Strange Fire

I was looking for a book to read while with the family over the Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive before I headed out of town, but it has filled up whatever precious little time I've had in between the baking, wrapping, decorating and teaching that inevitably (and at times unfortunately) comes along with the Christmas season. I haphazardly chose the book, desiring a productive, but not thrilling read, which eliminated all the fictional novels that floated about. It ended up still being quite intriguing. The book? Strange Fire.

Yet another work written by John MacArthur, Strange Fire is a book that quite literally unleashes MacArthur's indignation upon the charismatic and Pentecostal communities. Pulling its title from the biblical account of Nadab and Abihu, the son of Aaron, who after being instructed by the Lord about offerings, instead chose to offer "strange fire" and were thus themselves consumed in the fire of the Lord's holy wrath (Leviticus 10:1-3). How does this pertain to the charismatic communities? MacArthur argues that His divine judgment was upon the two brothers because they dishonored the Lord, worshipping Him with contempt, and refusing to treat Him as holy. In like manner, MacArthur declares that the leaders and their flock are dishonoring the Holy Spirit with their ignominious behavior, reprehensible deceit and false teachings.

After giving a few praise testimonials from the general believing public in the beginning (vs praises from fellow well-known authors), MacArthur introduces the subject at hand (easily summarized with his subtitle, The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship) and then divides the book into three main parts. Part One focuses on the counterfeit revival, and uses Jonathan Edwards' 5-point "distinguishing marks" from 1 John 4 to validate whether the current charismatic movement is a work of the Holy Spirit. (It should take only one guess to figure out MacArthur's conclusion). The second part focuses on some of their defining doctrines, namely present-day prophets and apostles, tongue speaking, and faith healing. In his third part, MacArthur focuses on the identity of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced in Scripture and discovering what His true work is in the lives of believers. MacArthur ends his book with a letter to continuationist believers (those that believe that the miracles and gifts identified in Acts and I Corinthians did not end with the Biblical apostolic era), "Voices from Church History", and his notes, topical and Scriptural indices.

Although I do not agree with MacArthur on some doctrinal minutiae, I admittedly enjoy reading some of his work, because he consistently includes indepth research on whatever is his focus, copious notes and citations, and an ubiquitous usage of Scripture. In relation to these points, Strange Fire did not disappoint. I was a bit taken aback, though not surprised, by his pointed and accusatory tone towards those within the Charismatic movement. Since I noticed it in a Christian mailing and knew it was out, I did a quick google search and saw that there has been much hoopla over his viewpoints already. My thoughts? Good for him. As Christians, we are called to shed light on areas of darkness and pastors especially are supposed to guard their flocks from ravenous wolves. Is he causing disunity within the body of the church? Perhaps, but I think no more then he does in any of his other works where his beliefs might differ from others within the evangelical world. The only difference with this one versus others I've read, is this book does not hide it's direct accusation from the beginning. Do I agree with him on everything he has written within it's pages? No, but I don't always. I think he tended to lump sum every Pentecostal and charismatic believer as being at fault, though I noticed on at least a couple of occasions he used the non-absolute of "most"... but this could easily be overlooked with page after page of disdain directed towards those within the charismatic world. I for one, know of several believers that consider themselves Pentecostal, and I would not even begin to question their faith as their lives are easily defined by the fruit they bear. But there is a danger of allowing this movement and it's well-known leaders (Hinn, Meyer, Osteen, Dollar, etc) to continue to be associated with evangelical Christianity. I remember in high school, a skit portrayal of Benny Hinn and one of his ill followers desiring healing. I had no idea who Hinn even was, but the skit still produced a hearty laughter from the audience. But to think that the secular society at large might view my beliefs and his as similar and a member of the Trinity as a source for entertainment? Oy vey. Or no wonder people are confused and see us as narrow-minded when outspoken leaders such as Joel Osteen declare that Christ is not the only way to heaven, and justification comes not only through faith, but through your pocketbooks. Que lastima. For that, I'm grateful for MacArthur's bold, albeit controversial book.

