God's Word For Our World

I was so excited to see The Modern Life Study Bible as one of the books available for review! I had been searching for a new Bible for a while, and this one struck me as one with a different perspective than I was used to. First and foremost, I am a traditionalist. My first Bible was the King James Version (KJV), and for years, I did not stray far from it. Something about departing from the very formal and structured language felt wrong to me. Over the years, I had picked up and read, or tried to read, some other translations like The Message, and just couldn't do it. It didn't feel right. To my mind, at the time, it seemed almost disrespectful. This wasn't some paperback pulp fiction, this was The Bible! Gradually, I branched out to the New International Version (NIV), became comfortable with its verbiage and rhythm, and have stayed with that translation for more than ten years.

What you can't see from the cover image shown here are the banners at the top and bottom that very plainly state that this Bible is the New King James Version (NKJV).  The NKJV is not a translation that I had read prior to receiving this Bible, so being the book-lover that I am, I dived right in!

The flyleaf introduction gave a hint that this Bible was not going to be just another study version. Calling it an "innovative, informative resource for modern believers" and reminding us that problems have been around as long as humans have been around - and the solution lies within God's word. Each book is prefaced with an introduction, setting the stage for what is to come. Genesis, for example, God creates a good world. Genesis sets the stage for everything that follows by taking us back to the beginning - the very beginning - of everything. As a reader familiar with the Bible, these introductions give me a different perspective. As a reader who may not be familiar with the Bible, these introductions would let me know what was in store!

Like some textbooks I have had, this Bible also has key events for each chapter outlined, focus articles that explain or highlight certain verses and how they relate to us today - such as your workstyle (Titus 2:9-11), and insight articles that give background on everything from brickmaking (Genesis 11:3) to the fall of cedar forests (Zechariah 11:1-3) to being rich in faith (James 2:5-6).

I expected a Bible. What I received was so much more. This Bible will be my companion for years to come, for there is much to learn, to read, to share, and to savor. Truly, a gift, indeed!

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven" ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Humble Orthodoxy

Blogging for Books sent me an email today, one of many that they have sent in the past months. I am ashamed to say that I read them and move on, for some reason not making the connection that I should. For whatever reason, today's message sent me to the website where I was reminded that I needed to post a review (imagine that), of an unassuming little book that has been sitting on the shelf in my office since last year. I removed the book from the shelf, looked at it, thought "Yes, I read that book. Why didn't I write the review?"

I opened the book, more to refresh myself than anything, before I started writing, and was almost immediately grabbed by a simple statement in the foreword. J.D. Greear writes "A great deal of damage is done by those who hold the truth of Christ with the spirit of Satan." I thought about that statement off and on all day. Pretty humbling, actually.

If I do nothing but sit around and complain, calling attention to the shortcomings of others without making an effort to be of service if I am able - where does the problem lie? I am not perfect, and neither is anyone else that I know. The only perfect person that has ever walked the face of the earth is Jesus. Who am I to judge?

Acknowledgements included, this little book is less than 90 pages. Just a few minutes reading for me. Until, that is, I start reading. Turning the pages for the second time, I read things differently that I did the last time that I read this book. Before chapter one begins, you are referred to 2 Timothy 2:23-25, "Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth." This made me laugh, and I am relatively certain that was not the original intent.  However, when these verses were written, three things did not exist that are an inherent part of today's society:  politics, football, and Facebook.

How can I compare these with those words? Easy. Take the events of the last few months (or years, or however long you choose to go back) into consideration. In most parts of the United States, and especially in the South, something very important happens. You guessed it - football season! Every year, and even more so with the immediacy of social networking, the trash talking commences. I'm guilty of it to some degree, as are most football fans.  What I have come to realize, however, is something that some fans just cannot seem to comprehend - it's just a game. Yes, we want our team to win and we want the other team to lose, we want to be the best! Guess what, folks, it's still just a game. One team wins, and one team loses, and life goes on. Plays are brilliantly executed, plays are messed up. Calls are spot on, and sometimes we wonder if the officiants can see. It's still just a game. Next week, next month, next year ... will it matter who won? You may not remember who caught the winning TD or who made that amazing run, but odds are you will remember the hurtful and hateful comments, the snarky responses and the mean words.

