The book series turned blockbuster movie, “Twilight” raked in over 70 million dollars it’s first weekend, and mostly on it’s appeal to young teenaged girls.

I haven’t read the books myself, but I know those who have, and it’s popularity and appeal to young ladies certainly has made me wonder what they’re all about. I was glad to see a careful, discerning and balanced review by Tim Challies on his website. I thought it would be helpful to let you know it was available in case you, your kids, or your friends are looking for reliable information about the book from a Christian perspective.

Here is a basic summary of his conclusions from the end of the review.

I just don’t know that young girls will derive any benefit from spending hours reading and thinking about such an unrealistic, unobtainable, perverse kind of love. It glories in love that is forbidden, dangerous and just plain weird. The fact that the story involves vampires may be beside the point. My primary concern with Twilight, as I consider handing it to a girl of thirteen or fifteen or seventeen, is its sensuous quality. The lack of overt sexuality means that it is not an erotic book, but it is very nearly so. It oozes sensuality even without an act of consummation.

I hope you’re helped by the information

Here is an encouraging devotional thought from Stephen Altrogge on his blog The Blazing Center. I copied it completely here, but you can view the post here at his site if you want.

He quotes from the English Standard Version of Judges 10:16. I actually prefer the way the NIV puts it — God “could bear Israel’s misery no longer.” When you are suffering and in misery, even as a result of your sinful choices, God’s mercy and grace is still in operation.

Here are Altrogge’s comments.

God is patient and longsuffering when it comes to our sins, but impatient over our suffering.

The book of Judges recounts how Israel rejected God repeatedly, and after much patience with their idolatries, would send foreign nations to oppress them, to turn them back to himself. And every time, after chafing under their oppressors’ yokes for years, Israel would cry out to God. Then, filled with pity, despite all their past rebuffs, God would rescue them. But as soon as things were going well again…poof – Israel’s love would evaporate, and they’d be back sleazing with their idols.

You’d think God would have just dumped them. That after so many slaps in the face, he’d say, “Hey, you made your bed, now sleep in it.” But he was patient with their sins and amazingly anxious to end their well-deserved suffering.

So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel. Judges 10.16

Isn’t that incredible? God was “impatient” over their distress. When I’m impatient it’s sinful, but God’s impatience in the above verse is seen by many scholars “as a reference to God’s great mercy and his capacity to be moved by Israel’s misery and repentance” (ESV Study Bible).

If God pitied unfaithful Israel in their affliction, how much more is he moved by the suffering of his blood-bought children. God has a holy impatience with our suffering. He’s not deaf to our cries or unmoved by our sighs, but quick to listen, quick to send grace. He has pity and compassion as vast and deep as the ocean.

What an incredible God – he’s patient with our sins and offenses, but he’s impatient over our misery, and anxious to end it.

In our last post we discussed the principle of tithing, and its applicability to the New Testament Christian. We concluded that a tithe “can’t be required and applied the same way in the church” as it was in the Old Testament, and we gave some reasons why. The principles of giving outlined in the NT emphasize cheerful, sacrificial, generous giving that is not dictated in its specifics (”not grudgingly or under compulsion” as Paul says in 2 Cor. 9:7).

However, we also concluded that giving can still legitimately be “quantified” in some way for the individual giver. The tithe (10%) is a logical choice as a starting point for what sacrificial and cheerful giving should look like, even if it is wrong to make tithing a mandate in the local church.

But can every Christian give that much? Is it really possible?

This is one of the biggest questions raised in regard to faithful, generous giving that is “shaped” (not “demanded”) by the tithe principle. Can financially strapped Christians really give 10%. Read the whole post to find out why I am convinced it is not only possible, it is dangerous not to.

Last spring we did a series on biblical giving at our church. You can find the sermon audio here if you’re interested. In one of the messages under the point that, “giving generously invites God’s abundant blessing,” I explained the principle of tithing and how it is to be understood and applied as a Christian. Because we get so many questions related to this topic, I thought it would be a good idea to post the information here so that we can refer people to it from time to time. Click here to read the whole article.

By the way, the principles of interpretation that I apply result in similar conclusions regarding the Sabbath, which you can link to here as well.

As always, we welcome your comments and questions.

When the topic of “family devotions” comes up, do you feel buried in anxiety or confusion? Do you picture a corporate worship gathering in your home where you need to prepare an age-appropriate sermon for each family member, fit with three points and a poem? Are you overwhelmed with the idea of leading your kids in singing or prayer or Bible reading because you don’t know where to start, don’t feel capable in some area, or don’t think your kids will sit still or respond?

Maybe you need to step back and simplify your concept of family devotions. As well, maybe you could do some things to connect your Sunday worship to your family devotions to enhance both. If you struggle with whether your kids are “getting anything out of church”, maybe the missing link is your preparation and follow-up at home. Can I share some suggestions about how to simplify family devotions and to connect them with your local church ministries? Click here to read on.