Deus Misereatur

Devotions on the Greek New Testament: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct by J. Scott Duvall My rating: 5 of 5 stars While in Seminary, the value of learning Koine Greek and Hebrew can quickly get lost in all the vocabulary memorization, learning of declensions, and parsing of passages. And then once one leaves seminary, it is a rarity for one to keep up with their biblical language skills. There are some tools floating around that try to help, by making original language readings devotional; but those are far and few between. Not long ago J. Scott Duvall and Verlyn D. Verbrugge, have compiled a small, manageable devotional guide from the Greek New Testament. This 154 page paperback has 52 entries written by 31 reputable New Testament scholars, such as Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Scot McKnight, William Mounce, Ben Witherington III, to name just a few. The 52 readings start with Matthew and work their way, in order, through to Revelation. Each entry begins with a short piec...

Helping Adults with Asperger's Syndrome Get & Stay Hired: Career Coaching Strategies for Professionals and Parents of Adults on the Autism Spectrum by Barbara Bissonnette My rating: 4 of 5 stars Some folk have a heavier load to bear than others. Sometimes that weight is emotional, historical or psychological. But then there are those who are encumbered with neurological differences that put them at a disadvantage. And that hardship can become more taxing and stressful when it comes to entering the workplace. One specific neurological divergence is Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), which finds itself on the Autism Spectrum. Barbara Bissonnette, a certified coach and the Principal of Forward Motion Coaching, has pulled together a fine resource for those who desire to aid others who have AS to acquire and retain employment, in her new 203 page paperback, “Helping Adults with Asperger's Syndrome Get & Stay Hired: Career Coaching Strategies for Professionals and Parents of Adults...

The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, 2nd Ed. by Donald K McKim My rating: 5 of 5 stars For a reader of religious material one tool is essential: a ready recall of theological terms and categories. But even for the seminary-trained reader who is conversant with all of the specialized guild language, unless they have a near photographic memory, that ready recall will have to be augmented with some type of lexical sources. This is where the second edition of “The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” comes in to the rescue! The editor of this revised and expanded issue, Donald K McKim, an accomplished author and former Academic Dean and Professor of Theology at Memphis Theological Seminary, has amassed some 7,000 terms into a manageable 382 page volume to make access easier and the material comprehensible. Each of the entries in “The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” is anywhere from one sentence to one paragraph in length. The terms are from multiple cate...

The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited by Scot McKnight My rating: 3 of 5 stars I will be doing a sermon series soon titled "What Is the Gospel". I had assumed "The Gospel" for years, and have heard others whittle it down to one or three or four points. But some time back I began to re-think what the Scripture, and Jesus, mean by "The Gospel". So I was delighted to pick up Scot McKnight's 184 page hardback and dive into it. The strengths of the book are numerous. I think he builds a good case for what the Gospel actually is: the resolution of the story of Israel in Jesus, and thus the the story of God's world rescue operation - a world rescue operation that has Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and true Lord of the world, at its center. McKnight takes slow steps to carefully unfold each part, building brick-by-brick, until he comes to the end result. Whether the reader will be totally satisfied with his conclusion or not, he will hav...

Almighty God, you have emancipated us from the land of Egypt, brought us out of the house of slavery, and have enlisted us in your service, in which service is perfect freedom. In service to you, we pray for our world and your church. We call upon you to aid and relieve those who are in pain and trouble, who need bodily, economic and psychological healing…..raise them up, some from distress and some from Sheol, set them in a firm place and raise their heads up above the screaming worries, and frightful fears that they may acknowledge you as their deliverer. O Lord, hear our prayer. We ask your care, supervision and security for our country. We plead with you to direct the actions and deliberations of our leaders ( Federal, State and local ) along the path of your truth and righteousness. Also, for the nations of our world, those that are crumbling into barbarism, those thrown into war and conflict, those recently reeling from acts of ruthless radicalism, as well as those that se...