Always Near by Robert J. Morgan

Always Near by Robert J. Morgan ISBN-13: 9780718083380 Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: April 2, 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
God is both everywhere and always near, yet we often miss Him. In our ever-on, busy world, it requires intentionality to encounter God and learn to enjoy Him.

We often feel alone, outmatched by trouble, and overwhelmed by life. Bestselling author and pastor Robert J. Morgan recognizes that the very core of personal spirituality is knowing God. In Always Near, Morgan provides 10 ways we can cultivate the blessings of God's presence. It is time to nurture a sense of the abiding nearness of Him so that you’ll know more of His joy, strength, and comfort. Experience a relationship with the God who made you, who loves you, and desires for you to enjoy His presence. Seek the Lord and soon discover He was, is, and always will be Always Near.


My Review:
Always Near contains 24 short devotional readings about how to know God better and delight in Him. Each devotion was 3-9 pages long (but usually 5-7 pages long), so it was a quick read but left me with things to think about. The author talked about events in his own life and things he's learned throughout life to illustrate points, but his focus remained on God. Each devotion was topical (prayer, Bible reading, worship, spiritual mentors, etc.), and the author quoted Bible verses to show what the Bible has to say on each topic. (Though, obviously, it wasn't an exhaustive listing of topical verses.) The tone was encouraging and grace-filled. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book if you like short devotionals.


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 Logic of God by Ravi Zacharias

The Logic of God by Ravi Zacharias ISBN-13: 9780310454038 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: April 2, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher through BookLook.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In his first ever devotional, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. To all our dilemmas Ravi says, "I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds." With a deep understanding of the questions that trouble our hearts, Ravi makes profound biblical truth easy to understand. And if your life is busy, this book is designed for you! It addresses 52 topics that you can read over the course of one year or slowly digest at your own pace. Each entry includes a Scripture, questions for reflection, and some practical application steps.


My Review:
The Logic of God is a 52 day devotional. The author suggested that you read one entry each week, but you can use it as a daily devotional. Each entry started with a verse followed by 2-4 pages of commentary and ended with 4 questions (2 about the text and 2 about applying the lesson to your life). The book was about what's important to God and why belief in God is reasonable. The title is a bit misleading as the focus wasn't really on logic. There were some arguments defending the Christian faith, but even then it's more focused on thinking about the person asking the question than the questions themselves. It was aimed at those who already believe rather than being something you'd hand to a non-Christian. The author talked about events he attended or that happened in his life as a way to illustrate or make a point. Overall, I'd recommend this devotional to those who want some substance in a short devotional format.


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.

10 Minutes in the Word: John

10 Minutes in the Word: John by Zondervan Gift Books ISBN-13: 9780310451921 Hardback: 192 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: April 23, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher through BookLook.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Embrace your time with the Lord, no matter how busy you are! 10 Minutes in the Word: John is a perfect companion to studying the book of John from the Bible. Each day, read the assigned scripture, followed by the daily insights, explanations, and thoughts this devotional offers to truly understand this important book in the Bible.


My Review:
10 Minutes in the Word: John is a devotional that has you read through John over 46 days. You start each devotion by reading the next chunk of John in your own Bible (usually about 10 verses long). The author then took about 1.5 pages to talk about what happened and provide some insights into the events (usually providing some basic cultural background information). It ended with a short suggested prayer and some questions intended to help you apply a lesson from the reading to your life. I like that this devotional has you read the Bible verses in context and focused on better understanding the verses (rather than funny stories). Each day's entry should take about 10 minutes, which many people will appreciate. Overall, I'd recommend this devotional.


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 God Who Sees by Karen Gonzalez

The God Who Sees by Karen Gonzalez ISBN-13: 9781513804125 Paperback: 232 pages Publisher: Herald Press Released: May 21, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family’s migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God’s liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God’s family tree.

Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world.


My Review:
The God Who Sees is partly a Bible study, partly a memoir, and partly about immigration policy in the USA. In each chapter, the author first talked about a person in the Bible who was an immigrant: Ruth, Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, the Syrophoenician woman, and Christ. Since the author is an immigrant from Guatemala, she provided insight into what an immigrant faces. She told parts of her own story and stories about other modern immigrants (why they immigrated and what they faced). She talked about USA immigration policies and issues that need to be dealt with and improved. She ended with some reflection and discussion questions about immigration.

Since my sister-in-law is an immigrant from the Philippines (and is now US citizen), I'm aware of just how long, difficult, and expensive it can be for an immigrant to legally come to the USA. I would agree that immigration laws need to be reformed, and I found this book interesting and informative. I appreciate the insights that she provided to the Biblical narratives.


