Jesus and the Jewish Festivals by Gary Burge

Gary Burge knows how to write biblical, historical help books for Americans: quick and easy with lots of glossy pictures.

With Jesus and the Jewish Festivals, Burge highlights how Jesus interacted with the many celebrations in his time and how he used those images and ideas to further his case to be Messiah.

This is the thickest Ancient Context. Ancient Faith book I've read by Burge. There is alot of information in this book. It is perfect for pastoral aids, and small group study.

Burge first explains how hard it would be for Americans to describe some of our "lesser" holidays to people of other countries where we take some things for granted. He then pivots into how ancient Jews used imagery and symbols in different ways.

We explore The Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles, Hanukkah and finally Jesus' final Passover. Each chapter explains how they were originally celebrated and how Jesus hijacked the festival for his own use.

The final chapter explores how the early Christians tried to incorporate the Jewish festivals with their own celebrations.

This book, like his earlier work, opens the possibility and understanding of Ancient Israel for modern times. You'll look at Scripture's familiar stories with fresh eyes. It will get you excited to read your Bible!

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

Could there be biblical prophecy directly connected to 9/11 and the American collapse?

Jonathan Cahn believes so and he wrote a book explaining his beliefs. The Harbinger is a fictional tale of a mysterious man explaining how Isaiah 9 is prophecy connected to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the American response and the collapse of the American and global economy.

Most of the book is in dialogue form. The narrator and this mysterious fellow have a continuous back-and-forth in their talking that really gets tedious by the third chapter. Cahn uses circular reasoning and a type of back-tracking speech to come across as mysterious and offering clues. It simply becomes frustrating. I found myself mentally screaming, "Get on with it already!"

Supposedly there are nine harbingers for The United States as there were for Israel all stemming from Isaiah chapter 9. Each harbinger leads to the next if the people of The United States refuse to return to God.

This book is part The Shack and part National Treasure. Some of the explaining of prophecy is intriguing and how they are connected to actual events are bizarre to say the least. I'm not sure how far I would claim that Scripture from Isaiah was actually for America, but this does create some mild thinking moments for readers.

I was especially surprised with the explanation of the Sabbath year and how the timing worked out between 9/11 and the collapse of the American financial sector. That part of the book alone was worth the quick read.

I don't think this book will be as popular as The Shack but the message is valid.

Brink of Chaos by Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall

Book three of The End series continues the political thriller/international adventure stories of Joshua Jordan and his family.

Joshua has been in Israel for a self-imposed exile. He's a wanted man in The United States. His wife, Abigail,  leads the secret militia-type group in his absence as well as seeking to prove his innocence in the courts.

The world is moving towards one-world government and one-world religion as many nations sign on to a U.N. plan for peace. Meanwhile, there is a presidential election coming up in The US. Current President Tulrude is running for reelection while boasting of her attempts to unify her country with the rest of the world. Her opponent is everything the Religious Right want in a man. He's promoted as the perfect retort of President Tulrude's liberal agenda.

Fans of LaHaye and End Times fiction will eat this up. There are plenty of thrilling action sequences, political maneuvering, twists and turns to keep any religious reader up through the night.

Those who aren't fans of LaHaye will dismiss this as just another attempt to make money off a popular idea.

Craig Parshall does an admirable job with this book. It reads like the Left Behind books in that the characters tend to be one-dimensional but this helps move the plot along at a fairly quick pace. The twist probably won't surprise many people as I'm not sure it was intended to be a huge surprise twist.

Like the Left Behind books, these men take hefty swings against the UN, Liberal Americans and promote a heavy dose of military, patriotic Americanism as side-by-side with Christianity.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.


Below is a brief interview I had with author Craig Parshall

1) With the Left Behind and Babylon Rising series, what sets this series apart? What was the rationale for another End Times series? 

In “The End” series that Tim and I are writing, there is a concerted effort to fold breaking current events and trends in technology, geopolitics, religion and culture into the novel. In fact, Biblically significant events are happening so fast that we occasionally have to rewrite some of our fiction scenarios in light of the headlines in the news as it catches up with our “futuristic” fiction! Also, since the time of those two prior End Times series, a great deal has been happening which has prophetic implications – the tumult in all of the Middle East Arab states; Iran’s nuclear ambitions which create an existential threat against Israel; the explosion of a global communications connectedness through “new media” goliaths like Facebook, Twitter, Google and Apple’s iPhone and at the same time U.N.’s attempt to take over the governance of the entire Internet; a global economic distress and the shocking downgrade (the first in history) of America’s credit standing; American political policy that has made historic concessions to the international community and a Supreme Court that has begun to absorb international law into its decisions, just to name a few.

2) What is the takeaway you hope readers receive from Brink of Chaos? 

