Habakkuk by Lydia Brownback

Habakkuk: Learning to Live by Faith
by Lydia Brownback

ISBN-13: 9781433569999
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: May 3rd 2022

Source: Review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Though only three chapters long, the Old Testament book of Habakkuk overflows with stories of plagues, violence, and pleas for deliverance. Why does God seemingly allow evil to flourish? And what can Habakkuk's complaints teach believers today about trusting God in the face of evil?

In this 10-week Bible study for women, Lydia Brownback explores Habakkuk verse by verse, addressing the complex subject of God's judgment and wrath. Written for individuals or groups, each lesson helps women understand why God allows pain and illness, and how he deals with unrepentant sin. This study explains Habakkuk's context in redemptive history while exploring biblical themes including God's justice, punishment, and prayer. It also teaches how to wait faithfully for God to answer prayer.


My Review:
Habakkuk is a 10 week Bible study on Habakkuk. Each week is basically just a chapter since it's not subdivided into days. You read a section from Habakkuk, then the author provided an introduction to the theme of those verses. Then she asked study questions about what we read and provided related verses to look up to discover deeper insights into the answers. You use the Bible to further study what a certain word or concept means in the Biblical sense. She then ended with a couple of application questions to help you think out how what we just learned affects your life. Overall, I thought that the author did a good job of providing insights and increasing my understanding of the message in Habakkuk.


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.

Rose Guide to the Feasts, Festivals and Fasts of the Bible by Paul H. Wright

Rose Guide to the Feasts, Festivals and Fasts of the Bible
by Paul H. Wright

ISBN-13: 9781649380210
Hardcover: 232 pages
Publisher: Rose Publishing
Released: July 15, 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Passover. Yom Kippur. Feast of Tabernacles. Rosh Hashanah. With all the ceremonies, festivals, and observances in the Bible, it’s hard to keep track of them all and remember why they’re important to our faith! But what if you could distill all this key information across dozens of chapters of the Bible into one solid, easy-to-read handbook with images, charts, and diagrams? It’s never been easier to get an expert look at the traditions, fasts, and feasts of the Bible: with this guide, 5 leading authorities on biblical celebrations and disciplines will help condense their research and historical knowledge into key takeaways that you can learn quickly and easily:

Solid overviews of the feasts, celebrations, and rituals kept in ancient Israel and the Old Testament

Historical background of the feasts and holy days in the centuries leading up to the New Testament

Summary of modern-day traditions kept by Jews today

Key takeaways of how messianic communities observe biblical feasts and holidays today

Presentation of how non-messianic Christian congregations have adopted the feasts into liturgies, theologies, etc.

God commanded Moses and the children of Israel to observe feasts and holy days as memorials to the great things that he had done in their lives. With expert research, clearly understand how these times of celebration are important to help us better see God’s complete picture and plan of redemption.


My Review:
This book looks at the regular fasts and feasts in the Old Testament period, in the New Testament Period, of modern Jews, of Messianic Jews, and of Christians. For the Old and New Testament sections, the authors explored how the pilgrim feasts were supposed to be celebrated and what the biblical evidence is for how the feasts were actually celebrated throughout the Bible (and if there were times when they weren't celebrated at all). They provided the context of the feasts and fasts: why they were celebrated, how they fit into a largely agricultural society, and how Israel was similar to and different from their neighbors. They talked about both feasts in general and the annual feasts. There were references to specific events in the Bible, to comments made in writings by others at that time, and to finds in archaeology. The book included some charts and pictures of things like the different foods mentioned in the feasts or a table set up for a modern Passover. Overall, I'd recommend this informative book.

The first chapters talked about: Sabbath, New Moon, Rosh Hashanah (New Year's Day), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), and Sukkot (Feast of Booths), Purim, Hanukkah, and days of Fasting, and other holidays. Messianic perspective was given on the Sabbath, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Feast of Weeks/Pentecost, Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Booths, Purim, Hanukkah. He also explained how the Spring feasts were fulfilled by Yeshua and the Fall feasts will be fulfilled in the future. He also talked about how Jesus celebrated these feasts in the New Testament. The Christian perspective covered how the early church celebrated these holidays and how that changed with time: Sabbath and Sunday, Passover and Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, Pentecost, Advent, Holy Cross Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and Epiphany.


