This book is about "the path to manhood" or how a man is made. It focuses on how young and old need heroes to demonstrate the characteristics of what a man should be: honor, duty, valor, integrity, etc. Bennett defines what he thinks a man should be, how a man should love, and how a man should live in war time, at work, during sports or play, with family, and in prayer and reflection.
Being semi-familiar with Bennett's Book of Virtues, I figured this book would really give good solid examples of a godly man with Character. However, Bennett fills this very thick book with NON-CHRISTIAN morally-questionably political figure and athletes and elevates these as the heroes that our Christian kids should be looking up to.
If you are politically active, believe in sending your kids into the military/war, and very pro-US government/politics/political figures as "heroes" "icons" or "idols", then you may enjoy this book and not mind these guys being your kids' heroes. But if that's so, then let's also hold Madonna, Britney Spears, Hilary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and every other famous female musician, actress, athlete, and political figure regardless of their character, virtue and morals up as heroes for our daughters. Hey, I bet I could even find a few "good characteristic" stories on Saddam Hussein, Richard Allen Davis, Jeffrey Dahmer and all the mass murderers, child molesters etc.
As a Christian, do you really want your kids to hold these guys up as heroes? Winston Churchill, Ronald Regan, Plato, General Douglas MacArthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Jack London, Mark Twain, William the Conquerer, Benjamin Franklin, Booker T Washington, Cal Ripkin Jr, Buster Douglas the boxer, Mario Andretti the car racer, Aristotle, Davy Crocket, Navy Seals, John F Kennedy, Homer, Nolan Ryan the baseball player, and dozens of others.
I strongly recommend against this book. There are dozens of other books about raising Christian men using men of God as examples. What's wrong with using Jesus, the apostles, or the forefathers? Bennett's book is shocking to me - how he can use secular political figures and athletes with questionable character and morals is beyond me.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Your 100 Day Prayer by John I. Snyder
Your 100 Day Prayer is like a paperback prayer journal/devotional with 100 days instead of 365 days like a normal devotional. The book has one page with a Start Date and a main Prayer Request - the one thing you will be praying for 100 days straight. Each day starts with one bible verse, a 1-2 page life application, a 1-2 sentence suggested prayer, and 1/2 or 1/4 page of blank lines for notes. The lines have large gaps between them (about the same size as a journal) to allow your large handwriting font to fit on each line. Remember, with most pages only giving you 1/4 -1/2 of a page for journaling, you don't barely get to write one short paragraph (1-3 sentences long) for yourself.
I found the paperback format to be very counter to the prayer journal - the paperback book hardly opens enough to write your notes in the pages. And if you open it enough, of course, the binding gets all messed up. This should have had spiral binding. Also of note, the paper of the book is the normal cheap paperback recycled-like paper. It's not nice to write on, like prayer journals. Again, I wish this book was printed like a journaling book.
I was surprised to find that the devotional bible verses and life application descriptions DID NOT focus on prayer and promises of God. On one hand, usually books that focus on God's promises pull verses out of context, so maybe it's preferable this way, but it would have been nice to have bible verses that ACTUALLY applied to your one main prayer request. Instead, this book starts like most 365 day devotionals - with creation. Although the author attempted to tie the verses in to prayers, I didn't feel they related strongly to someone praying for a GREAT NEED. The verses were quite general and sometimes the author had to stretch things a bit to make the prayer suggestions work.
In the end, I would not recommend this book. I am certain you would be MUCH better off with a 365 day devotional and a real prayer journal. Or combine a book on prayer with your prayer journal. Why buy a book that 1/4 of it is blank underlined "fill in your thoughts" pages? Then you run out of pages just after 3 months.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
I found the paperback format to be very counter to the prayer journal - the paperback book hardly opens enough to write your notes in the pages. And if you open it enough, of course, the binding gets all messed up. This should have had spiral binding. Also of note, the paper of the book is the normal cheap paperback recycled-like paper. It's not nice to write on, like prayer journals. Again, I wish this book was printed like a journaling book.
I was surprised to find that the devotional bible verses and life application descriptions DID NOT focus on prayer and promises of God. On one hand, usually books that focus on God's promises pull verses out of context, so maybe it's preferable this way, but it would have been nice to have bible verses that ACTUALLY applied to your one main prayer request. Instead, this book starts like most 365 day devotionals - with creation. Although the author attempted to tie the verses in to prayers, I didn't feel they related strongly to someone praying for a GREAT NEED. The verses were quite general and sometimes the author had to stretch things a bit to make the prayer suggestions work.
