Such a great story book! This is a great love story between a Christian girl and an indian boy, who grows up to be an Indian warrior and killer. It is also the story of a disabled girl and how her handicap limits her but also helps her. And lastly, it is a story about a girl trying to escape the hands of an obsessed madman. The stories are captivating and you never want to put the book down.
The only thing I have to warn Christians about is that although the main characters are Christian, these are essentially not much Christian. These books are nearly identical to non-Christian books, except one of the characters believes. Otherwise, Christianity isn't central to the story. The stories portray the Indian's Great Spirit god as being the same god as the Christian God. They issue of religion never comes up and both religions are treated equal. Prayer to both believers are answered.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommended: The Sacred Path of Tears by M.B. Tosi
The Sacred Path of Tears by M.B. Tosi is a beautiful story about a young Indian woman who has to choose between two men. The Indian boy of her youth and the white man who takes her in and protects her from white people who are killing Indians. It is a story about racism and the wars between Indians and whites. It's a story about forgiveness and revenge. This book made me cry. I loved this book and can't wait to read another by this same author.
Like many fictions, the Christian element isn't really strong. Mostly, it focuses on forgiveness and loving others despite the bad they do. This book does use "OMG" and "Damn" about 4 times. It also had 1 case of rape and men harrassing women. The rape scene is not graphic but implied. Very good book. The story flows and keeps your interest! I read it all day and night long and now it's 2:30AM!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Like many fictions, the Christian element isn't really strong. Mostly, it focuses on forgiveness and loving others despite the bad they do. This book does use "OMG" and "Damn" about 4 times. It also had 1 case of rape and men harrassing women. The rape scene is not graphic but implied. Very good book. The story flows and keeps your interest! I read it all day and night long and now it's 2:30AM!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Highly Recommended: A Shot of Faith to the Head by Mitch Stokes
I am an avid Christian book reader but I was afraid to read A Shot of Faith to the Head by Mitch Stokes, because I thought it would be too difficult. Well, I won't exaggerate, this is book is filled with logic and arguments, so it's no piece of cake. This book is about Christian arguments that defeat Athiest arguments. So deep thinking stuff. And I've never gone to Bible College. But curiosity won out and I'm so glad I picked up this book. The arguments would be easy for people good with logic but they are a challenge for this girl to wrap her head around. Still, after reviewing the points a couple of times, I feel much better equipped to explain my own faith. What a blessing! I hope more Christians pick up this book. And girls, you should know this stuff! The guys aren't the only smartie pantses that can understand arguments, Christian apologetics and theology! This book is beneficial but it's no cake walk for those that aren't naturally gifted in logic.
This book had lofty goals: Take a few of the most important intellectual weapons, tactics, and strategies from recent Christian philosophy and put them in your hands. The goal here isn’t to convince atheists to believe in God; it’s to train you to handily defend yourself. You’ll be equipped to handle arguments in ways you never thought possible.
So, I always want to know in book reviews: Did the book work? Did it do what it claimed to do? Yes! The answers can be kind of complicated but yes. I need to re-read a few places to study up but yes, this book has good logical answers that make sense.
This book is interesting and catches your attention. It makes you think. Read hard at times! But the payoff is worth it. I was up till 2 in the morning reading because I couldn't put it down!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
This book had lofty goals: Take a few of the most important intellectual weapons, tactics, and strategies from recent Christian philosophy and put them in your hands. The goal here isn’t to convince atheists to believe in God; it’s to train you to handily defend yourself. You’ll be equipped to handle arguments in ways you never thought possible.
So, I always want to know in book reviews: Did the book work? Did it do what it claimed to do? Yes! The answers can be kind of complicated but yes. I need to re-read a few places to study up but yes, this book has good logical answers that make sense.
This book is interesting and catches your attention. It makes you think. Read hard at times! But the payoff is worth it. I was up till 2 in the morning reading because I couldn't put it down!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommended: The New Life by Betty A. Burnett
This is a good solid book all about Christianity and salvation. Betty goes into describing the process in very layman's terms, so that any reader can understand the basics of Christianity. This book really is designed for new believers and the writing style is similar to having a conversation with someone. It's very easy to read.
The great thing about this book is that it teaches a biblical view of the gospel, including making Jesus Savior and Lord of your life. This isn't the normal easy believism gospel that is very popular today. Good solid book for new Christians.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
The great thing about this book is that it teaches a biblical view of the gospel, including making Jesus Savior and Lord of your life. This isn't the normal easy believism gospel that is very popular today. Good solid book for new Christians.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Not Recommended: Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg
Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg is not at all what you would expect from a book of its title and with a cup of water on the cover. This book has nothing to do with physical food. And despite the whole first chapter being about dealing with our cravings for the elusive "more" of shopping, entertainment, new cars, bigger houses, and more materialism, this book is also not about those things. This book is not about dealing with our materialistic cravings.
The book is about cravings for spiritual things. And instead of "overcoming cravings", this book is about satisfying relational and spiritual cravings. This is a very odd book. The first chapter speaks all about overcoming materialistic cravings, yet the rest of the book is nothing about this. Then this book launches oddly into the psychology of relationships in 4 chapters - barely touching on anything to do with God or Christianity. It's all about observing the human tendency of being disatisfied in one relationship and running to the next in a pattern of using other people. It's all about our need for human contact. It's pure psychology and mostly written for single people or disatisfied married people.
Then just as oddly, this book breaks into chapters on being content. Then it switches to one good chapter on satisfying our spiritual cravings. But then it goes back to a weird chapter on revenge. Huh? How does revenge fit the topic of cravings/neediness? Then there is the mystical chapter on solitude - where the author chants "Jesus" endlessly in a form of "mindless meditation" - not a practice of normal Protestant Christianity.
Even being a single woman, I found only the one spiritual chapter relevant to my life. All the rest is written for people struggling with personal relationships, cheating, unfaithfulness and always looking for the greener pasture. This book was odd and I feel I wasted a day reading it and it added nothing much to my life.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
The book is about cravings for spiritual things. And instead of "overcoming cravings", this book is about satisfying relational and spiritual cravings. This is a very odd book. The first chapter speaks all about overcoming materialistic cravings, yet the rest of the book is nothing about this. Then this book launches oddly into the psychology of relationships in 4 chapters - barely touching on anything to do with God or Christianity. It's all about observing the human tendency of being disatisfied in one relationship and running to the next in a pattern of using other people. It's all about our need for human contact. It's pure psychology and mostly written for single people or disatisfied married people.
