Walking with the Master, by Stan Lemke

I personally know the author of this study book. I had both of his daughters in my College Bible Study for years. They were well taught in regards to the Bible and other subjects as well. So when they told me their dad had written a study book I thought I would take a look at it.

I think the writing is good, the theology is fine and the practical applications that you will make from your study are going to be ones that you treasure for a long time.

This is not a quick read book. You must take it slowly, savor the writing and contemplate all that you read, learn and need to apply.

I think Stan hit a solid triple with this book. I'm looking forward to his next text so that I can see if he hit a home run.

From Maccabees to the Mishnah, Third Edition by Shaye J. D. Cohen

For a history book written by a Professor from Harvard I found that this text was completely readable and easy to follow. It is scholarly but written for even the layman to understand.

This is the third edition of the book, for some great reviews go back to the first and second editions and you will find very lengthly well written reviews. For a third edition you expect to find some new material. Chapter 8 is the best section of "new" material as it takes you from the Jewish culture and history to that of Christianity. The first two editions lacked this section, but that was not an oversight it was intentional as the book is about the culture and history of Israel before the advent of Christianity.

For most Christians we have not read the history of the Jews that is found most commonly in the Apocrypha. This was included in Catholic Bibles but is absent in Protestant Bibles. But more than the history of the Apocrypha Professor Cohen takes us through the history of Israel from the time of minor prophets through the 400 years of silence leading up to the New Testament. It is a great textbook for us on learning much more about the nation of Israel and what happened to them and brought them to the place that they are today.

I found that material highly interesting and found myself asking, why hadn't I heard about the first two editions? I'm grateful that I heard about this third edition and grateful to the publisher for making a review copy available to me.

For students of the Bible and Christianity I think that this textbook is a must read as it will bring together many aspects of the nation of Israel that answer underlying questions that you might have as to why they rejected the Messiah, why they act the way they do and the frustration they must have felt with the subjugation they underwent by being over run and ruled by foreign kings and dictators forever.

I won't go into the technical side of the book, I think that this is done by reviews of volume two. The first two reviews by David Blair and Bruce Marold are excellent and well worth your read.

Consider this as your next technical read or a gift to the one you know who loves history, theology, or anything Jewish

Trading Secrets by Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson writes Amish novels, but they are a bit different than most of those that you will read from someone like Beverly Lewis. Melody's novels give us a bit different look at the culture and the struggles and the desires of those involved in the Amish life.

In this story, Micah Knight became the pen pal of Zach Miller. That doesn't sound to daunting or troublesome, until you realize that Micah is a girl and that Zach is a boy. For the Amish it was difficult enough to allow their children to have an English pen pal, but if it came out that a boy and girl were corresponding that would be almost unforgivable. It wasn't that Micah was being deceitful, it's just that she didn't know that and well, Zach thought Micah was a boy.

When Micah realized that a girl and boy shouldn't correspond she didn't correct the issue, she continued to let Zach believe she was a boy. But when she is invited to visit the Miller farm in her late teenage years she realizes that the truth is going to have to come out.

Of course the Miller family is not excited to learn that Micah is a girl. Zach is angry. But Micah really wants to seek his forgiveness and spend time with him and the family. You see, Zach has been a very good sounding board for Micah as she grew up. He was there for her, via letters, when her mother died.

The story is well written and enjoyable. The characters take on a good quality and you feel as though you get to know them well. The surprising thing is that Melody doesn't write Amish characters that are all sweet, smily and accepting. She writes true feelings and some of the characters, such as Zach's mother, don't come off as kind, loving and hospitable. That is a bit of a shock to those who read Amish novels for fun.

Further, Zach really wants out of the Amish life. He was hoping that Micah would be helpful in getting him out, but to discover that Micah is a girl throws a wrench in his plans.

Will Zach ever forgive Micah? Will they ever re-build their relationship? Will Zach's parents ever accept Micah? Will Zach leave the Amish life?

Those are interesting questions and the story is well developed. I enjoyed every minute of it and believe you will as well.

Ferguson Unrest, The Question from the Media and Politicians, "Where is the Clergy?"

It has been several days now since the Grand Jury posted it's decision to not return an indictment against Officer Darren Wilson. This decision after months of reviewing evidence and listening to witnesses was not the decision that many in the Public Arena wanted to hear. Many in our community felt that the only true Justice would be an indictment. I will not debate the pro's and con's of that topic here today.

