Christ-Esteem: Where the Search for Self-Esteem Ends

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Christ-Esteem: Where the Search for Self-Esteem Ends
by Don Matzat
Harvest House, 1990. 102pp.

This review pertains to the online pdf version of this book, July,2007.
Available online at: http://pastormattrichard.webs.com/ChristEsteem.pdf

Here is an out-of-print book that is noteworthy for its rare perspective on the 'self-esteem' movement that has become commonplace thinking in western culture since the closing years of the 20^th century.

Having often grappled with making sense of self-esteem from a Biblical viewpoint, I was delighted to read this author's counter-cultural perspective that "Biblical Christianity teaches us to know ourselves so that we might turn away from ourselves and discover our life and identity in Christ Jesus." (p.20)

His premise is well-supported from Scripture, from historical Christianity (often quoting Martin Luther), and from life experiences (his own and those he has counseled). Matzat contends that until 'we come to grips with the depth of sin within our hearts, our relationship with Jesus will remain superficial.' (p.19)

Regarding cultivating a positive self-image, he wisely points out that: "Contrary to popular opinion, how I think about myself will not change the situation nor adjust what I am. Embracing a positive image of self will not, in the long run, make any difference, because I am still wrapped up in myself. I simply become a self-centered sinner who is trying to like himself. Even if I feel bad about myself and [do]not like myself, I am still focusing upon myself, and "myself" is the problem. The corrupted condition of my human "self" is not a mere figment of imagination which can be adjusted by thinking differently." (p.34)

Instead, Matzat points out that God intends to free us from the tyranny of pre-occupation with ourselves and to give us instead the very life of Jesus, such as Paul speaks of in Gal.2:20—"I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life I live here in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God."

Although the distinction between the self-life and the life of Christ lived through me is not a simple thing to fathom, and even less straightforward to put into practice, it is clearly called for in Scripture. This book offers practical counsel and guidance along these lines for anyone who is ready to trade self-esteem for 'Christ-esteem'. Sanctification is not about my self improving, but about learning to deny self and abide in Christ who is my righteousness…

Because it was first published in 1990, some of the references to current popular teachers are outdated. But the thoughtful reader will identify other modern teachers that have merely changed their labels but teach much the same things in the guise of preaching truth. It is sad to see how little positive self-talk teaching has really changed but how much more widely it is accepted among even believers with the passing of time.

One disclaimer I would make is that Matzat uses a couple of terms repeatedly which in my opinion are poorly chosen. He speaks of the necessity to 'accuse' oneself, and to 'detach from' oneself in order to be joined to Jesus. In light of the devil's job description as 'accuser of the brethren' this seems a less than ideal depiction of 'death to self'. Given their contexts however, I believe he has the right idea but has not expressed it as accurately as he might have. For this reason I still highly recommend his book for its courageous call to "turn away from 'self' and find our identity in Christ Jesus."

Only then will we "be HIS witnesses. We will no longer show forth what great, wonderful people we are. Rather, we will demonstrate what a great, wonderful Lord and Savior we have in Jesus Christ. To HIM be the glory....."

--LS

If you're not sure you have time for another book right now, do at least consider these valuable quotes…

"Contrary to popular opinion, how I think about myself will not change the situation nor adjust what I am. Embracing a positive image of self will not, in the long run, make any difference, because I am still wrapped up in myself. I simply become a self‐centered sinner who is trying to like himself… The corrupted condition of my human "self" is not a mere figment of imagination which can be adjusted by thinking differently." (34)

"I would challenge anyone to demonstrate where the Bible teaches us to be consciously concerned with our self-image. Urging Christians to become engrossed in self by seeking to develop self-esteem is not a part of the solution to the human dilemma. Since I am the problem, focusing attention upon myself merely magnifies, activates and compounds the problem. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves. Such self-denial is not the giving up of ice cream for Lent but is the actual denial of "self" itself. "(34)

"Centering and focusing attention upon self is merely digging up the corpse, so to speak. If you know that you have died with Christ, how can you feel good about yourself? A funeral director may make‐up and neatly dress a corpse and the family may gather around the open casket and say, "Doesn't he look good," but the cold facts are, the corpse is dead no matter how good it may look. "(38)

"Because of this failure to identify "self" with Christ Jesus in his ascension, many today boast of their new identity here on this earth. They strive to build their self‐image upon what God has done for them. They talk about "their spiritual gifts" and their victorious Christian lives. They seek to build and defend their great ministries and so that they might be known as "great men of God." Nothing has changed! They are still become wrapped up and indulged in 'self' ". (44)

"This is a very important principle. When you look at yourself, you must see your sin. When you look away from yourself to Christ Jesus, you see your new identity, your perfect righteousness, your glorious position with God in the heavenly places." (44)

"The person of Jesus Christ IS OUR SPIRITUALITY. Rather than speaking of "becoming more spiritual," we should rather think in terms of growing in our daily faith relationship with our Lord Jesus. This is as spiritual as we can get." (52)

"Our human pride would like to have spiritual benefits and experiences in order to enlarge ourselves and be identified as "deeply spiritual people." God does not offer to us forgiveness, righteousness, love, peace, joy, gifts, ministries, wealth and prosperity as separate entities. Since our identity is in the heavenly places, we can not claim anything that comes from God as belonging to us. God has only given to us one thing: His Son Jesus Christ who is our life." (53)

"This separation of the content of the Christian life and experience from the person of Jesus Christ is no small matter! It will inevitably lead to numerous distortions such as humanism, mysticism, occultism, or legalism." (54)

"We don't talk about the 'great men of God' on this earth, for there are none. No matter how high and lofty a position a person attains in the Church of Jesus Christ or how much influence he is able to exert upon a large number of people, he remains a little, sinful man in whom is being manifested a great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!" (56)

