Friday, January 23, 2015

Bible Study Recommendations

Posted by Christine Pack

photo credit: agent_mikejohnson via photopin cc
When I was newly saved, one of my new Christian friends told me: "Get into a Bible study, and when you are done, get into another one, and keep going." I asked her for how long, and she said, "The rest of your life." What great counsel this was! Learning about God takes a lifetime, and we can also study the Bible for years and years and years, and never fully plumb its depths. It is an amazing book, supernatural in wisdom and power and scope. So don't delay......roll up your sleeves, and get started today. With Amazon Prime (or even plain old Amazon), you can receive your new Bible study in just a few days. So here are my recommendations for getting started:

 Precepts Bible Studies (Inductive) 

I have learned so much in my Christian walk from doing Precepts studies. This verse by verse method of Bible study, also known as the Inductive Bible Study Method, is for both men and women. I like doing Precepts because I'm a visual learner, and this method forces you to slow down and take your time. I also like the marking up method used in Precepts (a Precepts marking card is shown, right). In fact, before I even discovered Precepts, I had developed my own sort of marking system. Now, after having done Precepts for so long, my system for marking is something of a combination of the Precepts method and my own marking system.

Kay Arthur is probably the most well-known of Precepts Bible teachers for women. I know that there are some concerns about Kay Arthur, and I share those concerns, but on the whole, the Precepts method itself is sound. This Bible study method majors on teaching Christians how to understand, interpret and apply scripture, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. You can't go wrong when you're sticking with straight Bible.
Precepts studies are available here.
Precepts studies for children are available here.
Precept Austin is available here. Precept Austin is an online resource for those using the precepts Bible study method.

 Alistair Begg / Truth For Life 

Alistair Begg is one of my favorite pastors to listen to. Perhaps it's his charming Scottish brogue that lulls me into thoughts of green meadows, bagpipes and tartan woolens. Nah, I think it's the way he preaches through God's word with such commitment and passion. His lessons are rich, and yet so accessible that my sons (11 and 13) can understand and take in what he's teaching. You can download or listen to Alistair Begg's sermons here.


 R.C. Sproul / Ligonier 

Dr. R.C. Sproul of Ligonier has also done an overview of the entire Bible, entitled "Dust to Glory" that I am working my way through now. It is excellent. You can begin listening to that series here. And Dr. Sproul, being a Presbyterian, is near and dear to my heart because my own father, who witnessed to me for ten years, is a Presbyterian (PCA) elder. Having grown up Presbyterian (though I no longer am), I have a soft spot for the Presbyterian church, even though it (like very denomination) has its issues. I still know every verse of the hymns I grew up singing at First Presbyterian in Marietta, GA. God bless the Presbys.


 Systematic Theology 

Don't be intimidated by the term "Systematic Theology." This form of Bible study is simply a way of organizing the Bible into categories in order to be able to study it in a systematic way. You can learn systematic theology through this teaching series by Pastor Ryan Habbena:

Intro and Theology Proper | Christology | Pneumatology | Bibliology | Soteriology, pt1 | Soteriology, pt2 Soteriology, pt3 | Theories and Extent of the Atonement | Israel and the Church | Eschatology


 Additional Resources 


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Psalms, and the LORD as Our Vindicator

Posted by Christine Pack


Psalm 35 is one of my favorite Psalms, one I memorized during a particularly difficult trial, in which God was so faithful to me. He always hears and always answers the prayers of those who belong to Him.....always. He is always faithful to me, even in times when I have been distracted and forgetful, and have been a silly little sheep who wanders off. Because He is a loving Father, He will always go and fetch back the one who wanders, in the same way that an earthly parent will keep a watchful eye over his own children, and go after them when they wander (Luke 15:4).

Psalm 35 reveals that we can pray what might, on the surface, appear to be pretty ruthless prayers.
(Verses 4-6)
Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them! 
(Verse 8)
Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
But contrast the prayers for vindication in this psalm to the way the world thinks about vengeance:

The worldly person, the one who is without God, has to take matters into his own hands. He has no God upon whom he can call, no God who will take up his cause.

