Why No Revival?

We all want to grow. We like to see our Church be vibrant. We enjoy being among people who are energetic, passionate, and happy. Unfortunately, a vibrant, passionate, happy Church is not as common as we have hoped. Why? Erwin Lutzer presents this as one reason:

"To be candid: I believe genuine reconciliation to be the stuff of revival; because once our souls are unclogged of bitterness and hurt, the Spirit of God has freedom to move and heal. The body of Christ today includes countless bitter, hurting, and wounded people - bound by the power of a personal offense. Yet where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty - and liberty brings revival." (Erwin Lutzer, When You've Been Wronged, Chicago: IL: Moody Publishers, 2007, 13)

Remember the words of Jesus. Falsehood binds. Truth frees. Falsehood deceives toward wrong ways. Truth receives the right way. Falsehood pretends. Truth faces reality.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  (John 8:34-36)

Do you want to be in a Church that is enslaved by sinful behaviour, or liberated by God's grace? May we seek the latter, to give of our selves. Let go of any arrogance. Seek forgiveness by first learning to forgive one another.

conrade

Evangelism Reminders

At the end of my evangelism talk today, I showed this video as a form of encouragement for the whole Church to be more active in the work of an evangelist. Not everyone is given a title of an 'evangelist' but all of us are called to do the work of an evangelist.

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." (2 Tim 4:5)

You can also click on the link here if you do not see any embedded video above.
conrade

Reaching the Young Indirectly

It is a common refrain to hear people all over the church about how this generation's young is being lost to the world. They hear it from other 'experts.' They talk about the challenging 'new' era while comparing with the 'good' old days. They are persuaded by statistics that purport to prove that the younger generation are less spiritual and more worldly, less keen on church and more keen on hanging out with their friends. I know of some young people who stay away from Church simply because they perceive Church as basically a gathering of a bunch of hypocrites.

A) The Direct Approach - ROI

I have been in Church long enough to see how Church people solve any problem. Take a typical Church with a dwindling youth population. First, they identify the problems.

• Our younger folks are not coming to Church anymore.
• Some find church boring. 
• Some believe that church is full of hypocrites.
• Others do not feel the way their parents feel about faith matters.
• Others say their friends do not go to church, so why should they?
• Why should anyone go to Church? Church doesn't do anything for me!

Second, they propose some solutions.

• Hire a youth worker or pastor.
• Build a gymnasium for them to hang out with friends
• Have a more 'contemporary' church service
• Make Church a more exciting place to be in
• Give them free food, fun, and games!
• Pray for them.

Third, they implement their solutions. I look at some churches I know and the results are depressing. One Church I know spent lots of time and money building a games room, complete with XBox, pool table, sports equipment, and stuff that the young used to do. After a novel first month, the young starts to complain: "Boring!"

Another Church has got a dynamic youth worker, who reaches very well to the young. As the young meets, they bring their friends. The numbers quadripled within a few months. Things look good. Until the youth worker leaves. Yet, another church works hard to keep their young. Unfortunately, the best efforts do not result in any return. After a while, they shut down the youth department.

In business circles, people use the term ROI to measure their returns on investment. By constant monitoring of this figure, they will be able to report back to their shareholders, employees, and the public the performance of the business. A high ROI means a positive result, a high efficiency to the use of funds that lead to a high yield to the investment. Unfortunately, Church work, especially youth work cannot be measured with such ROI statistics. I have served Sunday School long enough to realize that a 7-year-old kid winning a Bible quiz is no guarantee he will remain in his faith. Other more important factors figure. I call the direct approach the identify-attack-conquer approach. It is direct. It is proactive. It is a short-term effort with a short-term result. In fact, some statistics have shown that 80% of the youths who say they intend to stick to their faith, end up abandoning their faith.

Ash Wednesday Reflection 2012

Today is Day 1 of Lent. Also known as Ash Wednesday, it marks the remembrance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. A Regent alum has posted her reflection from Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun who has written many profound articles on spirituality. I find her thoughts simple and helpful. It goes to the very essence of being human.