If you think football season is bad, politics is much worse. Heaven forbid someone voice an opinion that another disagrees with - you'd think - well, after reading down a list of comments on a post of that type, and you wonder exactly who is thinking, if anyone.  And no, I don't blame Facebook, or Twitter, or any other form of social media. I don't even blame the mainstream media. Why? Because it boils down to one simple thing. Choice. And that, my friend, is up to you and I.

We have the choice - to speak, or to remain silent. To stand our ground for what we believe, or to remain silent. To argue passionately, or to remain silent. To feed the controversy, to fan the flame, or to turn it off. To change the channel, to avoid the comment - or to avoid the negativity in commenting.

What I think Joshua Harris is telling us in his volume is that believers do not have to remain silent - but neither to we have to be belligerent. The old saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar holds more than a shred of truth. Continuing along those lines, however, the simple fact remains that avoiding conflict does not make your conviction stronger. We must remember this - "The message of Christian orthodoxy isn't that I'm right and someone else is wrong. It's that I am wrong and yet God is filled with grace. I am wrong, and yet God has made a way for me to be forgiven and accepted and loved for eternity."

Read this book. Small book, big message. Worth every word.

This book was provided for review at no cost to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was not required to write a favorable review.

31 Days to Happiness

What do you know about Solomon? From what I remember (not much, admittedly), he was considered to be wise and just. What I didn't know was what Dr. David Jeremiah hints at in his preface and introduction, and what he elaborates upon as the book develops. There is so much more to know about King Solomon ... "The wisest man on the face of the earth" - definitely able to teach us a thing or two, wouldn't you say?

In 31 Days to Happiness, David Jeremiah walks us through the struggles, through the pain, through the understanding, and the growth of wisdom of King Solomon. 


Who was King Solomon, this wise man of the Bible? Son of David and Bathsheba, a wise and trusted ruler. A man who drifted away from God. A man who found his way back.

What I once knew but forgot about Solomon, I was reminded of in the book's introduction: the three books called his legacy. Song of Solomon, of course. Dr. Jeremiah calls this "rhapsody of passionate romance" the book of "the morning of his life." Proverbs, written during his strong years - or the "noontime of his life" - is a "heavenly rule book for earthly living".  If Song of Solomon is passionate love and Proverbs is the rule book, what in the world is Ecclesiastes? Ecclesiastes is "a regretful retrospective," or what happens when you wake up to find that not only do you not know it all, you know exactly what you don't know.

Solomon could have - and did, at a point in his life - have nearly everything he could possibly want. When God asked him what he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom. Wisdom! Would that we could have it bestowed upon us, instead of having to earn it through making mistakes ...  Solomon was a very wise man, indeed. But even wise men can be dumb sometimes. And so, too, can we.

We are not supposed to have all the answers. We are supposed to seek He who does have those answers. This book tells us about Solomon, his decisions, the consequences of those decisions, and his regrets. The subtitle of this book, How to Find What Really Matters in Life, sums it up nicely. It is not about what we have, it is about what we do with what we have. Those aren't new words, I can't claim them as my own. What I DO know, however, is that life isn't about things and knowing all the answers. Life is about living for Jesus, in a way that allows Him to shine through us. Life is about knowing who DOES have all the answers - and actively seeking Him. From Bored to Death (chapter 2) to Dollars and Sense (Chapter 13), from Employment without Enjoyment (chapter 15), to the Power of Wisdom (Chapter 22), Dr. David Jeremiah walks us through the life of a fascinating man. What I learned in the process was a lot about Solomon ... and even more about Denise.

Lord, I have so much learning to do. I ask for your grace and mercy as I stumble through this journey of discovery. Please guide me to you in all that I do. Help me to be as You would have me be, every day, one step at a time.

"Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun. For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it." ~ Ecclesiastes 7:11-12


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Let Hope IN

 


Before you wonder if my finger got stuck on the caps lock key, let me reiterate the title: Let Hope IN.  No, Pete Wilson did not title his book that way (well, I say that, but then again, the book title is in all caps ... ).  After reading this book, however, it has become increasingly clear that I can read book after book, listen to a plethora of speakers, or search the Internet all day long for answers, suggestions, or ideas - none of which will come to fruition if I do not make the conscious decision to internalize whatever piece of advice or words of wisdom that my eyes see or my ears hear.  Simply reading words do not make them a part of your vocabulary or life, you have to understand and apply them.  You have to make a conscious decision to make a change.  


