May Recap

Here is a summary of all the posts that appeared on our blog during the month of May.

• Memorial Day Thoughts - Lou Gentry pointed us to Red Skelton's popular rendition of The Pledge of Allegiance
    
• Teach Your Toddler That They Are Under Authority - Stephen Simpson shared another post from the parenting book Shepherding a Child's Heart.
     
• The Final Showdown - Summer Camp (and Day Camp) at Camp Gilead 2011 - A summary of the summer offerings at Camp Gilead as well as short video sharing the history of the camp.
   
• Social Gospel, Seeds Family Worship, and 'Tempted and Tried' - This month's edition of Headlines pointed to an article in the Baptist Bulletin, some popular CDs of children's songs, and a new book by Russell Moore.
    
• "The Disciple's Prayer" - A Sermon Series by Pastor Osborne - This post provided links to the audio and notes of all 12 sermons in Pastor's sermon series on 'The Disciple's Prayer' - commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer.
   
• Birds in Chile and Peru - In light of a recent Mission Trip to Chile and Peru, Lee Dusing shared some of the birds found in those countries.
    
• 10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Worry - Stephen provided some thoughts from Matthew 6:25-34.
    
• Formed By Him - Dodo Bird - Lee continued her popular 'Formed by Him' series with this post on the infamous Dodo Bird.
   
• The Beatitudes - How Poor is Your Spirit? - Stephen continued his series through The Beatitudes by examining the verse, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
   
• Book Review - "Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry" (by Doug Fields) - Dave Totman wrote "I have found several excellent principles within these pages that apply well beyond the walls of a youth room."
   
• Book Review - "Triumph - The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics" (by Jeremy Schaap) - Pastor Brock recommended this biography of the great Olympic runner.
   
• William Wilberforce - 'Two Great Objects' - Stephen wrote of Wilberforce, "a giant in the world of Christian politics."
   
• Book Review - "Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ" (by John MacArthur) - Stephen recommended a new book that describes our identity as slaves to Christ.

Memorial Day Thoughts (by Lou Gentry)

I recently ran across an old article which reminded me of something I thought would be appropriate for Memorial Day, and I wanted to share it with you. The article was about Red Skelton’s “Pledge of Allegiance.” For those of you too young to know who Red Skelton was, he was a comedian whose family oriented humor made millions laugh for more than 70 years. On January 14, 1969, in one of his rare serious performances, he first introduced his version of the Pledge of Allegiance on THE RED SKELTON SHOW on CBS Television. His introduction was as follows:

“I remember a teacher that I had. He was the principal of the Harrison School in Vincennes, Indiana. To me, he was the greatest teacher, a real sage of my time. He had such wisdom. We were all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance one day and he walked over--Mr. Laswell was his name--and he said, ‘I’ve been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester; and, it seems as though it has become monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word.

I - - Me; an individual; a committee of one.

Pledge - - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

Allegiance - - My love and my devotion.

To the Flag - - Our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, "Freedom is everybody’s job."

United - - That means that we have all come together.

States - - Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.

And to the Republic - - Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands

One Nation - - One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.

Indivisible - - Incapable of being divided.

With Liberty - - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice - - The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

For All - - For All--which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.’

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: ‘Under God.’ Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?”

Since 1969, Red Skelton’s “Pledge of Allegiance” has twice been read into the Congressional Record of the United States and has received numerous awards. You can see a video of Red’s presentation below.
  

Teach Your Toddler That They Are Under Authority (by Stephen Simpson)

What is the most important thing that you need to teach your children when they are toddlers?  In his book Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp states it clearly:

The most important lesson for the child to learn in this period is that he is an individual under authority. (p. 129)

When I read that, I had one of those moments where I learned something that I should have already known and the fact that I didn't already know it made me feel pretty dumb.  I had simply thought that my primary objective with my toddlers was to get them to obey. 

Obedience is fine and well.  But, obedience is simply a result of properly teaching our primary objective. Our primary objective is to teach our toddlers that they are under authority.  God has placed me in a position of authority over my children. 

Our children also need to learn that they will be under authority all of their lives.  There will always be some authority that they must interact with.  It may be a teacher, a coach, a police officer, a local church, the IRS, or a boss.  Regardless of who it is, our children must learn how to live 'under authority.'