I have always wondered why people call this day 'Ash Wednesday.' Two years ago, I reflected on this day with the focus on 'Giving Up.' This year, I want to focus on the word 'ash.' After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, The LORD God pronounced this on Adam:

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Gen 3:19)

It is a plain pronouncement that no matter what Adam does, death represents his end state. Adam and Eve have become mortal beings. One fact of life is this: We all age. We all grow old. Our bodies will diminish and perish eventually. It is part of becoming ash. I want to provide three short reflections on the symbolism of ash: Aging, Spirituality, Holiness.

A) Aging
 
Henri Frederic Amiel, a 19th Century Swiss philosopher writes about the process of growing old.

"To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living."

Many of us know how to accumulate things, qualifications,  work experiences, and all kinds of worldly ribbons of achievement. When we come to a point in which we are no longer fast enough, strong enough, or agile enough, we become lost. We get depressed. We detest life. The fact is this. Those of us who 'retire' at an old age, why should we simply stop living simply because of the dreaded word, 'retire?' Learn to see it as 're-tire,' like changing our vehicle's tires to Winter tires when Winter arrives, normal tires for Summer, and All-Season tires if we are living in places where the weather does not change drastically over the year? Aging is not about being boxed into a stereotype. Aging is about seeing God renewing our spirits new every morning, every day, and at every age. Reflect upon on own age. Do not despise the number of wrinkles, or to lament the good old years. Instead, knowing that we will eventually return to dust does not mean we stop living altogether. I like how Joan Chittister writes about adjustment to aging.

"A blessing of these years is being able to live so open-heartedly, and to adjust so well, that others can look to us and see what being old can bring in terms of life, of holiness, of goodness to make the world new again." (Joan Chittister, The Gift of Years, New York, NY: Bluebridge, 2008, 65)

Let this Ash Wednesday be a time to pray for those of us who feel the weight of aging. Pray for those who are fearing the coming of the ash destiny. Nearing ash ourselves does not mean to stop living. It simply means we live differently.

B) Spirituality

One of my friends once said of the great paradox. Spiritual things and physical things often operate in a strange paradox. For example, the world thinks that more is better. The spiritual person believes that less is more. The world lives as if money can buy anything. The spiritual man understands that money cannot buy everything. All the world's medical know-how seeks to extend longevity at great costs. The spiritual person knows when it is time to live, and when it is time to go.  The world holds on to life with a clenched fist. The spiritual man lives with open hands that freely receive, and also freely give.

The great spiritual mystic, Sadhu Sundar Singh tells of this natural encounter with deep spiritual understanding. One day, he happens to chance upon a nest of young chicks. Even though they have yet to open their eyes, each time the mother bird flutters near, they will chirp excitedly. Even though they have not know whether there is good food or not, their mouths automatically open in expectation of being fed. Maybe it is a prey coming to eat them up. Maybe it is some bad person trying to feed them poison. Yet, the natural instinct of such birds is to exercise faith to be given what they need.

Sometimes, as Christians, we live so much in this world that we have forgotten how to live as spiritual beings. We are so used to worldly wisdom that we find it hard to understand spiritual wisdom. Perhaps, as we learn to refrain, to resist more of the world, we can be more discerning of the things of the Spirit.

C) Holiness

We do not operate on the basis of an aimless life. Whatever we do, it is better to have some sense of direction. On Ash Wednesday, we do not fast for the sake of fasting. Neither do we restrict ourselves from things for the sake of restriction. We can become worldly even under the guise of practicing spirituality. Our aim must be holiness of heart, mind, and soul. The operative word is 'purity.' The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard words are:

"Purity of heart is to will one thing."

Perhaps, this is the biggest reason for Lent. It is not the fasting or the abstinence of things. It is the focus of one's soul, just like the way an archer aims his arrow at the target. Whether it is the blowing of the winds, the sounds of background noises, the eagle in the sky, the archer musters up all his strength and concentration to do one thing: Hit the target.

Let holiness be our aim.

So this is it. For Ash Wednesday. Age beautifully with a renewed sense of energy. Practice spirituality, not as the world teaches, but the way Jesus guides us. Maintain our pursuit of holiness as our one goal for Lent.

