Tag Archives: Christianity

Books Read in 2012: No. 1 – 10 People Every Christian Should Know

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Clark Goble| 2 Comments
By Clark Goble | January 5, 2012

Title: 10 People Every Christian Should Know
Author: Warren W. Wiersbe
Completed on January 1, 2012

Note: My friend Ty Johnston uses his blog to log and review every single book he reads throughout the year. While I often offer book reviews here on the I.D. blog, I often fail to mention many of the books I’ve read. One of my resolutions this year is to follow Ty’s example and log every book I read in 2012. Let’s hope I make it past February!

Review: This shortened version of Wiersbe’s book 50 People Every Christian Should Know is available on the Kindle for under three dollars and is well worth the price. Weirsbe offers insight into the lives of ten pretty interesting Christians. including; Matthew Henry, Jonathon Edwards, A.W. Tozer, John Henry Newman, J.B. Lightfoot, J. Hudson Taylor, Charles, Spurgeon, Amy Carmichael, and Oswald Chambers.

Of the ten offerings I was somewhat familiar with all but two, however, it was the profile that I knew the least about that was of the most benefit. I had heard of A.W. Tozer before but knew little about the man. Weirsbe describes Tozer as a Christian mystic and lays out a plan for the reader to attack Tozer’s writing. Intrigued, I picked up a copy of Tozer’s Pursuit of God and was blown away! It was a book that I would have never discovered if not for Weirsbe. This is the value of Weirsbe’s little book; it points the reader in the direction of other gems to discover.

As a result, I highly recommend 10 People Every Christian Should Know and look forward to picking up a copy of the expanded version when I get the chance.

Happy reading, Clark.

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Eliminating the Ands

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | January 3, 2012

A.W. Tozer

In his book Pursuing God, A.W. Tozer challenges readers to identify what it is in addition to God they are seeking. Tozer puts it this way, “The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the ‘and’ lies our greatest woe. If we omit the ‘and’ we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.”

As I read Tozer’s words for the first time the other day, I couldn’t help but fill in the ‘and’. What I discovered was frightening. It seems there has always been an ‘and’ in my life. Rather than seeking God alone, I have tended to attach other desires to Him and elevate them to equal status. Financial security, doctrine, influence, recognition, love of the world … I could probably fill this page with my list of ‘ands’.

Ironically, not all ‘ands’ are bad. For instance, there is nothing wrong with praying for and striving to achieve financial security for your family. The danger, however, is when we elevate the ‘ands’ to equal status with God. It turns us into fair-weathered Christians who recognize and praise God only when our ‘ands’ are being attended to.  Our love for God becomes contingent upon the fulfillment of those sacred desires we have attached to Him.

When our ands suffer, we find ourselves turning away from God.

God promises that He is all we need. The Bible suggests that that if we seek God first all our other needs will fall into place (Matthew 6:33). I’ve reached a point in my life where all I want is God. I want to let go of my ands and allow Him to sustain my life.

I’m not confident I can do it. But my deepest desire is to seek Him first. I want to elevate God to the proper station in my life. I want Him set above and beyond all other desires of my heart. I’m confident that if God comes first I can survive the loss of everything else.

You may ask how I plan to achieve the elimination of my ands. As I write this, I only have the vaguest of plans. I hope to begin by taking the advice of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and offering praise to God in all circumstances. Too often, I praise God when things go well for me and curse Him when things go awry. By praising God in all things, I hope to blur the line between the secular and the sacred. I want every moment of my life, even the mundane moments, to be cast in His shadow.

I have come to realize that nothing but God will ever truly satisfy me. And my prayer is that this is the year I put things in their proper order.

How about you? What are your ands? Is there anything in your life you have placed on equal status with God? If so, pick up a copy of Tozer’s Pursuit of God and join me in eliminating them.

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Posted in Bible, Bible Study, Prayer, Religion, Theology

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From Darkness Into Light

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | December 13, 2011

My new article published at Provoketive Magazine explores how God led me out of shame into Grace and darkness into light.

It has been said that divorce is like a death in the family. I would submit that this is not a fair comparison. When a member of your family passes away, loved ones flock to the funeral. Your friends stand by you at the cemetery and watch as the deceased is lowered into the ground. Friends and family descend upon your house with gifts of food and companionship. I can remember when my mother passed away. My closest friends in the world traveled great distances just to sit with me. We stayed up late that night telling stories about my mother.