Then just as oddly, this book breaks into chapters on being content. Then it switches to one good chapter on satisfying our spiritual cravings. But then it goes back to a weird chapter on revenge. Huh? How does revenge fit the topic of cravings/neediness? Then there is the mystical chapter on solitude - where the author chants "Jesus" endlessly in a form of "mindless meditation" - not a practice of normal Protestant Christianity.
Even being a single woman, I found only the one spiritual chapter relevant to my life. All the rest is written for people struggling with personal relationships, cheating, unfaithfulness and always looking for the greener pasture. This book was odd and I feel I wasted a day reading it and it added nothing much to my life.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Highly Recommended: Called to Controversy by Ruth Rosen
Great book on the founder of Jews for Jesus. This book reads like an autobiography and story, so it is a very enjoyable read. The book is very very long, but it is very good. It shows the reality of becoming a preacher, trying to teach and preach and the politics involved even among other believers. It shows how even among believers, human sinfulness, control and pride get in the way and stop up the gospel from getting to the people who need it. It is a great teaching tool for anyone who wants to preach the gospel and helps believers understand the proper routes to take and how to avoid the mistakes of getting caught up in the "church system" of politics. This is also a beautiful emotional story of a man and woman who believed God and trusted God above all else.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommend: Then Sings My Soul by Robert Morgan
I really enjoyed this book by Robert Morgan. I have a binder of songs I love but this book includes some songs I would never have thought to add to my binder. The songs are beautiful and the history behind them make them all the more meaningful. I loved that Morgan gave a background and history because it deepens the appreciation for hymns and the lyrics on the songs. I feel like I am able to worship God with more heart after reading these backgrounds. The other great thing is that the songs come with a piano note key and so my sister who can play piano said that she could play some of the music for me! How exciting! I can't wait to try the songs to the music.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Soulprint by Mark Batterson
This book is fantastic! There were so many parts I ended up highlighting and wanting to send to my friends and family. I am definitely recommending this book to all my Christian friends. Batterson teaches so many great things that I've never heard of before or considered. Let me summarize some because there are just so many good parts!
A soulprint is not only who you are now but who you are destined to become. Ps 139:16 NIV "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Eph 2:10 NLT "We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." You were conceived by God long before you were conceived by your parents. You are God's masterpiece, his sculpture and God is crafting your character through the circumstances of your life. When life is over, we are left with one question "Did you do what you were supposed to do?" In the end, God won't ask "Why weren't you more like King David?", He'll ask you "Why weren't you more like the you that I created you to be?"
Every past experience is in preparation for a future opportunity. "God redeems our experiences by cultivating character, developing gifts, and teaching lessons that cannot be learned any other way." "One thing that has helped me endure the challenges I've faced is seeing each of them as learning opportunities." The story of David shows a young man who is sent off to an unglorious future of pasturing sheep, while his brothers go off to war. Although he might not have at first seen this shepherding skill in a positive light, David later killed Goliath with a skill he developed from killing the lions that came after the sheep. Likewise, he also used his shepherding skills to shepherd the nation of Israel as king. While David felt he was put on the sidelines, God was preparing David for battle and to be king on the frontlines. If David hadn't spent time in training, he never would have been prepared for the future God had planned for him. "It's the time we spend on the sidelines that prepares us for the frontlines." Although we usually see the time spend on the sidelines in a negative or painful manner, in the future we learn that we are better off because of those times in training. Lke David watching his brothers go off to war, maybe you feel underappreciated or overlooked, but your day will come. In the meantime, be patient and reevaluate your timeline. God knows better than we do, when the best time is and we can trust Him to open and close the doors that make our life flow in the perfect timing to fulfill the destiny God designed before we were even born. "The longer I live, the more I thank God for the disappointments in life. Those disappointments often prove to be divine appointments. They may come disguised as divine delays or perceived disadvantages" but we can trust God that He knows what He's doing!
Batterson tells readers how he came to see all the big and small events that shaped his life as Lifesymbols. These were the footprints that he walked that were turning points in creating who he is now. "Lifesymbols are all about seeing the purposes of God in our past experiences." When Batterson realized that these Lifesymbols/life moments had great significance and were testimonies to God's sovereignty and reminders that we can lean on and truly trust God to carry us, Batterson replaced the photos on his walls with Lifesymbols. These momentos marked the turning points of his life and were reminders to trust God along life's journey. Batterson explains that we need reminders of lessons we have learned and moments of God in our lives.
I cannot recommend this book enough! Fantastic!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
A soulprint is not only who you are now but who you are destined to become. Ps 139:16 NIV "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Eph 2:10 NLT "We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." You were conceived by God long before you were conceived by your parents. You are God's masterpiece, his sculpture and God is crafting your character through the circumstances of your life. When life is over, we are left with one question "Did you do what you were supposed to do?" In the end, God won't ask "Why weren't you more like King David?", He'll ask you "Why weren't you more like the you that I created you to be?"
Every past experience is in preparation for a future opportunity. "God redeems our experiences by cultivating character, developing gifts, and teaching lessons that cannot be learned any other way." "One thing that has helped me endure the challenges I've faced is seeing each of them as learning opportunities." The story of David shows a young man who is sent off to an unglorious future of pasturing sheep, while his brothers go off to war. Although he might not have at first seen this shepherding skill in a positive light, David later killed Goliath with a skill he developed from killing the lions that came after the sheep. Likewise, he also used his shepherding skills to shepherd the nation of Israel as king. While David felt he was put on the sidelines, God was preparing David for battle and to be king on the frontlines. If David hadn't spent time in training, he never would have been prepared for the future God had planned for him. "It's the time we spend on the sidelines that prepares us for the frontlines." Although we usually see the time spend on the sidelines in a negative or painful manner, in the future we learn that we are better off because of those times in training. Lke David watching his brothers go off to war, maybe you feel underappreciated or overlooked, but your day will come. In the meantime, be patient and reevaluate your timeline. God knows better than we do, when the best time is and we can trust Him to open and close the doors that make our life flow in the perfect timing to fulfill the destiny God designed before we were even born. "The longer I live, the more I thank God for the disappointments in life. Those disappointments often prove to be divine appointments. They may come disguised as divine delays or perceived disadvantages" but we can trust God that He knows what He's doing!
Batterson tells readers how he came to see all the big and small events that shaped his life as Lifesymbols. These were the footprints that he walked that were turning points in creating who he is now. "Lifesymbols are all about seeing the purposes of God in our past experiences." When Batterson realized that these Lifesymbols/life moments had great significance and were testimonies to God's sovereignty and reminders that we can lean on and truly trust God to carry us, Batterson replaced the photos on his walls with Lifesymbols. These momentos marked the turning points of his life and were reminders to trust God along life's journey. Batterson explains that we need reminders of lessons we have learned and moments of God in our lives.