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.

Be a Blessing by Debbie Macomber

Be a Blessing by Debbie Macomber ISBN-13: 9780399181429 Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Ballantine Book Released: April 2, 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Debbie Macomber has inspired readers for years with stories of love and resilience, creating characters who overcome all obstacles to become their best selves. Now Debbie shares the gifts and opportunities she has experienced as a lifelong journaler, guiding you through the process of cultivating your own creativity and well-being through journaling.

Inside, you will find the perfect tools to jump-start your journey to a more mindful life:
- intuitive prompts to spark self-reflection
- insightful quotes and beautiful illustrations to inspire your creative side
- step-by-step guidance and encouragement from Debbie herself!


My Review:
Be a Blessing is a journal with prompts based on the image of a garden (your life) growing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Christians will find that list of fruit familiar, but this is not an overtly Christian-based journal (though some verses are quoted along with quotes from outside of the Bible). There are writing prompts to journal about your life, line drawings that you can color in, inspirational quotes, and thoughtful insights and encouragement from the author. There isn't much room to write--just a few sentences or a short list for each prompt. This isn't a journal for what you did that day but for guided reflection upon your life. If that's what you're looking for in a journal, then this one looked enjoyable to do.


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.

Priscilla by Ben Witherington III

Priscilla by Ben Witherington III ISBN-13: 9780830852482 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: IVP Academic Released: May 14, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Readers of the Bible may know her as the wife of Aquila, Paul's coworker, or someone who explained God to Apollos. Biblical references to Priscilla spark questions: Why is she mentioned before her husband? Does the mention of her instruction of Apollos mean that women taught in the church? What is her story?

Ben Witherington addresses these questions and more in Priscilla: The Life of an Early Christian. In this work of historical fiction, Priscilla looks back on her long life and remembers the ways she has participated in the early church. Her journey has taken her to Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome, and she's partnered with Paul and others along the way.

Priscilla's story makes the first-century biblical world come alive and helps readers connect the events and correspondence in different New Testament books. Witherington combines biblical scholarship and storytelling to give readers a vivid picture of an important New Testament woman.


My Review:
Priscilla is educational biographical fiction about what life was like for the early Christians. Priscilla (wife of Aquila) recounted her life from when she was visiting Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came down (in Acts) through historical events like the Jews (and Christians) being expelled from Rome, the deaths of Peter and Paul, and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The author wove historical information and what daily life was like into the story along with events mentioned in the New Testament that she would (or could) have witnessed or participated in. He also included his views and explanations about things like why Priscilla in mentioned before Aquila and if women were allowed to teach. I didn't always agree with his take on things (like the first gospel being finished after the fall of the Temple), but they aren't uncommon views.

There were footnotes explaining where quotes or certain information came from. There were some nice black-and-white pictures of archaeological finds that illustrated information in the story. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting book, especially to those who know little about the historical backdrop of the first 60 years of early Christianity.


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 Power of Jesus' Names by Tony Evans

The Power of Jesus' Names by Tony Evans ISBN-13: 9780736960670 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Harvest House Publishers Released: May 7, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
“Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15. In his insightful follow-up to the bestselling book, The Power of God’s Names, Dr. Tony Evans introduces you to Jesus in ways you may have never seen Him before. Jesus is anticipated from the very beginning of the Bible and is mentioned many times up until He finally arrives on the scene in Bethlehem—yet never in the Old Testament is He called Jesus. Rather, He has many names that reflect all the different aspects of His character. And there are even more names in the New Testament to explore as well!

Both in-depth Scripture research and Dr. Evans’ signature storytelling style make The Power of Jesus’ Names a fascinating journey—you will get to know Him as Immanuel, King, Lamb of God, Great High Priest, Son of God, and more. As you study the life and character of Jesus, you will enter into a deeper understanding of who He is and what He came to do for—and in—your life today.


My Review:
The Power of Jesus' Names focused on 12 names used for Jesus found in the Old and New Testament: Immanuel, Alpha and Omega, our King, the Mighty Lamb, Great High Priest, Sovereign (and the other names from Isaiah 9:6 – wonderful Counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of Peace), I AM (plus I am the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, the true vine, I am he), Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, and the Word.

The author looked at the verses where each name is used (including places where the same or similar names are used for God in the Old Testament). He talked about the significance of these names and used analogies relevant to today to help illustrate their significance. He also explained how understanding these names for God is meaningful for and impacts our lives today. 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.