Finally, returning to the ash symbolism, we know that we will become dust and ash one day. We know that we will eventually die. If that is the case, before that happens, live well. Live with energy. Live purposefully. May we be the best ash that we can be.

"A blessing of these years is to have the time to complete in ourselves what has been neglected all these years, so that the legacy we leave to others is equal to the full potential within us." (Joan Chittister)

conrade

Suggestions for Lent 2012

TITLE: SUGGESTIONS FOR LENT 2012
Written by: Conrade Yap

Lent starts tomorrow. Traditionally known as Ash Wednesday, the day ushers in a 40 day observance of Lent. 'Lent' means 40th in Latin. Easter Sunday marks the end of the 40 days journey, which reminds all disciples of Christ about Jesus' journey to the Cross.

(Picture Credit: efl-churches.org)

When I was in Bible school, I managed to catch a glimpse of what some of my fellow students were doing. Some refrained from certain foods like coffee, chocolates, or meat. Others abstained from particular activities. The overriding theme was basically the need to stop, to reflect, to remember, and to experience a little of what Jesus was going through during his time before the crucifixion on Good Friday, the death during the darks days prior to the culmination of Resurrection Sunday. Lent is perhaps one of the most important periods of the Christian calendar.

Not everyone of us are used to a full fast. I find myself struggling to observe a complete fast from coffee. I know it is possible, but I want to avoid becoming overly legalistic about it. That said, the majority of the people I know will tend to prefer a more moderate approach: Partial fast. It is to this group of people that I will be writing for this Lent 2012.

Readers are welcome to adopt one or more of the following seven options. The more adventurous are welcome to practice all. It will be based on a particular activity or food to fast on a particular day of the week.

1) Monday - Fast from Complaining the Monday blues


It is common to hear people complaining about their Monday blues. For some, Mondays can be the most depressing days of the week. After a long weekend, our emotional work engines are cold. The tendency to complain tends to be hot. Perhaps, fast from complaining is a good way to remember that Jesus obeys God's will without complaining. Resist saying anything negative about work. Avoid any tendency to complain. Instead, bite your lip. Hold your tongue. Direct your focus to God and pray. Do that every Monday. One cannot avoid the Monday blues, but one can certainly avoid making it worse. 

2) Tuesday - Tangible Resistance

What are the things that we 'normally' do? Do we watch TV? Do we spend lavishly on things we do not really need? Do we buy things at all? Perhaps, on Tuesday, resist the tangible attractions of materialism. Keep your credit cards at home so that you do not spend anything. Resist materialism. Resist consumerism. In resisting all of these tangible stuff, perhaps, we learn to allocate what we spend on ourselves, and put them in a tangible fund for someone more needy? 

3) Wednesday - Entertainment Fast by moving from Worldly to Worship

We are in the world but not of the world. Instead of spending our usual time in worldly entertainment like TV, Internet surfing, or movies, consider turning our minds and hearts toward worship. Memorize a Scripture verse. Sing a hymn. Meditate on a spiritual writing. As we move away from worldliness, we point ourselves toward anything to encourage worship. We can pray. We can sing. We can worship.


4) Thursday - Fast for Lunch and Give toward Theological Education

I write this with some conviction. Yesterday I received a call from my alma mater about considering a donation to theological education. I promised to consider. Thinking about it, why not allocate a day in which I can devote my lunch money to theological education? If skipping one lunch can enable a needy student to study theology more, why not?

5) Friday - Friendly Gesture

Fasting is not to be understood merely as self-limiting. It can be shared through giving and sharing. Make Fridays a day to perhaps do a kind friendly deed. Call up a friend. Encourage him/her. Do a kind, friendly deed. Buy someone lunch. Show kindness and be a spiritual friend if you can. Fridays are great days to do these acts of kindness. By giving we are receiving too: the privilege of giving joy.

6) Saturday - Fast from Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, or Blogging.

Social media is becoming the main staple of communications nowadays. I know of people who do not know what to do without Facebook. In fact, they are on social networks almost a couple of times every hour. Gone are the days in which we can have an uninterrupted time over a meal.  By fasting from social media at least once a week, we can avoid becoming addicted to social media. At the same time, we remind ourselves that fasting is in essence a way to untie ourselves from worldly things that entangle us. Resist the urge to connect to social networks once a day. Make Saturday that day.

