Along the Road by John A. Beck

Along the Road by John A. Beck ISBN-13: 9781627077323 Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Discovery House Released: Feb. 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Jesus’s teaching gains fresh relevance through this fascinating study of Bible stories separated by centuries, but related by shared geography. In Along the Road, John Beck delves into the conversations that would naturally occur if you had walked with Jesus along a first-century road. Journey with Beck as he weaves the Old Testament context of each locale into Jesus’s experience there, and discover how these easily overlooked geographical and cultural details can enhance your understanding of God's Word.


My Review:
Along the Road looks at different events in the Bible that happened in the same city or area. The author looked at the relationship between the different events and how people at the later event would have thought back to what happened there before. For example, Jesus raised a young man from the dead close to a city where a prophet also raised a young man from the dead, and the people called Jesus a prophet after the miracle.

The author looked at five types of geographic connections: fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, tests where humans had failed but Jesus succeeded, places where Jesus confronted pagan strongholds, places that helped reveal Jesus as the Son of God, and how the location connected into the message that Jesus was preaching. The author summarized the events that happened at each place, the connections between them, what the landscape looked like, and where it was located. The book contains maps showing where these events occurred.

Each chapter takes about 5 to 10 minutes to read, so it would work well as a devotional. Overall, I highly recommend this interesting and insightful book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

God's Grace in Your Suffering by David A. Powlison

God's Grace in Your Suffering by David A. Powlison ISBN-13: 978-1433556180 Trade Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Crossway Released: Feb. 28, 2018

Source: Advanced reader review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description from Goodreads:
It's easy to see God's grace when things are going well. But in the midst of suffering--when we don't sense any positive change in our circumstances on the horizon--we can start to question God's goodness. Exploring the biblical truths found in each stanza of the classic hymn "How Firm a Foundation," experienced biblical counselor David Powlison invites us to hear God's perspective and see God's purpose in our suffering. Rather than offering abstract theory or mere sentimentality, Powlison writes to anchor our hope in the God who promises to be with us and transform us in the midst of even our darkest trials.


My Review:
God's Grace in Your Suffering looked at how God works in the midst of your pain and suffering. The author urges you to examine your specific, personal sufferings by answering questions that he poses throughout the book. In turn, he shares his experiences of fear, betrayal, and pain, and how he grew in his walk with God through those experiences. He doesn't make you feel bad about not liking your suffering but rather he encourages you.

He used the stanzas of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" as a framework for his chapters. He looked at God's promises--He is with you, he is for you, and he will never forsake you--as well as God's Sovereignty and how He uses our sufferings to refine us and draw us closer to Him. The author explained how suffering can develop a steadiness and depth of faith and expose hope placed in false saviors. The author also looked at our brokenness/sinful predisposition, death, and Satan. He also examined Scripture. I had no trouble understanding his points. Overall, I'd highly recommend this quick read.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Age of Promise by Randy Robison

The Age of Promise by Randy Robison ISBN-13: 9781400207534 Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Jan. 30, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In The Age of Promise, Robison introduces us to ten foundational promises made in the Old Testament and transformed in Christ, ten mysteries now revealed in Jesus that offer us a deeper, more powerful relationship with the Father. These ten promises, which bring God’s intricate plan of redemption to fulfillment, include:

The promise of deliverance
The promise of the chosen people
The promise of the temple
And much, much more!



My Review:
I thought "The Age of Promise" was going to show how the Old Testament promises were fulfilled through Christ in the New Testament. However, this book instead claims that the old covenant was defective and the Jews hopeless while the new covenant is perfect and the end has already come. While I agree that sacrifices could not save a person, the Law did exactly what it was designed to do and the Old Testament Jews could find hope and faith in the promised Messiah. So, basically, I disagreed with his foundational assertions.

Frankly, he seemed to have a problem with Jews. He ignored anything in the New Testament that didn't fit with his theories. Often, when he did a word study, it was to find some meaning of the word that he was more comfortable with and fit his theories better. So he didn't win me over to his ideas. Here are some quotes to try to show some of his ideas:

Page 44: "Allusions to the coming King echo through the Psalms and the Prophets. But for hundreds of years, the people could only cling to the law. Their religion provided their only hope....Religion was about to die so that man could live." Yet "When we see how laws fit in God's plan, we can joyfully embrace the laws that apply to us today and begin walking in their promise."

Page 138: "God had decided the days of pruning his chosen people were over. He would bring the whole tree down through the work of Jesus Christ. And it would happen soon."

Page 145: "Wrath is brought by the law. This is why Christians need not fear the wrath (the judgment to destruction) of God. It was targeted specifically to those under the old covenant."

Page 170: "Since we have established through Scripture that God's kingdom is now purely spiritual..." And page 172: "[God's kingdom] does not reside in America, Israel, or any other geopolitical realm. It is present with a believer in Mumbai or Madrid, but not with a nonbeliever in Toronto or Tel Aviv." And page 173: "The promise of the kingdom, a place where God reigns over his people, is that it's here and it's for you. You need not die to enter into his kingdom....Seek first his kingdom, and you will learn to walk in it every day."

