BOUND TOGETHER: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices By Chris Brauns

ABOUT THE BOOK

We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad.

Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin?
In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, “the principle of the rope.” Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Chris Brauns, MDiv, DMin, is the senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. His other books includeUnpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. Chris blogs at www.chrisbrauns.com.

MY REVIEW

When I first decided to review this book I wasn't sure what I would find in the book. Sometimes a book description can be a bit misleading and the book really isn't what you thought it would be about. This book, however, is exactly what it says it is. 

You have heard the saying, "giving someone enough rope to hang or save themselves." Pastor Brauns actually shows how the principle of the rope binds each and everyone of us together. 

This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read explaining and showing biblically how every single person, from the time of Adam and Eve to the end of mankind on this earth is bound together because of original sin; Pastor Brauns also explains how each one of us who have submitted to the cross of Christ are bound with Christ and that tie is greater than the tie of sin and death. He gives us a very clear and deeper understanding of the gospel.

For those who feel whatever they do doesn't affect anyone else, this book will be eyeopening. For those who are alone because of various reasons, this book will show them they really aren't, especially if they are a believer. They are members of the body of Christ, bound to other members and Christ Himself.

This book will change how you view your relationships with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, even with Christ. Written in a conversational style, Pastor Brauns gives us the bad news and the good news about being bound together, the bad news - original sin, the good news - the cross of Christ.

I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to have a better understanding of how original sin, mankind and the cross of Christ bind us together. 

Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan made this review possible by providing me with a free review copy of this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

 

 

 

THE WEIGHT OF MERCY: A NOVICE PASTOR ON THE CITY STREETS by Deb Richardson-Moore

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ministry can be messy, complicated, and bewildering. Whether responding to the church alarm mysteriously and repeatedly going off in the middle of the night, firing a kitchen assistant with a habit of buying drugs from parishioners, or interacting with the Chicken-Eatin' Preacher from West Greenville, pastor Deb Richardson-Moore quickly admits that there is a great deal they do not teach you in seminary. 

In this frank and engaging account of answering a call later in life, Richardson-Moore brings the reader into the world of her work at the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The result is an honest look at the complications and difficulties surrounding her first years of ministry to homeless men and women suffering from mental illness, crack addictions, and alcoholism. At the same time, it is a humorous and deeply touching account of God's grace manifested in the most remarkable of ways, whether in the inadvertent befriending of a mugger or in the unexpected witnessing of an addict tenderly washing another's wounded foot. 

In The Weight of Mercy, Richardson-Moore weaves a story that is difficult to forget, due both to its engaging characters and also its radical vision of what the Christian church could look like if it truly lived out Christ's command to welcome the stranger.

READ A CHAPTER HERE! 

ABOUT DEB RICHARDSON-MOORE

 

Deb Richardson-Moore is pastor of the non-denominational Triune Mercy Center--a mission church that ministers to and alongside the homeless in Greenville, South Carolina. Her congregation consists of street people who live in Greenville's "homeless triangle," as well as city dwellers and suburbanites who believe that the kingdom of God is widely and wildly inclusive.  

She is a native South Carolinian and a graduate of Wake Forest University and Erskine Theological Seminary. Prior to becoming a pastor, she was an award-winning writer for The Greenville News, covering art, theater, religion and unconventional features. Her stories on a losing soccer team and on the lost art of clothes ironing won national awards, as did her body of work on religion. 

Under Deb's leadership, Triune has been transformed from a dying church and crowded soup kitchen into a vibrant worship community whose parishioners mingle freely across socioeconomic lines. She has introduced international opera and Broadway stars to the homeless, and in return, introduced homeless musicians and visual artists to the Greenville community. Using art, music, drama and gardening along with more traditional programming such as mental health counseling, computer training, employment help, and drug rehabilitation, Triune has become known as a ministry that practices and preaches. 

Deb believes that living in solidarity with the impoverished, homeless, and mentally ill who make their way to Triune doesn't have to be grim. Nor ugly. Therefore, all comers are invited to share their gifts and to serve each other--from running the laundry room to serving communion to leading tours in which they are the experts on homelessness. Many of their efforts have gone into beautifying the building and grounds and making the inner-city church a sunny, cheerful place to be. 

But it wasn't always so. When Deb stepped into the Triune pastorate as an inexperienced, middle-aged seminary graduate, she was overwhelmed by the need and the grime, the demands and the dirt, the hidden horrors of a population she didn't know existed. She was determined not to forget those early years, and out of that determination came The Weight of Mercy. Deb is married to Vince Moore, who is director of media relations for Furman University. They have three grown children--Dustin, 29, Taylor, 27, and Madison, 22. The Weight of Mercy is her first book.  

CONNECT WITH DEB 

TRIUNE MERCY CENTER 

MY REVIEW

I wasn't exactly sure what I would be getting into when I decided to review this book. Sometimes when you read memoirs/biographies they can be hard to relate to. However, The Weight of Mercy: A Novice Pastor on the City Streets is a real eye-opener not to mention encouraging, and heart-wrenching at times.
Extremely well written, Deb lays bare her heart for the ministry God put into her hands. Through her words I could see in my minds-eye Triune Mercy and those who came to find a hot meal, counseling, and hope. 

