Genius - The Movie

 

The OliveTree Bible App

The iPad is a phenomenal tool to help in studying the Bible. That's right, it's not just a toy to browse the web and play games with. As each day goes by, more and more app developers are coming out with new tools that make studying the Bible more effective and easier than ever. The hard part is in finding the best apps or in knowing where to look. So I thought it would be a good idea to highlight a few of my favorite Bible apps that I use on a daily basis.

As always, I'm eager to hear from you. If you have an app suggestion, or you want to give feedback concerning one reviewed, I would love to hear them. Anything we can do to bring about a better study of God's Word is awesome.

So without further ado, here's the first app review.

BibleReader by Olive Tree Bible Software

This is one of the best Bible applications out there due to its diversity and selection. The app itself is free, but you have to pay for the individual Bibles, commentaries, and such. The only draw back is their pricing. Some of the Bibles and miscellaneous items can be quite expensive compared to some of the others out there. However, the overall usability of this program surpasses most other apps, making it worth the money.

Some key features are:

• Cross platform usability - The program works on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices. By making an account on the OliveTree website and using their online store, not the in-app store, for all your purchases, you can sync your notes, highlights, reading plans..., with all of your devices. So for those with iPads, a PC, and Android phones, you can take your Bible study with you wherever you go.
• Resources - Olive Tree has the largest assortment of resources for mobile devices. They have Bibles, both study and basic, commentaries, dictionaries, atlases, devotionals, reading plans, and more.
• Free Resources - They also have a good assortment of free materials to get you started studying the Bible right away. This also helps you to get acquainted with the software before making any large purchases.
• Resource Guide - While reading the Bible, you can easily navigate through the various tools by using the resource guide feature built into the app. Once activated, you simply tap it to open it and every resource that has information about the current Scripture your studying will be just a tap away.

Why I use this Bible app - This is my primary Bible application. Its interface is the best and easiest to use when dealing with actual Bible study. I don't have to switch between apps to find out more on any given subject and to me that's the biggest plus for this app. They have some of the leading commentaries out there including; John MacArthur, Warren Wiersbe, and Max Lucado. They also carry the classics like Matthew Henry, the James, Fausset, and Brown commentary, and many more.

There are only two cons that I have.

1. The pricing of the material... I understand why as it takes a lot of programming to get everything to be in sync with one another and for all the enhancements to flow so smoothly. Every Bible, commentary, dictionary, and book, interact with one another to help you gain the most out of each resource.
2. The in-app purchasing... I never have an issue with having in-app purchasing. In fact, I enjoy being able to buy everything using my iTunes account. The issue comes in when going from device to device. Unless you purchase through the OliveTree store online, the material will not sync among all the different devices, i.e. iPad to Android. So I cannot stress this enough, if you decide to use this app, purchase the materials through their online store and not through the App Store or the Google Play store. That way you sync it by using OliveTree's personal cloud system.

As you can see in the screen shots, this is a top notch application and I highly recommend it. I give this Bible study app a four out of five stars.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Sometimes I Struggle

Written by my wife Joy.

Sometimes it's hard to see Your hand in my life. Sometimes I feel like You've abandoned me. I look for Your will... for a clear sense of direction but life is cloudy with mistakes and indecision.

Sometimes it's hard to hear Your voice. I'm struggling in the wilderness when I long to be on the mountaintop with You where the air is clear and Your Word fills my lungs with ease. Down here in the valley, I feel vulnerable to attacks and defenseless.

Sometimes I struggle with Your map. Just when I've followed a road that I'm sure is the right one, I question whether I've taken a wrong turn... again. Your paths are not easy to follow and are sometimes overgrown with thorns and thistles of the world and it is a challenge just to get to them. These are the roads less travelled. Sometimes the directions don't make sense and I know I have to trust that all the squiggly lines on my map are ordained by You, meticulously drawn by my Shepherd's hand... tailor made for me. This is what you tell me, but sometimes I struggle anyway.

Sometimes I turn away... I know the right thing to do and I can clearly see Your perfect will in choosing the right way, but I look the other direction and plunge ahead. I am a wayward sheep sometimes... bent on doing my own thing and straying out of reach of Your staff, intent on the patch of grass just beyond Your protected boundaries. This happens less often than it used to... but sometimes... I struggle.

