A Layman Looks at the Lamb of God by W. Phillip Keller

A Layman Looks at the Lamb of God by W. Phillip Keller ISBN-13: 9780871233141 Trade Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: June 1, 1982

Source: Borrowed from my church library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Phillip Keller traces the main Bible events which prefigured Christ the Lamb. These six word pictures culminate in the story of Christ Himself in His matchless role as the divine sacrifice for sins.


My Review:
A Layman Looks at the Lamb of God is a study of Old Testament events which point to Christ as the Lamb and the New Testament events that fulfill this role.

The author looked at six examples of foreshadowing Christ as a lamb: Adam and Eve's covering, Cain and Abel's offerings, Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac, the Passover lamb, the scapegoat, and the lamb in Isaiah. Each event was discussed in a separate chapter. The final chapter was a look at Christ fulfilling his role of lamb in the New Testament.

There was very little about shepherding or lambs in this devotional. There was a fair amount of speculation, some of which I'd agree with because it's consistent with the Bible as a whole. However, he based some of his studies on speculation rather than information specifically stated in the Bible. And I'm not even sure where he got some of his speculations from, like some ideas he stated--as if fact--about Nazareth and Jesus' growing up years. While I though the book was useful to make a person think, I'd suggest that people double-check what the Bible actually says after reading it so they can separate speculation from fact.


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.

A Week in the Life of Corinth by Ben Witherington III

A Week in the Life of Corinth by Ben Witherington III ISBN-13: 9780830839629 Trade Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: InterVarsity Press Released: April 2, 2012

Source: Bought from Amazon.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Spend an imaginary week in Paul's Corinth as the story of Nicanor winds through street and forum, marketplace and baths, taking us into shop, villa and apartment, where we meet friends new and old. From our observing a dinner in the temple of Aesclepius to Christian worship in the home of Erastos, Paul's dealings with the Corinthians in his letters take on focused relevance and social clarity. Explanatory sidebars crack open windows on features we encounter along the way, offering further background.


My Review:
A Week in the Life of Corinth is partly fiction and partly nonfiction. It read like a documentary show that's primarily made up of fictional reenactments to illustrate the points. The purpose was to educate readers (in an entertaining way) about the social and cultural background to Paul's letters to Corinth so that we can better understand them.

The book contained some nice black-and-white pictures of ruins, diagrams of houses, and archaeological artifacts that illustrated information in the non-fiction sidebars or events in the story. A lot of educational material was worked into the story, but additional information was provided in "sidebars" (which could take up whole pages) that were placed within the story.

The story followed a week in the life of a freed slave, who is caught in some political power-plays, and of Paul, who is facing a trial described in the Bible. The story had plenty of conflict and educational value, but it's a fairly short story and the relationships were only shallowly developed.

I thought that the author did a good job with the educational points that he brought out. The focus was mainly on Roman aspects (rather than Jewish) since the focus was on Corinth. Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who aren't very familiar with cultural background information and who aren't interested in pure nonfiction books on the topic.


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.

Into the Amazon DVD

Into the Amazon DVD 4 DVD set Length: 300 minutes Publisher: Vision Forum Ministries Released: 2011

Source: Bought through Answers in Genesis.

DVD Description from Publishers Website:
Join Doug Phillips and his team of thirty men on an adventure you will never forget — to the Amazon jungle, high into the Andes Mountains, and to the Great Peruvian Desert — and bring your entire family! Explore piranha-infested rivers and vampire bat caves, discover strange insects and fascinating plant life, fly over the strange Nazca lines, and encounter the remains of pagan civilizations that continue to negatively influence modern cultures. Together your family will discover why the Amazon is one of the most controversial places on earth, and your children will learn the truth in the battle between radical environmentalism and biblical Christianity.


My Review:
Into the Amazon follows a tour group of 30 men as they explore the Amazon, the Inca Stones, Great Peruvian Desert, the Nazca lines, and Machu Picchu. The visual was nicely done overall, but sometimes the audio was difficult to hear due to people in the background making noise or when the sound dropped when those speaking turned their head or moved too fast.

The focus of the series was primarily "biblical dominion versus radial environmentalism." Don't expect a creation science focus, though the speakers do come from a biblical viewpoint.

The first disc contained the episodes: "The Mystery of the Meaning of the Amazon" (15 minutes and 35 seconds) and "The Mystery of the Lost Legacy of Adventure & Dominion--Part One and Two" (22 minutes 34 seconds). This disc was mainly aimed at men. Much of it was Doug Phillips standing in front of a tree giving a lecture on some of the history of the exploration of the Amazon and on what he feels is the biblical view of dominion and adventure. (What he qualifies as dominion and adventure seemed very narrowly defined to me.) It also included the group hiking in the Amazon and not turning back soon enough. They ended up lost in the dark and, after having fun being lost for a while, they finally used their GPS to get home.

The second disc contained the episodes: "The Mystery of the Strange Creatures of the Amazon" (34 minutes) which showed some captive animals up close, then we follow their trips out to find some wild animals. They were successful at finding monkeys and cave bats but not at finding anacondas. In "The Mystery of the Plants of the Amazon" (22 minutes), we're shown a variety of plants and told how they are used medically by the locals. In "The Mystery of the Lost Tribes (21 minutes, 21 seconds), we learn about remote Amazon tribes and about missionary efforts to these tribes. We follow the group as they go to a remote village to offer a medical clinic (though we only briefly see the medical clinic).

The third disc contained the episodes: "The Mystery of the Inca Stones, the Nazca Lines, and the Great Peruvian Desert" (25 minutes 9 seconds) which follows the tour group as they study the Inca Stone collection and discuss them, fly over the Nazca Lines and discuss them, and play in the Great Peruvian Desert and look for whale bones there. "The Mystery of Machu Picchu" (29 minutes 38 seconds) gave a detailed tour of Machu Picchu. While Doug Phillips stated some things as fact that archaeologists don't all agree on, he did a nice job of showing the viewer all over Machu Picchu. This disc was more what I had been expecting of the whole series, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The fourth disc contained some bonus clips of other things they saw (mainly things in the cities they went through) and episode trailers.


