BOOK REVIEW: The Reason Why Faith Makes Sense by Mark Mittelberg

The Reason Why Faith Makes Sense is an update of a book called The Reason Why written by Robert A Laidlaw in 1913. Laidlaw, a successful New Zealand businessman, wrote the book for his employees to provide simple answers to complex questions about God and Christianity. Laidlaw's little (37-page) book eventually reached more than fifty-million people around the world.

Mittelberg recreated the book with contemporary expressions and updated evidence to support Laidlaw's conclusions.

The book is organized around the following questions:

Is there a God?

Can the Bible be trusted?
Are we accountable to God?
Who was Jesus and what was his purpose?
Is divine forgiveness available?
What do I need to do?

Answers for each question are given with both Bible references and logic provided by experts in fields other than theology. Stephen Hawking, for example.

What I like about this book is that the answers are succinct while being full of information. My notes from reading the book are nearly as long as the book itself.

This is the type of book you'll want to read over and over again. You'll also want to have a few extra copies to share with friends and family. I feel more comfortable with my beliefs from reading it.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an advance review copy of this book free from the publisher. 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.”

 

BOOK REVIEW: When Jesus Wept by Bodie and Brock Thoene

When Jesus Wept
Book 1 of the Jerusalem Chronicles

A quote from Publishers Weekly on the back of the book describes When Jesus Wept as a reimagination of the evolving friendship between Jesus and Lazarus. Since I had not read other books by the authors I didn't know what to expect. I wondered if only Bible scholars would appreciate this fictionalized story based on the Bible. But, the more I read, the more I got into the story.

I admit I did go to the Bible on occasion to satisfy my curiosity about sections of the book. The authors made this easy for me by including notes with Bible references throughout. I also used the search capabilities of my digital Bible to find specific words and phrases.

By the time I finished the book, I determined that it was enjoyable in and of itself without knowing the Bible or looking up referenced verses. I felt comforted by what I read even though I knew it was fictionalized.

 

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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.

BOOK REVIEW: Common English Bible with Apocrypha

I bought a Kindle when it first came out and I'm on my third one now. The first book I bought for my Kindle was a Bible. I remember at the time I ordered it how nice it would be to have a digital edition of the Bible, one that would allow me to search and quickly find readings to follow along with my pastor. But, as it turned out, I couldn't use it. Why? Because it was organized like a book, not a Bible. It worked fine for those who read books from start to end. We don't normally read Bibles that way. I looked around for another, but finally gave up. Soon after, I found a Bible app that worked fine on my smart phone.

Recently, my church introduced its members to the Common English Bible and my Sunday School class began to use it, too. I took a chance and checked for a Kindle edition. I was pleased to see that this one contains easy-to-use navigation. The table of contents allows you to link to any book. At the beginning of each book, there is a link to each chapter in the book. With the Apocrypha, the table of contents is pretty long, but it is fairly easy to navigate. You can also use the next chapter and previous chapter toggle when needed. Overall, I'm quite pleased with this Kindle edition of the Bible.

Where Love Once Lived Reviews Keep Coming

Another review of Where Love Once Lived was posted on Amazon.com and several other sites last week. This one had some insights into the book that made me feel great. I know some of you have mentioned some of these aspects of the books, but no one has written about it the way Jan Marie from Indiana has. Here is what she said:

Most of the books that I read, and there are many (just ask my long-suffering husband), by male authors are books about mystery and suspense, filled with breath-taking action and adventure. Therefore, when I heard about this book, written by a male author, and learned it was not the usual fare but was, instead, a love story, I wondered how a love story might be presented by a male author. I was very interested to see if it would be very different from a love story written from a female perspective. Mr. Frost has written a truly touching, heartfelt, and romantic story. He has done an excellent job of portraying the love from the viewpoint of the male figure. In Brian, Mr. Frost has molded a character who portrays the attributes that Christ demands of a husband in Ephesians 5:25-33 (KJV) when He says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church..."

This is not a story about the love of a young person who is discovering love for the first time. It is about a love that is seasoned, a love that endures the test of time and still burns just as brightly, if not more so, as it did in its youth. For anyone who has ever doubted the power of love, I recommend that you read this moving story of two people who made mistakes and consequently lost that first love and their subsequent journey to recover it. In a very realistic and heartfelt manner, we see how how each of the lovers dealt with those mistakes. One drew closer to God while the other turned away. Through it all, God remained constant and steadfast, never-changing, never failing. This is truly a story that demonstrates the truth of the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) that says, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind..." Since Cruden's Bible Concordance tells us that the word charity is also translated to mean love, then we could substitute the word love in this scripture to read that "Love suffereth long, and is kind..." Indeed, the love that Brian and Karen share and the love that Christ displays to them most definitely fit this description.