You never struggle, Father. Your will is perfect and Your love never fails. You are the light shining in the darkness and You are gracious and long-suffering even when I turn away. Your staff is long and worn with unending love for prodigal sheep like me. I am simply a traveler passing through Your world and I thank You for Your Word to guide me when I lose my way and Your comforting Spirit to calm me when the squiggly lines on the map don't seem to make any sense.

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: Map

 

The Seed Of Salvation

Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Luke 8:8 (NLT)

We are all sinners, (Romans 5:12). We're born in sin, (Psalm 51:5), and we are, by our very nature, "children of wrath," (Ephesians 2:2-3). Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered into this world and corrupted it (Romans 5:12–21). But, by the grace of God, we are not left without hope. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can find forgiveness and mercy and have all our sins washed away by His cleansing blood on the cross (Isaiah 1:18). All we have to do is confess our sins, (1 John 1:9), repent of them, (Acts 3:19), and place our faith and trust in Christ, (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus bore our sins on the cross, (1 Peter 2:24), so that we will die to sin and live to righteousness. We become a new creation, (2 Corinthians 5:17), justified by faith (Romans 5:1). The Holy Spirit indwells us (Romans 8:11) and continues to work in us to bring about sanctification (Romans 15:16).

In Luke 8, Jesus tells us a parable of a farmer scattering seed. The seed is the Gospel being preached and the different types of soil represents the hearer. Out of those who hear the message preached, only one of the four soils will produce a crop, while the rest, due to one reason or another, will walk away.

So how do we know what type of soil we are?

Out of the four types of soil, three of them represent the false convert while the fourth represents the soundly saved.

➢ The first seed in verse 5 is the easiest to spot. This person will hear the Gospel and walk away unchanged.

➢ The second seed in verse 6 represents someone who hears the Gospel and initially receives it with joy. But as soon as temptation strikes they become disinterested and walk away.

➢ The third seed in verse 7 receives the Gospel but after a time they turn back to the pursuits and passions of the world and walk away.

As you can see, the first three seeds have the same thing in common. The false convert will eventually walk away if death doesn't take them first. It doesn't matter how long you've been "in the faith" either. If you walk away, you show yourself to be a false convert.

➣ However, once the seed is planted in good soil, it will continue to grow and mature because the soundly saved have the perfect gardener, the Holy Spirit, tending it. This is the true test of salvation. If you are continuing to grow in your relationship with God, continuing to repent of your sins, becoming more sensitive to your sins, growing in your knowledge of God and His Word, then you can have assurance in your salvation. Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."NLT

The problem is in not caring if you sin. When you are saved, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, John 16:8, so if you're not being convicted of your iniquity, then you need to worry, seek God, and repent. Only those who were not saved to begin with will walk away, 1 John 2:19, while the soundly saved will never walk away from Christ, John 10:28.

So which soil are you?

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: One and Two

Seeing Clearly

2 Corinthians 5:16, "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!" NLT

At one point in my life I worked as a janitor for a Methodist Church in Orlando Florida. The hours were from three to eleven at night. My wife and I haven't owned a car for most of our seventeen years of marriage and at that time I would take public transportation. So after work, I would walk downtown Orlando to get to the bus stop to head home. It was a very interesting time in my life and I met some very interesting people. Some of them were the homeless, making there way to wherever it is they slept at night. Joy and I thought it would be a good idea to make little sack snacks for them as a ministry opportunity. They were little brown bags filled with things like crackers and canned Vienna sausages, among other things. It was an opportunity for me to share the love of Christ with them along with the Gospel. It was great talking to each of them and one in particular would end up teaching me.

I never knew his real name so I called him Moses. He was a tall man with long grey hair and just as long beard. I found out that at one time he was pretty successful in life. He had been married and even served in ministry. But at some point, he had lost his job and that's when his life took a drastic turn. Months went by without any change. He couldn't find a job, his marriage began to fall apart and his whole world began to crumble before his eyes. Things went from bad to worse... First he lost his marriage, which he said was devastating, she had always been the love of his life. Then he lost his home and with no other options, he went into his first shelter. All of this took place eight years before I met him.