7) Sunday - Keeping Sabbath

I believe that it is important to keep the Sabbath, or to observe a Sabbatical rhythm once a week. A rabbi once said: "It is not the Jews that kept the Sabbath. It is the Sabbath that kept the Jews." Now, Sundays are strictly speaking not a 'Christian Sabbath.' True Sabbath calls us to restrain from normal work. What I am advocating is a day in which we can do something different. For example, six days we work. Let us then rest one day. In our busy world, it is easy to bring work home for the weekend. Some of us work overtime. Perhaps, try to have a day in which we can free ourselves from the tyranny of work and the busyness of life. Slow down. Stop to admire the gardens. Smell the flowers. 

Here they are. Seven ideas for seven days for the Lenten period. You are welcome to practice any of them, some of them, or all of them. Use the first letter of each day to trigger the fasting idea.

M - Monday Blues
T - Tangible Tuesday
W - Wednesday Worship
Th - Theological Education Thursday
F - Friendly Friday
S - Social Media Saturday Fast
S - Sunday Sabbatical

Enjoy. As always, pray every day. Remember, Day 1 begins Wednesday tomorrow!

conrade

Higher Cost of Theological Education

TITLE: HIGHER COST OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION (Three Non-Financial Measurements)
Written by: Conrade Yap

In the most recent issue of THE REGENT WORLD, there is a writeup about Regent College's 5-Year Strategic Plan. The President of Regent College shares about the challenges surrounding theological education. Firstly, student enrollment numbers are down by almost half since 2003. Secondly, the high costs of education are discouraging potential students to study theology. Thirdly, there are the associated high costs such as housing, currency disparity, volatile markets worldwide, which all add up to the already difficult tuition costs. In trying to address these challenges, Rod Wilson outlines 5 strategic responses, two of which are cutbacks while three are push-forwards. In helping to deal with the costs, Wilson says that the financial structures will be 're-engineered' while at the same time 'streamline' the curriculum. Both are meant to cushion any financial impact on the students. The other three are geared toward greater publicity and beefing up the already great quality of the teaching environment.

I read the proposal cautiously. On the one hand, I understand the need to address the challenges of high costs in theological education. On the other hand, I feel that the costs are way too financially constricted. There is a higher cost that is beyond financial: The cost of NOT having theological education in the first place.

Gone are the days in which people can claim to self-train themselves to become theologians. Granted, there are resources out there that enable people to learn Greek and Hebrew. Lots of websites are offering audio courses, and some of them offer credit courses for a small fee. Some sites like BiblicalTraining.org even distribute materials for free! In an increasingly online world, one of the biggest sense of entitlement in the newer generation is the expectation of 'free stuff.'

A) Context Over Content

Quality education is not about the content or the information any institution dishes out. Quality education is almost always contextual. Any strategy raised needs to consider the contextual question critically. Is education about information giving or formation setting? Is it about flooding the minds with the best of Christian scholarship or the training of the Christian mind? Is it about content focus that is not related to the contexts of the students? Let me share one example. One reason why online education has been advocated by many is the attraction of offering high content at low costs. It appeals to the frugally minded. Unfortunately, it is an unhealthy reduction of what good education is all about.

I have been on the online world long enough to know that what is offered online, is not really adequate. Think about the way we download our Bibles. Which of these two questions are more true?

1. "Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I will not sin against You."
2. "Your Word I have downloaded into my iPod, that I will retrieve when I think I need it."

When I was a IT consultant, one of the regular requirements is to keep up with my certifications. Every quarter, I need to fulfill a certain number of training hours on some of the latest technology offerings. As a way to cut costs, the folks are the corporate headquarters dish out online offerings. I was enthusiastic initially, keeping up with my requirements. Once my other work pressures build up, I found myself cutting corners. I multitasked my way through the training. By opening multiple windows, I will keep one window opened on the training module, another on my Email client, and another on a database application. Sometimes, my training module will time out due to inactivity. At the last minute, my colleagues and I would be sharing answers so that we can simply fulfill the requirements. Eventually, I completed the training with minimal understanding of what the technology is all about.

