Is Christianity for Me? by Nat Crawford

This  book is a winner. There are lots of books out there attempting to explain Christian beliefs. Most do  good jobs. This one is just right.

   The author is one of the Back to The Bible  teachers. In fact, he heads up the Podcast Win The Day sponsored by Back to the Bible. You can find him at https://www.backtothebible.org  

   It is  written in the genre of apologetics. Apologetics is not apology but a defense of belief systems. This book has the subtitle of Rediscovering The Evidence and Implications of the Faith.   And that is what it does.

   Issues such as The Existence of God , Why is There Suffering?, What is The Christian's Job Description?, and more are covered in an easy to read in an understandable style. I recommend you listen to Back To The Bible and see if you can get a copy 

    It is sent to those who make a donation to Back to The Bible  and request it.

   Nat Crawford has his MA in Apologetics and Biblical exposition and is working towards  his doctrinal studies as of 2021. So he is not aiming for only head knowledge. He can be seen on the Podcast daily. 

    

Man, Myth, Messiah by Rice Broocks

   

What? Another book on apologetics? Do we really need this?

   Yes. Because unfortunately, once again the skeptic is trying to shake up the believer.

   We are told to always be ready to give an answer for our belief. That is what the realm of apologetics is all about. It is not apologizing for something but giving facts to back up what you believe.

   Broocks seems to feel a need to once again prove the existence of a man called Jesus and the resurrection story. He sees skeptics again trying to say Jesus is a myth.

   A common accusation of skeptics is that Christians believe in the resurrection merely because the Bible says so. And if they can disprove the Bible account, they feel they have won the battle.

   There are proofs. All proofs can be found in history. His crucifixion by a man called Pontius Pilate, a Roman leader, is historical. There is an empty tomb and that also is historical.

   I felt the author was fair with the discussion. The facts are presented in an easy to understand and digest manner. The reader will have to stop from time to time in the reading and think through the conclusions. Whether you agree with the facts or not, the way it is set down will give you much to consider.

   This book was sent to me gratis from booklookbloggers.com (www.booklookbloggers.com) for the purpose of this review. I was not required to give a positive review and the conclusions reached are mine and not those of the publisher.

C. S. Lewis: A life by Alister McGrath

         He is still popular even though he thought he would fade from importance. C. S. Lewis (1898 to 1963) an Irish man whom people now consider a British gentleman, was a scholar who aso was able to connect with the common man. He probably never wanted the fame he got.
       McGrath writes a more complete biography of C. S. Lewis. The other biographers of  Lewis had known him. McGrath had only the diaries and writings to depend upon. He does a good job.
      Lewis  was not a theologian in the sense of an ordained clergy. He was just an ordinary man living life. He was a prolific writer and seemed to enjoy scholarship.
     He soon sensed that good literary techniques could better express the deeper truth he was discovering. From 1898 to 1930 he was a atheist. He became a Christian in 1930, McGrath explores that fact well, not a Christian of any denomination or affiliation.
     During the sixties Lewis was almost forgotten but Americans became interested in his works, especially Mere Christianity, that his writings became read again.
     His Narnia Tales have been made into movies, at least the first three..
.   A time line is included at the end of the book.
    This is a welcome addition to the other biographies of Lewis.

Dateline Jerusalem by Chris Mitchell

It takes a good eyewitness and a team behind him to report current events in such a way to make it a pleasure to read. Most books that try to interpret current events to project the future meaning read dry.  Not so this book.

 Mitchell is a reporter for CBN News who was posted in The Holy City and got out in 2011 when the Egyptian revolution burned hot and Mubarak was thrown out. He asks what this means for the Middle East and especially the small state of Israel.

He discusses the Arab Spring where democracy is being tried and the Islamic Winter where the Muslims are taking over the control of government and setting up a war against non-Muslims. He examines the Bible and its’ prophecies. He brings in the history of the title to the land which was granted to the Jews by the League of Nations after the First World War. For the history buff and especially for the Bible student the land of Israel is very important. Any book that can help further the understanding of both is welcome.