Submission to earthly authority is a specific application of being a creature under God's authority.  (p. 130)

Did you catch that?  Maybe you should go back and read that quote again.  I believe this even applies to adults.  How we submit to earthly authority reveals how we submit to God's authority.  Sadly, there are too many adults that cannot deal properly with authority.  No one taught them that they are under authority.  They think that they are their own authority.  They are in for a rude awakening. 

Do your children a favor.  Teach them that they are under authority.

Other Posts on Parenting:

• Is Your Child a Blank Slate?

The Final Showdown - Summer Camp (and Day Camp) at Camp Gilead 2011

(watch a video about the history of Camp Gilead)

  

Camp Gilead was recently with us for a Sunday evening service.  It was exciting to meet their new Summer Camp Director, Juan Kononovas.  Their 2011 Summer Camp theme is The Final Showdown and is taken from Titus 2:13.

The day is coming and may be nearer than you think.  But will you be ready for what is going to happen?  At Camp Gilead we are getting 'Saddled Up' for a Wild West Adventure that starts today!  Let's ride together "while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."  (from their Summer Camp brochure)

Juan also shared with us some events that the Camp has planned:

• Elementary Retreat - October 5-6, 2011
• Teen Retreat - January 13-15, 2012
• Couples Retreat - February 10-12, 2012
• Family Day at Camp Gilead - March 3, 2012

In addition to Overnight Camp, this summer Camp Gilead will be offering Day Camp as an option for those who may not want to stay overnight.  They currently offer three Day Camp options:

• KinderCamp
• June 13-17
• For children entering Kindergarten or 1st grade
• PrimerCamp 
• June 20-24
• For children entering 2nd or 3rd grade
• CabinCamp 
• June 27-July 1 and July 18-22
• For children entering 4th-6th grades.

To register for Camp or to get more information, visit www.campgilead.com.

Social Gospel, Seeds Family Worship, and 'Tempted and Tried'

• Social Involvement without the Social Gospel - Here's a good article from the most recent Baptist Bulletin article.  It reminded me of our FX Ministry.
   
• Seeds Family Worship - There is much to like about the CDs put out by Seeds Family Worship.  They have recently released their sixth album Seeds of Character.  All of their songs are taken straight from Scripture.  You kids will love these songs!
     
• Tempted and Tried - This new book by Russell Moore looks great.  Here's a trailer on the book.  He's the same author who wrote Adopted for Life.  We did a series of blog posts on this book a while ago.

Past editions of Headlines:

• Facebook Makes Us Miserable, AFD in Baptist Bulletin, and Haiti Video
• Summer Camp at Camp Gilead, Sproul on Creation, & Desiring God's 2011 Pastor's Conference
• Bible Reading, Frozen Baptisms, & eJournals

"The Disciple's Prayer" - A Sermon Series by Pastor Osborne

(image by Sue Whicker)

"If you think prayer is for your benefit you have missed the point.  The reason we pray and the reason God answers is to put Himself and His glory on display.  His glory is the issue."  (Pastor Osborne - from the 1st sermon, Jesus Teaches His Disciples to Pray)

On Sunday morning January 23, 2011, Pastor Osborne began a 12 sermon series on The Disciple's Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.  For convenience, we have gathered links to all of the sermons and also to the PowerPoint notes that went with each sermon.  We hope this will be a blessing to you.

We plan to prepare a DVD package of all of these sermons.  The editing process is long, but it has begun and we hope to have this available sometime this fall. 

1. Jesus Teaches His Disciples to Pray (audio and PPT notes)
2. "Our Father"  (audio and PPT notes)
3. "Hallowed be Thy Name"  (audio and PPT notes)
4. "Thy Kingdom Come"  (audio and PPT notes)
5. "Thy Will Be Done"  (audio and PPT notes)
6. "On Earth As It Is In Heaven"  (audio and PPT notes)
7. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" - part 1  (audio and PPT notes)
8. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" - part 2  (audio and PPT notes)
9. "Forgive Us Our Debts" - part 1  (audio and PPT notes)
10. "Forgive Us Our Debts" - part 2  (audio and PPT notes)
11. "Lead Us Not Into Temptation"  (audio and PPT notes)
12. "Thine is the Glory"  (audio and PPT notes)

Birds in Chile and Peru

Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) by J Fenton

Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:12 ESV)

Pastor Pete and Jim Philips have gone on a two week trip to assist and train preachers down there. So, here is a survey of some of the birds in those countries that they might encounter. Just the trip on the Amazon should give them some interesting views of our feathered friends. Let's see what we can discover:

Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) by Ian's Birdway

Since there are so many to consider, see the numbers below, I have picked out some of the most interesting (at least to me) that you might enjoy seeing God's Designing Hand at work. To start off, there is the Potoo - Nyctibiidae Family, which is related to nightjars and frogmouths (Whip-poor-will or Chuck-will's-widow). They are nocturnal and hunt insects, but lack the bristles around the mouth. What is so neat about these is how they appear in the daytime. They sit on branches and look like the bark or a stump. Peru has the Great, Long-tailed, Common, Andean, White-winged and Rufous Potoo. See an article about them and their Family page.

