BiblicalInsights.net

     Tommy Newberry gives an interesting assessment of the type of thinking that destroys joy in his book, The 4:8 Principle.  The book is based upon Philippians 4:8 and stresses positive thinking over negative thinking.  Under the heading, Head Games,he mentions RAT’s (really awful thoughts).  RAT’s terrorize your potential for joy (p. 107).  He then lists some of these negative thinking patterns.
     –Amplifiers.  Amplifiers magnify unpleasant situations with words like: always, never, no one, every time, etc.  These words are distortions of the truth and pervert perceptions. 
     –Feelers.  Feelers accept negative feelings as true without questioning them.  Feelings are no substitute for the truth.  When feelings are based upon perverted perceptions the result is negative conduct.
     –Guessers.  Guessers pretend they know what other people are thinking, and then they assume the worse ahead of time (p. 107).  This fuels negativity.
     –Exaggerators.  Exaggerators transform mole hills into mountains.  They use words like horrible, worst, ruined, shocked, stunned, devastated, and outraged.  They, too, distort reality.
     –Identifiers.  Indentifiers inject harmless events with personal meaning.  They overestimate how an event is related to them.  They take things too personally and interpret negative events as personal attacks.
     –Forecasters.  Forecasters predict worst case scenarios.  They are the doom and gloom group.
     –Cynics.  Cynics find what is wrong even if it is the only thing wrong! (p. 108).  Despite the good, they use their mental radar to see the bad.
     –Blamers.  Blamers point the finger at someone else for their own problems.  Blaming others liberates them from personal responsibility for their attitudes and actions.
     –Justifiers.  Justifiers remind themselves of all the reasons why they are entitled to feel negative emotions or have a negative outburst. (p. 109).
     These RATs must be eliminated from our thinking if we are going to experience the joy that God intends for our lives.  Joy is “an outward sign of inward faith in God’s promises” (p. 42).  Joy is connected to spiritual relationship with God.  If there is no spiritual connection with God, then there can be no real joy.  “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice”  (Phil. 4:4).

     The Bible on Trial is a new book by Wayne Jackson.  I have written a brief review of this book and posted it on this site under book reviews.  Some of the excerpts below will give you an idea of the value of this book.
     Consider the integrity of the text of the Old Testament.  “Let us compare Isaiah 53 in the Masoretic Text with that of the Dead Sea Scrolls–and remember, the two are separated by a thousand years of time.  Of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, there are only seventeen letters in question.  Ten of these letters are simply a matter of spelling, which does not affect the sense.  Four more letters are minor stylistic changes, such as conjunctions.  The remaining three letters comprise the word “light,” which is added in verse eleven, and does not affect the meaning greatly.  Thus, in one chapter of 166 words, there is only one word (three letters) in question after a thousand years of transmission, and this word does not significantly change the meaning of the passage (Geisler and Nix 1986, 263–quoted by Jackson, p. 260-261).
     The marvelous accuracy of the New Testament.  “In Acts, Luke mentions thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine Mediterranean islands.  He also mentions ninety-five persons, sixty-two of which are not named elsewhere in the New Testament.  And his references, where checkable, are always correct” (Jackson, p. 27).
     The wonderful unity of the Bible.  “The sacred Scriptures were written by some forty different persons, over a span of some 1,600 years.   These authors, from a variety of cultural and educational backgrounds, writing in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), produced a volume of sixty-six books that is characterized by such an amazing unity and beautiful continuity as to be inexplicable on the basis of mere human origin” (Jackson, p. 26).  The unity of the Bible is seen in its theme, plan, doctrine and factual harmony.
     These exerpts contain a sample of insights into the sacred Scriptures that will thrill any Bible student.  This 294 page, paper-back book, is worth reading and studying.  I highly recommend it to you.

