Book Review: The Lord of Spirits

by Joel V Webb | Sep 24, 2024 | Orthodoxy Matters

What does on in the spiritual realm? Is there more, and if there is
what does it look like, and how does it operate?

These questions are
more pertinent than ever as despite a very post-Chrisitan culture in
the West the concept of “being spiritual” is at an all time high.
Of course the Christian story explains all of these other things
going on without compromising one iota of doctrine.

Sadly much of what
is found in the Protestant world when it comes to the “spiritual
place” (angels, demons, nephilim, powers & principalities etc…)
is often either fanciful, not well grounded, immature and sometimes
just silly to be frank.

That is where this
book, The Lord of Spirits
enters from stage right to provide a very accessible primer into
understanding the Christian perspective of the spiritual world. While
it does come from the Eastern Orthodox tradition, it is filled to the
brim with a comprehensive understanding of spiritual matters from
Scripture, the early church fathers and tradition.

From
reading this book I have walked away with what I feel is a more
grounded and realistic understanding of how the spiritual world
interacts with the physical world, and through that how the Gospel is
front and center in combating the forces of darkness that want
nothing more than to destroy humanity (image bearers of God).

Steven
Damick in the entirety of this volume defines just about everything
that would need defined, and helps give shape and form to the often
lacking spiritual frameworks that can be found often in
evangelicalism. Of course there are things that I don’t agree with
(as it like is with just about any book). But the fundamental truths
of what Scripture presents are laid out in The Lord of
Spirits bolstered by the history
and tradition of the Church through the ages.

For
anyone who wants to jump from ankle to knee deep or higher on this
topic, this is a book to add to your collection.

Love vs. Power

by Joel V Webb | Sep 20, 2024 | Orthodoxy Matters

If there is not God, than all there is is power. 

In our day and age of virulent political activism, actors on both sides of the political aisle withing Christianity are vying for power. “If only WE could be the ones to control it, then we can institute God’s vision for His Kingdom!” For either side it is either a vision for a Christian Nationalism where God’s laws are almost mercilessly enforced to ensure righteousness (legalism), or another vision of the Kingdom is enforced where power is used to punish those who have held power in the past (rightly or unjustly) as a means to make up for old evils for those considered “the powerless and oppressed”.

Both of these visions are wrong. 

Why?

Jesus tells Pilate in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants
would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my
kingdom is from another place.” (NIV)

Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world. What does that mean? It means that the way of expanding God’s Kingdom here on earth does not follow the pattern of how they are built by the powers of this world.

Now, I don’t disagree that it is a good thing to have followers of Christ in positions of political authority or be apart of political change. What I am saying is that if our primary goal to expand Christ’s Kingdom is to focus on that, we are misguiding ourselves and building our own means of control rather than how the Kingdom of Heaven is supposed to be expanded.

Be is the Assyrians, Babylonians, Macedonians, Romans, Huns, Caliphate’s, Crusaders, Holy Roman Empire, French, British, Nazi’s, Soviets, Maoists, Americans or anyone else all these empires have been expanded through power and conquest.

The Kingdom of that Christ rules expands exclusively through love. The power of the Gospel that transforms even the most broken hard-hearted person is through the love of God that came down to die and rise for them. That same love that is seen through the followers of Him that love their enemies, pray for those who persecute them, and go the extra mile because of the command of their King that measures success in a different way.

So what does that mean for us today?

Nothing has really changed for how Christ has commanded His people to pursue the conquest of the world. We are to do so not through the power that others try to do so. Instead we are called to pick up our crosses, wash others feet and proclaim the Good News to a broken and dying world. It is in the power of that love that we are to take stands, and person by person will be conquered for God’s Kingdom by love.

Relationship vs Religion?

by Joel V Webb | Sep 18, 2024 | Orthodoxy Matters

One
of the heralded phrases that I have heard much of my life about being
a follower of Jesus is, “it’s a relationship, not a religion!”
I’m sure many of you who are reading this right now have at least
heard this, if not subscribe to this in some fashion. 

It
sounds good on the surface, doesn’t it? Let’s get rid of all the
stuffy old stuff, and have our walk with Jesus be filled with life,
joy and excitement! This has been the common phrase particularly the
last 50 years of much of Evangelical Christianity in America. But is
this call a good thing? Have we been thinking about this all the
wrong way, and actually participated in much of the damage that is
going on in the Evangelical world?

One
of the things that I have so appreciated about the TV show The
Chosen, is
the portrayal of Jesus and the disciples as good observant Jews,
practicing the rituals, liturgy and festivals. Every time there is a
scene showing someone waking up, or going to bed, there is the common
phrase, “praise be to you Lord God, King of the Universe…”.
These practices would not have been jettisoned by the newly minted
followers of “The Way” following the ascension of Jesus. Most
followers of Christ were still Jews who followed the law, and saw
Christ as the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies. 