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) by Ian

Another interesting set of birds they could encounter would be ones from the Sulidae Family which Peru has; the Blue-footed, Peruvian, Masked, Nazca, Red-footed and Brown Booby. Chile has those minus the Red-footed Booby. The family also include the Cape Gannet found in Peru. We did an article about the Blue-footed Booby.

Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) by Dan at LP Zoo

Pastor Pete and Jim may also get a chance to spot the beautiful Sunbittern while in Peru. See Birds of the Bible - Sunbittern. They could also see the "The Stinker" or Hoatzin and the Oilbird also in Peru.

Rufous Motmot (Baryphthengus martii) ©WikiC

Of the 14 Motmots in the Momotidae Family, 5 of them can be found in Peru, but none in Chile. The Whooping, Amazonian, Andean, Rufous and the Broad-billed Motmots live in Peru.

Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans) ©AGrosset

Screaming Phia - Sound from xeno-canto.org

The Cotingas - Cotingidae Family has 30 species in Peru and 1 in Chile. Some articles about them are:
The Pompadour Cotinga – Concealed incubators…
Andean Cock-of-the-rock – The Changer… Both by a j mithra

The Cotingas in Peru are the Red-crested, Chestnut-crested, White-cheeked, Bay-vented, Black-necked Red, Plum-throated, Purple-breasted, Spangled, Black-faced, Purple-throated, Pompadour. Chile only has the Rufous-tailed Plantcutter and Peru has the Peruvian Plantcutter. Peru also has 8 Fruiteaters, 2 Fruitcrows, 4 Pihas and the Andean Cock-of-the-rock.

Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) Reinier Munguia

The another large family is the Psittacidae Family which has the Parrots, Macaws, Parakeets, Parrotlets and the Amazons. There are 53 species in Peru and 5 in Chile.

Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)©WikiC

Do your remember the article about the Sword-billed Hummingbird? Just maybe, they will get a chance to see one of them.

The last is the Trochillidae Family which has the Hummingbirds, Sicklebills, Hermits, Lancebills, Sabrewings, Jacobin, Violetears, Mangos, Topaz, Coquettes, Thorntails, Sapphires, Woodnymphs, Goldenthroat, Emerald, Plumeleteer, Piedtails, Brilliants, Coronet, Sunbeams, Velvetbreast, Inca, Starfrontlets, Sapphirewing, Sunangel, Pufflegs, Whitetip, Racket-tail, Comets, Mountaineer, Metaltail, Thornbills, Avocetbill, Fairy, Spatuletail, Sheartail and Woodstar. All of these are in the Hummingbird family. There are 123 species in Peru and 9 in Chile.

These two countries abound in the Creative Hand of the Lord, especially when the birds of the air are considered.

They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. (Isaiah 5:12 ESV)
that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Isaiah 41:20 ESV)

Peru has 1782 species, with 110 only found in that area, 89 species are globally threatened. Peru List of Birds
Chile has 485 species, with 14 only found in that area, 35 species are globally threatened. Chile List of Birds

Related Posts:

• Birds of the Bible - Paraiba, Brazil
• Birds of the Bible - Johannesburg, South Africa
• Birds of the Bible - Niamey, Niger, West Africa

10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Worry (by Stephen Simpson)

Photo by Paul Cleveland

I recently preached a message from Matthew 6:25-34 entitled 10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Worry.  The message is available on our website.  Here are the ten reasons that I elaborate on in my message.

1. God has given us things far more valuable than the things we are worrying about.
2. God has provided for those who are far less valuable than we are.
3. Worrying is futile. It is a waste of time.
4. Worrying dishonors God by flaunting a lack of faith.
5. We have a kind and gracious Master.
6. The world worries and we are not to be conformed to the world.
7. God is omniscient.
8. We are children of a heavenly Father.
9. God is sovereign and holds the future in His hands.
10. We have much better things to be thinking about.