The Christian, however, can petition the Almighty God, the LORD of the universe, to take vengeance on his behalf, with the implicit understanding that he, the Christian, will not take matters into his own hands. He will trust in the LORD. The Christian can call upon the LORD, whose attributes of protection and deliverance are contained in his name "Yahweh," and can rest in knowing that the LORD, in His infinite wisdom, will make all things right in His own time. From the Got Questions? website:
"Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3)." (What are the names of God, and what do they mean? - Got Questions?)
Also see: Psalm 135:14 "For the LORD (Yahweh) will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants."


 Additional Resources 

Sons of Korah, A Recommended Resource

The Psalms (sermon by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

Wisdom for Spiritual People – The Message of The Psalms (sermon by Dr. Mark Dever)

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Does the Root Word of "Pharmaceutical" (Pharmakeia/φαρμακεία) Mean That Pharmaceutical Drugs Are Rooted In the Occult/Sorcery?

Posted by Christine Pack

One claim I am seeing more and more among Christians is that pharmaceutical drugs have their roots in the occult, because of the root word (φαρμακεία) from which the words pharmaceutical/pharmacy are derived.

With this in mind, I would like to exhort my brothers and sisters in Christ to think on this prayerfully, with Bible in hand, and with a clear mind. The word pharmakeia (φαρμακεία) in the Bible has to do with practices that God detests in which divination and contact with evil spirits are used (sorcery). That is not how pharmaceutical drugs of today are created. Drugs today are created using the scientific process of formulating an hypothesis, using double-blind randomized tests, engaging in long-term human trials, and mindfully studying the results in order to isolate a healing mechanism. Once a healing mechanism is located, the product is then categorized as a drug of some kind. Please note: this is all done with the brain, and not through the mystical means of obtaining data from the spirit world whereby the brain is bypassed (the biblical understanding of "sorcery").

Source: Bible Hub

Also, the gospel writer Luke was a doctor ("the beloved physician") who practiced medicine. Scripture does not give us any hint that doctors should be avoided, or that medicine is sinful.

Therefore, we know that our pharmaceutical drugs of today are not bad or evil or associated with witchcraft/sorcery. However, with all substances that are taken for physical healing, there is a risk/reward associated with the substance. Because of the scientific testing done on pharmaceuticals, their risks/benefits are more clearly defined. Alternative treatments, on the other hand, including herbs, don't have as much scientific testing/support. They are also unregulated, which means that virtually any claim can be made about them by the seller, without these claims having to have been scientifically evaluated or substantiated.

Because of that, herb manufacturers make all sorts of claims about the miraculous cures their products supposedly produce, and they rake in lots of money, too. Big Pharma is demonized for being a "for profit" industry. Well, guess what? The Alternative Treatments field is also a "for profit" industry (raking in $34 BILLION per year), only they have no oversight or regulatory committees keeping them in check, like the pharmaceutical industry does.

It is true that there have been some drugs that have been through testing and the approval process that ended up being recalled. But on the whole, the pharmaceutical industry is a blessing, not a curse.

Having said all that, I'm not entirely against herbs; I simply think Christians should approach them knowing first that they lack oversight, regulation and scientific evaluation. The biggest problem I see with herbs is that most people think (wrongly) that herbs, because they are "natural" (if you can even say that about a product that has been dried, condensed, and processed into supplement form), can ONLY help and NEVER do harm. This is not true. There are many accounts of herbal supplements being taken in dosages that are harmful to the body in some way and/or interact in a dangerous way with pharmaceutical drugs someone is already taking. Herbs are not automatically 100% benign just because they once had roots and grew in the ground.