During my divorce, however, I was alone.

To read the rest of the article please visit Provoketive Magazine.

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Posted in Bible, Blogosphere, Discipleship, Religion, The Web

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Creation as a Performance

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | November 1, 2011

3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. – John 1:3 (HCSB)

How did the world we live in come to be? We live in a world where many suggest it was merely a cosmic accident. The right chemicals mingled at the right time and the end result was the planet earth with its myriad of life. On the other hand, the Book of John clearly articulates that all things were created through Jesus Christ. What does the Bible mean when it speaks of creation? The word the HCSB translates as “create” is the Greek “ginomai” (ghin’-om-ahee). Strong’s Greek Dictionary defines ginomai as “to cause to be.” Thayer’s Dictionary adds that it is akin to a man who “come(s) upon the stage” and appears in public with the intention of performing. Unlike an actor, however, Thayer’s continues on to say that there is an element of “ginomai” that is miraculous.

When John writes that all things were created through Him (Christ), he is asserting that there was a point in time when God appeared on the stage of history and miraculously caused everything, as we know it, to come into existence. When we consider the word “ginomai” on this level, we begin to understand how Christ fit into Creation. Colossians 1:15 teaches that Christ is the image of the invisible God. In the context of our study it becomes evident that it was Christ, the image of the invisible God, who appeared on the stage of creation. God the Father was the director and Christ Himself was the actor providing His personal touches to the performance. And what a performance it was! Paul writes in the first chapter of Romans, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made …” (Romans 1:20 NASB). Christ’s performance was one that has provided witness to God’s existence since the beginning of time.

There is an artistry and beauty in creation. So much so that every time we act, write, or perform we are merely imitating that First Great Performance!

We may quibble over the means of Creation, but there should be no debate over the identity of that First Great Performer. Looking at the word “ginomai” at greater depth helps to clarify this important Biblical assertion.

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Posted in Bible, Bible Study, Discipleship, Religion, Theology, Worship, Writing

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Advice for Young Christian Writers

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | October 28, 2011

As part of an assignment in a writing course I was required to write a short essay offering advice for young writers of inspirational works. The finished product is below.

Writing for Inspiration

Unfortunately, there is no step-by-step process for writing an inspirational work. Perhaps it is recognizing this fact that is your first clue in approaching the subject: avoid formulas. A piece of inspiration should originate from the heart as inspired by the Holy Spirit rather than a checklist. Once the Spirit has impressed a subject upon your heart, the next task is to identify your audience. Make no apologies for selecting a particular audience as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, however, you may want to select an audience that you share a connection with. Once you have selected your audience remain focused; remember them at every point in the writing process. Do not neglect praying for God’s inspiration. Remember, the audience is why you are writing to begin with.

Once the audience is selected the research begins. Your inspirational work, be it an article or devotional, will need to be founded upon Scripture. It is important that you understand the Scripture you are basing your work on. Consult commentaries, dictionaries, and other sources as needed to make sure you are properly applying Scripture to your work. Take care not to rush the process. A finished product that misapplies Scripture may actually serve to do more harm than good. Remember that your writing should serve to illuminate Scripture so it may speak into the hearts of your audience. Never allow Scripture to take a back seat in your work; give the Word of God the station it deserves.

When all the research is finished get out your writer’s toolbox. This is where the nuts and bolts of writing come into play. Begin with a draft. Worry less about grammar and syntax at this point and more about simply getting the words out. Once the words are on the page revise, reorganize, and rewrite. Look for words and passages that can be cut from the original draft. Shape and mold your work into a finished product. Do this prayerfully and with great attention.

Once the final draft is complete, review your markets. Do your best to identify which market your work is suited for. If possible, read the works your market has previously published asking questions along the way. Does my work fit well into the market’s overall body of publications? Does my audience fit within their audience? Does my work meet the requirements of the market as presented in their submission guidelines? Once you’re convinced your work is ready for submission and suitable for a given market, all that is left to do is submit and pray.

One final word: Do not become discouraged if your work is rejected. It happens. Your work is likely to be rejected more than it is accepted. Look at rejection as a challenge to go back over the process with determination. You may find that your work simply needs to find the correct market. Never give up! If God has laid it upon your heart to write, write with the confidence your work will eventually find the correct audience.

May God bless you and your writing exploits!

Clark

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Posted in Bible, Christian Fiction, Religion, Theology, Writing

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