Twelve Unlikely Heroes by John MacArthur gives a short biography of 12 biblical characters: Enoch, Joseph, Miriam (Moses' sister), Gideon and Samson, Jonathan (Saul's son and David's best friend), Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James the brother of Jesus, and Mark and Onesimus. Each account take the biblical scriptures and stories of these figures and retells the stories. Although I usually like John MacArthur's work, this book was very dry for me. I've heard the bible stories since I was a child and it was very boring for me to go through the same old stories once again. The story of Jonah and the whale again? I also found the lesser known stories to be stretched with lots of material that wasn't directly relevant. Example: Enoch is barely mentioned in the bible. Perhaps 4 verses in the entire Bible. So how did MacArthur turn these 4 verses into a 20 page chapter? By going off topic and teaching on other things that do not directly relate to Enoch: like Noah, a long discussion of walking a life with God, forgiveness of sin, the substance of faith, fruit of righteousness, and preaching the truth. If you haven't heard these stories in a while, you might enjoy this book. But for those of us who grew up with them, we will probably be kind of bored with hearing the same stories again, stretched into 20 pages per story.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I
am not required to give positive reviews.
SKIP IT: Cruel Harvest by Fran Grubb
This was a very unpleasant true story about a teenage girl who was raped along with her sister by their father. The girls and their mother were brutally beaten to the point of near death again and again. I was shocked at how horrible a life these women had to live under the hands of a mad man. I couldn't help but cringe through the entire book. It was so unpleasant to read and this is why I can't recommend it. It is important that it is a true story and because it is true it shows just how sick and depraved people can become. The author did a good job writing this book. I just found the detailed beatings to be very dis-tasteful. This book is certainly for adults only. The book has barely any Christianity in it at all and the parts it has are just one of the girls prayed here or there. This shouldn't really be considered a Christian book in my opinion. I also felt like the book's Christian view of forgiveness is a worldly view of forgiveness and not a true Christian view of forgiveness. The girl forced herself to "forgive" her evil father even though he never changed because she was afraid of God holding her sins against her and her ending up in hell because of it. This isn't Christianity. Or at least not true or good Christianity. We are saved by faith alone. Jesus paid for all our sins and this is what saves us. We do not earn or keep our salvation by doing good works like forgiveness. Our motivation to forgive is because God forgave us. Not because we go to hell if we don't forgive. Most people misunderstand the beatitudes and take that verse to mean something it doesn't mean. Please research it yourself to learn there are no requirements or works we must perform for salvation. They are all done by Jesus Christ.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
SKIP IT: Father Hunger by Douglas Wilson
I found this book very boring and painfully difficult to get through. Everything has been said before dozens of times in other books and Wilson drifts off topic over and over again. I found myself reading sections and going "What did that have to do with anything?" over and over again. The book did not flow well and I really didn't learn anything new. The author writes about men and women being created to have different roles but we've heard this so many times already! And then he writes about how children need fathers and fathers are important. I think we know that already too. He writes about the role fathers play in the spiritual lives of their children, and on poverty and crime. I would love to recommend this book because I heard good things about the author but I just can't.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
READ IT: The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur
We humans think that we are given a bad card in life. We blame our problems on genes and addictions that are beyond our control. We fail to realize that our greatest problem is the result of sin and that there is a solution - salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. This book is about bringing readers to realize that the biggest problem in their life is not their weight or cold or trouble at work but their standing before God. And it points readers to Jesus Christ and goes into explaining why Jesus is the only solution for our problem of sin. This book gives God the glory in the salvation process. It shows Christians what they have to be grateful for - that although they were unworthy sinners, Christ died for us. I highly recommend this book. It's a great look at the gospel message.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
READ IT: The Truth About Grace by John MacArthur
Grace is a gift. MacArthur rightly differentiates between common grace given to unbelievers and special saving grace given to believers. Both are undeserved and free gifts of God. Saving grace frees us from the penalty and power of sin.
