Nose Rings, Crickets, and Death in the Pot!

As I've mentioned before, I'm endeavoring to read through The Bible in 90Days. Once I got going, it has been easier to keep up with than I expected. (I hesitate to write that, fearing that will be the beginning of my downfall!) Having a more short-term goal is better for me, and reading multiple chapters a day makes it much easier to see the overall "big picture" - it's like reading a novel.

I'm awed by how one can discover new things that pop out of a familiar passage. Some prick my heart with conviction, some make my eyebrows go up in surprise, and some just make me laugh at the detail provided. For example. . .

. . .I was surprised to realize that when Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for Isaac, when the servant met Rebekah and knew she was the one God had led him to, he gave her a nose ring! (Gen. 24:22, 47) I'm thinking there are some teens who do not need to hear that story!

. . .I did not remember that God specifically tells the Israelites they may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper.(Lev. 11:21-22) Uh, I'll pass on that one!

But this one totally made me laugh out loud:

Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these men."

One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine. He gathered some of its gourds and filled the fold of his cloak. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.

Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot. (2 Kings 4:38-41)

My kids don't like every meal I cook, but at least no one has ever said, "O Mom, there is death in the pot!"


I think I would have remembered if I had heard that story in Sunday School! Now there's even a children's book you can download about it!

So tell me. . . do you remember ever reading - or hearing a sermon! - on Death in the Pot?!

BTW, Spurgeon did! And he shows that this passage actually has a great application for our lives! I wonder...next time I review a book that has faulty theology, should I title the review "Death in the Pot"?!


Picture courtesy of Christian Clipart.

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Whose Fault is the Fault?

I love how God works to bring verses to our attention at just the right time!

Yesterday in our Sunday School Bible Fellowship class, we prayed for Haiti, as I'm sure your church did. The question was raised about how to respond in conversations with non-believers (or believers too, for that matter) when questions come up about God's role in such disasters, especially in light of some public comments made last week which attribute the earthquake to God's judgment on a pagan nation. Of course, this has caused a maelstrom of reaction from both ends of the spectrum.

Later yesterday evening, I was reading an unrelated book, and stumbled across these verses:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
Luke 13:1-5

I almost fell out of the chair! I don't remember reading those verses before, although I'm sure I have. What a great reminder that, instead of trying to read God's mind, we need to be focus on the importance of turning to Him in repentance and trust, regardless of where we live.

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One Fine Season is Not So Fine

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
One Fine Season
AuthorHouse (November 25, 2008)
by
Michael Sheehan


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Sheehan is CEO and founder of BioResource, a company that distributes natural remedies including the popular INFLAMYAR ointment for sports injuries. He wrote One Fine Season to honor the memories of two childhood friends who died young, before they could realize their dreams.

One Fine Season is true to life. It draws on Sheehan’s religious education at a Catholic seminary and his experience as a high school baseball and collegiate soccer player. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Sheehan also earned a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. He lives in Northern California.


ABOUT THE BOOK

ONE FINE SEASON tells the story of a promising young athlete who must rise from the ashes of devastating personal loss to fulfill a pact made years earlier with his best friend.

Best friends Pete O’Brien and Danny Grace are gifted college athletes, both hoping for careers as professional baseball players. When tragedy strikes, Danny struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief and fulfill a pact the young men made years earlier: to play in the World Series.

Events unexpectedly thrust Danny into the spotlight with the new expansion team in Sacramento. Three guides – an aging catcher, spiritual centerfielder and wise manager – plus a beautiful woman lead him on a healing journey, revealing that even death cannot break the bonds of true friendship.

If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of One Fine Season, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:
I cannot recommend this book. Before I tell you why, I want to preface my review by saying that in no way do I intend to attack the author. Writing a book is a tremendous process and I respect the time and effort he put into it. I admire his desire to honor the memory of his friends who died and sympathize with his loss. The Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

This book as an example of how Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) The summary, which is what was presented to us when the book was offered for review, sounds intriguing and full of wonderful possibilities. The first chapter (which I believe is what is submitted to CFBA for the book to be accepted) drew me in. As the story continued, however, it veered sharply from Biblical truth. Several discussions in the book promote New Age thinking, including statements such as these:

• "Don't get me wrong, I think faith is a great gift, but does sacrificing his son make sense to you?. . .Jesus Christ came to show us that resurrection is possible and to reveal our path to the Divine and the state of love we seek." (pp. 42-43)
  
• "I seriously doubt that there can be only one heaven. I mean, it wouldn't be heaven if you had to share it with people you don't like or even hate. . . And let's face it--some people are such *** that even God couldn't stand them." (p. 99)
  
• "To me, the Garden of Eden was never an actual place on earth. It's a state where our eternal spirits are united precisely with God." (p. 99)
  
• "The true reality is our quantum mind's connection to the divine, and the universe as a whole." (p. 102)
  
• "Only when we center ourselves in the harmonic connection that we've discussed before, which includes love, artistic expression, and spiritual states, can we achieve a transcendental experience that's beyond rational and overcomes the strict limitations of religion." (p. 151)

In addition to the doctrine that is diametrically opposed to that presented in the Bible, the book contains premarital sex that is deemed to be acceptable, and the language of the book deteriorates rapidly; the last quarter of the book was completely gratuitous in its use of foul language.

