Discipleship Journal |
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| I began subscribing to the
Discipleship
Journal, a bimonthly magazine, with the Jan/Feb 2004 issue. After three
years of receiving the magazine, I have not been disappointed with any
issue. This is not to say that I have agreed one hundred percent with every
point of view expressed in the magazine. Every publication will have its
good and bad points. No two human beings ever look at the same issue exactly
the same. Readers of any material can never assume every “fact” presented
is actually true or that every opinion is soundly based on the Bible and
inspired by the Holy Spirit. After a certain age, we all begin to realize
we have to be careful to examine whatever we hear or read.
Each issue will have a special section which has a theme. For instance, in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue the theme is Redemption. Most special sections are sober, serious examinations of a subject. The Redemption issue was different due to the inclusion of dramatized narratives. This type of writing is not helpful in learning what the Bible teaches about certain subjects, but it can bring to emotional life what is often treated in a dry academic manner. In the first issue, I received, the Jan/Feb 2004 issue, the special section was about sharing your faith--personal evangelism. This section included personal experiences as well as biblical teaching. In the current issue, one of the articles, “God, Why am I Still Single?” included an excellent commentary on understanding and applying God’s promises. The author wrote, after quoting Jeremiah. 29:11 and Ps. 37:4, “I wondered, Do these verses really mean that God will fulfill my desires? If so, why has He been so slow in meeting my desire for a spouse? Either God wasn’t living up to His promises, or my interpretation of Scripture was a bit off--and I suspected that the problem was mine. So I set out to discover what these passages really meant.” Then she went on to explain what she learned. Other regular features include interviews, brief Bible study guides, a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year chart, short tips on how to do small group studies, and other practical articles. One catchy title is, “Don’t Hug a Stranger (and other tips for short-term missions.)" I have found even the advertisements to be helpful since they accept only religious type ads, such as current books with a brief summary of the contents. For readers who have access to the Internet, they have past issues archived that are free with a paid subscription. If you have the means in your budget to
subscribe, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this as a worthwhile investment
in your spiritual education.
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