But I was reading in the Book of Matthew this morning and I thought that I would post the words of Jesus in his first Sermon, what we call the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. This sermon is one that is needed to be heard today. If it was heard today and believed and followed I think we would have a different response to the lack of indictment. Mainly the reason I think the response would be different is because the focus would be taken off our Justice System and returned to our person response of whether we truly are seeking the Kingdom of God or our own materialistic kingdom.

Matthew 5: 2-16, English Standard Version, published by Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL
"Jesus opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'"

There are many truths here that we should take to heart. I will not expound on each of them at this time, but it amazes me that many of the needs of our community can be heard here and the truth of what needs to happen can happen by following Jesus teaching.

There has been criticism from the Press and some Politician's about the clergy. They are asking the question, "Where are the Clergy in all of this?" Well, let me tell you, the clergy who truly walk in a manner worthy of the Lord are right in the midst of the issue. They are there to comfort their flock, to preach the word of God and to organize and facilitate prayer meetings, clean up crews, counseling, and the voice of reason.

As I see it, the problem is not, Where is the Clergy? The problem is why has our society ignored the teachings of Jesus as given to us in Holy Scripture and preached by Godly men who are walking in the path of righteousness?

The Clergy are right where they have always been and will continue to be, they are in the pulpit preaching God's word, they are walking the streets of their community praying for peace, they are reaching out to their congregation and the neighbors of those congregation members and helping to answer their needs both spiritually, physically and emotionally.

The real problem is that the Press and the Politician's only want to hear from Clergy who are inflaming the anger and angst of the crowds rather than those who are preaching the Peace of Christ.

Just like in Jesus day we have Religious Leaders who have forgotten their calling and are leading the people astray. So, I ask our community to choose their Religious Leaders wisely and follow those who are walking in righteousness and truly seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.

John Wesley's Teachings, Volume 4, by Thomas Oden

In this the final volume of a work on the teachings of John Wesley we find that Thomas Oden gives us a good review of how John Wesley viewed Ethics and Society. The teaching is divided into the following sections;

Part One:  Social Ethics
Part Two:  Economic Ethics
Part Three:  Political Ethics
Part Four:  Theological Ethics

It is amazing to me that John Wesley's teachings are 200 plus years old but yet still relevant to our society today. It is much like The Bible where Holy Scripture can be thousands of years old but still hold relevant truths for today's culture and society. This just goes to show us that Biblical Truth and is taught with integrity to scripture will always be relevant.

Given the current cultural upheaval that my particular community is facing in regards to racial issues I was very intrigued by what Wesley had to say in regards to Slavery. His section on "Confronting the Moral Failures of Slavery" is so in tune with truth that it sheds a great light even today on what we face. In 1791 Wesley wrote to William Wilberforce to encourage him to continue to fight against slavery. He wrote about how the African's that he had visited in their native land were more inclined to be living productive fruitful lives more in line with Adam and Eve in the garden than those of the "cultured" elite living in England, Europe and America. He was appalled by the conditions that he saw the slaves relegated to and was calling all to cease in their activity.

His open letter to Ship Captains calling on them to cease the activity of the slave trade points to what I would say is a treatment much like Martin Luther's statement nailed to the Wittenberg door. Wesley knew his scripture and was calling Christians to abide by the truth of the scripture to Love their Neighbors as themselves.

Many other topics he brings to light will encourage you to take a broader more Biblical look at how we face Ethics today. How can we declare our war on illegal immigration, our push against entitlement to the poor and our crackdown on age and sex discrimination without comparing the topics to Scripture and God's teaching and truths.

I was highly encouraged by this work and thought that it was a great work for Thomas Oden to take on. He has given us a great reference tool to understand the mind and character of a great man of God.

I encourage you to buy and read this volume and then purchase the other three volumes and acquaint yourself with teachings that will encourage your heart.

Being the father of Methodist thought I am amazed that the Methodist church has taken the path they are on and have so abandoned the scriptural teachings of scripture. They instead have adopted a social gospel but left the truth of the entire gospel in the dust. I pray they would reacquaint themselves with Wesley's teaching and repent of their sins and return to the Gospel of truth.

Enjoy!

Last Family Standing, by Jennifer Allee

I don't typically like reality shows, OK, that is an understatement. I have never watched a reality show, I think they are just a show that details how our society has become a bit to materialistic. People want to win and they don't typically care who they hurt in the process.

So, why did I even bother to order this book from the Vine Program? Well, I guess the short concise concept of a mother/daughter team who haven't ever been together except in the birthing room of the hospital got to me. I wanted to have a nice story of a mother and daughter meeting for the first time 25 years after the birth of said daughter.

What I didn't expect was to enjoy the book so much. I don't know why but the way that Jennifer Allee made the story come alive and the development of the characters really made a difference. You can't get to know a character on a tv show unless you watch multiple episodes, even then it is difficult.