Related Posts:

• See Matthew DelValle's excellent post on the parallel passage in Luke 12 - The Anatomy of Anxiety

Formed By Him - Dodo Bird

Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) Extinct by Wikipedia

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. (Job 9:10 KJV)

"When Portuguese and early Dutch colonists began to inhabit the small tropical island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, from the early 1500s onwards, they found the island to be the home of a very unusual bird. This bird was as large as a turkey, of ungainly build, with short curly tail feathers and tiny wings. It had a strong black beak with a horny hook at the end. It was so unafraid of man that the Portuguese named it doudo, meaning ‘simpleton’, because it was so trusting they were easily able to hit it on the head and kill it for food. Hence the English name dodo.

Drawings of a dodo from the Journal of VOC ship Gelderland 1601-1603

Dodos were slaughtered in large numbers by sailors and settlers, and pigs which were introduced to the island voraciously ate the dodo eggs. The last dodo was killed in 1681—less than 180 years after it was first described." (Creation 14(1):21 Dec, 1991, by Robert Doolan)

The Dodo was considered stupid or dull-witted because it would let the sailors and travelers walk up to it and club it. The bird had had no natural enemies and so was not afraid. They lived and nested on the ground. When it became extinct, they said it was the way of evolution (survival of fittest), but it has later shown that it was by the direct intervention of man and his introduced dogs and pigs. The bird was not a "dodo" but was a Dodo, a very useful bird. (A play on words) The bird was in the pigeon family they decided and would have placed them in the Columbiformes Order and in the Columbidae Family.

Nicobar Pigeon at Lowry Park Zoo by Dan

The Nicobar Pigeon is the only living member of the genus Caloenas. Based on cladistic analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b and 12S rRNA sequences, the Nicobar Pigeon is sometimes called the closest living relative of the extinct didines (Raphinae), which include the famous Dodo (Raphus cucullatus). Other pigeons in the Caloenas that were also hunted to extinction include the Kanaka Pigeon and the Liverpool Pigeon.

"Also on Mauritius at the time was a tree known as Calvaria major (Today know as the Tambalacoque (Sideroxylon grandiflorum) or Dodo Tree). At that time it was quite common on the island, but by the 1970s only 13 of these Calvaria trees were left. All 13 were more than 300 years old, and though they produced healthy looking seeds each year, none ever managed to germinate. The trees had puzzled botanists for centuries, for their numbers had strangely begun to decline and no new trees were taking root. Calvaria major seemed destined to go the way of the dodo, but the tree was dying out for no perceptible reason.

Tambalacoque or Calvaria major Tree©

While studying the ecology of Mauritius in the mid-1970s, American ecologist Stanley Temple came up with an ingenious connection between the decline of the Calvaria major trees and the disappearance of the dodo. After considering many factors, Temple concluded that the tree’s large fruit had in times past been eaten by the dodo. The tree’s seeds are encased in a thick-walled protective coat, but the dodo’s stone-filled gizzard was able to exert a powerful crushing pressure on them. The bird’s gizzard (a second stomach for grinding food) would pound away at the seed’s coat, weakening it and cracking it a little, but not enough to damage the seed inside. When eventually deposited by the dodo, the seed was able to germinate.
Without the grinding of the dodo’s gizzard to weaken the thick protective wall, the seed was trapped inside its hard case. When the dodo became extinct just over 300 years ago, Calvaria major’s seeds had no way of germinating. So no new trees grew.

Tambalacoque (Calvaria Major) Seeds©©

The dodo’s relationship with the Calvaria major is just one fascinating example of the wonderful balance between animals and plants in God’s creation." (Creation 14(1):21 Dec, 1991, by Robert Doolan)

Today they have used Turkeys, which have a digestive system like the Dodo's, to eat and help break up the the Calvaria major seeds which helps it to germinate. They have even used Gemstone Polishers to help break up the very hard shelled seeds. The result was quite convincing since many seeds germinated.

"If this theory of symbiosis between the tree and the dodo is nowadays contested, it is nevertheless widely discussed because it helps to understand how species are related, and the role played by humans in maintaining this balance."

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33 KJV)

Our Creator God has so many more of these displays of His Glory in the things that have been "Formed by Him."