In the end, I would not recommend this book. I am certain you would be MUCH better off with a 365 day devotional and a real prayer journal. Or combine a book on prayer with your prayer journal. Why buy a book that 1/4 of it is blank underlined "fill in your thoughts" pages? Then you run out of pages just after 3 months.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Shameful "Christian" Arguments for Infallible Bible
DON'T READ THIS BOOK. IT IS A PIECE OF CRAP, WRITTEN BY AN ANGRY BIASED HATEFUL MAN CALIMING TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
Prior to reading this book, I had already read Lee Strobel's poor book "Case For Christ" and "Case For Faith". As Christians with an open mind must admit, that book didn't hold water. It used very weak arguments to claim Christianity could be proven. Any solid Christian or solid Athiest or Agnostic could easily tear the book apart because it had no case. I wish his books were better. Josh McDowell also wrote many Apologetics types books and I would recommend his before Strobels. I think they have a little more solid arguments and at least make you think more.
I had hoped more from this book. I was hoping to actually find a Christian book that had strong arguments an apologetics. This book is totally not that book. It is 10 times worse than Lee Strobel's book because the author comes across with an EXTREMELY strong bias for Christianity and against all non-Christians. His bias takes him so far that he turns into a ranting raving lunatic in his own book! With claims like "Islam is false because husbands are allowed to beat wives". But he fails to address worse verses in our own Christian Bible! Read Exodus, Numbers, Lev and Deut and you will be shocked at what the Bible really says on how women and slaves are to be treated. This author's book is a complete joke. Nothing this author says holds ANY water and in many MANY cases, he doesn't give us the sources to his quotes!
Claims of this author:
Introduction Pg xi: Jesus's death is "one of the most well-established realities of ancient history" Oh really? No source or proof or even evidence given. "There is a virtual consensus among CREDIBLE scholars.... that Jesus did in fact die on a cross" No source, proof or evidence given. Who are the "credible" scholars?
Pg xiv The author berates Bart Erham for claiming "Biblical Christianity is so dangerous... it stops people from thinking" Sorry, I'm a Christian and even I see that this is true! Look at what the "Christian Churches" have done over the years in the name of God? I would like to think a real THINKING adult wouldn't go to the lengths of the Inquisition, Dark Ages, and Witch Trials. And how many times have you been told "God is mysterious. Stop asking questions. You aren't supposed to have answers for everything" In otherwords, "STOP THINKING. GOD IS MYSTERIOUS. JUST ACCEPT YOU AREN"T SUPPOSED TO KNOW" Now sure, maybe God is mysterious and we won't know everything, but Jesus does tell us to test what we are told and we are to seek to know God. Not just give up because one verse puzzles us. If we really seek, we usually get some answers.
Pg xiv The author writes "the validity of the virgin birth can be historically established." Really? Where is the proof? I thought we were to take this mainly by faith in the Bible.
I can't go on because seriously, ever other page is missing sources, making outlandish claims, and making severe personal attacks against other authors who question the Bible. What is with the personal attacks? This author goes into childish name calling over and over again as he attacks Bart Erham (another author). This author plays SOOO DIRTY. How UNCHRISTIAN. This author wrotes "the only reasonable explaination is..." But I can think of several other MORE REASONABLE explainations than his on pg 24.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Prior to reading this book, I had already read Lee Strobel's poor book "Case For Christ" and "Case For Faith". As Christians with an open mind must admit, that book didn't hold water. It used very weak arguments to claim Christianity could be proven. Any solid Christian or solid Athiest or Agnostic could easily tear the book apart because it had no case. I wish his books were better. Josh McDowell also wrote many Apologetics types books and I would recommend his before Strobels. I think they have a little more solid arguments and at least make you think more.
I had hoped more from this book. I was hoping to actually find a Christian book that had strong arguments an apologetics. This book is totally not that book. It is 10 times worse than Lee Strobel's book because the author comes across with an EXTREMELY strong bias for Christianity and against all non-Christians. His bias takes him so far that he turns into a ranting raving lunatic in his own book! With claims like "Islam is false because husbands are allowed to beat wives". But he fails to address worse verses in our own Christian Bible! Read Exodus, Numbers, Lev and Deut and you will be shocked at what the Bible really says on how women and slaves are to be treated. This author's book is a complete joke. Nothing this author says holds ANY water and in many MANY cases, he doesn't give us the sources to his quotes!