I will be the first one to admit that I am stubborn, at times set in my ways, and *gasp* even overly confident if I am certain of my ideas.  One of the biggest struggles that I have currently is an inability to step away from the past.

This is the first of Pete Wilson's books that I have read, but it will not be the last.  The subtitle of this book is 4 Choices That Will Change Your Life Forever.  I have read so many books that claim they will change you, change your life, change your mindset ... you know the drill.  I am sure I am not the first to read with a "show me" attitude.  Pete Wilson grabs you and pulls you in from the beginning. His four choices are simple, and for some, may be eye-opening.  It certainly was for me.

Choice One: Choosing to Transform instead of Transfer.  Think about it.  If we don't truly make a change, we end up rehashing the same things. Over and over again.  In terms of the past ... "your past is not your past if it's still impacting your present." No, it's not. If you do not change something, you will continue to have the same problem. Remember this: "God is bigger than your history and more concerned with your destiny."

Choice Two: Choosing to Be Okay with Not Being Okay.  Does that sound like a big change from many so-called self-help books? Think about it ... sometimes, it is NOT going to be okay.  No matter what you do, there are going to be times of self-doubt, worry, and maybe even fear.  You are not alone in your struggle, remember that.

Choice Three:  Choosing to Trust Rather than Please.  I think this particular choice ties in rather well with choice two.  Instead of killing yourself trying to be perfect to please anyone, everyone, or because you think it is what God wants from you, remember this: He knows all of you, and loves you just as you are.  Can you step outside yourself for just a minute and trust Him with that knowledge?  He loves you just as you are.  Trusting in Him, even though you feel that you are not as "perfect" as you should be, is a big step.  I don't have to try and please God by becoming perfect, He loves me and all my imperfections.  He accepts me as I am.

Choice Four: Choosing to Free People Rather than Hurt Them.  This was a big step for me.  I mentioned earlier about the past.  There are parts of my past that I replay in my head, far more often than I should.  Wondering why I did what I did, and why I can't simply forget about it and move on.  Why? Because I have not yet let go.  Reading through the first part of choice four, a chapter titled Breathe Grace, I was floored by a few simple words.  We know we should forgive and move on.  Do we? Not always.  When we forgive, however, we are saying that we recognize that there was a wrong, and we are choosing to move past it.  "My understanding of God's forgiving me despite me enables me to forgive others despite others."  Make sense? It will ... The next sentence clarifies it.  The bold, italic emphasis is my own - that is how much it affected me. "And while this act of forgiveness may not erase your past hurt, it does erase the power it has over you.  It allows your past to truly become just that - your past."  You are not going to miraculously transform your past into perfection, the scars of past pain are not going to go away. They will, however, begin to heal.  And that, my friends, is the true power of forgiveness.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You'll Get Through This

Who can resist a book with a subtitle that offers Hope and Help?  I couldn't, and that is why I chose to review Max Lucado's You'll Get Through This.  I have been a fan of Max Lucado's work for many years - he has a way of cutting through the fluff and getting straight to the point - and I like that.  When I am having a hard time, when I am feeling down or distressed, I do not want platitudes.  Life IS rough sometimes, and no amount of sugar-coating will change that.

"You'll get through this.  It won't be painless.  It won't be quick.  But God will use this mess for good.  Don't be foolish or naive.  But don't despair either.  With God's help, you'll get through this" (p. 3).  Simplistic, right? Mouthing platitudes? No.  Sometimes in life, we are going to hurt.  Sometimes that pain will last far longer than we thought it would, and longer than we think we are equipped to handle.  Remember this, please, when you want to give in - God is bigger than any problems we might have. ANY problems.

As Paul states in Second Corinthians, "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:17 NIV).  What is pain compared to the eternity that awaits us?  I am not saying that living with pain is fun. I am saying that living with pain knowing that there are far better days ahead might not be optimal, but it can be tolerable.

Wound throughout this book, Max tells the story of Joseph.  You remember Joseph, from Sunday School? The one with the cool multicolor coat? The one whose brothers hated him so much that they threw him in a pit and left him to die? He showed them, didn't he?? Rescued and eventually in a position of power, he didn't shun his brothers when they came in need.  He offered love - after he threw them in prison, made them sweat a little. He got through it. And so can you.  Remember, "your history doesn't have to be your future" (p. 105).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”