But in the book you get the development of the main characters and you learn to real life struggle each of them has had in regards to not having lived their lives together. How hard is it for a mother to give up her child? How hard is it for a single mother to have the father walk out of her life and never contact her again, without even knowing he is a father? How many mothers get to meet their daughter for the first time on television in front of a huge audience?

Then the next thing that I enjoyed was the fact that faith comes in to play in some of the scenario's of the book. There is a pastor and daughter team and that helps to bring in the thought of a relationship with God. There is the couple who adopted Jessica, they are solid believers and their faith has helped them to raise a mature young woman who is amazing.

Then there is the love life of Monica, the mother, well, the lack of love life. She has not dated, not married, not been involved with anyone that we know of. But for whatever reason it appears that the host of the show is taken with her, how will that develop.

All of these things come together to make for a story that is fun to read and enjoyable to see that even in the midst of tragedy that good can come out of things.

I really hope you enjoy the book. Oh, and just an after thought, I still don't have any desire to watch a reality TV show.

Enjoy!

Miriam's Secret, by Jerry Eicher

First of all I would like to thank Harvest House for allowing me to have an advance copy of this book to review. I appreciate their gift to me.

I have read lots of Amish Romance Novels and they all start to blend together after a while, but usually they are a fun read and a wholesome read, nothing too forward in them. So, with Jerry Eicher I was wondering what new twist he might put on an Amish novel. Well, he found a good one and I think that it comes from his having lived in the Amish community as a child. He understands their thoughts and ways and he found a subject that would weave Biblical truths as well as moral values together to help us understand a young woman's desire to serve others, follow God and not succumb to temptation.

The writing is well done and very captivating. I look forward to seeing the final product in print as then I will be able to see the discussion questions that are inserted at the end to help book clubs work through the story and the values that are expounded within.

NOW FOR THE REVIEW:

Miriam Yoder is a fine young Amish woman who has a heart to serve others. She is also the oldest daughter in a family of 10 children, a poor family at that. Her father has a limp that makes working the farm hard, not impossible, but hard. As such he has never made a lot of money, the family lives on a very tight budget. Because of this Miriam feels that she needs to work outside the home. She finds a job doing housekeeping and care giving to an older English gentlemen, Mr. Bland. He has a large farm in their community and is very well taken care of financially.

He offers Miriam the job with a modest salary. As time goes on he gives her raises that are very nice and provides income for her family. She grows to care deeply for Mr. Bland and he cares for her as well. He and his wife never had children and his wife has passed, so all he has left is his sister Rose.

When Mr. Bland dies unexpectedly it is a blow to Miriam, not just because of the loss of a job, but because of a loss of a close friendship. He had come to think of Mr. Bland as a second father to her. His sister Rose is grateful for all she has done for her brother. He tells Miriam that he cared deeply for her and the service she provided was far above what they had hoped for.

Rose picks her up for the funeral. On the way there she tells Miriam that her brother has mentioned Miriam in his will. As such after the funeral Rose and Miriam have an appointment with Mr. Blands attorney. It turns out that Mr. Bland left Miriam his farm and all the land as well as a sum of money to maintain it hopefully forever.

But there is also a second item, he has left her two million dollars in cash. Miriam says she can't take it and it should go to Rose. But she is told that Rose was taken care of by her brother as he provided her with 1/3rd of his entire estate, what Miriam received was equivalent to another 1/3rd and a final 1/3rd was given to charity.

Well to say that this changes Miriam's life and future is an understatement. What is an Amish woman to do with such a gift? Who does she tell? Will the money corrupt her? Will men seek her hand in marriage because of the fortune? What was God thinking?

This makes for a great story. I won't give anymore away, but it will be a test of faith and character for Miriam that will encourage your heart as you see her resolve to deal honorably with the gift.

Enjoy!

Every Valley; Advent with the Scriptures of Handel's Messiah

What a great devotional book to read through during the Advent Season. Jessica Kelley has edited this short compilation of devotions that are written in direct relationship to Handel's Messiah. Most of us hear Handel's Messiah (or more appropriately at least the Hallelujah Chorus) during the Easter season at our churches or by local symphonies and choral groups. We associate the material thus with Easter and rightly so as it brings us to the resurrection of Christ.

