A THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL January 2016

Editorial: Welcome to 2016

Ten Books To Help You Get Started in 2016

The Prophet Haggai

Ten Ways to Use Periscope For Ministry

Reasons to Use Video in Your Ministry

Should You Read the Apocryphal Books

How to Keep Your New Years Resolutions

What We Can Learn From Steve Harvey

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January 2016

Editorial: Welcome to 2016 .........................4Ten Books To Help You Get Started in 2016 ..............7

The Prophet Haggai ....................8Ten Ways to Use Periscope  For Ministry ................................10Reasons to Use Video in Your Ministry ..............................12Should You Read the Apocryphal Books ....................14How to Keep Your New  Years Resolutions .....................16What We Can Learn From Steve Harvey ...................18

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Greetings Beloved, I wanted to be one of the first voices you heard to welcome you to the year 2016. As I look out over the horizon of this year I am struck by the many things that I anticipate will claim our attention over the course of the next 12 months. Without a doubt, the presidential race for the White House will be a major a news item that we will find ourselves consuming on a daily basis. I do not intend for my remarks to be interpreted as partisan or political, but I am praying that the presidential race will focus upon major social and policy issue. I fear that what we have seen so far is personal attacks and the exploitation of fear. Islamcphbia, nativist and anti-immigration

attitudes seemingly have become the new norm. Rather than discussing the economy, the continued growth of jobs, international affairs and economic growth, we appear to be entertained by rants and riffs of social discord. In just about a month voting will begin and I predict that we will see a shift in the general public’s appetite for politics at its best, rather than at its worse.

2016 will also be an Olympic year. I so look forward to the array of athletes that we will be introduced to in a variety of sporting events. Next summer all eyes will be focused upon Rio De Janeiro and I am sure that there will be new champions for our youth to admire and the media to acclaim.

Editorial: Welcome to 2016By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

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Finally, I see this year being a pivotal year that will define how we do ministry in the coming years. The other evening I walked through a restaurant dining room and arbitrarily counted ten tables on my way to the restroom. I was struck by how many of those tables were occupied by people who were more engrossed in their handheld device more so than they were with the people who they were sharing their table with. I counted eight tables that fell into that category and could not help but wonder just how far we gone to being detached from those around us, despite the fact that they are literally sharing their physical space with us. This has led me to the conclusion that the way that we do ministry and communicate with people will have to change in coming years. If we fail to figure out how to reach people where they are, rather than where we want them to be, we may find ourselves obsolete and irrelevant.

In recent weeks I have taken to posting a “periscope” recording to the internet on almost a daily basis. I am so surprised to see that it appears that I can reach more people in the course of a few minutes with periscope, then I can on Sunday morning during the traditional worship hour. I am not being pessimistic or negative, but I am saying that as church

leaders we are going to have to explore imaginative and creative ways to reach the audiences that we have been able to take for granted in the past.

Let me close on a positive note. This year I celebrate my 43rd year in ministry. I preached my first sermon on August 31, 1973 at the church that I now pastor in Amityville, NY. In the interim, I have pastored the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church of Ossining, New York, the Oakley Full Gospel Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio and the Queens Ministry of Jamaica, NY. Those 43 years also include serving as an associate minister as the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Oberlin (Dr. Fred Steen, Pastor), OH and the Union Baptist Church of Cambridge (now Bishop Melvin Brown, Pastor), MA. As I look back over those years, I can truly say that God has been good to me. I enter this year with more enthusiasm and excitement than I have ever had about ministry. I am looking forward to God doing some great things in this year, how about you?

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Ten Books To Help You Get Started in 2016By Rev Lisa Jenkins

By now most of you know that I have always been big on books. And this holiday season is no different. I have been encouraging folk to purchase books as gifts.

So as promised earlier, here is a list of books suggested by a few of the presenters from this week’s Retool/Rethink Conference along with the workshops they led. Now don’t think that because you’re not a pastor or minister that you cannot gain something from this list. If you are in any position in the church or even in leadership in general, this list of books will be sure to help you meet your goals in 2016 and beyond. Take a look and be empowered or give the gift of empowerment! I’ve already downloaded a few on my Kindle app and can’t wait to dig in! Happy reading. Happy gifting!1. Silos, Politics & Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn2. Colleagues Into Competitors, by Patrick Lencioni3. The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide To Resolving Internal Conflict, by Ken Sande4. Unfreezing the Moves: Following Jesus into the Mission Field, by Bill Easum5. Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a

Difference in Your Community, by Robert Linthicum6. The Wounded Minister: Healing From and Preventing

Personal Attacks, by Guy Greenfield7. The Care of Troublesome People, by Wayne E. Oates8. Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations

Under Attack, by G. Lloyd Rediger9. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni10. Ministering to Problem People in the Church: What to Do With

Well-Intentioned Dragons, by Marshall Shelley11. Cross-Affirming Preaching12. Preaching Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller

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The Prophet HaggaiBy Bishop William Caracter

The prophet Haggai was the first of the three prophets during the Persian period who prophesied to the Jews who had returned from captivity, the other two prophets were Zechariah and Malachi. Haggai was also mentioned by Ezra as a co-worker with Zechariah in prophesying to the people and they prospered in completing the construction of the Second Temple.