Other Posts in this Series:

• Formed by Him - An Introduction 
• Sword-Billed Hummingbirds 
• Copper Birds 
• Oxpeckers
• See Birds that Drink Sea Water

See Also:   (Various sources from the internet)

• Formed by Him Series (on Lee's Blog)
• The dodo bird ... an example of survival of the fittest
• Dodo Bird – Not A Failure
• Dodo from Jungle Store
• Calvaria Tree
• Dodo - Wikipedia

The Beatitudes - How Poor is Your Spirit? (by Stephen Simpson)

Matthew 6:3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The "Poor in Spirit" does not refer to financial poverty, but to soul poverty. It refers to an awareness of one's Total Depravity and Total Inability to save oneself. One who is poor in spirit is one who has filed for moral bankruptcy. They have thrown themselves upon the mercy of God. Ironically, it is only then that they are fully blessed, for they receive eternal life. The receive the kingdom of heaven.

'Poor in spirit' stands opposite of 'rich in pride.' Tragically, the default position of mankind is 'rich in pride.' We are born 'full of ourselves,' and grow up thinking that our good deeds are good enough. We think that we will be blessed because of our good deeds. But, it is like Isaiah said "all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment (filthy rags)." (Is. 64:6) The good deeds that we do are utterly worthless. Being 'rich in pride' does not bring happiness. One must become 'poor in spirit.'


How do we become poor in spirit?
We become poor in spirit, not by looking around at other people - but by looking at God. The more we understand the character of God, the poorer in spirit we will become. The better we understand the holiness of God, the better we will understand our total inability to meet God's standards of righteousness. We will gain a more accurate picture of the true poverty of our spirit.

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who accurately recognize their own sinfulness." Those who do this will receive the kingdom of heaven. They will have eternal life.

How poor is your spirit?


Other Posts in 'The Beatitudes' series:

1. The Secret to True Happiness
2. Who Was Jesus Speaking to?
3. How Poor is Your Spirit?
4. What Makes You Mourn?
5. How Meek Are You?

Book Review - "Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry" (by Doug Fields)

(reviewed by Dave Totman)

Some books aren’t worth reading even one time, but others are worth reading over and over. In February 2005, just before I began my current post as the youth pastor at Sahel Academy, I picked up a copy of the book, Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields. I had already read another of his books, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry and hoped this book would be as helpful and encouraging as the first.

Your first two years . . . was completely different than Purpose Driven and struck some chords in my heart that have continued to resound over the past half-decade. So, this spring, I decided to pick it up and go over it again as an evaluation tool of how the last six years of youth ministry have gone and to explore how I might be able to improve some areas of weakness.

Now, you may be saying, “Well, this is a pretty narrow subject; I’m not in youth ministry, so this book obviously isn’t for me.” Not so fast, I say – I have found several excellent principles within these pages that apply well beyond the walls of a youth room.

Three principles have struck a chord in my heart:

1. “You can’t minister to everyone.” (p. 86) As someone who loves to help others and has lessons yet-to-be learned about boundaries and margin, this principle jumped off the pages (of the book) at me. Doug writes that you can’t (and shouldn’t) minister to everyone on your own (not even Jesus attempted this). I must learn my role and niche and look for others to play their roles as well. It is a great reminder that as believers, we are meant to live and serve in the body of Christ. I am only one part and I am meant to function as a part of many pieces working together. So, I need to be looking around me and identifying the team, their niches, and how we should all be working together to accomplish the overall task.
     
2. “During conflict . . . be a leader.” (p. 129) Conflict is an interesting subject. For some it raises their stress level, others seem to create conflict to relieve stress. I can identify times in my life when I have avoided conflict and other times when I have sought to create it. Conflict isn’t always bad; in fact, many times it can be very helpful. Doug’s point in this portion of the book is to remind spiritual leaders that God has placed them in leadership to help navigate the conflict process and so we shouldn’t shy from it or avoid it, but rather be the leader that God wants. Doug goes on to chart a model of conflict resolution that is very helpful (p. 137). It was good for me to look over the conflict process and ask myself if I am responding to the conflicts in my life negatively or positively and to reflect on how I need to be a better leader through this process.
     
3. “Why you want to develop student leaders.” (p. 196) I have believed for a long time that student leadership should be a priority in every youth ministry. That has been easier to believe than implement because the natural high turnover rate in youth ministry is only exacerbated when that youth ministry is dropped into the context of an international school and community. Doug’s encouragement, examples and advice on how to develop student leadership was very helpful. The bottom line for me is that as a follower of Christ, I want to push others around me into deeper relationships with Christ. The most effective way for me to do that (since I cannot minister to everyone . . . see point 1 above), is to reach out to leaders around me (including young and emerging leaders) and help them learn to minister to others.