"We do not pull ourselves up by our boot straps by declaring how good, wonderful, and talented we are. Instead when we look at ourselves we declare, "I am the problem. I am a sinner. Nothing good dwells within my sinful nature." But we don't stop there, we look up to the throne where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and confess, "my God has redeemed me in Christ Jesus. He has granted to me the very righteousness of Christ and has already lifted me up and seated me in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. My God is able to do far more abundantly above all that I ask or think." (74)

"We do not speak forth the Word and promises of God in order that they might be brought into reality. We declare God's Word, because it is reality. … Whether I declare the truth or deny the truth does not change the truth. "(75)

"Depending upon Jesus as our life means that we are no longer depending upon ourselves, and this is not easy. It is very difficult to give up on ourselves and to arrive at the conclusion that Jesus is the only source of our peace and joy. We always want to hang on to our own lives and maintain the hope that somewhere, somehow, just around the next corner, we will discover the key to happiness, contentment and peace of mind in ourselves, but nothing ever changes. We become trapped in a way of life. It is in giving up on ourselves and turning to Jesus that we discover his life in us." (90-91)

"Of course, it is impossible to totally put away the personal emphasis upon "self," the defense of "self," or the desires of "self." If this were the case, we would experience heaven on earth. But this is the goal that needs to be clearly expressed "up front" within the life of the Christian community." (102)

The Explicit Gospel—Chandler

The Explicit Gospel
by Matt Chandler
Crossway, 2012. 237pp.

“How can you grow up going to church every week and not hear the Gospel?” This book is the result of Pastor Chandler’s wrestlings with this very question. Is it possible that the Gospel has been distorted to be more about self-fulfillment than reconciliation to a holy God? More about being the best you can be, or at least feeling good about yourself, than being reconciled to a holy God? Do we really see the Gospel as central to life and godliness or is its importance just 'assumed'?

In The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler takes the reader back to the nitty-gritty of the Gospel—what it means not only for salvation but for an ongoing Christian life. Its antithesis is the 'assumed Gospel' [aka "Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" as coined by author Christian Smith] in which we see the cross as necessary to save us from our past sins but then we must earn favor with God and grow in our Christian lives by good behavior and/or conformity to a set of rules. This is not the good news of the gospel.

To explain the scope of the Gospel, Chandler divides his teaching into two parts. The first deals with the Gospel as it relates to man's individual redemption for the glory of God. He calls it the Gospel 'on the ground'. It includes a right understanding of God's glory as the purpose of redemption, man's desperate need, Christ's substitutionary death to atone for our sin, and man's necessary response of faith. This overview of the basics of salvation provides the believer a fresh appreciation of this great salvation in which we stand and for the unbeliever, it gives a careful explanation of what the good news is all about.

But this is no dry redundant treatise. There are thoughts here to challenge even the well-seasoned believer. Consider these:

Re: God

"When we who call ourselves Christians realize how utterly self-sufficient God is all within himself—the three in one—the gift of Christ to us and for us becomes all the more astonishing…a God who is ultimately most focused on his own glory will be about the business of restoring us, who are all broken images of him. His glory demands it."(32)

"…the foremost desire of God's heart is not our salvation but rather the glory of his own name. God's glory is what drives the universe; it is why every thing exists."(33-4)

"We are allergic to the idea that everything exists, including us, not for ourselves but for the glory of God." (34)

"We worship God when, while we partake of his good gifts, something occurs in the deepest parts of our soul that forbids glory terminating on the gift itself or on our enjoyment of it but that runs deeper into and extends out to the Giver." (36)

Re: Man

"To discount, disguise, or disbelieve what God does in response to the falling short of his glory is, in itself, falling short of his glory."

"The grace of God by definition is unearned. You can't deserve it."(42)

"But to discount the enormity of God's severity, as if we aren't really that bad and really deserve mostly kindness, is to discount the enormity of God's holiness." (44)

Re: Christ

"We deserve his[God's] wrath, and even though we persist throughout our lives in foolishly demanding what we think we are due, he refuses to give us what we deserve."(53)

"The cross of Christ exists because mankind—loved by God, created by God, set in motion by God—betrayed God and prefers his stuff to him."(55)

"If you don't talk about sin, if you don't talk about blood, if you don't talk about the cross in those ways, then don't talk about the gospel, because the gospel is bloody and horrific."(59)

"If we don't understand the bad news, we will never grasp the good news." (59)

"…replacing the centrality of the cross with something more appealing, something we think is more weighty…isn't so much to rectify an imbalance but to idolatrously elevate ourselves."(59)

Re: our Response

"The religious, moralistic, churchgoing evangelical who has no real intention of seeking god and following him has not found some sweet spot between radical devotion and wanton sin; he's found devastation. The moralism that passes for Christian faith today is a devastating hobby if you have not intention of submitting your life fully to God and chasing him in Christ."(70)

"I meet a lot of people swimming neck deep in Christian culture who have been inoculated to Jesus Christ. They have just enough of him not to want all of him. When that happens, what you have are people who have been conformed to a pattern of religious behavior but not transformed by the Holy Spirit of God." (73)

"We always have to be a little bit wary of the idea that numeric growth and enthusiastic response are always signs of success. The Bible isn't going to support that. Faithfulness is success; obedience is success." (75)

"We are never, ever, ever going to make Christianity so cool that everybody wants it. That is a fool's errand. It is chasing the wind."(80)

"The spiritual power in the gospel is denied when we augment or adjust the gospel into no gospel at all. When we doubt the message alone is the power of God for salvation, we start adding or subtracting, trusting our own powers of persuasion or presentation."(81)

"Even works of righteousness, if not done through faith, are works of self-righteousness and therefore filthy rags. Be very careful about going to church, reading your Bible, saying prayers, doing good deeds, and reading books like this through anything but faith in the living Lord. Because the result of all that is belief in a phony Jesus and inoculation to the gospel. You can end up knowing the jargon and playing pretend. Be very careful. Watch you life and your doctrine closely (I Tim.4:16). Some of you are so good that you've deceived yourselves. God help you." (85)

 

The second part of Chandler's explanation of the Gospel deals with what he calls the Gospel "in the air". Here he looks at the big picture of redemption that extends beyond personal salvation to the restoration of all creation. With sections titled: Creation, Fall, Reconciliation and Consummation, Chandler looks at the broad narrative of Scripture and of God's overarching purpose from the beginning of creation to subject all things to Himself through Christ and to restore even the physical creation. He intends for those reconciled to Him to be agents of reconciliation in the world. This perspective of the Gospel prevents its becoming a man-centered benefit. Ultimately redemption is for God's glory.