And that book summary above? The last sentence on the actual book jacket was revised to read: Along the way, three guides - an aging catcher, a highly educated centerfielder and a wise old manager - emerge to help Danny deal with his shattered faith, and lead him on a journey of spiritual and emotional healing that climaxes when he comes face to face with the universe's ultimate plan for all mankind. (colored emphasis mine) Don't waste your money on this book. Instead, renew your mind with these:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

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Randy Alcorn's Latest & a Giveaway!

Randy Alcorn's latest book tackles a difficult subject which lies at the very core of our beliefs. I've had such a hard time getting started on this review that I can't imagine even attempting to write the book itself, but I'm so glad Randy did. This is a solid, thought-provoking, and well-written book.

If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil deals with the prime questions people ask today:

Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

No trite answers here. This book is peppered with Scriptural references. (In the back is a 7-page, triple-column index of somewhere around 1000 references!) When I began the book, I decided to use those little Post-it flags to mark pages to which I might want to refer later. I'm wondering now if that will actually be helpful, for there are so many flags that I might as well have an unmarked book!

Randy begins by defining evil. For we must understand evil to acknowledge our own sin. Only then will we begin to grasp God's goodness and His grace.

Unless we come to grips with the fact that we're of precisely the same stock as [a convicted child-murderer] and Stalin and Mao, we'll never get over thinking that we deserve better. Evil done to us will offend us and having to suffer will outrage us. We'll never appreciate Christ's grace so long as we hold on to the proud illusion that we're better than we are. We flatter ourselves when we look at evil acts and say, "I would never do that." Given our evil nature and a similar background, resources, and opportunities, we would. (p. 76)

He also offers a discussion of worldviews that are contradictory to the Bible, utilizing Scripture to point out their fallacies. I think believers are sometimes fearful of reading books by or having discussions with atheists because they feel threatened by their assertions. This book is an excellent resource to assist believers in understanding those perspectives and how inconsistent they are with Scripture. (Caveat, we generally cannot debate someone into the kingdom. Individuals were always trying to engage Jesus in theological debates, and He sidestepped those to deal directly with matters of the heart. People generally do not care how much we know until they know how much we care.)

Randy tackles the difficult and often hotly debated question of Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Choice thoroughly and boldly, acknowledging that both "sides" have supporting scriptures. He encourages the reader not to simply pick and choose scriptures that support one's theology but to adapt one's theology to the Scriptures, quoting Charles Spurgeon as saying,

These two truths, I do not believe can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel that the mind that shall pursue them fathest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring. (p. 278)

I am eager to complete the last third of the book, for flipping through I see many great nuggets such as: God's delay of justice is actually a demonstration of His patience and grace, how He uses suffering for His glory and our sanctification, and finding God in the midst of suffering.

This is not a quick read just because of the nature of the subject and the size of the book. However, while the concepts are weighty, the wording is down-to-earth. Some theological tomes are written such that I can't even understand the sentences, much less the concepts presented! But this is presented in a very approachable style, and I highly recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to 1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin's Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then (children's picture book about Heaven). His fourteen nonfiction works include Money, Possessions and Eternity, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, In Light of Eternity, The Treasure Principle, The Grace & Truth Paradox, The Purity Principle, The Law of Rewards, Why ProLife, Heaven, Heaven for Kids (8-12 year olds), 50 Days of Heaven (meditations on Heaven) and Tell Me About Heaven (picture book illustrated by Ron DiCianni).

Randy has written for many magazines and produces the popular periodical Eternal Perspectives. He's been a guest on over 500 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, The Bible Answer Man, Family Life Today, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

The father of two married daughters, Randy lives in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife and best friend, Nanci. They are the proud grandparents of four grandsons, Jacob, Matthew, Tyler and Jack. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

For more information on this author, please be sure to visit www.epm.org. To see the author's life and perspectives, check out his blog at www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com.


Go to the publisher's site to order If God is Good, read an excerpt, or find a local or online location to purchase this book.


I just have to do a giveaway! If you would like to read this book, enter a comment and I will send you a new one directly from Amazon. Leave a second comment letting me know you mentioned and linked to the giveaway on your blog and get an extra chance to win. Comments must be submitted by Sunday evening (9/27) at 6:00 pm CDT and I will draw a winner. US mailing addresses only. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you if you don't have a blog.

And even if you don't win, GOD IS GOOD!

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Father's Day Blog Tour

Here are two books for Father's Day, one for Dad (Mom, too!) and one for the kid who wants to curl up with next to dad and read a book together!