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


Movie Trailer:

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the  Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 13 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:

Saleh.Adams (one of those who posted as "Anonymous")
who won Josh McDowell's One Year Book of Youth Devotions

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of this book at your favorite bookstore or perhaps at your library.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by Richards & O'Brien

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien ISBN-13: 9780830837823 Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: IVP Books Released: November 5, 2012

Source: Bought through Amazon.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text.

For example: When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.

Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.


My Review:
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is a book about some cultural differences between the "East" and "West" and how this might help us to better understand the true social dynamics going on in the Bible.

They covered topics such as "bad" words, sexual taboos, how money is viewed, what things are eaten as food, ones view of people from different parts of the world or with different skin color, how Hebrew and Greek don't always easily translate into English, the use of idioms, a focus on efficiency versus focus on the human element, the individual making decisions based first on his own desires versus based on the advice of the extended family or village, honor and shame compared to right versus wrong, views of time, that rules should always apply versus rules are good guidelines but have exceptions, patron and client relationships, what a culture values as a virtue or calls a vice, and applying "Bible promises" outside of the original context.

The authors avoided going through the Bible to identify all the major instances of the idea they were talking about. Instead, they hoped the reader would understand the concept and be able to recognize and apply it as they found it in their Bible reading. I've heard many of these concepts in other books, but none of those books went very in-depth.

In this book, the authors did an awesome job of clarifying some concepts that I'd read about before. For example, they did a great job explaining the patron-client relationship. Occasionally, though, I wasn't sure that the authors' take on a verse was correct, but I also wasn't always sure that I fully understood the idea they were trying to apply. Or I could see how it applied in the examples that they gave, but I didn't feel like I could accurately identify or apply the concept while reading other passages in the Bible. I plan to re-read the book and see if that helps solidify some of these ideas.

Overall, I'm glad I read this book. It did bring out some good points about cultural blind spots. But I think I'd only recommend it to people who are fairly familiar with the whole Bible and have already done some study of the Bible-times cultures. The authors tended to refer to Bible events--from both Old and New Testaments--as if the reader was fully familiar with the story as told in the Bible, and it was also easier to understand the point the authors were making if you could think of some other examples that their point might apply to in the Bible.


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.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the "Christmas Books" Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 19 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:

Megan Parsons
who won "Christmas Uncut" by Carl Laferton

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of this book at several online stores.

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for:


Josh McDowell's One Year Book of Youth Devotions by Josh McDowell & Bob Hostetler.
You can read my review.

Aimed directly at the needs and interests of preteens and teens, "The One Year Josh McDowell's Youth Devotions" is a Right From Wrong devotional that helps young people apply the Scriptures in daily decision making. Covering a host of topics that are relevant to today's teens, this devotional encourages teens to think through difficult choices, enabling them to discover why certain choices are right or wrong.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for JOSH MCDOWELL'S YOUTH DEVOTIONALS."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. (I have comment moderation on to prevent spam comments, so don't worry if your entry comment doesn't appear immediately. It will soon.) Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.


This giveaway ends on December 10, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on December 11, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop:

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller ISBN-13: 9780310274414 Mass Market Paperback: 173 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: April 10, 2007 (first published 1970)

Source: Borrowed from my church library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Travel the shepherd's path to the green pastures and cool, refreshing waters of Psalm 23. As a shepherd, Phillip Keller shares his insights into the life and character of sheep---and of the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for them. This beloved classic will give new meaning to the ageless Shepherd Psalm, enriching your trust in and love for the Lord who watches closely over you.


My Review:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 is a study of Psalm 23 from the perspective of a sheep rancher--one who grew up around tribal shepherds in east Africa.

The author discussed one verse per chapter and worked his way through the entire Psalm. He gave details about the aspect of shepherding that the verse referred to so that the reader could better understand the verse. He made parallels between how sheep (or the shepherd) acts and how we (or God) acts and how this is a lesson for us even in modern life.

I found the information that he gave about shepherding to be very useful in better understanding the various sheep and shepherd references in the Bible. I felt that a few of his parallels between shepherding and the Psalm were a bit of a stretch though they were still interesting in the overall sense of Biblical references. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.

"Christmas Books" Giveaway Hop

As a part of the "Christmas Books" Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for the following book:


Christmas Uncut: What really happened & why it really matters by Carl Laferton. This Christian nonfiction is about what really happened at the first Christmas. You can read my review.

Scandal. Controversy. Massacres. Mystery... Christmas? This is a book about the real Christmas; the one that has been lost when we turned it into a children's nativity play and took out the difficult bits. The one that got buried under made-up details about donkeys and innkeepers and kings.

And this is a book about why what really happened at Christmas really matters for you--about how these amazing events can transform your life and your future.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for CHRISTMAS UNCUT Carl Laferton."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. (I have comment moderation on to prevent spam comments, so don't worry if your entry comment doesn't appear immediately. It will soon.) Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.


This giveaway ends on December 7, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on December 8, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the "Christmas Books" Giveaway Hop:

Josh McDowell's One Year Book of Youth Devotions

Josh McDowell's One Year Book of Youth Devotions by Josh McDowell & Bob Hostetler ISBN-13: 9780842343015 Trade Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: April 15, 1999

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Aimed directly at the needs and interests of preteens and teens, "The One Year Josh McDowell's Youth Devotions" is a Right From Wrong devotional that helps young people apply the Scriptures in daily decision making. Covering a host of topics that are relevant to today's teens, this devotional encourages teens to think through difficult choices, enabling them to discover why certain choices are right or wrong.


My Review:
Josh McDowell's Youth Devotions is a daily, year-long devotional for teenagers. The authors used a tone and examples that teens will probably find engaging and even funny.

Each devotional was one page long, so they're quick to read. For each day, a short reading from the Bible was assigned. You needed to look it up yourself. Then a Bible verse was quoted, often from the assigned reading. Next, the main text was mostly a story or matching game that illustrated a point from that day's reading. A paragraph or two tied the Bible reading and the example together and stated the point clearly. The authors then suggested some things to reflect on and a prayer. They also sometimes suggested an activity that might help put the lesson into practice or remind you of the lesson.