She openly shares the triumphs, the loses, the frustrations and the joys of stepping outside of her comfort zone to minister to those who may or may not care. 

Having personally been involved in a similar ministry, I could well-relate to her battles because it is war. It is a war between hope and hopelessness. It is a war between adiction and being set free. It is a war between loving those who hate everyone. Yet in spite of it all, it is the insurmountable joy of watching and sharing in the life that rises from the grave (so to speak) to becoming someone brand new in Christ. 

Through Deb's book I was encouraged and reminded that no matter how hopeless a situation may seem, when God places you there, He will bring you through to the end and He is the one who will receive the glory and praise. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs encouragement in their ministry and to those who are trying to decide if inner-city ministry is where God really wants them. It's worth it.
 
Kregel Publications provided me with a free review copy in order for me to write this review.   

 

MOTHER OF PEARL: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith Compiled by Margaret McSweeney

ABOUT THE BOOK

Like oysters, women often encounter unexpected grit during their everyday lives. In response, God’s love and grace covers this grit and transforms the pain into a precious pearl that leaves a layered, luminous lining within a shell: Mother of Pearl. This brilliant luster is strong, lasting, and purposeful—just like the love, lessons, and legacies left by the special women in our lives.

Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. Margaret McSweeney presents a collection of heartfelt vignettes from authors who communicate the importance of the unique relationships between mothers and their children, between granddaughters and grandmothers and between children and the mother-figures in their lives.

These stories tell of the power of faith, prayer, and values, exploring coming of age, the joy of becoming a mother, the importance of motherhood, the ways to heal from a bad relationship with a mother and weathering the death of a special loved one. Poignant and thought-provoking, the stories serve to inspire, encourage, instill hope, and strengthen faith.

The proceeds from the sale of Mother of Pearl will be donated to organizations helping struggling women and children. The charities include Wings (Women in Need Growing Stronger) to help fund the Safe House in the Chicago suburbs and to Hands of Hope to help build wells for schoolchildren in Zambia.

LINK TO BY THE BOOK http://ow.ly/cTZAg

ABOUT MARGARET

Margaret McSweeney is a well-published author often writing online articles for Make It Better (the former North Shore Magazine) and freelance articles for the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. In addition, she has authored and compiled several books including A Mother’s Heart Knows; Go Back and Be Happy; Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, Mother of Pearl and Aftermath.

With a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business, Margaret became a vice-president in the corporate finance division of a New York City bank and worked there 1986–93.

As founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. www.pearlgirls.info

READ MORE REVIEWS http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13531423/motherofpearl

MY REVIEW

I am always happy to read something Margaret has written or compiled. She has a wonderful, God-given talent to point, direct and lead her readers to the Author and Finisher of our faith, Christ Jesus.

Can I say I loved this book? Is that over the top? Okay, maybe a little over the top. But I really do like this book a lot. There is a story in here for every woman to connect with, whether she is a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, or just herself.

If I counted right, there are 57 (that's fifty-seven) wonderful short stories from 57 different women of God who come from all walks of life. Singers, authors, speakers, well, you get the idea. They all share a vignette... 

(ok, I had to look up this word and here is the definition:[ vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object.] many times I have to thank the Free Dictionary online)... 

that comes from their hearts and life impressions regarding relationships between mothers and daughters and grandmothers and mother-figures and all the precious things that make those relationships special.

I especially liked the grandmother stories, being a grandmother, myself. Oh how I remember the first time I held my first grandchild.... 

Anyway, this is a great book to buy for yourself or the mother/daughter/grandmother in your life. It could be a "just because" you were thinking about them gift and you wanted to bring some of the sweet love of God in their life through these marvelous stories. And you would also be helping other women and children because the proceeds will help fund some great charities.

Buy this book today and bless someone tomorrow.

This review was made possible through Litfuse Publicity Group by providing me with a free review copy.

   

AFTERMATH: Growing in Grace Through Grief By Margaret McSweeney

ABOUT THE BOOK

Loss is a four-letter word that grips our hearts and gridlocks our lives. Grief can hold us captive until we surrender it to God. How do we find the necessary grace to journey through the mourning process?

Juxtaposed to the outpouring of her mother’s words about grief, the author shares her parallel journey from the emotional abyss of grief after becoming an adult orphan. With candor, the author shares her own emotions experienced along the spectrum of loss after her parents’ deaths: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—adding interactive options for readers.

Five sections cover these common emotions and provide:

• comfort Scripture lists

• counsel sections from grief experts

• chronicling sections with detailed helps

• tangible handles on dealing with grief during holidays, capturing loved ones’ legacy, and more. 

ABOUT MARGARET McSWEENEY

Margaret McSweeney is a well-published author often writing online articles for Make It Better (the former North Shore Magazine) and freelance articles for the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. In addition, she has authored and compiled several books including A Mother’s Heart Knows; Go Back and Be Happy; Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace and most recently, Mother of Pearl.

