Isaiah: Putting It All Together For The Layman

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Isaiah: A Ride In The Chariot

Author: Theodor B. Rath; Publisher: AuthorHouse, Bloomington, IN., 2015

Theodor (Ted) Rath is a veteran of the Korean War, a teacher, and a pastor, with a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Il. This volume clearly evidences his love for the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament (O.T.), especially as they relate to our current and future times.

I had read through the O.T. Book named Isaiah in the past and realized it covered a lot of ancient history, to say the least. As a believer, and familiar with the New Testament (N.T.), I could see references that could well apply to the end times. But whether they did or not I left for scholars to decide. More of us, however, know about the book of Isaiah through the sermons preached by our pastors over the years. It was hard putting it all together, though. And this is where Rath’s book came into play for me.

The author does a good job of giving us a description of what each section, chapter, and group of verses in the book of Isaiah communicated to the readers. He explains very carefully how the book is structured. He believes the main author was Isaiah but that other followers of his wrote under his name as much as over a century later than earlier parts of the book. He carefully points out the possibility that certain portions have double meanings with respect to the period of time for which the prophesies are made.  That is, some of what the book predicts could be understood to have already taken place after the prophesy and before the time of Christ, while it is simultaneously possible that the prediction also, or only, covers the future end days that many Christians await and which are related to the return of Jesus Christ, as He promised. Rath leaves it up to the reader to decide.

Clearly explaining, and more so interpreting, Isaiah, is a difficult challenge to take on. And at times it becomes a challenge for the layperson reader to stick with the thoughts the scholar is trying to get across. But there are some gems to be found in the work’s pages.

For example, early in the work he writes, “The primary purpose of this study is to show that prosperity can either be a blessing or a curse.” Agreed. The problem is that for me at least, the author didn’t point out that conclusion blatantly enough out in the volume. It is only realized when one reviews one’s notes where one highlighted that statement, that its truth becomes obvious to the reader.

But there are other gems that are easier to find. Here are two examples: First, he relates the children of Lot (the Ammon) as the original inhabitants of the modern Jordan.  Second, he writes, “Believing in the custom of the first-born child being designated as the rightful person to be chosen for certain family leadership roles, many Moslems (sic) feel their people should take precedence over Christianity.” This reader had never quite thought of this global situation we have today with our Muslim co-habitants of the earth in those terms before.

He takes us very quickly through the history of Mesopotamia (part of modern-day Iraq), the “cradle of civilization” to its modern times in a very clear fashion. Then he throws us back to about 5,000 BC when the Sumerians became prominent in the region and established the earliest written language.

Rath also gives us quick summaries of the role of all the other prophets, but maintains his emphasis on Isaiah by indicating that time and time again Isaiah shares with us the concept that God has great patience with His people, willing to save them.  In fact, the name Isaiah means “salvation of the Lord” or “Jehovah saves”.

He explains very logically how and why it was that the Israelites, “unaccustomed to the ways of agriculture, turned to the gods of the land. In doing so, they did not mean to turn away from Yahwah, the God of the Exodus and the Sinai Covenant. They would look to Yahweh in times of military crisis and then turn to Baal for success in agriculture.” The very thing (syncretism or blending of two faiths) that God did not want for His people.

Based on his study of Isaiah and related texts, Rath goes on to give us a very serious list of five things that need “to be done to reverse the conditions that so adversely affect so many people in this country and elsewhere.” They alone are worth the purchase of his book.

On the downside, I find that Rath often shares two sides of an argument with us (e.g. he may say some Bible “versions say x and y, but these versions say so-and-so”) and then leaves us hanging.  You never quite know which version he prefers or why one position is more probable than the other. Or he says the prophecy of some particular verses may refer to something that has already happened or it may refer to something still to come – and again never tells us what he thinks. This all simply points to the whole perplexity of Isaiah’s book in the O.T.  He even says at one point, “Verses. . . are difficult to understand.” I appreciate his honesty, but with it, came some level of frustration for me.

He is very clear in relating the role of today’s Christian as being very similar to that of the prophet Isaiah, namely, “To proclaim salvation is the chief work of the Christian church and all of is denominations and congregations.”

Another very valuable section in his book is one entitled, the “Nine Images of God”. It can easily make a great sermon series, as can other parts in Rath’s book.

