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Age of Kings

I don’t read nearly enough devotional material. Too often devotional books either stretch the Scriptures or stretch their applicable points. I found Bryce Ashlin-Mayo’s Age of Kings to be a gem and a compelling voice in today’s social media age.

To follow God faithfully in an age of kings and queens, we must allow the Holy Spirit to transform our obsession with external image into a concern for our inner lives, values, and character. God is not looking for people with perfectly manicured lives on the exterior; rather, He is looking for people whose inner lives are focused on Him, and who display integrity between their interior and exterior lives as a result.

page 21

We Live in a Unique Time in History

Age of Kings is both convicting and encouraging. Applying Scripture to our current day, it seldom stretches the point and often hitting exactly where it is needed. The “Royal Reflections” at the end of each chapter are well-written. I often found myself reflecting on them throughout the day.

Ashlin-Mayo draws from King David’s life, calling our attention to current social media issues. He tackles topics of Trolls, Fake News, Selfies, and referring to every acquaintance as a “Friend.” Each of these pervasive online presences is exposed to the light of Scripture. Chapter-after-chapter, calls the reader to integrity of faith and conduct both in-person and while hiding behind an electronic screen.

I’ve often wondered if the phrase “That’s what friends are for” is at risk of extinction — or at least ‘endangered language’ status — in our social media age.

page 55

A Quick Read–But Take it Slow

I read Age of Kings in just under a week. However, this would be a good one to take your time with, giving attention to the reflections and responses. This book would be excellent to use in a weekly small group setting.

Imagine the power of the church, equipped to use social media as a listening device to hear what God is doing in the world and sharing God’s story through its megaphone.

page 93

Social media is here to stay. Thankfully, the word of God stands forever. The call to be a “Royal Priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) should lead God’s people to a standard of conduct and behavior that impacts all our interactions—even those online.

Perhaps today, especially those online.

Bryce Ashlin-Mayo has provided us with an excellent resource to guide us in “keeping our conduct honorable” (1 Peter 2:12) and allowing God’s goodness to shine through us, even through the light of a computer monitor.

Age of Kings: Pursuing God’s Heart in a Social Media World, by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo is currently for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.