September 2024 Prayer Requests from Nathan and Naomi
The Evangers
Please prayerfully read the latest updates below.
Enoch, Addiction, and Survival
August 25th
Here are a few books that I've read and been impacted by recently:
Enoch and the Gospel of Matthew - Dr. Michael Heiser when talking about the Bible said, "If it's weird, it's probably important." What he is drawing our attention to is the fact that the Bible was written in cultures very different than our own. We sometimes have some work to do to understand the context of a verse or even a Biblical idea. Amy Richter does this in an eye-opening way. She explores the early chapters of Matthew in light of the Enochian tradition. This Enochian story is referenced in Genesis 6:1-4. It is the story of heavenly beings taking human women and having offspring with them...giants. What does this have to do with the birth of Jesus?...You'll have to read the book to find out.
The Heart of Addiction - This is a Biblical Counseling book that was given to me by Canyon Hills Community Church in Seattle after I met with their addiction counselor. It was a joy to share about Solomon and get some input and direction as well. This book has suggested some great stories and passages from the Bible addressing addiction. It has also spurred thinking about using Biblical language in talking about addiction and sticking to the goal of heart transformation in addiction recovery. Though some ideas are repetitive, this is a great book.
Spiritual Survival Handbook - Where has this book been hiding? This speaks to so many relevant issues for my family and I as we plant churches cross-culturally. It is specifically geared toward global workers in our organization. It also speaks to these issues in a concise way and has very useful discussion and reflection questions at the end of each chapter. This would be an excellent book for us to go through as a team. Here are a few nuggets:
"Radical obedience to the Great Commission brings with it certain dangers." p. 5
"God wants you to be tenacious." p. 15
"There are few missionaries who are willing to speak the truth in love no matter what the cost." p. 31
"We must train ourselves to see what others don't normally see." p. 48
"Sour faces, sour glances and sour words are like poison." p. 55
"Negativity must die in the name of Jesus." p. 56
"Don't be content to add; multiply! Empower and teach others to empower." p. 79
"The fiercest battle takes place in the realm of intercession." p. 89
Fire & Ice - Inspirational! These are miniature biographies of missionaries from the 1800s. It highlights the challenges they faced. Facing things like cannibalism, disease, volcanoes, dangerous animals, shipwreck, and many more perils were just a natural part of the work. Some efforts resulted in death, others in eternal life brought to thousands. "Read missionary biographies because they are proven, because they reveal our mistakes without threatening us with theirs and because they mark the continuity in the spread of the gospel across the world and across the centuries" (p. 131).