 You will ask,what can I do? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There is a group of people in Jerusalem who pray 24/7. Be one of them. Add your intercession to their prayer chain.

  What I like about this book is the research and the careful pulling together of the past to explain the present. He links the accounts given in the Bible of the nations to present day events to explain the meaning of what is going on.

It is a book that should be on the reading list of all concerned people.  

I was given the book free by BookSneeze as part of their blog reviewing team. I was not required to give a positive review. All points of view expressed are mine and not the view of the publisher.  

Tender Warrior by Stu Weber

         Strong men should also have a tender side to them. It rounds out their manliness. Being tender doesn’t take away from but adds  to a complete man. 

            In sixteen chapters Weber maps out the need for completeness. He dissects the areas into personal, family, friends  and occupation. He ends each chapter with discussion starters for small groups or individuals who are using this book  He titles these A Man Faces Himself and A Man Meets With His Friends.

 Weber shares  his life with the reader. It has been said that a good example is better than any lecture. In this area he does fine. He also uses Biblical illustrations of  how men acted in the period they lived. He attempts to show you are an example to others.

It is a highly interesting book. I found myself stopping from time to time in the reading to think through what I have just read.  And when I came to the discussion helps at the end of each chapter I spent some time going over them. This is something I don’t normally do. But he has such a style of writing that makes you want to respond.

 It has been subtitled Every Man’s Purpose- Every Woman’s Dream- Every Child’s Hope.

   I recommend this for all men and maybe their girlfriends. It is also useful for a small group study. Take your time. Don’t rush it.

Empty Promises by Pete Wilson

     We all seek our value somewhere. In fact, we were created to have value. We can get our value from others or from things or from God. When we seek value from other things and not from God, our creator, we fall into idolatry. And when we fall into idolatry we are pursuing empty promises. Wilson contends.

            It is so easy to get seduced by these empty promises. We were all created to have a need for worth and acceptance. We tend to fall into traps which Wilson points out.

            We can start to become like that which we seek after. If we seek after things like money, fame, and position we lose our purpose that God has created us for. It is so easy to allow subtle little idols to creep in to our daily existence. This book gives us things to think about.

            Empty Promises is written for the Christian. It holds your attention while at the same time making you consider your response. to God. We need to worship something. That which we dwell on tends to become our object of worship, Wilson points out .

The book  is filled with bullet point lists. It comes across as a lecture in places. It can be sectioned into two parts. The first half presents the proposition that we are making idols to take the place of our creator. The second half points out the solution using biblical snapshots to illustrate the answer.       

            Wilson does a fair job of presentation. I feel this book should be read by  the person who needs to be reminded just what he is worshipping. It helps set his mind on the proper object of worship.    

A Shot of Faith by Mitch Stokes, Phd

 

This is a book we have been waiting for. It will help the Christian confront the world view of the common man. By common I mean your neighbor maybe even those who read this book.

            The going explanation for things existing is something called Evidentialism. This is the reasoning that we can only know what we see. It states that  rational beliefs require sufficient evidence Yet we have been told by science that there is not enough or sufficient evidence for the belief held by Christians that there is a God. Stokes states and proves that that is just not true.

            The view taken in this book is a philosophical one. As you read it the tone draws you along. It is if a friend were walking beside you.

            I found this a very well written and easy to follow explanation. It ends with a look at science and evil mentioned as the two straw men the atheist  uses to prove their view of the world. Stokes shows how they are on unsteady ground. We need to stand our ground and keep a dialogue going with the non-believer. We need to be able to answer his explanation with a sound reasoning. We may not be able to convince him of our view of reality, but we should not sound unlearned.

            This book should be helpful  for everyone. I liked it and found it a good introduction to apologetics.

            I received this book from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own and not those of the publisher.