Margaret has a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business. As is the founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more about Margaret and the work of Pearl Girls at www.margaretmcsweeney.com

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13529019/margaretmcsweeney 

LINK TO BUY THE BOOK http://ow.ly/cOiNu 

MY REVIEW

Are you grieving over the loss of a loved one? Do you know someone who is? If the answer to either question is yes, then I want to recommend this book to you. 

Margaret McSweeney has written a wonderful, heartfelt, and an open-hearted book about her own time of grief through the loss of her mother, father and brother. She bares her heart and soul in this book as she writes what she went through. She also incorporates her mother's poems and letters and various family letters from when her mother lost her husband to a heart attack.

I found Aftermath to be a helpful book for myself. It allowed me to look at what I went through when I lost my own mother to cancer. It opened up areas I didn't realize I had closed off, and has allowed the healing love of God to come in and apply His balm over these places in my heart.

At the end of each chapter Margaret has a section that allows the reader to write down thoughts and feelings such as: "What grief-guilt and I holding onto? Am I ready to give God the burden of this grief-guilt? What would I like to say to Him?" (That one hit home for me.... I didn't realize I was still holding onto grief-guilt.)

Also she provides scripture that gives hope to the reader. Not a lot. Just enough to ponder on and hold onto. My favorite one in one chapter is "And the peace that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

You will also find counsel from various reputed ministers, councilors and authors on the subject of grief and how to help someone through the grief process or yourself.

Margaret, through her openness, shows us that grief is natural, understandable, and for each person it lasts as long as necessary. She also reveals to us that God is more than aware of our grief and He is more than able to bear that load for us so it doesn't have to weigh us down into the mire. And if it does, He is able to pick us up and set our feet on the high places.

This is a book that will be a help and comfort for many who are grieving the loss of a loved one. 

I received this review book from Litfuse Publicity for the purpose of review, free of charge. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions I have given are my own.

 

 

FEARLESS by Eric Blehm

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators.

 

When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, but he was ready: In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote “I’m not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this Earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me.”

But long before Adam Brown became a member of the elite SEAL Team SIX—the counterterrorism unit that took down Osama bin Laden—there was a fun-loving country boy from Arkansas whose greatest goal had been to wear his high school’s football jersey. An undersized daredevil, prone to jumping off roofs into trees and off bridges into lakes, Adam was a kid who broke his own bones but would never break a promise to his parents … until he grew older, and his family watched that appetite for risk draw him into a downward spiral that eventually landed him in jail.

FEARLESS is the story of a man of extremes, whose determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

FEARLESS is the intimate story of a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as just that—fearless.

Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown was a highly decorated combat veteran with numerous awards including the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals (total: 5), Iraq Campaign Medal (Total: 3+), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (Total: 4+), Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Expeditionary) Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon (Operation Iraqi Freedom), Combat Action Ribbon (Operation Enduring Freedom), and numerous other personal and (and confidential) unit decorations.

Click here to see the book trailer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About Eric

Eric Blehm is a bestselling and award-winning author of nonfiction books. In 2006, he won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season (HarperCollins), a gripping account of the disappearance of legendary National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson; The Last Season was also named by Outside magazine as one of the ten “greatest adventure biographies ever written” in 2009. Blehm’s next book, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Only Thing Worth Dying For (HarperCollins, 2010), was hailed by former congressman Charlie Wilson, of Charlie Wilson’s War, as a “must read” among books about the current war in Afghanistan.

In 1999, Blehm became the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger unit on a training mission. His access into the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters began to gain widespread embedded status with the U.S. military in the War Against Terror. Blehm’s immersion with the Rangers is what led him to the previously untold story of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who operated in the hinterland of Taliban-held Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For), as well as to his current book: Fearless (Waterbrook/Multnomah; Random House). On sale in May 2012, Fearless is the heartrending and inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, who overcame tremendous odds in his rise to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.

Blehm is the founder of Molly the Owl Books, the independent publishing company behind Molly the Owl—his popular nonfiction children’s book about a barn owl and her family—which won the 2011 Nautilus Award and the 2011 San Diego Book Award. Currently, he is working on his next nonfiction book, which takes place during the Cold War era.

Blehm lives in Southern California with his wife and children.

His website is http://www.ericblehm.com/

MY REVIEW

We all need heroes in this world. We need people who we can look up to and emulate. We need people with integrity, honor, humility, strong faith and belief in the Living God, Jesus Christ. Someone who loves God, Country and Family more than they love themselves.

Adam Brown was just one of those heroes. He was a strong military team member of the SEAL Team Six. His life before becoming a SEAL wasn't perfect. He had many flaws. But the one thing he did have was an inner drive that wouldn't quit. He didn't believe in quitting.

I was so encouraged reading about Adam Brown and his life. So many times I was brought to tears over his struggles as he became one of the top SEAL Team members. I laughed over his various antics and crazy stunts he would pull. And my heart went out to and broke over the various lives he touched in such humble ways. 