But the work really gives us a full picture of the birth, life, death and resurrection, it starts out with the task of viewing scriptures of the Old Testament that dealt with the prophecy of the Messiah coming to the rescue of the nation of Israel. This was God's promise to His people. So, as you will find as you work through the 40 devotional thoughts they have a great text for understanding the birth of Christ as well as the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

The 40 devotions are meant to be read, one daily, during the advent season. They will address Handel's work from beginning to end. I would suggest that you get a copy of Handel's work and have it at hand to read through along with the devotional. You will be certain to find new inspiration and faith in the work as you process through this devotional.

As stated in the Forward of the devotional one of the contributors was astounded to discover that 75% of the text of Handel's Messiah comes from the Scriptures of the Prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament. Thus with every movement of the work you are confronted with the truths of Scripture in a moving, artistic way through music and words that is phenomenal.

Our culture has taken the Christmas season to a height of consumerism that is unparalleled at any time in the history of the world. From the sales of Black Friday to the stocking of Christmas decorations in stores even before November 1st this year, we have seen that Christmas is a barometer of how our economy is doing. Really, is that what we want Christmas to be know for?

In the early days of Israel they were being overrun by the god's of the cultures surrounding them. They were being assaulted by one god after another that was trying to show them that their God was weak and unfavorable. How much more is that true today. Our gods of consumerism, tolerance, justice, love for everyone and a cheap grace that says everyone gets to heaven have so diluted what we believe of God and Jesus Christ that we lose sight of our true faith and worship of the Creator and Designer of this world and of us.

Take a deep breath this season and start each day of the advent season by reading a short devotional on the work of Handel's Messiah and be awed for either the first time or for the 100th time by the insights that Handel brings together from scripture to paint for us word and musical pictures of the One True God and His desire to restore our relationship with Him.

Enjoy!

Who is Jesus, by Greg Gilbert - a Nine Marks Series book

First of all I would like to thank Crossway Publishing for allowing me to have an advance copy of this book for the purpose of a review. I would suggest that you go out to Amazon or CBD or wherever you buy books and Pre-Order yourself a copy of this title. I plan to purchase a case of them to have on hand to use as giveaways to people who I want to share Christ with.

In this short booklet we get a good treatment of the topic, “Who Is Jesus.” Greg Gilbert lays out a very clear and comprehensive discussion on the topic, it is geared towards those who have yet to decide who Jesus really is.

As he begins the book he asks the question, “Now of course you may not accept what Jesus says. You may reject it outright. But think about it: Wouldn’t it make sense not to do that too quickly? Wouldn’t it make sense to get to know this man a bit before you completely toss off what he says about you? Let me be bold and make a request, since you’ve been so kind to pick up this book and start reading it: Give Jesus a chance. It may be that as you learn more about him, you’ll realize that there are actually some very good reasons for believing what he said—about himself, about God, and about you.”

With that request made Gilbert then moves into a dialogue about Jesus and his teachings, his miracles, his actions and eventually his death on a Roman Cross. The outline for his work is very well thought out and very well articulated. He does not bludgeon you over the head with scripture, instead he gently lays out his argument for who he believes Jesus is.

This little booklet will become a great tool for all to have in their possession who want to share about Jesus with skeptic’s, non-believers, agnostics, atheists, etc. The only request that Gilbert makes is to give him a chance to lay out the case for Jesus and then they can make their own conclusion about Who Jesus Is.

There was an earlier book that did much to help people come to Christ, that was Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Christ.” That book is wonderful and a great tool as well. It is quite a bit longer than Gilbert’s book. So, the difference will be this, will your friend read a shorter treaty on Christ and be willing to dialogue about it? If so, use Gilbert’s book. Then after that move on to Strobel’s book as the second discussion starter with your friend.

I believe that Gilbert’s book will become a primer for many non-believers to come to address their decision about whether they believe Jesus is who he said he was or not. The Nine Marks Series of books are wonderful, but this newest one might be the best yet.

America, Turning a Nation to God, by Tony Evans

First of all I would like to thank Moody Press for letting me read an advance copy of this wonderful book. Tony Evans is calling our nation back to God. He gives us a clear prophetic message that if we don't return to God we will face terrible times that will eventually destroy our country as we know it. He goes through scripture in a way of detail that shows us how Israel kept turning away from God and thus they were constantly being overrun by others, degraded by the culture around them, influenced by other god's, other idols, other sins that lead only to their destruction.

He uses scripture to paint a very clear picture for us that we need to turn back to God and thus renew our commitment of faith and servanthood to our Lord and Savior. Then and only then will we be able to find that our country gets back on a proper footing.

We just ended the mid-term elections. It was evident that there is a frustration on the part of the American people with how things are going. The democrats lost the Congress and the Senate. So, now we have a democratic President but a republican run government. How will this work? Well, it probably won't. But it shows that the American people are frustrated with how things are going. But their frustration is born from selfishness, not from a sense of doing what God wants us to do. We want what we want for our own personal benefit and growth.