This book adds a very necessary perspective to a serious study of Isaiah and I recommend it for all who wish to make sense of one of the most challenging Biblical books. But it’s not a quick read, especially if you follow the author’s recommendation to read it with your Bible open at the verses he is writing about.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

Get the book here: http://astore.amazon.com/accorconsu-20

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

More Heart and Subplots Works Well After a Long Day

When Calls the Heart: It Begins With Heart

Starring Daniel Lissing, Erin Krakow, Jack Wagner, and Lori Loughlin;

Directed by Michael Landon Jr.; 2015

This is a movie that requires two things: First, the more you have seen of the episodes prior to this one, the better off you’ll be.  Second, be ready to spend more time watching the next episode.

This series first shown on the Hallmark Channel obviously keeps on delighting thousands and this episode was no exception. I watched this one down south in the heat of the night and found it most refreshing.  Coal Valley (now renamed Hope Valley after the mine closed) is on the verge of getting national exposure on New Year’s Eve as a great frontier family town. And it takes the whole town’s cooperation to pull it off.

But while that main plot progresses, we get ample opportunity to look in on several other subplots – both romantic and not-so-much.  This results in many surprises as well as moments of tenderness between human beings. And in the process, lessons are communicated to the audience.

One father who recently lost his wife is heard saying, “We work for a living” when the lead character Elizabeth Thatcher (the town’s teacher played so well by Erin Krakow) speaks to him about his daughter doing art which he was opposed to.  Her response, “Being creative is part of work for children.”

At another point, the owner of the lumber mill makes his new year’s resolution to be able to say ‘no’ for once to his very bossy and self-centred female crush in the person of Rosemary LeVeaux (plaed by Pascale Hutton) with this beautiful comeback, “Sometimes life is more important than just appearances,” as he forces her to tell the truth to the reporter writing the special feature on the town.

Clearly the message is that a vibrant community is one where ‘family’ extends beyond the walls of a single home.  And as nice as that goal is, it needs to be pursued with the understanding that everyone has deep secrets of the past that may or may not come out in any given episode of the series, or for that matter, in real life.

Jack Thornton (played by Daniel Lissing), is the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable overseeing Hope Valley with whom Miss Thatcher is in love.

Once again the script is rich with great lines and dialogue time and time again.  Clearly not an extremely big-budget production. What the movie lacks because of its many subplots is the fact that we meet so many characters but never get to know them.  They, understandably, cannot not be developed as deeply as we would like – at least not in a single episode.

The film and the entire series is based on the work of Janette Oke, a Canadian author still living in Alberta, Canada. Faith is a big part of her life and the Producer-Director Michael Landon, Jr. has honored that aspect of her writings. (In an earlier review I had stated he became famous in his role on the well-known series Bonanza – but that was his father, Michael Landon.  My apologies.)

Unfortunately, I did not record every instance of brilliant and very witty dialogue between the characters this time – I should have.  But suffice it to say that if you watch this film, you’ll be pleasantly entertained by them.

I’m looking forward to watching the next episode.  So, if you’re looking for some great family thought-provoking entertainment, join me and take a look at this entire series.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Some People Chase A Dream, Others Follow It

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Noble: A Dream Can Change A Million Lives

Starring Dierdre O’Kane, Sarah Greene, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, and Ruth Negga; Directed by Stephen Bradley; 2015

This is a movie based on the true life story of Christina Noble – a recipient of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) – who is the founder and driving force behind the Foundation that bears her name. It’s a story about children's rights in Vietnam. But it starts in Ireland many years earlier when young Christina, born in 1944, experienced being homeless and desperate. Life in an orphanage run by nuns is not all it’s cracked up to be for a young girl. Nor is a bad marriage. In 1971, she dreams about the napalm bombings in Vietnam and the children screaming and fleeing to survive. In her dream, she could see them falling into cracks in the road, disappearing forever, as some stretched out their arms to reach her. Nearly two decades later, with her own children now grown, Christina follows her dream to what was formerly called Saigon, and then Ho Chi Minh City, arriving as a tourist. Through some extraordinary circumstances she obtains a temporary work visa for just three months to prove what she can really do. On her last day, she is ready to head to the airport for a flight home, feeling a complete failure. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out what happened.

Director Bradley takes us back and forth between Christina’s life in Ireland and her time in Vietnam. Three different actors play her role at various ages and they are all excellently cast. The dialogue between those speaking English and those speaking Vietnamese is suburb with perfect intonation and simplicity in sentence structure.  The movie is strewn throughout with songs of Doris Day and others that Christina loved to sing as a young aspiring singer.  Some of them are actually worked into Christina’s lines and form a key part of the story.

But the most interesting aspect of the movie, from the time Christina is a very young girl until the very end of the movie is the fact that she talks very directly and as only a young Irish lass could, to God. There is no doubt He plays a significant role in her life and in the credits, one can read the phrase, “Christina Noble still talks to God.”

