The Tabernacle (DVD Format) by Shawn Barnard

The Tabernacle (DVD Format) by Shawn Barnard

“But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; …” (2 Chronicles 6:18) and yet God pitched His tent among us (John 1:1-18).

“Everything in Scripture points to and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.” –Shawn Barnard.

We often talk about the study of theophany: the manifestation of God that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is the visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form. Some would also include the term “Christophanies” (pre-incarnate appearances of Christ).

In just six sessions, lasting about twenty minutes each, I wish that there were more graphics to show in each of them. I will just touch on “Session 1: Dwell ~ The Tabernacle”: we see that God’s Tabernacle was with Israel in the wilderness, and we see this in the New Testament as well, where God still dwells among His people (Matthew 28:20).

In this study, we are not just looking to see Scripture and find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ; we live a life that reflects the image of Christ to the world. We must remember this—that the world will not initiate a relationship with God because God is the One who initiated first by tearing down the veil to allow those whom He initiates  to enter the Holy of Holies before the throne of grace.

 

As Christians, it is our duty to show the world that God is truly living among His people by preaching the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.

If you are looking for an introductory study on the Tabernacle, this video series is a great start for a small group study. You and your small group will benefit from this as you learn and discover that we are the true tabernacle—the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:22).

Session 1: Dwell ~ The Tabernacle

Session 2: Sacrifice ~ The Altar of Burnt Offering

Session 3: Clean ~ The Bronze Laver

Session 4: Illuminate ~ The Lampstand

Session 5: Presence ~ The Table of Bread and the Altar of Incense

Session 6: Separated, Exposed, and Covered ~ The Veil, the Ark, and the Mercy Seat

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these DVDs for free from the Rose Publishing book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace By: Heath Lambert

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace

By: Heath Lambert

This book is not about pornography (p. 11). This book is about something much better than pornography. This book is about the amazing power of Jesus Christ to free you from pornography (p. 12). By now, you know that this is not the book Finally Alive written by John Piper.

When it comes to “confess[ing] your sins to each other …”, I believe it is safe to say we will confess almost every sin, but when it comes to our “addiction to pornography”, this will be a hard one for us to confess to others because we deem it as a very shameful thing to do (James 5:16).

Perhaps you might be struggling with pornography and don’t know how to fight it. You keep on telling yourself, “This will be the last time.” and you keep on coming to the throne of grace to ask for forgiveness and might even think that you are not a true Christian because you are committing the same sin over and over again (habitual sin).

Be of good cheer and let Heath Lambert take you through this book with just 9 chapters in the “Fight against Pornography” (of course, this is not the final answer to your struggle with pornography). With the Conclusion chapter “A Call to Holiness and Hope”, I encourage you to let Heath take you through this book because he himself was introduced to pornography when he was an “eight-year-old boy … [by his] creepy uncle [who] was completely enslaved to porn” (p. 156). I will let him finish it up for himself in this book.

Chapter 1: Grace as the Foundation in the Fight Against Pornography

Chapter 2: Using Sorrow to Fight Pornography

Chapter 3: Using Accountability to Fight Pornography

Chapter 4: Using Radical Measures to Fight Pornography

Chapter 5: Using Confession to Fight Pornography

Chapter 6: Using Your Spouse (or Your Singleness) to Fight Pornography

Chapter 7: Using Humility to Fight Pornography

Chapter 8: Using Gratitude to Fight Pornography

Chapter 9: Using a Dynamic Relationship with Jesus to Fight Pornography

Don’t skip the last chapter.

I received this book for free from Zondervan via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Did the devil make me do it?: And other questions about Satan, demons and evil spirits By: Mike McKinley

Did the devil make me do it?: And other questions about Satan, demons and evil spirits

By: Mike McKinley

This book is one of few titles in the series “Questions Christians Ask” by the Good Book Company.

As a Christian, there is nothing that frustrates me more than when critics, cults, and skeptics ask us “to give the reason for the hope that we have” and we cannot “do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). This book is an excellent tool to help Christians to have a better understanding of who the devil is.

“A 2009 poll of American Christians revealed that 60% of them didn’t believe that the devil was real” (pg. 6). Think about this for a moment. More than half of your church members don’t believe the devil is real. Do those whom you spend time with in your community groups have the same view?

As long as Christians don’t believe the devil is real, they will not have a fighting spirit in their Christian lives. I’m afraid many churches are giving up their battles due to a lack of understanding of who the devil really is and what the Bible teaches about him.

I highly encourage Christians to have a good Biblical study on who the devil is, because when we have a good understanding of that, we will not blame the devil for every sin committed under the sun. I will leave readers to find out more from this book. Here are the chapters from this book:

1: Origins: Where did Satan come from?

Why does Satan have so many names?

2: Activity: What is Satan like and what does he do?

3: Control: What is demon possession?

Are demons just a way of explaining mental illness?

What is spiritual warfare?

4: End: How did Jesus defeat Satan?

Was Christ’s death a ransom payment to Satan?

5: Walk: How should we live in a world where Satan still prowls?

What should I do if I encounter something that looks like demonic activity?

Is C.S. Lewis an accurate guide to the devil?