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.

He Is Not Ashamed by Erik Raymond

He Is Not Ashamed
by Erik Raymond

ISBN-13: 9781433579349
Paperback: 178 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Released: June 14th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In He Is Not Ashamed, Erik Raymond takes a close look at the "family portrait" of God--filled with imperfect people throughout Scripture--and shows that God is not repelled by anyone's shameful past, but delights to redeem and receive those who believe in him. Studying Hebrews 2:11 and other passages in both the Old and New Testaments, Raymond shows that Jesus's heart is bent toward those who have an embarrassing history, feel far from God, or struggle with sin. By studying God's abounding love for undeserving people, Christians learn to accept his grace and confidently embrace their place in God's family portrait.

This book walks through stories from the Bible, including Jacob the deceiver, Rahab the prostitute, and the "sinful woman" in the book of Luke to reveal patterns of God's grace and helps Christians reject shame and have a greater sense of Christ's mercy.


My Review:
He Is Not Ashamed dug into the Bible on the topic of God's amazing love for sinful people. Much of each chapter looked at accounts in the Bible where a sinful person was embraced by God, like the sinful women who are mentioned in Jesus' own genealogy. The author summarized what happened to each person and how God showed redeeming love toward them. The author also spent some time exploring the theology of Jesus' love and His not being ashamed. He took verses from both the Old and New Testaments to show what is taught in the Bible.

The author looked people who have a sinful past, who opposed Jesus (like Paul), who are little valued or are social or religious outcasts, those who are weak or have nothing to give, and those who struggle with sin (like pride). I felt like the author made excellent points and did a good job of illustrating (with the Bible) the theology taught in the Bible about these topics. The theology parts weren't dry or difficult to follow. 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.

Philippians by Lydia Brownback

Philippians: Living for Christ
by Lydia Brownback

ISBN-13: 9781433570032
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: January 4th 2022

Source: Review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A 10-Week Study on Philippians for Women. The apostle Paul suffered intensely for his faith, but despite the danger and pain of his story, his letters are filled with hope--hope rooted in the good news of the gospel. Join Lydia Brownback as she explores Philippians and shows readers that even in the face of persecution and other difficulties, there is abundant peace through unity in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This study helps women focus on God as the source of their joy when life threatens to sidetrack them.

Bible study teacher Lydia Brownback guides women chapter by chapter, helping them come away with a deeper understanding of God's word, its context in redemptive history, and how it uniquely reveals God and his gospel.


My Review:
Philippians is a 10 week Bible study on Philippians. Each week is basically just a chapter since it's not subdivided into days. You read a section from Philippians, then the author provided an introduction to the theme of those verses. Then she asked study questions about what we read and provided related verses to look up to discover deeper insights into the answers. As in, you use the Bible to further study what a certain word or concept means in the Biblical sense. She then ended with a couple of application questions to help you think out how what we just learned affects your life. Overall, I thought that the author did a good job of providing insights and increasing my understanding of the message in Philippians.


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.

Old Made New by Gregory R. Lanier

Old Made New
by Gregory R. Lanier

ISBN-13: 9781433577833
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Released: April 12th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Many Bible readers have difficulty understanding the Old Testament’s connection to the New Testament, and some even believe it’s obsolete in light of God’s new covenant. In reality, New Testament writers alluded to earlier books of the Bible roughly 300 to 400 times. The Old Testament isn’t outdated; it’s critical to understanding the rest of Scripture.

In Old Made New, Greg Lanier explains how New Testament authors used the Old Testament to communicate the gospel and present the person and work of Jesus. He also explains what the Old Testament teaches Christians today about the church’s identity and ethics. Writing for a broad range of readers, Lanier distills thorough research into simple, descriptive examples and tips. His 3-step method explains how to identify and explore an Old Testament passage and see how it’s “remixed” in the New Testament to thoughtfully engage with Scripture.


