( G ) Books

The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's So Good About the Good News?

Peter J. Gomes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not For the Fainthearted Christian...What's More Important? "Worshiping" Jesus or Living the Life Jesus Said to Live? 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Orthodox believers, the strictly Orthodox, don't need to go here. Or maybe you should--if you are willing to think--to do what the Bible said do, "Worship the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, MIND, and strength.

For those who want to think and aren't afraid to delve into new areas of thought in an effort to make the faith come alive, truly alive, this is a good book, a very good book. But for those who want to read more of what they already believe, for those who want to stay in the cocoon of their faith, never asking or considering the tough questions, this is not the book for you. For Job, yes; for you, no.

The premise of this book is simply this: Is the church--Christians of today--"worshiping" Jesus to the point that they ignore or forget His message, what He said do, the lives He said to lead?

Most likely Christians of today really don't want to hear what Jesus said, they would prefer to worship him as Christ and Lord without letting him really be Christ and Lord. For many Christians--I hope not most--the message of Jesus would be as scandalous today as it was when he first spoke it. It caused him to be put to death before and it would cause many church people, good, well meaning church people, to want to put him to death again today. The church might well lead the charge for his second death as the church led the charge for his first death...

It is a lot easier and a lot more comfortable to worship Jesus on a pedestal as "Christ and Lord" than it is to hear his message and lead the lives He said live.

It brings to mind words from an old country gospel song, "Sorry, I never knew you..." Most Christians "know" who Jesus is, but they don't want to really know him. It would be too difficult on their lives of comfort and ease..." It would be scandalous...

Perhaps we should remember what Jesus said about being "lukewarm...."

Editorial Review:

How the Church Domesticated Jesus

With his unique blend of eloquence and insight, the esteemed Harvard minister Peter J. Gomes invites us to hear anew the radical nature of Jesus' message of hope and change. Using examples from ancient times as well as from modern pop culture, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus shows us why the good news is every bit as relevant today as when it was first preached.

The Journey : Living by Faith in an Uncertain World

Billy Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Very Happy 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I was very happy with my selection of the "Journey" and very pleased with the good service I received on the delivery. We are using the book as a guide in a Women's Bible Study at our church and are currently in the 4th Chapter, as we discontinued our study for the Christmas holiday and will resume on Jan. 8, 2008.

Editorial Review:

Chapter by chapter, Graham leads us on a journey in faith. We learn about God and his purpose for our lives; who Jesus is and what he has done for us. We learn to deal with challenges along the way: temptation; wrong thoughts and motives; habits that destroy our spirit, and what to do when life turns against us. And we are given practical advice on the Bible, prayer, knowing God's will, making right decisions, finding fellowship, strengthening our marriages, being wise parents, and using our gifts to share Christ with others.

With insight that only comes from a life spent with God, The Journey is filled with wisdom, encouragement, hope, and inspriration for anyone who wants to live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Angels

Billy Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Everything you need to know about Angels 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not ordinarily a Billy Graham reader, but in searching for information about Angels, this book kept coming up. I wanted FACTS not assumptions. I found them here.

I was comforted by the knowledge that I gained from this book. He points out Biblical facts in ways that I never looked at them before. A lot of the angel information is skimmed over, but he has really disected it and presents it in a layperson way.

I originally bought this book as a gift for a friend, but ended up purchasing an additional one for myself to have around the house in time of need.

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is probably the best book I have ever read about Angels. I strongly recommend everyone to read this book.

The book contains 15 chapters about Angels! These are not 15 chapters about Graham's thoughts on Angels, they are 15 chapters about what the Bible says about Angels. Graham adds stories and illustrations from his life and ministry to further demonstrate his point.

The book evaluates and answers questions such as:

Are they visible or invisible?
How are they different from people?
What do they do?
Are they for real?
Are they still around today?

While I cannot say for certain if I have ever seen an Angel, I believe in them because of the same reason Graham does. "I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God." (page 27)

Another interesting chapter was #13: Angels and Death. Believers in Christ do not need to fear death, however, it is natural for man to be afraid of the unknown. I think it is fair to say most people are a little nervous or apprehensive about death. It is comforting to know that Angels will be there to escort me to Heaven after my final breath. Those Angels that have been with me my entire life, will be there to take me to the Creator. That indeed is comforting to know.

I found this book very interesting and easy to read. This is the type of book that once you start reading, it is difficult to put down. However, you really should pause after each chapter to reflect on what Graham wrote.

Again, I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Editorial Review:

Relating his personal experiences, Graham helps to call a world in crisis to faith.