Claims of this author:
Introduction Pg xi: Jesus's death is "one of the most well-established realities of ancient history" Oh really? No source or proof or even evidence given. "There is a virtual consensus among CREDIBLE scholars.... that Jesus did in fact die on a cross" No source, proof or evidence given. Who are the "credible" scholars?
Pg xiv The author berates Bart Erham for claiming "Biblical Christianity is so dangerous... it stops people from thinking" Sorry, I'm a Christian and even I see that this is true! Look at what the "Christian Churches" have done over the years in the name of God? I would like to think a real THINKING adult wouldn't go to the lengths of the Inquisition, Dark Ages, and Witch Trials. And how many times have you been told "God is mysterious. Stop asking questions. You aren't supposed to have answers for everything" In otherwords, "STOP THINKING. GOD IS MYSTERIOUS. JUST ACCEPT YOU AREN"T SUPPOSED TO KNOW" Now sure, maybe God is mysterious and we won't know everything, but Jesus does tell us to test what we are told and we are to seek to know God. Not just give up because one verse puzzles us. If we really seek, we usually get some answers.
Pg xiv The author writes "the validity of the virgin birth can be historically established." Really? Where is the proof? I thought we were to take this mainly by faith in the Bible.
I can't go on because seriously, ever other page is missing sources, making outlandish claims, and making severe personal attacks against other authors who question the Bible. What is with the personal attacks? This author goes into childish name calling over and over again as he attacks Bart Erham (another author). This author plays SOOO DIRTY. How UNCHRISTIAN. This author wrotes "the only reasonable explaination is..." But I can think of several other MORE REASONABLE explainations than his on pg 24.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
With: Reimaging The Way You Relate to God
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for good ideas and what you learn from the book.
But it is so boring, I would rate it 1 out of 5 stars for readability and too much filler/fluff.
I learned a lot about all Christians and myself from this book - it has ideas all Christians should know. You will learn a lot - IF you can get through the reading, as it is VERY boring, especially in the beginning. Much of this book is filler but with a lot of good ideas. I did end up underlining a lot of the book, but still, it could be condensed down to 20 pages reasonably. The filler is what makes this such a difficult read. My guess is VERY few people will actually be able to complete the whole book.
This book teaches you that almost all Christians have it wrong (or have had it wrong at some point in their lives) - they seek to use God in four different ways. 1) LIFE OVER GOD is when Christians put aside God's ways in favor of the logical world's ways in order to get ahead in life. 2) Christians seek a LIFE FROM GOD when they are after his gifts and blessings - what they can get out of God - and not interested in God Himself. These Christians seek a happy, trial free, wealthy, healthy life and only seek God as a means to this end. This view also includes those who use God as a ticket to heaven. 3) LIFE UNDER GOD is when Christians seek to obey God's commands so that He will bless our lives - we seek to appease God. This view includes Christians that believe if America were more godly, that natural disasters and 911 wouldn't happened to us. 4) LIFE FOR GOD on the surface seems the way to go - these Christians seek to live a life for God. These are your missionaries and people who seek to make sure their life is one of significance. These are the people who usually accomplish great things for God.
Problem is all 4 of these views are not what God wants. And they are all actually de-throning God and a human attempt to take his place. While you and I may think some of these sound good, the author points out the underlying fault with each view.
Then the author explains why LIFE WITH GOD is all God truly wants. Communion. This is what makes the book - it tells us why we have our thoughts and priorities in the wrong place. Stay exaclty in your job and serve God and build a relationship with Him. You don't need to quit, sell your house and go to Mexico and become a missionary. You can serve God right where you are.
The author explains the reason most Christians look so un-Christ-like is because they do not REALLY KNOW GOD but are only using God. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that some will perform miracles in His name, but He did not know these - they were not his saved people.
I think the author did a good job explaining the different views. I would have liked to see all the filler removed because it make the book VERY boring. I also would have liked to see better examples of someone who is living a LIFE WITH GOD. The way the author writes, it seems like the author doesn't even include himself as a person who lives a LIFE WITH GOD. All 3 examples he gives are obscure people from history and kind of hard to relate to. The author tells us that at times he has been in all 4 incorrect views but he doesn't really go into his current state. This lack of personalization, makes the book seem abstract.
Because of this, this book did feel a bit like a book that tells you what is wrong with you but doesn't really give you a life application solution. It tells you to go find God and life with Him. But what does that really mean? And how does one accomplish this? I think the author tried to explain how but perhaps because he isn't really living it, he had a very difficult time getting this across to the reader. I think the book fell short in this area.