My Review:
Old Made New explained how the New Testament writers often quoted, cited, or alluded to Old Testament verses as the basis for the arguments they were making. He described how to evaluate each type of reference and any differences seen between the New Testament and Old Testament verses. He also explained that you need to read the Old Testament verse in context to fully understand what the New Testament authors were referring to. He then took several examples of this from the New Testament and showed step-by-step how to work through this process. He showed how these references covered a wide variety of topics and weren't only prophecies about Jesus. It wasn't hard to understand the author's points or difficult to do his process of studying these NT-OT links. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in doing a more in-depth 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.

The Mission of the Triune God by Patrick Schreiner

The Mission of the Triune God
by Patrick Schreiner

ISBN-13: 9781433574115
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: January 4th 2022

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Some claim that the theological heart of Acts is the spirit, others the Word, others the church, and others Jesus. This book explores Luke's theological emphasis.

The book of Acts is unlike any other in Scripture; it has no rival in terms of a book spanning so many different lands. Written by a Gentile, it recounts the birth of the church age and the lives of early Christians that serve as lasting examples for the church today. When believers see how these events worked together to fulfill God’s promises, they gain a better understanding of the Trinitarian heart of Acts.

In The Mission of the Triune God, author Patrick Schreiner argues that Luke’s theology stems from the order of his narrative. He shows how the major themes in Acts, including the formation of the church, salvation offered to all flesh, and the prolific spread of the gospel, connect. Through Schreiner’s clear presentation and helpful graphics, readers follow the early church as it grows “all under the plan of God, centered on King Jesus, and empowered by the Spirit.”


My Review:
The Mission of the Triune God shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all behind the events that occur in Acts. The writing is academic (in a good way) without being dry or difficult to understand. It's very readable, and the author showed Old Testament connections and how other New Testament verses tied in to events in Acts. These verses provided insights into the events in Acts and brought out some points that Luke was making to his original audience. It helped me to better understand why Luke focused on certain events and how our Triune God was at work. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting study of Acts.


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.

Philippians by Mark Batterson

Philippians
by Mark Batterson

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Zondervan
Released: August 31st 2021

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The 40 Days Through the Book series has been designed to help believers more actively engage with God's Word. Each study encourages participants to read through one book in the New Testament at least once during the course of 40 days (approximately 6 weeks of meetings) and will provide them with a clear understanding of the background and culture in which the book was written, insights into key passages of Scripture, and clear applications and takeaways from the particular book that participants can apply to their lives. Each study will be recorded in the author's place of residence and will highlight stories and applications that are relevant to his or her ministry in that area.


My Review:
Philippians is a scripture guide on Philippians featuring 6 sessions and can be used for group or individual study. Each session started with viewing a streaming video (about 20 minutes long) with about 6 discussion questions. You then have 7 days worth of guided meditation on the verses: you read a verse or two and think about what it means for your life (using the author's paragraph to guide you). Usually, you're also given a few journaling questions (which you answer in a notebook or journal) and prompts on what to pray about.

The book provided a way to access the streaming video associated with this book, but the viewing privilege's will expire (though they don't tell you when). The first video mostly re-hashed what was already provided in the book. You get a clear idea of the substance of what was said in the other videos just from the group discussion questions, so it's not a complete loss if you can't watch the video for some reason. Each video covered a topic inspired by the verses and was full of short, pity sayings. Video 4 mentioned the saving work of Jesus and Video 5 meantioned following the example of Jesus, but the book didn't really deepen your relationship with Jesus. I was disappointed that many of the meditation and journaling prompts focused on 'where are you failing and what efforts can you make to change this?' though the prayer prompts at least remind you to ask for God's help. So many Christians are discouraged by this focus on not measuring up with little balancing focus on the one who does and who loves us. There were also a few odd prompts, like "List Christians that you know and care about that need to grow in wisdom and insight as they follow Jesus?" Since Paul was praying that for every believer and we should all want to grow in wisdom and insight, why single people out? And then there's Day 17 where the author implies that the Holy Spirit leaks out of us or something so that we need to keep asking for a new filling with the Holy Spirit. My church certainly wouldn't teach this, and I don't think it's consistant with NT teachings. I didn't gain any new insights into the Bible from this, so I'm not very enthusiastic about this 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.