The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

Os Guinness

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Call -- time to answer -- well worth it 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have been reading "The Call" by Os Guinness; a 26 day devotional has taken me from Saturday, August 19, 2006 to Tuesday, November 20, 2008 to finish. I know it should have never taken me so long to read and yet it is a very thought provoking and challenging book.
The main point and question of this book is this... "Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life." In which in a nut shell living for Christ and serving him in whichever way he has called you to do. There is no division of the secular and spiritual work load here. As we see on this book, the spiritual work can be secular and the secular work can be spiritual - it all depends on why and for whom or to whom we are doing the work.
So many times throughout this book you must stop and grapple with what is written. This is not your normal daily devotional by which I mean it will cause you to question a lot of preconceived ideas and beliefs. You might just find your calling is not what you thought it was or what you wanted it to be.
I know a lot of people love the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren and it has helped a lot of people throughout the years. But if I was to choose between these two books I would have to choose Os Guinness' "The Call" hands down. In my humble opinion "The Call" is a more challenging call to discipleship and look at what the Christian life and what is meant by the "Call of Jesus" than the "Purpose Driven Life" even comes close to.
In closing the question stands... how are you to run the race well - if you don't know to which race you have been called to race? How are you to finish well - without the proper practice and training? This book will help you find you call and to help you follow His call - the call of Jesus.

Editorial Review:

The Call continues to stand as a classic, reflective work on life's purpose. Best-selling author Os Guinness goes beyond our surface understanding of God's call and addresses the fact that God has a specific calling for our individual lives.

Why am I here? What is God's call in my life? How do I fit God's call with my own individuality? How should God's calling affect my career, my plans for the future, my concepts of success? Guinness now helps the reader discover answers to these questions, and more, through a corresponding workbook - perfect for individual or group study.

According to Guinness, No idea short of God's call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose and fulfillment. With tens of thousands of readers to date, The Call is for all who desire a purposeful, intentional life of faith.

Also availbale in audio format, narrated by Os Guinness.

The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Always providing further insight 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This 1902 publication still takes pride of place as a landmark study and remains one of the most influential books ever on psychology and spirituality. The style is accessible and engaging, consistently interesting with well-reasoned arguments. Religions are not compared; the study is restricted to the experiences of the individual.

James considers the feelings, actions and experiences of people insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consider the Divine. It has nothing to do with churches, doctrine or dogma, concerning itself only with the religious experiences of everyday life.

He emphasizes the passionate aspect of religion and its power of adding enchantment to life. Dealing objectively with a wide spectrum of observed and personally related religious experiences, James also quotes from the autobiographical writings of famous authors, theologians and mystics from many traditions including Whitman, Luther, Voltaire, Emerson, Tolstoy and many others.

The terrain of study is clearly identified and circumscribed. Chapter titles include Religion & Neurology, the Reality of the Unseen, the Religion of Healthy-Mindedness, the Sick Soul, the Divided Self & the Process of Unification, Conversion, Saintliness, Mysticism and Philosophy.

In his own words: "Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct, and the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or thought. When we survey the whole field of religion, we find a great variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there; but the feelings on the one hand and the conduct on the other are almost always the same, for Stoic, Christian and Buddhist saints are practically indistinguishable in their lives. The theories which religion generates, being thus variable, are secondary. If you wish to grasp its essence, you must look to the feelings and the conduct as being the more constant elements."

This book offers a treasure trove of insights, revelation, wisdom and points to ponder that contributes substantially to the reader's understanding of consciousness, psychological processes, mystic states, thought & emotion, and the relationship to the Eternal Divine.

Although it is not a difficult text to grasp, patience is called for since every sentence is loaded with so many layers of meaning that one often has to reread a previous paragraph in order to fully comprehend and properly process the insights and information. A mindful, meditative study of the text will richly reward the reader.

Other works on religion and/or spirituality that I have found illuminating, inspiring or thought-provoking are Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning & The Creative Process in the Individual by Thomas Troward, Religion in the Making by Alfred North Whitehead, The Hidden Power of the Bible by Ernest Holmes, Alter Your Life by Emmet Fox, Cracking the Bible Code by Jeffrey Satinover, The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz and One Cosmos Under God by Robert Godwin.

Editorial Review:

One of America's greatest philosophers, William James was "original, exciting, and cosmopolitan...a major philosophical planet who...drew all...other pragmatic luminaries into his powerful field" (Morton Hunt). In this still timely classic, James examines the range of religious phenomena: conversion, repentance, mysticism, saintliness, the hopes of reward and the fears of punishment.

Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham

Billy Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Life of the greatest evangelist since St. Paul 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Unless Billy did a fantastic job in hiding all of the difficult and trying times of his life (as I suspect in the case of his troubled relationship with his son Franklin), WHAT A LIFE this man had!!! Who would not want to have what he had: travels; meetings with the rich, the famous, the wise; success; financial stability; a loving wife; great kids; and most of all, the honor and privilege to lead millions to Christ. Can you imagine the party they'll throw in heaven when he gets there? However, the book was very mediocre in my view. Very seldom the author opened his heart and expressed his true feelings...Lots of anecdotes, details, insignificant (to the reader) stuff; it was not a total waste of time, because you always get the feeling that this man loves his Lord and truly wants to serve Him. Not much to say against that...I just wish he could have made deeper remarks about people and events in general.

