These Events Took Place… These Events Took Place; a devotional series from the book of Esther in which one sees the hand of God involved in the events of Esther. “These events took place during the days of Ahasuerus, who ruled 127 provinces from India to Cush.” (Esther 1:1, HCSB) Have you ever felt that you were in a situation and you sensed that what you were experiencing was just a prelude to something greater getting ready to happen? Have... Read more
A Passover Haggadah for Jewish Believers by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum A Passover Haggadah for Jewish Believers by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum is an explanation of the Passover Seder meal. It is used to help Jewish believers understand the elements of the Passover Seder meal. I used this guide to conduct the Seder meal with my family this year. I found the book to be very helpful. I used an ebook in the Logos Bible software format on my iPad. As a... Read more
Just 18 Summers by Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox Time is precious, and the time we spend with our children are the most precious seconds of all. Just 18 Summers, a novel by Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox is the story of four families (Brownings, O’Reillys, Andersons, and Buckleys). The story is about four families – the journeys they go through, and how they realize how precious their time together is after a tragic death of a wife and mother. The... Read more
Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside by Daisy Rain Martin was a difficult yet encouraging read. As I read Juxtaposed by Daisy Rain Martin, I was soon reminded of the story of Job. Job goes through a series of suffering and wonders why God won’t answer. In this book, change the setting to sexual abuse during childhood (with the proper reader disclaimer before you read the event), set in a church and you have... Read more
Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside by Daisy Rain Martin was a difficult yet encouraging read. As I read Juxtaposed by Daisy Rain Martin, I was soon reminded of the story of Job. Job goes through a series of suffering and wonders why God won’t answer. In this book, change the setting to sexual abuse during childhood (with the proper reader disclaimer before you read the event), set in a church and you have... Read more
Lily Crowder, the wife of John Crowder (author of Cosmic Reborn – a book which I also reviewed) has written a book for parents. Each chapter reveals a quality of grace which a parent should develop. According to Lily Crowder, the characteristics of grace to be developed include: love, contentment, God-awareness, enjoying God in nature, gratitude, hope, developing wisdom, letting go, personal solitude, rest and play, nurturing wholeness. After reading Cosmic Reborn, one sees a similar theology developed for families.... Read more
Cosmos Reborn by John Crowder Cosmos Reborn by John Crowder is a book that will challenge your entire view about God. While Crowder is in the mystic camp of Christian theology, he does present ideas which challenge and probably improve on the standard evangelical position. The book’s most important chapter, in my opinion, is Chapter 2 “The Case for a Loving God: The Lie of Penal Substitution.” He challenges the notion that a loving God could be so cruel in... Read more
Theology from Exile Volume 2 – The Year of Matthew: Commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary Theology from Exile Volume 2 – The Year of Matthew: Commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary is a worthwhile read. Sea Raven has written a commentary for the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). This Progressive Christian commentary is made in a similar format as other commentaries based on the RCL. There are readings for each Sunday (which can be used individually or in combination).... Read more
God’s Gay Agenda by Sandra Turnbull God’s Gay Agenda by Sandra Turnbull was a frustrating read. I realize that when I review books like this, it can be controversial. As a committed conservative Christian, I may be asked from time to time to speak about, and review ideas about which I disagree. This is one of those ideas. The premise of the book (based on the author’s personal experience) is that God does have an agenda for gays and lesbians.... Read more
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Genesis and the Rise of Civilization by j. Snodgrass
j. Snodgress has written both a narrative and commentary of the book of Genesis. Snodgrass presents what my doctoral professor would call “the story behind the story.” He presents the civilization of Israel as a group of people who are on a journey to follow their God and discover their meaning in life. These wandering nomads, fight other civilizations for the preservation of their own. Through the stories of Genesis, one can see how the civilization that produced them understood themselves... Read more