Review: HE WINS, SHE WINS by Willard F. Harley, Jr.

it's a little-known fact that I have a minor in Christian counseling. This is worth less than nothing; all it did was waste a lot of my time and your money (since I got my degree with the GI Bill) and make me very suspicious of psychology.

This book does nothing to alleviate those suspicions. It was a free download from Christianaudio, which is strange because it's not a Christian book. It not only isn't based on Scriptrure, it is directly contradictory to it.

If a book doesn't claim to be written from a Christian perspective it can only be judged on its own merits, but if it does, it has to be compared with the Bible, and with nearly two millennia of Christian thought. I can't recommend this book because it just isn't up to the standard.

Review: FORGOTTEN GOD by Francis Chan

Francis Chan has been good at finding the thin points of the wall to build up. This book is no exception.

In a very biblical and readable  book,Chan lays out who the Holy Spirit is and why we should care. I admit that outside of Pentecostal churches, I've heard little about the Holy Spirit. Most professing Christians would say they believe in him, but few would claim to know much about him.

I recommend this book, because of the good information Chan provides in his free, easy style.

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary

Jesus Christ was both God and man. This line is just an affirmation of that.

Jesus was God because he was the Son of God. Like begets like. The child of a shark is a shark. The child of a dog is a dog. And the child of God is God. Since God was his father, he partook of the divine nature.

But he also had a human parent, Mary. From her Jesus got a human nature. I'm not sure how the divine and human coexisted in him, but some things you just have to take on faith.

One thing we should never have any nonsense about it being easy for him because he was really God. From his birth, when there  was no place for him but a stable in the world he made, to his death, during which the Father with whom he'd had eternal communion turned his back on the Son he'd always loved, divinity made it harder, not easier,

Why so many book reviews?

Simply put. I'm reviewing every book I read, and I'm trying hard to catch up. I started them late, and I usually read more than one book a week.

In addition, several of the things I've read are very short, and I generally read more than one at a time. It keeps me busy too.

Review: 50 REASONS WHY JEWS CAME TO DIE by John Piper

This is a typical Piper book: very well-researched, very well-written, and with enough Calvinism to keep me from recommending it without reservations.

Honestly, that's what I should write whenever I'm reviewing his work. I like Piper's books. I don't like his Calvinism. Both of these apply here 

1Samuel 31

It wasn't David who killed Saul.  It wasn't even the Philistines. It was himself.

Remember that David had the chance but refused to take it. When it became clear that the Philistines were going to either torture him before death or defile his body after, Saul thought it better to be killed by an Israelite than by an 'uncircumcised Philistine'. When his armor-bearer wouldn't do it, he did it himself, thus ending the sad tale of King Saul.

2Samuel starts next Monday.

This is what I believe really happened to me

I was taken out, plain and simple.

Let me be clear. I am not a Calvinist; I don't think my stroke was ordained by God in time immemorial as a part of his plan to bring himself the greatest amount of glory. I do believe God knew about it, and allowed it to happen, but didn't actually cause it, which I admit sounds a little like hair-splitting, but you're just going to have to trust me.

At any rate, I was trying to do something for the kingdom of God, and Satan saw me as a threat. So he tried to get rid of me.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't work. I still have an outlet for saying what I want, I still have the ability to type -- though more slowly than I used to-- and I'm still dedicated to reaching the world for Jesus Christ. So, from his point of view, it was an abject failure.

Anyway, that's what I believe happened. If it turns out I'm wrong, I promise to apologize.

1Samuel 30

Be good to those under you, because you just never know.

David and his men were led to those who had despoiled them by a servant the Amalekites had left behind to die. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't?

Review: CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan

I'm comfortable with a God who makes rules. I've never had a problem with them,or at least never had a problem getting around them, I've always thought I would've made a good Pharisee.

What I've always been less comfortable with is a God who loves me. That's because I know, deep down, that I'm not lovable.

Guess what? I'm right, and God loves me anyway.

That's the premise of this, Chan's first book. God loves you, not only more than you know but more than you can know. God loves his children with all of his heart, and his heart is infinite. He has crazy love for you.

For a first book, this is very accomplished. It is straightforward, focused tightly on its theme. Too often,a pastor's first book feels like a collection of sermons hammered to fit into a central theme, because that's often what it is. This book feels ... like a book. I'm not sure how to explain it.

At any rate, I'd recommend it. It's very good, and Chan has only gotten better.

1Samuel 29

Even if Acish was fooled, the other kings of the Philistines weren't. They knew David was dangerous. A wild animal on a leash is still a wild animal. Acish didn't understand that, and it was in David's best interest to make sure he didn't.

Would David have turned on the Philistines if he had gone to war with theim? I don't know; we can only knew what did happen, not what might have happened.