Please buy a few of these books and give them to your community group and church members and place one in your church library.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Good Book Company book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Christian History Made Easy (12 DVD Sessions) Presenter: Dr. Timothy Paul Jones

Christian History Made Easy (12 DVD Sessions)
Presenter: Dr. Timothy Paul Jones

What happened after Acts 28? One topic a Christian often lacks to study, I must admit, is Christian History. Most Christians cannot name more than five Christian Theologians who had great influence in church history, but can easily name more than five players in the NBA or NFL Hall of Fame.

I greatly appreciated the fact that in these 12 sessions, Dr. Timothy Paul Jones opened and closed with Gospel-centeredness, that it is God’s will to bring the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to His people.

I have learned how to answer those who ask me about church persecutions by watching one of the videos. I have learned that during the times of persecution in the early church, God opened more doors for Christians to continue their mission in bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

I have read so many books on the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate that I was not told in any book that Jacob Arminius was asked to defend Calvin’s view on God’s sovereignty in salvation, but he was defeated before the debate even began because he could not agree with Calvin. I have learned this valuable history lesson from one of these videos. Personally, it is well worth the price for just this information.

Another eye-opener for me is that at one time, the Roman Catholic Church was ruled by three popes. This must be an embarrassing fact for modern Roman Catholics to learn because they believe there is only one pope, who is the shepherd of the Church.

These 12 video sessions last about 30 minutes each, so it is perfect for any small group Bible Study and Sunday School class. You may have heard people say that if there is one thing they could do, they would want to go back and rewrite history. In these 12 DVD sessions, you will want to go and learn from history what God has done for His Church for His glory.

If you want to know what happened after Acts 28, get these 12 DVD sessions and learn for yourself and share them with your church and community group. You won’t be disappointed; you will be glad you have these DVDs in your library.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these DVDs free from the Rose Publishing book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Ascension: Humanity in the Presence of God By: Tim Chester & Jonny Woodrow

The Ascension: Humanity in the Presence of God

By: Tim Chester & Jonny Woodrow

If you Google “The Return of Christ”, you will get 98,700,000 results as opposed to 9,500,000 results if you Google “The Ascension of Christ”. You can see the high level of interest in that the return of Christ is discussed much more than the ascension of Christ. However, the doctrine of the return of Christ cannot exist without the ascension of Christ. “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

“This is where the doctrine of the ascension can help us. The ascension secures our royal identity and locates it with Jesus in the presence of the Father” (p. 79). If you don’t believe or know anything about the ascension of Christ, then there is no need to talk about Ephesians 2:6 (“and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”).

I’m so glad to see such a book written about the doctrine of the ascension of Christ for Christians. In my humble opinion, I believe we need to study and understand more about Christ’s ascension before we share with the world about the return of Christ.

I received this book for free from Christian Focus Publications via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith By: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith

By: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

(If I may borrow John Barber’s word “bragamony” from his book My Almost for His Highest.)

This book is not about the “bragamony” of an English Professor’s journey into Christian faith. It is about God’s grace being manifested in a sinner’s life.

“When I was 28 years old, I boldly declared myself lesbian. I was at the finish of a PhD in English Literature and Cultural Studies. I was a teaching associate in one of the first and strongest Women’s Studies Departments in the nation” (p. X).

What would your church do if someone like Rosaria came to your church for help? There are churches out there that don’t believe that gay people can be transformed by Christ (p. 25), there are churches out there that would encourage her to think that it is okay to “have Jesus and her lesbian lover” (p. 16), and there are churches that would have farmed her out to para-church ministries, “specializing” in “gay people”, in which Rosaria was thankful that her pastor did not do, but remained faithful in shepherding (p. 24).

This is a book I highly recommend all pastors, church leaders, and those who serve in the mercy ministry to read. I have learned this from my personal life—that many church leaders are quick to write off anyone that comes to them for help, and they will send that person elsewhere (i.e. professional help) or make quick decisions without thinking about how to help that person in the long run.

It is sad to see that there are churches that have sublet their Sunday School classes to so-called “Psychotherapy Specialists”. Please buy a few copies of this book and pass them out, first to your pastor and church leaders, and then to those who serve in the mercy ministry.

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith By: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith

By: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

(If I may borrow John Barber’s word “bragamony” from his book My Almost for His Highest.)

This book is not about the “bragamony” of an English Professor’s journey into Christian faith. It is about God’s grace being manifested in a sinner’s life.

“When I was 28 years old, I boldly declared myself lesbian. I was at the finish of a PhD in English Literature and Cultural Studies. I was a teaching associate in one of the first and strongest Women’s Studies Departments in the nation” (p. X).

What would your church do if someone like Rosaria came to your church for help? There are churches out there that don’t believe that gay people can be transformed by Christ (p. 25), there are churches out there that would encourage her to think that it is okay to “have Jesus and her lesbian lover” (p. 16), and there are churches that would have farmed her out to para-church ministries, “specializing” in “gay people”, in which Rosaria was thankful that her pastor did not do, but remained faithful in shepherding (p. 24).

This is a book I highly recommend all pastors, church leaders, and those who serve in the mercy ministry to read. I have learned this from my personal life—that many church leaders are quick to write off anyone that comes to them for help, and they will send that person elsewhere (i.e. professional help) or make quick decisions without thinking about how to help that person in the long run.

It is sad to see that there are churches that have sublet their Sunday School classes to so-called “Psychotherapy Specialists”. Please buy a few copies of this book and pass them out, first to your pastor and church leaders, and then to those who serve in the mercy ministry.