I want to recommend this book to others but I know that no one will actually want to read this book because it is too boring. So I will just summarize the good ideas and share these instead. Too bad this book is so boring and has so much filler. It's another Christian author with a good idea but kills it trying to fill a book.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
But it is so boring, I would rate it 1 out of 5 stars for readability and too much filler/fluff.
I learned a lot about all Christians and myself from this book - it has ideas all Christians should know. You will learn a lot - IF you can get through the reading, as it is VERY boring, especially in the beginning. Much of this book is filler but with a lot of good ideas. I did end up underlining a lot of the book, but still, it could be condensed down to 20 pages reasonably. The filler is what makes this such a difficult read. My guess is VERY few people will actually be able to complete the whole book.
This book teaches you that almost all Christians have it wrong (or have had it wrong at some point in their lives) - they seek to use God in four different ways. 1) LIFE OVER GOD is when Christians put aside God's ways in favor of the logical world's ways in order to get ahead in life. 2) Christians seek a LIFE FROM GOD when they are after his gifts and blessings - what they can get out of God - and not interested in God Himself. These Christians seek a happy, trial free, wealthy, healthy life and only seek God as a means to this end. This view also includes those who use God as a ticket to heaven. 3) LIFE UNDER GOD is when Christians seek to obey God's commands so that He will bless our lives - we seek to appease God. This view includes Christians that believe if America were more godly, that natural disasters and 911 wouldn't happened to us. 4) LIFE FOR GOD on the surface seems the way to go - these Christians seek to live a life for God. These are your missionaries and people who seek to make sure their life is one of significance. These are the people who usually accomplish great things for God.
Problem is all 4 of these views are not what God wants. And they are all actually de-throning God and a human attempt to take his place. While you and I may think some of these sound good, the author points out the underlying fault with each view.
Then the author explains why LIFE WITH GOD is all God truly wants. Communion. This is what makes the book - it tells us why we have our thoughts and priorities in the wrong place. Stay exaclty in your job and serve God and build a relationship with Him. You don't need to quit, sell your house and go to Mexico and become a missionary. You can serve God right where you are.
The author explains the reason most Christians look so un-Christ-like is because they do not REALLY KNOW GOD but are only using God. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that some will perform miracles in His name, but He did not know these - they were not his saved people.
I think the author did a good job explaining the different views. I would have liked to see all the filler removed because it make the book VERY boring. I also would have liked to see better examples of someone who is living a LIFE WITH GOD. The way the author writes, it seems like the author doesn't even include himself as a person who lives a LIFE WITH GOD. All 3 examples he gives are obscure people from history and kind of hard to relate to. The author tells us that at times he has been in all 4 incorrect views but he doesn't really go into his current state. This lack of personalization, makes the book seem abstract.
Because of this, this book did feel a bit like a book that tells you what is wrong with you but doesn't really give you a life application solution. It tells you to go find God and life with Him. But what does that really mean? And how does one accomplish this? I think the author tried to explain how but perhaps because he isn't really living it, he had a very difficult time getting this across to the reader. I think the book fell short in this area.
I want to recommend this book to others but I know that no one will actually want to read this book because it is too boring. So I will just summarize the good ideas and share these instead. Too bad this book is so boring and has so much filler. It's another Christian author with a good idea but kills it trying to fill a book.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
The God I Never Knew by Robert Morris
While this book probably won't totally blow you away, it will make enough of an impression that it could change your whole life - so it is worth the read. When I first read this book, I thought it was probably just written for Charismatics and Pentacostals. I didn't think I would like it. But being a Reformed/Conservative/Presbyterian/Calvinist, I wanted a life changing book, and I think God the Holy Spirit speaks to me through this book.
The book covers why the Holy Spirit and Charistmatics have a bad name and explains away a lot of anti-Holy Spirit teachings that conservatives have grown up with. The best part of the book is that it explains the benefits of becoming FRIENDS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. We should know God The Holy Spirit. Not Just God and Jesus. It is through God the Holy Spirit that God the father and son are able to change us. This is how we will know God's will, becoming stronger, kinder, more loving - through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I just finished the chapter on the Holy Spirit in John MacArthur's Fundamentals of Faith and this book supports the same teaching that it is GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT that gave Jesus and the Apostles all their power - the power to preach, do miracles, etc. After studying up on the Holy Spirit and reading these two books, I now feel like the Holy Spirit is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE TRINITY in our daily lives today. In Christianity, He is so neglected, but in truth, HE IS THE ONE THAT CHANGES YOUR SINNER LIFE INTO A CHRISTIAN GODLY LIFE. Without the Holy Spirit, how will we overcome all our problems? How will we preach if we don't have the power of the Holy Spirit?