The
frank reality is that ALL of us, no matter what church we go to
participate in some form of liturgy, or regular religious practice.
The question is, do we recognize it or not? The danger is that for
many, we have felt that we have gotten rid of formulated or patterned
worship for “freedom in the Spirit”. What has really happened is
that one form of liturgy has been replaced with a different form that
goes by a different name. Certain things always happen at the same
time, and things are generally practiced the same way every time.
This is fine! But we must recognize it as a liturgy, lest we be
deceived. 

Another
phrase in this track that I have grown to appreciate is “those who
don’t recognize their tradition are the most controlled by it.”
We are all standing on the shoulders of the faithful men and women
who have followed Christ before us. And there is nothing wrong with
recognizing that we are following a certain pattern or way of doing
things. 

So
back to the question of religion. 

I
have become increasingly convinced that the statement that
Christianity is a “relationship, not a religion” fails to
understand either word, and actually does the disservice of debasing
Christianity from the reality of truth for all creation to be boiled
down to essentially trying to feel good most of the time. Now, I do
agree, Christianity has a relationship component that cannot be
ejected from the conversation. But to reject the “religion”
aspect is likewise to knock out one of the legs and then ask why the
building is no longer standing. 

Humans
are fundamentally religious beings. We were created to look for ways
of connecting with God, the One who created us and desires a
relationship with us. This reality is borne out of the plethora of
religions that exist around the world that are merely shadows seeking
to explain the reality of the world around us. 

With
that, there is a need for us to be organized in not just our common
belief, but also common practice of our worship of Christ.
Essentially, any group of people following an organized set of
beliefs is religion. Christ established His Church for the purpose of
being a community together to pursue the spread of the Gospel, and
the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom with the ultimate hope of
resurrection and restoration of the creation. 

I
think what many in our culture have become disenfranchised with is a
false folk religion. There is a problem when we hold the forms and
movements of religious practice without the truth and life that must
be accompanied in the lives of the people. The Gospel is powerful and
is meant to impact and transform every single part of our lives, and
everything around us as well. But when we segregate our religious
practice to an hour, one day a week it becomes neutered  and
powerless. 

So
instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, let’s see the
beauty that there is in the tradition of the Christian faith. And
instead of rejecting religion, embrace it and seek to live it to the
fullest Christ intended it to be.

Book Review – The Gospel is Bigger Than You Think

by Joel V Webb | Sep 15, 2024 | Orthodoxy Matters

One of the biggest issues that evangelicalism has been facing the
last several years is that the “Jesus died for you so you can go to
heaven” message is not working anymore. Why? Frankly because it is
not the whole gospel message, and misdirects us to begin with.

What Anthony Delgado
provides in his work is an in-depth, but amazingly easy read of a
book. While seeming like a monumental task, he masterfully covers the
width and breadth of the Gospel message. By addressing the problem of
the American folk-religion that has turned the Gospel from an
all-encompassing truth that transforms every aspect of our lives into
a simple and myopic, seemingly powerless tale that misses much of
what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Even when addressing
these “sacred cows” there is a feeling of gentleness and guidance
that Delgado brings when addressing how the Gospel actually responds
to the deep and trying questions of our day. The answers provided are
not just satisfying, but well grounded and established in the story
and truth of Scripture that can bring believers of all traditions
together, and ignite an interest in what the Gospel is to the
unbeliever.

For many Christians
the spiritual world is just a two-dimensional reality that has maybe
some interactions with our lives, but other than God, angels, demons
and Satan there isn’t much else. Scripture on the other hand is
replete with stories and examples of how the spiritual world
interacts with the physical, and it has real implications for the
story we are all apart of. This reality plays a central role in why
the Gospel was essential, and this book bring that back to the
forefront. With a world so interested in “being spiritual” the
answers are found right in the truth of Scripture, now more
accessible then ever.

Often times many
books have questions at the end of each chapter, and sometime they
are not always engaging or helpful, but I get why they are there. But
with this book I found the questions to be engaging and thought
provoking. As a pastor I look forward to implementing this book as
part of regular discipleship and group-study in my context

In our post-modern
moment of doubt and questioning, The Gospel is Bigger Than You
Think is a tool that will serve
the Church in displaying the beauty and hope of the Gospel, and the
mystery and majesty of Jesus in a world in desperate need of a
savior.

I
highly recommend this book for clergy, laity and otherwise. 10/10