This is indeed an inspiring movie about a real inspiring life. Great viewing for the whole family, it is not heavily religious, nor is it sugary sweet. It tackles a lot of issues including rape, drinking, adultery, adoption, and child sex offenders with sufficient discretion.  In that regard, goodness knows we need more of these.

The movie certainly kept me interested and it was thoroughly enjoyed as well as thought-provoking. You come to the realization that you can’t save everyone you want to – but you lose much by not doing all you can to save the ones you can.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Are You Working For A Living Or Just Making Money?

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Work and Wealth in Scripture:
How to Grow, Prosper, and Work as a Christian

Lawrence A. Clayton, RESOURCE Publications, Eugene, Oregon, 2015

The book’s author, Lawrence A. Clayton, is Professor Emeritus of History, University of Alabama. He has written numerous books, undertaken jail ministry teaching weekly assignments since 2000, and done missionary work in both Dominican Republic and Honduras. In this book, he passionately wants to trace through history, the meaning and value of both work and wealth in parallel to Biblical teachings on the subjects. Through this short volume of 148 pages, Clayton propels us to think about our own attitude to work, to money, and to wealth. In the process, he shares what he believes God expects of mankind with respect to work and riches.

The author starts the book off with an imaginary Fox Network interview of Jesus and the Apostle Paul on the subject. The co-interviewers are two network personalities, one from Fox and one from PBS. It’s a most interesting opening and through it, Clayton sets the stage for the various chapters and their topics that follow.

With him, we explore the question, “What do you do?”, being reminded not to confuse working for a living with making money. Slowly we’re nudged into thinking that “work, obviously, has a higher end than ‘making money’.” Throughout the book, appropriate Scripture verses or whole passages are drawn attention to. He ends this chapter by expanding the original question to, “. . . equally important, what do you do with what you earn?”

The answer to that is based, as he shows us next, on what we value. If we’re focused on “getting rich, getting things, making wealth for its own sake” we tend to lose track of what really is important, at least for the Christian (if not all of us), and that is to be in the will of God. And that, he argues, does not mean “being poor or accepting poverty as your lot in life. It means what it says: staying in the will of God.” Later in the chapter, he defines “real wealth in this world”.

Clayton then introduces the “name it and claim it” or “prosperity” theology that has become popular in the modern Christian church, claiming it provokes more controversy than any other phenomenon in the church and shows how wealth continues to be a contentious issue today. So he takes us back to how various predecessors of ours treated both work and wealth down through the ages after Christ’s time on earth. The Protestant work ethic is analyzed as are a number of other ‘isms’ with respect to the topics. For some, like the Puritans and Calvinists, for example, he shows how their views of work and wealth impacted their assurance or lack thereof with respect to their salvation. The author shares 10 Tips from Scripture on Money and its use that are most helpful as we determine our own position on work and wealth.

There’s an interesting chapter on how work got to be a “dirty word” which incorporates the thinking from the day of Adam, right through Plato and Aristotle, on to Cicero, and on to Hebrew rabbis. He deals with the concept of “renunciation” of worldly goods and what it really meant practically for the early Christian church to “share all things in common”. Never far away from his main points is what is expected of us with respect to our “surplus” (that which is not necessary for our own existence) and especially how that may be used to help the needy.

Of most interest to me was the author’s sharing of the “seven-fold spirit” of work which Theophilus wrote as a preface for one of his books. That in itself, would make a great sermon or even a series for some industrious pastor. The whole point for Clayton, of course, is the spiritual goal, of having us move “closer to Christ through (our) work”. He introduces us to Luther’s thinking on the subjects at hand – the idea being that if we are all equal before God, then all our work is equally valid before Him, and thus should be before us. Calvin joins the chorus by adding his own belief that it is okay for us to rise out of our circumstances if they are not what we are capable of achieving, but not for the sake of wealth.

For many of us, the author contends, it is a struggle which comes down to how we interpret Scripture on these topics. But however we do it, we must, Clayton argues, recognize that Scripture itself does not change. It is our interpretation of it, based on how we think it can be applied to our day and age, that changes. And that requires careful stickhandling if we are to stay in the will of God.

Near the end of the book, Lawrence Clayton also shares the thoughts of Hugh Whelchel as he summarizes the latter’s “Five Lessons for Our Lives from the Parable of the Talents”. Well worth the read and great material for yet more sermons.

While I initially found the book a challenging read, when going over it again, looking at all my marked passages, I realized the problem was more mine than that of the author who sometimes repeated his ideas and points whenever he could get them in. But that’s a small inconvenience to allow for an excellent historical rendering of work and wealth in Scripture. A most recommended volume for all who really care about “what they do” – be it ‘making money’ or ‘working in the will of God’.

