It's time to announce the winner of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop for The New Answers Book by Ken Ham. Including Twitter entries, 62 people entered. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:
Betty: Reflections with Coffee
Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.
For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of this book from your favorite bookstore or see if they have it at your local library. If you don't mind reading books on your computer, then you can read this book for free:
Main Page
Chapter 1: Is There Really a God?
Chapter 2: Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years?
Chapter 3: Couldn’t God Have Used Evolution?
Chapter 4: Don’t Creationists Deny the Laws of Nature?
Chapter 5: What About the Gap Theory & Ruin-Reconstruction Theories?
Chapter 6: Cain’s Wife—Who Was She?
Chapter 7: Doesn’t Carbon-14 Dating Disprove the Bible?
Chapter 8: Could God Really Have Created Everything in Six Days?
Chapter 9: Does Radiometric Dating Prove the Earth Is Old?
Chapter 10: Was there Really a Noah’s Ark & Flood?
Chapter 11: How Did Animals Spread All Over the World from Where the Ark Landed?
Chapter 12: What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?
Chapter 13: Why Don’t We Find Human & Dinosaur Fossils Together?
Chapter 14: Can Catastrophic Plate Tectonics Explain Flood Geology?
Chapter 15: Don't Creationists Believe Some “Wacky” Things?
Chapter 16: Where Does the Ice Age Fit?
Chapter 17: Are There Really Different Races?
Chapter 18: Are ETs & UFOs Real?
Chapter 19: Does Distant Starlight Prove the Universe Is Old?
Chapter 20: Did Jesus Say He Created in Six Literal Days?
Chapter 21: How Did Defense/Attack Structures Come About?
Chapter 22: Is Natural Selection the Same Thing as Evolution?
Chapter 23: Hasn’t Evolution Been Proven True?
Chapter 24: Did Dinosaurs Turn into Birds?
Chapter 25: Does Archaeology Support the Bible?
Chapter 26: Why Does God’s Creation Include Death & Suffering?
Chapter 27: How Can I Use This Information to Witness?
Bonus Chapter: How Can We Use Dinosaurs to Spread the Creation Gospel Message?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
For the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop, Master Books has agreed to send one copy of The New Answers Book edited by Ken Ham to the winner of this giveaway.You can view a preview of the book.
This book provides solid answers to questions like:
- Where did Cain get his wife?
- Doesn't Carbon-14 Dating disprove the Bible?
- Was There Really a Noah's Ark & Flood?
- Where does the Ice Age fit?
- Are there really different races?
- Did Jesus say He created in six literal days?
- Why does God's creation include death & suffering?
This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.
To enter the giveaway:
1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @ChristFocus. Enter me in the giveaway for THE ANSWERS BOOK by Ken Ham."
OR
2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement.
This giveaway ends April 25 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on April 26, 2011 on this blog.
If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within seven days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.
I hope everyone has fun with this!
The blogs participating in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop:
Book Review: A People Tall and Smooth
 | A People Tall and Smooth: |
Source: Review copy from the publisher.
Book Description from Back Cover:
"At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty [to Mount Zion] from a people tall and smooth-skinned." -Isaiah 18:7
The popular beach town of Eilat, at the southernmost tip of Israel, is visited daily by international tourists who want to visit the warm waters of the Red Sea. But when hundreds of tall, dark Africans show up to stay, curiosities are piqued. Where did they come from? Why are they in Eilat of all places? When a group of them enter The Shelter hostel run by John & Judy Pex, answers to these questions unfold.
These are the very real stories of how and why five refugees escaped the genocide in South Sudan and Darfur, made their way through Egypt and smuggled into Israel, the only country their Islamic government prohibits them to go. They fled across the border with nothing but the clothes on their backs. No food. No money. No papers. No possessions. Just thankful to be alive.
All of the author's proceeds from the sales of A People Tall and Smooth will go to projects for the Sudanese refugees.
Advance Praise for A People Tall and Smooth:
"Although much has been written about the Lost Boys of Sudan who resettled in large groups in the United States beginning in 2000, very little, if anything, has been written about the countless Sudanese who fled alone to neighboring countries. Judy Pex breaks the silence, unfolding the perilous journeys of Sudanese refugees. For many it was a choice that came at tremendous cost: imprisonment, separation from their children and spouses, hunger, brutal beatings and death. It's a story of resilience, determination and the choice for freedom--at all cost."
--Joan Hecht, award-winning author of The Journey of the Lost Boys
My Review:
A People Tall and Smooth "A People Tall and Smooth" is the combined autobiographies of 4 Christian Sudanese refugees from South Sudan, 1 Muslim Sudanese refugee from Darfur, and the Israeli author (who happens to be a Messianic Jew). The author explained how she ended up in Israel running The Shelter Hostel and how she and her husband first meet the Sudanese refugees.
After helping these refugees for a while, she asked several of the refugees to tell her their story for this book. (They spoke the story into a tape recorder, the author transcribed the material and edited the sometimes disjointed stories so that they were in chronological order, then she confirmed with the person that she'd written up their story correctly.) As the person tells his or her story, the author inserted some comments into the text (using another font so you could tell that the "speaker" had changed). These included her thoughts about how different their lives were from hers or brief stories about the other refugees that the main story reminded her about.