I cannot recommend this book enough! Fantastic!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Highly Recommend: 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn
I liked Randy Alcorn's Heaven book, so I wanted to read another one of his books. However, this one looked devotional-like, so I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Most devotionals are too shallow for me. But this book proved to have some FANTASTIC "days". Some of them didn't do anything for me, but there were SOOOO many not-just-good but FANTASTIC that I just wanted to tear them out and paste them on my wall or email to friends and family!
I really didnt want to highlight the book because I like it all clean and crisp but there was just too much good stuff and I ended up having to highlight. The theology is the best I've seen in any devotional/days to God book. Most devotionals have weak, feel-good or incorrect theology, but this is right one. I learned afterwards taht Alcorn is a 4pt Calvinist, so I guess that explains his solid grasp on theology.
Here is my favorite part of the book:
A woman was singing "Amazing Grace" but when she got to the tenth word, she sang, "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a soul like me!" Some have replaced the word wretch with soul. The author of the song recognized that he was a wretch - and that is what made God's grace so "amazing." The greater our grasp of our sin and alienation from God, the greater our grasp of God's amazing grace. When we cut wretch out of "Amazing Grace," we reduce it to something more sensible, less surprising. If we weren't so bad without Christ, then why did He have to endure the Cross? Charles Spurgeon said, "Too many think lightly of sin, and therefore think lightly of the Savior." We try to explain away our sin in terms of "a bad day" or "that's not what I meant" or "it was a mistake" or "I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't..." All these statements minimize our evil and thereby minimize the greatness of God's grace in atoning for our evil. Pg 40-41
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
I really didnt want to highlight the book because I like it all clean and crisp but there was just too much good stuff and I ended up having to highlight. The theology is the best I've seen in any devotional/days to God book. Most devotionals have weak, feel-good or incorrect theology, but this is right one. I learned afterwards taht Alcorn is a 4pt Calvinist, so I guess that explains his solid grasp on theology.
Here is my favorite part of the book:
A woman was singing "Amazing Grace" but when she got to the tenth word, she sang, "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a soul like me!" Some have replaced the word wretch with soul. The author of the song recognized that he was a wretch - and that is what made God's grace so "amazing." The greater our grasp of our sin and alienation from God, the greater our grasp of God's amazing grace. When we cut wretch out of "Amazing Grace," we reduce it to something more sensible, less surprising. If we weren't so bad without Christ, then why did He have to endure the Cross? Charles Spurgeon said, "Too many think lightly of sin, and therefore think lightly of the Savior." We try to explain away our sin in terms of "a bad day" or "that's not what I meant" or "it was a mistake" or "I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't..." All these statements minimize our evil and thereby minimize the greatness of God's grace in atoning for our evil. Pg 40-41
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommended: I Am A Follower by Leonard Sweet
When I first started to read this book, I thought "Uh-oh. This is not going to be good." It seemed the book was all about business/corporate leadership being thrust into the Christian church. I thought it was going to be really boring, with lots of corporate CEOs and business practices.
Once I got past these first pages, the book suddenly blossomed into a wonderful view of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I pulled out my highlighter and began marking away. The author takes great lengths to show us that we are to be followers and not seeking our own glory through leadership. The first half of this book is full of great quotes and insights. For this alone, I recommend this book. Here are my favorite parts of the book:
"To follow Jesus means that you are someone in love, someone who is hopelessly, head over heels in love with God. Followers are more than believers. The devil and the demons believe in Jesus. They know he's the Son of the Most High God [with more assurance than we humans do! They know 100% that he exists, while we may have some small percentage of doubt]. But while they believe in Jesus, they don't love him." Pg 45
"Many forms of Christianity are more like Judaism - in being firmly anchored in religious law. Living by a list of rules... The problem is that there are not enough rules for every situation. The Bible is NOT the savior: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." [said Jesus]. Pg 76
"...the game trails of deer... change throughout the turns of the seasons. They become well worn in certain areas and grow faint in others a the animals change their travel patterns. As fewer and fewer followers (animals) travel along the way (trails), the way becomes harder to find. Encroaching vegetation can make the path faint and difficult to follow. Similarly, Christinaity flourishes or diminishes according to how followers follow. In walking with Jesus, they clear the path for others to follow. They keep the way distinguishable by being and doing the Way. They are both following and followable." Pg 80
"If the primary relationships of our church members lie in their relationship to the church en masse rather than in life-on-life connections with one another, then we have missed the sweet spot. We have attracted a congregation, but we have not developed a "Christbody" community. Pg 85
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Once I got past these first pages, the book suddenly blossomed into a wonderful view of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I pulled out my highlighter and began marking away. The author takes great lengths to show us that we are to be followers and not seeking our own glory through leadership. The first half of this book is full of great quotes and insights. For this alone, I recommend this book. Here are my favorite parts of the book:
"To follow Jesus means that you are someone in love, someone who is hopelessly, head over heels in love with God. Followers are more than believers. The devil and the demons believe in Jesus. They know he's the Son of the Most High God [with more assurance than we humans do! They know 100% that he exists, while we may have some small percentage of doubt]. But while they believe in Jesus, they don't love him." Pg 45
"Many forms of Christianity are more like Judaism - in being firmly anchored in religious law. Living by a list of rules... The problem is that there are not enough rules for every situation. The Bible is NOT the savior: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." [said Jesus]. Pg 76
"...the game trails of deer... change throughout the turns of the seasons. They become well worn in certain areas and grow faint in others a the animals change their travel patterns. As fewer and fewer followers (animals) travel along the way (trails), the way becomes harder to find. Encroaching vegetation can make the path faint and difficult to follow. Similarly, Christinaity flourishes or diminishes according to how followers follow. In walking with Jesus, they clear the path for others to follow. They keep the way distinguishable by being and doing the Way. They are both following and followable." Pg 80
"If the primary relationships of our church members lie in their relationship to the church en masse rather than in life-on-life connections with one another, then we have missed the sweet spot. We have attracted a congregation, but we have not developed a "Christbody" community. Pg 85
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommended: Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris
Joshua Harris' new book Dug Down Deep is written as a layman's book on theology, doctrine and orthodoxy. Harris explains why knowledge about God and Jesus Christ are important. Essentially, to accurately appreciate and worship them in truth, we must know some facts about them. Otherwise, we will be worshipping a God we don't know much about or that we believe some inaccurate facts about.
