Joy in the Gospel (May 2013 Newsletter)

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Obeying the will and word of God brings incredible joy into our lives and spreads the love, peace, and joy of Jesus to every place. As we reach out and witness to a world that Jesus paid for and calls to, we experience the love and the grace of the Father. It’s not drudgery to tell the world about Jesus. It is the greatest job in the world. I’m so glad to be His servant. I’m so glad He has given me the ministry of the gospel. I have never been happier than when I realize that I get to preach this gospel of the Lord of love who loved me when I was unlovable, who forgave me when I was unforgivable  who reached out to me in my sin and pain and took my shame and transgression on Himself. He loved me; He cared for me; He never gave up on me because He died for me and paid for me with His life. What a wonderful Jesus! What a wonderful blessing to be able tell the world!
This month I was privileged to watch two people publicly give their lives to the Lord Jesus after I gave a message and altar call at Acts 29 Fellowship on a Sunday morning (the message is available for download at www.jonathanammon.org). One man who had been struggling with drug addiction said that he had been trying to come to church for three weeks and would stop and turn back at the end of the block, prevented by something from coming in. The fourth week he made it through the doors and gave his heart to Jesus. We worship an incredible Savior.
I also participated in an outreach organized by my friend Caleb Diehl who leads Pursuit of Fire Ministries. We were able to pray for more than sixty people at a Bazaar and watched God do some incredible instant miracles. It was a blessing to experience how the fragrance of Christ followed us, spreading peace and joy. Almost everyone we prayed for thanked us profusely, some laughing with joy as we loved on them in Jesus name and encouraged them in faith, others crying tears as Jesus touched their physical bodies or as God spoke to their hearts in our prayers. I invited people to call me and participate in discipleship Bible studies, and two Bengali Hindus asked for New Testaments. In this atmosphere of love, peace, and encouragement we challenged each and every one to seek the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength because He loved them and gave His life for them.


Read the rest of the May 2013 Newsletter.
Read past newsletters.

Jots and Tittles May 2013

Jots and Tittles is a little thin this month. I have been busy about my Father's business, traveling, preaching, leading organic churches and having fun with Jesus. Hopefully next month will have a more thorough collection of links.

Review of Brunn’s “One Bible, Many Versions: Are All Translations Created Equal?” by Chuck Huckaby

Menno Simmons on the Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture - Sermonindex


'The Bible' hit TV series to become a movie - Fox News

Have Bible Reading Apps Changed Your Bible Reading Habits? - BibleGateway Poll

Interpretation-Shmerpretation - Prodigal Thought

The ESV is Gender Neutral Too - Derek Oullette

Despise Not the Megachurch - Justin Long

Review: Clean by Douglas Weiss

Clean provides you with biblical, practical, dependable weapons for seizing and maintaining a clean life for yourself and those you love. You will even be equipped to reach out to your brothers-in-arms and teach them to walk with you in cleanness. 

“If the Devil wants war, bring it on!” says Dr. Weiss. Join the battle! Your sexual life is worth fighting for!

Dr. Douglas Weiss's book Clean, subtitled "A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity" is a highly practical manual for Christian men who desire to break free or help others break free from sexual addiction of all forms. There's plenty of important information here for disciples, pastors, church leaders, wives, families, and brothers in Christ who seek to root out and destroy sexual addiction in their own lives and the lives of others. Clean is well-written, uncompromising, but unusually encouraging and hopeful as it presents practical steps for men to find freedom in their lives.

Dr. Weiss's approach remains biblical but is often informed by psychology. The strength of the book lies in the author's ability to approach the issue of sexual addiction as both a Christian counselor and as an evangelistic minister. The powerful commitment to clean living, accountability and public confession partnered with the practical component will be compelling for many searching for answers, and while the book never compromises on issues such as pornography, inappropriate relationships, and masturbation, it remains overwhelmingly positive and encouraging, repeatedly emphasizing the hope of freedom, which is vital for this kind of book.

The emphasis on psychology and practical methodology presents both informative and unique nuggets of truth as well as some potentially harmful ideas. Dr. Weiss is clearly an advocate of the most basic behavioral modification. Much like Pavlov's dog, he believes that addicts can and should condition their physical brains and bodies by punishing themselves when they transgress in the area of lust. This includes, "Eat a raw onion, Run two miles (if you're not in shape), Eat Ben and Jerry's at 10:00 p.m. (if you are in shape), Leg lunges for half a mile or one mile." He also advocates the method of snapping a rubber band on your wrist each time you have a lustful thought.  I believe these behavior modification techniques are potentially harmful and unbiblical. Jesus did emphasize doing whatever necessary to end sin in your life (Matt 5:29-30), and I empathize with those who want something practical they can do and believe in to end their sin apart from repentance and confession. Some may indeed be helped by these techniques, but an emphasis on this kind of behavior modification can be harmful and distracts from the life-giving power of the Spirit within. I can't imagine Jesus or the disciples teaching disciples to snap themselves with a rubber band or beat themselves when they mentally transgressed.