Eric Blehm's style of writing is alive and impacting. Reading Fearless, was almost like reading a novel, easy to read, smooth, and riveting. I couldn't stop reading it, even though I knew what would eventually happen to Adam. Blehm kept me glued to the book because he knew there was more to Adam's story than his bravery in the face of danger. 

Fearless is the incredible story about an incredible man who would tell you, if he were here, that his wife and his brothers were the hereos, he was just doing what he believed he was suppose to do.

This e-book review copy was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of reviewing by Blogging for Books. 

Buy the book

 

SON OF THE UNDERGROUND by Isaac Liu and Albrecht Kaul

His father was an enemy of the state. His mother was told to have an abortion. His teachers mocked him. He first met his father when he was four years old. He and his family lived for years on the run. 

Yet Isaac Liu, son of Brother Yun, survived to develop his own faith and character, and today is serving the Lord from his home in Germany.

My Review:

Though I have not had the privilege of reading the story of Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man, reading the story of his son, Isaac Liu, was riveting.

From the moment of his illegal birth in Communist China, to the harrowing journey to Germany, Liu's life was fraught with deprivation, hardship, hunger and fear. But in spite of all he and his mother and sister and grandmother endured in China, the Lord continued to be a source of light and life.

Reading about his grandmother reminded me of Timothy's grandmother, who was a godly influence in his life. She was a pillar in their village and would travel far to other villages to bring the Good News. Nai Nai actions and deeds in her Christian faith brought many people to Jesus. She would carry young Isaac on her back as they would travel to various villages to meet with other Christians.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Isaac to have been ridiculed, mocked and tormented by his fellow students and teachers. They did that because his father spent so much time in prison for being a traveling minister. That made his father and his family an enemy of the state.

Many times he and his family had to deal with the state police searching their home, which wasn't more than an hut, looking for his father. When the danger of being arrested would arise, the family would move to another place and change their names.

My heart broke for this young man and all that he had endured. Yet at the same time, reading his story made me take a hard look at my own faith. Would I be able to hold onto the Lord's hand in such persecution? I can only pray I would. 

In the United States of America we are still free to worship as we chose. We still have the freedom to attend any church we desire to. We Christians, still have liberties that our brothers and sisters in other countries don't have.

I am thankful for these freedoms, yet I believe those freedoms are going to disappear. By reading books such as Son of the Underground, and The Heavenly Man and For Those Tears, the Nora Lam Story, we can be encouraged to hold fast to our faith in Jesus.

Stories like Son of the Underground need to be shared. They help make those of us who are complacent and unaware of the persecution our brothers and sisters around the world are enduring to be mindful of them and remember them in our prayers. Their stories can help strengthen our walk with the Lord, bring about repentance in our lives and encourage us to live more fully for Him.

Son of the Underground was provided to me by Kregel Publications for the purpose of review. Thank you Kregel Publications.

  

 

THE CALL TO WONDER: Loving God Like a Child by R.C. Sproul Jr.

Every once in a while it happens. In the stack of books I have the privilege to review I miss one. Not that I didn't read it. I just didn't get the review posted. Such is the case with this book. However, I am rectifying that today.

A bit about the book:

Jesus encourages us to become like children in order to inherit God's Kingdom. Childlike faith is not an option. R. C. Sproul Jr. explores in depth what it means to accept Jesus' invitation to practice a childlike faith. As the father of eight children, R. C. Sproul Jr. watches how his own children approach every day, buoyed by trust, hope, and joy. Through their eyes, the world is fresh and brand-new. Everything is an invitation to express astonishment and wonder at the great gift of life—and, the great Giver. The Call to Wonder is an invitation to rest in childlike joy and peace built on a deep trust in the living God. Like a child, you, too, can rest in God's almighty arms and gasp at the fireworks of his glory exploding around you every day in his creation.

Read the First Chapter here


About R.C. Sproul Jr.

 R.C. Sproul Jr. served for eleven years as editor-in-chief of TableTalk magazine. In 1996 he began Highlands Ministries and planted Saint Peter Presbyterian Church in southwestern Virginia. He is editor of Every Thought Captive magazine, a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries, a visiting faculty member of Ligioner Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies. He and his wife, Denise, live in Orlando, Florida, with their eight children.

Now my review.....

At first reading, I had to keep looking at the author's name to be sure I was reading something by R.C. Sproul Jr. and not his father. If you have ever read any of R.C. Sproul's works, then when you read this book, you will know what I mean.

Sound teaching, love for the Bible and especially a deep love for the Lord, comes through clearly as Sproul Jr. writes his heart and thoughts into this small book.

Though it is a small book, only 172 pages long, it is packed full of wonderful biblical and life examples on how to love God like a child, taking delight in obeying His commands, standing in awe of His handiwork, trusting Him to not only provide our daily bread but to guide and direct our very footsteps. We are shown how pleasing our heavenly Father in all that we do because we know He loves us, is loving Him as our children love us.

With a clear look at how his own children respond to the wonders of God and their response to their earthly father, Sproul Jr. directs, leads and shows by example how we adults can develop that child-like quality Jesus commands. 

