Sunday, February 5, 2012    

The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

I must admit up front that I got this book to read based solely on the title alone. I mean, who doesn’t want to know what the gospel is according to Jesus? It’s His gospel right? In The Gospel According to Jesus, author Chris Seay practically answers what he says is “the most important question followers of Jesus the Liberating King can ever ask themselves: what is the gospel?” (page 43). This is a question that all Christ followers should answer themselves, but it’s at the core of Seay’s discussion in this refreshing book.

Chris Seay’s writing style is easy to read, full of personal stories that illustrate his message, and challenges many common misconceptions in Christian culture regarding what the gospel of Jesus is (and isn’t). The crux of his message is that the gospel is about relationship. He states that even “sin is about relationship, not about rules” (page 88). We are all living in broken relationship with God and the gospel is about having that relationship restored!

The author uses the term “shalom” to describe this state of restored relationship…with God and with those around us. We are all called to live in shalom and help others find shalom in their own lives (I won’t spoil the fun by telling you exactly what this term means…you’ll need to read the book for that). This teaching resonates as truth for me. God is about relationship. Jesus is about relationship. We should be all about relationship.

My favorite chapter in the book is Chapter 9: “The Ten Commandments of a Shalom Life”. Here the author gives us 10 practical ways we can live out shalom in our lives. He goes beyond the typical “disciplines” (although they are included) and attempts to shake some of our preconceived notions. On example, in number nine he challenges how we treat illegal immigrants as Christians (see page 188). We’re called to something different and it’s time we started acting like it.

Seay concludes each chapter with a prayer and an interview with one or two contemporary authors and/or pastors on the subject he’s just covered. I personally found these sections a bit tedious and unnecessary, but that’s just me—others may find it helpful to get an alternate viewpoint on the subject. It’s usually in these sections that the discussion gets too “postmodern” for my tastes.

Overall, I loved this book and put it in the top 5 books that I’ve read this year. I highly recommend it and will probably try and read it at least one time a year. The author challenged me to think and act out my faith practically. The gospel of Jesus is more than a “good idea”, it’s to be lived and worked out in the real world…with real people.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

09.12.2010 Books, Review No Comments

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller

Monday, July 19th, 2010

We all have a story. For most of us, our story includes our interaction and wrestling with God…we have to encounter and respond to Him at some point in our journey. In Searching for God Knows What, author Donald Miller shares his story. And it’s not always pretty, but God comes through and transforms Miller’s faith from cold, rigid religion to warm, active, relational faith. That’s as it should be.

This is the book I wish I had written. Following Christ is about relationship and nothing more. Miller expands on this single thought by sharing his own journey of faith and examining Scripture. He focuses on the story of Genesis Chapter 3—when mankind’s perfect relationship with God was broken. God has been working to re-establish that relationship ever since!

Everything we do in our failed and frail humanity is about searching for something to fill that relational part in our spirits that only God can fill. Miller explains that our attempts to get others to like us and approve of us are all about trying to fill God’s place in our lives. It never works! We need God and we need other people in our lives. Our search for relationship can only be filled by a relationship with God. Period.

Miller using satire and personal experience to draw his reader into his own story. This is more that Miller’s story. It’s my story. It’s your story. Three chapters alone make the book worth the read (3, 5, and 10 if you must know). Get this book. Devour it. Let God us it to challenge your own journey. Examine what you believe and why. And come back to relationship with God. It’s all that really matters!

I must admit that the book also includes some “games” within it’s pages (puzzles you must decipher using Miller’s website). I was not interested in this aspect of the book…too much work for me, just didn’t capture my imagination enough to make the effort. If you do, please let me know if it’s worth it!  ;o)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

19.07.2010 Review, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

Book Review: The Lost Symbol

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Last night I finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (of The Davinci Code fame…or is that infamy?). My overall assessment is that the story is actually very good…for a work of fiction. As long as you remember that this is a novel, and not a scholastic work, it’s easy to enjoy. It has a good story, great plot twists, it captures your attention and keeps you involved in the evolving story. The riddle(s) that is unraveling keeps you guessing and you actually get engaged in trying to solve the riddle yourself. For a story I give it an A+.

I just wish that Dan Brown had left it alone when the story was over. The last few chapters have nothing to do with the story (they even occur after the riddles have been solved and everyone else has gone home except for two of the main characters). The last few chapters (chapter 133 in particular) is simply Mr. Brown’s way of getting in his secular humanism…it reads as page-after-page of secular humanism lecture. In the last pages he manages to proof-text Scripture (when he isn’t outright mis-quoting or mis-interpreting it), lump all religions into one basket, and declares that all religion simply points us to ourselves as gods.