Overall, I thought the points were good ones and that teenagers would be willing to do these devotionals. I'd recommend it.


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.

Christmas Uncut by Carl Laferton

Christmas Uncut: What really happened & why it really matters... by Carl Laferton ISBN-13: 9781908762177 Trade Paperback: 64 pages Publisher: The Good Book Company Released: December 15, 2012 Publisher's Book Page Christianbook.com book page

Source: Review copy from the publisher requested through Cross Focus Reviews.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Scandal. Controversy. Massacres. Mystery... Christmas? This is a book about the real Christmas; the one that has been lost when we turned it into a children's nativity play and took out the difficult bits. The one that got buried under made-up details about donkeys and innkeepers and kings.

And this is a book about why what really happened at Christmas really matters for you--about how these amazing events can transform your life and your future.


My Review:
Christmas Uncut is a short, quick read about what really happened at the first Christmas. The tone was casual and sometimes humorous, but the author kept focused on his point. He accurately portrayed what the Bible says about Christ's birth and the purpose of his birth, life, and death.

Each chapter started with a short, funny story about a nativity play, and he used this to illustrate a point. The author then explained what really happened according to the Bible and filled in some cultural and historical background so the events can be understood better. He then explained why knowing the real story matters--how it changes our perspective of the events. He covered the angel telling Mary that she would become pregnant, the angels announcing Jesus' birth, the shepherds coming to see Jesus, the magi, how Herod reacted, what Simeon said, and why Jesus came in the first place.

While it's an interesting look at Christmas even for most Christians, the book seemed geared toward non-Christians familiar with nativity plays. Overall, I'd recommend this book, especially to those who don't know much about or haven't thought much about what the real Christmas would have been like.


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.

Commands of Christ, Series 3

Commands of Christ: The Curriculum of the Great Commission, Series 3 ISBN: 0-916888-26-6 Paperback: 80 pages Publisher: Institute in Basic Life Principles Released: 2002 Link to Publisher's Website

Source: Bible study group at a church I attend.

Book Description from Publisher's Website:
The Commands of Christ series is a set of seven study books focusing on 49 general commands that Jesus gave.

The books may be used in a group setting or as a personal study. Each lesson includes an in-depth commentary, study questions, a character quality and songs that amplify the command, questions and commitments for personal application, and a journal page for recording your own insights and progress as you incorporate Christ’s commands into your life.


My Review:
I was involved in a small group Bible study which used this book. We had a lot of good, in-depth discussions based on the study's commentary and in coming up with specific examples of how one could put these commands of Christ into real life practice. I'd recommend this study to other small groups. You can also do it as a personal study.

I felt this study did a good job in exploring what the whole Bible (both Old and New Testaments) had to say on the subject. Each lesson would point out two similar situations and then explore the similarities and differences in the situations to better understand why God acted one way in one situation and another way in the other.

The "command" verses under discussion and the related verses referred to in the study were fully quoted in the book so you don't have to look anything up. The commentary included relevant cultural background information and short word studies to further clarify our understanding of the verses. At the end of each study, there was a page of personal application questions and another page with suggested take-away resolutions and a place for personal notes.

This is the third book in the series. You technically don't need to read the previous two books before you read this one as the lessons don't directly build on each other.

The seven commands covered in the seven lessons of this book were Judge Not (Matthew 7:1-3), Don't Cast Pearls (Matthew 7:6), Ask, Seek, and Knock (Matthew 7:7-8), Do For Others (Matthew 7:12), Choose the Narrow Way (Matthew 7:13-14), Beware of False Prophets (Matthew 7:15-16), and Pray for Laborers (Matthew 9:37-38).


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.

Beyond Buddhism by J. Isamu Yamamoto

Beyond Buddhism by J. Isamu Yamamoto ISBN-13: 978-0877849902 Hardcover: 141 pages Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press Released: 1982

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Born between two worlds--the Buddhist faith of his grandfather and the Christian faith he came to embrace--J. Isamu Yamamoto reflects on the ancient religion of his ancestors. He begins with the life and times of the historical Buddha, discusses three major philosophies of Buddhism, and gives a brief history of the religion.

Then Yamamoto explains the schools of Buddhism, including Zen, which are significant to American society. Finally, he delineates the fundamental differences between Buddhism and Christianity, concluding with his own experiences in Japan. His reflections form an introduction to Buddhism and then point beyond to a faith which he believes satisfies the longing of the human heart.


My Review:
Beyond Buddhism is a book that introduces readers to the history of Buddhism and the basic beliefs of the many forms of Buddhism found over time and over the world. He then contrasts those beliefs to some foundational teachings of Christianity.

The author views Buddhism with respect because he saw that his Buddhist grandfather was a kind and gentle person. However, he pointed out several critical differences between the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity and explained why he choose Christianity.

The focus of this book is not really "how to argue a Buddhist into converting," but the author does educate the reader on what various Buddhists believe and the main differences between that and Christianity. It's an easy, quick read while still being very informative. I'd recommend it to any Christian how knows a Buddhist and who would like to better understand them.


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.


Table of Contents:
1 Portrait of Grandfather

2 The Buddha
  Siddhartha Gautama
  The Historical Buddha
  The Dharma, The Teachings of the Buddha
  The Sangha, The Buddhist Monastic Order

3 Philosophies of Buddhism
  Theravada Buddhism
  Mahayana Buddhism
  Vajrayana Buddhism

4 The History of Buddhism
  India
  China
  Tibet
  Japan

5 Contemporary Buddhism Movements
  Theravada Buddhism
  Chinese Buddhism
  Jodo Shinshu
  Nichiren Shoshu
  Tantric Buddhism
  Zen Buddhism

6 Jesus Christ
  A Question of Suffering
  Different Paths to Different Summits
  Beyond the Grave

7 Reflections in Japan

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

On Sunday, November 4, Christians around the world will participate in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This video can help you know what to pray for.