The underlying thesis of the book is that we must maintain both vantage points of the Gospel—its personal aspect and its cosmic implications--if we are to avoid serious pitfalls. The final section of the book deals with the dangers inherent in placing a lopsided emphasis on either vantage point.

On the one hand, when we view the Gospel as primarily for our own redemption we may miss God's mission for us in our unique place and time. In turn God's sanctifying process in our lives through engagement with others may be thwarted and wither into an intellectualized faith with little fruit. This privatized understanding of the Gospel easily turns into a prideful, sectarian, self-serving affair eclipsing our focus on God's glory and purposes.

In contrast, a sole emphasis on the big picture of restoration for the world can lead to a social gospel devoid of the hope of the true gospel. The intent may be to make the world a better place but salvation from personal sin can never be excluded from one's mission. Doing Biblical things to alleviate suffering must not be separated from the message of the Cross, even if it proves to be an offense. In our efforts to be relevant to culture, we may exalt cultural mores above Scripture, thus making culture a kind of idol. Worst of all, evangelism may be completely abandoned in the interests of being sensitive to a post-modern generation. These are all dangers of a gospel 'in the air too long'.

The final and perhaps most practical chapter in this section is titled "Moralism and the Cross". Drawing from personal experience Chandler describes the distinction between the true message of the Gospel, and merely living by do's and don'ts. He uncovers the subtle but pervasive tendency among Christians to think that "God probably needs our help in the work of justification and most certainly needs us to carry the weight of our sanctification, as well." The result? Inumerable Christians burdened with trying to keep the law rather than discovering the delight of Gospel-centered living. Chandler devotes the next fourteen pages to an excellent elaboration on 'grace-driven effort', as opposed to burdensome moralism.

Excerpts include:

"The marker of those who understand the gospel of Jesus Christ is that, when they stumble and fall, when they screw up, they run to God and not from him, because they clearly understand that their acceptance before God is not predicated upon their behavior but on the righteous life of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death."(211)

"We must also abandon the idea that our good behavior somehow rubs the spiritual lamp that inclines God, like a genie, to emerge and give us the things we wish for."(211)

"Let's be careful to preach the dos and don'ts of Scripture in the shadow of the cross's "Done!" (221)

Chandler says grace-driven effort will know how to wield the 'weapons of grace'—the blood of Christ, the Word of God, and promises of the new covenant. Grace-driven effort will address the heart, not merely the behavior. It is motivated by more than regret for getting caught. It discovers a new motive for forsaking sin that goes beyond trying to earn God's favor. It is driven by the love of God to obey and to root out the heart of sin, not just its appearances.

One especially poignant illustration compared the believer to a child learning to walk. The loving parent cheers on each step overlooking the falls. The celebration is in the steps! "Moralists see the fall and believe that the Father is ashamed and thinks they're foolish. So, more often than not, they stop trying to walk because they can't see the Father rejoicing in and celebrating his child."(221)

The book concludes with a call to make the gospel explicit in one's relationships, even and perhaps especially, with our own children, and not just assume that its implications are understood.

I consider this a book pertinent to every believer. We must never grow immune to the gore and the glory of the Gospel story. It may poke and prod in spots where we've grown complacent but will leave us with the hope of the Gospel to return to, repentant and ready for commissioning. Get a copy for yourself and your church library!

--LS

The Other Side of the River—Reeves

The Other Side of the River
By Kevin Reeves
Lighthouse Trails Publ.,2007. 222pp.

'There's no quicker way to start a fight with a friend than to tell him that some of his most fervent beliefs are wrong.' But a true friend will take the risk when it comes to things that matter. And this is what Kevin Reeves attempts in this auto-biographical account of his own charismatic church's move away from 'the primacy of the Word of God into the nebulous, self-defining atmosphere of experience.'

He writes as an encouragement to those who have begun to recognize the errors creeping into the hyper-charismatic arm of the Church, and as an eye-opening warning to others. Based on careful research, in-depth Bible study, and his own involvement, he candidly demonstrates the lure, the pitfalls, and the misguided teaching involved in the River Revival movement and other tributary 'moves of God'. His assessment, though pointed, is not bitter, vindictive or mocking, but politely objective, challenging the reader to evaluate everything by the Word of God. His perceptions are especially relevant because he himself was an enthusiastic participant and leader in the practices and teachings he now warns against.

Topics considered include: the "Word-Faith" movement, 'spiritual warfare', modern 'revivals', prophetic 'words', 'holy laughter', being 'slain in the Spirit' and the use of manipulative music in worship, among many others. But beyond cross-examining actual practices and teachings Reeves offers keen insights explaining the strong appeal of these teachings even to well-intentioned, passionate believers.

'River' life is not all it seems to be at the first dip of the big toe. This author has straggled out on the far shore with a wealth of wisdom. I applaud his diligence and courage in presenting his findings for the sake of the Body of Christ. And I commend his book to the reader willing to "test all things" and "hold fast what is good" (I Th.5:21) even when it runs contrary to personal experience and cherished beliefs that just may be in error.

