The Gardener—Stewart/Small

Winsome story, delightful--colored pencil(?) and ink-- pictures.  A young girl blooms where she’s planted in hard times, taking her love of growing things to the city where she is displaced for a while during the Depression.  She uses her passion to transform the world around her, leaving it a brighter, more hopeful place.  Don’t miss this author/artist duo!  Who knows what ambitions such a story will plant in a young hearer’s heart?

--LS

Enjoy the narrated version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of5gK-9sOL4

The God I Love—Tada

The God I Love: A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus—A Memoir
by Joni Eareckson Tada
Zondervan, 2003, 357pp.

                  *****
I was delighted to discover this updated autobiography of Joni for a couple of reasons. First, I remember enjoying her original book, JONI years ago (1976) when it came out. Secondly, I was eager to read her story again because recently I've bumped into very strong antagonism toward her testimony. Having myself admired her strong faith in the face of quadriplegia I was surprised to hear her accused of undermining the faith of those with similar conditions. It seems that her outspoken testimony to God's grace in the midst of suffering has been construed to be a stumbling stone to faith for healing in those who are touched by her ministry. In other words, since she didn't experience healing, it would have been better for her to have kept silent than to create a ministry to disabled persons! Really?! What has happened to a well-reasoned, Biblical doctrine of suffering as part of the Christian life?

Anyway, with that background in mind I read with especial interest this new memoir of Joni's, curious as to her thoughts on healing. Had she sought it for herself? And how did she come to terms with not being healed? Her beautifully woven story lingers long on her happy childhood prior to the accident, painting idyllic pictures of family camping trips, hymn sings around the campfire, and of her father's memorable storytelling. It describes an athletic, even daredevil, Joni who rode and showed horses, swam, and ran competitively and loved to play piano and draw. But it also tells with candid humility and perceptiveness of her inner longings and struggles growing up, of finding a tangible relationship with God and of the disconcerting reality of having a rebellious bent still.

Then at age 17, a daring dive left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. She doesn't belabor the gritty details of her recovery nor does she hide the dark depressing moments. But having the perspective of time and maturity she is able to look back and highlight the poignant moments when God came near in one way or another. It is a beautiful story of being drawn from bitterness to acceptance and then beyond to actually seeing her 'accident' as a blessing in disguise. (And yes, I should insert, she did seek healing, even attending a Kathryn Kuhlman crusade, and she did grapple with a Biblical understanding of healing, but it is almost an aside to her story). This volume extends her earlier story to describe how God took her, wheelchair and all, and gave her incredible opportunities to share Him with the world, including the founding of Joni and Friends, a ministry focused on bringing the Gospel tangibly to those who suffer with disabilities.

But this is no dry recounting of some vague 'ministry years'. Joni's love of life exudes from its pages. She came to see her wheelchair as her ticket to adventure because of all the opportunities it gave her. I love this memoir for its personal and candid tone. Joni never speaks from a pedestal of easy victory, but takes the reader through her own thoughts and struggles as she processes the deaths of each of her parents, and months and years of physical pain (no, paralysis doesn't imply life will be pain-free). She shares her delights too, among them marriage, but most of all finding that yes, God has given her the real desire of her heart—He has given her Himself. Her wise and joyful memoir is a rare treasure in our times, when blessings are often equated with physical comfort and well-being. It is a testimony to the reality that God often permits things he hates in order to bring about something more important that He really loves. Joni's conclusion: "…yes—There are more important things in life than walking."

I highly recommend The God I Love to anyone grappling with disappointment, pain, or 'unanswered' prayer, or just desiring to perceive God's love in a greater way. It will point you to the God who may not rescue us from our circumstances in the way we had hoped but whose love will ultimately prove far greater than we could have imagined!

--LS

May God strengthen our hearts to know this love, that we "may be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph.3:18,19

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

And here's a sampling of Joni's thoughts…

"Even paralyzed people can walk with the Lord." p221

"The truth was, I knew I would always struggle—I would always feel weak and needy of God. and that was okay. It was supposed to be that way. I was supposed to be dependent on him." p225

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." Phil.1:21

"Each mile I put between the past and the future in your hand, I learn more of your providence and I find out who I am." p240

"Our eyes met, and --it was amazing—from that point, everything changed. How I looked no longer mattered. No longer did I feel ugly or unworthy. The love in Ken's eyes washed it all away. I was the pure and perfect bride—his bride. That's what he saw, and that's what changed me." p252

"One day…all the stains of earthly life will be purified away, just by one look from God's eyes. We'll be transformed forever by his gaze upon us…It will be more than I ever dreamed of, more than I ever longed for." p253

"[God] permits what he hates so that his power can show up in people like you and me." p263

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

                         *****

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)

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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