With a love for theology, I thought I could easily handle reading a light theology book. However, despite all the promise of this book, I had a very hard time getting through the book due to the long drawn out nature of the material. It started off great and with so much potential. I thought I was going to end up buying extra copies for all my friends and family. It started off that good! And theologically, it is very accurate, so it is a good safe read. But it definitely is "light" and covers the basics in a light fashion. It's not very heavy or all that deep, compared to other theology books. Sadly, I think this "lightness" takes away some of the fire and the interest from the book. It's like being given a Shareware version of a computer program, instead of the real full thing! So, although I understand the purpose of light-theology, I wish this book had instead retained depth but made the depth easy-to-read or easy-to-understand. I just thought with all the promise of making theology interesting, Harris failed and again he made theology too drawn out and not quick-to-the point.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
With a love for theology, I thought I could easily handle reading a light theology book. However, despite all the promise of this book, I had a very hard time getting through the book due to the long drawn out nature of the material. It started off great and with so much potential. I thought I was going to end up buying extra copies for all my friends and family. It started off that good! And theologically, it is very accurate, so it is a good safe read. But it definitely is "light" and covers the basics in a light fashion. It's not very heavy or all that deep, compared to other theology books. Sadly, I think this "lightness" takes away some of the fire and the interest from the book. It's like being given a Shareware version of a computer program, instead of the real full thing! So, although I understand the purpose of light-theology, I wish this book had instead retained depth but made the depth easy-to-read or easy-to-understand. I just thought with all the promise of making theology interesting, Harris failed and again he made theology too drawn out and not quick-to-the point.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommended: A Year With Jesus By R.P. Nettelhorst
This is a daily devotional book that is bigger, better, longer, and superior to ALL other devotionals I've ever read before. Most devotionals are 365 devotions/pages long, but this one covers nearly 400 days/topics. Most devotionals give you one verse or a half a verse at the top of the page, but this book has gives you the first half of the page filled with verses! It is not just one bible verse like most devotionals - it is a large chunk of scripture - like an entire story or parable etc. It is 5-15 verses long! Most devotionals are a bit shallow and feel-good. This devotional has the interpretation but includes historical facts that even the smartest most knowledgable Christian will not know! I am so proud of this author for including more than just fluff in this book. There is something new for everyone! There is no way that you won't learn many new and interesting facts from "behind the scenes" or from the Jewish culture that you were not aware of before reading this book.
So I highly recommend this devotional - it beats all others, in my opinion!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
So I highly recommend this devotional - it beats all others, in my opinion!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommend: Job 38-42 (Word Biblical Commentary 18B) by Clines
Job 38-42 (Word Biblical Commentary 18B) by Clines is a hardcover SUPER in-depth commentary and analysis of Job 38-42. Job 38-42 is the kind of book that philosophy students, bible students, pastors and very serious Christians eat up. Most readers will probably be very bord by this book or the book will be WAY over their heads. If you do want to give it a shot, focus on the commentary on pages 1088-1140. I recommend this book for the very studious intellectual types.
On four pages, Clines gives readers his own personal English translation of the Hebrew scriptures for Job 38-42. His interpretation of these verses is similar to present day bibles, but more refinded/clearer in some areas than KJV, NASB and NIV translations.
The next section of the book is titled "Notes" and it is the SUPER detailed translation process of each section of each verse - Cline breaks each verse apart in high detail. Cline even tells us why he chose different words in his translation and why the word chosen by other Bible translations really is as accurate. I really enjoyed this analysis. Example: In Job 38:1, Cline explains that "whirlwind" in the KJV or RSV is more properly considered a tornado. So Cline chooses "tempest" or "storm" (NASB, NIV, GNB) and explains that this translation is more accurate based on context and the Hebrew words used.
The Comment part of the book was my favorite. It is the in-depth detailed bible commentary on Job 38-42. My favorite parts were when Cline goes into God's tone of voice - severe or courteous. And also when Cline explains his thoughts about God declaring the world is exactly as God wants it. Everything is in the proper order and nothing is outside of God's control. I think this part of the book is the most interesting, as the author does explore how God doesn't really answer Job's accusations but instead forces Job on the defensive. This definitely makes for an interesting read!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
On four pages, Clines gives readers his own personal English translation of the Hebrew scriptures for Job 38-42. His interpretation of these verses is similar to present day bibles, but more refinded/clearer in some areas than KJV, NASB and NIV translations.
The next section of the book is titled "Notes" and it is the SUPER detailed translation process of each section of each verse - Cline breaks each verse apart in high detail. Cline even tells us why he chose different words in his translation and why the word chosen by other Bible translations really is as accurate. I really enjoyed this analysis. Example: In Job 38:1, Cline explains that "whirlwind" in the KJV or RSV is more properly considered a tornado. So Cline chooses "tempest" or "storm" (NASB, NIV, GNB) and explains that this translation is more accurate based on context and the Hebrew words used.
The Comment part of the book was my favorite. It is the in-depth detailed bible commentary on Job 38-42. My favorite parts were when Cline goes into God's tone of voice - severe or courteous. And also when Cline explains his thoughts about God declaring the world is exactly as God wants it. Everything is in the proper order and nothing is outside of God's control. I think this part of the book is the most interesting, as the author does explore how God doesn't really answer Job's accusations but instead forces Job on the defensive. This definitely makes for an interesting read!
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Highly Recommend: Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow
Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow explains why church does not appeal to nearly all men. The main answer lies in the fact that church appeals and teaches feminine character trains over masculine traits. These feminine traits appeal to women, weak and meek men, less-macho men, and older men and women, like grandparents.
Churches that emphasize the Lamb side of Jesus Christ, tend to lean towards feminine characteristics. The characteristics of the Lamb are kind, meek, and considered feminine by most people. The more liberal the church, the more feminine the characteristics being taught among members. Christians that emphasize the Lion in Jesus Christ tend to attract the 18-35 crowd, men, younger women, and the macho or rebelliousness in people. Some of these churches are criticized for being "too strong", "too angry", or for "fire and brimstone" teachings.
I think this book is FANTASTIC!!! I think it is a must read for all Christians, especially preachers/pastors. This book is also accurate. I am a female in the 18-35 and this is the exact reason I have never been a church-goer. I do NOT believe in the system. I do not believe in the watered-down gospel. I don't agree with the wimpiness in church systems. Or all the gossip and judgmentalness. These feminine characteristics and also excessive masculine characteristics are both unppealing. Until churches wake up and realize they are reaching the people they are designed to reach (by their outdated, watered-down teachings), Christian churches will continue to appeal to mostly women and older women. MUST READ BOOK.