At first he said he felt that God had abandoned him. He couldn't understand why He would let him fall so far. God was his protector and look at him now, he's homeless, his wife left him and it seemed that he had no opportunity to get back up on his feet. He continued looking for a job, but everyone said he had to have an address in order to apply. But he couldn't get an address without first getting a job. He felt lost and without hope. Then one day he began talking to another man and shared with him about God. The end result was the man came to Christ. That's when Moses said his eyes were opened. He began sharing the Gospel with all the homeless he came into contact with. He found that they would listen to him, a fellow homeless man, while others they would reject. God began to provide for him in a miraculous way. For example, he was sitting at a bus stop and a random car pulled up and a man told him that he was the pastor of a local Church and he felt God wanted him to stop for some reason. What shocked Moses was the man ended up inviting him to his house, allowing him to shower and get some new clothes and a pair of shoes. Moses said he had only prayed for a pair of shoes. "What a glorious God I serve," he said. He was even invited to give his testimony to the man's Church.

By the time I met Moses, he was a full time missionary in the streets of Orlando. He took no money for his efforts, all he asked was for three meals a day, which God always provided for him. At first glance, he was just another homeless man, someone to easily dismiss and snicker at. He smelled, his back was arched from sleeping on park benches, and he walked slow from the pain in his legs. Most would stay away from him and they would miss out on meeting such a great man of God.

I write this with many tears and I'm thankful to have the honor to tell his story. It's been over a decade since I had the pleasure of meeting Moses and I have no idea if he's still in the streets or at home with his Lord. I think and pray about him and I'm so thankful that he helped teach me so much about how I view others. I can't wait until I get to meet him again in our Father's house.

Hebrews 13:2, "Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!" NLT

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: one and two

 

The Reflection of Marriage

Several years back I was in a Christmas play at my local church. It was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I played one of four Nutcrackers and before each performance began, we would stand in the foyer, opposite one another, and pretend that we were statues. Of course, the children liked to come up and poke us to try and get us to move. We would remain motionless until it was time for the play to start, at which point I would yell like a soldier and march toward the platform. It was great to be on stage and I'm glad I was a part of it. Just like the play I was in was meant to represent God's love for us in sending His Son into the world, our marriages are God's play to the rest of the world.

Marriage for a Christian is not only a blessing, if done right, it should also be a great representation of the relationship between the Church and God. The blessing, of course, is that God unites us as one and we get to share our lives with the person we love. And I am so thankful that God bestowed such a huge blessing on me, that He gave me such a wonderful wife. But as great a blessing as it is, I must never forget that it's also God's cosmic play to represent Christ and His bride.

When the outside world looks at us, they should be able to see what it is like to have a proper relationship with God. In this play, the man represents Jesus and the woman represents the Church. How you play your role is critical to the development of the story. Let's take a closer look to get a better understanding of our "roles".

"For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:22-24 NLT)

This passage has been very controversial over the ages as husbands have abused and twisted what this Scripture is saying. They believe submission is domination and that can't be further from the truth.

Think of it like this, Jesus submits to the Father and He did so even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus is in no way lesser than the Father as they are equal in all things (John 10:30). Jesus submits to the Father without losing His equality, and the wife does so in the same way. Jesus is a willing participant, there is no power struggle between the two because, and I can not stress this enough, they are equal. Jesus submits to bring ultimate glory to God, in which He is a part of, and so brings glory to Himself. The submission of the wife is a reflection of the Church's submission to Christ. So wives, by allowing the husbands the leading role, you are giving others a sight into what it means to be a Christian.

"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her." (Ephesians 5:25 NLT)

Husbands, the greater responsibility is on our shoulders. To love our wives as Christ loves the Church is impossible, and yet, it is required of us. There is no greater love than that of God, for God is love (1John 4:8). We are to love them so much that we give up our lives for our wives, to devote ourselves to the ministry of marriage. The reason...

"To make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault." (Ephesians 5:26, 27 NLT)

It is our duty to ensure that our wives have every available resource to grow in her relationship to God and to not be a hindrance. Being the spiritual leader in the home is not about dominance but about love, we are to love our wives as ourselves.

