Coming Soon!

It's been a while since I last posted, however, hopefully that will change soon. I'm hoping to post a list of books I have read in the past year with what I think of each of them. Since I've been more busy than last year, I haven't read quite as many books as last year (bummer!), but I did get close to 40.

Books, Books, and More Books

Currently being read:

The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg

To be read:

The Gospel of Healing by A.B. Simpson

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis

My Name is Number 4 by Ting-Xing Ye

1 Year, 101 Books

Due to my back injury (which God healed, read about it here) I had plenty of time to read. So, below you will find a list of the books I've read in one year (From 10-18-08 to 10-18-09). This does not include the Bible, books-on-tape, or light reading (such as The Peanuts, etc.). I do not endorse every book that I read, some were read as I studied different teachings (books like The Shack). Much discernment must be used when reading books, especially those by modern authors.

1. The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy *

2. The Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory A. Boyd *

3. Lost for Words Stuart Mills +

4. Hostage by Fausto Bucheli +

5. Fear No Evil by Denny Nissley +

6. Wesley Gold compiled by Ray Comfort *

7. Searching for Mrs. Oswald Chambers by Martha Christian +

8. Escape From North Korea by Paul Estabrooks *

9. Into the Den of Infidels *

10. Pandita Ramabai by Basil Miller +

11. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens +

12. Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs *

13. The Life God Blesses by Jim Cymbala+

14. Plain Speaking by David Bercot *

15. Spurgeon Gold compiled by Ray Comfort *

16. Prolife Answers to Prochoice Arguments by Randy Alcorn *

17. Why we're Not Emergent by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck *

18. Wisdom for Christian Living by Matthew Henry *

19. The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink *

20. For One Moment by Christmas Carol Kauffman +

21. Winning the Invisible War by E.M. Bounds *

22. Autobiography by Charles G. Finney *

23. School Daze by Joel Johns *

24. Come All Ye Faithful by Robert J. Morgan +

25. E.M. Bounds by Darrel D. King *

26. Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton +

27. The Martyr of the Catacombs *

28. Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna

29. Night of a Million Miracles by Paul Estabrooks *

30. Siberian Miracle by Peter De Bruijne *

31. Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney +

32. Like a Mighty Wind by Mel Tari and Cliff Dudley *

33. One Bright Shining Path by W. Terry Whalin and Chris Woehr *

34. The Chinese Ginger Jars by Myra Scovel

35. Selected to Live by Johanna Ruth Dobschiner *

36. Blood and Honor by Reinhold Kerston +

37. A Prisoner and Yet by Corrie ten Boom *

38. The Gospel in Bonds by Georgi Vins *

39. The End of Reason by Ravi Zacharias *

40. Murder by Family by Kent Whitaker +

41. Never Touch a Tiger by Hugh Steven +

42. Is Life So Dear by Brother Andrew *

43. Agape Leadership by Robert L. Peterson and Alexander Strauch +

44. The Case for Christianity by C.S. Lewis *

45. I Love Mormons by David L. Rowe *

46. Saint Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton

47. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis *

48. God Planted Five Seeds by Jean Dye Johnson *

49. Cat Attack

50. Unholy Sacrifices of the New Ag by Paul DeParrie and Mary Pride *

51. Not Good if Detached by Corrie ten Boom *

52. Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris *

53. Fighting for Dear Life by David Gibbs and Bob Demoss *

54. Lodges Examined by the Bible by John R. Rice +

55. Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee *

56. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle +

57. Out of Many Waters by Anita Hill +

58. They Like Jesus But Not the Church by Dan Kimball

59. The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker

60. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton +

61. L'Abri by Edith Schaeffer *

62. The Greatest thing in the World by Henry Drummond +

63. The Five Silent Years Years of Corrie ten Boom by Pamela Rosewell *

64. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and Cecil Murphy

65. Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian *

66. Last Light by Terri Blackstock

67. Night Light by Terri Blackstock

68. True Light by Terri Blackstock

69. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie +

70. How I Know God Answers Prayer by Rosiland Goforth *

71. Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock

72. When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent

73. The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov +

74. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas *

75. The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf +

76. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence *

77. Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker +

78. The Vision by David Wilkerson

79. Crazy Love by Francis Chan *

80. The Torn Veil by Gulshan Esther and Thelma Sungster +

81. Gone the Golden Dream by Jan Markell *

82. She Said Yes by Misty Bernall +

83. Speechless by Steven Curtis Chapman and Scotty Smith *

84. Hitler's Cross by Erwin W. Lutzer *

85. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn +

86. Black Samson by Levi Keidel *

87. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris *

88. Exodus to a Hidden Valley by Eugene Morse *

89. Faith Like Potatoes by Angus Buchan *

90. The Shack by William P. Young

91. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards *

92. Building in a Broken World by Brother Andrew *

93. Satan, Satanism, and Witchcraft by Richard W. DeHaan *

94. The Liberty of Obedience by Elisabeth Elliot *

95. The Triumph of John and Betty Stam by Mrs. Howard Taylor *

96. And the Word Came with Power by Joanne Shetler and Patricia Purvis *

97. The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman *

98. Building a Wall of Prayer by Basilea Schlink *

99. Heart Breathings by Leonard Ravenhill *

100. Because of the Hardness of Your Hearts by Mike Hurst *

101. Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret of His Power by Albert Hibbert *