The stories were well-written and easily kept my attention. While the stories were vivid, they weren't graphic. I keep feeling that all Americans (and people from other 1st world countries) need to read stories like these so we can get a realistic perspective on our own lives. While the author did give an overview of the conflicts in Sudan, we mainly get an individual's personal view of the conflict and how it affected them. We also see the problems that refugees face after they survive the conflict and survive fleeing from it.
A black and white map showing the areas under discussion was included as well as some color photographs of the Sudanese refugees. 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 from Chapter One
People from over one hundred nations intermingle in Israel. Besides Jews from Kazakhstan and Kansas, Burma and Belgrade, Calcutta, Congo and places in between, over a million tourists every year add to the mosaic. Include in the mixture two hundred thousand legal and illegal workers from countries such as China, Thailand, Philippines, Nepal and Ghana, and it’s clear that the average Israeli is used to seeing faces of all colors and shapes.
In 2007, however, a new group appeared on the scene whose appearance and status was unlike any other till this time. We began to notice men, women, children and babies on the streets in our town of Eilat who were exceptionally black and strikingly tall.
“Where do they come from and who are they?” My husband John and I asked ourselves. “What language do they speak?” Having managed The Shelter Hostel in Eilat on the Red Sea since 1984, we are used to interacting with diverse people groups and were eager to meet these new arrivals.
Our questions were answered when a tall, dark man walked through our front gate one morning. “I’m Gabriel, a refugee from Sudan,” he introduced himself in perfect English.
Read more from chapter one.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Book Review: Rediscovering the Church Fathers
 | Rediscovering the Church Fathers |
Source: Review copy from the publisher.
Book Description, modified from Goodreads:
An introduction to seven church fathers, outlining their roles in church history and their teaching on a number of topics.
The church today looks quite different than it did two thousand years ago, but it's still important to know how the teachings of various early church fathers shaped Christian doctrine. Evangelical readers will find this to be a helpful introductory volume.
Michael Haykin surveys the lives and teachings of seven men who lived from AD 100 to 500--Ignatius of Antioch, the writer of "Letter to Diognetus," Origen, Cyprian, Ambrose, Basil of Caesarea, and St. Patrick--and explains how their impact continues to shape the church today.
My Review:
Rediscovering the Church Fathers is an introduction to early church history which focused on seven men whose lives and teachings helped shape church doctrine. The writing is somewhat formal in tone, but it's a quick read and easy to follow. The author gave some historical background for each man, quoted from some of their writings, and commented on those writings. I'd recommend this book to those who'd like a quick overview of how some current Christian doctrines were formed.
The first chapter explained why we should care about what the early church fathers taught. Chapter 2 was about Ignatius of Antioch and mainly focused on his letter about martyrdom, it's historical context, and what it showed about his view of martyrdom and of Christ. Chapter 3 was about the contents of the Letter to Diognetus (a defense of the Christian faith against the pagan misrepresentations of it) plus what can be gleaned from it about how the writer viewed Christ.
Chapter 4 was about Origen's life and writings, what he taught about Christ (against heresy and in his Bible commentaries), and about his method of Bible interpretation. Chapter 5 was about the teachings of Cyprian and later of Ambrose about the Lord's Supper (and the rise of the Catholic doctrine about it). Chapter 6 was about Basil of Caesarea's life and writings with a focus on the monastic movement (why Christians became monks/nuns, etc.).
Chapter 7 was a brief history of how Christianity came to Britain and about the writings of St. Patrick on his life and in promotion of missionary work aimed at "barbarian" peoples. Chapter 8 was about how the author got interested in early church history. The appendix contained suggested books for further research on church history and information on the writings of Jaroslav Pelikan about 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.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Book Review: Following Jesus, Servant King
 | Following Jesus, Servant King: |
Source: Review copy from publisher through the koinonia blog for blog tour.
Book Description from Back Cover:
Throughout the Old Testament and into the New, God not only demands righteousness from his people but also showers on grace that enables them to act. Jesus, of course, provides the ultimate fulfillment of these twin aspects of God's relationship to humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience.
So what does it mean to follow Jesus? What does God expect from his followers, and how can they be and do what is required?
Jonathan Lunde answers these and other questions in his sweeping biblical study on discipleship. He surveys God's interaction with his people from Eden to Jesus, paying special attention to the biblical covenants that illuminate the character and plans of God.
My Review:
Following Jesus, Servant King is a theology book that explores Scripture using cultural background information to help explain what Jesus expected from His followers. The author explained how the two types of covenants (grant, conditional) work. He then talked about the covenants found in the Old Testament, how God's grace was always involved, and how this provided insights into the grace/works aspects of the New Covenant.
He also explored the three ways in which Jesus brought the law to its fulfillment: by changing our need for it (like the sacrificial system), by explaining the original intent (like loving your neighbor), and by heightening it by getting at inner thought issues (like Jesus' anger/murder, lust/adultery commands). He also explored how Jesus intended for us to be able to met these high standards.