A few articles to consider:
Should Christians go to doctors? (Got Questions?) 
Alternative Medicine Is a $34 Billion Industry, But Only One-Third of the Treatments Have Been Tested (Smithsonian Magazine) 
The Truth About Nutritional Supplements (Fitness Magazine, 10-01-2009) 
Safety and Regulation of Dietary Supplements (NPR radio interview, 7-16-2014) 
Herbal Supplements Are Often Not What They Seem (The New York Times) 
Alternative Medicine Fraud Warnings: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
Beware the Impurities in ‘Natural’ Supplements (Wall Street Journal) 
Dietary and Herbal Supplements Could Interfere With Prescription Drugs (Medical News Today) 
5 Risky Herbal Supplements: Even though they're natural, some herbal supplements can be dangerous (WebMD) 
Severe liver damage from certain dietary aid supplements (The Examiner) 
Safety and Regulation of Dietary Supplements (The Diane Rehm Show) 
Alternative medicines are popular, but do any of them really work? (The Washington Post) 
Apple founder Steve Jobs 'regretted trying to beat cancer with alternative medicine for so long' (The Telegraph, 10-21-11) 
Free online book examining the history of Alternative Treatments (Steve Ransom)
Also, please note that I am not completely against a measured, prayerful, mindful use of some herbs. My husband has a chronic, long-term illness, and we use a protocol of meds + herbs. I am against Christians uncritically taking in any and all claims made about herbs (and other alternative treatments) without looking for science based evidence that supports these claims. And I'm talking long-term clinical trials on humans, not just claims made by pseudoscience websites that base their recommendations on limited petri dish trials. Lots of substances kill cancer cells and germs in a petri dish (gasoline, turpentine, acid, etc.) but that doesn't mean we should ingest them. Herbs and oils are not automatically benign: they can be dangerous if misused and/or used in large dosages.


 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

 The Value and Importance of Scientific Studies 

The Biblical Worldview Is The Foundation of Modern Science

The Scientific Method and Why It Matters


 Cautions About "Natural" and Alternative Treatments 



Alternative Medicine: A Mind Blowing Magical Mystery Tour (This is a free, online e-book exposing the unsubstantiated claims [both currently and historically] made about many "natural" remedies)


Herbal Supplements May Not Mix With Heart Medicines (Mayo Clinic)

5 Risky Herbal Supplements: Even Though They're Natural, Some Herbal Supplements Can Be Dangerous (Web MD)

Apple founder Steve Jobs 'regretted trying to beat cancer with alternative medicine for so long' (The Telegraph, 10-21-11)


 Radio Programs Warning About Alternative Supplements 




 Warnings About Essential Oils 

The Christian and Essential Oils: A Few Thoughts [UPDATED] (Sola Sisters)

Essential Oils Revisited (Sola Sisters)

Aromatherapy: Biblical Path to Healing or Demonic Deception? (Chuck and Julie Cohen)

A Critique of David Stewart's Healing Oils of the Bible (Marcia Montenegro)

The FDA Warns Young Living, doTERRA Essential Oils Companies To Stop Making Unsubstantiated Claims That The Oils Cure Cancer, Protect Against Ebola (Food and Drug Administration, 9-22-2014)

How To Use Essential Oils: A Step-By-Step Guide (satire, warning: some mild language)


 Warnings About Homeopathy 


Friday, January 16, 2015

Meet Hillsong, One of the Fastest Growing Churches In The World

Posted by Christine Pack



Meet Hillsong, one of the fastest growing churches in the world. Hillsong is based in Australia, and the attached video is of one of their London church services. Some of Hillsong's pastors are: Brian Houston, Carl Lentz and Christine Caine, all of whom are very popular on the conference circuit. Brian Houston is the lead pastor in Australia, and Carl Lentz, who is very popular here in America (and whom Justin Bieber claims as his pastor), heads Hillsong NYC.

If while watching this video, you begin to suffer from frustrative disorder and/or forehead keyboard embedment syndrome, hang in there because you don't want to miss Mr. Sparkle at about the 5:20 mark. He's meant to show us what freedom in Christ looks like.

**Please pray for the church, brothers and sisters, and for saints around the world who are seeking bible teaching and true fellowship, and finding this instead.**



 Additional Resources 

Brian Houston: "Are you ready for the Word?" (Museum of Idolatry)

Christine Caine fills in for Beth Moore (Apprisng)

Sermon Review: "When Something's Done, Don't Stop" by Brian Houston (Fighting For The Faith)

Sermon Review: "Maker of Miracles" by Christine Caine of Hillsong (Fighting For The Faith)

Sermon Review: "Awareness That Sets You Up to Win" by Brian Houston (Fighting For The Faith)





Interview of Tanya Levin re: her exposé of Hillsong (Fighting For The Faith)

Hillsong music writer who faked his terminal illness (Fighting For The Faith)

Hillsong Church Watch