--LS

And now for a wealth of quotes which capture the book's essence…
(Bold lettering is not in original text)

"Many today have gone the way of Esau and for the sake of a fleeting sensuality are in the process of exchanging their incomparable inheritance in Christ for a bellyful of fleshly experiences."(12)

"…but there was an underlying factor, a premise woven throughout the fabric of our church…elitism. We were the fortunate ones, called to walk in the authority that the church was so bereft of in these last days…it was up to us at New Covenant [Church] to demonstrate that God's kingdom power was real and available to every Christian in our town. This prideful mindset was a recipe for disaster…"(18)

"Names like hypocrites, Sanhedrin, and God mockers are merely a sampling of the invective aimed at Christians who are concerned about doctrinal error. Nobody wants to be labeled a Pharisee or heresy hunter. But that is often the penalty for daring to step out and ask for a public, biblical accounting of doctrine and practice." (21)

"A current river is flowing, which many believe to be of God…but overstepping the sanctity of scriptural boundaries, this passage [Ezekiel 47] has been reshaped into the comfortable doctrines of the easy believism and sensual manifestations that mark a massive shift in the church. As believer, we have taken a hairpin turn from the preeminence of the Word of God to a relative, experiential, and terribly apostate faith." (22)

"We examined virtually nothing. We didn’t' need to, remember? We were in church, and only good things happen in church. We held fast, not only to that which we knew to be good, but to that which appeared good. And what seemed good often appealed to our quest for power and wisdom." (59)

"As much as we spoke about personal holiness, power was still a key goal in our congregation. Power to heal, cast out demons…and war against principalities and powers. But that's what happens when people detour from clear biblical teaching to follow what they believe is the Holy Spirit, Who, in truth, always confirms the Scriptures. The voice, impression, leading—whatever—becomes the final arbiter. Scripture is put on the back burner, or made to fit the experience via a set of proof texts." (71)

"While the Bible does refer to an anointing (I Jn.2:27), it has in these days of sensual faith been contorted almost beyond recognition….it has been placed in the realm of something that needs to be reached for, pursued, or worked up in order to be obtained." (80)

"To say,…'the anointing is now present for healing,' or prophecy, or whatever, is to replace the indwelling Spirit with a physical feeling, emotion, or experience, and to separate Him from His ministry….What this kind of thinking promotes is…the idea that we need something more than we already possess as believers in Christ. This is precisely the original temptation in the Garden of Eden….The fact is, if the Holy Spirit resides in us…, then His power is there as well, to enable us to do what He wants us to do. Anything added to what God has already provided is a counterfeit."(83)

"But I have yet to know of anyone, myself included, who, because of being slain experienced a changed life characterized by a love for the truth and a knowledge of God in agreement with the Scriptures. In my experience, the exact opposite has happened. When folks get touched with this kind of power, they routinely become almost unteachable, preferring the experience to the Word of God. I can't relate how many times I've heard, "Well, maybe I can't find it in the Scriptures, but it happened to me, so it's real!"(84)

"Why does God take false prophecy so seriously? Because it always dishonors His name and leads the people to worship a false image rather than the true God." (89)

"In Scripture, the validity of any prophetic office was directly proportional to its exposure of false teaching."(89)

"Without firm adherence to objective truth—the Bible—we have no scale on which to weigh doctrine at all. One man's guess becomes another's rigid belief."(112)

"This is a very common notion these days, that Christians are actually preventing the Second Coming by our refusal to lower doctrinal walls…But tearing down of denominational boundaries straight across the board has been a most successful tactic utilized these days to introduce heretical doctrines into church fellowship. This kind of contrived unity short-circuits honest discussion and refutation."(115)

"If I can't speak about what I believe for fear of offending you and neither can you, and neither of us can break company with the other no matter how false our personal doctrines, then this unity is not what Jesus prayed for."(115)

"Feasting on the fantastic, our appetites were never quite sated. We were always left craving just one more spiritual high brought about by the newest teachings, tales of the miraculous, and face-to-face encounters with God, angels, and demons. No claim was too wild for us to believe. From the prophetic to the power signs, this religious wild goose chase made certain we always had our running shoes on, ever ready to sprint in whichever direction the spiritual wind happened to be blowing at the moment….(Eph.4:14)" (125)

"I mostly spoke of power, not the Gospel that saves men from eternal death. I guess I felt that the average guy on the street wouldn't listen to solid spiritual truth without seeing a demonstration of signs and wonders. Funny, we had forgotten the words of our Lord: "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign." (Mt.12:39) (131)

"Although it is an extremely unpopular message these days, fleshly abandon in the name of the Most High God cannot be sanctified or made contextually holy. ‘Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.’”(Romans 8:7)" (139)

"We can judge without being judgmental. Peripheral issues we can overlook, knowing full well the sole reservoir of truth does not rest with us.

But in the presentation of Christ, there can be no leeway. A false image of the Savior—His character, words or deeds—will lead us away from the truth, and consequently, away from God. And eventually, that is what every fraudulent vision will do—take away from the person of Christ and demand our attention and adherence to its personalized message." (151,2)

"The Bible offers no precedent for gathering a collection of spiritual experiences and allowing them to determine personal or corporate direction for a body of believers. The only volume we have need of has already been given to us, and it has ably resisted the systematic onslaught from the kingdom of darkness for millennia."(152)

"My spiritual legs became heavy from running after every "wind of doctrine" that blew through our ranks. There was never a place of satisfaction, that Sabbath rest spoken of in Hebrews 4. While the anointing we pursued promised to be refreshing, all it did was hone, razor-sharp, the craving for another spiritual high." (200)

"Pitting the Word against the Holy Spirit is the easiest way in the world to get a Christian to believe that he is missing out. Since there are no reference points in Scripture from which to validate these manifestations, visions, dreams, and experiences, the best way to get around the issue is to declare the Bible relatively obsolete, or somehow detached from the Spirit's present leading." (205)

"It is a simple fact that right doctrine cannot be divorced from right practice. To admit to a whole new assembly line of manifestations and what-have-you because of eagerness to enter some new frontier of spirituality is to remove oneself from the only objective measuring rod in the church's possession." (205)

"Given a Christian twist, the foundations of elitism, religious sensuality, ingratiating personal prophecy, and false signs and wonders all made sense at the time, despite the inner promptings that consistently pointed me to the Scriptures that bade me examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good (I Thessalonians 5:21)." (213)

"We have to come to grips with reality. As believers, we have never lacked anything that could give us a deep and satisfying walk with Christ. We have always, since the moment of our salvation, been complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). We have been made partakers of the divine nature through the magnificent promises of God (II Peter 1:3-4), and He is able to make all grace wonderfully abound toward us so that we have all sufficiency in every area of our lives (II Corinthians 9:8). We have the assurance of Scripture." (207)

---------------------------

The Other Side of the River by Kevin Reeves is available from Lighthouse Trails Publishing. Eureka, Montana. www.lighthousetrails.com or via the author's own website: http://theothersideoftheriver.com/index.shtml

[If you’re local, I’d be glad to loan you my copy! –LS]

Song of Redemption—Austin

Song of Redemption
Lynn Austin
#2 in the Chronicles of the Kings series
Bethany House Publ., 2005, 348pp.