All of this is obviously applicable in the context of a youth ministry. But it is equally applicable in many other contexts (sports teams, classrooms, boardrooms, etc.). Your First Two Years in Ministry is an incredibly helpful book in addressing many of the heart issues a youth minister deals with and I encourage anyone interested or already involved with youth ministry on any level to pick up a copy and give it at least one good read (maybe you’ll want to pick it up again years down the road, just as I have).

Other Books:

• Meeting Him (by Beneth Peters Jones)
• The Trellis and the Vine (by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne)
• Worship Matters (by Bob Kauflin)

Book Review - "Triumph - The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics" (by Jeremy Schaap)

(reviewed by Peter Brock)

Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics is a very compelling read for those who enjoy sports and history. Written by Jeremy Schaap, the reader is taken from Owens early days in high school and college at Ohio State through the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The African-American son of sharecroppers won four gold medals and perhaps single-handedly brought down Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy. Schaap paints the media portrayal of Owens remarkable achievements against a backdrop of Nazism, prejudice, Arianism, Hitler, and politics. Triumph is a fascinating reading of sports and geopolitics coming together on a world stage.

Other Book Reviews:

• Singing and Making Music (by Paul S. Jones)
• Do Hard Things (by Alex & Brett Harris)

William Wilberforce - 'Two Great Objects' (by Stephen Simpson)

William Wilberforce stands as a giant in the world of Christian Politics.  I did not know this until a few years ago when I watched the movie Amazing Grace.  It introduced me to Wilberforce.  My understanding and appreciation of Wilberforce grew more as I read Eric Metaxas's excellent book Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery.

It is staggering to consider Wilberforce's contemporaries.  Born in 1759, Wilberforce shared the earth with men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Whitfield, Napoleon, and Beethoven.  He lived among giants and was a giant himself.
 
The 'Great Change'
The turning point in Wilberforce's life came in 1785.  At this point he held the most coveted seat in the House of Commons and his closest friend was the Prime Minister, William Pitt.  It was during 1785 that Wilberforce converted to Christ.  Metaxas describes his 'Great Change:'

Wilberforce's "Great Change" did not happen overnight or in an instant... but (his) transformation was much more gradual.  His conversion was much closer to St. Augustine's, who came to intellectual clarity about the doctrines of Christian faith but was frustrated by his inability to conform his behavior to his beliefs. (p. 52-53)

What a 'Great Change' it was!  Nearly every aspect of Wilberforce's life was dramatically changed.  His finances, attitudes, priorities, and time management were redeemed along with his soul. 

Two Great Objects
In 1787, Wilberforce wrote in his journal, "God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners."  This is such a simple statement.  Yet, the entire world has been impacted these 'two great objects' that God set before Wilberforce.

In explaining the magnitude of what Wilbeforce did, Metaxas puts it well,

What Wilberforce vanquished was something even worse than slavery, something that was much more fundamental and can hardly be seen from where we stand today: he vanquished the very mind-set that made slavery acceptable and allowed it to survive and thrive for millennia.  He destroyed an entire way of seeing the world, one that had held sway from the beginning of history, and he replaced it with another way of seeing the world.  (from the introduction, p. xv, emphasis added)

William Wilberforce is a man that all of us should be acquainted with.  We should study his life.  We should emulate his example.  We should consider what 'great objects' God Almighty has set before us.  And we should pursue those 'great objects' with all of our strength.

Book Review - "Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ" (by John MacArthur)

(reviewed by Stephen Simpson)

As Christians, we have bought from the slave market of sin and are now slaves to a new master.  I have recently finished a new book that explores our identity as slaves to Christ.  John MacArthur's new book is  entitled Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ.  The slave-master relationship is present all throughout scripture but is often lost in our English translations.  Too often, 'slave' is translated 'servant.' In our minds, a servant is very different than a slave.  A servant is hired.  A slave is purchased.  MacArthur presents 5 parallels between Biblical Christianity and first-century slavery:

1. Exclusive Ownership
2. Complete Submission
3. Singular Devotion
4. Total Dependence
5. Personal Accountability

As Christians we must embrace our identity as slaves to Christ.  Meditate on this thought

"I am a slave of Christ.  He bought me with His own blood.  Yet, He does not treat me as a slave.  He treats me as His bride."

Related Books:
In MacArthur's book, he frequently references another book that deals with this same topic:  Slave of Christ:  A New Testament Metaphor for Total Devotion to Christ by Murray J. Harris.