This is a beautiful book about the sovereign grace of God. MacArthur clearly defines grace and our observant role. Humans do not participate in the salvation process in that they do not contribute anything to salvation. The author is very clear on this point. This book is about God's mercy and this undeserved favor that we are given. It is a beautiful portrait of the love of God towards His people. He explains what we are saved from (the wrath of God & from sin). This is all from a Calvinist view. MacArthur explains why he believes the Arminian view that emphasizes man's sovereignty to the reduction of God's sovereignty is incorrect. He also explains how faith without works is dead, as James explains. This is a great short book that reminds us of the gospel and how undeserving we are. I enjoyed this book even more than MacArthur's latest Truth About the Lordship of Christ book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
This is a beautiful book about the sovereign grace of God. MacArthur clearly defines grace and our observant role. Humans do not participate in the salvation process in that they do not contribute anything to salvation. The author is very clear on this point. This book is about God's mercy and this undeserved favor that we are given. It is a beautiful portrait of the love of God towards His people. He explains what we are saved from (the wrath of God & from sin). This is all from a Calvinist view. MacArthur explains why he believes the Arminian view that emphasizes man's sovereignty to the reduction of God's sovereignty is incorrect. He also explains how faith without works is dead, as James explains. This is a great short book that reminds us of the gospel and how undeserving we are. I enjoyed this book even more than MacArthur's latest Truth About the Lordship of Christ book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
READ IT: The Truth About The Lordship of Christ by John MacArthur
I highly recommend The Truth About The Lordship of Christ by John MacArthur to all Christian readers. This book will appeal to anyone who loves God and Jesus Christ and holds a Christian worldview. The author focuses on Christian living, sanctification, submission to God's will, confession, repentance, and holy living. In today's world, where the church looks so unchristian and so ugly with all its easy acceptance of sin, this book challenges readers to be real Christians, not just Christians by name. Live the life you claim to live. MacArthur encourages readers to stop living hypocritically and to start bearing fruit as evidence of their repentance. If you are truly saved, you should be producing fruit as evidence of this salvation (but not as a means to get saved). This book touches on salvation and our eventual place in heaven with rewards for our labors.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
SKIP IT: I Love You To God And Back
It was hard for me to decide whether I Love You To God And Back by Amanda Lamb should be a Read It or Skip It recommendation. The book itself was fun, sweet and very feel-good. But in the end, would this be a book that readers would keep in their libraries or get rid of? Would it be remembered? Would it add anything lasting or memorable to the reader's life? I believe the later, so my recommendation is Skip It.
If you love fiction, then you will love this book. It's a warm, positive story about a baby Christian mother and her younger daughter, sharing a prayer time. This book makes you smile, so if your goal is just to have a good time, read this book.
However, I seek something a bit deeper. You will most likely forget this book. After reading it, although I enjoyed reading it, I didn't come away with any real value added to my life. The prayers are extremely light or simple. Some might use the word shallow but I prefer not to describe someone's genuine prayer as shallow because they are heartfelt. However, nearly every of the 100 prayers in the book goes like: "Dear God and Jesus, thank you for being able to go to school, thank you for swimming at the pool, thank you for playing with friends and thank you for my family. Ohhhh and thank you for Mommy!" Nearly every prayer follows this outline with a little change here or there. And the rest of the book is Mom telling stories about how adorable her girls are. And they are adorable! You will love them. Mom writes a beautiful book. Maybe I should give this a "Read It" recommendation.... but I can't. Simply because there wasn't enough to it. It was like watching a good soap opera.
The best part of this book for me was the questions that the daughter made her mother consider. Who should we pray to? God? Jesus? God and Jesus? And should we end our prayers with Amen? Why? Things like this added a little depth to the book, but there weren't enough "Ahhh" and "Hmmm" moments for me. Just lots of warm fuzzy memories being shared. It was a good book. But not a great book. If you have time and enjoy fiction, read it. If you are busy, skip it.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
If you love fiction, then you will love this book. It's a warm, positive story about a baby Christian mother and her younger daughter, sharing a prayer time. This book makes you smile, so if your goal is just to have a good time, read this book.
However, I seek something a bit deeper. You will most likely forget this book. After reading it, although I enjoyed reading it, I didn't come away with any real value added to my life. The prayers are extremely light or simple. Some might use the word shallow but I prefer not to describe someone's genuine prayer as shallow because they are heartfelt. However, nearly every of the 100 prayers in the book goes like: "Dear God and Jesus, thank you for being able to go to school, thank you for swimming at the pool, thank you for playing with friends and thank you for my family. Ohhhh and thank you for Mommy!" Nearly every prayer follows this outline with a little change here or there. And the rest of the book is Mom telling stories about how adorable her girls are. And they are adorable! You will love them. Mom writes a beautiful book. Maybe I should give this a "Read It" recommendation.... but I can't. Simply because there wasn't enough to it. It was like watching a good soap opera.