This second volume in the Chronicles of the Kings series details Hezekiah's reforms in Judah as he re-establishes Temple worship, rids Judah of idols and leads the people in an extra gala celebration of Passover. Meanwhile the northern kingdom, Israel, is ransacked by Assyria. The fictitious account of an Israelite girl carried off to live with the Assyrian army is woven into the plot. Her parents are among the few Israelites who escape and later attend the Passover feast in Jerusalem in hopes that God will in turn grant their daughter's freedom and return. The dread cruelty and power of the Assyrians are major elements in this volume. Hezekiah's resolve to trust in God despite the Assyrian threat is the underlying tension to the ongoing subplots.

The value of this fictionalized account is in the way it makes actual historical figures and events memorable. The merciless might of the Assyrians, the historic digging of the water tunnel that would supply the Pool of Siloam, and the notable role of Shebna, the King's right-hand-man, are among the key items brought to light here.

I appreciate also the way the author underlines timeless principles of faith through the character's lives and conversations. For instance Hezekiah is counseled: "Your reforms eliminated idolatry; that's only half of it. Worship of Yahweh without heartfelt commitment only leads to empty ritual."… "You're not asking for God's will…you're asking Him to choose one of the plans you've already initiated"… "He had tried to trust in God yet control his own life at the same time…"…. "When we only believe in things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands, it is idolatry." (325,6)

Unfortunately, the historical slice of history depicted in this volume is overly drawn out through unrealistic romantic threads. This romance, though avoiding anything sexually explicit, is not handled from a Biblical viewpoint of what constitutes real love. Austin has fallen for the common error of mistaking infatuation for love and overlays this modern myth on the historically real character of Hilkiah, the priest. He is depicted in the story as being wise, kind and devout so it is incongruous to hear him encouraging his son to recognize his true love for a girl by the physical feelings she evokes in him. This is foolishness and a very disappointing element in the story.

Yes, 'romance' has a strong appeal, among women anyway, and can provide the driving force to carry a ho-hum story along, but with all the real-life suspense of Austin's well researched story, I think she need not have resorted to artificial romance to keep her readers interested. Her romance is not as realistic as her researched story line, and cheapens the book perpetuating the myth that true love is found by following feelings.

--LS

Castles in the Sand--Greene

Castles in the Sand—a novel
Carolyn A. Greene (pseudonym)
Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Silverton,OR
2009, 224pp.

"This 'fiction with a message' takes a compelling and thought-provoking look at the true nature behind contemplative spirituality, which has impacted Christian churches, colleges, seminaries, and universities across the globe." (from back cover)

New spiritual practices, which are not new at all, are being introduced to Christians once content to follow the Bible's teachings for spiritual growth. Drawn from 'the Desert Fathers' and mystical experiences of various Catholic saints and traditions, these practices are gaining acceptance among evangelical Christians as a means to gain a deeper spirituality. Often falling under the classification of "spiritual formation" disciplines, familiar catch-words include: Lectio Divina, Contemplative Prayer, Visualization, Centering, Sacred Space, Kundalini, Labyrinths and The Silence. But what is the actual origin of these practices and do they in fact accord with the Word of God? Is this 'spirituality' a genuinely Christian spirituality? The author issues a strong objection in this well researched but fictionalized composite of real people and places. She builds her case by telling the parallel stories of the historic Teresa de Avila, a revered 16^th century mystic, and Tessa, a modern-day Bible college student who is being taught from Teresa de Avila's writings.

The storyline serves as a sometimes chilling expose of 'spiritual' teaching gone amuck as students are led to empty their minds and so unintentionally make themselves vulnerable to spirits other than the Holy Spirit. Whatever opinions the reader holds regarding these 'historic' practices, this story will at least raise awareness of their origins and growing popularity and serve as a warning of the evil potential of following spiritual practices not firmly rooted in Scripture. A short user-friendly glossary concludes the book providing a good launching off place for further research.

I would recommend this book to anyone who's wondering if they've missed something in not participating in these ancient contemplative practices. This book will provide an excellent introduction to what you may be missing! It is also highly recommended for young adults and their parents as a 'heads up' since these practices are rapidly gaining acceptance in a wide range of evangelical environments.

--LS

P.S. This book is available from the publisher at http://www.lighthousetrails.com or from Amazon.ca/com,
or if you live nearby, I’d be glad to loan my copy!

Gods and Kings—Austin

Gods and Kings
by:Lynn Austin
Bethany House Publ: 2005, 316pp.

Carefully interweaving well-researched facts with imaginative conjecture, Lynn Austin retells the stories of King Ahaz and his son, Hezekiah from Hezekiah's growing up years until his rise to assume the Judean throne. With historical accuracy and a suspenseful story line Austin brings to life the Kingdom of Judah during its decline into idolatry and foreign oppression under Ahaz. Her writing is based on the actual record given in II Kings and II Chronicles, and on the contemporary prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah, using the actual words of Scripture when quoting the prophets. Such details as Hezekiah's mother being the daughter of a priest are expanded to show that likely this priest was the man who mentored Hezekiah so that he did not follow in his father's footsteps.

