The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur

The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur ISBN-13: 9781400204151 Trade Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: May 1, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher received through the BookSneeze program.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Does anyone really want to forgive? Or admit that we need forgiveness? Whether we’re giving or receiving, forgiveness is hard. It seems unfair. It feels unnatural. And as best-selling author and pastor John MacArthur demonstrates, forgiveness apart from Christ is unnatural. It is only as we understand our need, Christ’s power and example, and what it really means to love that we can embrace two of the most liberating acts of love: forgiving and being forgiven.


My Review:
The Truth about Forgiveness is a Christian book primarily about God's grace and forgiveness toward us (though he also made the point that we should pass this forgiveness on to others).

The author started off with 12 pages (out of 112 pages) ranting about modern psychology. His points in relation to forgiveness could have been handled in 2 pages. I was hoping to be able to hand this book to unbelievers, but the rant came across to me as off-putting unless you already agreed with him (and I did), so I doubt that the people who need to know about forgiveness the most would even get past those pages.

What the book actually said about forgiveness was correct, but I was surprised at how often the author made comments--and even built his case for forgiveness--on things not actually mentioned in the Bible. And he could have easily stuck with the plentiful Scriptures that talk specifically about forgiveness.

For example, the author stated with certainty that the Pharisees had come in Luke 5:17-26 to condemn Jesus and thwart his popularity (page 23). This was early in Jesus' ministry, and nowhere in the 3 gospel accounts of this event does it state that this was their intention. And the Bible doesn't hesitate to say when it was someone's intent.

The author also portrayed the Pharisees as the main Bad Guys of the gospel, which books like Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus clearly demonstrate isn't true. Even in the Luke 5:17-26 event, two of the three gospel writers that talked about this event only mention the Scribes showing unbelief. Yet MacArthur focused on the Pharisees instead.

While I recognize that this wasn't meant to be a scholarly work, it would have been nice to know where he got his information about what Pharisee's believed (like his comments on page 61), the cultural information behind the parable of the prodigal son, and so on. He seemed to be making a lot of assumptions and even added to the Bible in an attempt to increase the impact of what was actually given in the Bible. For example, the Bible doesn't even mention a village in Luke 15:11-31, but the author spent several pages making a major point out of how the father saved his prodigal son from the shame of having to walk through the village (pages 72-80).

He also commented several times (for example, pages 18, 86) on how the Pharisees had made all these rules so that they could earn their way into rightness with God. Yet, as I understood it (and, unfortunately, I'm not sure which places I read this), the people came to those who knew the Law really well and asked them to make these boundaries so that they wouldn't sin accidentally.

It'd be like a young woman who wants to be modest asking her mother what, exactly, makes up modest clothing. Yes, it could easily turn into being all about necklines and hem lengths, but that doesn't mean the mother originally made those rules to make her daughter earn her righteousness.

Basically, I think there are books out there on the topic of forgiveness that are more focused on what the Bible actually does say on the topic, and I'd recommend them instead. (For example, Forgiveness: Breaking the Power of the Past by Kay Arthur).


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.


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Be Wise by Warren W. Wiersbe

Be Wise: 1 Corinthians by Warren W. Wiersbe ISBN: 0-88207-384-2 Trade Paperback: 174 pages Publisher: Victor Books Released: 1983

Source: Borrowed from my church library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
An expository study of 1 Corinthians focusing on God's directions for life and ministry. What a difference it makes in your life when you decide to follow God's wisdom instead of man's knowledge!


My Review:
Be Wise is a Bible commentary on 1 Corinthians. In the old version of the book, there were no Bible study questions given in the book. There appear to be small group study questions at the end of each chapter in the newest version of this book.

Each chapter covered a chunk of 1 Corinthians that covered a similar theme, but you need to read the Scripture from your own Bible as the verses aren't provided in the book. It simply assumed you had read the verses that were being talked about.

The book was easy to read and understand, and it drew out some interesting points from the Bible text. The author made some doctrinal statements that some denominations will strongly disagree with, but he didn't spend much time supporting his view. He also made at least one error in his historical statements. On page 161, he said, "The early church met on the first day of the week in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Even in the Bible, it states that they met together on other days as well. It wasn't until later, for political reasons, that the first day of the week was made the "correct" day to meet for formal meetings of Christians. Overall, though, it was still a good 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.

