Ten Fresh Takes

By Dan Light

All of us have had the experience of taking a fresh look at things we think we know welleven well enoughonly to come across discoveries that rev up our knowledge and appreciation to a greater degree. When you get a cutting-edge view and a fresh take on the familiar, it can be exciting as well as enlightening.

In Ten Fresh Takes, you can zero in on some new perspectives on key issues that are vital to understanding and experiencing the authentic Christian life. Through ten stirring images that express those themes, these fresh takes reinforce some truths of which you may already be aware, or they will help you explore new directions in your thinking about basic matters of faith.

Put aside whatever youre reading now and read this book. Dan has captured ten of the main themes of Christian thought and action in a unique approach that will stir your mind, touch your heart, and inspire you to live your faith with greater confidence.

Dr. Tom Mullins, founding pastor of Christ Fellowship and author of The Confidence Factor and The Leadership Game

Read Dr. Dan Lights book and you will be fascinated with his insight as he uses ten themes to grow your Bible knowledge. But also read this book to experience the work of God in your heart and how you can serve Him better, and to get a fresh take on life.

Dr. Elmer L. Towns, cofounder and vice president, Liberty University, and best-selling author

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532037313

Dan Light

Dan Light was born and raised in West Virginia and has served as a pastor and university professor. He and his wife, Jenny, have been married for fifty-six years and have three children and nine grandchildren. Although Dan’s travels have taken him to thirty-two countries and around the United States, his favorite trips have been to sites in his home state. Dan is also the author of Ten Fresh Takes.

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Copyright © 2018 Daniel Light.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-3732-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-3731-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017919722

iUniverse rev. date: 01/19/2018

CONTENTS

Endorsements

Introduction

Chapter 1 The First Day

Chapter 2 The Second Birth

Chapter 3 The Third Cross

Chapter 4 The Fourth Cup

Chapter 5 The Fifth Horseman

Chapter 6 The Sixth Degree Of Separation

Chapter 7 The Seventh Heaven

Chapter 8 The Eighth Wonder

Chapter 9 The Ninth Symphony

Chapter 10 The Tenth Commandment

Conclusion

Works Cited

NIV - Scripture quotations contained in this volume are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

NLT - Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

ESV - Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NASB - Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

KJV - Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

NKJV - Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

MSG - Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group

ENDORSEMENTS

Dr. Dan Light has focused on ten truths that will give you a ‘Fresh Take’ in your thinking and Christian experience. Read this book and you will be fascinated with his insight as he uses ten themes to grow your Bible knowledge. But also read this book to experience the work of God in your heart and how you can serve Him better. Finally, read this book to get a ‘Fresh Take’ on life. God may have a fresh task for you or a fresh direction for your life. May you enjoy your reading experience as much as I did.

Dr. Elmer L. Towns

Co-Founder and Vice President, Liberty University; author of The Prayer Bible and over 100 other books.

Put aside whatever you’re reading now and read this book. Dan has captured ten of the main themes of Christian thought and action in a unique approach that will stir your mind, touch your heart, and inspire you to live your faith with greater confidence.

Dr. Tom Mullins

Founding Pastor of Christ Fellowship, a multi-site church in South Florida; author of The Confidence Factor and The Leadership Game.

INTRODUCTION

Now you see it, now you don’t. Let me paraphrase that expression with: "Now you see it, now you really see it." All of us have had the experience of taking a fresh look at people, places, and things we think we know well—even well enough—only to come across discoveries that rev up our knowledge and appreciation to a greater degree. When you get a cutting-edge view, a fresh take of the familiar, it can be exciting as well as enlightening. That is what we want you to experience page by page as you navigate this book.

While studying for three degrees in theology, teaching as a professor in America’s largest Christian university, and serving as a pastor for over five decades, it’s safe to say I’ve chalked up at least a tad of experience. Plowing through hundreds of books, journals, audio visuals, and dialogue has helped to sharpened my perception on what Christians believe and why we believe it. Having gone through the Scriptures, line by line more times than I can count, I hope the Scriptures have gone through me. Drawing from my background I want to communicate a few standout concerns that are pivotal matters in shaping both the viewpoints and action points that define the character of authentic Christianity. You will probably discover an Aha! here and there as you are introduced to new perspectives on biblical territory you have traveled previously. You may also come across new, valuable information that fills in some blanks that have puzzled you.