The author quoted verses from the Old and New Testament to make his points, but he also used cultural background information about the different types of covenants, the law, and discipleship to help clarify some seemingly difficult or confusing points in Scripture. He did an excellent job of explaining the tensions found in Scripture. The writing was formal in tone but not difficult to follow.
The author gave good illustrative examples and made thorough arguments (with excellent footnoting of his sources), but the writing in the first section sometimes seemed wordier than necessary. Overall, though, I found this book very interesting and informative. I would recommend it to those who want to better understand the role of grace and the law in the Christian life.
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 from Chapter One
"Follow me."
With these words, Jesus summarizes his call to discipleship. But what exactly does he mean by this command? What does following him involve? How we answer this question is crucially important, because the nature of our lives as disciples — what we actually do and how we live as Christians — will largely depend on our understanding of what Jesus means by these words.
Does following Jesus simply mean confessing him as our Savior, going to church on a regular basis, and giving to Christian causes? Does it entail leaving everything behind and going into full-time missionary work in some far-off land? Or does it mean committing ourselves to obey the Golden Rule throughout our lives, doing our best to love those people who come across our paths? As you know, people who identify themselves as followers of Jesus embrace these and a host of other interpretations, which leads to a wide diversity in Christian expressions, some of which are surely not what Jesus had in mind.
Read more of chapter one.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Book Review: Understanding Jesus
 | Understanding Jesus: |
Source: Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher.
Book Description from Goodreads:
In UNDERSTANDING JESUS, author Joe Amaral delves deep into Jewish history, societal mores, and cultural traditions. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus' birth, baptism, and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that the Western mind would normally miss.
Amaral's premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. Throughout the book he explores specific terms, places, and events for their significance and shows how they add richness and meaning to the text. Topics include the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, the annual Feasts and why they are important to modern Christianity, Jewish customs such as foot-washing, clean and unclean foods, paying tribute to political governments, and the significance of various miracles.
My Review:
Understanding Jesus gave some cultural background information to the gospels and Revelation. The author spent most of the book exploring the Feasts of the Lord to provide insight into some things Jesus did and said. He also briefly covered information on the four messianic miracles, clean and unclean foods, binding and loosing, tear jars, fence laws, prayer shawls, and more.
The author quoted large sections of Scripture before explaining the cultural insight he'd gained into those verses. This is good, but, of 180 pages of text, it seemed like only about half of them were spent explaining the cultural insights. Many of the topics weren't explored in-depth.
Perhaps because of this, I sometimes felt his statements were misleading. For example, the way he explained the timing of John the Baptist's birth and Jesus' birth would lead the reader to believe everyone who has studied the topic agrees with his timeline. However, the timeline he gave is based on many assumptions, and not everyone agrees with those assumptions.
Also, sometimes the author took an idea or tradition further than the evidence supported it. For example, on pages 28 and 29, he said that people took their burial shroud with them whenever they took a long journey. From this, he concluded that the "strips of cloth" that baby Jesus was wrapped in were from a burial shroud. I suppose this might be true, but babies have been swaddled for centuries. It's just as likely that Mary used stripes of cloth specifically intended for swaddling Jesus (since they knew she was close to giving birth and would have been prepared for that) rather than hastily using a shroud to make swaddling stripes.
Sometimes the information he gave conflicted with information that I've read elsewhere. Like he gave a slightly different order for the steps of a betrothal-wedding than the very detailed information given in Women of the Bible by Smith, Phillips, and Sanna. Amaral implied that the marriage was consummated before the wedding feast, but other sources say that the first day of the wedding feast is celebrated before the marriage is consummated.
As another example, on page 96 and 97, the author said that on the Day of Atonement, "Before the priest would push the goat backward [off a cliff], he would tear off a portion of the scarlet strip of wool that was tied around one of its horns. Ancient Jewish literature records a most phenomenal event. It was said that the piece of scarlet wool that the priest held in his hand would turn white as the goat fell. This was a sign to the people that their sins had in fact been forgiven and removed for another year. ...This practice was carried on for hundreds of years by the priests and brought great comfort and solace to the people. They knew every year that God would forgive their sins. Every year, as the scarlet wool turned white, they would take comfort.... Amazingly...the scarlet piece of wool stopped turning white after the death and resurrection of Jesus."
He refers to the Talmud as his source, but what does the Talmud actually say? Rosh HaShanah 31b, Babylonian Talmud: "'Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the [Temple] court on the outside. If it turned white the people used to rejoice, and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that it should be fastened to the door of the court on the inside. People, however, still peeped in and saw, and if it turned white they rejoiced and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that half of it should be fastened to the rock and half between the horns of the goat that was sent [to the wilderness]’....‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.'"
That doesn't quite match up with what he said. So some of the information in this book was solid and insightful, other parts sounded neat but were highly speculative, and some parts seemed to be in error or were potentially misleading.
Personally, I'd recommend books that covered more certain topics and covered them in-depth (like Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Spangler, Lois Tverberg, and several other Bible background books I've reviewed) before I'd recommend this one.
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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