Thursday, March 15, 2018

The Sheep Of His Hand by Suzanne Davenport Tietjen

book cover
The Sheep Of His Hand
by Suzanne Davenport Tietjen


ISBN-13: 9781854248947
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Monarch Books
Released: March 20, 2009

Source: Bought used.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sheep are individuals who differ from each other and benefit from individualized care. Shepherds have always dealt with primal concerns - birth, death, love, rejection. This title takes you through the Psalms in the company of a real shepherd and flock of sheep.


My Review:
The Sheep Of His Hand is a Christian devotional with 33 entries that talk about the author's experiences as a shepherd. The first three or four pages of each chapter were a story about her sheep or a trait of sheep that illustrates a Biblical principle. Then she quoted several verses relating to the topic and suggested a prayer and a follow-up action point. The information about sheep provided insights that helped me to better understand the Bible and why we are compared to sheep. Overall, I'd highly 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.


Wednesday, March 7, 2018

The Gospel According to God by John MacArthur

book cover
The Gospel According to God
by John MacArthur


ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-4957-1
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Released: Feb. 28, 2018

Source: Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Written to help readers better understand Jesus's life, death, and ultimate mission, this new book by well-known preacher John MacArthur looks at an important--yet often misunderstood--section of the Bible: Isaiah 53. Often hailed as one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, this passage foretells the crucifixion of Jesus, a critical event in God's ultimate plan for salvation. Explaining the prophetic words of Isaiah 53, MacArthur highlights important connections to the history of Israel and to the New Testament--ultimately showing us how these prophetic words to ancient Israel illuminate essential truths for our lives today.


My Review:
The Gospel According to God is a Bible study on Isaiah 53. The author goes through the chapter plus other verses in Isaiah that refer to the Messiah. He also referred to other messianic prophecies in the Bible. He talked about what the Jews at Jesus time thought about Isaiah 53 and also about how modern Jews treat this passage. He talked about how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53. The author provided cultural and historical facts (like details about crucifixion) and did word studies on Hebrew words that don't translate easily into English. The book ended with some information on what we know about Isaiah and the kings that he lived under. I found the book interesting, uplifting, and easy to follow. I'd highly 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.

Friday, March 2, 2018

The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross by Patrick Schreiner

book cover
The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross
by Patrick Schreiner


ISBN-13: 9781433558238
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: March 31 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The kingdom of God is more than just the rule and reign of God over all things. It undergirds the entire framework of Scripture, serving as the backdrop against which all other themes play out. Surveying the entirety of both the Old and New Testaments, scholar and professor Patrick Schreiner presents a definition and framework for a biblical theology of the kingdom. Defining the kingdom of God as the interplay of three concepts--the king's power over the king's people in the king's place--this new volume in the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series shows how a proper understanding of the kingdom of God has tremendous implications for life here and now.


My Review:
The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross looks at the ongoing references to the of the kingdom of God from Genesis through Revelation. The author started by explaining that the kingdom of God involves God's power, the people of the kingdom, and a place. He explained that there are both spiritual and physical aspects to the kingdom of God as well as present and future aspects.

He pointed out kingdom imagery, like tree references, and what people expected of the promised kingdom. He gave a summary of the books of the Bible with his focus on the kingdom references. Then he discussed how the kingdom connects with the cross. I found this overview of the kingdom narrative to be very interesting, and I gained some insights from this book. Overall, I would 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.