 

Safe in the Shepherd's Arms by Max Lucado

Safe in the Shepherd's Arms by Max Lucado ISBN-13: 9780849996436 Hardcover: 96 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers Released: May 15, 2002

Source: Bought at a local library book sale for $1.

Book Description from Goodreads:
In today's world it can be difficult to feel safe and secure. That's why in" Safe in the Shepard's Arms" Max Lucado offers a reliable source of safety and security from the twenty-third Psalm. He describes this psalm as "written by a shepherd who became a king-because He wanted us to know about a King who became a shepherd." With Psalm twenty-three as our guide, we can release our burdens, throw off our fears, and rest safely in the Shepherd's arms.


My Review:
Safe in the Shepherd's Arms is an encouragement book built around Psalm 23. It's made up solely of excerpts from some of Max Lucado's other books, but the focus was on what we learn about God from Psalm 23. The version of the book that I have took each verse (overlaying a picture of sheep) and then had two to six pages with larger-type, widely spaced text relating to that verse.

There were some nice insights (usually related to shepherding), but probably this book would feel repetitive to someone who has already read the books that the excerpts came from: "Traveling Light," "He Still Moves Stones," "The Applause of Heaven," "In the Eye of the Storm," "When God Whispers Your Name," "A Gentle Thunder," "In the Grip of Grace," "In the House of God," and "He Chose the Nails."


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.

What's Darwin Got to Do With It? by Robert C. Newman

What's Darwin Got to Do With It? by Robert C. Newman ISBN-13: 9780830822492 Trade Paperback: 152 pages Publisher: IVP Books Released: January 14, 2000

Source: Personal library.

Book Description, my take:
This easy-to-read, cartoon-format book is an introduction to the problems with the commonly used "proofs" of evolution. Two professors carry on a conversation about the origins of life. One believes in (macro)evolution and the other in intelligent design. Both logic and science are used to explore which best explains the evidence: chance and time or some sort of intelligent designer.


My Review:
What's Darwin Got to Do With It? is an apologetic about scientific and logic problems with some of the commonly used "proofs" for macroevolution. The book is a quick read due to the cartoon-format (drawings with dialogue bubbles). It's appropriate for high school level on up, though probably middle schoolers could also understand it. The book covered topics like natural selection (moths and bird beaks), missing links (lack of transitional fossils, the Cambrian Explosion), common skeleton features between animals, information found in DNA, and irreducible complexity.

The book didn't deal with the question of the age of the Earth or universe. In one frame, the intelligent design gal mentioned millions of years in a way that sounded like she didn't contest that (rather than saying it in a way that sounded like she meant "even by your own standards of time..."). I believe in a young universe.

Still, I like to use this book as a way to introduce people to these problems with marcoevolution because it's a quick, fun read while still clearly explaining the points. It is an introduction level, though, so it's not really for people who feel they are experts on the issues. I'd recommend this book to people unfamiliar with the issues and who don't want to spend much time learning about them.


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.

Escaping the Cauldron by Kristine McGuire

Escaping the Cauldron by Kristine McGuire ISBN-13: 9781616386979 Trade Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Charisma Media Released: September 4, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Though Kristine McGuire was raised in a Christian home, at an early age she became fascinated by the occult. At sleepovers she and her friends told fortunes and held séances. As a teenager she was convicted and put all games of mysticism aside. She went to a Christian college and married a Christian man. But despite her decision to follow God, a longing for the occult persisted, leading her to leave her church and husband and to embrace witchcraft.

Escaping the Cauldron takes you deep inside Kristine’s eight-year journey as a witch, medium, and ghost hunter. Part Bible study, part memoir, it exposes the subtle occult influences that affect us as it reveals how God mercifully delivered her out of the occult altogether and restored her faith and life in Christ


My Review:
Escaping the Cauldron is a memoir with a focus on the times when the author was involved in the occult. We learn why she was interested in the occult, how she got into it, what types of things she did (as a witch, medium, and ghost-hunter), and what caused her to stop these activities.

We're told some details about the occult practices she did, but it's to compare them to Christian practices. For example, she saw someone describe magick as "prayer with props," so she described for us the attitude and intent (and ritual) behind magick versus that for prayer. The author showed a very good Scriptural understanding of the purpose of Christian practices, etc., and why these are different from the occult at their foundation. The author discussed the truth behind the paranormal according to the Bible. Throughout the book, she quoted what Scripture has to say about these things.

I'd recommend this book to those who wish to reach out to those in the occult (and so wish to better understand it and what the Bible says about it). I'd also recommend it to Christians who dabble with the occult (horoscopes, yoga, angel oracle, etc.) because they don't see the harm in it. I wouldn't give this book to a Christian Witch or someone who doesn't hold the Bible as their sole authority, though.


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.

Bible Overview Wall Chart

ISBN-13: 9781890947705
Wall Chart: 19.5" x 26"
Publisher: Rose Publishing
Released: 2004
Link to buy from Publisher

Source: Wall chart hanging up at my church.

Description from publisher:
The Bible Overview wall chart and pamphlet give a fantastic summary of every book of the Bible:

• Who wrote the book?
• When was it written?
• Where was it written?
• Message, main events, and theme
• Key verse

This is a great reference for ages 10 and up. Easy-to-understand text for young people and for people with no Bible background, yet clear and scholarly enough for college students and seminarians.

Wall chart size: 19.5" x 26" printed on heavy chart paper.

Reproducible worksheets and teaching tips on back of this chart. Wall chart is available unlaminated or laminated. Lamination will not affect the ability to photocopy worksheets.


My Review:
The Bible Overview Wall Chart is a quick and easy way to get an overview of all the books of the Bible. The wall chart is available unlaminated or laminated and is 19.5" x 26" in size. The type size is small enough that you have to stand near the chart to read it, but it is easy to read and understand.

The books of the Bible were divided into Old Testament and New Testament, then further divided by background color into their type (like Minor Prophets or Gospels). Each book of the Bible was listed in order (reading the chart from top to bottom). The following information was given for each book: the name of the book, who wrote it, what it was mainly about, where it was written, when it was written, why it was written, a short outline of the book, and a key verse from that book.