Fantastic update to this book. Murrow explains the updates to this book are make this second release more valuable than the first.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Churches that emphasize the Lamb side of Jesus Christ, tend to lean towards feminine characteristics. The characteristics of the Lamb are kind, meek, and considered feminine by most people. The more liberal the church, the more feminine the characteristics being taught among members. Christians that emphasize the Lion in Jesus Christ tend to attract the 18-35 crowd, men, younger women, and the macho or rebelliousness in people. Some of these churches are criticized for being "too strong", "too angry", or for "fire and brimstone" teachings.
I think this book is FANTASTIC!!! I think it is a must read for all Christians, especially preachers/pastors. This book is also accurate. I am a female in the 18-35 and this is the exact reason I have never been a church-goer. I do NOT believe in the system. I do not believe in the watered-down gospel. I don't agree with the wimpiness in church systems. Or all the gossip and judgmentalness. These feminine characteristics and also excessive masculine characteristics are both unppealing. Until churches wake up and realize they are reaching the people they are designed to reach (by their outdated, watered-down teachings), Christian churches will continue to appeal to mostly women and older women. MUST READ BOOK.
Fantastic update to this book. Murrow explains the updates to this book are make this second release more valuable than the first.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Not Recommended: Going Deep by Gordon MacDonald
Going Deep is a fictional story that uses real life preacher Gordon MacDonald and his wife in a story of fellowship and church growth. The two come to the realization that their church should be filled with deep people and set out to create a program to train deep people. After setting up their program, they take several years to impliment the program and grow depth within a number of select individuals.
The idea is great - a church of deep people will glorify God by their Christlikeness more than a church of shallow people who don't know much about their beliefs and don't live fully committed lives that produce spiritual fruit: joy, kindness, faithfulness, patience, etc. This idea probably would have made a good "how-to" instructional non-fiction book. I think the fiction format could have worked if the story had been well-thought and more realistic.
When I pick up a book about "deep people", I expect to find something deep within its pages. Instead of giving readers an "Ah-ha" moment, this book is dragged across 400 pages in a painful diary format: Pastor woke up, ate breakfast, talked to Joe, went home, ate dinner. Next day, pastor called Pete, went home, talked to wife. The book drags on like this and by the time you are 50% through the book, they still haven't even decided how to impliment the learning program. The last part of the book is rushed through 2 years of "implimenting the program" by skipping weeks at a time between meetings. Prayer is described as "a one sentence "I'm thankful for..."." When there is a cultivating depth meeting, it's all that unrealistic corny dialogue that Christian books and movies are notorious for and there is no depth to the meetings or dialogue.
Example of rushing through growth meetings without any details: "AS THE WEEK SPASSED [Yes, that's an error in Kindle ebook], WE STUDIED THE LIVES OF OTHER biblical heroes...AFTER WE’D FINISHED STUDYING TEMPERAMENT, THE GROUP began studying the so-called spiritual disciplines. Gail and I outlined some of the ways the Bible called people to a life of devotion... We spent time talking about how to read various parts of the Bible and internalize what we were reading. We even looked at the structure of the Bible, its division into Older and New Testaments. One night we reviewed the sections of the New Testament and talked about the purpose of each of the small letters that Paul and the other apostles had written. Then there was the subject of meditation, or reflection, something more easily understood by the introverts and harder for the extroverts."
After completing the book, (without any disrespect towards the author) I must wonder if Gordon MacDonald took the time to sit down and actually think about what a real life successful program would look like. If he did, all those details that would create a successful program in real life, are left out of this book. This book has the feel of the author coming up with a good idea, not wanting to put much thought into how the idea would be carried out in real life, and just banging out a warm fuzzy fictional story, while he left out all the "deep" details.
I would not recommend spending your precious time reading this book. If you are looking for any good ideas on becoming deeper, you won't find it here. This isn't a bad book, but it isn't especially good either - long, drawn out, boring, slow to accomplish anything. By the end, I'm left going "that could have been so much better."
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
The idea is great - a church of deep people will glorify God by their Christlikeness more than a church of shallow people who don't know much about their beliefs and don't live fully committed lives that produce spiritual fruit: joy, kindness, faithfulness, patience, etc. This idea probably would have made a good "how-to" instructional non-fiction book. I think the fiction format could have worked if the story had been well-thought and more realistic.
When I pick up a book about "deep people", I expect to find something deep within its pages. Instead of giving readers an "Ah-ha" moment, this book is dragged across 400 pages in a painful diary format: Pastor woke up, ate breakfast, talked to Joe, went home, ate dinner. Next day, pastor called Pete, went home, talked to wife. The book drags on like this and by the time you are 50% through the book, they still haven't even decided how to impliment the learning program. The last part of the book is rushed through 2 years of "implimenting the program" by skipping weeks at a time between meetings. Prayer is described as "a one sentence "I'm thankful for..."." When there is a cultivating depth meeting, it's all that unrealistic corny dialogue that Christian books and movies are notorious for and there is no depth to the meetings or dialogue.
Example of rushing through growth meetings without any details: "AS THE WEEK SPASSED [Yes, that's an error in Kindle ebook], WE STUDIED THE LIVES OF OTHER biblical heroes...AFTER WE’D FINISHED STUDYING TEMPERAMENT, THE GROUP began studying the so-called spiritual disciplines. Gail and I outlined some of the ways the Bible called people to a life of devotion... We spent time talking about how to read various parts of the Bible and internalize what we were reading. We even looked at the structure of the Bible, its division into Older and New Testaments. One night we reviewed the sections of the New Testament and talked about the purpose of each of the small letters that Paul and the other apostles had written. Then there was the subject of meditation, or reflection, something more easily understood by the introverts and harder for the extroverts."
After completing the book, (without any disrespect towards the author) I must wonder if Gordon MacDonald took the time to sit down and actually think about what a real life successful program would look like. If he did, all those details that would create a successful program in real life, are left out of this book. This book has the feel of the author coming up with a good idea, not wanting to put much thought into how the idea would be carried out in real life, and just banging out a warm fuzzy fictional story, while he left out all the "deep" details.
I would not recommend spending your precious time reading this book. If you are looking for any good ideas on becoming deeper, you won't find it here. This isn't a bad book, but it isn't especially good either - long, drawn out, boring, slow to accomplish anything. By the end, I'm left going "that could have been so much better."
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Not Recommend: Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
This book is written by Penecostal preacher Todd Burpo. He re-tells and describes his own son's journey to heaven in a near-death-experience. I would give this book 0 stars because this book doesn't come close to matching the true heaven in the Bible. Read these quotes from the book itself and decide for yourself if this matches the version of heaven from the Bible.
- Angels sang to Colton: “angels sang to me” “Well, they sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,’” he said earnestly. “I asked them to sing ‘We Will, We Will Rock You,’ but they wouldn’t sing that.”
