From the God we've made, to God with us. Published by Navpress. This book has a bright red cover that makes it hard to miss. I could see it sticking out among other books at a bookstore because of this. The author wrote this book because "I realized most of the the things I knew about God, somebody had told me." He "accepted the challenge to become intimately connected to God, and it changed him forever."
In chapter one, right of the bat, he states, "It's all about you." That kind of thew me off, being Reformed and all, I thought my life should be all about God. You know the whole dying to self thing.
But I did fond some good quotes, like the one on page 149, "He has given Himself completely. What more could He do to prove His love? He has devoted Himself to relationship with us. How can we give any less? Why should God expect any less?" Now that is giving up our life to lose it, giving our all to God, and being totally dedicated.
The uthor is the vision and voice behind the Daily Audio Bible, which boasts 74 million downloads and more than 150,000 daily listeners.
In the prologue, the author says he writes from the via media. a Latin phrase that means middle of the road. He also states he didn't write anything just to be controversial, and there for me is the problem. I do believe his intentions are right, but sitting where he is on the fence, seems to be based on emotion and not willing to offend anyone.
One of the biggest issues I have is on the same prolouge where he offers his own version of the "sinner's prayer." Especially the line, "I give you permission to touch all the broken places in me." Obviously God, being sovereign, does not need permission to be invited into our lives. It seems to be a lot of romantic, emotional feelings are expressed. I found it all a bit too light and fluffy for my tastes. Kind of like marshmallows, when I was expecting meat and potatoes. Also distressing was a quote from Robert Schuller to introduce one chapter.
The book is in 3 parts, Rethink, Reframe, and Restart.
Among everything else, another good quoteon page 51, concerning the way we need to reframe how we see God, "God has basically been framed as the very wealthy uncle who also happens to be the family drunk. We need to keep Him happy so that we can get what we want and need."
Overall, I am sorry to say, I can't really recommend this book.
I have been provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Saturday, November 14, 2015
The Ragamuffin Gospel = Brennan Manning 25th Anniversary Edition
On the inside cover the author states who this book is for. "This book is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God."
Despite the fact their is a recommendation from Eugene Patterson (author of the Message) inside, I would recommend this book. This most recent release is the hard cover 25th anniversary edition. I had read this book years ago, and re-reading it helped me to remember how honest and real it was. The author definitely puts his own story between the pages, claiming to be a ragamuffin himself. I have an older paperback edition, and was glad to see it published as a hard cover for, I believe, the first time. To me, a few pages on Martin Luther and the Reformation is always a good sign. The entire book is about God's grace. The undeserved, unmerited favor of God, that is only through faith, not by works.
In an honest admission of failure, on page 16 the author states, "Often I have been asked, "Brennan, how is it possible that you became an alcoholic after you got saved?" It is possible because I got battered and bruised by loneliness and failure; because I got discouraged, uncertain, guilt-ridden, and took my eyes off Jesus." We need more upfront statements like these in this world, where we all think that everyone else has it all together. They don't.
Chapter 2 begins with a description of creation that makes a good case for intelligent design.
Although he never uses the words total depravity, he describes the depravity that we are all capable of, but God loves us anyway. In the chapter titles Paste jewelry and sawdust hot dogs, the author states "The way we treat each other is the truest test of our faith" How we show our love to our fellow humans on this earth.
And on page 189, "The first step toward rejuvenation begins with accepting where you are and exposing your poverty, frailty, and emptiness to the love that is everything."
The whole idea that we can't earn God's grace or His favor, is all through this book. The author has a gentle way of writing, that invites the reader to have a conversation, a dialog, and is quite easy to read. I will enjoy having it on my shelf as a hard cover.
I have been provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Despite the fact their is a recommendation from Eugene Patterson (author of the Message) inside, I would recommend this book. This most recent release is the hard cover 25th anniversary edition. I had read this book years ago, and re-reading it helped me to remember how honest and real it was. The author definitely puts his own story between the pages, claiming to be a ragamuffin himself. I have an older paperback edition, and was glad to see it published as a hard cover for, I believe, the first time. To me, a few pages on Martin Luther and the Reformation is always a good sign. The entire book is about God's grace. The undeserved, unmerited favor of God, that is only through faith, not by works.
In an honest admission of failure, on page 16 the author states, "Often I have been asked, "Brennan, how is it possible that you became an alcoholic after you got saved?" It is possible because I got battered and bruised by loneliness and failure; because I got discouraged, uncertain, guilt-ridden, and took my eyes off Jesus." We need more upfront statements like these in this world, where we all think that everyone else has it all together. They don't.
Chapter 2 begins with a description of creation that makes a good case for intelligent design.
Although he never uses the words total depravity, he describes the depravity that we are all capable of, but God loves us anyway. In the chapter titles Paste jewelry and sawdust hot dogs, the author states "The way we treat each other is the truest test of our faith" How we show our love to our fellow humans on this earth.
And on page 189, "The first step toward rejuvenation begins with accepting where you are and exposing your poverty, frailty, and emptiness to the love that is everything."
The whole idea that we can't earn God's grace or His favor, is all through this book. The author has a gentle way of writing, that invites the reader to have a conversation, a dialog, and is quite easy to read. I will enjoy having it on my shelf as a hard cover.
I have been provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
No Fear - Tony Perkins
Real stories of a courageous new generation standing for truth. One twist of this book is that the Preface is written by the author's father, which gives him a unique perspective. This book is a collection of 12 stories of people who faced their fears and took a stand. These are stories of a new generation of Christians who are more than bold, they are fearless. Making a difference starts with standing up for what's right.