Theological education can be supplemented with online courses, but not replace the need for face to face learning. For me, I have been in theological education long enough to know that the value of theological education is not the content but the contexts in which we study the context. Theological education is all about learning how to contextualize the information we have. This is best done by interacting with professors, students, staff, and people in general. I hope that the latest Regent strategy will incorporate an increase in contextual awareness even as they 'streamline' course offerings. Online courses are powerful content managers, but are miserable when it comes to contextual awareness. The higher cost of theological education is not based on content but the context. Content means information. Context influences spiritual formation.

B) Promote the Brand

Regent already has a great brand name. Let that not be diminished in any way. Many professors are already engaged in many places. Here, I believe the need is for Regent to use the Word of Mouth strategy to promote the Regent brand. There is no better way than to let the quality of the students/faculty speak for themselves. One of the strongest reasons why students come to a school is due to recommendations by students both past and present. For example, I know of pastors who are always ready to recommend Regent College to their congregation members interested in Bible school. In a nutshell, Regent College can incorporate in their strategy the many 'ambassadors' worldwide. Share with them information on a more regular basis. Utilize the bookstore offerings. Perhaps, regular free audio downloads with an option to give freewill offerings can be adopted. Write and market books written by both Regent faculty as well as alumni. 

One of Regent College's strengths is in marketplace theology. Another is the fame of certain professors, many of them already categorized as 'Professor Emeritus.' Both are enrollment attractions. Another of the strengths is the Summer School courses. I know of some professors already speaking and teaching outside of Regent. Every staff member, every past student, every faculty member past and present are immediately potential ambassadors to promote the brand. Is there an elevator story for them to share with the communities they are living in? Maybe, that ought to be emphasized. Not using sufficiently the strengths and ambassadors of Regent are in themselves a heavy cost to foot.

C) Opportunity Costs

While financial costs may be rising, what is often not evident is the opportunity costs of NOT having theologically trained leaders in the Church. Sometimes, all it takes is a trigger point, a reminder that the typical layperson needs to supplement their personal discipleship program to grow. Theological education is not simply for people who want to enter any Christian-specific full-time ministry. Regent College has been well-known for their theological training for the whole people of God. That is one distinction of being an 'unseminary.'

I remember a missionary years ago coming to my Church to ask some basic questions. Using very familiar questions that puts our basic Bible knowledge to the test, I was astonished to realize that out of 10 simple questions, I had hardly four correct! The missionary then goes on to highlight the need for theological training even for those who have been Christians for a long time. Looking back, I feel that too many people have taken their theologically astute members for granted. Many see the theological vocation as just another way of life. What if more Church people are able to appreciate the VALUE of theological education? What if common issues are debated that exposes people's need for a theological perspective, instead of the common layperson dissing off the need for theology in favour of some common-sense solutions?

Here is an opportunity that all Church leaders need to be aware of. In order to champion the need for theological education, one needs to experience the benefits of theological engagement. Regent faculty and alumni can help beyond just pulpit supplies. They can be champions of theological education by sharing how they apply theology in their lives.

There is another opportunity cost. I know of many people wanting to know what to do with their lives. There are those in mid-life crisis, the fresh graduate out of college, or people simply wanting to know how to discern God's will. Regent College can certainly provide a regular vocational discernment offering, and to PUBLICIZE that! In many cases, opportunity costs of not having any theological training may be higher than financial. Remember how the apostle Paul warns the Church about false teachings and false teachers?

So, in summary, theological education cannot be constricted to content based downloading of information. Theological education is more contextual. Theological education needs to be more widely promoted as a need, especially in many places where people presume their common-sense Bible reading suffice for all circumstances. When people see a need, they will be more readily convinced. Finally, the costs of theological education need to be measured against the opportunity costs of NOT having any theological education. Perhaps, the problem is not the economy. The problem is the lack of vision by church leaders to see theological training as part of their discipleship program. Regent College and its supporters must continue to teach the need for theological education. Every Christian needs to be mindful of disciplining themselves to know God and to make God known. In our increasingly complex world, Christians need to be able to think well. They need to learn to reason well. They need to keep in touch with the world of ideas by learning to counter the world's values with biblical foundations.

