brother is Tubal Cain the original metal craftsman. That's it.

Let me put this in context. In the Genesis 4 and 5 genealogies only three women are mentioned by name. Genesis 5 mentions daughters were born, but no names. The three mentioned are Adah wife of Cainite Lamech, Zillah wife of Cainite Lamech, and Naamah daughter of Lamech. In the genealogy of Christ, four women are mentioned (five if you count Mary), all of which are familiar to readers of the Old Testament. So that makes the mention of Naamah stand out.

Now, I'm not the first to try to figure out the mystery. One Jewish Midrash says she may be the wife of Noah (another midrash disagrees, claiming Noah's wife is a different, Sethite Noah, maybe a daughter of Enoch). She's speculated to be a teacher of reading (before the flood?) or a singer. But this is all speculation. 

So allow me to offer my speculation. Her brothers are the fathers of cattle-raising nomads, musicians, and metal workers? Then maybe Naamah is the mother of veterinarians and zookeepers.

Some may say, "Sure. Why not? You want to hear my guess?" However, I'm sure those who know me think there's something behind my theory. You're right. But let me add a second and seemingly dissimilar but related speculation.

Maybe Naamah is the mother of those born to the wicked who enter the family of God.

Remember, there's not enough to be dogmatic about (though that doesn't stop some people, but that's another blog). But why is Naamah's name mentioned here? Maybe the above mentioned theory that Naamah is Noah's wife is correct. Or she may be one of Noah's three daughter-in-laws (17th century theologian John Gill offers the theory that she was Ham's wife). True, her father Lamech was the 5th generation mentioned in the Cainite genealogy and Noah's father Lamech was the seventh after Seth, but some Biblical genealogies sometimes skip generations (for example, Matthew doesn't mention the kings Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah), We probably won't know this side of heaven. 

Someday, we'll find out who Naamah is or why she's mentioned. After all, I don't think the Holy Spirit inspired her conclusion for no reason. But I wouldn't be surprised if she turned from the evil of her father to grace.

SHOULD YOU HAVE SAID "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE?"

 

Shoebox gifts for the Baptist Center under Christmas tree at Arlington Avenue Baptist Church

Okay, show of hands. How many of you have ever said when someone gives you a gift or an act of kindness say something like "You shouldn't have" or "You didn't need to do that?" I probably have.

Why do we say that? Simple. To let the giver know that they were in no obligation to give that gift or to do something for the other person. After all, how many of us add a name to our card or gift list because we received something from that person? In those cases, our giving is more guilt or feeling that we're in debt to the other. Thus, we say those things to let a person know they don't owe us.

However, there are two other reasons people might give you an unexpected gift or do something for you that you didn't solicit. I'll divide them in two groups.

1. Those who needed to. These people have giving in their DNA. When Becky gets good service, she adds that person to her list to give them a thank you card. It's in her DNA. Thus, some people give not out of guilt but because they're wired that way. To tell these people "You didn't need to do that" is a lie. Yes, they did need to.
2. Those who should have. These people feel God nudging them to do something for another. Or, to put it another way, God wants to bless a person and He wants you to deliver that blessing. For them not to give would be disobedience to God. Therefore, telling them "you shouldn't have" is wrong. Yes, they should have.

In other words, when someone does a kindness, maybe all you should say is "Thank you." They're doing what God wants to do.

MY TOP SONGS, 2023, ACCORDING TO SPOTIFY

Me with David Pataconi of TheoTerran

First Blog of 2024! Excited? And what better way than to look at what Spotify considered my Top Songs for last year!

I first discovered that Spotify formed a playlist of my Top songs based on airplay two years ago. I did notice, though, that there were some songs that I wasn't familiar with. So I had several "Ballot Stuffing" playlists, to see if I could get a "Top Songs" that reflected what I was actively listening to. 

Result? Mission Accomplished! I did have a few songs that I didn't think belonged, but not the way it was the previous years. Next year, though, I'll try to rotate through all my playlists and see what that looks like.

But I'm sure all my musician friends are holding their breath to see how they fared. I'll try to minimize the duration of the suspense. (Hey, doesn't Duration of Suspense sound like a good band name?)

I'm going to include a link to the list at the end, but I'll go through statistics. I figured out that there were 62 different artists on the list. 20 of those appeared more than once. Pardon me, therefore, if I don't list the 42 single entry artists (you can find them on the list mentioned above).

Nine had a pair of entries. One of those was Sovereign Grace Music, which made me smile - one entry was the studio version of "Behold Our God," while the other was the live rendition. Joining them were, in alphabetic order: Margaret Becker, Forsaken Hero, I Am The Pendragon, Rich Mullins, Rusty Shipp, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Soundless Whisper, and Yanni.

How about those who had three entries? I'm glad you asked! These six, again in alphabetic order, feature Franz Berwald (classical composer), Jodie Essex, Felix Mendelssohn, Reclaim The Day, TheoTerran, and Zahna. 

Math time. The number of songs in these three levels, adding 42, 18, and 18, equaling 78, with 22 remaining, Likewise, the artists in each level - 42, 9, and 6 - comes to 57, which when subtracted from 62 leaves 5. So who are those top 5 artists based on entries? Drum roll please. 

In  second place, we have a four way tie between Battled, Divine Martyr, Raviner, and True Revival, with four songs each. And on the top with six songs - Eyes Aflame!

But let me change angles. I mentioned the link will have the list of the 100 in order, but I'll be nice and give you the top 10 songs, recorded by 8 different artists. Ready?

Number 10 - "Remnant"  by Ignescent

Number  9 - "Frontline" by Idle Cure (an old timer on a fairly modern list).

Number 8 - "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day.

Number 7 - "Not The End" by Eyes Aflame.

Number 6 - "You Chose Me" by Toni LaShaun.

Number 4 - "Underneath" by Zahna.

I hear you all! You're asking about #5. I have a reason. You remember I mentioned there are 8 different artists doing the top ten, and I've listed 6. Are any of the 6 in the remaining 4 slots? Nope. Have the final two artists split those four? Nope. Divine Martyr has filled up three of the top five slots with "Mystique" (#5), "Truth" (#3), and "Fear" (#2).

So who is #1? Come on, you should have it figured out! What band is represented by the gentleman next to me in the picture at the top of this blog? The number one song belongs to "Battle Cry" by TheoTerran!

As promised, below is the full list. Are any of your favorites on it? 

Jeff's Top Songs 2023, per Spotify