This is a book worth reading, sharing, and reading again. I can see it becoming a classic that our children's children will find and read for themselves on day.


This review copy was provided by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for the purpose of review free of charge. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

 

TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING by Robert Jeffress

How America's Last Days Can Be Your Best Days

Pastor and Fox News, CNN and MSNBC media personality Robert Jeffress shows us how America’s last days can be our best days. We have an unprecedented opportunity to have a positive, eternal effect on the lives of those around us.

 

Never in recent history have Christians been more discouraged and fearful about our country’s future. Economic chaos, immorality, terrorism and global turmoil have convinced many that we are living in the twilight days of America. Dr. Robert Jeffress agrees. But this is not the end of the story, he writes in Twilight’s Last Gleaming. Although we cannot prevent America’s eventual demise, we can delay it . . . and make a difference for eternity at the same time.

For everyone who wonders what can be done right now—within our culture, our churches, in the voting booth and our neighborhoods—Jeffress answers with biblical insight and real-world clarity, showing Christians how to seize this unprecedented opportunity and point people to our only Hope. Includes a foreword by Mike Huckabee.

Click here to hear an audio interview

To read the first chapter go to this link

About Robert Jeffress:

Robert Jeffress (DMin, Southwestern Theological Seminary; ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is an author and the senior pastor of the 10,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. His bold, biblical and practical approach to ministry has made him one of the country’s most respected evangelical leaders and earned him a Daniel Award from Vision America. He regularly appears on major mainstream media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, The O’Reilly Factor, Cavuto on Business, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS’s The Early Show. He also hosts a television program, Pathway to Victory, and teaches a daily sermon series that airs on 1,200 television stations and cable systems throughout the nation and in 28 countries around the world.

What I think about the book:


Let me begin by saying this book is not only timely but a must read for all Christians in this country. Pastor Jeffress doesn't hold back anything when talking about the decline of the United States. He doesn't just point out where we as a country have fallen, but he guides the Christians of this country to be the salt and light in a decaying, fallen society.


Christians can slow down the decay and eventual destruction of this country by prayerful consideration of who we vote into office, locally and federally; also, being aware of what is being voted into legislation. Listening and heeding what God says about our potential leaders and whether they meet His requirements, we can vote in more appropriate leaders. Be sure to read chapter 4, 'How a Christian Should Vote.' It will make things very clear, it sure did for me.

In Twilight's Last Gleaming, Pastor Jeffress discusses the most misunderstood word in America.... tolerance. He explains what true tolerance is verses the pseudotolerance that is being forced on every person in United States. This chapter was most enlightening to me.  

In the chapter 'For Pastors Only,' Pastor Jeffress writes not only to pastors but to us plain folk. Let's face it, evangelizing, building the body of Christ, being salt and light isn't just for the pastors. Pastors are to train, we are to run with that training and cause others to thirst and want the light of Christ we show. We never know when someone is ready to surrender their life to Jesus. Hence the reason we are to be ready at all times to give the reason for our hope. Pastor Jeffress shares a story from D.L. Moody's life that just brought me to tears. Never pass the opportunity to show the way to Christ Jesus.


All in all, this book is eye-opening, timely, challenging and so on target. Is America in her last days? I believe so. But, just as Pastor Jeffress believes, I think it can be delayed as long as every Christian votes, evangelizes, prepares, and continues to be salt and light.


Extremely well written, concise, and straight-forward, Pastor Jeffress boldly goes where frailer Christians fear to tread. Pulling the blinders of the eyes of Christians around the country, we now have decisions to make and a way to follow through with those decisions.


I can only stress again, this is a must read for any one in the United States who calls themselves a Christian. 


This book was provided freely for the purpose of reviewing by The B & B Media Group, Inc and Worthy Publishing. All opinions expressed are mine.

 

EMBRACED BY GOD by Babbie Mason

[About the book]

Have you ever wondered, "Does God really love me? Do I really matter to him?"

HE LOVES YOU.

As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as he loves His own Son.

In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.

[About Babbie Mason]

Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles. 

[Link to buy the book] http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/DynamicContent.aspx?id=141&pageid=677  

[About the Giveaway and Party]

Embraced by God is a 21-day encounter that shares the unconditional love of God. "If you watch what the media says as to where we should find our identity--" says Babbie, "--money, beauty, power and technology--you'll just be confused about who you are and what your purpose is. As a culture we are trying to buy or sell what can only be administered to the soul by Jesus."

Celebrate with Babbie by entering her Nook Tablet Giveaway!

 

One beloved winner will receive:

• A Brand new Nook Tablet with Wi-Fi
• Embraced by God by Babbie Mason
• Babbie's Embraced by God Music CD
• Babbie's Embraced by God Notecards

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/5/12. Winner will be announced at Babbie's "Embraced" Facebook Party on 3/6

. Babbie will be hosting an evening of chat, music, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, Embraced by God music CDs and Notecards, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club.) 

 

So grab your copy of Embraced by God and join Babbie and friends on the evening of March 6th for an evening of fun.

