Why Did God Give Us Emotions? (a book review)

In reading through Why Did God Give Us Emotions?: A biblical perspective on what science has discovered about emotionsI have found it to be a much deeper book that originally expected. Author Reneau Peurifoy gives a complete overview of the different aspects of emotions - physical, spiritual, etc - while also putting them in the context of Christian beliefs (or misconceptions).

It is this combination that makes this book stand out from the rest. There are many resources that deal with happiness or anxiety or small slices of the emotional spectrum but few of them are written to address such a complete and balanced view of the role God gave emotions to play in our lives, and do so with a balance of medical knowledge and Biblical insight. Peurifoy also provides some good cautions about relying too much on emotions while giving some very practical exercises and examples of where our emotions can be trusted and where they can become a false guide.

I would not say this book is light reading, if you plan to use it the way Peurifoy intends it with a journal and exercises to put each chapter into a working and potentially life-balancing practice. But as someone that has struggled with an anxiety disorder in the past, I can only say I wish I'd found this book years ago.

Highly recommend.

Review copies provided by The B&B Media Group.

Crucified with Christ (by Rick Green)

Thanks to Rick at Organized Doodles for sharing this.

Jesus is ... soap?

The Bible is full of images of Jesus - shepherd, Savior, lamb, provider, protector, avenger, the way, redeemer and more. But when was the last time you thought of God as soap?

"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. Malachi 3: 1-2 (emphasis mine)

Fire and soap? Isn't God amazing? How else could we say:

"Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 57:1b

Whiter whites and brighter brights. That's my Jesus.

Star Search

I love to watch stars. And this may seem like an obvious statement but the best time to see stars is at night. At night, preferably away from a city. In fact, the darker it is, the more stars you see. In the absolute blackness of the country or the mountains, the sheer number of stars is breathtaking.

Of course, there's the other kind of stars - the people that have achieved fame and renown in a particular field (like sports) or industry (like acting). They, too, can be dazzling, and it can be easy to look at their lives with a measure of envy. People go to great lengths to join their ranks - you only have to look as far as open auditions, game shows or reality television.

The Bible mentions the stars around us too. Sometimes it means those placed in the heavens by God's hands. But sometimes it's something else entirely.

Daniel 12:3 says, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. "

And in Philippians 2:14-16, we are urged "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life ... "

What does this mean? God's on a star search. He's looking for people that will shine as things get darker around them. That will glow with His purpose and his light regardless of their circumstances. That will light the way for those around them and lead them to the source of their light.

Will you shine for Him?

Chronological Study Bible (a review)

There are many, many types of study Bibles available and each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. But The Chronological Study Bible: New King James Versionby Thomas Nelson provides a rich, multi-layered way to explore God's Word.

As the name suggests, the Chronological Study Bible orders the books of the Bible according to their place in history - or at least as closely as the writers were able to place them. They state quite frankly that some books or passages are difficult to place accurately, or that some are open to debate. But seeing how the various passages link together gives some fresh insights into the cultures and situations these books were addressing.

One of the real strengths of this Bible is the types of information it provides. Insets liberally scattered throughout add to the picture by addressing food & drink, architecture & building, industry, politics & government, geography & environment, science & technology, health & medicine, and beliefs & ideas of the relevant times and cultures. These snippets give some remarkable insights into the related passages.

Also included are transition areas - information that helps bridge the move from one passage to another. Time lines and time capsules, non-Biblical historical documents and much more information is provided throughout. Color maps and illustrations also add to the context of the Biblical passages. And, of course, there are plenty of indexes, topical studies and a concordance available as well.

The topical references become invaluable as sometimes different commentary sections will cover the same passage but with a slightly different focus. The net result is that it's hard to be sure you've found all the relevant material in just reading through the passage and the surrounding information. But through the many tools offered in this Bible, you will be sure to find much to add to your understanding of the passage you're studying. I might also add a couple different translations (NKJV is a more literal or word-for-word translation) just to round out some word studies or concept passages.

Overall, this is a tool that will help you dig deep into your Bible study. I might not recommend it as a daily reading Bible just because there is so much material that it's easy to get distracted from the actual passage, but as a study tool I would place the Chronological Study Bible high on the recommended list.

*This review was written through the Thomas Nelson Blogger review program. The Chronological Study Bible was supplied for review purposes but no other compensation was provided.

Waiting to see

My favorite Christmas story is not found in the beginning of Luke 2. While I enjoy the story of the shepherds and the manger scene, this part of the story is my absolute favorite:

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:15-38, NIV)

Two years ago, I was also waiting to see at Christmas time. After years of being very shortsighted, I finally scheduled a lasik procedure and was in the pre-operative time frame where I had to wear my heavy, thick glasses for a few weeks. Without my glasses, I could see nothing of the lights and colors of the season - just a massive blur around me. With my glasses, I could see, but I also felt the burden of that ability. My nose hurt and my ears ached from the weight of those "lightweight" lenses. But the excitement of knowing that was going to change gave me the patience to go through that season of waiting. It was going to be a thrilling moment when I could see without any help again.

Both Simeon and Anna had been waiting for a special moment, too. For years, they had felt the burden of their nation's sin and their nation's oppression. For years, they had hoped for the redeemer God had promised through the prophets. For years, they had watched and waited.

And they had to know it wouldn't be long now. Simeon had been told he would live to see the Christ and he knew he was closer to the end of his life than the beginning. Anna, living at the temple for many, many years, also waited for this momentous occasion.

How often do you suppose they scanned the crowds that went through the temple each day, wondering if this might be the day? The temple was a busy place, with animals, worshipers, priests and merchants all crowding around doing business. (Remind you of malls at this time of year?) How often do you suppose they searched the faces around them, waiting for that nudge that told them this was the one?

And then they saw. I am sure that they were among the few that did. But Anna recognized the child of this humble couple as the redemption of Jerusalem. Simeon, prompted by the Spirit, met him and praised God for him: "My eyes have seen your salvation." All their hopes were realized in one eight-day-old child visiting the temple because they recognized the One they had been looking for.

And, really, that sums up my prayer for you this Christmas. I pray that in all the hustle and bustle, the people and the noise, the business and the pleasure that you will see those moments of eternal significance; that you will see the child in the manger and recognize Him for who He is; that you will recognize the love that prompted such an amazing story. And that you, too, will say to God "My eyes have seen your salvation..."

Merry Christmas.

Two Stan Toler books (a review)

Stan Toler is a story teller. And nowhere is it more apparent than in this pair of his books, God Has Never Failed Me, But...: He's Sure Scared Me to Death a Few Timesand The Buzzards Are Circling, But...: God's Not Finished with Me Yet. Each book is filled with stories, quotes and snippets that illustrate the challenges and sometimes laughable dilemmas we can get find ourselves facing.

Toler's writing is light, engaging and an easy read even though the topics he covers may not always be so. My only difficulty, if I was to name one, is that sometimes there are so many stories, they jump from one to the next without maintaining any tangible connection to the topic of the chapter. On occasion it reads more like a Coffee Perks, or one of those snippets-and-quotes papers you find in a diner and it becomes a conscious effort to remember what he is talking about.

But on the whole, both books are worth the read simply because they do treat life with an eye to the humorous that can be found in any situation. And sometimes we have to be able to just laugh at the ironies of life.

Review copies provided by The B&B Media Group.