But God wants us to turn back to Him and follow His lead. But in our culture today we have lost the ability to quiet and know that He is God. We can't seem to hear Him because of the volume of noise from our iPads, iPhones, Galaxy tablets, other smart devices and electronic versions of the Bible that make it easier to find the book the preacher is talking about. What happened to old fashion sword drills when we knew our Bibles and how to find the verses that we needed to direct us through life?

God is calling us back to Himself. Tony Evans gives us a clear and concise text that tells us why that is important. Unfortunately I am concerned, as is Evans, that America won't turn back to God but will continue down the path of it's own destruction seeking it's own idols of independence, financial security, military might and pleasurable activities that will entertain us. God will surely not belabor His judgement forever. We are right on the edge of falling over the cliff into total sinful death.

Please read this book with an open heart and mind and then spend time with your Lord and Savior asking for forgiveness and for clear direction on how God wants you to proceed.

This book comes out on January 1, 2015, pre-order a copy from Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble or whatever book seller you use.

The Global War on Christians, by John Allen

Living in the Western World Culture most of my readers will have never felt religious persecution. Sure you may have people who think you are crazy for believing in God, or they might be a bit antagonistic if you talk about religion, but they aren't going to pull out a gun and shoot you or grab a sword and chop off your head because of your beliefs.

But that is not true through much of the world. Religious persecution is still alive and well in most of the world. Christians are dying regularly at the hands of people who hate their religion and hate their God. While we as Christians are being asked to be tolerant with other religions they are not being tolerant at all with us.

John Allen's book will detail the problem, detail the myths that have been propagated and share his view as a journalist as to what is going on. He will not just focus on one nation and one set of abuses. He will give details and accounts from many nations, from many continents and from many different types of persecution. This book will inform and educate you on what is happening in our world today.

We in the West need to wake up and understand that persecution is happening and it is not going to be long before it may show up on our shores.

With all the news about ISIS and what is happening in the Middle East we should be concerned. This book will give you an unbiased journalists view of the threat and the violence. Please read prayerfully and ask the Lord what He would like you to do about this issue.

Proof, Finding Freedom in the Intoxicating Joy of irresistible Grace, by Daniel Montgomery

Proof takes on the task of being a modern day primer for the doctrinal position of God's Grace. It using the acronym of Proof to lay out the design of the topic. The acronym is:

Planned Grace
Resurrecting Grace
Outrageous Grace
Overcoming Grace
Forever Grace

If you have not studied this topic before this is the book for you. Also through reading this book you will come to understand more of a "Proof" for God and His existence than you maybe intended by picking up this volume.

The author's do a great job of laying out the topic, developing each section on Grace and then driving home the truth's and providing you with the opportunity to decide how you will now live your life based on understand the Grace of God.

You will be able to draw many principles that you then can turn into action points, into applications for your life. You will be comforted by the Grace of God and His Mercy as well.

This is a great little book that all Christians will find highly encouraging.

Enjoy!

Love: the sinner and the seeker, by Christina Stevens

A very captivating read. Mother Teresa had an encounter with God, fell in love with God and then set out to serve Him with her whole life. She captures the essence of serving God with your entire, heart, soul, mind and strength. She also gives us a very real working story that plays out the Parable of the Good Samaritan over and over and over again. How could one small woman bring such a monumental change to our world? Well, it was through living out the love of God in all that she did.

Mother Teresa truly embodied Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Her work with the poor and indignant really shows your love of God. She is truly one person who demonstrates through her life what she truly believes in her heart about God.

The book is one that you will enjoy. I believe that it could have used a bit more editing as there are sections that seem to need to be cleaned up and trimmed a bit. But it will not annoy you too much. What might annoy you more is the fact that the author seems to be on a quest to discover what the root of Mother Teresa's convictions are. But she seems to not fully get it at times. Mother Teresa has a love relationship with God. The author seems to have a more inclusive relationship that holds on to God as well as other things she considers spiritual but that don't seem to conform with scripture.

But with that said the book will keep you interested. You will learn, you will understand and you will catch a glimpse of what Love truly is.

Enjoy!

Jesus is the Question, by Martin Copenhaver

This is an interesting concept for a book. I had not thought before about the fact that Jesus is asked many questions and in return He asks a bundle of questions. But it was surprising for me to read that he only truly answered a handful of the questions put to him. Typically in response to a question being asked he would in turn ask a question of the person posing the question.