"In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church." (Ephesians 5:28, 29 NLT)

In every way our wives are our first and primary ministry. We must love them, cherish them, and spend more time with them than our hobbies and friends. We must put our wives needs first. Repent of pornography and the sin of lust (Matthew 5:28). We must listen to them. Being submissive does not mean that our wives have no say or authority. They are equal to us in every way and God has so much for our wives to teach us. We can not be foolish in this. Remember, this ministry is a reflection of the love between Jesus and the Church. It is evangelism to the world around us and believe me, the world is watching you. If the world around you can not say, "Wow, Jesus loves me that much!" than you are not fulfilling your role in God's cosmic play.

"So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:33 NLT)

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: First and Second

 

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

There are a good amount of people who have come across, or have had a visit from, a Jehovah's witness. Most simply tell them that their not interested and close the door, or walk away. But have you ever wondered who they are? Whether or not they are a Christian organization? If you have, then watch the below video will help. Mat Slick, who is the president of CARM, answers those questions.

 

Here is one more video that will give you an overview of their beliefs. It's great to stay informed on the various cults. That way, the next time a witness comes knocking, you can be prepared.

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

The Beauty Of Marriage

My wife and I have been married for just over seventeen years now. But if you ask me, it seems like it was only yesterday that we said our vows before God, our families, and our friends. I cherish every moment I have with her and I am beyond thankful to God for bringing us together and making us co-heirs (1 Peter 3:7) of eternal life. Marriage is beautiful in itself, but it can also be a reflection for others to see what a proper relationship with God is like. That's why this is going to be broken up into two posts. This post is going to take a look at the gift of marriage, while the second post will look at how marriage glorifies God.

Lets take a look at Genesis 2:18;

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.'”(NLT)

What is so striking to me is the fact that at the conclusion of the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:31), God surveyed all that He had made and declared it to be good. Everything was perfect except one thing... man was alone. It's the first thing that God declared was "not good" in all of creation. Adam had perfect fellowship with God, work in the garden, and plenty of animals to tend to, but he had no one he could relate to. God knew that Adam needed that special someone, a "helper", to make him whole. While it may look like an oversight, you can rest assure, God had planned this before He even started creation. After all, God is omniscient and nothing takes Him by surprise. Let's continue reading;

"So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him." Genesis 2:19-20 (NLT)

There's no denying that there is a special connection we have with animals. We grow extremely attached to them over the years, some even call them their children. But a relationship with an animal can never bring us true love, companionship, or help. It's interesting to me that God brought the animals to Adam before creating Eve. It seems that God was making the point that no animal could compare to His next creation.

"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening." Genesis 2:21 (NLT)

This is a very symbolic action, God took a rib out of the side of Adam... Notice that it was from the side, showing the equality of man and woman, not from the head as if women are superior to men, or from the foot as if men are superior to women. Remember this, it's very important and will come into play in the next post. For now, let's read on.

"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. 'At last!' the man exclaimed. 'This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” Genesis 2:22-23 (NLT)

After all the animals passed by, Adam must have been ecstatic to see such a perfect compliment of his very being. His excitement is evident as his first recorded words are celebratory words regarding Eve, a celebration of what women bring to men.

Creating Eve from Adam is covenant in nature. It represents the union between a man and a woman. "Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh;" bone representing strength and flesh representing weakness. This is a "sickness and in health" or a "strength and in weakness" type of vow. As we can see, the best thing that God wanted for man is woman... not another man and certainly not ourselves. The sexual union between a man and a man, or a man and himself, goes against the union God originally set for us, one man and one woman.

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24 (NASB)

"For this reason..." This is more covenant language. It is the breaking of the parental covenant between the parents and children and the making of a new covenant between a man and a woman. "Shall leave" is best represented when the Israelites would break their covenant with God, and to "be joined", is best represented as a cementing of, a for all-time type of covenant. God intended for marriage to be unbroken from the very beginning.

This next part is very strong covenant language, "and the two shall become one flesh." Until brought together by God, we are just individual parts, waiting to be made whole. This is not just talking about procreation. It's talking about solidarity. Each part of the one flesh relationship is a compliment to the other; physically, spiritually, mentally, and sexually. The other brings fulfillment to the unfulfilled and a balance to the short comings that the other might have. My wife and I like to tell each other that we love "meyou" a lot because we know that we are one, co-heirs of the promise. Marriage is a very beautiful gift from God.