Be Joyful by Warren W. Wiersebe

Be Joyful: Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy by Warren W. Wiersebe ISBN-13: 9780896937390 Trade Paperback: 156 pages Publisher: David C. Cook Released: October 1, 1976

Source: Borrowed from ymr church library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Discover the Secret! Jesus said: "These things I have spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). But perhaps you aren't exactly overflowing with joy. If you could stand a little more joy--or even a lot more!--then Dr. Warren Wiersbe has a message for you. In this book he:

• Unlocks the treasures of the Apostle Paul's "joy epistle" to the Philippians
• Pinpoints the joy-stealers
• Shows why you don't need to worry
• Outlines the secret of contentment

Author Wiersbe says: "If you master . . . Philippians, then you should enjoy a happy Christian life!" This book, then, could be a turning point for you.


My Review:
Be Joyful is a Bible study, but it reads more like a Christian Living book or commentary on Philippians. This older version of the book has the study questions for each chapter at the back of the book, but the newer version puts them at the end of the chapter they're for.

The book was easy to read and understand, and it drew out some great points from the Bible text. Each chapter covered a chunk of Philippians that covered a similar theme, but you need to read the Scripture from your own Bible as the verses weren't provided in the actual text of the study. It simply assumed you read the verses that were being talked about.

I think this is a great book for any Christian to read. It made some important points that new Christians should hear and older Christians probably could use hearing again. 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.

Bringing Jesus to the Desert by Bradley Nassif

Bringing Jesus to the Desert by Bradley Nassif ISBN-13: 9780310318309 Trade Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: March 6, 2012

Source: eGalley from publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Through the third to sixth centuries, great Christian men and women colonized the deserts of Palestine, Syria and Egypt, shaping the church through their examples of faith and devotion. History now knows them as the Desert Fathers and Mothers and their lives display an unswerving commitment to the love of Christ. Bradley Nassif surveys the lives of Anthony of Egypt, Pachomius, Melania and others, Nassif demonstrates how the wilderness experiences chronicled in Scripture guided the practice of Christian faith in biblical lands.


My Review:
Bringing Jesus to the Desert talked about prominent men and women from the third to sixth centuries who lived in the deserts of Palestine, Syria, and Egypt with the hope that doing so would allow them to grow closer in likeness to Christ. The book was full of color pictures of the desert, monasteries, paintings of saints, and more.

The author started by mentioning places in the Bible where people lived in the desert and how it impacted them, and then he moved into a description of the early monastic movement. He described what drew people to the monk lifestyle in early centuries, what they believed, and what their goals were in going to deserted places and living in certain ways (such as a hermit, in a communal monastery, and even on a pillar).

He then described the lives of several monks, their teachings, how their experiences in the desert helps us better understand Biblical narratives & teachings, how their lives and teachings influenced early Christianity, and what we can learn from them. He covered the lives of Anthony of Egypt (chapter 2), Makarios of Egypt (chapter 3), Pachomius (chapter 4), Melania the Younger (chapter 5), John the Little, Moses the Ethiopian, and Simeon the Stylite (chapter 6).

I found this brief overview of these people's lives interesting, and it made me curious to learn more about them. I gained some insights about the early monastic movement and what they believed. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in learning more about early church history.


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.

Finding the Lost Images of God by Timothy S. Laniak

Finding the Lost Images of God by Timothy S. Laniak ISBN-13: 9780310324744 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: March 2012

Source: eGalley from publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Christianbook.com:
The theme of God's relationship with his chosen people is expressed and explained in numerous ancient word pictures throughout the pages of Scripture. Without an accurate grasp of the historical and social contexts that originally housed these images, however, modern eyes and ears can gloss over these profound biblical revelations and fail to hear their timeless teaching.

Even worse, readers can wrongly understand what such images communicate about God and about the people of God, misusing the Bible by imposing modern assumptions upon it. Timothy S. Laniak provides the necessary background for accurately understanding the Bible's images of God and of his people, tracing seven image pairs from Genesis and Exodus through their climax in Revelation.

This complementary approach reveals a rich and multifaceted relationship between God and the people he loves and calls into his service. Finding the Lost Images of God draws on archaeology, ancient texts, anthropology and personal narratives to bring deeper understanding of the Bible's imagery to students, pastors, lay leaders and other Bible teachers.


My Review:
Finding the Lost Images of God is a brief survey of the Bible looking for passages where certain imagery is used to describe God. The book is a quick, easy read. It's full of very nice color pictures of models, artifacts, and paintings to illustrate what the author was referring to. However, the text failed to deliver many insights into the Bible, and most of those seemed obvious to me from studying the Bible itself or otherwise seemed pretty basic.

Part of the problem was that the author often stated things without pulling everything together for the reader--especially in chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 3. I was often left thinking, "Okay, I guess that's interesting. But...so what? This hasn't deepened my understanding of God or corrected any misunderstanding I had." I also didn't always agree with the author's statements since a few of his ideas were highly speculative.