In true Socratic form he was use to asking open ended questions that would cause His listeners to have to think, process and then come to a conclusion on their own. Sometimes in answer to a question he would tell a parable. Such as the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus did not directly answer the question but responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. In a way he answers the question but causing the listeners to listen and interpret the parable and thus come to a conclusion on their own.

While the book is intriguing I found that it really ends up being mini sermons based on the questions that Jesus asked. That is not a bad thing, I just had thought it would be something else. I was looking at this as a guidebook for a small group to use to go through the many questions that Jesus asked. It can do that although it is a bit more direct than what I would have liked.

There is a readers guide in the back, starting on page 145 that is very good and will give you a summary of each chapter and will be very useful in a small group.

Also Chapter 13, "All Those Questions" is more of what I thought I would find. It gives a chronicle of all the questions that Jesus asked broken down by some topical headings. This is a great tool and would be highly useful to the Bible Teacher looking for a collection of Jesus's questions that will give them a jumping off point in their teaching.

Enjoy!

New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp

First of all I want to thank the Publisher, Crossway Books, and NetGalley for supplying me with an advance readers copy of this wonderful new book. It was truly a blessing to receive it. I believe that this is one of those books that you can give others as a gift and they will thank you for years.

Most of us are use to picking up a Paul Davis Tripp book because we have a counseling question or a desire to learn more about how to build our relationships with people. He is a good counselor, an excellent writer and a trusted source for background material and educating us.

So, this book is a bit of a change of pace for him. He does tweet daily a short devotional thought encouraging people in their walk with Christ. He was asked by many of his followers if he would put those tweets on paper, expand on them and publish them. Thus he took up the challenge to write 365 devotions and here they are in New Morning Mercies.

Each day he will encourage you with another thought about the Gospel, Grace, Mercy and God's goodness. With the use of scripture and his deep background in building relationships he will give you excellent thoughts on how to build your relationship with God and how to understand more of God's mercy and grace.

I was highly encouraged by all that I read here. I think that Tripp has given us a good devotional that will become a classic for many Christians as they discover the deep truths hidden within it's pages.

Enjoy!

Soul Feast, Newly Revised, by Marjorie Thompson

Marjorie Thompson gives us a wonder look at Spiritual Disciplines and a how to guide on your personal Spiritual Development. Her book is a revised edition of a title she brought out in 1995. It has been added to, but not overly changed from it's original form. Thompson became enamored with Spiritual Disciplines by Henry Nouwen and a class she took on the subject. She takes the topic and develops into what is sure to become a classic work on Spiritual development. As mentioned in the introductions this book has become one of the main texts for many Universities and Seminaries on the topic of Spiritual Development.

It is well written, well researched and it is obvious that Marjorie has personally practiced each of the disciplines that she will define, explain and give examples for how to grow in their use.

The book very much reminds me of Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Disciplines. Marjorie will mention his work in her book and frankly you will find that they are so similar in nature that if you have read one you have read them both.

I am very impressed with her method of writing, Her gentle encouragement of the reader to take the "baby steps" necessary to start growing, but then encourages you to continue to work at it and development the disciplines into a life long habit that will draw you much closer to God.

I think that all Christians, lay people as well as pastors, will find this book useful for growing their relationship with the Lord. I would encourage you to not only read this book but if possible enroll in a course at a local Christian University that offers a course in Spiritual Formations, you will not be disappointed.

I pray God's blessing on you as you feast on these concepts.

Ferguson, Missouri, are protestors going to far?

As citizens of the United States we are granted the freedom of speech and the freedom to lawfully gather to protest actions that we feel are detrimental to the well being of our community. So, with that said I have no problem with the "peaceful protests" that have been happening in Ferguson, Missouri over the shooting death of Michael Brown but a local police officer.

There have been a few violent protestor's and they have been arrested as necessary. As pointed out in an earlier blog over 80% of those arrested have been people who don't even live in the Ferguson, Missouri area or for that matter, many don't even live in Missouri.

But we have entered into a new strategy by those protestors who want to go further than peaceful demonstrations. Protestors are now searching out the families of police officers and following them around town and harassing them as often as possible. This includes verbal taunting, kicking their cars as they enter or exit them, throwing things at them, etc.

To me this seems way beyond the action of peaceful protests. The family members of officers who were not even involved in this shooting are being threatened. Their children now fear to leave their home or even go to school.

Is this truly what our society meant to have happen when it gave the rights for peaceful protests? I don't think those. All this does is anger the police officer whose family has been intimidated, verbally abused and threatened. This action spans three different branches of law enforcement officers and their families. At last look Michael Brown was shot by just one officer, none of these others were involved and certainly none of their families were involved.