Idolatry, child-sacrifice, and the politics of both the temple and the king's court are brought to life in this retelling, making the history of this time unforgettable. The reader gets to weather the siege of the Assyrians, face the abominable 'god' Molech, and witness the moral decline of the priesthood and temple service. Austin uses fictionalized conversations to draw subtle parallels between the temptations and compromises faced in these times, with our own.

I would highly recommend Gods and Kings to anyone who prefers fiction reading that teaches as well as entertains. Romance is kept to a minimum here. While offering both suspense and hints of romance the story line thought-provokingly delivers lessons from history about real people serving (or opposing) a living God and reaping the consequences. My only disclaimer would be to ensure that you know what's truth and what's conjecture by reading the Scriptural account for yourself in II Kings16-18 and II Chronicles 26-29. You'll be surprised how names of people you've never noticed before now stand out as real people at a real time in Judah's history!

Gods and Kings is Book One in Lynn Austin's 5-volume "Chronicles of the Kings" series.

--LS

Beautiful Outlaw—Eldredge

Beautiful OUTLAW: Experiencing the playful, disruptive, extravagant personality of Jesus ***
by: John Eldredge
(FaithWords:2011,225pp.)

Pitting the poison of dead religion (and its accomplice—'words on a page') against the delight of experiencing the 'real Jesus', John Eldredge invites the reader to re-discover and fall in love with Jesus. To do so, he elaborates on the human personality traits of Jesus we may have missed—his playfulness, intensity, generosity, honesty, cunning, humility and 'trueness' …. He then gives examples of what loving this very human Jesus will look like and practical suggestions on getting started. Running from anything that 'smacks of religion' is essential, as is being open to experiential 'encounters' with Jesus. The book concludes with an epilogue on the inevitability of suffering in the Christian life and the need to keep clinging to Jesus through it.

There are some things I loved about this book, some that raised warning flags, and at least one area that must be addressed as good-intentioned but in serious error.

I love Eldredge's inclusion of actual portions of Scripture to illustrate the various personality traits of Jesus that he has chosen to emphasize. Eldredge's commentary gives a fresh and convicting realness to these stories of Jesus' ministry and for the most part avoids the pitfall of assuming motives and undisclosed outcomes. I appreciate his evaluation of Jesus as 'cunning' in the way he woos, confronts, delivers, heals, shoots straight and uses intrigue to rescue human hearts and gain their allegiance, rather than resorting to the shortcut of an overwhelming power play to win followers.(103) His final chapter on 'Letting His Life Fill Yours' gets down to the 'how' of obeying, which is requisite to loving Jesus. He clarifies that this is not about trying harder but surrendering self-determination and allowing Jesus' life to accomplish in and through us what only He can. This was one of my favorite chapters!

Eldredge's aim throughout is to stir a fresh expectancy in people for 'encounters' with a living Jesus and to foment a discontent with 'dead religion'. I appreciate his intent but his methodology falls short.

In attempting to warn of the toxins of 'religious fog' he resorts to harshly characterizing people as 'Pharisees', 'churchy', having 'false reverence' and other labels which measure externals without necessarily seeing the heart.

In the process of encouraging people to fall in love with the Jesus they encounter in nature or in random everyday incidents, a reliance on Scripture as the primary communication of God with man is marginalized.

The love that is encouraged looks strangely like infatuation. "I love you for how you make me feel". This may be a starting point but is not the whole deal. Though he mentions that we should not compare or try to duplicate another's experience, the message is clear that to settle for a faith in Jesus not marked by regular subjective experiences and emotional moments is to settle for 'dead religion'.

But hurrah for the brief epilogue that attempts to balance these impressions by warning that even followers of Jesus will suffer at times and must keep clinging to Jesus when the love affair no longer seems rosy. He's onto something here that needs to be injected much earlier in the book—something about the true definition of love as more than  just responding with affection when Jesus makes me feel loved.

What are we to do when the feelings die? When bad things happen and it seems to be God's fault? Having faced this very scenario in praying with a hurting woman, Eldredge counsels that we need to forgive Jesus for letting these things happen to us! He acknowledges it's bad theology, wrong-headed doctrine and an alarmingly heretical concept but it doesn't matter, just so long as we go away feeling the love of Jesus again. In my opinion this kind of response to personal discomfort is a dead give-away that our love is really about us and not Jesus. This is a self-centered infatuation that resists bowing to the sovereignty of God, and will struggle to believe in in His goodness when circumstances make us feel otherwise. At some point the truth that we are sinners bent on rebellion against the God that loves us infinitely, must bring us to repentance and humility, not just a quick emotional fix with the 'guilt' pinned on Jesus. Herein lies the hazard of teaching an experiential relationship based on subjective feelings and human standards apart from objective Biblical truth. It is the most glaring error in Eldredge's book.

The chapter titled: Letting Jesus be Himself is likewise pre-occupied with Jesus as a human personality at the expense of introducing Him as Lord of the Universe. Both aspects must be part of a genuine relationship with this “Beautiful Outlaw”. The fact greatly understated in this book's treatment of Jesus is that this One we are invited to know as He is, is not merely a ‘beautiful outlaw’ but the King of Kings--both beautiful and sovereign! To replace dead religion with anything else is to trade one self-made religion for another.

--LS

A Bear on Broadway—Hest/Savadier

I’ve never reviewed a picture book before but this one begs to be known, and a select set of others are in the wings waiting for their turn.  So, from a Grandmom’s perspective here are my thoughts about:

When you Meet a Bear ON BROADWAY
by: Amy Hest
Pictures by: Elivia Savadier
NY:Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009, 40pp.

I will be honest.  I have taken to scanning the shelves of the picture book section in the library primarily as a source for whimsical watercolor pictures to use as drawing lessons.  A book’s actual written content is only of secondary importance as I’m also always on the lookout for wonderful new picture books for my grandbabies! To be truly wonderful, a picture book must have not only eye-catching illustrations but the text must hold its own charm apart from pictures.  Well, this book has it all! It’s definitely going on my Grandma Wish List. 