Throughout the book, the author also tended to state "the ancients viewed this thing this way" without explaining how he came to that conclusion. When he did refer to a specific ancient text, the correlation between the Bible and the ancient texts often seemed so loose (based on the vague information he gave) that I'm not sure how he could so strongly state his conclusions.

Basically, I feel that other cultural Bible background books (including those in this series) are better written and give more insight into the Bible and about God than this one due to more focus on the actual cultural background information and ability to clearly explain their points. This book came across to me more as a quick survey of where this imagery is used in the Bible rather than a Bible cultural background book.


Chapter One was about God as an architect. It explained some architectural terms and compared different passages that contained architectural terms.

Chapter Two was about God as a potter. It described some about the potter's trade and compared the different passages that contained potter terms. It also discussed the trade of idol making.

Chapter Three was about God as a gardener. It described a bit about the unpredictability of a good harvest, terraced farming, and grape vines, and it pointed out places where garden and agricultural themes are mentioned in the Bible.

Chapter Four was about God as king. It had some very nice insights based on cultural background information.

Chapter Five was about God as a warrior. It pointed out several passages in the Bible where God fought for Israel and the author described why he thought God required his people to do certain things. He also made some interesting observations about some subtle military imagery in the gospels and pointed out military imagery in the rest of the New Testament.

Chapter Six was about God as a shepherd. It described some aspects of a shepherd's job that are referred to in the Bible and pointed out verses that refer to God as a shepherd.

Chapter Seven was about God as a father. It described cultural background details about the father, firstborn son, and brother imagery 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.

A Visual Guide to Gospel Events by James C. Martin, John A. Beck, David G. Hansen

A Visual Guide to Gospel Events by James C. Martin, John A. Beck, and David G. Hansen ISBN-13: 9780801013119 Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: Baker Books Released: September 1, 2010

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Why was Jesus baptized in the Jordan River? Where did Jesus heal people? Where did he choose to reveal his authority, and why? What is the significance of the locations where he told parables or performed miracles? Where did Jesus choose to interact with Gentiles? Why are the places of his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection important?

A Visual Guide to Gospel Events reveals the fascinating connections between the events recorded in the Gospels and where those events took place. The beautiful, full-color book includes hundreds of photographs and maps to bring to life the world in which Jesus lived. The engaging writing style makes this resource perfect for anyone--student, scholar, pastor, or layperson--who wants to understand Gospel events in a deeper way.



My Review:
A Visual Guide to Gospel Events takes different events in the gospels and examines the significance of where the event happened. The authors pointed out previous Biblical events that happened on the site which helps bring new depth of meaning to the gospel event. They also explained cultural background information and included pictures of what the scene and location would have looked like. The plentiful full-color pictures and maps help the reader visualize the scene and location.

The book was written with a formal tone, but it's easy to follow. The majority of the authors' insights were solidly based in Scripture. While they did put some speculation in, it remained in the realm of the plausible. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting 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 Amazon's "Look Inside."

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg

Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life by Lois Tverberg ISBN-13: 978-0310284208 Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: March 6, 2012

Source: eBook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Book Cover:
In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg brings the Bible to life as she explores the cultural context of Jesus' teachings. With well-researched information and a highly readable style, Tverberg explains

• How understanding Jewish idioms and expressions can help us better grasp what Jesus was saying


• How viewing Jesus within the context of Middle Eastern culture can enliven his parables in surprising new ways


• How the Jewish world of Jesus can teach us many wise insights, like how to pray with chutzpah or think with both hands

By understanding the religious and cultural atmosphere in which Jesus lived and taught, you will begin to understand why his first disciples abandoned everything to follow him. You will also learn the meaning behind key Hebrew words that make Bible reading a richer, more powerful experience. And you will see how Jewish customs, culture, and beliefs can enrich your life as a Christian whose faith first emerged from Jewish roots.

Come eavesdrop on the conversations among the rabbis of Jesus' time. Learn how hearing Rabbi Jesus with the ears of a first-century disciple can bring new depth to your spiritual life. Along the way you will discover both practical ways to live as Jesus' disciple and an invigorated faith that will draw you closer to God.


My Review:
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus is structured around a series of word studies that included information on the Jewish cultural understanding of the word (beyond its dictionary meaning). The author also explained how fully understanding these words as the listener of that time would have understood them helps us to better understand the Bible. She discusses frequently used words whose full meanings don't easily translate into English words and our culture's way of thinking.

I've heard some of this information before, but I still found the book very interesting and insightful. It's easy to read and understand, and the author did a good job of bringing out points that bring deeper understanding of the Scripture. 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.