So, I call upon the Rev. Al Sharpton and the local Clergy and Protest Leaders to call for calm, to call out those using these tactics and do what they can to get them to stop before we have more violent confrontations between the officers and the protestors.

The protestor's need to stop and think, wouldn't they protect their family from someone attacking them? Well, what do they think the police officer will do when he sees his children in danger? So far they have shown great restraint, which again goes back to show the training they receive. But if these actions continue to happen I don't think that these officers can restrain their natural protective instincts forever. Eventually human nature will kick in and they will protect their families.

So, what is the answer?  Jesus Christ is the answer and the following of His teachings. That is why I am calling on the clergy to step up and teach their congregations and their communities what proper action is on the part of a "peaceful demonstrating public."

C.S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian, by Gregory Cootsona

Gregory Cootsona gives us a glimpse at the life of C.S. Lewis and the profound writing that he brought to our world. He also gives us his story, his journey through crisis and how reading the works of C.S. Lewis he was able to navigate a path through the wilderness of evil, doubt and meaningless to find the true path of righteousness, mercy, grace, salvation and the way to God and a meaningful life.

Throughout the book Cootsona will refer to the many writings of C.S. Lewis to explain the issues of our day and why so many people can't seem to get a handle on things and find that they need a guide. For Cootsona and many of the rest of us that guide is C.S. Lewis. Lewis brings us a proper view of Good vs. Evil, Morality vs. Immorality and the answer to 'Why or how can a loving God allow suffering and evil in the world that He created.'

Probably one of the best quotes form the works of C.S. Lewis sums up the purpose of Cootsona's book. In Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis writes, "A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading . . . God is, If I may say it, very unscrupulous." In my own words I might paraphrase this to say, "If you are an Atheist you better watch out what you read because God cannot be hidden in the words of ill informed, He cannot be buried in the verbose words of the moralist, He cannot be dismissed in the tomes of science. God will get you in whatever you read with an open mind, because God has informed it all and it all points to Him."

C.S. Lewis started out his life as an Atheist, he then progressed to becoming an Agnostic and finally had not option but to turn his life over to Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Even though Lewis saw the horrors of mankind in the trenches of WWI, he still came to realize that man has a moral code that guides him, some of evil, but most for good. It is this moral code that Lewis determines is woven into the very fabric of every human by God Himself. There is no denying this moral code and thus in the long run there is no denying God.

Cootsona will take you on a journey through the writings of C.S. Lewis that you will thoroughly enjoy. If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis you will find this a comfortable book that reminds you of the truth you found in the writings of Lewis. If you are not a fan of C.S. Lewis and have never read his works then you will find yourself thinking, I really need to put this book down and start reading C.S. Lewis himself. Bravo, that would be a wise choice. Then you can come back to this book and smile, nod your head and find yourself agreeing with everything that Cootsona has to say about Lewis.

So, where to start? Maybe with Mere Christianity, the most profound apologetic book of the 20th Century. Or maybe a fun read such as the Chronicles of Narnia where you will find the epic battle of good and evil and a God who loves His creation enough to provide a plan of salvation. Or maybe you might want to read the science fiction trilogy that many people forget C.S. Lewis wrote. Out of the silent planet, Prelandria and That Hideous Strength.

Maybe my favorite though is "Surprised by Joy," in which C.S. Lewis gives his exclamation of what he discovered through all his searching.

Whatever you do just know that this work by Gregory Cootsona will give you a good glimpse into the life and writings of C.S. Lewis and apologetics master who has given us classic volumes of work to help us find our way in a world of corruption and evil.

Enjoy!

Hidden in the Stars, by Robin Caroll

My review will follow in a moment. But first of all I wanted to say that this is another very good Christian Novel. In the past I have been somewhat disappointed with Christian novels that tend to "preach" or beat the reader over the head with the Gospel. But recently I have read several Christian Novels where the author's are weaving the Christian life and the Gospel of Jesus seamlessly into the story. The main character has a good walk with the Lord, depends on Him and serves Him. But the testimony appears more from the way the individual lives their life than what they "preach."

Don't get me wrong, the people in the stories will give a clear testimony of the Lord through their spoken words, but it is their lifestyles and their building of relationship with others that will have the Gospel shine forth to bring about change in a person's life.  So, now for the review.

As a combination romance and police novel you will find that Robin Caroll does a good job of pulling both aspects together to provide an enjoyable experience. The story line is simple, there are no complex plot twists, no rambling dialogues about police procedures and no intense romantic scenes. But, with all that said the story is so enjoyable that I found myself left for wanting more. When the story was over I was kind of sad, the writer had captured me into this world of the life of Sophia Montgomery and I wanted more.

