BOOK REVIEW - "WHEN CULTURE HATES YOU: PERSEVERING FOR THE COMMON GOOD AS CHRISTIANS IN A HOSTILE PUBLIC SQUARE" BY NATASHA CRAIN

Nobody really wants to be at odds with society. But that's not always possible, especially when those with a differing world view are trying to influence society in a guiding it to lemming cliff, and you opening your mouth about a better alternative is considered a threat. Apologist and podcaster Natasha Crain has written the timely book "When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the common good," which informs us why we're in this situation and guidelines on response.

Part One, consisting of the first five chapters, is titled "Understanding the Hate." In this, Crain reminds us that Jesus and Scripture warn we will be hated by the world. We are introduced to the concept of "the common good," and how that "common good" can be politicized for the purpose of trying to silence those from a traditional Christian worldview. Crain answers five objections to a Christian influence in the public square, as well as giving us the acronym ACT to describe how we should persevere: 

1. Know your (Biblical) Authority, 
2. Strengthen Conviction, and 
3. Maintain Tenacity.

The second part of this book, "Responding to and Persevering Through Today's Most Prominent Charges," gives suggestions on how to deal with antagonists like the mainstream media, secular social justice advocates, and feminist and LGBTQ+ activists. In each of five chapters, dealing with charges of being Dangerous Christian Nationalists, Power-Hungry Oppressors, Controlling Misogynists, Cruel Rights-Deniers, and Hateful Bigots, Crain defines the issues and focuses on the reality as opposed to the subjective, inflammatory name-calling. Each of these chapters include Quick Responses to 5 Popular Challenges and 7 Actions for the Common Good. She closes the book with an admonition to let our light shine in spite of hate, and provides resources.

As I stated at the beginning, this is a timely book, and I recommend it for personal reading and to discuss in small groups.

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MOVIE REVIEW - THE 7 CHURCHES OF REVELATION: TIMES OF FIRE

 

 

A friend told me about this video as I was preparing a study on the 7 churches of Revelation. I definitely included this film in.

"The 7 Churches of Revelation: Times of Fire" does an excellent job in dealing with Patmos, Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos. Christophe Hanauer does an excellent job going through these communities as well as interviewing several scholars. This documentary not only looks at the Biblical text, but the history of those communities both before and after.

You may notice that I only listed the first three churches and the isle of John's exile. That's right. If you want to look at the remaining four churches, you'll need to get volume 2, "The 7 Churches of Revelation: Times of Deception." I'll admit, I feel gypped, because "Times of Fire" did not mention it the first volume. 

This does not change that this is a great video to watch. It does an excellent job of pointing out the persecution of the church, and makes the point that things haven't changed. 

I highly recommend this video. You can go to their website, https://7churches.com, if you want more information on both films. I'm surprised it's not available on Amazon.

By the way, I'm posting this the night I'm starting to lead a study on Revelation.

BOOK REVIEW - WHEN FAITH IS FORBIDDEN BY TODD NETTLETON

 

This is a MUST read book for Christians. Todd Nettleton leads you on a forty day journey interviewing Christians who live in countries where their government and/or community are not happy with them being Christians.

In the West, we view religious persecution as something that happens over there in other parts of the world, but will not happen here, and if it does, we have no one to blame but ourselves for those negative, unwanted circumstances. The believers we meet in this book, on the other hand, see persecution as a natural consequence for faith and view suffering for Jesus Christ as an honor. One lady in the book referred to her time in prison, for example, as "A wonderful time." What causes people to have this mindset?

Todd's stories are nice and short, and this book is great for a devotional. After the story, he challenges the reader to examine where their faith is on certain topics.

I've read over 20 non-fiction books and more than two dozen novels this year (2021), and if you asked me to recommend one book, this would be the one.

Have You Encouraged Your Favorite Author/Musician/Minister/Friend Lately?

Has anybody found 2020 to be disappointing, discouraging, depressing, or all of the above?

So I'm not the only one?

I want whatever I do to be for God's glory, and not mine. Which leaves me struggling with the novel I started in '07 and am still trying to get published. Am I seeking its publication for God's glory or for me to have the sense of accomplishing something? 

Even if it's for the former reason, is it what God wants me to spend the time writing and editing and rewriting and re-editing and submitting to one or two or three hundred editors/agents hoping I finally cleared the hurdle? Or is it taking the time from what God really wants me to be doing?

I feel the same way with my Facebook posts and even this blog. Is it impacting anybody? There are times when the response to my contributions is drowned out by the chirping of the crickets and even the noisy communication of passing by of a herd of giraffes. Oh, and a free zoology lesson - giraffes make no sound - they're mute.

I gave an alliterated adjective list above, and I could add a fourth - debilitating. Sometimes those concerns can paralyze me.

First, let me say that anybody trying to accomplish something feels the same way, be they a novelist, a non-fiction author, a musician, a pastor, a missionary. I have a hunch anybody reading this (all three of you?) occasionally asks the same questions. We all need encouragement.

Second, let me give one thing that helps me, and that is encouraging others, hopefully giving them an oasis in the desert of the 'd' adjectives previously mentioned.

Do you have a favorite author (fiction or non-fiction)? You can encourage them by corresponding with them. An Amazon review would also help - I try to write my reviews pointing out the specifics of why I enjoyed the book. So can mentioning it on Facebook and getting the word out. I've had the honor of being mentioned in acknowledments of books by Kerry Nietz and Donna Fletcher Crow.

Similar methods help with musicians and other artists. Tod Moses, a musician friend of mine, has commented that I remember some of his compositions that he's forgotten. If it's a local singer, make a request for something they've written. I also have brightened the spirits of artists like my church-planting painting friend Kerry Jackson by mentioning art by them that moved me.

The same is true with ministers. I have a hunch that pastors are blessed when they see someone take notes and then make comments or even ask questions as a result. (Another way is staying awake during the sermon, one which I need work with at times.) Also, missionaries are blessed by correspondence as well.

Are there various things you do to encourage others, including authors, musicians, ministers, and the like? Do you have any story of how you have blessed someone else's life, or how somebody else encouraged you?