Review of Possession by Rene Gutteridge

Genre: Fiction/Suspense

Highly Recommended.

What a talented storyteller! Possession was delightful, suspenseful, lighthearted and soul changing all in one! It reads almost like a screenplay and could be easily adapted for film or theatre.

A family that is already relationally on the rocks is put to the test when a moving truck service holds all their possessions at ransom. But as the story escalates into a mysterious turn of serious events, the possessions themselves lose all value compared to the lives at stake.

I was instantly caught up in this story and felt more encouraged than ever to run my race of faith with more purity and intensity. The Christian overtones are subtle, but the message of the story is not: we must have our priorities in order!

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

If We Could Only See…

I haven’t seen much of the spiritual realm. Not comparatively. I have occasionally seen demons and paranormal activity; I dabbled in the occult and experienced a great deal of power, then I was “delivered” (we could say exorcised), and experienced the even greater power of the Lord, multiple miracles, et cetera, et cetera. But I do not see most things most of the time–not in that realm.

But this is the point:

Most people do not see the spiritual realm, but it nonetheless exists. And if Christians DID see it… well, I think they would live quite differently (in fact, I think everyone would).

We wouldn’t, after all, allow poisonous snakes and deadly spiders to infiltrate our homes. Not if we could see them. Not if we were sober. We would get shovels and bug spray and hire an exterminator–anything to get rid of the problem. And yet, many of us DO have such in our homes, and sometimes in our bodies. We live in a way that is detestable to the Lord. We do things and watch things and listen to things and think about things that we don’t even realize are destroying us; we don’t realize our actions are attracting the enemy and beginning a cycle of temptation, lust, sin and death (James 1). Worse is feeling oppression and conviction and making excuses to deal with it later.

If only we could see what we were up against. If only we understood what weapons we as Christians have against the powers of darkness.

For the follower of Jesus there really are no excuses. It’s a question of who and what we Love.

Review of the Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Recommended.

The three part Mark of the Lion series (A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure As the Dawn) follow the stories of a Messianic Jewish slave girl, an aristocratic Roman family, and a German tribesman taken into slavery as a gladiator. The setting is decadent Rome in the era of the destruction of the temple and the persecution of Jews and Christians, so THERE IS SOME GRAPHIC SEXUALITY, VIOLENCE AND PAGANISM. I found this hard to read at first and stopped reading for nearly a year before giving it another go. The second time I couldn’t put it down. The pagan worship, violence and sexuality of the book, I believe, does help the story, and is written in such a way that the readers have a healthy indignation for the sin being displayed. That said, it’s not a book for everyone.

But overall, I loved the books–especially the first one. The first two stories, especially, impacted the way I think about serving other people and the Lord, brought depth to my understanding of radical Christianity, and even gave me insight into eschatological scriptures by revealing portions of the past.

The Christian message was a bit cliché in some parts, but encouraging nonetheless. And I was also a bit bothered by the way Rivers portrayed some of the biblical characters who were woven into the story. It would have been better just to leave them out or to rename them, but that’s the artistic risk of giving fictitious portrayals of real-life people, and I respect her for trying.

Review of The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg

Genre: Apocalyptic Fiction

Series: Book One of the Twelfth Imam Series

Recommended: A riveting story of high stakes and affronted faiths.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Twelfth Imam, the story of an Iranian born CIA agent working to find and disrupt the secret Iranian nuclear weapons program in the midst of catastrophic global events, personal tragedies, and the questioning of his personal faith as a non-practicing Shia Muslim.

Although it is very much a work of fiction, the style of the writing and the sincerity of the characters make the story appear as a glimpse into an apocalyptic reality. I especially appreciated the depth of the character’s faiths (it’s not often that a Christian writer would show those of other faiths to have so genuine a passion for their beliefs) and the appearance of the supernatural realm alongside the physical.

Being a Christian work, I found it interesting that the book does not have any “Christian” characters–that is, some characters come to know Jesus Christ as Lord, and faith is at the forefront, but there were no evangelical Christians going around making converts, and I found this somehow refreshing (and more believable).

From a theological perspective, I found this scenario much less dramatic than the prophetic illustration of the last days–not that the stakes weren’t high, or that the plot wasn’t exhilarating, but that it only portrayed a small piece of the prophetic story and even then, only as one possible outcome (of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, so long as readers read fiction as fiction and the Bible as the authority on biblical mysteries).

My only complaint is that the ending was surprisingly abrupt–I considered that perhaps part of it was missing before discovering that this book is the first in Rosenberg’s newest series. Even so, the book ending felt incomplete (not mysteriously, romantically or suspensefully incomplete, but like the story was chopped off mid-sentence); and since it was so enjoyable to read, this was especially disappointing.

I received a complimentary Advance Reader Copy of this book as a part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

Review of Corinthian Elders by Jack Fortenberry

Recommended: A call to reinstate the biblical structure by putting Jesus as the head of His church.