--  By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

God: A Verbal Self-Portrait

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God Describes God

Exodus 34:6-7: Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

In the previous study, we left Moses standing on Mount Sinai where the Lord had descended in a cloud and stood there with him. Moses then called upon the name of the Lord.

Our text says God then passed by in front of him and spoke. But what He said was a self-testament as to Who He is, how He works, and what He does. Many portions of Scripture give us comfort with respect to the God we have entrusted our life to, but these two verses in Exodus seem to provide, for me at least, all the assurance I need. Believing there is a God (an Infinite Intelligent Entity) who created life and me specifically, and that our relationship with Him matters, as I do, then here God Himself describes Who He is to us – this is the original “verbal Selfie” if you like.

God tells Moses, and through him He is telling us, that He is compassionate. That describes someone who has feeling for or shows sympathy and concern for others. God did not just create us and abandon us as some who like to describe Him as the “absent landlord” believe. He continues to care for all that He has created – especially us. He would do whatever it would take to save us. And He did – but that’s the whole story behind the New Testament although both the need and the foretelling of His rescue plan are well entrenched in the Old Testament.

God says He is gracious. That describes someone who is courteous and kind. God invites us to a relationship with Him; He never forces us into it. And when we accept, He is kind to us, allowing us to grow and develop in our spiritual lives. One dictionary also says that in Christian belief, the term also means the showing of “divine grace” as in we are “saved by God’s gracious intervention” on our behalf. In fact, I would suggest that it is His compassion that causes Him to exercise His graciousness with respect to our salvation. If He were a God that had no compassionate, why then would He ever have to demonstrate grace towards us?

God says He is slow to anger. Many of us (I know I speak for myself) wish we were just that.  If there’s one quality of God’s many of us could benefit from, it is that – being slow to anger. Many of us have experienced anger in our relationships – spouse, family, friends, or at work. Most times these experiences are temporary and with effort, can be controlled or their impact mitigated. But to get a better understanding of God’s slow to anger characteristic, that is, the exercise of this aspect of one’s character at a divine, all-powerful, level, we need to consider briefly the absence of a “slow to anger” characteristic in some examples we may all be more familiar with. Consider for a moment, an alcoholic parent/spouse who comes home totally wasted from drinking and demands total and immediate compliance with his/her every whim and then strikes out with physical violence towards anyone who fails to obey. I am not suggesting that God is like that at all. On the contrary, my point is He is totally opposite to that. But as Supreme Creator and Ruler of the Universe, were He not slow to anger, we mere mortals would deserve such lashing out. Or consider some of the cruelest rulers in history – names like Idi Amin Dada, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Pol Pot, Ivan (IV) the Terrible, Adoph Eichmann, Adolf Hitler, and Josef Stalin come to mind. Perhaps people like North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un from present times can be said to have limited patience or a short wick. They all behaved the way they did or do now because of their power and authority. God Who has more power and authority than all of them combined, shows His compassion for us, His graciousness to us, by being among many other good things, slow to anger with us.

God tells us He keeps lovingkindness for thousands. Don’t take the number ‘thousands’ as literal. The point is that God has it in His nature to act in a tender and an affectionately benevolent way (the definition of the word by Merriam-Webster dictionary) towards others – us.

Also, do not confuse God’s “lovingkindness” with the loving-kindness as the English equivalent for the Buddhist term Mettā, as described in the Metta Sutta of the Pali Canon's Sutta Nipata (Sn 1.8) and Khuddakapatha (Khp 9), and practiced in Loving kindness (and Mettā) forms of Eastern Buddhism religious meditation. Their source is not of the God of the Old Testament, the Creator and Lord of all.

God also tells us He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. That is a big part of His work. It is true someone (including God) can forgive someone else for an iniquity, transgression and sin committed against the forgiver or another person (as in the case of a bereaved parent forgiving a criminal for shooting their child to death) without the transgressor even knowing either about the fact that he/she has sinned or about the fact that they have been forgiven. There is great value in forgiveness to the forgiver including the loss of resentment and the ability to move on. However, the net effect on the individual guilty of the sin is nil; he/she continues on his/her merry way.

God, on the other hand, is not in need of any comfort or release from anything and His forgiveness is not about Him so much (except that is what He does) as it is about the sinner needing forgiveness. For that reason, God’s forgiveness of our sins requires us:

·      to be aware of the fact that we are transgressors against His laws,

·      to repent of the fact that we committed them, wanting to pursue them no more,

·      to seek His forgiveness in order to be accepted into fellowship with Him,

·      to accept the method of His forgiveness which He provided several thousand years later from the time of this self-description (i.e. through His Son, Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for our sins in our place, dying on the cross), and

·      to accept Christ as Lord of our lives.