5 stars because: Morris teaches that tongues and miracles are still relevant today and not done away with after the apostles like some conservative's teach. Morris has a good case and I'm going to have to re-research my position here. But he uses scripture fairly well to back up his belief and he does a pretty good job at that. So even if I don't agree 100% with his ideas, at least he's done a good job backing them up and this makes me go back to the drawing board and re-research my view to see who really is interpreting the bible correctly.
I'm not sure I trust the last chapters 16-19 of this book - focused on tongues. Morris comes from a Charismatic perspective and some of his writing comes across as "selling" tongues to me. Is this a name-it-claim-it prosperity gospel teacher? I will have to YouTube Morris and find out more about him. I would want to know if Morris is another Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Andrew Wommack, Creflo Dollar, etc.
The natural inclination for a conservative Christian is to agree with the reviewer, "I'm not sure the Holy Spirit really works this way" but I must say, even being an ultra conservative Christian, I know a friend who gets "promptings" that truly must be the Holy Spirit because they've proven accurate and guided my friend even though this friend is not Charismatic. The Holy Spirit is real and can and does talk to us.
Disclaimer: Borrowed this book from my sister, who received this from the publisher free of charge in exchange for this review. Honest review, as I am not required to give a positive review. I am normally a harsh reviewer, so you can trust that this book is worth reading.
The book covers why the Holy Spirit and Charistmatics have a bad name and explains away a lot of anti-Holy Spirit teachings that conservatives have grown up with. The best part of the book is that it explains the benefits of becoming FRIENDS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. We should know God The Holy Spirit. Not Just God and Jesus. It is through God the Holy Spirit that God the father and son are able to change us. This is how we will know God's will, becoming stronger, kinder, more loving - through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I just finished the chapter on the Holy Spirit in John MacArthur's Fundamentals of Faith and this book supports the same teaching that it is GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT that gave Jesus and the Apostles all their power - the power to preach, do miracles, etc. After studying up on the Holy Spirit and reading these two books, I now feel like the Holy Spirit is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE TRINITY in our daily lives today. In Christianity, He is so neglected, but in truth, HE IS THE ONE THAT CHANGES YOUR SINNER LIFE INTO A CHRISTIAN GODLY LIFE. Without the Holy Spirit, how will we overcome all our problems? How will we preach if we don't have the power of the Holy Spirit?
5 stars because: Morris teaches that tongues and miracles are still relevant today and not done away with after the apostles like some conservative's teach. Morris has a good case and I'm going to have to re-research my position here. But he uses scripture fairly well to back up his belief and he does a pretty good job at that. So even if I don't agree 100% with his ideas, at least he's done a good job backing them up and this makes me go back to the drawing board and re-research my view to see who really is interpreting the bible correctly.
I'm not sure I trust the last chapters 16-19 of this book - focused on tongues. Morris comes from a Charismatic perspective and some of his writing comes across as "selling" tongues to me. Is this a name-it-claim-it prosperity gospel teacher? I will have to YouTube Morris and find out more about him. I would want to know if Morris is another Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Andrew Wommack, Creflo Dollar, etc.
The natural inclination for a conservative Christian is to agree with the reviewer, "I'm not sure the Holy Spirit really works this way" but I must say, even being an ultra conservative Christian, I know a friend who gets "promptings" that truly must be the Holy Spirit because they've proven accurate and guided my friend even though this friend is not Charismatic. The Holy Spirit is real and can and does talk to us.
Disclaimer: Borrowed this book from my sister, who received this from the publisher free of charge in exchange for this review. Honest review, as I am not required to give a positive review. I am normally a harsh reviewer, so you can trust that this book is worth reading.
Rumors of God by Whitehead & Tyson
Fantastic book! I highly recommend this book because it opens your eyes and make you go "Wow, I never thought of that!" Most of us were raised in wealthy America. Brought up on tv and games (including sports). This book is a wake-up call to all us who have fallen into this everyday American life and let our love of God fall by the side. We have settled for temporary pleasures when a much much happier life is so close and possible for us. This book asks: What will your life be if you just keep going just like you are going right now? When you are lying on your death bed and look back at your life, would you be proud of the life you had lived? Would you feel like the majority of your time was well spent? Myself included, I get the feeling most of us would be ashamed of a life wasted. Rumors of God is a book about prioritizing seeking God, not just letting your relationship with him fall by the side.