 

Don't miss a moment of the fun! RSVP today and tell your friends via Facebook or Twitter and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

[My Review]

Embraced by God: Celebrating Who and Whose You Are is a 21 day devotional. There are seven themes that are broken down into three days. Each theme covers a specific subject: God's Passion for You is Unconditional, God's Picture of You is Beautiful, God's Presence in You is Perpetual, God's Provision for You is Immeasurable, God's Plan for You is Exceptional, God's Power in You is Accessible, God's Promise in You is Incomparable, and then The encore: A Legacy of Love.

I don't know which theme or day was my favorite. I loved it all. Just reading about how much God loves me and thinks I'm beautiful and His favorite... I was overcome. Sometimes we women need to hear from our Heavenly Father those very things and Babbie has certainly been His voice to our eyes and ears and hearts.

Each day ends with an Embrace. Here I had the opportunity to pray about what I read, think about what He was saying to me, and read a scripture about the particular topic that was covered. I also was encouraged to apply it to my life.

Embrace by God is a wonderful devotion for women of all ages. Though there really isn't anything new being said here, Babbie has brought the love of the Father for His daughter forth in a clear, warm, embracing manner.

This is one devotional I will truly recommend to any woman I know who is looking for one that will bring encouragement to her heart and soul.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publishing for the purpose of review. I am not under any obligation to present a positive review.

 

  

ROUTE 66: A Crash Course in Navigating Life with the Bible

Route 66
A Crash Course in Navigating Life with the Bible
Krish Kandiah

Welcome to Route 66, a journey to discover how the 66 books of the Bible help us to know God—and know how to live for Him. This book is packed with practical help to live your whole life guided by the whole of the Bible.

For many of us, there is a disconnect between the Bible we treasure and the book we struggle to read. We know the Bible is a lamp to our feet, honey on our lips, and the sword of the Spirit, equipping us for every good work. But sometimes the Bible feels more like a confusing collection of ancient texts filled with obscure laws! Using the analogy of a trip, Route 66 unfolds how different passages of the Bible can help us travel through different passages of our life.

Route 66 works with the idea that there are eight identifiable genres within the Bible: narrative, law, psalm, prophecy, wisdom, gospel, epistle, and apocalyptic. Krish Kandiah introduces each in turn, explaining how to read them and how to apply their teaching to your life. He then provides five studies for each. There are three ways you can use this book: on your own, with 40 daily Bible studies and a “travel journal” to record what God is teaching you; in a small group, with weekly study questions to supplement your personal reading; and with your church, using the eight sections of the book as a great sermon series (there are some free downloadable slides and service outlines available on kregel.com).

 Krish Kandiah is the Executive Director: Churches in Mission for the UK Evangelical Alliance. He is also an external examiner for Oak Hill College, an Associate Research Fellow at London School of Theology, and is part of the theme development group for Spring Harvest.

Dr. Kandiah previously held the position of Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, in addition to being Tutor for the Mission and Evangelism at Wycliffe Hall. He was also an Oxford University Theology faculty member. 

Before becoming the pastor of a multi-cultural church in Harrow, Kandiah worked with students in the UK with Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, and in Albania with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. He has wide experience in evangelism and cross cultural mission, and he is in demand around the world as a speaker and lecturer—though he is still a regular speaker at university missions and at Spring Harvest. 

Dr. Kandiah and his wife, Miriam, have four elementary aged children and regularly take in foster babies. Kandiah has a keen interest in movies, photography, rock music, and Liverpool FC.

Books

Fresh: Bitesize Inspiration for New Students, IVP 2008
“Twenty Four – integrating faith and real life” Authentic 2007
“Destiny- what is life all about?” Monarch 2007
“Life Swap – finding the life you always wanted, Monarch 2008
“How to Save a Life- becoming a Christian”, Authentic, 2009
“Dysciples – why i fall asleep when I pray…” – Authentic 2009
Just Politics, Authentic 2010
Final – bite-sized inspirations for final year students, IVP 2010
Route 66: A Crash Course in Navigating Life, Monarch Books 2011

MY REVIEW:

I have read many different books on how to read the Bible, from light and fluffy to dry and weighty tomes that can put you to sleep if you are having trouble sleeping. 

Route 66 is like the chair that's "just right" in not only is it informative, but filled with gems of insight that will encourage you to dig deeper in your Bible. 

Krish's style of writing is easy to read and follow. Though his writing has some British terminology that we Americans may not be use to, it wasn't difficult to understand. 

I especially liked how he explained each "genre" or collection of writings in the Bible and pointed out what their differences and purposes were for the people of that time and how they apply to our lives today.

Route 66 is an eight week study with something new every day that encourages the novice Bible student to the most scholarly to discover a fresh view point that will breath new life into their walk with God.

It also has a group study section for those who like to read and study the Bible with others. The questions will help engage lively discussion and serious thought in discovering what it is that God is saying to His people.

This book is not only a keeper, but one that will blow the dust off of your Bible and lives and help you gain a better understanding of God's written word and how He wants to change your life. 