Corinthian Elders focuses on the role of elders in the church, especially in the context of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. There’s a lot in this book because as we talk about changing the church structurally, many more issues arise, including the topics of money, leadership and authority, and accountability. Fortenberry does not neglect to mention these important questions, all the while calling the body of Christ to focus on the larger picture: focusing less on individual leaders and instead being taught by the Lord Himself that we may experience a more dynamic church as each member of the body becomes active.

It’s is a short book, but not one to read quickly. I took my time with it so that I could place each scripture reference in context of entire books. And though I didn’t agree with every detail and found some arguments weak, I gained a lot from this book. I was also pleased that some of what the Holy Spirit has revealed to my husband and I personally, was also revealed and expressed by the author. It is challenging, thought-provoking, and most importantly, stirred in me a hunger to read my Bible and seek out wisdom–any book that can do that is worth the read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Jack Fortenberry.

God Healed My Cavity!

I’ve experienced so many miracles and don’t think I’ve recorded a single one, so here’s a personal one: The last time I went to the dentist I had a cavity that needed filling straight away, but I didn’t like the dentist and couldn’t quite afford the dentist’s steep rate (they had used my insurance money on x-rays and told me I would have to pay out-of-pocket); then I got pregnant and didn’t want anything in my mouth. And anyway, I never got the thing filled. As soon as I realized it might take awhile to find another dentist I prayed that the Lord would fill my cavity or else take it away completely, and had so much peace in praying that I forgot about it for several months.

How ever many months later, when I was flossing my teeth in front of a mirror, I noticed that I had a new filled-cavity in–I was pretty sure–the same place I had had the unfilled cavity at my last appointment. I only have two other fillings, so this new one really stood out. I was very excited because I knew the Lord had healed my tooth!

Today I went to a new dentist where my miracle was confirmed!! I have no unfilled cavities, old or new! And the one I did have was completely taken care of!! I do not know why the Lord chooses to heal some things and not others, but I am so excited to testify that once again He has chosen to demonstrate a healing in me! Praise Jesus!

Review of Why is God Ignoring Me? by Gary R. Habermas

Not Recommended.

Habermas is well respected as an apologist and historian, yet this book appears to be a personal journey through his unanswered questions rather than the cohesive scholarly look into difficult subject matter I had expected. In fact, the title is misleading. This book doesn’t deal with the reasons for God’s silence so much as it does with highlighting biblical and modern examples of God’s appearance and “disappearance” to His people. Those who need that encouragement may get what they’re looking for from this read. For those looking for a quick, biblically sound list of why God’s voice seems muted, check out my post on Questions to Ask Ourselves when God is Silent.

But despite Habermas’ efforts to explain the balance between what God has allowed us to experience and what He chooses to heal, I felt his argument was circular, unorganized, superficial, and lacking divine wisdom. It also bothered me that Habermas lumps together suffering and persecution as they are not the same despite sharing a few attributes. And I felt the one chapter that really was most important (regarding telling ourselves positive truths), lacked the theological emphasis it needed to separate solid biblical truths from secular psychological principles.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Tyndale Blog Network.

Want to Win Some Prizes?

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The New Living Translation Break Through to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway

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Sweepstakes participants and winner(s) can be U.S. residents of the 50 United States, or residents of any country that is NOT embargoed by the United States, but cannot be residents of Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India. In addition, participants and winner(s) must be at least 18 years old, as determined by the Company.

Sweepstakes Starts

March 17, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

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April 30, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

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Questions to Ask Ourselves when God is Silent

1) Where is my focus? How much have I truly wanted God and how much may I actually be desiring the things of the world (safety, health, physical needs…)?

2) When did I last hear Him and what did He say? Was I obedient with the last message He gave me? Did I learn and grow from it? Was it an encouragement that I need to rest in during this rough time? An exhortation that I still need to obey?

3) What things am I hearing and who is saying them? Am I believing deceptive spirits and worldly advice? Is the Lord speaking in small ways that I’ve brushed off as something else?

4) Am I really listening for Him? Have I limited His response by assuming He will say something particular? Am I open to Him speaking whatever He wants through any means?

5) Have I been willing and able to rest in His presence in silence? Does my faith depend on His affirmation, or can I abide in Him knowing His silence is not an absence?

6) Do I know His voice well or is a personal encounter and relationship with God something I need to put extra focus on? May it be that His silence is a hint for me to look for Him more thoroughly–an invitation that He’s hiding so that I can find Him?

7) How can I simplify my life to make room for the Lord’s voice? How can I position myself to receive more of the Holy Spirit?

Have I forgotten anything? Can you think of other helpful things to reflect on and consider when God seems distant, silent, or absent?

Awaiting the King

The Personal Blog of Theresa C. Shell