All that is necessary because God will not co-exist with sin. And all that is possible because God is willing to be a forgiver of sin, as part of His very essence.

However, lest we consider His desire to forgive and to have us live in relationship with Him such that our sins do not matter to Him, God warns us outright, He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. Neglect all the steps outlined above and God says you will be punished. You can also ignore the warning He gives, but as ‘danger’ signs we often see say, “Doing so is at your own peril.”

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

It’s Not Quite All Hokus-Pokus

 

Alternative & Mystical Healing Therapies:

Are They Medically Sound & Spiritually Safe?

Edwin A. Noyes, MD., M.PH., Xlibris, Bloomington, IN, 2015

 

With one close relative of mine involved with yoga, two others with acupuncture, and still remembering my mother administering ‘cupping’ on my dad’s back when he had a doozer of a cold, I wanted to see what the medical profession had to say about these and other alternative and mystical healing therapies. Edwin Noyes’ book was just the ticket.  Not only does it explain in detail what the mainline medical practitioners believe with respect to such therapies, but also describes the results of research carried out with regards to each type.

But Noyes went one step further as far as I was concerned. Writing as a Christian, he interweaves his understanding of what God and the Bible have to say on mystical healing therapies, carefully pointing out the dangers for the Christian believer.

Noyes is a balanced writer, pointing out that there are alternative & mystical therapies that actually do work, if not for everybody, for some. So, yes, there is power in many of these alternatives to scientific medical treatment.  What worries Noyes and should worry us is the source of that power. Taking us back to the very beginning, this former U.S. Army physician and surgeon explains how evil does not want to defeat good in direct combat, but rather achieves its goal by convincing us to blend the “good” in such a way with itself so that the evil is often not even recognized and lingers around to create havoc for mankind.

The book is also very historical in nature introducing us to three world centers and periods of medical influence.  Also, specific categories of therapy are described starting with their origin, the growth of their influence, as well as their modern age status and acceptance by the world including segments of the medical profession.

It turns out, as the author very successfully shows, that the “New Age” treatments are anything but new. Rather, they are a return to the “Ancient Age” of Eastern mysticism and beliefs held during the period prior to sound medical science and research. Most of the ancient Eastern religions and their origins play a prominent part in today’s alternative ‘healing’ therapies. Noyes also gives us evidence in writing of how the promoters of such therapies, in order to succeed in the West, keep quiet about their link to their religious or mystical sources and proudly claim they don’t have to refer to them.  They know the spiritual effect will impact a participant over time without his knowing it.  And before one knows, the idea that we all are, or can be, gods, will entice us to continue pursuing that state of perfect balance that each therapy claims as a condition of good health. For example, as you study and focus on the physical yoga position, you will eventually be ready to investigate the spiritual component, which is the “entire essence of the subject”.

The list of therapies and practices covered is long. Noyes also focuses of the various requirements for magnetism, energy flows, thought processes, etc. required by most of them. He examines each and shares documented evidence which points to the fact that almost all are not effective as real alternative healing remedies – most having the same or less impact than placebos.

What surprises him is how many of these (yoga being the prime example, but there are others) are thriving in the Christian church; some with the blessing of some well-known pastors. Outside the Church, he takes on and exposes the likes of Deepak Chopra and Dr. Oz.  He reserves even greater arguments for acupuncture, reflexology, and visualization techniques that are used widely today; the latter often in corporate business settings.

I remember several decades ago being in hospital with pericarditis (an infection and inflammation of the lining around the heart) and going through some pretty rough nights. One of the nurses practiced (without my consent) what was quite common in those days – the Therapeutic Touch therapy. Some of you may remember it or experienced it. Noyes explains it well. I can assure you, that is not what healed me.

And just when you thought the things you were allowing in your life may have escaped Noyes’ criticism, up come sections on herbology and flower therapy, crystals, homeopathy, divination, hypnosis, and biofeedback.

Let me conclude with one quote near the end of the book:

“This book does not present the idea that these methods do not work. The purpose of the book is to help us in answering the questions ‘Who makes it work?’ and “What power is behind it?’”

You’ll need to come to your own conclusion. But the book will stay on my reference shelf as an excellent tool to turn to for details about anything any one of my children, grandchildren, friends, or clients throw at me in support of why they swear by these alternative and mystical healing therapies.

--  By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.