The best part of this book for me was the questions that the daughter made her mother consider. Who should we pray to? God? Jesus? God and Jesus? And should we end our prayers with Amen? Why? Things like this added a little depth to the book, but there weren't enough "Ahhh" and "Hmmm" moments for me. Just lots of warm fuzzy memories being shared. It was a good book. But not a great book. If you have time and enjoy fiction, read it. If you are busy, skip it.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Sheila Walsh's Incorrect Teachings
Podcast: Your Network of Praise: A Few Minutes With Sheila Walsh (4:44)
The interview is about Walsh's new book series: "Gabby, God's Little Angel" is to written to "show God's love". Walsh says, "My heart for the rest of my life is to tell as many people in as many ways as often as I can about the outrageous merciful love of God." "To let children know that they are always watched over by the Lord." Walsh refers to Matthew 19:13-15, and says that in these verses, "Christ pulls some children aside and said don't despise any of these little ones because their angels always behold the face of my father in heaven." "So it was clear to me that children specifically have angels that watch over them and are constantly calling their name out in the throne of grace."
Several things are incorrect or misleading about Walsh's statements:
1) Walsh's book series "Gabby God's Little Angel Princess" is an unbiblical story of a silly, clumbsy, foolish female child angel in training. In the Bible, angels are not female and they are not children and they are certainly not silly, incompetent, foolish and clumbsy. And they are not princesses.
2) When Walsh says she is writing to tell as many people as possible about God's outrageous love, who is she telling? Is she preaching the false easy-believism gospel that says "God loves you just as you are with all those sins and that you can have a ticket to heaven without any repentance and without making Christ the Lord of your life?" What is the point of telling everyone God loves them? It seems to work in contrast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in which Jesus convicts one seeker after another of their sin. You will not find Jesus or any of the apostles ever preaching, "God loves you just as you are" but "Repent! Turn from your sins and seek God!"
3) Matthew 19:13-15 has nothing to do with angels. Walsh is incorrect in interpreting these verses to justify the unbiblical teaching of "guardian angels" for each individual child. The exact verses in the ESV read, "Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." And he laid his hands on them and went away." As you can see, there is nothing about guardian angels in these verses.
I have read three of Sheila Walsh's books and listened to two interviews (podcasts) and time and time again, Walsh leads readers away from a Biblical view of things. This author is a part of Women of Faith, a questionable group of female teachers that often teach a "prosperity gospel" that we can apply God's 3,600 promises all to ourselves and hold God to these promises and expect them for ourselves. Walsh also was a former co-host of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson's tv show that also taught "prosperity gospel" for the Word Faith cult on TBN. I do not recommend this author and believe her teachings are incorrect and misleading at best.
The interview is about Walsh's new book series: "Gabby, God's Little Angel" is to written to "show God's love". Walsh says, "My heart for the rest of my life is to tell as many people in as many ways as often as I can about the outrageous merciful love of God." "To let children know that they are always watched over by the Lord." Walsh refers to Matthew 19:13-15, and says that in these verses, "Christ pulls some children aside and said don't despise any of these little ones because their angels always behold the face of my father in heaven." "So it was clear to me that children specifically have angels that watch over them and are constantly calling their name out in the throne of grace."
Several things are incorrect or misleading about Walsh's statements:
1) Walsh's book series "Gabby God's Little Angel Princess" is an unbiblical story of a silly, clumbsy, foolish female child angel in training. In the Bible, angels are not female and they are not children and they are certainly not silly, incompetent, foolish and clumbsy. And they are not princesses.
2) When Walsh says she is writing to tell as many people as possible about God's outrageous love, who is she telling? Is she preaching the false easy-believism gospel that says "God loves you just as you are with all those sins and that you can have a ticket to heaven without any repentance and without making Christ the Lord of your life?" What is the point of telling everyone God loves them? It seems to work in contrast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in which Jesus convicts one seeker after another of their sin. You will not find Jesus or any of the apostles ever preaching, "God loves you just as you are" but "Repent! Turn from your sins and seek God!"
3) Matthew 19:13-15 has nothing to do with angels. Walsh is incorrect in interpreting these verses to justify the unbiblical teaching of "guardian angels" for each individual child. The exact verses in the ESV read, "Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." And he laid his hands on them and went away." As you can see, there is nothing about guardian angels in these verses.