I found this book highly inspirational. There was so many good and convicting points that I found myself highlighting on every other page! It was a slow read for me because there was a lot of substance here. This book touches you and hopefully will change your life - make God your #1 and trust Him to carry you (like Footprints in the Sand).
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
I found this book highly inspirational. There was so many good and convicting points that I found myself highlighting on every other page! It was a slow read for me because there was a lot of substance here. This book touches you and hopefully will change your life - make God your #1 and trust Him to carry you (like Footprints in the Sand).
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
God's Love Letters to You (40 Day Devotional) by Dr Larry Crabb
We've all heard our share of "death" words. A comment about your weight, sends you bawling and binge eating. A jab about you being "weak" or "a sissy" or "not like the boys" sets you up for life to prove yourself but never able to convince yourself that you are "strong enough." A comment about "shooting like a girl" in basketball, leads you to give up and dispise the game forever. Everyone uses them - we do, our friends, family and lovers. We all jab jab one another.
Only God can always be counted on to speak life words. BUT God's way of speaking (or our not listening) is so foreign to us that it can feel harsh, cold and uncaring. Sometimes, it is because his words of life are meant to kill that thing inside us that is killing us. Sometimes we foolishly try to keep alive what God is trying to kill.
This author has taken 40 of his 66 passage from his book "66 Love Letters" and turned them into a devotional book with questions to go along with the passages. The hope is that the love of God will replace the "death" words of the world.
At first I loved this book - what a great idea. Then I hatcd it when I saw that THERE ARE NO ANSWERS IN THIS BOOK - ONLY QUESTIONS! I thought, how shallow and cliche. But now that I've had time to reflect, I do love this book. Because the questions make you think. And maybe your answers and my answeers and the author's answers will all be different. So this book is useful because it makes us search our OWN beliefs.
Example:
The author tells you to trust God because he loves you even though He doesn't take your sufferring away.
BUT how can we know he loves us? Just because someone or the Bible tells us?
So the author asks you a question - why do you think God does this and lets you suffer?
BUT there is no answer! What good is a book that asks but never answers? Well, if you CARE ENOUGH, go find the answer! Don't accept man's answer. Don't accept the author's answer or your pastor's answer. Truly SEEK the REAL answer. The question of evil and suffering. Does God really love us?
Now no one can make you seek the answers. You might just give up. But at least you know the questions are out there and you might just see that your pastor, church and friends don't even know the answers to some of these deep deep questions. The questions the author asks aren't that deep - it is the making you think that makes you see a deeper question behind the author's shallow question. It is the lack of answers in this book that makes you want to seek and search out REAL answers.
So, I would recommend this book.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
Only God can always be counted on to speak life words. BUT God's way of speaking (or our not listening) is so foreign to us that it can feel harsh, cold and uncaring. Sometimes, it is because his words of life are meant to kill that thing inside us that is killing us. Sometimes we foolishly try to keep alive what God is trying to kill.
This author has taken 40 of his 66 passage from his book "66 Love Letters" and turned them into a devotional book with questions to go along with the passages. The hope is that the love of God will replace the "death" words of the world.
At first I loved this book - what a great idea. Then I hatcd it when I saw that THERE ARE NO ANSWERS IN THIS BOOK - ONLY QUESTIONS! I thought, how shallow and cliche. But now that I've had time to reflect, I do love this book. Because the questions make you think. And maybe your answers and my answeers and the author's answers will all be different. So this book is useful because it makes us search our OWN beliefs.
Example:
The author tells you to trust God because he loves you even though He doesn't take your sufferring away.
BUT how can we know he loves us? Just because someone or the Bible tells us?
So the author asks you a question - why do you think God does this and lets you suffer?
BUT there is no answer! What good is a book that asks but never answers? Well, if you CARE ENOUGH, go find the answer! Don't accept man's answer. Don't accept the author's answer or your pastor's answer. Truly SEEK the REAL answer. The question of evil and suffering. Does God really love us?
Now no one can make you seek the answers. You might just give up. But at least you know the questions are out there and you might just see that your pastor, church and friends don't even know the answers to some of these deep deep questions. The questions the author asks aren't that deep - it is the making you think that makes you see a deeper question behind the author's shallow question. It is the lack of answers in this book that makes you want to seek and search out REAL answers.
So, I would recommend this book.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
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