Editorial Review:

Hailed as "the world's preacher," Billy Graham has enjoyed a career that has spanned six decades and his ministry of faith has touched the hearts and souls of millions.

In Just As I Am Graham reveals his life story in what the Chicago Tribune calls "a disarmingly honest autobiography." Now, in this revised and updated edition, we hear from this "lion in winter" (Time) on his role over the past ten years as America's pastor during our national crisis of the Oklahoma bombing and 9/11; his knighthood; his passing of the torch to his son, Franklin, to head the organization that bears his name; and his commitment to do the Lord's work in the years of his and his wife Ruth's physical decline.

One Wintry Night

Ruth Bell, Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful illustrations & story tell the meaning of Christmas 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a great Christmas read that gives an overview of the gospel, from creation to Christ's resurrection. A boy is injured and must seek refuge with an older widow during a snowstorm. As he recuperates and waits for the storm to settle down, she tells him the story of man's fall and redemption through Christ Jesus.

This book does a good job of sticking to the true facts of the Bible without a lot of added fluff. I've read this aloud to my children a couple of times. It takes us a few sittings as it is fairly lengthy but it keeps them engaged.

The best part of the book is the illustrations. They are gorgeous! These are some of the most believable Biblical portrayals I have seen - not the stylized Italian sort or the comical characters which abound in Christian books for children. For instance, Adam and Eve are not lily white but look as if they could truly be the father and mother of us all. The portrait of Goliath is my favorite as he looks like a giant warrior might. His thighs are massive! And David is a young man, not a child, as Scripture would suppport.

I would only take issue with the picture of the angel guarding the garden of Eden. First, according to Genesis, there are angels (plural) placed at the gate. Secondly, although the American Indian woman is lovely, angels are only described as men and never as women in the Bible. Moreover, they always seem to invite dread (first words from angels are typically, "Don't be afraid") so I think a pretty angel lady is somewhat unlikely.

I highly recommend this book as a lavish picture book to be read at Christmas, or any time of the year. It helps children understand why the birth of Christ matters to them.

Editorial Review:

A classic Christmas picture book, One Wintry Night tells the story of a mountain boy who is injured in a snowstorm and seeks refuge in a cabin. While he waits out the storm, the woman who lives there tells him the Christmas story. Starting with the very creation of the world and ending with the resurrection, the boy discovers the big picture of God's plan for his people and situates the nativity within the scope of history. Breathtakingly illustrated by renowned artist and author Richard Jesse Watson, One Wintry Night is the perfect gift for the young and the young-at-heart.

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait

Ruth Bell, Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A great encouraging book to give away. 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I have had this book in my library for years and it is a great source of encouragment. Mrs. Graham's insightful way of sharing her heart with others fans the flame of hope. This "my" book to give to other whose children are "in the far country."

Editorial Review:

Ruth Bell Graham knew about prodigals--two of her five children were spiritual wanderers. This is not a "how to" book that dispenses easy advice on ways to win back a prodigal. Instead, it is a collection of readings one woman turned to for comfort when her children wandered from God. It shows how Graham's faith persevered and grew regardless of the outcome of her prodigals' stories. Part One introduces readers to five prodigals who "returned to the father." Part Two offers comfort and encouragement through Scripture, poems, hymns, prayers, and more. Readers will be touched by the honest feelings of pain, frustration, and uncertainty Graham expresses so eloquently. And they will share in the lessons she learned about God's sovereignty and ultimate peace. Now beautifully repackaged, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them brings peace and hope to all parents of "wayward" children.

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait

Ruth Bell, Graham

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Baker Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $7.75

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A great encouraging book to give away. 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I have had this book in my library for years and it is a great source of encouragment. Mrs. Graham's insightful way of sharing her heart with others fans the flame of hope. This "my" book to give to other whose children are "in the far country."

Editorial Review:

Ruth Bell Graham knew about prodigals--two of her five children were spiritual wanderers. This is not a "how to" book that dispenses easy advice on ways to win back a prodigal. Instead, it is a collection of readings one woman turned to for comfort when her children wandered from God. It shows how Graham's faith persevered and grew regardless of the outcome of her prodigals' stories. Part One introduces readers to five prodigals who "returned to the father." Part Two offers comfort and encouragement through Scripture, poems, hymns, prayers, and more. Readers will be touched by the honest feelings of pain, frustration, and uncertainty Graham expresses so eloquently. And they will share in the lessons she learned about God's sovereignty and ultimate peace. Now beautifully repackaged, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them brings peace and hope to all parents of "wayward" children.