The Heart Mender

Up front this is a review resulting from the BookSneeze program of Thomas Nelson Publishers. The review represents my personal opinion, unsolicited in terms of outcome resulting from the gratuitous provision of the book.

Personally, I love historical fiction, ala Leon Uris, Tom Clancy, et al.

This story brought back memories of the Gulf Coast, along with smells and sounds! Wow.

As a history buff I was well acquainted with the operations of the Kriegsmarine in the Gulf, having lived in Pensacola, FL and Morehead City, NC.

But, is the bulk of it really built of facts other than what was found in the buried vegetable can and WW II archival history of the Kriegsmarine operations in the Gulf?

The plot does offer a heartwarming story of the power of forgiveness and the restoration of lives damaged by the ravages of war. The role of Danny in the story graphically illustrates the value of "the weakest of these" in our culture.

The fact that a particular enemy submariner, ended up on the coast of Alabama and was assimilated into the culture does not strike me as strange and speaks volumes to the character of the citizenry in that part of the nation.

Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down until the last page!

Thank you, Mr. Andrews. I loved this work and look forward to reading more!

PS: visit his site

Household Evangelism?

This link is almost sufficient to convert me, subjectively:

http://suzannemosley.blogspot.com/

It also blesses my heart as well us evinces Kudos to Awana

What's In An Example?

Forty-Five years ago it was my good fortune to meet band of godly, disciplined believers who instilled in me three fundamental disciplines of the Christian life:

1) Daily devotional life
2) Disciplined Bible reading
3) Systematic Bible study

At the time, the disciplines seemed awesome, but their example was motivating and whet my appetite and I purposed to develop those disciplines.

Now, 45+ years later, I have read through the Bible probably 70 times, memorized umpteen thousands of verses, and studied my way through the New Testament, all the Prophets, most of the Pentateuch, and many of the historical books.

All of which to say: Thank God for Example (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Their Lives were the means God used.

Hopefully, my life carries the same weight.

How about yours?

Plan B

Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? (Paperback)

I received this book as part of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Author Wilson’s style is engaging and down to earth. His weaving of biblical scenarios, personal experience, and the experiences of others who have experienced God’s Plan B brought to mind experiences in my own life and that of others. It was a refreshing reminder of God’s sovereignty and providence.

What we call Plan B is really Plan A discovered to us in accord with God’s timetable. Our struggle occurs as we labor to make peace with the plan. We are like Job wrestling with events, wanting to argue with God, convinced we know better. At such moments, we need a friend to come alongside and remind us to “…let the peace of God rule in our hearts…” so that we might come to know the will of God as “…good, acceptable, and perfect…”.

Wilson has done us a service crafting this anecdotal reminder, undergirded with biblical example. I highly recommend this one.

The End of the World?

Book Review: Will the World End in 2012? by Raymond C. Hundley, Ph.D.

Yeow!

In fact, double Yeow!!

Reading Will The World End In 2012 was an interesting and somewhat enlightening experience til I came across the author’s reference to Mr. Van Impe as a “respected Bible teacher”. What? How often must a man be wrong before he loses the title “respected Bible teacher”, at least in the area of eschatology? Mr. Van Impe may have much of the Bible committed to memory (a fact which makes me somewhat envious ), but his interpretations are way out in left field. Seems he turned right at third base!

Dr. Hundley reviews ten end time scenarios. Some I had never heard of, so the exposure was helpful, especially the chapter on CERN, the super collider. The remainder I had heard of and had dismissed as of little value.

I must admit, I am one of the blogger reviewers, receiving the book, Gratis, and am also a Christian persuaded by the scriptures that this old planet will continue, “…world without end…”, or eon after eon until such time as The Creator determines to destroy it (if ever?).

I would not recommend this book.

Theology & Politics

Theology-crippling or freeing!

As one who has traversed the theological landscape from Classical Arminianism to Classical Reformed over the past 50+ years I consider myself as one informed, though, by no means, an expert/authority.

After close on to 50+ years of evangelical reading/thinking I find myself further removed than my position in 1964!

Where, at the moment, does that leave me?

In left field, our outside the ballpark?

The latter position is my bottom-line supposition.

While, at the moment, historically, I can appreciate the advances of The Church, my suspicion is, we have lost the bubble.

Today, we are more closely aligned with corporate America than the suggestions within the Bible.

Theocracy?

Biblical Anarchy?

The two poles!

The former, IMHO, represents the plan of God for spiritual infants.

The latter for biblically informed and equipped NC believers

I can hear the disclaimers…it won’t work, etc.

Well, irrespective of one’s theological perspective…

It may well work….

Lordship and Free Grace

Personally, my battle with this issue came well before the Hodges-MacArthur encounter back in the 90s.

I came to saving faith in Christ’s finished work while an incarcerated teen in the 50s.

Jesus was presented to me, in His gospel, as God and Savior; as one who objectively procured my salvation aside from any action on my part.

I was dead in trespasses and sin. Unable to respond. Spiritually dead.

Jesus was proclaimed to me as Savior, one who had paid the price of my transgressions without any action on my part.

The fruit of His work was presented to me as a gift.

Concurrent with this objective propositional presentation, I was privileged to see these truths lived out in the life of one Jim Larsen, chief/senior counselor on The Victory Farm in Ortonville, MN in the 1950s.

Unfortunately, no data is available on the web regarding this ministry.

My spiritual eyes were opened. I not only understood, but willingly accepted the offer. (Acts 16:14).

Quite honestly, I went to bed one evening, hating God; and awoke next morning, believing.

I believed; I trusted in what was proffered.

In retrospect, my belief and trust were one in the same!

At that moment, in the economy of God, I passed from death to life: from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light all during which I was a passive recipient.

Since that day, it has been one battle after another.

I am not what I once was, nor am I what I hope to be:

But what I am, I am by grace, and when I se Him face to face

I shall be like Him, perfectly.

Such is the awesome power of Grace.