In his introduction, MacArthur states that his prayer is that the "Spirit Himself will give you a clear understanding of His true ministry in your own life, that you will embrace a biblical perspective on the Spirit and His gifts, and that you will refuse to be duped by [those which]... vie for our attention today." That was my prayer as I read its pages. And that was the result for me. Would I recommend it? Yes. It is an informational tool for those like me who had no idea the ubiquitious presence of this in the mainstream society today. But I think I would also tell them to in the end, look not on whether someone is "charismatic" or "pentecostal" or any other titular identity, but to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), and look to see if they are bearing the fruit associated with the work of the true Spirit of God (John 15, Galatians 5). We always need to remember to adhere to truth and be diligent to study the Word.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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

Pirates on the Farm

When Pirates on the Farm was offered by my book review program, it immediately caught my attention because my 4-year old loves cowboys, knights and... pirates. The former two are usually virtuous characters and books acclaiming their integrity are abundant. As for pirates? Well, lets just say their favorable traits are few and far between, and books for children that highlight those are rare as well. It seems like most involve and even praise feats of stealing and treasure hunting (which admittedly, is what they were known for). It appears this might be the first in a series (The Next Door Series); they introduce the pirates before the story begins, and there is a glossary of terms at the end.

Written by Denette Fretz, Pirates on the Farm has a very cute storyline. The story is told in the perspective of a farmer's daughter, who has a band of swashbuckling pirates move into the house next door in their southern community. Her younger brother is ecstatic, but her mother is less then pleased. Her father represents the gracious and compassionate neighbor, helping them find their "land legs" whenever he has extra time-- and help they need, from building their pirate ship barn, to shearing sheep. The mother and her brigade of friends almost succeed in forcing them to set sail, but in the end learn the valuable lesson of loving your neighbor and not judging on the outward appearances.

Both my older two children (a four year old and a two year old) loved this story and have requested it to be read frequently. In addition, Gene Barretta did a marvelous job on the illustrations and detail- my son is always pointing out little things here and there on every page. If your child is a pirate fan, I really recommend this book and will be purchasing copies for other little buccaneers I know!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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 

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection

Apparently I am a bit behind the times. Just as in other reviews, where I had never previously heard of the author, well here again, I had never heard of Mary Engelbreit. Sure, looking back, I've seen her illustrations around here and there (I think I was even gifted a Christmas decoration with her artwork), but I never realized they came from the same, renowned illustrator. In her preface, Engelbreit states that Christmas is her favorite holiday and she has thus collected some of her favorite hymns, stories, poetry and quotes into one eclectic collection, entitled, Peace on Earth: the Christmas Collection.

I chose to review this book when I saw it was a children's book, as my son is a voracious listener. If he knows he can expect a book in the mail, he waits with great anticipation for it to arrive. Thus, we were both delighted when this hardbound book (with a glittery dust jacket) arrived, and he immediately started flipping through its vividly detailed pages. I enjoyed reading the Gospel account of the birth of Jesus (according to Luke) as well as many carols and poems. The illustrated pages would make for a lovely book to have on display during Christmas time, if it wasn't for some of the content. I am very critical with what I put out, as I feel it reflects my beliefs. Because of this, I don't think this one will make it out on display this Christmas season. Perhaps I'm reading into it a bit too  much; I guess I'm a chip off the old block though, because my mother read it to my 4-year old and had a few of the same concerns.

First of all, I'm a bit startled that Zondervan has this book dedicated towards 4-8 year olds. I think they'd enjoy the pictures, and recognize some of the poems, hymns and carols (e.g. Friendly Beasts, First Noel, All Things Bright and Beautiful, etc), but I felt like some of it might be a bit to mature for them. I feel that adults would enjoy this (and appreciate the illustrations) a lot more then young children. Next, if you are not of the Catholic faith, you may be irritated and even offended by Engelbreit's numerous illustrations of the virgin Mary, who is consistently crowned with a halo of some sort. She even includes a poem, 'Lullay, My Liking', which contains the following in a stanza, "pray we now to that child and to his mother dear". I wish instead of caroling children on her cover, that Engelbreit could have placed the virgin Mary and child so that those of the Protestant faith could have been warned in advance. Finally, I was alarmed by the direction with which the theme of her book took as its pages progressed. It seems her focus on peace begins with Christ's birth, but somewhere along the way transitions into a more worldly stance of peace being something achievable by man's power. Nowhere is this better exemplified, then in her inclusion of the story, "Another Boy", by Bruce Barton. Barton writes as if Jesus was born to topple the throne of Rome and cause democracy and equality to rise. He further writes,

