christianity

Book Review: Knowing God

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Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Knowing God
by J.I. Packer

5 out of 5 stars

This book examines the attributes of God and how we can truly know God in a personal way. It begins by outlining the type of attitudes we should have in approaching God with humility and a desire to know the truth. The second part of the book focuses on the attributes of God in His unchanging Triune nature- His majesty, wisdom, love, grace, wrath, truth, judgement, goodness, and jealousy. The last part of the book applies all these things to the Christian life, and gives us a practical look at what knowing God actually looks like in living out your life.

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Non Fiction Book Review: The Pursuit of God

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The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine
by A.W. Tozer

4.5 out of 5 stars

This book dives deep into spiritual truths and how we can strip away foolish lies we tell ourselves and truly pursue God with our whole heart. There are chapters about what real spiritual treasure is worth compared to earthly riches, how Christ has removed the barrier of our sin so that we can approach God, and the “universal Presence” of God and how we can be more aware of His Presence in our lives. I especially loved the chapter about “The Gaze of the Soul” and how faith is simply looking to God and turning our spiritual eyes to Him. There is also a lovely chapter about the meekness of Christ and how we can rest in Him.

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Book Review: The Girl from Montana

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The Girl from Montana by Grace Livingston Hill

The Girl from Montana
by Grace Livingston Hill

3.5 stars
After her parents and her brother die, Elizabeth is all alone in their remote cabin. A group of rowdy men threaten her, and Elizabeth flees in the night. She rides her horse across country, worried that the men might pursue her. She encounters a fellow traveler, a man who is lost, and they ride together for a few days. They form a tentative friendship, but are separated once they reach civilization again. Elizabeth travels on her own, searching for her relatives back East, and hoping to find her friend once again.

This is such a sweet and wholesome story! I actually cried a couple of times because Elizabeth is so incredibly brave and good. She suffers terribly, but manages to keep her heart pure. It was really inspirational to read about how she doesn’t let the everyday ugliness of life tear her down or make her bitter.

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Book Review: FootNail: Genesis Awakens

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Footnail by Howard Haugom

Footnail: Genesis Awakens
by  Howard Haugom, Akorede Adekoya, Ken Steacy (Illustrator)

2 out of 5 stars

Genesis returns home from college when her grandfather dies, and discovers that he left behind an ancient relic of great mystical power: one of the nails from the cross of Christ. Genesis must protect the relic from the powers of darkness and discover the strength of her own faith.

I really liked that this book uses a lot of quotes from the Bible, and has a clear message of faith in Christ. I always think it’s a very interesting premise that the nails from the cross could be imbued with power. It’s a cool mixture of fantasy and history!

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Non Fiction Review: The Abolition of Man

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The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

The Abolition of Man
by C.S. Lewis
4 out of 5 stars

Lewis shows the implications of the philosophical ideas that emotions are crude and invalid, and only “reason” should dictate our actions. Reason without emotion is unreality, and even if it were true it would only lead to the abolition of mankind. Lewis attacks the issue from several angles, debunking popular arguments that the purest form of reason is our instincts, or that benevolent actions can be found through pursuing “science” as the best moral compass for mankind to follow.

Lewis proves that moral absolutes do exist and that they are universal through all generations and cultures throughout all of time. These moral absolutes appeal to both our reason and our emotions, and you cannot cut them out of a person’s life without destroying that person. There are basic truths that are self-evident and omnipresent in all mankind.

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Non Fiction Book Review: Robot Jesus

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Robot Jesus and Three Other Jesuses You Never Knew by Kyle R. Beshears

Robot Jesus and Three Other Jesuses You Never Knew
by Kyle R. Beshears
3 out of 5 stars
This book examines the person of Jesus and what various cults and religions around the world believe about Him. Some believe that Jesus is just another angel or a human prophet. The author presents the true Jesus, and debunks the false beliefs that Jesus is not truly God.
The chapters are designed to equip the reader with knowledge about what different cults believe and how to talk with people and answer their questions about the true nature of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.

DNF at 41%
I think the premise of this book is really good. The execution just wasn’t quite what I was looking for. As far as I could tell, the theology in this book is sound and correct and rooted in canonical Bible Scripture.

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Sci-Fi Review: War of the Realms: Conquests and Consequences

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War of the Realms by Lee Watts, Th. D.

War of the Realms: Conquests & Consequences
by Lee Watts, Th. D.
3.5 out of 5 stars
SYNOPSIS:
Alexander is the heir to the throne of Theera-Enty. After a failed assassination attempt, he is stranded on a remote jungle planet while the kingdom is thrown into chaos. But it isn’t only human-kind who are working against him. The legendary Guardians must protect Alexander by battling against demonic beings who whisper evil into the minds of men. A pirate captain is caught in the middle of the war, a group of castaways look for rescue, an old priest preaches for repentance, and the governments of different planets vie for power.

This book has an epic scope as the people of Theera-Enty begin a fight against oppression, and Alexander struggles to understand a prophecy regarding the throne. A mysterious key might lead to a treasure beyond imagining but no one can unravel its secrets.

PLOT/ACTION:
This plot is full of so much action and twists and betrayals and big reveals! It really kept my interest through every chapter. There is a big space battle at the end of the book that amazed me from start to finish. Usually I am bored by fight scenes, but this was presented like a puzzle to be solved. How are they going to survive? What tricks and tactics can they use to overpower the enemy? It was fascinating, and full of emotional moments as characters had to face their worst fears and find the courage to keep going.

THEMES:
There are deep themes about faith, spiritual warfare, friendship, courage, the nature of truth, and the proper roles of government and education. These powerful messages are so smoothly woven into the story that it never feels too preachy. It makes the story really meaningful. I especially appreciated the spiritual themes and the clear messages about God’s love and forgiveness through Christ.

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Non Fiction Review: Too Good To Be False

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Too Good to be False by Tom Gilson

Too Good to be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality
by Tom Gilson 
5 out of 5 stars

If you examine Christ’s life, his personality, his teaching, his leadership style, one thing becomes abundantly clear, Jesus is too good to be false. There has never been a human being who lived the way He did, and it would be impossible to make up a story of a man like Him. There’s no way that Jesus could be anyone other than who He claimed to be: God Incarnate.

I love the way this book follows logical steps of reasoning and evidence from the Bible and from history to build an irrefutable argument for the reality of Jesus. The writing is forceful and vivid, but it leads the reader gently down a path of truth to the convincing conclusion that Jesus is the only perfect human to have ever lived and died and risen again. Each step of the way is coherent and meaningful.

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Book Review: Meditations on Christ

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Meditations on Christ by Benjamin W. Decker
Meditations on Christ: A 5-Minute Guided Journal for Christians
by Benjamin W. Decker 

2 out of 5 stars

This book has written prayers, meditations, and journal prompts for Christians with a Scripture verse at the beginning of each section.

Although the title is “Meditations on Christ”, every section is all about the fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians. Christ is certainly mentioned in each prayer and meditation, but the title is misleading, since the meditations do not focus primarily on the person of Christ. A better title would be “Meditations on the Fruits of the Spirit.”

This book does have a few weird ideas though, such as making an altar with some candles and “an image of Christ”. That sounds like idolatry.

There are many references to the “children of God” and how “we are all family in the Kingdom of God.” Except we aren’t.

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