The prophecies in the book of Haggai were delivered in a four month period in 520 BC, “the second year of Darius the King” (Haggai 1:1).

In 536 BC, 70 years after the Babylonian captivity began, the Persian ruler Cyrus gave permission for the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild their temple. Zerubbabel was the governor, and Jeshua what was the high priest. Soon after their return they began to rebuild the Temple of Solomon which had been demolished. The foundation stone was laid in the second month of the second year after

the return (Ezra 3:8-10). Those who opposed the construction of the Temple were the Samaritans, they were the descendants of the foreigners from around the Assyrian Empire who had been placed in Samaria after the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:24-41). The Samaritans caused all the work on the Temple to stop, people have become lazy after this and focused more under houses. They allowed the Lords Temple to go unfinished for 16 years, and this is when Haggai began to prophesy. The focus of Haggai was to wake them from their sleep, and realize who they were and the great opportunity the Lord had given them to rebuild His Temple.

The first of Haggai’s four prophecies (Haggai 1:1-15) was delivered on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of Darius – about August-September, 520 BC. This was addressed to the leaders, rebuking them for the spiritual lethargy which had

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allowed the temple to lie unfinished for such a long time. Haggai cites this lethargy as a chief cause for God’s having withheld His blessings from the people (Haggai 1:6). Haggai’s words were so effective that it was only twenty-four days later that the work of rebuilding the temple was begun.

Haggai’ second message (Haggai 2:1-9), was delivered about a month later (October), which was designed to encourage those who were despondent over the disparity in glory between the former temple and the new one they were erecting. Haggai assured them that a greater glory than that of the past temple was to come to the house of Israel. In this connection,

he speaks of the “desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7), referring to the Messiah.

Two months after the second message, Haggai spoke to the people for a third time. In this section (Haggai 2:10-19), Haggai informs the people that their past indifference had kept them from accomplishing the things which they set out to do but that God would bless their future.

The last of the prophecies contained in the book was delivered the same day as the third and is found in Haggai 2:20-23. In this, the prophet speaks of the establishment of Zerubbabel, a symbol of the idea that God’s people were to stand, just as the power of the heathen nations was completely broken.

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Ten Ways to Use Periscope For Ministry

By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

One of the new online courses that I have developed is one that demonstrates to church leaders how they can incorporate periscope into their ministry and thereby reach more people for their church. Once you finish reading this article, we invite you to use this link and consider taking our online course on this topic:

http://bishop.teachable.com/courses/periscope

Recently I have been spending time using the new mobile app Periscope. Periscope.TV is a relatively new mobile app that has exploded on social media. Since I am usually an early adopter to new social media, I had to check it out and try it to see if it’s something that ministries can use to benefit what they do and I can tell you the answer is YES!

The Periscope mobile app can be easily downloaded in Android or IOS and instantly connects to your Twitter account. In fact, Periscope is now part of Twitter and has been compared to another video app called Meerkat. Since I haven’t used Meerkat I can’t give a comparison, but

many in social media business circles are saying Periscope has better features.

Once you download the Periscope app you can instantly go live and broadcast your message to the world. What makes this mobile app different than using a Google hangout or You Tube is that your viewers can interact with you live on the screen of your phone. They can both comment and leave you hearts by tapping the screen. The hearts are the equivalent of a “like” on Facebook or a RT on Twitter. The hearts are the sign of how much your viewers are engaging with what you are saying during your live broadcast. Users can also leave hearts during the replay of your broadcast. Rebroadcasts are available for only 24 hours.