"We celebrate His birthday, and the festival of all children everywhere. They, not we, are the really important people of the earth. In cradles, and at the foot of Christmas trees, are the lives that are to overthrow and rebuild all that we have built. Nothing is so powerful or so perfect that it cannot be transformed utterly by the miracle of another girl. Or another boy."

Engelbreit notes in her preface that she believes her selections "capture the true meaning of this wonderful holiday... a small child, humbly born in a stable". And therein lies my problem with this work. The miracle of Christmas was not just the birth of a child, but the Christ child. He is Emmanuel, God with us, not just 'another boy'. And He was born to save mankind; Christmas ought to be a celebration of His birth, not a 'festival of all children everywhere'. And yes, children are important. Scripture says that we need to have faith like a child to enter into the kingdom of heaven. But it comes about in believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah. Salvation comes from Him alone, unlike her illustrated quote by Jewish philosopher Martin Buber that leans towards a universalistic mindset ("God made so many different kinds of people. Why would he allow only one way to serve Him?")*. True peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and can only be found in Christ.

*Engelbreit may have arguably used the quote to summarize a selected reading by James Freeman Clarke; he argues that we have all been given different gifts by God, and each is necessary and equal in value. I think she could have used a different quote though (e.g. I Corinthians 12), and by illustrating that quote into a much larger size font, it makes it stand out from the page.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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

Adventure Bible Storybook, Deluxe Edition

The Adventure Bible Storybook (Deluxe Edition) includes the complete hardbound Adventure Bible Storybook, as well as 2 full audio CDs within a nice hard, open case. The stories found in the book are written by Catherine DeVries, and illustrated by Jim Madsen. Directed toward an audience of 4-7 year olds, it's purpose is to introduce them in a creative, adventurous way to many of the most well known stories found in the Bible (as well as the Adventure Bible Family series). The audio CDs read word-for-word with each story, while also capturing the attention and stimulating the imagination of the children through music, sound effects and multiple male and female character voices. The first disc contains 23 stories from the Old Testament. The second disc contains 28 stories from the New Testament. When quoted, Scripture is taken from the NIrV. 

I sat next to my four year old son as I wrote this review. He exclaimed multiple times, "I like this new Bible storybook and it's music!", but even more often, he stated, "Please stay next to me on the couch, Mommy, because I need lots of help." With those two statements, my son summarized this book for me.

It is a beautifully illustrated book with vivid , detailed drawings. Although it is a wonderful book, as my son stated (and it's title confirms), it is just that... a storybook. For this reason, although I know it will be well-loved by my children, I will not replace it with the Bibles we currently use to teach our children (The Beginners Bible, 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible, and the KJV Bible). Each story is elaborated, some more than others (eg- the story, "Food from Heaven", is told from the perspective of a little boy); in addition some stories start in the middle or end of the story from the character's perspective, before recalling back to what had taken place beforehand (eg- Samson is pushing the pillars, and Daniel is already in the lions den). There are still Biblical truths within the stories and I could foresee myself using the references listed at the beginning of the story to read to my children the actual account before they listened to the narrative. At the end of each story is an "Adventure Discovery", which give a little factoid to either reiterate a theme or expound upon the story. There is also a "Words to Treasure" section that usually, but not always has a theme verse from that particular story. With the exception of a few stories (Psalms 23, Proverbs and Christ's return), those are the only quoted Scripture.