This book was provided for the purpose of reviewing and posting that review, by Kregel Publications. Everything I have said is of my own opinion. Thank you Kregel! 

EXCERPT FROM ROUTE 66:

Week 1: Living faithfully 1

The narrative literature and its application to life

Day 1: The ride of our lives

Luke is funny. He is clever. He is 145 cm tall and has brown eyes.

     What is your mental image of Luke from that description? Are you imagining a

small clown turning cartwheels? Are you thinking geeky and peculiar? Awkward

and studious? Scheming and tricking? I’m afraid all of these are way off mark.

Describing anyone in terms of a few physical features and personality traits falls

seriously short. So let me introduce you to my son Luke another way – with a story.

     Yesterday Luke brought his schoolwork home. When we asked why he hadn’t

completed the work at school, he explained crossly that he had been waiting in

the queue to get the materials from the teacher when he saw one of his friends

struggling. He went over to help him out and rejoined the queue. Just as he was

almost at the front he spotted a girl crying, so he went over to give her a hand and

by the time he rejoined the queue again, she was smiling. By the end of the lesson

he had helped half the class in one way or another, but had hardly started his

project. When his teacher saw his work, she told him off for “doing nothing” and

gave him a warning.

     Just from this one short story, we gain an insight into the way Luke relates

to others, his selflessness, and his sense of justice. We read “clever” as mentally

resourceful, and “funny” as good at making other people smile. But more than just

picturing him, you are probably beginning to relate to Luke. You may even have

begun to think about what you would do in his shoes or what you would say to

him if you were his teacher, his friend or his parent.

     Statements like “Luke is 145 cm tall” are important. But they are merely the

bones of a skeleton when it comes to getting to know somebody. A story fleshes

out the description, giving us a clearer picture of the person and offering us the

possibility of intimacy and relationship. When God introduces himself to us in the

beginning of the Bible, he does so through story after story after story. This has a

number of effects:

1. Stories reveal God’s character¹²

Not just in terms of abstract concepts that could be misconstrued, but also in terms

of concrete examples. For the most part the story of the Bible is a retelling of how

God has connected characters, communities, continents and the cosmos itself in his

great big story for all of creation, making the character of the invisible God visible

to us.

2. Stories draw us into the story

Stories abduct our emotions, stealing them away into the drama as we recognize

the dilemmas and empathize with the characters.¹³ By experiencing the stories God

has given us in this way, our imagination, our ambition and our lives are drawn into

the captivating narrative of the Bible.

3. Stories draw us into relationship

As we see God’s character in action, we get to know different aspects of his

personality and foundations for a relationship are built as we share his hopes and

heartaches.

4. Stories make us who we are

“In order to make sense of our lives and to make our most important decisions,

we depend on some story.”¹⁴ In a world of competing stories the Bible tells us true

stories about the way things really happened so that we can be caught up into

God’s ultimate story of the grand sweep of history. Sometimes we zoom in and see

the fine detail – like in the story of Joseph and his jealous brothers. Other times we

zoom out to see the genealogies that summarize generations of stories where God

was faithful to his people. It has been said that history is His Story, but it is also

our story, as we too belong somewhere in the sweep of history described between

Genesis 1 and Revelation 21.

5. Stories change our lives

One sweltering summer’s day my wife and I heard a story about a beautiful

newborn baby girl who had no home to go to, as her birth mother was unable

to care for her. She was lying in the hospital that hot afternoon, oblivious to the

uncertainties of her future as social workers phoned around possible placements.

We were newly approved foster carers. On hearing this story we faced a choice.

Our decision to get involved in the story of this little girl had life-changing

consequences as we first fostered her, then adopted her, loving her as our own

daughter. Reading the stories of the Old Testament comes with a health warning:

the more we get to know God, and the more we get drawn into the Bible story,

the harder it will be to ignore the invitation to join the ride of our lives in God’s big

plan for the universe.

TRAVEL JOURNAL: Genesis 1:1–31

1. God is introduced as the lead character in the story of the Bible.

How does this story seek to inspire awe in you as you read?

(See verses 1, 3 and 16.)

2. The story of the beginning of the universe is told with great

artistry. Where do you notice repetitions, poetry or unusual turns

of phrase?

3. The hinge-point of the story seems to be the creation of human

beings (verses 27–31). Find four differences compared to the

rest of creation. Why are they significant?

4. Use the five points about how stories help us to engage with

Genesis 1. How does this story:

⊕ reveal God’s character?

⊕ draw us into relationship?

⊕ draw us into the story?

⊕ make us who we are?

⊕ change our lives?

Day 2: Mirror, signal, manoeuvre

Of the 4,000 or more volumes that my wife and I own, there is one that I

particularly treasure. It is one of my smallest and scruffiest books and even the

letters on its spine have been rubbed away. But every time I see it, I remember the

romance of a day twenty years earlier. I was in Shakespeare’s Stratford with my

soon-to-be fiancée when we discovered this compact copy of Romeo and Juliet in

a second-hand shop. Sitting by the river in view of the Swan Theatre, I gave that

book as a farewell present to my girlfriend as she left to spend a year working in

Germany. Somehow we survived the long-distance relationship and that copy of

Romeo and Juliet now sits on our shelf reminding us of young love, of the pain of

separation, and of the hope of return.