The chart information is short and to the point (so you won't learn if there is controversy about who wrote the book or whatever, you'll simply get a traditional/conservative answer). It's a great, low-cost way to learn the basic information about every book of the Bible and to visually see how the Bible was organized. I'd recommend it to leaders to hang in their churches, to those who want a quick "survey" of the Bible, and to those who want a quick, easy-to-use reference for this basic information.


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

Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler

Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler ISBN-13: 978-0310253457 Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: September 19, 2006

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Praying the Names of Jesus will lead readers into a richer and more rewarding relationship with Christ. By understanding the biblical context in which these names and titles were revealed, readers will gain a more intimate knowledge of Jesus and of his plan for their lives. They will also begin to see how each of his names holds within it a promise: to be our Teacher, Healer, Friend, and Lord---to be God with Us no matter the circumstances. Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Yeshua... through his names and titles, we come to understand more fully how Jesus reveals God's heart to us.

Praying the Names of Jesus focuses on twenty-six of his most prominent names and titles to provide six-months worth of devotions. Each week provides a unique devotional program designed for personal prayer and study or for use in small groups.


My Review:
Praying the Names of Jesus is a daily devotional that lasts for 26 weeks (half a year). The study focused on 26 names and titles for Jesus, so the devotional focused on one name (or several similar names that were being counted as one name) each week.

Each week's study started with a page of information about the name/title and a key scripture where the name/title is used. We're not told which day to read this on, but you could read it on Sunday since there were no devotional entries for Saturday or Sunday. You could also read it with the two-page devotional for Monday, which contained several scripture verses that use the name/title and gave further information about the name/title. It also included a few questions for you to think over.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each have a few verses that use the name/title for you to read and reflect on along with suggestions for prayer based on those verses. The author also talked about how Jesus acted out this title in the Bible and how we can apply what we've learned to our lives.

Friday focused on the promises in the Bible connected with that week's name/title. Several verses were provided and more were suggested for you to look up on your own.

Each day's devotional only took a few minutes to go through. I was disappointed that there were no entries for Saturday and Sunday. Overall, I found this devotional interesting, and it left me feeling refreshed and encouraged.


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.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 16 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:


Tia


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of these books from your favorite bookstore or see if they have them at your local library.

Dancing with the Devil by Jeff Harshbarger

Dancing with the Devil: An honest look into the occult from former followers by Jeff Harshbarger ISBN-13: 9781616386955 Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Charisma House Released: September 4, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Jeff Harshbarger and his friends know about occult practices. After two unsuccessful suicide attempts and an offer to become a human sacrifice, Jeff left his life of Satanism to pursue a life with God. Dancing With the Devil tells his story along with the stories of nine others who have walked similar paths, including:

• Satanism
• Witchcraft
• Demon possession
• Spiritualism
• Psychic vampirism 

Each author’s account reveals the spiritual truths that enabled him or her to break free. Their stories weave a tapestry that shows the true face of the occult and the path we can take to break Satan’s hold on those caught in its crosshairs.


My Review:
Dancing with the Devil is a collection of testimonies from ten people who were once involved in occult practices (or, in one case, it was the son who was) and who are now Christians. They talked about why they were drawn to the occult, what it did to their lives and how they felt emotionally while involved in the occult, what finally freed them from what had become a life of torment, some information about what people believe in Wicca, witchcraft, Satanism, etc., and how Christians can effectively reach out to those involved in the occult.

I was interested in this book because a teen girl I care about has gotten engaged to a boy who says he's both a Christian and a Wiccan. This book did a good job at explaining the mindset of those who get involved with the occult--including those who think they can be both Christian and involved in the occult. Overall, I felt the people writing these testimonies had a solid understanding of what the Scriptures teach about demons and the occult, so I felt they were giving solid advice. I'd recommend this book to Christians interested in the occult (so you know why it's dangerous) and to those looking for advice on reaching out to those involved in the occult.


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.

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop, I'm hosting a giveaway for the following book. This book has kindly been provided by and will be shipped to the winner from the publisher, Crossway Books.


The Fruitful Wife: Cultivating a Love that Only God Can Produce by Hayley DiMarco. It's a wonderful book for anyone (not just wives or women) who wants to grow in their walk with God. Read my review.

Book Description:
Are you loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, AND self-controlled? Most of the time? Sometimes? How about when life gets hard or marriage gets tough? Whatever your answer may be, the good news is that you are not alone.

Hayley explores the biblical significance of all nine fruits of the Spirit, explaining how each fruit begins to grow and how each impacts your day-to-day life and marriage. She openly shares stories of her own failures to be spiritually fruitful as well as her relational struggles for control, authority, and respect. Hayley shows how even the rockiest of marriages can blossom and generate the fruit God intends to produce.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for THE FRUITFUL WIFE by Hayley DiMarco."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement.


This giveaway ends on September 25th, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on September 26th, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop:

The Fruitful Wife by Hayley DiMarco

The Fruitful Wife: Cultivating a Love that Only God can Produce by Hayley DiMarco ISBN-13: 9781433530708 Trade Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Crossway Books Released: September 2012

Source: Advanced Reader Copy of the book from the publisher.

Book Description from Publisher's Website:
Are you loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, AND self-controlled? Most of the time? Sometimes? How about when life gets hard or marriage gets tough? Whatever your answer may be, the good news is that you are not alone.

Best-selling author, mother, and wife Hayley DiMarco understands the challenges we all face and answers the question: How can you be the woman God is calling you to be—a woman who bears the fruit of the Spirit in your marriage and in the daily grind of life?

Hayley explores the biblical significance of all nine fruits of the Spirit, explaining how each fruit begins to grow and how each impacts your day-to-day life and marriage. She openly shares stories of her own failures to be spiritually fruitful as well as her relational struggles for control, authority, and respect. Hayley shows how even the rockiest of marriages can blossom and generate the fruit God intends to produce.