The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God by David S. Schrock

The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God
by David S. Schrock

ISBN-13: 9781433564314
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: February 8th 2022

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of the royal priesthood is a silver thread running through the biblical story from the garden of Eden through the priesthood of Israel to Jesus Christ--the true and better priest. The theme of priesthood culminates with the creation of God's covenant people, called out of the nations to be his priests to the nations. In this concise treatment, David Schrock traces this theme of priesthood throughout the Bible and displays to readers how Jesus is the great high priest.


My Review:
The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God is a look at what actions a priest of God did in the Bible, which people acted as priests from Genesis to Revelation, and how kingship and priesthood combined in Jesus. Some of these connections were ones pointed out in the Bible, but others were more speculative. While interesting, I wasn't always convinced that there were connections. For example, when talking about the Gospels and how some of Jesus' words connected to words in the Prophets, the author used a man calling his friend away from sitting under his fig tree as fulfillment of prophecy about a man calling his neighbor to join him under his fig tree. Doesn't seem to quite fit to me. While I usually enjoy this type of book, the writing was academic enough that it was more of a classroom experience than a series of enjoyable "ah ha!" insights. It was worth reading but not something I'd recommend to a layman unless they were really interested in 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.

Holy Bible ESV, Spanish/English Parallel Bible

Holy Bible ESV, Spanish/English Parallel Bible

ISBN-13: 978-1433579660
Hardcover: 1792 pages
Publisher: Crossway Bibles
Released: January 3rd 2008

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Spanish and English are two of the five most-spoken languages in the world. This new edition of the ESV honors the diversity and relevance of God's Word in a way that is ideal for not only native speakers of either language but also bilingual readers. This Bible positions two columns of Scripture on each page: the beloved Reina-Valera 1960 Spanish text on the left, and the ESV English language text alongside it on the right. It also features textual notes for both translations in the back, and is contained in a durable, gold-foil stamped cover.

Size: 6.5" x 9.1875"
8-point type


My Review:
Holy Bible ESV, Spanish/English Parallel Bible has two columns on each page, with the left column in Spanish (RVR version) and the right in English (ESV). The text is small and the pages so thin that the text from the other side shows through, so I sometimes have trouble reading the words (at 45 year old). The cover is (fake?) leather, the edges gilt, and there's a ribbon for marking your place, so the outside looks nice. I've been improving my intermediate-level Spanish by reading Spanish verses every day by e-mail, so I thought this would be a great way to continue that learning method. So far, it does look like I can read the Spanish and just glance over at the English when I'm not sure of a word and see what it means in English. I think both had similar translation styles and used the same text so the wording is close enough that I can use it for language learning.


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 Greek New Testament by Crossway Books

The Greek New Testament
by Crossway Books

ISBN-13: 9781433579646
Hardcover: 720 pages
Publisher: Crossway
Released: November 4th 2021

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Groundbreaking Tyndale House Greek New Testament, Complete with Comprehensive Dictionary

Reflecting decades of scholarly advances, The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge was created under the oversight of editors Dr. Dirk Jongkind (St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge) and Dr. Peter Williams (Tyndale House, Cambridge). Their team took a rigorously philological approach to reevaluating the standard text―reexamining spelling and paragraph decisions as well as allowing more recent discoveries related to scribal habits to inform editorial decisions.

This edition features an exhaustive dictionary, giving readers a tool for rewarding study. Eliminating the need to frequently reference other materials, this resource with the added dictionary is ideal for students, pastors, and those who are less familiar with Greek.