Many ministries, including radio shows and Christian bloggers, pastors, churches and TV shows are already using Periscope for ministry. Here are 10 ways I’ve already seen Christians using Periscope.1. Bible News Radio is using Periscope to

give morning devotional thoughts, news updates and live streaming of our daily

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radio show and giveaways. You can follow Bible News Radio on Periscope at @BibleNewsRadio and @StacyHarp

2. Jay Sekulow from The American Center for Law and Justice uses Periscope to live stream his radio show and answer viewer questions. Follow Jay Sekulow at @jaysekulow

3. Perry Stone is using Periscope to show behind the scenes tours of his ministry campus and is giving personal updates. Follow Perry Stone at @perrystonevoe

4. Many pastors are showing elders meetings and offering prayer for viewers and also bible studies.

5. Some individual Christians are using Periscope to answer bible questions and offer encouragement to fellow believers.

6. Christian authors like Tricia Goyer are already using Periscope to share about their latest books and give “mommy” tips. Follow Tricia Goyer at @triciagoyer

7. Periscope is being used as a platform to give away prizes to viewers. Bible News Radio has offered books from Christian publishers.

8. Breaking news and live prayer for those who are in crisis. Christians are already using the platform to bring urgent requests to God.

9. Many Christians are using Periscope to show tours of their facilities or places of interest like Israel.

10. Christians are also using Periscope for business.

Whatever way you may choose to use this exciting new medium, one thing is sure, Christians are generally two years behind most of the world when it comes to adopting new technology. I want to encourage you to jump in and join the Periscope world and begin to engage your circle of influence for Christ.

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Not too long ago, a filmmaker friend of mine, who had just wrapped up a large-budget, 10-part video series for a megachurch in the D.C. area, was driving when his cell phone rang. He answered and on the other end of the line was a senior leader of that church. The voice on the line said to him, “Fred, I am not sure about this whole video thing. Sell me on video for the church.” His heart sank and in a panic he began doing the best he could to not sound totally caught off guard. Fortunately for him, he really believed in the power of video communication for the church and was able to expertly field the question after his initial shock.

How many of us find ourselves in that very predicament? We know video is great. But why? Not to mention, there are many different applications for video. Here are 10 reasons (of probably hundreds) why churches should seriously consider video this upcoming year.

1. IMPROVED SEO

Paul writes in Romans 10:14, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” I could ask the same questions about our churches. How will they hear the Word if no one told them about your church? Have you Googled your church lately? Is it on the first page of the search results? It is common knowledge that video on your website boosts your search engine results. When I teach at conferences I often ask

people attending my workshops if they know what page two of Google is. After a moment I answer, “Where webpages go to die.” Are you optimizing your webpage for google? Besides Google, YouTube is the #2 search engine. Are you optimizing your video content for YouTube? Here is some info that may help get you noticed easier on the Internet.

2. BETTER INFORMATION RETENTION

Most of our communication in the church is classified as oral. This means that someone talks and we all listen, and listen, and listen. However, the majority of people learn best through visual communication. Utilizing sermon bumpers, video sermon illustrations and even images in your sermons can increase the amount your congregants can retain. Check out this article I wrote on leveraging learning styles in your preaching.

3. ONLINE VIDEO BUILDS TRUST

A well-made video on your church website that introduces potential guests to the pastor, the environment and the style of your church can be a major relationship building catalyst. When people can see your face, hear the music you play and catch a glimpse of all the happy kids in the kids wing, they feel like they are building a relationship with you before they even step foot in the door. Your front door is no longer your website. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other social networks are great places to upload well-crafted videos that help people get to know you.

Reasons to Use Video in Your MinistryBy Matthew Fridg

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4. CONNECT BEYOND BARRIERS

How much does it cost to fly a missionary in? How much does it cost to Skype with him or her while they are on the mission field. Several months ago, we successfully completed a video Skype call with a missionary from China during our Sunday morning service. The impact it had was invaluable. The congregation felt connected on a deeper level by seeing the missionary in the field and it certainly compelled people to a new level of missions giving that Sunday. Video allows us to connect beyond physical borders and limitations.

5. VIDEO IS FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE

When I first started shooting video professionally, the cameras I operated cost about $120,000. Today, the same quality of camera is about $12,000. The dramatic drop in the price of technology has allowed high-quality technology to be in the hands of virtually anyone. Today you can grab a 4K camera or a laptop for video editing for under $1,000. Cost is no longer a barrier to entering the video arena.

6. MORE TOOLS IN YOUR BELT

Public speaking is an incredibly effective means of communication. However, it relies primarily on one mode, speech. Video allows us to tap into a wide variety of tools for communicating. Video opens the door to animation, text, visuals and especially music. Adding music to our visual communication allows the message to connect effectively and deeply.

7. MULTIPLY TIME & ABILITY

How many times have you taught the baptism class? How often does your pastor have to teach the membership course? Imagine we could free up his schedule by filming his portion and playing it back during the class? Even better, why not film your theology, leadership training and other classes and offer them online for people to view at their own pace. Take a cue from successful online learning institutions, put training online and save people from having to go to one more meeting at the church building.