My Review:
The Fruitful Wife looks to the Bible to find the answers about how one can grow in the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). This book is for everyone, not just wives. While the author primarily used the husband-wife relationship as an illustration, the truths she discussed are helpful for everyone: wives, singles, parents--even men.

I was impressed and challenged by this book. She started by discussing why producing fruit is important (to help nourish other people and to bring glory to God). She took each fruit of the Spirit and discussed what it is, what it isn't, how to grow it in your life, and how this works out in your relationships with others. She also talked honestly and openly about her own struggles with this and what she learned from the Bible about how Fruit is actually produced--and it's not by just trying harder.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this encouraging, insightful, and powerful book to all Christians who want to grow in their walk with God.


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 on the publisher's website.


Book Trailer:

frameworks by Eric Larson

frameworks: How to Navigate the New Testament by Eric Larson ISBN-13: 978-0615633121 Paperback: 372 pages Publisher: Frameworks Resources LLC Released: June 23, 2012

Source: Review copy through a publicist.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
frameworks is a Survey of the New Testament that combines entertaining stories, full-color pictures, and simple illustrations (maps, charts) to guide you through the New Testament. Using lots of white space, this book will help you become more familiar with the New Testament through an overview of its books.


My Review:
frameworks is a New Testament survey intended for use by new Christians who want an overview of what the New Testament contains. Overall, it achieves that goal, though it's a bit expensive ($27) for what you're likely to get out of it.

For example, you do get line-maps with arrows pointing where a person traveled, but those travels often backtracked and overlapped. All I could really make out from most of the maps was the general area the traveling occurred in unless it was described in detail in the nearby text. So you get maps, but you don't necessarily get much from the maps.

The tone of the book was casual and geared toward getting laughs. This included re-written or made up New Testament scenes where the people used modern slang and were described in ways that invited a laugh.

The book started with an overview of Jesus' life (a birth-to-death summary) and brief descriptions of who wrote the New Testament books, when they were written, why they were chosen, and why they're in the order they're currently in. The dates used for Jesus' life were those pretty typically given (3.5 years for his ministry, birth in 4 BC, and death in 30 AD). The dates for the writing of the various books of the New Testament were presented on two different, nice charts and ranged from 50 to 95 AD.

Next, each book of the New Testament was described with about 8 pages worth of text. The first page of text was the Intro which intended to give a memorable metaphor for what that New Testament book is like. We're given the history of things like the first magnetic compass, how the word "restaurant" first came about, and so on with a short explanation of how this is a good metaphor for that New Testament book. Unfortunately, I quickly lost track of which "intro metaphor" went with which book since the connections seemed slight at best. By starting with an unrelated history lesson, it was actually more difficult for me to remember the Bible-related information that followed.

The next page of text was for Theme. We're told who wrote the book, when, where, who it was intended for, and the one verse that best summarized the theme of the whole book in the author's opinion. The next page or so of text was about why the book or letter was written--more on who wrote the book, to whom, and why.

The next page was mostly two charts providing an "outline" for that book. One chart was of the main focus (as the author sees it) of each group of chapters. The second chart illustrated how many pages were spent on each main focus. The next page was a list of verses from that book, usually relating to its theme verse.

The next page gave some things to look for when reading that book. The next page had a picture and a list of some "did you know" things about that book. The next page gave a quick recap and how long it takes to read that book at a casual pace. He also suggested three study/discussion questions referring mainly to the information just learned. The last page contained a picture, a Bible verse, an a mini-sermon based on that verse.

Occasionally, there was some wording used that could easily be misunderstood by those not familiar with the New Testament, especially regarding the Jews and the Old Testament law. The author referred to the Old Testament Laws as now being valueless and to Jewish believers as having a "former religion" and needing to "abandon their old religious practices."

Yet the New Testament is all about the coming of the Jewish Messiah who fulfilled the Old Testament Laws and even raised the standard on them (not just don't murder but don't even get angry!). The New Testament speaks against man-made legalism and of the debate about did Gentile need to become Jews before they could claim the Jewish Messiah, but it never says that Jews had to stop being Jews.

The author also stated that the "Jewish religion was born" when the Law was given to Moses, which isn't true. That certainly added a lot of specifics to their existing religion, but their beliefs about God didn't start at that moment. So either I don't share the author's theology on a few points, or I could wish that he had been a little bit more careful in his wording in a few places.


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.

Deeper into the Word: Old Testament by Keri Wyatt Kent

Deeper into the Word: Old Testament by Keri Wyatt Kent ISBN-13: 9780764208430 Trade Paperback: 250 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: December 1, 2011

Source: Bought through Books-A-Million.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Translators have done their best to render the words of the Bible into English, but capturing the nuances of the ancient languages can be difficult. In this devotional, Keri gives readers an opportunity to investigate 100 English words used in the Old Testament to discover which Hebrew words can be translated that way and the full nuances behind their meaning.


My Review:
Deeper into the Word: Old Testament digs deeper into the meaning of some Hebrew words used in the Old Testament. I've done a lot of word studies on Hebrew words, and it's possible that's why I wasn't as impressed with this book as I was with Deeper into the Word: New Testament. However, my impression was that this book contained less information that gave insight to the text--insight that would make me think, "oh, now I understand that teaching so much better!"

The book listed 100 common English words found in the Old Testament and listed them alphabetically. Under each English word, the author explained which Hebrews words could be translated as that English word. She explained the nuances of each word and then gave examples of where it's used in Scripture.

Usually the word in question was indicated by putting the Hebrew word beside it: for example, "...fertile field (karmel)..." But other times it wasn't indicated, and it wasn't always obvious which word was being pointed out. And some of the information was in error. For example, on page 147, we're given "God (Shaddai) Almighty (el)" in a quote, but it ought to read "...God (el) Almighty (Shaddai)..."