THE DISAPPEARANCE OF GOD
by
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
(Random House/Multnomah)

“Great biblical truths are meant not only for our intellectual acceptance, but for our spiritual health.” –Dr. Al Mohler
More faulty information about God swirls around us today than ever before. No wonder so many followers of Christ are unsure of what they really believe in the face of the new spiritual openness attempting to alter unchanging truth.

For centuries the church has taught and guarded the core Christian beliefs that make up the essential foundations of the faith. But in our postmodern age, sloppy teaching and outright lies create rampant confusion, and many Christians are free-falling for “feel-good” theology.

We need to know the truth to save ourselves from errors that will derail our faith.

As biblical scholar, author, and president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Albert Mohler, writes, “The entire structure of Christian truth is now under attack.” With wit and wisdom he tackles the most important aspects of these modern issues:

• Is God changing His mind about sin?
  
• Why is hell off limits for many pastors?
  
• What’s good or bad about the “dangerous” emergent movement?
  
• Have Christians stopped seeing God as God?
  
• Is the social justice movement misguided?
  
• Could the role of beauty be critical to our theology?
  
• Is liberal faith any less destructive than atheism?
  
• Are churches pandering to their members to survive?

In the age-old battle to preserve the foundations of faith, it's up to a new generation to confront and disarm the contemporary shams and fight for the truth. Dr. Mohler provides the scriptural answers to show you how.

AUTHOR BIO:
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., serves as the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary-the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.

Dr. Mohler has been recognized by such influential publications as Time and Christianity Today as a leader among American evangelicals. In fact, Time.com called him the "reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S".

In addition to his presidential duties, Dr. Mohler hosts The Albert Mohler Program, a daily live nationwide radio program on the Salem Radio Network. He also writes a popular blog. More infomation and a variety of articles, sermons, and speeches are available on his website. He is married to Mary, and they have two children, Katie and Christopher.

MY THOUGHTS:
Excellent book, but this one is not for wimps. And probably not for the beach. It is not a quick read, for it requires some serious thinking -- and probably a dictionary within reach. But it's important to give careful consideration to many of the questions he raises in order to ensure that we are indeed salt and light and not whitewashed tombs.

You can purchase this book directly from the publisher or from Amazon or Lifeway.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SIR DALTON AND THE SHADOW NIGHT
by
Chuck Black
(Random House/Multnomah)

Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.

But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.

When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

AUTHOR BIO:
Chuck Black began writing to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. His first series, The Kingdom Series, is a collection of Biblical allegories that are set in a medieval time period. They cover the span of time from Genesis through the book of Revelation. Chuck’s current works include The Knights of Arrethtrae series, of which Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart is the third book.

Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children.

It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son. More information and activities can be found at his website.

MY THOUGHTS:
My boy has several of these books and has enjoyed them, and knowing that the author was an F-16 fighter pilot was a bonus for him. This is one of his favorite genres to read. His one complaint is just that the books are too short!

This book may also be purchased from the publisher, Amazon, or Lifeway.

Happy Reading!

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Saints in Limbo Reviewed

SAINTS IN LIMBO
by
River Jordan
(Waterbrook Press)

Ever since her husband Joe died, Velma True’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida.

When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be unmoored from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again.

AUTHOR BIO:
River Jordan is a critically acclaimed novelist and playwright whose unique mixture of southern and mystic writing has drawn comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen, Leif Enger, and Flannery O’Connor. Her previous works include The Messenger of Magnolia Street, lauded by Kirkus Reviews as “a beautifully written, atmospheric tale.” She speaks around the country and makes her home in Nashville. You can learn more about her at her website.


MY THOUGHTS:
This is a book that is receiving much acclaim, but personally, I just didn't get it. It may be somewhat a matter of taste. Just as I love a thick, juicy filet mignon but don't like Chinese food, some books just are not my cup of tea mocha. But beyond that, I found the book difficult to follow and honestly, just plain bizarre. I loved the title and the concept that, as believers, we are Saints in Limbo - living here while anticipating our eternal home. (Although on her website the author comments that "we are all Saints in our small ways yet we are all also in this stage of transition, growing from one thing into another", which sounds a bit New Age-y to me.) But Velma seems to have stepped beyond limbo and a bit off the edge of reality. The mystical elements got stranger as the book progressed and I began to feel a little bit in limbo myself. I'm having a hard time deciding if I consider this Christian fiction or simply literature. Not everything that has a "spiritual" element is Christian. Some reviews refer to it as Southern goth and/or magical realism. Publisher's Weekly ends its review by saying "Velma True's mystical adventure will speak to an audience interested in a thrilling, often touching, gothic tale about conquering fear and regret with a stubborn, Southern love." And while there's nothing wrong with reading a book that isn't blatantly "Christian," if one is presented as such, I want to be sure it qualifies.

An expert I am not, however. Decide for yourself. You can purchase it directly from the publisher or here.

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A Must-See

Sometimes a picture gets the point across more powerfully than a lengthy thesis.

This is excellent.

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