The fine pen and ink line drawings depict a city-scape with just the right amount of intriguing detail.  The pale watercolor wash of the opening scene is accented by the deep tawny tones of a wee lost bear at one end of the sidewalk and a wispy-haired girl in bright blue coat and red and orange striped socks strolling toward him at the other end!  You can’t miss the main characters. 

Then there’s the opening line: “When you meet a bear on Broadway, this is what to do.  Suck in your breath. Stick out your hand.  And say, ‘Stop there, Little Bear!’  And he will.  Stop. Immediately. (To your great relief.)”  And you’re hooked!  The writing stands alone.  And the reader is drawn into a re-assuring tale that lost mothers can be found, but first you must ‘Hush-a-bit…So we can think.’  Both words and illustrations are lively, whimsical, quaint and irresistible from start to finish.  This one’s a keeper!  I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by this author and illustrator duo! 

But for now, I’ll “…say goodbye.  (Politely.) And wave.  Until they are dots.”

--LS

By Faith, Not by Sight--MacIntyre

By Faith, Not by Sight
Scott MacIntyre with Jennifer Schuchmann
(Thomas Nelson, 2012, 271pp)

The Inspirational Story of a Blind Prodigy, a Life-Threatening Illness, & an Unexpected Gift

***

Scott MacIntyre is a budding young musician in the process of gaining a name for himself in the pop Christian music industry. As a part of that agenda, this book is his candid first-person account at 27 years of age of what it's been like so far. Born all but blind into a musical family, he discovered the piano as a toddler, was found to have perfect pitch and was enrolled in lessons early on. As a homeschooler, he excelled academically and began university at the age of 14, winning a scholarship to study music in a prestigious London college. As an accomplished classical pianist he switched to songwriting and pop music-- his first love. This would seem remarkable enough for a nearly blind person without the added challenge of kidney failure in the midst of pursuing his dreams. His story becomes a saga interweaving the challenges of blindness, the trials of dialysis and getting a kidney transplant, and the relentless pursuit of a reputation as a singer/songwriter. Throughout each of these he demonstrates a strong and practical faith in a personal God who is 'for him'.

Scott's book is an education on 'seeing life' from a blind person's vantage point. It illustrates the trials of kidney disease. And it portrays close-up the high intensity life of a touring singer/songwriter. It underlines the necessity of having good teachers and mentors and others willing to make sacrifices along the way to insure one's success. But the real hero of the book stands in the wings. Scott's mom was the wind in his sails and the hero who gave her life energies for his success from the very beginning. His brother and blind sister and father also lived sacrificially for his success. His is a story of the importance of family to an individual's fulfilling their dreams.

Although I enjoyed the personal interest and faith aspects of his story and the way it opened up the world of musicians, the blind and those with kidney disease, I confess I found the emphasis on competition and fame tiring. An inside look at the fierce competitive world of the American Idol industry and Scott's own climb to 'fame' takes up ten of the final chapters of the book. While an American Idol "wanna-be" or other devotees to this world of rising stardom would perhaps find his detailed account of interest, it came across as an egotistical attempt to 'sell himself' to new fans. In light of his youth, the book could have been considerably shortened from its 271 pages. It closes with his marriage, which is really only the beginning of a lifetime of challenges.

--LS

[A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the BookSneeze Blogger’s program in exchange for an honest review]

Face to Face with God—Johnson

Face to Face with God
by Bill Johnson
Charisma House:2007, 227pp.

When I first picked up his book a couple years ago I knew nothing of Bill Johnson. I intended to preview Face to Face with God for our church library. The cover is beautiful. The tagline enticing: “The ultimate quest to experience His Presence”. Ever on the lookout for books that encourage the believer to grow in his knowledge of God, this one seemed promising.

Then I read the first chapter. In it Johnson defends his personal quest for ‘deep encounters with God’. He illustrates by describing his own electrifying experience of being wakened in the night with ‘power surges’ running through his limbs such that he had no control over them. No voices. No visions. Just a sense that this was God’s response to his prayer for ‘more of Him, at any cost’. He interpreted this experience (which returned for consecutive nights) as being ‘actually a face-to-face encounter with God’ and sensed God offering him ‘an increased manifestation of his presence in exchange for [his] dignity.’ (11)

This experience came as the culmination of Johnson’s travels in quest of more ‘power and anointing in his life’ to many cities where God seemed to be working in unusual ways. He went on from this experience to assume the pastorate of Bethel Church in Redding, California and precipitate a dramatic church split with no qualms of regret or questioning of God. A thousand congregants exited as ‘revival’ commenced. Johnson’s dreams and visions made God’s will and favor ‘too obvious to miss’. The year was 1996, the beginning of the Johnson era which is now percolating throughout the world via iBethel TV and ‘School of the Supernatural’ training courses, to even such remote locations as mine. Because of the ongoing attention given to this controversial figure I have dusted off my copy of the book and re-attempted to read beyond the first offsetting chapter in order to write a review.  Unfortunately,  Chapter One’s disconcerting emphasis on subjective experiential reality as the evidence of God’s favor and also the means of personal transformation continues throughout.

Topics covered include:

--God’s favor—how to get it, increase it, and pass it on;

--God’s manifest presence and how to position ourselves to experience it and even ‘attract’ it;

--Jesus, our perfect role model;

--Classic encounters with God—the testimonies of such as Evan Roberts, John G. Lake, Finney, Wigglesworth, T.L. Osborn and the apostle, Paul;

--Healing, as included in the atonement;

--The Joy of the Lord (and holy laughter);

--Reflecting the Glory of God

But the overriding theme of the book is the necessity to “lock into [God’s] manifest presence and live for nothing else”(60), an emphasis that calls into question whether we as believers are really called to live by faith or by tangible experiences? Is experiencing God’s ‘manifest presence’ in this lifetime truly our primary calling? There seems to be confusion over what a growing relationship with God is expected to look like, and an unhealthy emphasis on pursuing subjective encounters with God as the primary means to growth.