But, will love be enough to overcome all of the past mistakes? Will love endure when the secrets that both Karen and Brian have hidden from each other are revealed? Will it be enough to surmount all of the obstacles that stand in the way? Can love break down the barricades of hurt and bitterness that have been allowed to fester and flourish? Is it strong enough to bring about healing and forgiveness? For the answers to these and many other questions, you will have to read the book. I am pleased to recommend this debut novel by Sid Frost and eagerly anticipate reading his future writings.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. I was not obligated to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Here is the Amazon.com link to the review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SDODD9VGMZD6/. I hope you will all click on and then click Yes to answer the question, Was this review helpful to you?

Also, please visit Jan's blog, spashesofjoy and comment to let her know what you think about the review.

Thanks.

An Interview with Diane Craver

Today, we will talk to Diane Craver about A Christmas Gift, her latest book published by Whimsical Publications.

She also wrote: Whitney in Charge (sweet contemporary) and Marrying Mallory (inspirational romance), both published by Desert Breeze. A Fiery Secret (chick-lit mystery), No Greater Loss (inspirational romance) and Never the Same (women’s fiction), published by Samhain Publishing.

I loved reading this book and reviewed it recently. See: http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-gift-by-diane-craver.html.

Q: You said the story is fictional but based on your own childhood experiences. Can you tell us specifically what led you to write the story?

A: I had thought of writing a story about my father, Horace Wilson, for a long time. His life was hard with his mother’s rejection at a young age, and he was raised by various relatives. Some homes were better than others, because he stayed at times with an alcoholic uncle. Even though both parents deserted him, he had a deep faith and was able to be a good father to me and my siblings. Although I wanted my book to have the emotional honesty of a memoir, I decided to fictionalize it. My goal was to capture a time and place in my childhood based on a true incident in my life that saddened and shocked me. An image of my father’s secret was burned into my mind forever, so the following sentences are the first ones in A Christmas Gift.  “It was 1957 when I saw something that I wasn’t meant to see. I have never forgotten this night because it had such an impact on me.”

Q: I worried about how well everyone accepted the cantankerous Grandma Fogle. Was she written that way to add more conflict?

A: I did want to add more conflict but I was also influenced by my own grandmother. She was self-centered, putting her own needs first. When my father was young, she decided that she had a better chance to get married without him around.

Q: Debra convinced herself she needed to love her Grandma regardless. Have you ever had to do that yourself?

A: Yes, I’ve had to force myself to love certain people who have been very hurtful. I’ve prayed to let go of the negative feelings towards certain relatives and others. All of us carry baggage and we need to rid ourselves of these feelings and do what the Lord wants.

Q: How did you decide whether or not to include an angel in the story?

A: Another good question, Sid. Originally I started the chapter with Elizabeth appearing to Debby. I thought it would be good to have James’s sister talk to Debby, but it just didn’t work for me. Then it occurred to me that an angel would be perfect for this scene. Including an angel in my story was important because I believe God sends angels to guide and protect us during dangerous situations. As the Bible says, “He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11). 

Q: The letter from Debra's father to her was perfect. Tell us about writing it.

A: Thank you, Sid. That means a lot to me. The letter flowed from my heart because I was already so invested in the characters of Justin Reeves and Debra. 

Q: In the epilogue we learn that Debra becomes a heart surgeon. How did you decide to do that?

A: I’ve always had a strong interest in medicine. I planned on becoming a registered nurse, but the high school guidance counselor discouraged me. He felt I wasn’t strong enough in science to go into nursing. Instead I majored in education and became a teacher.  In my mind, Debra was meant to be a doctor and nothing else. By the way, I loved researching how surgeons repair damaged hearts. That’s the fun part of being a writer. Researching different careers to use for my characters is an education in itself and lots of fun.

Thank you for interviewing me, Sid!

You're welcome, and thank you for giving us this special insight into writing A Christmas Gift.

Selecting the Best Bible Reference

Since Where Love Once Lived is a Christian novel, I looked for a Bible reference to place at the beginning of the book to give the reader a hint as to what the book is about. During my search for the right passage I found three and decided to include them all. The references below are to the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”—Matthew 6:14-15.

I picked this reference because both Karen and Brian had someone to forgive before they could move on with their lives. Karen needed to forgive Brian and Brian needed to forgive himself. But there is more to it than that. After the two broke up, Karen turned closer to God and Brian turned away. Karen knew in her heart that God had already forgiven her for what she perceived she had done. Brian felt he wasn't worthy of God's forgiveness, and he started seeing God as vengeful. Luckily for both characters, they find forgiveness.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28.

This verse was selected because Brian's happiness and his ability to achieve his goals improved when God came back into his life. Brian's love for God grows until in the end he realizes it is the love of God that he had been seeking all along.

“And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”—Isaiah 30:21.

I liked this verse because it describes how the bookmobile librarian Liz and Brian's best friend's father George continually prod Brian. No matter where Brian goes or what he does, Liz and George remind him how wonderful it is to walk in the way of the Lord.