My Review:
The Greek New Testament is the New Testament text entirely in Greek. There's a dictionary in the back giving the English for the Greek words. The text size is decent, not large print nor small or tiny print. I'm only just starting to learn biblical Greek, but I thought a Greek New Testament would be useful to have. It's a hardback and the paper it's printed on is thick enough to endure use (not tissue-thin). The text is described as from "the standard text."


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.

Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit by Jodi Magness

Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit
by Jodi Magness

ISBN-13: 9780802865588
Paperback: 375 pages
Publisher: Eerdmans
Released: April 12th 2011

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths “footprints” buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b.c.e. to 70 c.e. — the time and place of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Magness analyzes recent archaeological discoveries from such sites as Qumran and Masada together with a host of period texts, including the New Testament, the works of Josephus, and rabbinic teachings. Layering all these sources together, she reconstructs in detail a fascinating variety of everyday activities — dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, toilet habits, burial customs, and more.


My Review:
Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit discussed Jewish purity issues from the time of Jesus. The author looked at various literary sources from that time (including the Bible and Qumran texts) and compared this to what has been found through archaeology. Were certain rulings by rabbis followed by the general population? The author treated the Bible as just another text from the time period, though she wasn't disrespectful. She focused a lot on the Qumran community, both literary texts and archaeological discoveries. This book was academic in tone but easy enough to follow. There were some pictures at the center of the book illustrating some of the archaeological finds that she talked about. While I did learn some interesting things, it has a rather narrow focus on Jewish purity.


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.

Evidence for the Bible by Clive Anderson, Brian Edwards

Evidence for the Bible
by Clive Anderson, Brian Edwards

ISBN-13: 9781683441113
Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: Master Books
Released: January 1st 2018

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Evidence for the Bible helps us discover archaeological finds that confirm or illustrate the biblical account. The authors’ purpose was to provide a reliable summary of the up-to-date positions in laymen’s terms, with added reference books suggested for deeper study into the various subjects addressed.


My Review:
Evidence for the Bible works through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and talked about the archaeological evidence found for the people and places mentioned in the Bible. The book had full-color photographs of the archaeological finds along with information about where it can be found. In general, I felt this book did a good job of providing information about Bible-related archaeological finds that confirm the accuracy of the Bible accounts.

That said, the authors' push to reinterpret the text so that only about 30,000 Hebrews left Egypt after living there for 400 years seemed an odd questioning of the Biblical record. Yes, having enough water and food for over a million people was a problem, thus the reason they kept complaining to God about it. And God provided. Just because only two Hebrew midwives were mentioned in Exodus 1 doesn't mean that's all there were (plus dropping the number of women in their care down to maybe 10,000 adults doesn't actually solve the problem of two midwives being not enough). Just because there were 600,000 men of fighting age doesn't mean they really had army yet. They had been slaves, feared for their potential to revolt so it's unlikely they had military training. Not all of them fought in every battle. And the author's method of translating "thousand" into "unit of about 10 men" would change Numbers 31:4 "Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel” as each tribe sending 1 unit or around 120 men total. This was for a major battle. Seriously? So I didn't agree with some of their ideas, though the main information was solid.


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 Names of God by Melissa Spoelstra

The Names of God
by Melissa Spoelstra

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Released: August 4th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Today's culture and others' views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God's names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God's true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names.

In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God--from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit...and many others.

As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better--because through the discovery of God's names, they will discover Him!


My Review:
The Names of God is a six week long group Bible study on some of the names of God. Each week had 5 days of study, plus there was a day where you took notes on the video study. The author choose various Hebrew and Greek names for God and did a day of study on each name. She gave the name's translation/meaning and then provided some commentary about where this name first occurred in the Bible and how knowing this name may help us to more fully understand God's character and work in our lives. She included verses to read, reading comprehension questions, and discussed how this applies to our lives. She included some verses to memorize and a nice prayer at the end of each chapter. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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.