In handling his themes Johnson’s matter-of-fact writing style often gives flawed logic and rhetoric the place of sound exegesis of Scripture. Conjecture comes across as established fact. Biblically based objections are brushed aside as irrelevant. These factors make his book an unlikely read for the serious Bible student, while offering a potentially toxic mix to the undiscerning—toxic in its intolerant sectarian bent. Johnson’s inaccurate representation and even mockery of orthodox theological points-of-view that differ from his own is unfortunate. His use of snide aphorisms undermines his ability to communicate effectively with those who oppose him. For example: “Two thousand years ago all sickness was from the devil and healing was from God; today people teach that sickness is from God and those who pursue a healing ministry are from the devil (or out of balance, at best.)”(105) Confusing divisive misstatements such as these and the fluid mixture of truth and error on any given page make this a book I cannot recommend despite the scattered bits of wise insight.

However, it would be inaccurately disparaging to imply that Johnson’s entire book is about experiences, or that none of it is based on objective truth. To the contrary, Johnson does cite Scripture throughout and makes many valid points. For instance, he underlines the importance of such things as: seeking God’s approval rather than man’s, knowing God experientially--not just intellectually, and understanding and extending to the world God’s compassionate nature. Johnson is passionate about seeing the power and love of God transform lives.

Where he errs is in extrapolating from a verse or Scriptural illustration with the use of logic (often flawed) to reach a predetermined conclusion, rather than comparing Scripture with Scripture and confirming his suppositions from a careful exegesis of the whole counsel of God. His self-assured style of writing (similar to his speaking) gives an impression of absolute truth where in fact he is speaking from supposition, conjecture or opinion. His narrowly defined usage of terms like ‘the favor of God’, the ‘manifest presence’ and ‘passion’ give a subjective fogginess to his teaching.

Bill Johnson writing is reactionary. Herein lies his greatest vulnerability. He has obviously had many critics and refers repeatedly and disparagingly to ‘some people…’ In his frustration with anything that smacks of powerless religion (59) (or lacks external displays of the supernatural), Johnson voices a strong bias against theologians, Bible teachers, and those well versed and trained in Bible study, likening them to the Pharisees who alone received Jesus harsh judgment. “The ones most trained in Scripture were the ones who didn’t recognize Him for who He was” and claiming it is those aware of personal need that will be enabled to “recognize that which God is doing in the earth.” (112) Johnson sharply condemns ‘self-appointed watchdogs’ who are ‘slandering some of God’s best friends’ (those with ‘signs’ accompanying their ministry). He faults those who want to be ‘doctrinally safe’ at the expense of ‘relationally safe’ and foresees a desirable move away from churches centered around good doctrine (denominationalism) to those gathered around ‘fathers’ (those exhibiting power). In separating power from sound doctrine in this way and calling criticism ‘slander’, Johnson cuts himself off from the part of the Body he most needs in order to grow soundly in Christ. He opens up himself and his followers to the likelihood of serious deception.

Ironically, it is Johnson’s unbalanced emphasis on the earthly ministry years of Christ, to the exclusion of the whole counsel of Scripture, that lead him into some of the most serious doctrinal errors. He teaches that Christ laid aside His deity and became entirely human as a role model for believers of all time to follow. This is the kenosis heresy that was battled in the early church. It is a subtle deception that leads to the assumption that Jesus’ life was primarily about being a role model and that whatever He did, every believer has a mandate to do also. As Johnson states: “Jesus Christ is perfect theology….He is the will of God.”(184) We need not pray “If it be Thy will” as though it were unclear. If we see it in the life of Christ it is God’s will for us today. If not,then it is not God’s will. Johnson specifically cites Jesus’ commissioning of the twelve to: ‘heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and cleanse lepers’ (Mt.10:8) as the job description of all believers—the ‘overflow of the face of God encounter’(107) What he neglects to emphasize is that the gospel is about Jesus’ death and resurrection. His miracles were specific evidence that He is indeed the Son of God (Jn.20:31), and are Biblically cited as evidence of His deity (Jn.10:38). Furthermore, God’s will for believers differs from one to another believer. We do not all have the same calling or gifting, nor will each individual relationship with the Father be accompanied by overt supernatural encounters with Him.

I submit to you this review in sincere intent to fulfill my part in the Body of Christ—to promote truth and point out error, for all our sakes.  I close with some of Bill Johnson’s own sayings for your consideration. With which do you agree? Can you find Biblical support? Which contain logical fallacies?

-----------------------

“There’s no clearer way (to Christlikeness) than through personal encounters with Him.”(70)

“…our commission [is] to imitate Christ in destroying the works of the devil and performing signs and wonders.”(30)

“Most of what we need in life will be brought to us, but most of what we want we’ll have to go and get.” (107)

“Today it is accepted for leaders to teach that God brings calamity because He knows it will draw us nearer to him. If that line of thought were true, then mental hospitals and cancer wards would be glowing with God’s manifest presence as all their patients would have drawn near to God and been transformed into the likeness of Jesus.”(104)

“One of the most important features of the gospel message is that the nature of the Father is perfectly seen in Jesus Christ.”(106)

“What was the nature of God that Christ reveals?”(102)

“If we don’t know how to receive [honor] correctly, we will have no crown to throw at His feet.”(205)

“We tend to manifest his likeness in equal measure to how deep our encounters have been.”(219)

“Powerlessness demands an explanation or a solution. Blaming God seems to be easier than it is to take responsibility and pursue an encounter with Him that changes our capabilities in ministry.” (105)

“The absence of the supernatural is intolerable.”(84) “It’s never ok to live short of the miraculous… We owe Him (Jesus) miracles as a testimony that He is alive and that His face is turned toward us.”(189)

“Full repentance and transformation can only take place through real encounters with God—through actual experiences with His power and grace.”(72)

“God is in a good mood.” (194)

--------------------------------------------

Until we ‘attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood’…

--LS