- Angels look like: “one of them looked like Grandpa Dennis, but it wasn’t him, ’cause Grandpa Dennis has glasses.
- “I was sitting in Jesus’ lap.”
- [Man who died] “He had to have Jesus in his heart! He had to know Jesus or he can’t get into heaven!”
- “Did you know that Jesus has a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him.”
- “Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has a horse?” “A horse?” “Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him.”
- “What did Jesus look like?” “he has brown hair and he has hair on his face,” he said, running his tiny palm around on his chin. I guessed that he didn’t yet know the word beard. “And his eyes . . . oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!” “What about his clothes?” “His clothes were white, but it was purple from here to here.” Another word he didn’t know: sash. “Jesus was the only one in heaven who had purple on, Dad. Did you know that?” In Scripture, purple is the color of kings.
- “And he had this gold thing on his head . . . a crown, and it had this . . . this diamond thing in the middle of it and it was kind of pink.”
- “Colton, where are Jesus’ markers?” Without hesitation, he stood to his feet. He held out his right hand, palm up and pointed to the center of it with his left. Then he held out his left palm and pointed with his right hand. Finally, Colton bent over and pointed to the tops of both his feet. “That’s where Jesus’ markers are, Daddy,” he said.
- “What do people look like in heaven?” “Everybody’s got wings, but mine weren’t very big.”
- “Okay . . . did you walk places or did you fly?” “We flew. Well, all except for Jesus. He was the only one in heaven who didn’t have wings. Jesus just went up and down like an elevator.” The book of Acts flashed into my head, the scene of Jesus’ ascension, when Jesus told the disciples that they would be his witnesses, that they would tell people all over the world about him. After he said this, the Scripture says, Jesus “was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’”1 Jesus went up. And will come down. Without wings. To a kid, that could look like an elevator.
- “Everyone kind of looks like angels in heaven, Dad. All the people have a light above their head.” I couldn’t remember angels having lights over their heads specifically—or halos, as some would call them—but I also knew that Colton’s experience of angels in storybooks and Scripture did not include lights over angels’ heads. And he didn’t even know the word halo.
- “Well, what did God’s throne look like?” “It was big, Dad . . . really, really big, because God is the biggest one there is.”
- “And do you know that Jesus sits right next to God?” Colton went on excitedly. “Jesus’ chair is right next to his Dad’s!” “Colton, which side of God’s throne was Jesus sitting on?” I asked. Colton climbed up on the bed and faced me on his knees. “Well, pretend like you’re in God’s throne. Jesus sat right there,” he said, pointing to my right side.
- “Well, who sits on the other side of God’s throne?” I said. “Oh, that’s easy, Dad. That’s where the angel Gabriel is. He’s really nice.” Gabriel. That makes sense. I remembered the story of John the Baptist and the moment when Gabriel arrived to deliver the news of John the Baptist’s coming birth. The angel told Zechariah, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.”
- He saw the gates of heaven, he said: “They were made of gold and there were pearls on them.” The heavenly city itself was made of something shiny, “like gold or silver.”
- The flowers and trees in heaven were “beautiful,” and there were animals of every kind.
- “What does God look like?” I said. “God the Holy Spirit?” Colton furrowed his brow. “Hmm, that’s kind of a hard one . . . he’s kind of blue.”
- “Jesus shoots down power for Daddy when he’s talking.” Sonja shifted on the bed so that she could look directly into Colton’s eyes. “Okay . . . when? Like when Daddy talks at church?” Colton nodded. “Yeah, at church. When he’s telling Bible stories to people.”
- The book claims Colton met his sister in heaven and she was old enough to give him a hug and talk to him. But in real life, Sonja had a miscarriage and they never knew if the baby was a boy or girl. So the claim is the miscarried baby is now approximately 4-7 years old.
- The book claims Colton met his grandfather but the grandfather was not old. He was in the prime of his life. Colton says "No one is old in heaven."
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
- Angels sang to Colton: “angels sang to me” “Well, they sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,’” he said earnestly. “I asked them to sing ‘We Will, We Will Rock You,’ but they wouldn’t sing that.”
- Angels look like: “one of them looked like Grandpa Dennis, but it wasn’t him, ’cause Grandpa Dennis has glasses.
- “I was sitting in Jesus’ lap.”
- [Man who died] “He had to have Jesus in his heart! He had to know Jesus or he can’t get into heaven!”
- “Did you know that Jesus has a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him.”
- “Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has a horse?” “A horse?” “Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him.”
- “What did Jesus look like?” “he has brown hair and he has hair on his face,” he said, running his tiny palm around on his chin. I guessed that he didn’t yet know the word beard. “And his eyes . . . oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!” “What about his clothes?” “His clothes were white, but it was purple from here to here.” Another word he didn’t know: sash. “Jesus was the only one in heaven who had purple on, Dad. Did you know that?” In Scripture, purple is the color of kings.
- “And he had this gold thing on his head . . . a crown, and it had this . . . this diamond thing in the middle of it and it was kind of pink.”
- “Colton, where are Jesus’ markers?” Without hesitation, he stood to his feet. He held out his right hand, palm up and pointed to the center of it with his left. Then he held out his left palm and pointed with his right hand. Finally, Colton bent over and pointed to the tops of both his feet. “That’s where Jesus’ markers are, Daddy,” he said.
- “What do people look like in heaven?” “Everybody’s got wings, but mine weren’t very big.”
- “Okay . . . did you walk places or did you fly?” “We flew. Well, all except for Jesus. He was the only one in heaven who didn’t have wings. Jesus just went up and down like an elevator.” The book of Acts flashed into my head, the scene of Jesus’ ascension, when Jesus told the disciples that they would be his witnesses, that they would tell people all over the world about him. After he said this, the Scripture says, Jesus “was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’”1 Jesus went up. And will come down. Without wings. To a kid, that could look like an elevator.
- “Everyone kind of looks like angels in heaven, Dad. All the people have a light above their head.” I couldn’t remember angels having lights over their heads specifically—or halos, as some would call them—but I also knew that Colton’s experience of angels in storybooks and Scripture did not include lights over angels’ heads. And he didn’t even know the word halo.
- “Well, what did God’s throne look like?” “It was big, Dad . . . really, really big, because God is the biggest one there is.”
- “And do you know that Jesus sits right next to God?” Colton went on excitedly. “Jesus’ chair is right next to his Dad’s!” “Colton, which side of God’s throne was Jesus sitting on?” I asked. Colton climbed up on the bed and faced me on his knees. “Well, pretend like you’re in God’s throne. Jesus sat right there,” he said, pointing to my right side.
