Review of Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job
by Hugh Ross
How can the oldest book of the Holy Bible provide us with scientific insights into the natural world that would be revealed thousands of years after it was written? Astonishingly it does so quite comprehensively. Most laymen and theologians alike have throughout the centuries drawn practical wisdom from the Book of Job, but as Dr. Hugh Ross demonstrates, far more treasures abound in this old treasure chest than people have generally mined. In his latest book, Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job (HTBJ), Dr. Hugh Ross unpacks the details.
The Book of Job has traditionally been seen to be one that elucidates the means by which to cultivate a biblical character during difficult times when faced with pain and suffering. It has been a source of clarification of God’s economy of righteousness that demonstrates to us through Job’s three friends, that we often have an incorrect understanding of the role of trials and tribulations in our lives. Job has stood for centuries as the prime example of patience and perseverance, and while Dr. Ross touches on these facets of Job, drawing from his own difficult circumstance during the writing of the book and as a form of theological lessons that are gleaned from the book, the core of the book deals with much of what the Book of Job reveals to us about the natural world that most have not given it much thought. …read the rest of this article »
Sometimes no greater point can be made than by comparing polar opposites. And, however ugly that comparison may appear, if to serve a greater purpose of clarifying greater truths, it is well worth the inquiry. Perhaps no two people in the history of the world have been separated by such a gulf of difference than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Adolf Hitler. Devoid of a conscience (or violator of it), Hitler left one of history’s most indelible marks of devastation, inhumane mass exterminations and a war campaign that would see the entire world unravel, causing up to 40,000,000 deaths. Dr. King, appealing to the conscience of a nation, opened the eyes of that nation to show it its blatant hypocrisy. One found it permissible, and even his right, to exact force and eradicate what he deemed to be the lower races. The other, persisting in peace against a horrid injustice and blatant hatred, to free millions from their bondage. One would hold that the Arian race was supreme, and therefore needed to exterminate all undesirables. The other preached the table of brotherhood. One judged by the color of the skin. The other, by the content of the character. One, is notably the most evil person to ever live. The other, one of the noblest characters to ever set foot on this earth. 
On the occasion of Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (God incarnate), it is appropriate to consider the following insightful commentary from Harry Reasoner from Christmas Eve of 1973,
The C.S. Lewis classic work, The Screwtape Letters, comes to a stage near you (hopefully). The Screwtape Letters is a collection of letters writen by a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, who happens to be in training. But what can you expect from a one man (speaking part) performance? Well, be prepared to be swept away, as I was. Audiences of all kinds, from the secular media and non-believers to Christians, are all raving about The Screwtape Letters. The brilliant adaptation of Lewis’s classic work brought to life by The Fellowship for the Performing Arts is one wild ride.
It would be fair to admonish the young people of today for being vain, selfish, and simply swimming in the enchantment of illusions of their own making. It would be fair to criticize the youth of the day for rebelling against everything, regardless of merit or warrant, in the final analysis slowly fading the issues of rebellion into the backdrop making rebellion itself the chief end. But along with so much chaos among the youth, there are young people today who care deeply about the issues humanity is wrestling with and there is a sense of great optimism about the progress of humankind in its elusive journey to find itself, its ultimate purpose and destiny. Some of the young people today also care about world peace, ending hunger, selfless devotion to one another and deep lasting friendships that are hard to tear apart. The youth of today likes to decorate reality with great and wonderful pursuits, and for this there should be a true sense of elation, for these are the truly meaningful ends. 
No other holiday incites the imaginations of kids and adults alike as much as Halloween. But what inspires people of all ages to dress up in various kinds of costumes to go out collecting all sorts of sweet goodies from door to door? Now, it’s a bit of an oddity to tell kids not to take anything from strangers the entire year, and then on this one occasion scrap it all and allow them to take potentially harmful edibles from strangers, most of whom they will not see again for an entire year till next Halloween. Somehow it’s become acceptable to make an exception this one day out of the entire year. But besides this obvious inconsistency, one wonders still how this peculiar tradition came about. What is Halloween? How did Halloween begin? 
This prayer was delivered on January 23, 1996 by the Rev. Joe Wright in Kansas. It was said that most of those in attendance were outraged and some walked out. Without a doubt, it is a blunt and direct indictment on modern culture. Within just a few weeks, the Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, received thousand of phone calls. Surprisingly, only a few dozen of those calls were from those who were responding negatively. In the weeks to follow the church received international requests for copies of this prayer from all over the world. 