In spite of my strong reservations regarding Dr. Weiss's methodology of behavioral conditioning and never-ending accountability, there is life-giving power in this book and the core is here to set every man free and lead a revival of purity within the church. As with most books on sanctification I've read, I wish more was said about identity in Christ, the practical power of the Holy Spirit, and the ability to live above temptation by taking every thought captive. My dissatisfaction does not mean that this isn't a good book that will help many. I am glad that I read it and some of Dr. Weiss's revelations were new and important to me. While I would recommend Winning the Battle Within by Neil Anderson and At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry by Steve Gallagher before Clean, it is an important book on a much needed topic.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing a complimentary review copy. I have provided an honest review.

Winning the Battle Within: Realistic Steps to Overcoming Sexual Strongholds By Neil T. Anderson / Harvest House Publishers

Clean: A Proven Plan for Men Committed to Sexual Integrity By Doug Weiss / Thomas Nelson

At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry, 20th Anniversary Edition By Steve Gallagher / Pure Life Ministries

Da Jesus Book - Pidgin Bible

Da Boss Above, he take care me,
  Jalike da sheep farma take care his sheeps.
  He goin give me everyting I need.

He let me lie down wea da sweet an soft grass stay.
  He lead me by da water wea I can rest.

He give me new kine life.
  He lead me in da road dat stay right,
  Cuz I his guy.

(Songs fo God 23:1-3)

pidginbible.org

I was searching to purchase Bibles in a specific language and while I have yet to find a satisfactory option for what I was looking for, I stumbled across this extremely interesting and somewhat amusing project. A translation team worked diligently to translate the entire Bible into Hawaii Pidgin Language. The site is almost entirely in Pidgin Language, but has some valuable information, and you can read the entire Pidgin Bible online.

This translation of the New Testament was done by a team of 26 dedicated local people, all native speakers of Hawaii Pidgin in the Islands. They worked from the original Greek, with the help of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and also referred to English translations and to commentaries supplied by United Bible Societies, and others. It is intended for those speakers of the Hawaii Pidgin language (sometimes called Hawaii Creole English) who find the English Bible difficult to understand. That is why this translation uses a heavier rural Pidgin than is normal for urban speakers. It should also be noted that the Pidgin language differs slightly in different parts of the Island chain, just as Standard English differs than in different parts of the U.S. mainland. The Pidgin used in this translation, though heavy, leans toward a common form that is understood in most of the areas where many people speak the language. It has been examined for clarity by people from Oahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kauai. There is a glossary of concepts in the back that has two purposes. First, it explains cultural concepts from Jesus' time that may not be familiar to readers today. Second, for readers whose experience with the Bible up to now has been only English, it gives the Pidgin expressions (usually more than a single word) that are in use for some of the more basic Biblical concepts.

Da Jesus Book: Hawai'i Pidgin New Testament
Plenny peopo dat live Hawai'i like know bout Jesus. But to find out who him for real kine, befo time dey gotta use da English kine Bible. Dat Bible use all kine hybolic kine language, not da kine language dat da regula people talk every day.

Who Make Da Pidgin Bible?
From 1987, get 27 local peopo dat help fo make da Pidgin Bible. Dey da Pidgin Bible Translation Group. Dey all volunteer peopo dat stay talk Pidgin from small kid time. Dey give couple hour every week fo translate. Dey Christian peopo dat go diffren churches, but dey all working togedda. Dis picha, from da time some a dem get dea copy a Da Jesus Book, firs time.

How I Can Use Da Hawaii Pidgin Bible?

• Read um yoa own self. Find out how much love an aloha God get fo you. Help you come jalike Jesus inside.

• Read um so da kids can hear. Good dey know plenny bout Jesus.

• Read um togedda wit yoa ohana peopo. You all goin come mo close to each odda, wen you all come close to God.

• Read um togedda wit da peopo dat get any kine trouble. Bumbye dey find out dat God like help dem.

• Read um fo find out wat God like you fo do, an how he like you fo do um. Gotta know wass importan, yah?

• Read um fo find out wat kine God.

• Read um wit peopo dat donno God yet.

• Check out da Bible Kine Words in da back wen da preacha o teacha use hybolic kine English.

• Check out wat da Bible tell bout all kine importan stuff.

• Make Bible study togedda wit yoa good friends. Talk plenny bout three ting:

• wat da Bible say, an

• how come da Bible say um, an

• wat kine tings we gotta do cuz a dat.

Review: The Books of the Bible New Testament

My friend Rev. Chuck Huckaby has reviewed what looks like an extremely promising resource. While I have not seen the The Books of the Bible myself, it looks like something I would love.

To read Rev. Huckaby's written review and personal blog see the links below.


Review of “The Books of the Bible: New Testament”

Soulfriend.org

The Books of the Bible, NIV By Zondervan / Zondervan

Jots and Tittles April 2013

The Bible makes good on all its claims, including its truth claims. God's Word never leads astray. - Kevin Vanhoozer

State of the Bible in 2013 Infographic - Everyday Theology

My Anxiety with Chronological Bibles - Baker Bookhouse Church Connection

What you Look for in the Bible - Biblegateway Blog

A New New Testament Are You Serious? - Daniel Wallace

How Literal is the NASB? - Baker Bookhouse Church Connection

When the NIV is More Literal than the NASB and ESV - Baker Bookhouse Church Connection

Getting Stuck in the Inerrancy of Scripture - Theology Network

NIV more Popular than the KJV - Christian Post

Five Myths about Bible Translation - Parchment and Pen

Fifteen More Myths about Bible Translation - Parchment and Pen

What's Wrong with Grace? - Mike Bickle