- “Well, who sits on the other side of God’s throne?” I said. “Oh, that’s easy, Dad. That’s where the angel Gabriel is. He’s really nice.” Gabriel. That makes sense. I remembered the story of John the Baptist and the moment when Gabriel arrived to deliver the news of John the Baptist’s coming birth. The angel told Zechariah, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.”
- He saw the gates of heaven, he said: “They were made of gold and there were pearls on them.” The heavenly city itself was made of something shiny, “like gold or silver.”
- The flowers and trees in heaven were “beautiful,” and there were animals of every kind.
- “What does God look like?” I said. “God the Holy Spirit?” Colton furrowed his brow. “Hmm, that’s kind of a hard one . . . he’s kind of blue.”
- “Jesus shoots down power for Daddy when he’s talking.” Sonja shifted on the bed so that she could look directly into Colton’s eyes. “Okay . . . when? Like when Daddy talks at church?” Colton nodded. “Yeah, at church. When he’s telling Bible stories to people.”
- The book claims Colton met his sister in heaven and she was old enough to give him a hug and talk to him. But in real life, Sonja had a miscarriage and they never knew if the baby was a boy or girl. So the claim is the miscarried baby is now approximately 4-7 years old.
- The book claims Colton met his grandfather but the grandfather was not old. He was in the prime of his life. Colton says "No one is old in heaven."
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Not Recommended: The Book of Man by William J Bennett
This book is supposed to be about "What it means to be a man" by giving examples of men for our boys to look up to as heroes. The author gives us about 500 different stories of men from ancient history to modern day politicians, athletes, celebrities, etc. He says, these men present an ideal of manhood. He tells us that our boys should follow these examples of "real men" and learn how they should live and the things to which our boys should aspire. The author lists these men as examples worth emulating - as heroes to be honored by our boys. I was SICK and DISGUSTED when I read the list of men William Bennet holds up as heroes. What is Bennett's standard for picking these men as heroes? "Every community, even Sodom and Gomorrah, has one individual in it who might be identified as worth admiring." No wonder this author picked non-Christians and unethical men to represent the "heroes" in this book. This is the LAST book anyone should hold up as an example for their sons.
Bennett's heroes include Shakespeare, Colin Powell, Alexander the Great, Winston Churchill, Navy Seal Creed, William the Conqueror, Ronald Regan, Plato, Homer, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Thomas Carlyle, "Pistol" Pete Maravich, A.G. Spalding, Leo Tolstoy, Buster Douglas, Davy Crockett, Aristotle, John Locke, John F. Kennedy, Charles Dickens, Robert Morris (current day pentecostal megachurch pastor), Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, George Washington, and more.
I found much of what the author had to say as mindless ramblings, lacking logic and any conclusive purpose. Example: The author starts the introduction by giving us a statistic: "In 1954, 90% of American men worked. Today, that number is 80%". Instead of considering the many possibilities for this decline, such as unemployment, immigration, retirement, and other factors; the author immediately jumps to the conclusion this decline is due to laziness and men leaching off the government. While laziness is certainly a factor, the author doesn't even consider that it might not be the only factor. He portrays this as a direct correlation.
Next, Bennett takes an even bigger leap - "In 1970, 80% of men 25-29 were marriaged, but in 2007, only 40%". He immediately blames what he calls a decline in marriage on the fact that there are too many aimless men! When we all know that men and women are getting married later and later in life these days due to educational and career-oriented goals! This author is SOOOO far off base, it's ridiculous! I feel like this author misses the point time after time.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Bennett's heroes include Shakespeare, Colin Powell, Alexander the Great, Winston Churchill, Navy Seal Creed, William the Conqueror, Ronald Regan, Plato, Homer, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Thomas Carlyle, "Pistol" Pete Maravich, A.G. Spalding, Leo Tolstoy, Buster Douglas, Davy Crockett, Aristotle, John Locke, John F. Kennedy, Charles Dickens, Robert Morris (current day pentecostal megachurch pastor), Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, George Washington, and more.
I found much of what the author had to say as mindless ramblings, lacking logic and any conclusive purpose. Example: The author starts the introduction by giving us a statistic: "In 1954, 90% of American men worked. Today, that number is 80%". Instead of considering the many possibilities for this decline, such as unemployment, immigration, retirement, and other factors; the author immediately jumps to the conclusion this decline is due to laziness and men leaching off the government. While laziness is certainly a factor, the author doesn't even consider that it might not be the only factor. He portrays this as a direct correlation.
Next, Bennett takes an even bigger leap - "In 1970, 80% of men 25-29 were marriaged, but in 2007, only 40%". He immediately blames what he calls a decline in marriage on the fact that there are too many aimless men! When we all know that men and women are getting married later and later in life these days due to educational and career-oriented goals! This author is SOOOO far off base, it's ridiculous! I feel like this author misses the point time after time.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Highly Recommend: Radical Together
David Platt's Radical together is about living the Christian life and putting your faith before the world's culture. In a day and age where we are all pursuing the American Dream, Platt urges readers to return to Christ and put Jesus back into the place of most important in our lives. Platt outlines 6 ways we can live in obedience and serve God - creating radical amazing lives.
I found this book an easy read and very inspirational. It was deep enough to get me thinking but not too difficult to understand. I think the great part about this book is that it is motivating and makes you excited to be a Christian again. For me, this book returned me to the days of me youth when I wanted to run out there and be a missionary and live for God!
Platt follows in line with some of my other favorite authors (like Francis Chan, Frank Viola): calling Christians back to being REAL Christians and living the life and not a shallow Christianity. This is the Christianity that the 18-35ers have been seeking and missing in mainstream church! This is the reason we all left the churches. We couldn't find others who really wanted to LIVE Christianity. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
I found this book an easy read and very inspirational. It was deep enough to get me thinking but not too difficult to understand. I think the great part about this book is that it is motivating and makes you excited to be a Christian again. For me, this book returned me to the days of me youth when I wanted to run out there and be a missionary and live for God!
Platt follows in line with some of my other favorite authors (like Francis Chan, Frank Viola): calling Christians back to being REAL Christians and living the life and not a shallow Christianity. This is the Christianity that the 18-35ers have been seeking and missing in mainstream church! This is the reason we all left the churches. We couldn't find others who really wanted to LIVE Christianity. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Not Recommended: Absolute Love by By R. I. Willroth
We all want to be loved and be loving people. This book is about what love is. Is it that human love inside of us or is it something more? This book teaches the general Christian believe that GOD IS LOVE. Love is GOD.