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photos: My son and his new bride!

 

Obliterating The Obstacles That Keep You From Praying

I'm a school bus driver in the heart of Texas. My job requirement is to "simply" transport students safely to school and home again. I enjoy being a bus driver immensely and I'm very thankful to God for providing it. It gives me quality time with my wife, whom I love spending every moment with. It also gives me time to write, especially during the summer, and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day.

As a driver, I have been trained in defensive driving tactics that help you to be proactive on the roads instead of reactive to any given situation. I have to look ahead, to always be mindful of the various obstacles trying to stop me from getting the students to their destinations. It can be a big job trying to make sure you drive safely on the roads and pay attention to, not only the traffic, but to the kids on the bus as well. There is no room for error, and just like driving a school bus, prayer has its own sort of obstacles trying to deter us away from conversing with the Almighty. When we take the time to bring these obstacles to light, to reveal them for what they truly are, we can then take the necessary precautions against them.

One of the safety tips taught to bus drivers is the acronym IPDE which stands for;

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

Using this same acronym, we can also root out those nasty obstacles that are keeping us from having a devoted prayer life.

1. Identify - First we must identify the problem. Whether it's sin in our lives, distractions that make us lose focus, or we're just not quite sure how to pray... Look at what is hindering you from praying. Examine yourself to see the root cause of the problem. It might even be a need for salvation.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
2. Predict - Once you have identified the culprit you can then predict how best to avoid the problem. You will be able to know ahead of time and prepare. For example, if you know that distractions are a problem, seek an isolated place, a "prayer closet"(Matthew 6:6), so there is nothing that can come between you and the Father.
3. Decide - Now that the problem has been identified and the plan of action has been put together, you must make a conscious decision to pray. To want to pray is easy, it takes no effort at all. But to actually set your mind to pray is altogether different.(Colossians 4:2)
4. Execute - Now it's time to put everything into action and pray. The best thing you can do as a Christian is to read God's Word and to pray! Make it a daily habit. I like Ray Comfort's morning motto. "Don't feed until you read and don't play before you pray." These are words to live by!

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo: Source

 

Worship is a Stepping Stone to Prayer

I was walking home from the store the other day and I had my headphones on listening to some worship music. It was a beautiful breezy day and no one was around so I felt comfortable singing out loud rather than mouthing along to the music. As I sang praises to God, I looked around at the fields surrounding me with its tall sun burnt grass swaying in the wind. I watched the birds flying around from tree to tree, playing with one another, and I'm quite certain, singing their own praises to God. I saw puffy white clouds dancing their way across the deep blue sky and I began to get choked up as I sang the song, "Open The Eyes Of My Heart LORD." It was a time of true worship and I was overwhelmed with the majesty of God and His love for me. As I walked I noticed that I transitioned at some point from singing praises and worshiping God to tearfully praying and seeking His wisdom and guidance. The change was so seamless that I didn't recognize it until it had already happened.

Worship is an awesome springboard for prayer because it takes us away from self, redirects our attention to the Almighty, and makes our focus the glory of God. We are submitting ourselves to His Lordship and revealing the simple truth that it's not about us.

"Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is He!" Psalms 99:5(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by giving us a reason to pray. When we look beyond our circumstances and gaze at His holiness, we can't help but be in awe of His Majesty! Look at His creation...

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalms 19:1(ESV)

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" Psalms 95:6(ESV)

If that's not enough, look at what He has done for us...

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by building our faith. We acknowledge His sovereignty and Lordship over us and place our trust in His care, no matter what is going on or what we may hear.

"He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." Psalms 112:7(ESV)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." Psalms 91:1-3(ESV)

The book of Psalms is a great example of worship leading to prayer. It is one hundred and fifty chapters of worship and praise to God that fills your heart and prepares you for prayer. If you haven't spent a lot of time there, I highly recommend you do. Read a Psalm a day along with your regular Bible reading. You will not be disappointed.

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalms 150:1-6(ESV)

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo 2: Source