The Return

What in the World is Going On? 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore Dr. David Jeremiah Thomas Nelson 2008 Originally produced as a series of sermons, Dr. Jeremiah compiles them into this book which has now been released or re-released in paperback. Many followers of interpreting the signs of the times will find explanations of how Dr. Jeremiah sees currents events insightful. Although the events mentioned in this book are now several years old some of the repercussions persist into the present. He presents his case clearly and with endnotes to credit his sources. The book ends with an alliterative list of activities the believer needs to be about while they are waiting for the prophecies to fulfill. Those few pages are probably the best in the book, I think. I found much of the rest speculative and of little value. The old discussions about who Gog and Magog might be have been around for quite a while. The discussion of Islam could lead to less than charitable...

The Lord’s Prayer Insight and Inspiration to Draw You Closer to Him Dr. R.T. Kendall Chosen Books 2010 When I received this book the number of pages devoted to the foreword and special recommendations irked me to be honest; however, now that I have read the book they were all well deserved. Dr. Kendall presents a Rock solid exposition of the Lord’s Prayer. Several other authors have done the same and I’ve read a few of them. This one is far and away is the best that I’ve read. What makes this one the best in my opinion is the author’s depth of understanding and application. He writes from experience, study and time spent meditating on this prayer. His comments and explanations, in many cases, are drawn directly from Scripture, and appropriate to the discussion. He has written from the heart and it shows through on every page. There’s no hint of academic showmanship here. He wants his reader to be impressed with the Lord and the His prayer not the author’s handling of ...

Decided stop reading and do a little posting just so this is used for more than reviews.  That wasn't my initial reason to start blogging anyway.  Still isn't.  So why did I start this? Initially a long time ago I wanted to write, like books and stuff.  Still do, but have discovered it's a wee bit more complicated especially if you want to be published.  I took a short course that required a blog so I signed up.  Later I abandoned it.  Disillusioned.  Alas.  Then for whatever reason I decided to reactivate it and returned to the blogosphere.  This time with no intent except to just do it.  Much better for me that way. Have I given up on writing?  Not entirely, but have gotten more real about it.  I would like to give it another try in the publishing arena but have no illusions about my chances of being noticed.  That's OK.  Not ready for prime time anyway.  And the actual writing is the easy part for m...

Beyond Opinion Living the Faith We Defend Ravi Zacharias, Author and General Editor Thomas Nelson 2007 Apologetics. Sounds imposing and I nearly missed this one because of that. Don’t make the same mistake. This book has been out in hardbound for a while, but just released in soft cover and I think that may help get it into more hands. It’s a compilation of articles that cover a wide range of topics including the “why bother with apologetics” lead piece. Further into the work the reader finds discussions related to atheism, Islam, Eastern religions and even science, all thoughtfully written and a great place to get an idea of the challenges to Christianity that are out there. As a general review or just a first look, this book offers a lot to the reader in its 350 or so pages. But, wait there’s more. (Sorry, had to throw that out there.) Seriously though, I found the second section of the book, especially Cross Cultural Challenges by I’Ching Thomas, much more helpful i...

Unburdened: the secret of letting God carry the things that weigh you down Chris Tiegreen SaltRiver, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers 2010 Chris Tiegreen has written a wonderful book. I hadn’t read any of his work before and this one proved to be a great way to get acquainted. His style is so personable and unpretentious in Unburdened that the reader may forget he isn’t sitting across the table engaging the author in quiet conversation. Early on Tiegreen states he’s no expert, however, someone who has been somewhere and comes back to tell me about it comes closer to the person I want to talk with than some of the experts I’ve read. That’s the strongest point for me in this book. He’s lived what he’s writing about and knows how to be unburdened. The main point Tiegreen makes is so simple it’s hard to accept. I kept expecting something more. You know---the list of hoop jumps I need to add so my life would become less burdened. I mean, after all my burdens surely mus...

July and summer!  All kinds of fond memories.  Hot, hot weather.  Cold Kool-Aid, yeah the kind with all the sugar.   Riding all day and going no where in particular.   Watching my grandfather sitting under that little tiny maple in the side yard listening to Red's baseball and sipping a beer.  He'd let me taste it once in a while.  On a hot day it is really good.  Some of the not so fond memories had to do with sunburns.   No such thing as SPF anything back then.  You were supposed to have enough common sense to come in before you burned.  Or at least get in the shade.  But every once in a while I didn't judge the tingle you get from a mild burn and blister myself.  That was July when I was a kid.   July now?  Well, still like the warmth of the sun on my shoulders when I'm outside.  Don't spend as much time out as before.  Just don't and not because of concern about overexposure.  Speakin...