Here are a two examples (two of many):

The Bible, like many ancient texts, is a detailed exposition of the most sophisticated machine ever made…the human mind.” (chapter 133).

Um….no it isn’t! The Bible is an exposition of God’s search for relationship with mankind. It’s the story of God’s redemptive love…from start to finish. It’s exactly the opposite of an exposition of the human mind.

Langdon had never understood why the very first passages of the Bible referred to God as a plural being. Elohim. The Almighty God in Genesis was described not as One…but as many.

“God is plural,” Katherine whispered, “because the minds of man are plural.” (chapter 133)

Again…wrong! God is plural because God is Trinity…not because the minds of man are plural. This is basic theology and Mr. Brown does his best to explain the Trinity away withing the confines of secular humanism (and does a poor job if you ask me).

As I said, these are only two example. The litany of secular humanistic “teaching” in this chapter alone is too long and detailed to get into here…but it is obvious. Mr. Brown believes that humans are becoming like their Creator (at least he admits we have one)…gods that can accomplish great things. I agree that we can accomplish great things, but not apart from God…rather with God. There is a big difference.

If you haven’t read this book…please do. It is a good book, but think about skipping chapter 133 (it doesn’t help the book at all). And if you have read it…or if you choose to read chapter 133 (I know I would…especially if someone told me not to)…let’s keep this final quote form the book in mind…

This book is a work of fiction. (Copyright page)

21.12.2009 Books, Hobbies, Review No Comments

Book Review: Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

As the end of school draws near (May 24…YES!), I have been thinking about writing again. Outside of homework and blogging I simply have not had any time to write for pleasure and finish that “great American novel”, but I love to write. There is something about the art and craft of writing that works for me (I know, I’m sick!).

So I was walking through the bookstore earlier this week and saw this book: Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, sitting on the shelf. I have been wanting to read it for awhile now, but never had the opportunity to buy it. This time I did.

It’s a book about the proper use of punctuation. I know…really sick! But it really is a good read. Truss is British and she brings the best of British humour (notice the spelling?) to a fairly dry topic. She makes it fun through her witty commentary and by poking fun at herself and all those grammatical “sticklers” (guilty).

If you want to improve your use of commas, apostrophes, semi-colons, colons, and the like then I highly recommend this book. Even if the mere thought makes you break out in a cold sweat, this book is for you. There are times you will simply forget that you are reading, and learning, about punctuation. It is a quick read full of good, readily applicable information. I highly recommend it to all you fellow sickos out there.

11.03.2009 Books, Hobbies, Review No Comments

My New Toy: Sony Reader

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

A few weeks ago I got a brand new “gadget” after doing a little online research. It’s an electronic book reader—The Sony PRS-505 (pictured to the left). I started my research with the Amazon Kindle since it’s currently the most popular (thanks to Amazon’s popularity). I even got to see one up close and personal when a guy at work bought one and brought it in to show off.

However, during my research I came across the Sony version. After reading the reviews of both devices and comparing the feature and price I decided on the Sony Reader. I chose the Sony mainly because of the price (especially since I got mine on eBay for much less than even the discounted retail price. The Kindle does have a wireless connection for downloading books, magazines, and newspapers but I didn’t need that functionality for the additional price. The Kindle is also 13 weeks behind in delivery and Amazon is about to come out with a newer version in the beginning of 2009 (that will make some people really happy…nothing like shelling out $400 on a device that is already outdated). There were also several reviews on the Kindle that indicated the design was not exactly up-to-par yet (many who owned it said to wait for the next version…or two).

The more I read about the Sony Reader the more I liked it. It requires a PC connection (USB) to download books, but the interface is very familiar…I swear it was made by the same people who developed iTunes because it is almost identical. The controls are easy to access, the device does not have a keyboard (since you wouldn’t use it anyway) and it has the typical “Sony Style”. The reviews I read on this device were much better than the Kindle (especially since the 505 is Sony’s second generation). The screen on both devices is made by the same company so there is no difference there…and it is nothing short of amazing! It looks just like a printed page…black text on a white background. The eInk technology has come a long way! The device doesn’t use any power while the text is displayed…it only uses power to paint the screen. I purchased and charged mine three weeks ago and it still has half of the battery life left after reading two full-sized novels.