The general story line is this, Sophia Montgomery is a young woman who is a great gymnast. . She has just made the U.S. Olympic team and is spending a couple of days at home with her mom before heading out to join the team at their training facility. But her visit home is anything but lighthearted and fun. While there two men barge in one evening and beat her and her mother. They keep asking her mother, "Where is it?"

When Sophia wakes up from the beating she finds herself in the hospital. She has been severely beaten, so much so that the men left her for dead. One of the major injuries that she sustains is that of damage to her throat and vocal chords. She is unable to speak until some healing of the injury.

Upon waking up she is visited by Julian Frazier, one of the detective's assigned to her case. He is tall and handsome. His presence starts something within Sophia that she doesn't fully understand. Little does she know that the attraction she feels towards him is also an attraction that he is feeling towards her. Thus throughout the remainder of the story we have this simple growing attraction of one for the other that neither appears to want to acknowledge.

Julian has the unfortunate task of having to inform Sophia that her mother, Nina, did not survive the intruders, she was murdered by the men who barged in. So this is a homicide investigation.

Julian is drawn to Sophia and so desperately wants to solve the crime to give her some peace of mind. But he also wants to protect her from anything else the two men might have planned for her, such as another attack to finish her off.

Underlying the whole story is Sophia's trust in God. Her knowledge that God will protect her, provide for her, comfort her and use this situation to bring Himself honor and glory. Julian on the other hand has no trust in God. He questions where God was when his previous partner was gunned down. He has no use for a God who is suppose to be loving but allows evil to happen.

Two other characters in the story will provide Julian with more background and prodding about his relationship with God. His new partner, Broady, is also a Christians as well as Charlie, the lip reader that is brought in to communicate for Sophia who can't speak out loud. These two will keep asking Julian questions or answer his questions about God and bring him to a point of having to decide what he thinks.

There are some more interesting aspects to the story, but you will just have to buy the book and read for yourself.

This book is part of a series called Quilts of Love, each story revolves around a Quilt that has been sewn. They each of stories of their own. I so enjoyed this particular story that I am looking forward to reading another in the series.

Enjoy!

Tables in the Wilderness, by Preston Yancey

The sub-title of the book gives a good description of what you are going to find, "A Memoir of God Found, Lost, and Found Again.

This is Preston Yancey’s story about his life within the home of a family whose father is a Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Texas. For those who don’t know this is about as Bible Belt as you can get and Preston was raised to know the Bible, to know about God and to understand the doctrine and life of the Southern Baptist Church.

He is not sure when he became a Christian, he states, “My mother says that there was a time when I was about three that she was pushing me around in a shopping cart in the store . . . . . I looked at her seriously and said, ‘I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart.’”

That comment should give you some insight; at an early age he knew the language of the church and the Western view of “asking Jesus into your heart.” What he didn’t understand was what that was going to entail.

This book will document his struggle with the church, with God and with doctrine. It is mostly about the time of his college years when he was attending Baylor University (a Baptist University). He will start attending an Episcopal church as well as the Baptist church and then even work with a few other students to start a church.

But all that searching is really not about being a good church attender, it is about his inability to comprehend truly in his life who God is, who Jesus is and what the Holy Spirit can do.

I’m grateful for his book, but I must say that it describes the life meandering of an immature young man who just wants to discover the truth, but doesn’t realize that is what he is looking for.

Probably the best comment he makes to sum up his book is in the first chapter when he says, “While I intellectually know God is still present, while I intellectually know God will never leave me, while I intellectually know God desires the best for me—my heart and my soul, they don’t seem so very sure anymore.”

The book is written in a way that you will learn about his struggle to “hear from God,” and his frustration with the “silence” that God takes him through. What is interesting is that God told him there would be silence, God told him that he would have to be still and wait for that still small voice to give direction and guidance. But Preston is like most of us, he wanted his way with God on his terms and wasn’t necessarily eager to “wait” for God to direct him.

The struggle is painful to read about, but it is also encouraging because it is the struggle that many young people have with the church. As a former youth Pastor I can say that this book summarizes the life of many students that I taught. Many had this same struggle. I’m sure if they were to read Yancey’s book they would find themselves writing in the margin, “yes, that is exactly what I felt.”

The book is frustrating for me to read, but also true to the core about the struggle that many students have with God.

Read, think, meditate, absorb and then ask yourself, “am I just an intellectual Christian or am I a Christian who fully embraces God with my whole  heart, soul, mind and strength?

Enjoy!