Now for my biggest gripe... as my son stated, to use the audio, a child who is not reading pretty decently will need help knowing when to turn the pages. My son loves listening to various adventures on CD (eg- Patch the Pirate), as well as read-along books rented from the library. For the read-along books, there is always a chime, or the sound of a page turning... something to cue the child to turn the page. The CDs in this edition unfortunately have no such cue. So as my son listened to all of the CDs (in two sittings!), I was nearby, constantly glancing down so that he knew when to turn the page. The only exception was when they read the Bible verse at the end of each story. He listened for them to say the word "Treasure" and would then quickly turn the page. Because of this inconvenience, I'm not sure how often he will want to sit and listen to these stories if I am not present. My only other issues (the use of NIrV and simple messages) are arguably minor, based on personal preference and understandable for the audience it is directed towards. In conclusion, I would recommend this deluxe edition, but if Zonderkidz were to make any changes before another printing, I'd highly advocate putting a cue to turn the pages!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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

Women Living Well

I'm thankful for this book review program, because I've stumbled across a few wonderful authors that I did not even know existed until I agreed to read their book. And then when I tell my friends, there is inevitably at least one of them that knew about that particular author already-- somehow I had just once again missed the bandwagon! And the review below is a case-in-point. I mentioned to a dear friend who stayed with us this past weekend that I was reading a lovely book called Women Living Well, and she instantly smiled and said she loved the website (she doesn't even have internet in her home). "You've never heard of it before?" she asked. Well, ummmm... nope. So this review is dedicated to all those who somehow have missed the bandwagon with me. Lucky for us, I think it is more like those cider mill tractor hay rides that are so common out here this time of year- that is, if you miss one, there's bound to be another rolling up sometime soon :)

Popular blogger and creator of WomenLivingWell.org and GoodMorningGirls.org, Courtney Joseph has written a wonderful book entitled, Women Living Well, with the focus of helping women hold on to their vintage values without being run over in this busy, modern world. Broken down into four sections, Joseph highlights that the key to successfully and joyfully thriving in today's society is to walk with the King; with Him at our side, and Scripture as our guide, she then gives helpful advice to be a blessing as a wife, an influential mother and making a haven of your home. Each chapter begins with an applicable quote from mainly contemporary authors; bulleted tables to help summarize the main points, along with her own personal experiences are  also interwoven throughout the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Women Living Well. It was a quick and easy read; it was light-hearted, but filled with lots of simple wisdom that leads to a more godly life and healthier relationships. As mentioned earlier, I haven't perused the website yet, since I didn't know it existed before acquiring this book, and didn't want it to mess with my review-- but I am definitely interested in it now! This book was challenging at times, but very relatable for anyone who has trouble wanting to pursue a deep, rich relationship with their Lord, in a fast-paced, artificial society that focuses on quantity. I loved her analogies (eg- frequently fertilizing and habitually hydrating your marriage grass lawn to keep it green), and underlined lots of practical advice (eg- how to saturate your life with prayer and Scripture meditation) and reminders (eg- as mothers/women, we are blessed by God with the gift of being influential; will we follow God closely and use it for His glory, or lead others astray). Her personal stories enrich the book, and in the end testify to what she yearns us to learn: Her grandparents and parents diligently sought to instill the love of Truth in their childrens' lives, and with God's grace, if we do likewise clinging to the promise of Proverbs 22:6, we too may leave a legacy of leadership.

Can you tell yet that I loved this book and highly recommend it?! It has become one of my favorites and will definitely be pulled off the bookshelf and read again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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

Overextended... and loving most of it!

It actually took me two days to write a review for Lisa Harper's latest book, Overextended... and loving most of it! I'm not sure if it was my exhausted mind or my disappointment, but I was appalled at my negativity in my initial reaction to the book. I decided that before posting, I needed to reflect on why I felt that way for a day or two, and I'm glad I made that decision. 