I was surprised by the amount of modern commentary and human speculation that was included. The entry on Sheol, for example, seemed heavily influenced by sources outside the Bible. The author didn't mention that Sheol is clearly described in the Bible as a place where people can't hope or praise (Isa 38:17, 18) and have no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom (Ecc. 9:10). She did point out that Sheol usually refers to "death" or "the grave," yet she suggested that Sheol was a limbo-like place where people can go even while alive and where people are physically weak. Looking at the verses she referred to in full context, in several different translations, and with a few key Hebrew words studied further, the main verses she used appear to simply point out that God killed some disobedient people by burying them alive (Numbers 16) and that every person, no matter how mighty in life, is equally powerless in death (Isaiah 14). Since I ended up double-checking several entries, I decided the book wasn't much use to me as a reference tool.


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.

The Power of Knowing God by Kay Arthur

The Power of Knowing God by Kay Arthur ISBN-13: 978-0307729835 Trade Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Waterbrook Press Released: July 10, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
You may know about God, but do you truly know what He says about Himself--and what He wants from you?

This eye-opening study will help you gain a true understanding of God's character and His ways. As you discover for yourself who He is, you'll be drawn into a deeper, more personal relationship with the God of the universe--a relationship that will enable you to confidently display His strength in life's most challenging circumstances.


"It makes such a difference when you allow God to speak for Himself, when you listen to His Word directly rather than to the opinions of others. It helps to know what God says so you can measure what man says against the plumbline of His Word."


My Review:
The Power of Knowing God is a no homework, 6-week-long Bible study. It's designed for small groups to do together once a week in a 40 minute period. The Bible study let Scripture speak for itself and was careful to keep the studied verses in context. It examined what God said about Himself in the Bible in both the Old and New Testament.

The study had people read several verses (which were included in the book along with information about the context of the verses), mark/highlight certain words, then answer several questions about what was just read. Insight boxes were included with word study information that helped make a verse or point more understandable.

The questions were helpful in focusing attention on all the points that needed to be looked at. In case you missed a point, the "wrap up" section at the end of each week's lesson summarized what was learned that week.

I enjoyed this study and thought it was well-written and made good points. I'd recommend this Bible study to all Christians. It's a good reminder if you already know it, but it'll really strengthen your walk with God if you didn't know it.


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.

Dreams and Visions by Tom Doyle

Dreams and Visions by Tom Doyle with Greg Webster ISBN-13: 9780849947209 Trade Paperback: 286 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: September 4, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Booksneeze.

Book Description from Booksneeze:
Jesus appears to be revealing Himself to Muslims through powerful dreams and visions throughout the Islamic world today, and the results are dramatic.

Eleven years ago, Pastor Tom Doyle felt God calling him to leave the pastorate and become a full-time missionary in the Middle East and Central Asia. Through his extensive work in the region, which includes over 80 trips to places like Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey, Tom has met and recorded the stories of former Muslims who were first introduced to Jesus through either a dream or a vision that powerfully opened their hearts to become followers of Christ. Though they live in the most dangerous places in the world for people who leave Islam and embrace Christ, their passion for the Savior is contagious and inspirational.

These are never-before-told stories from the front lines of the world of Islam. Through these unexplained supernatural occurrences, more Muslims have become believers in the last ten years than in the last 15 centuries of Islam.

• Why would God use dreams to reach the Muslim world?
• Can dreams and visions be trusted?
• What happens after these people experience a dream or vision?

In Dreams and Visions, Tom Doyle takes the reader deep into the heart of the Middle East to meet believers who have been directly touched by the very hand of God.


My Review:
Dreams and Visions contains confirmed, first-hand accounts of Muslims who have dreamed about or had visions of Jesus. These dreams motivated them to seek out Christians and ask questions about Jesus and for a Bible to read. Christians have been able to use these visions as a way to lead Muslims to Christ. It was exciting to read about how God is powerfully working in the Middle East!

Do I believe God can send dreams and visions? Of course. There are examples of this in the Old and New Testaments, so I see no reason why God would stop doing so. I've read countless first-hand accounts from missionaries from all over the world throughout history where a vision of Christ prepared the people to accept the missionary's message.

For those who might find this a new idea, though, rest assured: No one in the book claimed that the dreams themselves caused a conversion, only that it opened the way for Muslims to start asking questions that they otherwise wouldn't have. The Christians were also careful to tell the dreamers to test what the Jesus in the dreams said against the Bible to make sure the dreams were truly from God.

The book also contained a lot of information about what it's like to be a Christian or to convert to Christianity in the various countries mentioned. The last section was about what Americans can do to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how God is at work and how to reach out to Muslims.


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.

Big Book of History

Big Book of History by Laura Welch ISBN-13: 9780890516232 Hardcover containing fold-out chart Publisher: Master Books Released: October 2011

Source: Borrowed from my father.

Book Description from Publisher's Website:
Families, schools, and churches can unfold 15 feet of the most interesting history of the world. This easy to follow, color-coded, multi-stream timeline teaches six thousand years of world history to children ages seven through thirteen. These exciting facts and so much more wait inside:

• who were the first emperors of China and Rome 
• what discovery unlocked the secrets of a forgotten language 
• how modern robotics had its roots in the tea dolls of Japan 
• where Christians faced death for the entertainment of thousands 
• why the languages of Greek and Hebrew were used to write the Bible and 
• how the Age of Discovery meant wealth some, and the destruction of civilization for others.

Understanding how the past has shaped our future will inspire young learners to make history for themselves!


My Review:
Big Book of History is a timeline of earth's history that measures 14 inches tall and 15 feet long. It's folded up inside a hard cover book to protect the chart, but it can also be looked at inside the cover a "page" at a time. It covers history from 4004 B.C. for Creation to 2010 A.D.

The timeline covered significant Biblical events, world events, inventions, and beginnings of civilizations and empires. The date for each event is easy to spot, and the timeline is easy to follow. The events selected are important and interesting ones. The pictures and sidebox comments about timeline events were colorful and engaging.