Page 187: "Since the question is not 'When will the world be terminated?' But 'When will the era be completed?" the discussion changes drastically." And page 181: "The destruction we should warn people of is the destruction sin brings in their lives, not some imminent clamity orchestrated by God." And page 182: "If we think of the end not as an expiration of time but as a fulfillment of a purpose...then his predictions of the end are a completion of something and not the termination of the world."

Page 188: "Another passage that once frightened me about the end-times relates to the predicted destruction not only of earth but of heaven itself." And page 190 in reference to 2 Peter 3:10-12: "Peter was talking about Christ's purifying fire coming to the hearts of men and the passing of the old covenant for a new and better one."

Page 198: "The reality is that our bodies are mere traps for our souls." And page 199: "Fortunately, our spirits exist, and in Christ, they are far superior to our bodies....Death, then, is necessary to free the perfected spirit from the imperfect body."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Rescue by Jim Cymbala

The Rescue by Jim Cymbala ISBN-13: 9780310351177 Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: Feb. 27, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers.

Book Description from BookLook:
Seven People, Seven Amazing Stories

A Wall Street broker, a party girl, a student, a homeless man, an addict, a teenage mom, a drug enforcer—all of them spiraling out of control. Each has a reason to despair and a wound that won’t heal. Until something unexpected happens—something that will change their lives forever.

The Rescue tells the powerful, true stories of men and women whose lives should have ended badly but didn’t. What happens to each of them will take you by surprise and give you hope. It will restore your sense that no matter what you are facing, Someone good is in control of the universe. Fortunately, that Someone cares about you. If you or people you care about are facing challenges beyond their strength, it may be time to experience The Rescue.


My Review:
The Rescue is a collection of 7 testimonies by Christians about how they came to faith. They came from different backgrounds, but each had a life of pain that felt empty and out of control until God reached out to them in different ways and brought healing and peace. To quote the last woman, Toni, "No matter how painful your story has been, or how much shame might be hiding from yourself and others, God is strong and loving enough to deal with it. He's also creative enough to use everything--even the worst things--to accomplish his good purposes. If you let him, he will turn your life into a story that you will cherish..." This book seems intended for people who do not believe in God or who don't have a close relationship with him yet.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs ISBN-13: 9781601425416 Hardcover: 212 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Oct. 26, 2013

Source: Bought a copy.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God’s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way. Best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs explores the biblical stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, unwrapping each verse with tender care and introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas.


My Review:
The Women of Christmas is a Bible study focusing on the women involved in Jesus birth narrative, from Elizabeth and Mary to Anna. The author went verse-by-verse from Luke 1:5 to 2:40 and commented on events. She provided cultural background information so the reader could better understand and visualize events. (Frankly, though, I didn't always think she was right. For example, she suggests that Elizabeth went into seclusion until she felt her baby first move. I've read that, traditonally, women went into seclusion once they started to show until birth and I always assumed that's what Elizabeth did.) She also suggested what people might have felt during those events and provided other insights. There's a short study guide in the back with questions for further discussion or thought. Overall, I'd recommend this joyful Bible study


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Never Alone by Tiffany Bluhm

Never Alone by Tiffany Bluhm ISBN-13: 978-1501848636 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Abingdon Press Released: Feb. 6, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
From the time we're little girls, we long to be loved and accepted--from the playground to the lunchroom to the places where we live and work as grown women. We do our best to prove we're lovable and to avoid being left all alone. But the truth is that it's impossible to walk through life without experiencing the pain and loneliness of betrayal, shame, guilt, loss, judgment, or rejection. These wounds can shape our views of ourselves, others, and God and even make us question if we are worthy of love and acceptance. Whether old or new, our heartache can convince us there's no one who understands or cares. Yet Jesus tells us a different story.

In Never Alone, author Tiffany Bluhm offers hope and encouragement that as our plans, hearts, and lives change, God does not miss a beat. What we may have mistaken for absence was only our mind questioning his goodness and grace. Tiffany reveals the depth and healing power of Jesus' unconditional love for us and how we will never escape his love. We do not possess that kind of power. Accept your invitation to find healing for your deepest hurts as we experience the unfailing companionship of Jesus--the Rescuer and Redeemer of broken lives and wounded hearts.


My Review:
Never Alone is part memoir, part spiritual growth book. In each chapter, the author told a part of her life story--from being adopted from an orphanage in India, growing up, and dating to getting married and going through the long process of adopting a son from Uganda. She dealt with feelings of rejection, shame, and loneliness due to her adoption and different appearance from her family. She has also wrestled with envy, worry, anger, bitterness, and grief. So she talked about those issues, bringing in the stories of women in the Bible and related Scriptures. She talked about the lessons she's learned and how God has been at work healing her heart and giving her strength. It's an encouraging book that leads you toward trusting God and drawing on His strength and love in difficult times.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.