      J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler teamed up to produce In Search of a Confident Faith.    This book addresses the cultural and religious misunderstanding of faith.  The authors relate some interesting background material.  Dec. 20, 2005, the Barbara Walters special: Heaven: Where is it?  How do We get There?” aired.  Just a few months earlier, Dateline NBC featured a special on demonization and ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas hosted an hour-long program on the resurrection of Jesus.  These programs all shared a common misunderstanding about faith.  In all three shows, the final conclusion was simply that some people believe in demons, the resurrection of Jesus, and heaven and some don’t.  But, in the final analysis, no one is really right or wrong, and even if someone is right, no one can really know one way or the other.  But, that doesn’t matter because, ultimately, one’s choice of a viewpoint is a matter of (blind) faith (p. 15).
     Blind faith is separated from knowledge of the truth and from accurate understanding of the truth.  This concept is false.  Paul declares, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing of the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).  Personal faith is anchored in truth (God’s Word–John 17:17). 
      Paul also declares, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is true” (I Thess. 5:21).  We have an obligation to have evidence for those things that we believe to be true.  The explicit statements in the Bible form the basis of the evidence that we possess regarding the truthfulness or untruthfulness of any proposition.  We can use the Scriptures authoritatively to establish a proposition to be true or false (see Jesus’ use of the Scriptures in this manner–Matt. 22:29-32).  Consequently, we must try (prove) the spirits whether they are from God or not (I John 4:1-2). 
     Paul also states, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).  The word understanding means to join the perception with the thing perceived.  The mind of man can understand accurately the will of God.
     Faith involves knowledge of the truth and proper understanding of the truth.  Faith is confidence of the promises of God and conviction of the  precepts of God (Heb. 11:1).  Faith is “taking God at His word.”  Faith is trusting God implicitly.  Faith is a choice to accept God’s Word as the final authority.  Faith always involves knowledge of the truth, understanding of God’s Will, human volition, and reliance upon God.  It is never blind!

     In Matthew 6, Jesus taught His disciples a beautiful prayer.  As a part of the context of that prayer, Jesus taught His disciples to pray for their daily bread.  “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:6).  Recently, Christianity Today published an article with some meditations on the phrase daily bread (Christianity Today, March, 2009, p. 56). The article contained reflections on “Praying for Our Daily Bread.”  I want to share some of those with you and add some of my own thoughts on this important subject.  It seems especially appropriate to think on these things during the tough economic times we are facing in America. 
     This prayer is directed to our heavenly Father.  God is our creator and the source of all good things (James 1:17).  He supplies and sustains us in our daily lives.  Prayer denotes relationship with God.  That relationship anchors us in difficult times.
     “Ask and it shall be given” (Matt. 7:7).  Through prayer, we can make our requests to God.  God takes care of His own.  God truly loves us.  However, we must ask without selfishness.  James writes, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
     This prayer indicates absolute trust in God.  God will never disappoint or put us to confusion. “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.”  God will not fail us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).  We pray, because God has promised.
     Consumerism can destroy us.  The lusts of the flesh must be curbed or else they can corrupt us.  Human nature seems to have an insatiable appetite for things.  Jesus asked only for daily bread.  Trust God to supply that which is needed each day.  God has not promised big bank accounts and ease in retirement.  We must learn to check consumerism with contentment.  Paul writes that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:6). 
     We need daily bread to live physically.  However, Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).  While we need physical bread to sustain the body, we need the “bread from heaven” to sustain the soul.  In difficult times, we must not allow the flesh to rule the spirit.  We must pursue the spiritual things of God to find contenment and satisfaction.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
     Give me neither poverty or riches.  Riches may cause me to disown my Lord.  Poverty may cause me to steal and dishonor my Lord.  Give me my daily bread.  It is enough.
     Develop the attitude of gratitude.  Thank God every day for all His blessings freely given to His children.  The book of Psalms repeatedly expresses this thought: “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psa. 107:1).
     Difficult times are challenging times.  They challenge us to come back to basics.  Faith and hope in God must be part of those basic principles that sustain us, strengthen us and give us security.