While theological education can be intellectual, it is more important to promote theological education as cultivating 'intelligent minds.' The word 'intellectual' has too much negative connotation. 'Intelligent' is better. Mark Noll writes:

"In the end, the question of Christian thinking is a deeply spiritual question. What sort of God will we worship?" (Mark Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994, p253)

A growing disciple will grow in their training of their mind. While zeal in service is important, zeal with knowledge to serve better is even more important. It will be a sad day for the world of theological education if the purpose of any marketing program is the survival of the theological education providers per se.


conrade

Old Testament in the Modern World

Christians claim belief in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  Yet, many tend to read more New Testament than the Old Testament. Just look at some numbers. The Old Testament has 39 books while the New Testament has 27 books, many of which are letters. The bulk of the Bible contains the Old Testament. The Bible that Jesus read is essentially the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus Himself has said:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matt 5:17, NAS)

Yet, in general, churches tend to preach more sermons on the New Testament than the Old.

Dr Iain Provan is a very respected Professor of Old Testament at Regent-College. I have taken several courses with him before and have been fascinated with his calm, gentle explanation of biblical history and old testament studies, laced with a warm Scottish accent. These 4 interviews are excellently interviewed by a Regent alum, Simon Smart, a director of the Centre for Public Christianity in Sydney, Australia.

Part 1 - Can We Trust the Old Testament? (Link)


Can we trust the Old Testament? from CPX on Vimeo.

This interview addresses the criticisms surrounding the reliability of the OT. Provan argues against simplistic generalizations of such critics, the need to read the literature beyond simply reporting facts, but to recognize biblical claims for what they are. The real problem is how to deal with the fragmentary pieces of evidence of biblical data. While problems exist, the disciplines of study are themselves interpretative too. Too many people read OT based on their own presuppositions, and fail to read the Bible for what they are. Too many start off erroneously by reading the OT to prove or disprove something. A good way to read OT is to read and put together all the biblical accounts to discover a common story, in real ancient space and time.

Part 2 - The Old Testament, a Context for Violence (Link)


The Old Testament: A context for Violence from CPX on Vimeo.

This interview talks about violence which critics throw at Christians surrounding ancient tribal barbaric practices. Provan points out that 'the modern world is pretty violent too .  . . 21st Century way more violent. . . ' He argues that the picture of an angry Old Testament God is but one view. Provan says that God works within the different contexts of the world, and that the very people who pass stories are not simply telling a story but framing an ancient reference of law and justice. In other words, ancient literature of harsh violence highlights not the violence but the necessary justice. Other points include the OT often describes violent events to tell us the contextual justice in a world of exceeding dark evil. Not all are meant to be literally applied in our modern world. More importantly, the Old Testament begins with the understanding of God being holy and good.

Part 3 - The Relevance of the Old Testament Today (Link)


The relevance of the Old Testament today from CPX on Vimeo.

How do we get people excited about the Old Testament? Education and understanding of the backgrounds and cultures will help. Firstly, read the Bible on its terms, not ours. Second, compare with parallel ancient conquests and narratives, and we will see that other literature during the Ancient Near East are quite similar to biblical accounts. In other words, biblical story is essentially told through contexts familiar to the biblical audiences at that time. Think about biblical principles and contexts. Read how the Jesus and Paul are able to apply ancient texts to their worlds during their time.

Part 4 - The Bible's Gift to the West (Link)


The Bible's gift to the West from CPX on Vimeo.

Provan asserts that the modern world owes its existence to the capital of a Judea-Christian tradition. For example, people are considered precious due to the sacredness the Bible has held with regards to the sanctity of life. On doubts, Provan says that all thinking people will have questions and doubts. Even Christians too, just like all of life. The point is the context and what we do with our doubts that is the key. Jesus Himself builds on the traditions of the ancient Scriptures. Likewise, one can read to see common themes between the OT and the NT. Themes like forgiveness, salvation, grace, and God's initiatives in the world. The key idea in the OT is not simply about one God. It is about God is good. Everything else flows from this.

Check out the videos. Provan is very clear in explaining the points and we can all learn a lot about the Old Testament through these 4 short video clips.

conrade