First of all, I had read the back of the book for a synopsis of what I'd be reading but I wish I would've read the "about the author" section before choosing this book to review. Although I've never heard her speak, I believe Harper would be a gifted speaker and one I might enjoy hearing live. I was slightly irritated by the many pop-culture references Harper used (In my perspective, it makes for an engaging talk, but an annoying read). In addition, I personally feel the necessity for an unspoken respect towards Scripture, and did not care for her modern day translations of Biblical accounts (e.g- calling Moses "Moe" and talking about Joshua texting the Israelites); I don't mind when it is found in a Veggie Tales cartoon, but find it a bit offensive in the adult Christian living genre. She mentions in her book having a 40,000 word deadline to complete in two weeks, and at times I felt that she was just trying to fill up pages (especially when she added multiple Facebook message status updates and a 17-page letter to her father). The book was a bit too long-winded, even for me, to where I felt like I was flipping back and forth, or glancing once again at the chapter's title in order to figure out her take home point. 

Although I was frustrated with the aforementioned points, I did appreciate the few gems she had tucked within the pages. Harper uses events from her life to illustrate that it is possible to love others and glorify God while living a chaotically busy life. I love hearing accounts of God working in human lives in an incredibly visible way and she had many, ranging from an exuberant octogenarian heading overseas for her 52nd missions trip, to a Taco Bell employee just looking for confirmation of God's omnipresent love on her birthday. I also appreciated the acronym BLAST she created to help us not only survive, but thrive in our "Ca.Ray.Zee. seasons" of life. Finally, I think she had a very good apologetic of the Christian faith against the secular humanistic worldview of today, and loved that she included quotes, ranging from Pascal and Schaeffer to Chesterton and Lewis. 

In the end though, I did not feel like it was enough for me. I was looking for more. The back of the book says that she "shows us" how to find rest and glorify God, and Harper does that using her own life as an example, but I was looking for a bit more substance and instruction for the size of the book and didn't feel filled in that end. At first I thought she didn't even support her thesis, but after much reflection, I feel like I was looking at it from a different angle. People are always telling my husband and I that we need to create margin in our lives, as we are consistently busy. I was reading this book, with that in mind, seeing overextended as being stretched thin with a busy schedule, and desiring to know how I could glorify God more brightly through it. And to that end, I was disappointed. But what I did learn though is that in the times of my life where I am overextended, pulled, not by my calendar, but by God stretching me, I can still exhibit love, gratitude, and joy while focusing on running into the arms of Jesus daily. And I'm thankful for that reminder.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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

Encouragement for Today

A group of women from Proverbs 31 Ministries teamed up together to write Encouragement for Today which offers 100 devotions for women in all different walks of life. Most of the devotions are comprised by Renee Swope, Lysa TerKeurst, and Samantha Evilsizer (who together wrote about 40 of the devotions), although 15 other women also contributed to this devotional. Each two-page devotion is titled and has a theme verse. Most of the devotions are personal anecdotes, though some are based off of Biblical accounts. Often there are Bible verses embedded within this portion. Next, there is a short, but pertinent prayer followed by a three-part section: Remember, Reflect and Respond. Each devotion ends with a couple of "Power Verse" references.

 

I was not sure quite what to expect when I chose to review Encouragement for Today. I had only heard of the P31 ministry in passing conversation and I didn't know if I needed yet another devotional taking up space in my home. But I'm so thankful that the Lord led me to this book. He has already spoken to me through so many of the devotions and I know He will continue to use them to encourage or admonish me in His perfect time. I first fell in love with the cover-- it looks like a cover you would see on a Real Simple magazine; it's simple, yet peaceful photograph drew me away from my current, chaotic life with young children. But the real beauty comes from within the pages. I love how this devotional causes the reader to focus back upon the take home point (the "Remember" section), while offering a homework lesson of sorts for life application (the "Respond" section), thus fulfilling the call to not be hearers only, but doers of the Word of God as well (James 1:22). In addition, I loved the power verses, as it forced me to have my Bible close at hand, thus directing me back to the source of Truth itself. Finally, I loved, Loved, LOVED the "names of God" section that are included in an appendix. I've read His different names before, but it is so handy having them listed out as a reference. My only frustration, though minor, was the use of multiple versions of the Bible (nine that I counted); I understand that it helped to illustrate their point in their devotions, but it irritated me, because it almost seems like they are fishing for perfectly applicable words. I would still definitely recommend this devotional to my friends and have already signed up for their daily email.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review  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