     If I were to tell you that some recent visitors to my home spotted that famous

romantic tragedy on my bookshelf, and had never heard of it before, I guess you

would be surprised. But imagine your shock if I then added that I could summarize

the play in just thirteen words:

⊕ Hate destroys families.

⊕ Love is stronger than hate.

⊕ Love is stronger than death.

The statements are true enough, but the story has been stripped of its plot, its

suspense, its beauty, its emotions, its characters, and its context. My summary may

have left my visitors a little more informed, but I doubt I would have inspired them

to go away and discover the play for themselves.

     Many of the sermons I hear, and even many I have preached, easily end up

as a bland set of bullet-points, often handily beginning with the same letter!

For example, you could go away from a sermon based on the story of the call of

Abraham in Genesis 12 with these lessons:

⊕ God is patient.

⊕ God is generous.

⊕ God is missionary.

Here are three true statements,15 but the Bible passage, which started out as a

story, has ended up as systematic theology. This is as dissatisfying as going into

a restaurant and ordering their best soup, and being given instead a list of the

ingredients. Or visiting the Louvre to see a Renaissance masterpiece, only to

discover that scientists had immortalized the exhibits by distilling the paints into

test-tubes arranged in alphabetical order of their chemical composition. Sometimes

we are in danger of reducing the Bible so much, that although we may find a truth,

we lose the sensation and the impact that the story was supposed to produce.16

     It is the basic assumption in this book that God in his wisdom inspired the

Scriptures and gave us just the kind of book that we needed. It is no accident or

mistake that God inspired so much of the Bible to be in story form and preserved

those stories over the millennia so they would be handed down in the format we

see in front of us. Of course God could have sent us bullet-points instead, but he

chose not to. God’s aim was not that we boil these stories down to their bare

minimum ingredients. God’s aim was the opposite – that the stories could boil over

into the messy reality of our lives.

     In order to understand Romeo and Juliet, we need to understand the language

and the culture that Shakespeare was writing in. But that tragic play set in the

fifteenth century, with its rigid conventions of marriage, still has an impact in our

more liberal society. The stories of the Bible are not human works of fiction, like

Shakespearean plays, but divine accounts of history and therefore have endless

potential to impact our own lives. Nevertheless, we still need to acknowledge the

presence of the two worlds, whichever part of the Bible narrative we are reading:

the world of the Bible text with its language, culture and time in history, and our

world with its very different language, culture and time in history.17 The following

tool of narrative Bible study is adapted from that vital all-terrain habit I learned in

my driving lessons: “Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre”.

⊕ MIRROR: Look back and try to understand how the original audience would

have experienced the Bible passage.

⊕ SIGNAL: Ask God to help you to understand the passage’s significance

today. How is the story used elsewhere in the Bible? How does the story set

the course for our lives today?

⊕ MANOEUVRE: What are you going to do now to change your actions,

attitude or understanding as a result of this Bible passage?

Looking back to what a story meant to its first hearers before we look to our own

situation may take some getting used to. However awkward and time-consuming it

may feel to first look back, and then look around before looking forward, this art

of time travel will protect us from the dangers of misapplying the Bible, and will

resource us to move forward confidently.

TRAVEL JOURNAL: Genesis 12:1–9

1. Flick back through chapters 9–12. What do we learn about the

world as Abram saw it? How do you imagine Abram felt about

God’s call in verse 1, and the promises in verses 2–3 and 7?

From Abram’s perspective, how does the story work out for him?

(Scan through Genesis 12–25.)

2. How does Abram’s call set the direction for how we understand

the life of faith? (See Galatians 3 and Romans 4.)

3. Ultimately God’s promise will be fulfilled at the end of time. How

is Abram’s call therefore still applicable to those of us who are

his spiritual descendants? (See especially Genesis 12:2–3.)

4. How does Hebrews 11:8–12 help us to live out this story? What

are you going to do about this?

Notes

12 See Newbigin, L., 1989, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, SPCK, p. 99.

13 See Sweet, L., McLaren, B. & Hasselmayer, J., 2003, A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emergent Church, Zondervan, pp. 31–33.

14 See Bartholomew, C. & Goheen, M., 2006, The Drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the biblical story, SPCK, p. 1.

15 Kevin Vanhoozer puts it well: “The gospel is informative: ‘he is risen.’ Without some propositional core, the church would lose its raison

d’être, leaving only programs and pot-lucks. At the same time, to reduce the truth of Scripture to a set of propositions is unnecessarily reductionist.”

Vanhoozer, K., 2005, “Lost in Interpretation? Truth, Scripture and Hermeneutics”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 48/1, March 2005,

p. 100.

16 For more on this theme see Arthurs, J. D., 2007, Preaching with Variety: How to recreate the Dynamics of Biblical Genres, Kregel.

17 Stott, J., 1998, I Believe in Preaching, Hodder & Stoughton.