8. VIDEO IS A CREATIVE OUTLET

Video gives people, especially young folks, the opportunity to express their creativity.

Video could be a great way to attract more of the youth to get involved in serving.

9. KEEP PERSONAL TESTIMONIES

UNDER CONTROL

No more grabbing the microphone back from a long winded brother who insists on relaying every detail of his mission trip from the moment he got to the airport up and through his experience of puking his guts out upon returning. Didn’t someone tell him to drink the bottled water? Nothing is better than having the ability to edit the video of his testimony into a clear, concise and powerful message that could inspire others to join the next mission trip.

10. HELP YOUR TEAMS GROW

Use video to record your speakers, preachers, worship team, greeters or whomever. Then gather them together to critique themselves and create an improvement plan. One of the most torturous exercises is to watch ourselves on camera. But it will help your teams grow by leaps and bounds.

There are many more reasons, but you get the idea. If you are finishing your 2016 budgets, make room for the strategic use of video.

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On the last Sunday of the year, I took a bold and adventurous step in my preaching by using as my text Daniel 13:1-2. What made this selection of scripture so radical was the fact that those listening to me could not find the scripture in their Bibles. Until I explained that Daniel 13 is only found in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The reason for its absence from the King James Version and other Protestant Bibles is because it having been written originally in Greek and not Hebrew, it was not included in the Jewish canon and therefore the Protestant canon. However, beyond the technicalities of its canonicity, the question still remains whether the material contained in the Apocrypha has any value.

THE STORY OF SUSANNA

I chose this scripture because I was anxious to share the story of Susanna with my faith community. The story of Susanna involves a couple by the name of Joakim and Susanna. One day as Susanna was bathing she was observed by two men who propositioned her. After refusing their overtures, they accused her of having an affair with a young lover. Susanna was about to be executed when Daniel intervened and proved her innocence by asking

her accuser what kind of tree she was standing under. The testimonies of the accusers did not agree and Susanna was vindicated. The story demonstrates the justice of God and its availability to even members who were not Jews at the time. So the questions remains, can we find value in the Apocryphal books.

Treat them as you would any other work by an author who claims to be Christian. Weigh what is said carefully against scripture and evaluate it for what value it has. Knowing why it was rejected (was it heretical or known to be falsified or simply not surely inspired) might help in such an evaluation. Personally I have found the extra-biblical works quite interesting in their own right. Quite like the writings of the early church fathers, which are really very informative.

The Old Testament apocrypha, such as the Maccabees, are not included in the Jewish Canon (and thus not in the Protestant Bibles either) mostly because they were too recent (or even not written yet, depending on when you consider the Jewish Canon was fixed) to be included.

For that reason, Old Testament apocrypha is very interesting historically since it tells you about what happened between the end

Should You Read the Apocryphal BooksBy Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

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of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. For example, it explains about the origin of Hanukkah, a day that was already celebrated at the time of Jesus. You can think of Old Testament apocrypha as an interesting part of history.

On the other hand, most of the New Testament apocrypha are books that were considered non interesting, not God-breathed or even heretic by the early Christian church.

You’re more likely to find ungodly ideas or twisted scriptures in New Testament apocrypha (such as the Gospel of Thomas or of the Women) than in Old Testament apocrypha. You can think of New Testament apocrypha as alternative accounts of Jesus’ life and possibly heretic theology.

The current Jewish canon did not arise until after the time of Christ. The Old Testament apocrypha were in the Greek translation of the Bible known as the Septuagint, which is older than any existing version of the Bible except for books found relatively recently among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The standard Hebrew version of the Bible that exists is much newer than

the Greek version. The early church, like most Jews at the time, accepted the extra books as scripture, and so should Protestants.In fact, the Septuagint was the version of the Old Testament that was read by New Testament authors. Rejecting the books written in Greek is just a current Protestant tradition.

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How to Keep Your New Years ResolutionsBy Phil Cooke

The greatest secret to making New Year’s resolutions work is understanding the power of change. Want to lose weight? Get a better job? Go back to college? Find a spouse? Get closer to God? Whatever it is, understand that real change is one of the most difficult things we’ll ever do. In fact, even the threat of death doesn’t make some people change. In my book Jolt! Get the Jump on a World That’s Constantly Changing, I reveal one study indicating that within only two years, 90 percent of open heart surgery patients go back to their old eating habits—the same lifestyle that got them there in the first place.