Review: BACK ON MURDER by J. Mark Bertrand

Crime fiction isn't my preferred gene, but JMB is one of only two actual published authors with whom I've corresponded, and I've learned a great deal from his Bible Design Blog over the years, so it just seemed rude not to read one of his books. Also, it was free, and I'm not one to turn down a free book,

In addition to crime, this book falls under the umbrella of "Christian" fiction, an artificial classification I genuinely hate. Too often, books sold as Christian are just watered-down versions of whatever's popular outside our little ghetto. Far too often, "Christian" is used as an excuse for a book being simply bad.

So you understand why I approached this with some trepidation,

I shouldn't have worried about the genre. Bertrand writes very well, and only brings up cliches to shoot them down. There is no sex or foul language, and that makes sense because the story doesn't need them. I was quickly drawn in, and when it was over I wanted to read more. As far as I'm concerned, that's the mark of a good book, and of a good author.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre. Even if you don't, you might be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

1Samuel 28

Of course the woman was afraid. She was trapped between the king and a ghost.

This chapter shows how far Saul had fallen. He had gone from being a proud king to bring a man in disguise consulting a necromancer. In a sense, the book of 1Samuel is about Saul's downward slide. As David increased, Saul had to decrease.

And in his only begotten Son, our Lord

This is it. This is what makes Christians different from both Jews and Muslims.

We believe that God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not three gods; one God in three persons.. I don't understand it, and anyone who says he does is probably lying.

It was the Son who lived a perfect life as Jesus of Nazareth. The Son died on the cross as an atonement for our sins. He was the one who defeated death and rose again. He's our savior.

Just like the Creed says.

1Samuel 27

By living among the Philistines, David found a way to get away from Saul. Of course, the disadvantage to living among the Philistines is that you have to live among the Philistines. David got around that by getting his own city, with two results. First, he was able to use it to destroy Canaanites. Second, because David wasn't directly under this king's eye, he could lie and say he was attacking Israelite villages.

David was a great warlord and psalmist, but he was also extremely smart.

Review: THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There are very few blocks I'd recommend without reservation. This is one.

It's hard, but it's worth it. It literally changed my life.

1Samuel 26

David once again had Said in his power, and once again refused to strike.

He wasn't afraid of hurting Said. Saul had tried to kill him numerous times. Taking Saul out just made sense. But David would not attack the Lord's anointed.

But what about the Jews?

What about them? They aren't Christians, so they need to be evangeliized.

Some people think otherwise., because the book of Romans says that all Israel will be saved. If people are going to Heaven just for having Jewish blood, then the Pharisees were right and Jesus was wrong.

I believe the Biblie. If it says that all Jews in the end times will be saved because they're Jews, then I believe it. In the meantime, though, every Christian has a responsibility to present the Gospel to every non-Christian, and that includes the Jews.

1Samuel 25

When you're dealing with a man named "fool", you know it's not going to end well. David made a reasonable request given everything his men had done. Nabal refused, though, and in the end paid for his foolishness.

"Nabal" means "fool", after all.

Review: THINK by John Piper

John Piper may be the pope of modern Calvinism, but he's also a good writer and a careful scholar. With this book, it turns out he's an intellectual too.

This book is a call to Christians to use the brains God gave them to build up the Church. Because of this focus, it's not only harder to get into, but it's a more difficult book in general than most of Piper's.

I found it worthwhile anyway. The mind is an area that has been largely overlooked by evangelicalism, with the exception of apologetics. In that sense, this is a step in the right direction.

1Samuel 24

No matter what Saul did to him, David would not take action against his master, the Lord's anointed King.

If there were nothing else to learn from David's life, there's this: doing right doesn't always mean you'll be treated right. You may be slandered. You may be run out. You may even be chased by an insane king. Do right anyway.

Review: THE SACRED ROMANCE by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

This is the only book Eldredge co-authored with his friend Brent Curtis. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also his best one. 

The premise of the book is simple: Christianity is less a system of doctrines to learn than it is a romance between God and the Christian. It's a timely message, even though the book itself is going on 20 years old at this point. 

Unfortunately, we tend to look at what people say they believe. As long as they can okay a list of beliefs, we welcome them into fellowship, regardless of the effect or lack thereof of their professed relationship with God. 

I don't blame pastors. Many are overworked, and almost all are under pressure to add members. They just don't have time to run after people to see if the love of God is growing within them. It's not their job anyway. 

It's all of ours.. That's why this book was written for laymen. Just as importantly, it was written by laymen. As in all of Eldredge's books, mountains and the West are overemphasized, but readers willing to look past that will find a great deal of good here. 

1Samuel 23

The difference between Saul and David can be seen in the sentence "David inquired of the Lord."

Saul didn't. He did what he thought he had to, but he isn't known for seeking God's will. David is, and it made all the difference.

I believe in God the father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

The Apostles' Creed begins here, with a statement that not  only proclaims belief in God, but belief in the God of the Bible.

How so? By claiming a belief in God, it stands against the various forms of secular and humanistic thoughts that dominate in the West. It also opposes those forms of Buddism that are atheistic. Belief in God the Father means a repudiation of Judaism and Islam, which deny that God can beget a child. Calling him Maker of heaven and earth is a contradiction of Hinduism and other polytheistic religions, all of which hold that the universe is either eternal or formed from preexisting matter.