* Highly Recommend + Good, but not great or not a religious book If there is no mark, the book is not recommended

Discerning Reader

A while back, I stumbled upon a website that immediately caught my eye. Why? It was about books! :) It's called Discerning Reader and it has been helpful to me as I'm looking for new books to buy and read. There are reviews of hundreds of books. Discerning Reader doesn't just cover "Christian" books (although that is it's main thrust), it also covers New York Times Bestsellers, books on social issues, etc.

So, if you need a place to browse and find trustworthy reviews on books, Discerning Reader is the place for you!

Currently Reading

Building in a Broken World by Brother Andrew is another great book (I think I've said that about every book of his)! Brother Andrew takes us on a journey with Nehemiah and ties that in with our modern living like only he can do. Very challenging and helpful for those wanting to serve the Lord.

What's the Big Deal with "The Shack"

Believe it or not, I just finished The Shack by William P. Young. I had read many reviews that just raved about the content and quality of the book. However, I had also heard that it was heretical and gave a wrong portrayal of God.

Then as I kept getting into discussions with people about it, it became increasingly obvious how ridiculous it was to keep quoting reviews of a book I'd never read. So, I picked up a copy of The Shack from our local library. I finished it last night and Lord willing, I'll be able to clearly explain my concerns with it.

The forward starts out by giving you a little glimpse into the childhood of Mackenzie Allen Phillips, otherwise known as Mack. Mack's dad was an "overly strict church-elder", but was also a closet drinker who beat his wife and children. That sets quite a tone for the book to begin. However, things get worse.

Mack takes several of his kids on a camping trip. Two of his kids go out on a canoe trip and long story short, one about drowns. While Mack is saving his drowning child, his youngest daughter, Missy, is kidnapped by a person known as the Little Ladykiller. This man abducts young girls, murders them, and then hides them in places where they're never found again. The police are able to track the Little Ladykiller down to an old, abandoned shack where they find evidence of Missy's brutal murder. Then "the great sadness" descends over Mack and further drives him away from God.

One day, Mack goes out to get the mail and finds only one letter. It invites him back to the shack and it says it is from Papa (which is his wife's term for God). He thinks it's crazy, but he is driven by something inside him to return to the place of horror. Again, long story short, he get's there and is met by what Young claims is the Trinity.

And here is where the real problems start to enter the book. God the Father is portrayed as a woman. Another problem is that God the Spirit is portrayed as a woman, too. Papa is a woman! Never in the Bible do we see God portrayed as a woman. We know the Bible is totally true and that means that the god of The Shack is false. In Philippians 4 were commanded to think on "whatever is true". Does The Shack fall under what is true?

Many people loved how the Trinity was shown in the book. But I found the interactions of what was portrayed as the Trinity were disturbing at best and blasphemous at worst. Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

"'Sure. We were going to have this incredible Japanese sauce, but greasy fingers over there,' Papa nodded toward Jesus, 'decided to see if it would bounce.'

"'C'mon now,' Jesus responded in mock defense. 'My hands were slippery. What can I say?'"

"Papa winked at Mack as she passed him the rice. 'You just can't get good help around here.' Everyone laughed." (page 105)

Does that sounds like the interaction of the God of the Bible to you? Is that reverent and honoring?

From the very beginning of the book there appeared to be elements of Hinduism and Universalism in it. As I read more and researched things on the internet, my suspicions were confirmed. The name given to the character who is supposed to be the Holy Spirit, Sarayu, finds it's root is Hinduism! Why did Mr. Young have to use a Hindu term for the Holy Spirit?

Here is an example of the Universalism:

"Again Jesus stopped. 'Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons, baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions." (page 182)

That is just plain wrong and against what the Bible says! When we come to Christ, we don't stay the same and we don't stay in a religious system that contradicts the Bible (Mormonism and Buddhism). Old things have passed away, everything has become new! We're no longer bound by those things and Jesus calls us to come out from those ways of living.

So, why are so many people "receiving help" from The Shack and endorsing it? I believe one reason is because they get sucked into the emotional story at the beginning. They want to know the conclusion, so they're left open to the heretical teachings. Another reason would be, many people don't know the truth of the Bible well enough to recognize the false teachings of William Young.