I have read three of Sheila Walsh's books and listened to two interviews (podcasts) and time and time again, Walsh leads readers away from a Biblical view of things. This author is a part of Women of Faith, a questionable group of female teachers that often teach a "prosperity gospel" that we can apply God's 3,600 promises all to ourselves and hold God to these promises and expect them for ourselves. Walsh also was a former co-host of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson's tv show that also taught "prosperity gospel" for the Word Faith cult on TBN. I do not recommend this author and believe her teachings are incorrect and misleading at best.
READ IT: God Loves Broken People by Sheila Walsh
I heard so many bad things about this book and was told to skip this latest one. But I'm glad I gave it a try, because I really enjoyed God Loves Broken People by Sheila Walsh. I think this book is an honest look at how women deal with a life of trials and suffering. Sheila first acknowledges that many people reach a state where they feel they are no longer able to deal with everyday life in the rat race of making money and paying bills, which most of us can relate to. Then she offers really good compasionate advice on how these trials mold us into people of character. The ideas in this book are not new and they've been said a hundred times before, but from a woman's perspective, this is a warm, light, easy read. I found the book uplifting. Walsh isn't trying to give us any answers for why God allows suffering but by the end of the book, you come away feeling like suffering isn't so bad after all and actually can be good. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it to women who want a ofter look and softer perspective on suffering but still without doing damage to God's soverignty.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviews.
READ IT: 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell
1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell is a book about encouraging readers to live our the example of life that Jesus left us. Falwell points out that if life was just about salvation and getting our tickets to heaven, Jesus could have been born and died on the cross. But the mere fact that Christ lived out the perfect Christian life for 3.5 years had to mean something. Christ left us this example for us to follow, not for us to just ignore. Although the book isn't deep, it is truthful and a good reminder to Christians to live the life that we are called to. The stories in the book (passages about Jesus) also are things we have heard before, but it is good to hear them again. So this is a good solid book but not outstanding. But still worth the read.
Falwell writes, "My heart has found an answer to its restlessness in the person of Jesus Christ, and I know you can find this same peace and purpose too." His book is about "meet with Jesus Christ like never before. It is a journey to understand His teachings, model your life after His example, and follow Him in a new way." "Get a sense of what it is that Jesus wants us to know about what He did, what He said, who He is, and what He wants us to do about that."
Falwell tells us that Jesus preached for 1000 days to give us an example to follow. Christ could have just been born and died on the cross. He didn't have to preach for 3 1/2 years and leave us an example, but he has. So, what will we do about it? Will we stay sitting in our comfortable homes or get up and do something about it and follow Christ's example? Falwell challenges readers, "Maybe you are one of the comfortable. You are a God-follower, a genuine Christian, but you really don’t want to get out of your seat. You don’t want to share your faith. The mission scares you or simply doesn’t interest you. You, too, have a choice to make. Your invitation is to travel that road with Jesus."
"The bull’s-eye of that target is that you and I become more like Jesus. Remember that He could have skipped His three-year ministry and gone straight to Calvary, except that He wanted us to see what a holy life looks like."
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviewsDisclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am giving my honest review, as positive reviews are not required..
Falwell writes, "My heart has found an answer to its restlessness in the person of Jesus Christ, and I know you can find this same peace and purpose too." His book is about "meet with Jesus Christ like never before. It is a journey to understand His teachings, model your life after His example, and follow Him in a new way." "Get a sense of what it is that Jesus wants us to know about what He did, what He said, who He is, and what He wants us to do about that."
Falwell tells us that Jesus preached for 1000 days to give us an example to follow. Christ could have just been born and died on the cross. He didn't have to preach for 3 1/2 years and leave us an example, but he has. So, what will we do about it? Will we stay sitting in our comfortable homes or get up and do something about it and follow Christ's example? Falwell challenges readers, "Maybe you are one of the comfortable. You are a God-follower, a genuine Christian, but you really don’t want to get out of your seat. You don’t want to share your faith. The mission scares you or simply doesn’t interest you. You, too, have a choice to make. Your invitation is to travel that road with Jesus."
"The bull’s-eye of that target is that you and I become more like Jesus. Remember that He could have skipped His three-year ministry and gone straight to Calvary, except that He wanted us to see what a holy life looks like."
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am not required to give positive reviewsDisclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for this unbiased review. I am giving my honest review, as positive reviews are not required..
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