I was very excited to be reading another book on love, except instead of a psychology book, this one was a Christian perspective. Problem is, this book is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO painful to read, I barely (and I really mean barely) got through it. I had to force myself. My eyes went buggy and my brain died and I had to re-read many sentences and some paragraphs over. The book is boring, drags on, is redundant and is written in a PHD language. Yikes... God should be simple, not clinical or in-comprehendable! This book is terrible in that it is very difficult to comprehend. Given, I am only a Straight-A Bachelor's degree student, this book is very difficult for a lay person to read! Ugh... unpleasant to the max.
I got this ebook on 09/16/11 and it I didn't finish it until 10/01/11. And normally, I go through 3-4 books a week. Even though the subject of love is interesting, this book certainly was not.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
I was very excited to be reading another book on love, except instead of a psychology book, this one was a Christian perspective. Problem is, this book is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO painful to read, I barely (and I really mean barely) got through it. I had to force myself. My eyes went buggy and my brain died and I had to re-read many sentences and some paragraphs over. The book is boring, drags on, is redundant and is written in a PHD language. Yikes... God should be simple, not clinical or in-comprehendable! This book is terrible in that it is very difficult to comprehend. Given, I am only a Straight-A Bachelor's degree student, this book is very difficult for a lay person to read! Ugh... unpleasant to the max.
I got this ebook on 09/16/11 and it I didn't finish it until 10/01/11. And normally, I go through 3-4 books a week. Even though the subject of love is interesting, this book certainly was not.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
Recommend: More Lost Than Found by Jared Herd
The author writes about finding your way to God even if it is outside of organized religion and the church. He talks about how the youth of today aren't or shouldn't write off Jesus just because they write off the church. He explains that the church is NOT Jesus, so throwing out a bad church, shouldn't also equal throwing out Jesus.
The author also focuses on how church expects too much instant perfection from Christians and how new believers should be accepted with their sins and allowed to slowly shed those sins, instead of instantly stop living in sin. His example is a girl who sleeps around. He tells us maybe she should be allowed to continue to sleep around, as long as she works on some aspect of her life and make that part better. As long as she wants to change something, she should be accepted. She can always work on the sleeping around someday in the future, when she's ready to give that up.
I don't know his views but the author almost sounds like a Universalist or at least someone who really wants to make it as easy as possible for others to become Christians. He tries to tell the reader, it's okay to be disillusioned by church, just keep Jesus! Your angry feelings are okay. Your sins are okay. You can still love Jesus and Jesus will still love you.
The author spends a lot of time explaining that church WITHOUT culture doesn't seem to work and how church/Christian life needs to incorportate culture, not seperate from it. In other words, he seems to imply Christian music, Christian school, Christian books etc are put together to form a seperate Christian only society and when Christians try to come back into real life jobs/society, they are lost. They have seperated themselves from reality and now are unable to cope with an Unchristian culture. He also explains that Christians who seperate from non-Christian culture, lose appreciation for culture. He spends time telling us the value of culture and what it says about how we are raising our families. Culture and its elements (such as rap music) reflects human happiness/unhappiness, dissatisfaction, anger, etc.
Excerpt from PROLOGUE: I vaguely remember finding Jesus when I was a child, but I vividly recall losing him. My family’s carefully pruned image was shattered when my [minister] father’s affair became public. I didn’t know what sins my father had committed, but I knew this church had robbed him of his ability to be happy or to be home long before the choir started whispering about his transgressions. I watched him die there in that church while he gave his life to others. I would go to church, and then I would reenter life [and culture, leaving my Christian beliefs behind]. Perhaps the violent rejection of [the Christian] message by those on the outside isn’t an issue with Jesus—it’s an issue with how the Savior has been translated for them. Engage with God in a genuine way, a way that is not divorced from everyday life.
I'm not sure what to make of this book. I enjoyed it and it is thought-provoking and certainly not "mainstream" Christianity. It is challenging those mainstream beliefs and mainstream Christian lifestyle. Sadly, this book also seemed very fragmented and skipped all over the place with different ideas. The book didn't seem to make a coherent story. Although it had some VERY good points, I felt lost by the end of it and like I had to re-read it to try to make sense of it. I never did get the "jist" of what he was trying to convey. Or maybe this book just doesn't make sense by the end. I like the book for the good points it has and how it make me think, but I would guess most people will give it 3-4 stars.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
The author also focuses on how church expects too much instant perfection from Christians and how new believers should be accepted with their sins and allowed to slowly shed those sins, instead of instantly stop living in sin. His example is a girl who sleeps around. He tells us maybe she should be allowed to continue to sleep around, as long as she works on some aspect of her life and make that part better. As long as she wants to change something, she should be accepted. She can always work on the sleeping around someday in the future, when she's ready to give that up.
I don't know his views but the author almost sounds like a Universalist or at least someone who really wants to make it as easy as possible for others to become Christians. He tries to tell the reader, it's okay to be disillusioned by church, just keep Jesus! Your angry feelings are okay. Your sins are okay. You can still love Jesus and Jesus will still love you.
The author spends a lot of time explaining that church WITHOUT culture doesn't seem to work and how church/Christian life needs to incorportate culture, not seperate from it. In other words, he seems to imply Christian music, Christian school, Christian books etc are put together to form a seperate Christian only society and when Christians try to come back into real life jobs/society, they are lost. They have seperated themselves from reality and now are unable to cope with an Unchristian culture. He also explains that Christians who seperate from non-Christian culture, lose appreciation for culture. He spends time telling us the value of culture and what it says about how we are raising our families. Culture and its elements (such as rap music) reflects human happiness/unhappiness, dissatisfaction, anger, etc.
Excerpt from PROLOGUE: I vaguely remember finding Jesus when I was a child, but I vividly recall losing him. My family’s carefully pruned image was shattered when my [minister] father’s affair became public. I didn’t know what sins my father had committed, but I knew this church had robbed him of his ability to be happy or to be home long before the choir started whispering about his transgressions. I watched him die there in that church while he gave his life to others. I would go to church, and then I would reenter life [and culture, leaving my Christian beliefs behind]. Perhaps the violent rejection of [the Christian] message by those on the outside isn’t an issue with Jesus—it’s an issue with how the Savior has been translated for them. Engage with God in a genuine way, a way that is not divorced from everyday life.
I'm not sure what to make of this book. I enjoyed it and it is thought-provoking and certainly not "mainstream" Christianity. It is challenging those mainstream beliefs and mainstream Christian lifestyle. Sadly, this book also seemed very fragmented and skipped all over the place with different ideas. The book didn't seem to make a coherent story. Although it had some VERY good points, I felt lost by the end of it and like I had to re-read it to try to make sense of it. I never did get the "jist" of what he was trying to convey. Or maybe this book just doesn't make sense by the end. I like the book for the good points it has and how it make me think, but I would guess most people will give it 3-4 stars.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion
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