The timeline seemed to use 3 or 4 different sources for the dates, though, including secular dates. This led to a few odd and incorrect entries. For example, we're told that the Great Pyramid was finished around 2500 B.C., and the Great Flood is listed after that at 2347 B.C. and the founding of Egypt is given after that in 2188 B.C. So we have the Great Pyramid built before Egypt. We have Solomon made king in 1015 B.C., the Divided Kingdom (which happened after Solomon died) as 975 B.C., and Solomon building the temple after that, in 957 B.C. The temple was actually started in the 4th year of Solomon's reign, not after he died and the kingdom divided. We have Jesus born in 4 or 5 B.C., his baptism in 26 A.D., the temptation that happened immediately afterward as happening in 27 A.D., and both John the Baptist and Jesus dying in 33 A.D. This is much longer than the usually quoted 3.5 years from baptism to crucifixion.

It's too bad that the obvious errors weren't caught and corrected as otherwise this would be an excellent timeline.


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.

No Longer a Slumdog by K.P. Yohannan

No Longer a Slumdog by K.P. Yohannan Trade Paperback: 174 pages Publisher: Gospel for Asia Books Released: 2011 Order Free Copy

Source: Ad offering free copy.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Those with no voice—the suffering children of Asia—tell their stories. And as you listen to them, you share their anguish and rejoice in their triumphs. The whole world seems to stop as you look on.

"You girls stay here. I'm going to get something to drink." But after a few minutes, the train started moving again, and Mom still wasn't back! Our hearts were racing. The train kept going faster and faster. Where was Mom?

Hope is growing in the hearts of those who never knew such a thing existed. In this truly gripping narrative, K.P. Yohannan shares their stories—stories of lives transformed, of families learning to love, of entire communities flourishing with new life. Witness as this next great wave of transformation sweeps the nations.

A new day is dawning in some of the darkest corners of the world.


My Review:
No Longer a Slumdog is a book about how God touched the author's heart for the Untouchables of India which lead to opening Bridge of Hope schools for these forgotten and often abused children. He tells their stories and gave surprising facts and statistics about the Indian culture. I had no idea that there were so many Untouchables.

I've read some autobiographies about Untouchables and about human trafficking in India, so I was familiar with much of the information, but it's clear that this author has a passion for helping them. His writing was very clear and touching. Best of all, he gave ways that people can get involved to help these children--though it's mainly through prayer and by supporting Gospel for Asia's Bridge of Hope centers. It sounds like God is really working through these people to really make a difference. Also, all the money sent to sponsor a child actually goes directly to support that child, which is nice.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, and I've started sponsoring three precious girls so they can attend the Bridge of Hope centers. You can learn more at the Gospel for Asia website or by watching the videos below. Also, you can see what Francis Chan (author and pastor) had to say about this organization after having people check them out.


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.


Related Videos:

As Silver Refined by Kay Arthur

As Silver Refined by Kay Arthur ISBN: 1-57856-004-7 Hardcover: 276 pages Publisher: Waterbrook Released: 1997

Source: Borrowed from my church library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
How do you respond when your husband or wife tramples your emotions? When your boss fires you unexpectedly? When you lose your life’s savings? When the child you’ve loved and prayed for turns his back on you and your values?

When disappointments like these smash their way into your life, you may want to scream, “How could God let this happen?”

But what if God didn’t just “let it happen”? What if the things you call disappointments are really His appointments—events He is using to make you more like Christ? What if your circumstances are actually the flames of His grace, intended to melt and burn away the undesirable elements in your life, leaving you pure and radiant—like refined silver?

Life’s disappointments can send you on a dangerous downward spiral into discouragement, depression, or even despair. But in this eye-opening book, Kay Arthur guides you to biblical truths that will help you break that cycle and instead embrace disappointment as the cleansing fire God uses to make you—as silver refined—a reflection of His goodness.


My Review:
As Silver Refined is a Christian Living book about how God uses even the bad things in your life to further His purpose of making you more like Christ (if you'll let Him). I've read several books on this subject, like Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow by Nancy Guthrie, which I felt explained many of the same truths in fewer, more powerful words. However, different writing styles can sometimes speak to different people, so I'm always happy to see a book that points people to the Scriptures for truth and healing.

She made some good points and told some touching stories to underline her points. Overall, I'd recommend this book, though maybe not as much as some of the other books on this same topic that I've reviewed.


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.
"The Refiner and His Fire" chapter, available in this excerpt, is worth reading if you have time.

SubMISSION by Zeke Lam

SubMISSION: heeding only His voice by Zeke Lam ISBN-13: 9781937481001 Mass Market Paperback: 146 pages Publisher: Burning Lamp Media & Publishing Released: December 1, 2011

Source: Review copy from the author.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
What is the greatest challenge that the Church is facing today? In one word, author Zeke Lam suggests that the following is the greatest challenge: submission, or the lack thereof. It is not the external forces that nullify the testimony of a believer but rather the failure to humbly submit to the voice of the Lord. Learn how to submit your life wholeheartedly to the Lord so that you can dwell continually in the secret place--a place of intimacy, surrender, and joy.


My Review:
SubMISSION is a Christian Living book. The book made some good points about listening to (and obeying) only God's voice and keeping our focus on Him. I liked the preface ("Start Here") the most, but all of the chapters made good points. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who feel they've lost their intimacy with Christ (or never had it).

Preface - Obeying God, not following our additions that we think He'll like better.

Introduction - Christians often still live like they're bound to sin, but they don't have to.

Chapter 1 - Living for God's glory (in hard times).

Chapter 2 - Not compromising, and speaking out against what is wrong.

Chapter 3 - Changing our perspective to a heavenly one.

Chapter 4 - Look to God at all times, not just in troubled times.

Chapter 5 - Showing our love for God by spending intimate time with Him (instead of only "doing things for Him," like Martha). Submitting to His plans instead of only asking Him to bless our plans.

Chapter 6 - Finding peace in the presence of God and being revived.

Chapter 7 - Don't believe Satan's lies. Speak out God's truth.

Chapter 8 - Obey God's voice and His alone. Don't allow security or insecurity to hinder your obedience.

Chapter 9 - Obedience to God, not just saying all the right words or carefully following man's traditions.

Chapter 10 - Your life proclaiming the gospel message. Walk in the presence of the Lord.


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.