In conclusion, this is not a book for Christians to read. It gives a wrong view of God which will have very damaging effects on the Church. Many people will not have a biblical view of God and this will also have drastic consequences.

Currently Reading

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

The Shack by William P. Young (Not reading this for fun, but for study of it's false teachings)

Currently Reading

Exodus to a Hidden Valley by Eugene Morse

Currently Reading

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Currently Reading

Hitler's Cross by Erwin W. Lutzer

Gone the Golden Dream

I just finished Gone the Golden Dream by Jan Markell. I started it yesterday and finished it today. It was a great (though sad at times) story and well written too.

The book follows three generations of a Jewish family. The first generation escapes a Czarist Russia and the terrors that holds. The second generation finds itself stuck in the ghettos of New York City trying to eek out an existence.

When a Gideon Bible is found in a hotel room in Los Vegas, Joe Lessin starts finding the peace and wisdom he'd been longing for his whole life. When he eventually comes to Christ, his Jewish family rejects him and his Savior.

Joe's sons, Don and Roy, turn to riotous living. All they were concerned about was alcohol and girls. Due to a faithful father's prayers and a loving God, the boys realize that Jesus is their Messiah.

The thing that stood out to me during this book was the lost state of many Jewish people and the love of God. Even though the Jewish people have many hurdles to cross before they can accept Christ as the Messiah, God faithfully reveals Himself to them.

Currently Reading

The Torn Veil by Gulshan Esther and Thelma Sangster

Speechless by Steven Curtis Chapman and Scotty Smith

Currently Reading

A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Currently Reading

OK, so I don't normally start a book and quit reading it before it's done. However, I need to confess that I stopped reading one of the books I blogged about yesterday. :>) That would be, Is Rome the True Church? It wasn't holding my attention, so I decided to start a new one.

Today, I began The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf. It's already way better than the last book and it's a topic that is of great interest to me. It says it will equip Christians to engage the culture and this is something many pro-life people (myself included) need.

Randy Alcorn says it's, "A marvelous resource." From what I've read so far, I agree.

Currently Reading

I have decided to begin posting the titles of books that I am currently reading. These are books besides the Bible and the books I'm listening to on CD.



Here they are:



Is Rome the True Church? by Norman L. Geisler and Joshua M. Betancourt






The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian

As a birthday gift, I received Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian. Tullian is the grandson of the well-known gospel preacher, Billy Graham. This book is all about making a difference in the world by being different.

Tullian calls Christians to examine their lives and see if any worldliness has crept in unawares. He even gets pretty bold with paragraphs like:

"To be a worldly person is, in fact, to be a 'practical' or 'functional' atheist. It's someone who-despite all he professes-lives and makes daily decisions as if God doesn't exist. A practical atheist is a person who comes to conclusions about money, business, worship, entertainment, ministry, education, or whatever else without the directing influence of God and his revealed truth (the Bible). Instead, for him, cultural assumptions and societal trends serve as the directing influences for how he thinks, feels, and lives."

Mr. Tchividjian keeps bringing you back to the timeless truth that you can't be a friend of the world and a friend of God at the same time. Also discussed is how to renew and redeem the world instead of compromising with it. So far, this has been an excellent read!

Out of Many Waters: A Book Review

I just finished reading a book called, Out of Many Waters by Anita Hill. I found it to be a very interesting read. This lady had a rough childhood and went through periods of feeling suicidal.

She had many diseases, both physical and mental, that made it practically impossible for her to live. A couple of her issues included Environmental Illness and Multiple Personality Disorder. Ms. Hill had to wear an oxygen mask for eleven years and before she got connected with a restoration ministry, she had moved to a mountain in California. She even had to have her apartment lined with foil because she would react to the paint on the walls.

Anita then became a Christian and got connected with a restoration ministry. After being taught to recognize the spirits of fear, anxiety, etc. she started renouncing and claiming ground in her life. The Lord gave her great victory and she was totally healed. Her healing did not all come at once, but she is now walking in divine health and helping others find freedom in Jesus.

A Man Called Norman

Currently I'm reading, A Man Called Norman by Mike Adkins. It's an easy read, but there is lots of truth packed into this book.

Mike befriended Norman after moving in across the street from him. At first he resisted the Lord's promptings because he was worried about what others would think. This could make him weird or something. He finally yielded to the Lord and helped him in many ways.

He cleaned up his house. Painted it inside and out, cleaned the windows, put new sinks in , laid new florring down, put up wallpaper, etc. Then the Lord asked him to fix the toilet. For three Mike fought with God telling Him he just couldn't do it. Then one night he snuck over and fixed the toilet. He obeyed even though it was gross and his flesh was rebelling.

These are just a few of the many things to be learned from this book by Mike Adkins.