My choice of ten, rather than another number, to spotlight the components of the Christian faith that I address, is inspired by frequent use of the number ten in the Bible. Ten is related to creation, restoration and security in matters which radiate from God and belong to him alone. In Genesis 1, for instance, the words God said appear ten times as the creation process is described. The number ten refers to restoration in the lives of the ten patriarchs in the saga of their life stories in the Older Testament, and in Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers in the New Testament account (Luke 17: 11-14), as well as the parable of the ten lost-and-found coins (Luke 15: 8-10). In Romans 8: 38-39, our personal restoration through redemption from sin is so complete that ten inclusive features of security are emphasized. Other biblical applications of ten include the tithe, the ten plagues with which God afflicted Egypt, and, of course, the Ten Commandments.

Subjects akin to the ten elements being presented could be appropriately included in a list of need-to-know doctrinal topics. We hope the themes on which we have focused special attention, and our comment on their application, will be a help in determining current priorities of your thinking. It is also our desire that what you read here will augment your praying, and representing Christ, in a sin-smitten world; the one we are in but not of.

Join me as we explore key topics that are vital to our understanding and experiencing the authentic Christian life in the mode of ten iconic images. From the first through the tenth, each of the chapters reinforce truths of which you may be aware already, or spark you to do Ten Fresh Takes, exploring new directions in your thinking about faith issues.

1

THE FIRST DAY

When we do a fresh take on how God began to reveal himself in Creation, our continuing perception of his later actions becomes more believable and less obstructed by doubt.

"God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day (Genesis 1: 4-5 NIV).

As we read the information contained throughout the Bible, including all the people and experiences recorded there, we find that the greater part of the storyline in the sixty-six books is not all that miraculous, nor especially difficult for anyone to believe. Missing, in most of the Scripture, is anything supernatural or too farfetched to be credible to anyone. A lot of space is taken up narrating events in people’s lives that relate simply to what they are thinking, where they are going, and what they are doing. Each account turns out to be significant in portraying God’s plan and purpose, yet in most cases, not incredible or inconceivable.

Take the Book of Ruth, for example. Here we have a beautiful story with a profound meaning, but no miracles, per se. The one-hundred fifty Psalms and the thirty-one chapters of Proverbs, two of the most read and quoted books in the Bible, do not contain anything paranormal. It is only in reports of incidents such as fire falling from heaven, the Red Sea parting, the dead being raised to life, or Jesus turning water into wine or walking on water that disbelief kicks in for the average mind. Even those who approach the Bible with reverence and openness deal with at least some measure of question-asking when claims of the impossible appear right there in print.

A significant part of this challenge of credulity can be approached in at least two ways. The first way comes into play when the reader or listener chooses to accept or reject any particular biblical assertion to be true or contrary to fact. Many people exercise faith based on the degree of difficulty involved in affirming or denying the evidence. Is the account more-or-less likely to be anywhere near conceivable? Are there compromises with sound intelligence I must make to accept a claim of truth? Thomas Jefferson reflected this attitude when he published Jefferson’s Bible by cutting and pasting with razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson’s condensed composition is especially notable for his policy of excluding all miracles and most mentions of the supernatural. He kept what he thought passed his test of credibility and probably tossed the rest into the fireplace at Monticello.

On the other hand, to some people the issue of true or untrue can be quickly resolved by exercising the mindset that If it is in the Bible it is true, or With God, all things are possible. Those who subject all statements to the tests of truth, but are willing to take the risk of giving possibility a chance, will go along with believing that something truly phenomenal took place, especially if the claim is not all that preposterous. For example, Jesus turning water into wine may be less demanding on one’s capacity to believe and more plausible than the gravity-defying feat of walking on the Sea of Galilee. To the mind and emotion that has been conditioned by totally empirical reasoning, however, neither of those options is likely.

Contrary to what some people assert, faith in the biblical account of the very first miracle, does not claim nor require so-called blind faith that disses science. Believing the opening verses of Genesis to be true, while prominent scientists express their doubt about its validity, is an in-your-face, tough challenge for believers to confront. Nevertheless, for any of us who say, Lord, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief (Mark 9:24 NIV), the help is there. We have an arsenal of valuable, corroborating evidence available to us. Not the least of these verifications is found in the testimony of many renowned scientific scholars who point to reliable technical data that supports the Genesis account.

I encourage you, especially those who become bored easily with scientific-type discourse, to hang in there as we attempt to go the