Sony also has a touch screen version of their device (PRS-700) but it is much more expensive and the touchscreen overlay does affect the screen’s image a tad (but only a tad). I expect that the eInk folks are working on the next version of their screen to include both touchscreen and a back-light, but that’s only a guess.

All in all…I absolutely LOVE this device! Is it for everyone? Nope! If you read paperbacks or only read a little bit then this device is certainly overkill and not worth the price. But if you read a lot or are a book-snob like I am (I hate paperbacks…hardbacks all the way) then this is worth every penny (or if you are a gadget hog too). Amazon’s book selection for the Kindle is a little bigger (as you would expect), but Sony’s collection is growing and they have all of the latest stuff (Amazon has some more obscure titles I don’t really care about much anyway).

If you are looking for the “net cool thing” or you read a lot I highly recommend the Sony Reader. You will not be disappointed!

21.12.2008 Hobbies, Review 6 Comments

Book Review: Blink of an Eye

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Blink of an EyeThis is the fifth Ted Dekker book that I have read (the first four being the Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White) and Skin…which where fantastic and got me hooked on Dekker).  Blink of an Eye more along the same genre lines as Skin, both of them being action thrillers.  The Circle Trilogy is in the fantasy genre.

On with the review at hand…

The book centers around two characters: Seth Borders (a boy math genius) and Miriam (a Saudi Arabian princess). Miriam and Seth are thrust together as Miriam has fled to America to escape an arranged marriage that is part of a coupe to overthrow the Saudi Arabian government by a radical Muslim sect. Seth become Miriam’s unlikely protector and he discovers an unusual ability…he can see into the future. And not THE future, but all possible futures.

They are the run together from many forces attempting to capture them and during this time they find out about themselves, their faith, and about love in general. Dekker addresses two key issues in this engaging work: The differences and similarities between Christianity & Islam (focusing on what we have in common) and our call to love one another. The issues addressed are contemporary, but Dekker tackles them from a biblical perspective—a unique perspective from the current media and political spin.

This book has something for everyone without the language or sexual innuendos of others works in this genre. It has action and intrigue (you will keep turning the pages) as well as dash of romance (not so much to make you throw up though). The religious overtones are muted…it is effective without being preachy.

Overall, another hit by my new favorite author. I must say that I liked the Circle Trilogya little better, but only by the slightest of margins. This isn’t my absolute favorite Dekker book but I still highly recommend it (I would just read the others first). It tackles a modern issue from a fresh perspective and will keep you entertained.

Overall Rating:

05.06.2008 Books, Review 1 Comment

Walking with God

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Walking with GodI have been reading a new book by John Eldredge called Walking with God for a couple of weeks now. I am only about about 70 pages into the book, but had to write about it before I was anywhere close to being done with it.

Plain and simple: You must read this book…immediately (if not sooner).

This is one of those books that is life changing! It will transform how your think about walking and talking with God. It has challenged me, encouraged me, and brought me to my knees more than once. Eldredge addresses spiritual issues that I have simply either been ignoring or didn’t know how to deal with them.

John is sharing his own struggles and his own walk with God over the course of a year…and it is an encouragement to the reader to see how he deals with daily life and walking with God through the process of life.

Have you ever wondered if (and how) God speaks to us? Ever wished you could have such a close, intimate walk with God that you could have conversations with Him? Ever wondered what it would be like to deal directly with the life wounds you’ve been carrying around for so long you don’t even remember when or where they started?

Then get this book today and start reading it. Don’t read it cover to cover in one sitting…take your time and let God use it to speak to you…and to teach you to listen to His voice. This is almost a money-back-guarantee. If you do buy the book and start reading it, please come back here and share your thoughts and comments on the book and how it is (or isn’t) affecting your spiritual journey.

Here’s the jacket cover description of the book for quick reference:

Walking with God moves through a year in the life of John Eldredge showing and teaching what an intimate relationship with God looks like day to day.

God longs to speak. And it is our right and privilege to hear His voice. Our deepest longings could all find sufficient fulfillment in God’s company. Yet, somehow, the looming discontent of most Christians is a lack of intimacy with God. Walking with God is unlike any book John has written. It moves through a year in his life showing and teaching what conversational intimacy with God can be like. It teaches readers how to make decisions aligning with God’s will, understand barriers and “agreements” keeping them from the life God intends, fight spiritual battles for their own heart and for others, and much more. Ultimately, Walking with God shows readers that walking intimately with Him can be a normal part of the Christian life.

22.05.2008 Books, Review, Spiritual Development No Comments