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.

Bread of Life by Abigail Dodds

Bread of Life
by Abigail Dodds

ISBN-13: 978-1433572470
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Released: September 28th 2021

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Millions of people have rediscovered the joy of homemade bread making. A quick search on Pinterest or Instagram brings up step-by-step instructions and captivating photos for everything from sourdough to naan. Bread satisfies our bodies, but our spirits cry out for even greater sustenance.

In Bread of Life, Abigail Dodds--an avid baker and mother of 5--invites readers to ponder and celebrate God's spiritual and physical provision in Christ through the hands-on art of bread making. Offering readers easy-to-follow directions for everything from focaccia to chocolate babka along with full-color photographs throughout, this unique book is an enriching blend of devotional meditations and recipes that invites readers to ponder the true bread of life as they bake for their families and friends.


My Review:
Bread of Life is a devotional with a bread theme and bread recipes. There were 11 devotionals with a recipe at the end of each. The author included recipes for a round wheat loaf, focaccia, zucchini bread, naan, cheese bread, sour dough country loaf, popovers, cottage bread, croissants, biscuits, and chocolate babka. Some of the recipes were more complex to make while others were simple. The pictures were primarily decorative (like a picture of people eating bread or the finished bread) rather than illustrations or step-by-step demos. Each devotional started with a couple verse quotes and then her commentary. She talked about something in her life that God pointed out to her, what Scripture says about that problem and why it is a problem, and how she's changed. She ended with three discussion questions and a bread recipe. 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.

Clever Cub Gives Thanks to God by Bob Hartman

Clever Cub Gives Thanks to God
by Bob Hartman,
Steve Brown (Illustrations)

ISBN-13: 9780830781553
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: David C Cook
Released: September 1st 2021

Source: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Clever Cub is a curious little bear who LOVES to cuddle up with the Bible and learn about God. Clever Cub wants to give thanks to God but doesn’t know how. So Mama Bear tells the story of Peter and John healing a man—a man who then gave thanks to God in a wonderful way! This engaging picture book tells the story of God's healing in Acts 3 and teaches children ages 3-6 the joy of showing gratitude to God.


My Review:
Clever Cub Gives Thanks to God is a Christian children's book is aimed at ages 3-6. It started with the mother thanking God for something good and teaching her cub to think about what he'd thank God for. She then told him the story from Acts 3:1-10 where Peter heals a lame beggar. The cub asked things like if the "temple gate called Beautiful" was in rainbow colors, and the illustrations showed what he's imagining. Still, the illustrations (while cartoon style) were fairly accurate in giving an idea of what things would have looked like. It's a fun way to teach this important lesson, and my 5-year-old niece enjoyed it. It's a bit wordy for my 2-year-old niece, 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.

Known by Aubrey Sampson

Known
by Aubrey Sampson

ISBN-13: 9781641583084
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group
Released: September 7th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Names help us know that we belong and to whom we belong. The names you believe about yourself impact how you live, how you love, and how you move and bear witness to the gospel. God has true names that he speaks over you and wants you to hear. But we also carry other names--painful, damaging names that we have spoken over ourselves or that others have branded on us. Too often, in times of low self-worth, grief, or failure, we exchange our God-given identity for those false names. Known invites you to understand and embrace what it means to be created and named in the image of God.


My Review:
Known talked about how accepting God's names for you can free you from the hurtful, untrue names you've been told and change how you live. I appreciate that the author used Scripture both for supporting verses as well as examples of name changes. The author made good points about names and frequently used examples from her own life showing how a new name or a new understanding of a name change her. For example, she felt ashamed about being "Needy" until she realized that we're created to need God. She talked about finding the name at the root of an issue that you struggle with and how you can be transformed and healed when you're renamed. She also pointed out how humankind bears the image of God and our worth comes from God.

I must admit that I'd expected the focus to be on actual names given to all believers in the Bible, but many of her examples were personal names. Things that people hurtfully name you and how God, through prayer, can give you a new name. Unfortunately, the author's wandering style often left me wondering what the main point of a chapter was meant to be. I was also distracted by the author switching to present tense to describe past events (as people usually do that in past tense). Overall, though, 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.

Mysteries of the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel

Mysteries of the Messiah
by Rabbi Jason Sobel

ISBN-13: 9780785240051
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: W Publishing
Released: March 23rd 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel reveals the many connections in Scripture hidden in plain sight. He uncovers connections between the Old and New Testaments, connects the dots for readers with details about Jesus, the Torah, and biblical characters, and is written with the unique perspective of a rabbi with an evangelical theological degree.


My Review:
Mysteries of the Messiah looked at how different words add up to certain numbers and how words with the same number point to Jesus as Messiah. The idea is that each letter in Hebrew and Greek has a corresponding number and you can add up the letters in a word or phrase to get the corresponding number. The author feels that it's perfectly valid to connect words and phrases with the same number and these will point to theological truths. He didn't convince me of this as the connection is never derived simply from the words.

He also taught some rather odd ideas from various Jewish traditions. For example, he believes that the Fall happened on day 6 (apparently, of creation week, even though God says that everything was very good on that day). Also, he teaches about a donkey that would have been hundreds of years old, a ram over a thousand years old, the tradition that Isaac was actually killed and was dead for a while before being resurrected, and the belief that Israel shared the same land boundaries as the Garden of Eden (though that old ram was apparently living in the Garden of Eden until needed as a sacrifice instead of Isaac).

However, he did cover some information that is more widely taught. I've read similar information in other (much better) books talking about finding symbolism pointing to the Messiah in the feasts or providing cultural background to various verses in Genesis. The author talked about a couple prophecies that were fulfilled by Yeshua and how his life was reflected in the Passover, First Fruits, and Pentecost. He talked about how there were similar events in the life of Yeshua and in the lives of Joseph, Moses, and David and events symbolic of Yeshua's mission in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ruth. He also talked about creation (where he rather freely changed the common translations of various words to translations that better fit his ideas).


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 Love Is by Kelly Minter

What Love Is
by Kelly Minter

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: LifeWay Press
Released: 2014

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The letters of 1, 2, & 3 John were written to encourage followers of Jesus to remain faithful to the truth. Believers are challenged to look at contrasting themes such as walking in the light instead of darkness, truth versus lies and deception, loving God more than loving the world, and the meaning of true fellowship and community rather than shallowness. This study reveals not only the heart of John but also the heart of Jesus.


My Review:
What Love Is is a 7 week Bible study on 1, 2, 3 John. The format for each week was: an introduction that was two pages long and some group discussion questions if you viewed the video. Then there were five days of study for each week. She started with a story from her life that was somewhat a parable for a point made that day or week. She asked reading comprehension questions on the verses being studied and provided commentary to explain the verses. She also asked questions to help the reader apply the lesson to your life.

There were two comfort-food recipes at the end of each week. To be honest, I felt like my fellow Bible study participants were more excited about the included recipes than the study. The author also repeatedly stated that she found the verses in that section difficult to understand and basically only really understood the simple verses. This made me wonder why she chose to do a Bible study on these letters and not on something that she better understood or had life experiences which could help add depth of understanding and insight to the verses. Overall, though, she did a good job of explaining the verses. She often quoted another person's explanation and said that she thought it was the best explanation. Not a bad study, but I didn't really get anything new from 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.