For real change to happen in our lives, we need more than wishes and resolutions. We need to understand how to embrace the kinds of techniques that allow real transformation to happen. As a media consultant and television producer in Hollywood, I’ve spent my life helping organizations and individuals understand how change can enable them to move to the next level of success and effectiveness. In the process, I’ve learned some important keys to help you as you make your resolutions work:

1. LET GO OF YOUR PAST

Every football coach knows the saying, “It’s not how many times you fall that matters, it’s how many times you get back up.” Past failure is a good teacher, but we can’t dwell on it because we have no control over our past. So stop looking back. Get your eyes off the past, and start focusing on the future.

2. KNOW YOUR DESTINATION

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never know when you get there. Before you start the journey toward change, know specifically what you want to accomplish. And don’t forget to reward yourself along the way. Goals are great, but if they take too long to achieve, you’ll give up. So create “mini-goals” to encourage you along the journey.

3. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PRIORITIES AND

ELIMINATE DESTRUCTIVE DISTRACTIONS

Don’t allow insignificant distractions keep you from changing your life. Like re-arranging

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deck chairs on the Titanic, millions of people spend enormous time on things that really don’t matter, while their lives spin out of control. You’ll never reach your goals unless you understand the power of priorities. Spend less time on what seems “urgent” at the moment and more time on what really matters.

4. OVERCOME FEAR AND INSECURITY

What are you afraid of? Insecurity and fear keep more people from achieving greatness than anything else in my experience, and in most cases, it has very little basis in fact. The great religions of the world tell us that human beings are special and significant. From Christianity’s perspective, you are a child of God, created in His image. What could possibly keep you from reaching your potential? Every day, take a first step into an area that you’ve been afraid of, and every day you’ll be placing a new brick in the foundation of a better life. The old Southern preacher was right: “God didn’t make no junk!” You are special, you are unique, and there’s nothing that you and God can’t accomplish together.

5. FIND PERSONAL CHEERLEADERS

Surround yourself with friends who believe in you, and eliminate negative people from your life. I cannot stress this enough. Spend less time with people who drain your energy and resources, and more time with people who love and support your dreams and goals.

6. APPRECIATE THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

Life isn’t about finding all the right answers, it’s about asking the right questions. So often we waste time and money on simplistic self-help answers. But the fact is, life just isn’t simple. It’s a complex process, but at the same time, it’s a wonderful process of discovery. Let go of the need to have all the answers, and allow a little mystery to happen in your life!

Changing your life is a process, but these simple keys will allow you to enjoy the journey and experience real change in your life this new year!

Phil Cooke is the founder and CEO of Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California (cookepictures.com)where he helps church, ministry, and nonprofit organizations engage the culture more effectively. He’s a filmmaker, media consultant, and author of “Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social Media.”

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Two years ago my wife and I had the privilege of being guests on the Steve Harvey show to discuss a recent blog post I had written. We flew out to Chicago, stayed in an incredible hotel, froze our butts off and truly had the time of our lives. Steve, as expected, was hilarious and filled with joy. He was truly the same person we had watched on Family Feud all those years. And yes, his mustache is 100 percent real.

One of the things my wife and I have always loved about Steve Harvey was the authenticity he seemed to portray throughout all of his T.V. appearances. To our delight, that same authenticity was prevalent in the time we spent with him at his studio. He shared his struggles in the entertainment industry, that he had once lived in his car, gone through three marriages before getting his life back together, and that he wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the grace of God.

Juli and I listened in amazement, as the man we had watched from a television screen for the last few years had just given us a raw look into his life. He showed us that he was human, full of mistakes and in need of God’s grace just as much as the next person. He was full of authenticity and integrity.

Last night Steve Harvey hosted Miss Universe 2015. He worked his magic of

hosting and did his Steve Harvey thing for the entire show, all until quite the hiccup took place toward the end of the night. While announcing the winner to the audience, Steve had mistakenly shared the wrong name, which led to a confusing and awkward moment on live television. I mean, I don’t blame him. That card was horribly designed.

Mistakes HappenThe beauty in all this mess is this: Steve

Harvey owned up to his mistake and made it right. He didn’t try to blame anyone or make up any excuses. He just owned it like a champ. And while a lot of people are criticizing Steve for his Miss Universe fumble, I give him kudos for showing true integrity during a time he could have blamed someone else and probably got away with it.

How many times have you found yourself in a spot where you could have blamed someone for your mistake and got away with it? How many times have you found yourself trying to cover up something you did wrong, all to save face with the people around you? The reality is, real leaders choose honesty even when it’s easier to lie.

We all make mistakes. We’re all human.We love you, Steve! Thank you for

being an incredible example of what true honesty and integrity looks like.

What We Can Learn From Steve HarveyBy Thom Rainer