That may seem to be a lot to get out of one line, but it's there.

1Samuel 22

Notice that though the entire chapter the king trying to kill David, David never retaliates. Nor does he allow anyone else to.

For all his faults Saul was still the Lord's anointed.

Review: PARADISE REGAINED by John Milton

Both less-known and shorter than the author's Paradise Lost, this is a poetic retelling of the temptation of Christ.

I just reviewed the earlier work on Friday. Everything I said there applies here as well.

1Samuel 21

"Do I lack madmen?"

For some reason, that's always been funny to me. Like someone would just open a door say, "No sir, Your Majesty, get a whole closet of 'em right here." A lot more happens in this chapter, but what stuck out was a line about madmen.

I'm tired

I'm tired of not having control of anything but my eyes.

I'm tired of my wife worrying herself to death over me.

I'm tired people saying one thing and doing another,

I'm tired of being just a head attached to a useless body.

I'm tired of biting my lip and/or cheek every single time I (involuntarily) close my mouth, which is about a hundred times a day.

I'm tired of reassuring other people.

I'm tired of nurses being afraid they'll break me or my computer.

I'm tired of watching Lora work herself into an early grave trying to do everything.

I'm tired of my daughters not having a daddy who can do things with them.

I'm tired of being this way.

I'm just tired.

1Samuel 20

In this chapter, there are an insane king , a crown prince whose best friend is secretly the next king, a plot to murdrer and one to avoid being murdered, ..

Why don't more people read the Bible?

Review: PARADISE LOST by John Milton

 This is one of the Big Books, a classic, thoroughly review-proof. Of course, many people would say that about The Iliad, and look what I did to that.

This book is a retelling of the Fall of Man, in black verse. Milton was accused of giving the Devil all the best  lines, and his Devil is possibly the best I've ever seen. This epic is nearly 400 years old,  so it's hard to understand in places, but it's really not noticeable after a while.

The book surprised me. I didn't expect to like it, but I did.

Review: THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL by Brennan Manning

I don't reread a lot of books, and I pay full price for each fewer, so a book I'd do both for music be special. The Ragamuffin Gospel is.

Strangely, it's not a book I enjoy reading all that much. The basic message of the book is that we're all useless. God doesn't need any of up, and there isn't a single one of us who can add more a little bit of luter to his perfection. We all come to God as beggars, or to use Manning's term, as ragamuffins.

I'm not going to lie: it's a hard book. Not because the vocabulary is advanced or because the arguments are difficult to understand; neither is true. Instead, it's hard because it draws heavily from Manning's own experience in alcohol rehab. 

There aren't many books I'd recommend everyone read once. This is one.

1Samuel 19

Saul was a very changeable man.

In one chance, he changes his mind about killing David several times and was overcome by the Holy Spirit so that he prophesied. That's why you don't want someone without a firm foundation in God as your king.

1Samuel 18

A lot of people have read more into David and Jonathan's relationship than the Bible says.

What a sad, cynical would in which men can't be friends without someone makings things up about them.

Two down, one to go. Then what?

Martin Luther and that no one should be considered a Christian who didn't know at least the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. I've tried to cover this the first time in my Wednesday point on this blog, and I hope to start the third next week. After that, I don't have any plans.

What do you think is essential for new Christians to keep? Since it's apparently hard to leave comments here, please feel free to email me at lrchroom at icloud dot com.

1Samuel 17

"Do what you can with what you have where you are."

Teddy Roosevelt said that, and while he isn't in this chapter, David and Goliath are. Most of us have heard the story but we seldom ask how David got so good with a sling. All that time in the wilderness with this sheep wasn't wasted; he was doing what he called with what he had where he was.

Review: FIFTY-ONE TALES by Lord Dunsany

The earliest works of Lord Dunsany were very short fantasy stories about the land and myths of the fictional world of Pegana. These were written around the turn of the last century.

I found this to be a very quick read. I like Dunsany's style, and thought he managed the form of the very short story well. I like old, weird fantasy, and recommend it for anyone else who does.

1Samuel 16

Even after seeing the damage that an incompetent man who happened to look kingly, Samuel was still looking for anoint.

But when God chooses a king, he looks at the heart.

Why do we trust a little kid more than we do God?

The last I heard, Heaven Is For Real was a genuine phenomenon. It's been adapted as a film, and my local Lifway has hundreds of copies in several different versions. I've already seen Heaven Is For Real for Kids and Heaven Is For Real for Teens. Can a version aimed at illiterate left-handed Moroccan golfer grannies possibly be far behind?

I've heard from a lot of people that this child's experience has really strengthened their faith. I always think the same thing: "What faith?"

It's not like God has left us in the dark about this nature of the afterlife. This Bible and especially the New Testament tells the Christian whatever he needs to know.

The Heaven described in Heaven Is For Real isn't that of the Bible. Todd Burpo is at best an extremely gullible man, and at worst an extremely evil one. Either way, Chrtistians should know better.