On page 3 the author states "Faith and fear are opposites - it is impossible for faith and fear to equally coexist in your life." These are stories about people who had the courage to do the right thing. Like, Lila Rose who stood up to Planned Parenthood and Roy Costner who lead a prayer at graduation, regardless of the consequences. There are questions at the end of every chapter under the title, Making It Real that can be used for individuals doing group study. The second part of each chapter there is a story from the Bible that relates. The author is president of the Family Research Council in Washington, DC. This book proves that their are and have been courageous Christians who have stood up for what is right throughout history.
Join the conversation at #nofearbook.
Published by Waterbrook press. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
On page 3 the author states "Faith and fear are opposites - it is impossible for faith and fear to equally coexist in your life." These are stories about people who had the courage to do the right thing. Like, Lila Rose who stood up to Planned Parenthood and Roy Costner who lead a prayer at graduation, regardless of the consequences. There are questions at the end of every chapter under the title, Making It Real that can be used for individuals doing group study. The second part of each chapter there is a story from the Bible that relates. The author is president of the Family Research Council in Washington, DC. This book proves that their are and have been courageous Christians who have stood up for what is right throughout history.
Join the conversation at #nofearbook.
Published by Waterbrook press. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Monday, October 19, 2015
The Epic of God - Michael Whitworth
15 chapters from the book of Genesis. Genesis is a book of beginnings. In fact the word, Genesis means beginnings. Through the creation of the world through the death of Joseph, this is the story of God's people, sin, rebellion, and redemption. Deep subjects are taken on, and history unfolds through the pages of this book of Genesis.
The author of this book preaches in Bowie, Texas. He is the author of several books including Living and Longing for the Lord and The Derision of Heaven. In the foreward, it is stated "This is not a shallow book, it's a book of great depth." and indeed it is, at just about 300 pasges, although it's hard to narrow it down to less than that for the entire book of Genesis. This is a well researched and organized book, and the author has taken on quite a daunting task, not one that just any author could do. There are talking points at the end of each chapter that can be used for a Bible study to go deeper. There is also a unique Q & A the author has written talking to himself about the book. I liked the actual size and format of the book, and look forward to using it for research purposes. I does have depth, and deals with Genesis on more than just a superficial level.
At the very end, the author sums up the whole book in 4 words, "God has been faithful."
Published by Start 2 Finish books. I have been provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
The author of this book preaches in Bowie, Texas. He is the author of several books including Living and Longing for the Lord and The Derision of Heaven. In the foreward, it is stated "This is not a shallow book, it's a book of great depth." and indeed it is, at just about 300 pasges, although it's hard to narrow it down to less than that for the entire book of Genesis. This is a well researched and organized book, and the author has taken on quite a daunting task, not one that just any author could do. There are talking points at the end of each chapter that can be used for a Bible study to go deeper. There is also a unique Q & A the author has written talking to himself about the book. I liked the actual size and format of the book, and look forward to using it for research purposes. I does have depth, and deals with Genesis on more than just a superficial level.
At the very end, the author sums up the whole book in 4 words, "God has been faithful."
Published by Start 2 Finish books. I have been provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Five Traits of A Christ Follower - Doug Nuence
This book attempts to answer the question, "What distinguishes a follower of Jesus?" The editor is President of the Navigators in the US, and there are 30 contributors to this small book. Each one has written a short, two page devotional based on a Bible passage. Each devotional is divided into five sections or traits. Walking with Jesus, Knowing and Living the Scriptures, Participating in community, Engaging with those who don't know Christ, and Reproducing Spiritual Generations. Each chapter is short enough to be used for a daily devotional for one month, with at least two or three questions at the end to invoke a response. The editor says in the introduction that "The true test of life in Christ is our character, the extent to which we are a reflection of the Spirit of God to a watching world."
The forward is written by Jerry Bridges, who is well known in the the Christian world for many of his books, and offers a brief history of Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators. There also is the background of all of the contributors, some of which are adapted from books they have written. For example Gary Thomas's contribution is adapted from his book The Glorious Pursuit.
As with any book with multiple authors, it has different styles and ways of thinking, but one main theme, how to be a Follower of Jesus. I would like to read more from some of these authors, as it seems they are limited in this format. One other thing about the format, it is a very small book, with small type. Those of us with limited vision may find it difficult to read. I do suppose if they would have made the physical size of the pages larger, each devotion would be only one page, but that would have worked also.
All in all, a good devotional with lots of good content.
Published by NavPress. in alliance with Tyndale Publishers, Inc.
I have been provided with a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for this review.
The forward is written by Jerry Bridges, who is well known in the the Christian world for many of his books, and offers a brief history of Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators. There also is the background of all of the contributors, some of which are adapted from books they have written. For example Gary Thomas's contribution is adapted from his book The Glorious Pursuit.
As with any book with multiple authors, it has different styles and ways of thinking, but one main theme, how to be a Follower of Jesus. I would like to read more from some of these authors, as it seems they are limited in this format. One other thing about the format, it is a very small book, with small type. Those of us with limited vision may find it difficult to read. I do suppose if they would have made the physical size of the pages larger, each devotion would be only one page, but that would have worked also.
All in all, a good devotional with lots of good content.
Published by NavPress. in alliance with Tyndale Publishers, Inc.
I have been provided with a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for this review.
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