For those who have not yet seriously considered the New Testament claims about Jesus Christ and His imminent coming, our hope is that these books will nudge them closer to that kind of examination. For those who are already following Christ, we hope that our fiction series will help them to understand how the events in the world can be viewed through the prophetic lens of God’s Word. And for everyone, we hope they will have an exciting read, and an appreciation that in uncertain times there really are only two alternatives for living – either by faith or in fear.

3) How do you think the end of the world will occur? 

In perfect symmetry with God’s timetable, in accord with the outline of prophetic events He has given us in Scripture, and yet probably still in ways that will surprise us. All of us, even those that have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are guided by the Bible, still view things, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, “through a glass darkly …” 

4) How is the writing process divided up between the two of you? 

In writing this series I have the privilege of working with Tim LaHaye, one of the great authorities on Biblical prophecy. He is also a very gracious partner in this writing process, and while I have the task of doing the fiction writing and he provides me with the prophetic overview of events that will be folded in each book, he gives me a very free hand in the creative process. That said, he also has come up with some terrific fiction ideas that have found their way into our stories.

5) I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the political characters of the novel and real life. You have the ultra-liberal President saying "I inherited this mess" and a political Opponent/Presidential candidate described as "Tulrude lite" as in the two are basically the same. Was it intentional to have these two mirror President Obama and Governor Romney?  

The futuristic picture of America in Brink of Chaos portrays a nation on the brink of economic collapse, experiencing a waning influence and power in the world, and becoming a servant to international masters. But perhaps even worse, a new, treacherous kind of corruption has infiltrated the White House and the Congress in this novel. Of course, one of the subplots is a national election with the incumbent President, Jessica Tulrude, as a candidate who is quick to absorb the United States into the “global community,” among other obvious problems. At the political convention of the opposing party, the presumptive candidate is Senator Hank Hewbright, a strong patriot who wants to strengthen rather than weaken America’s posture in the world without compromise and most certainly wants to bolster our national defense. But at his party’s convention Hewbright is opposed by a “Tulrude lite” member of his own party. Obviously if something tragic or unexpected happens to Hewbright at the convention, the American public will end up having little to choose from on election day. Does any of this reflect any current prominent figures? This is a work of fiction, and we have stayed away from copying the current political landscape or mimicking actual political figures. But the political and spiritual themes we have raised in the novel will probably strike readers as being clearly relevant, and perhaps surprisingly so – not only for today, but also for the immediate future.     

6) Do you see any parallels between what is happening in our world now and what takes place in this series? 

This goes back to what I had indicated about the novel reflecting current events and trends. When the series began a few years ago I was interested in exploring a scenario where the entire news media has been pushed off of broadcast frequencies, cable and satellite, and onto the Internet, then followed by a government takeover of the Internet, making the White House capable, in one fell swoop, of exerting a new form of media manipulation. Compare this with the real-life fact that within the last few days, we saw the current White House applying unprecedented pressure to try to get Google to block an anti-Islamic video on YouTube, the video platform owned by Google.  Also, in Brink of Chaos, we see wide-spread video surveillance of American citizens by the government, and how that impacts one family of American patriots. In real life, just recently (and after the manuscript of Brink of Chaos was finished) the U.S. Senate started holding hearing on the privacy problems created by the wide-spread use of “facial recognition” technology in America, including its surveillance use by the government as well as by private companies. 

Grace by Max Lucado

Return to the world of fantastic storytelling and practical advice from the New York Times Best-Selling Author, Max Lucado.

This time he unpacks the gift that is more than we deserve and greater than we imagine: Grace.

Everything you've come to expect from Lucado is found within this book. You'll read the humorous stories from his life, some more sober moments that help bring out the application and the study guide at the end.

Eleven chapters and the conclusion fill the pages of Grace. Each chapter begins with quotes from Scripture and famous historical people.

I enjoyed Lucado's unpacking of having wet feet from Jesus stooping to wash our filth and that we should return the favor to those around us.

Max Lucado is an expert on taking simple object lessons and turning them into life applications without feeling like you're being preached to. You'll finish this book with a breath of fresh air.

If you've been in church for any amount of time, you may not experience or learn anything new from this book. (Lucado is a defender of the once-saved-always-saved crowd) But it does a body good to read about the grace of God every once in a while. Especially when the teaching and inspiration comes from a man so talented with the written word.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

A Sudden Glory by Sharon Jaynes

The real question is not, "What does God want from you?" but "What does God want for you?"

This is the spirit in which this book was written. God is not waiting for the perfect you, He wants to be with you now.

Jaynes has produced another inspirational up-lifter of  a book. Inside you'll read the common pep-talk chapters:

God is pursuing you
God is continually talking to you
Trust God in tough times
Choose relationship over religious routine

And many others.

You've read one inspirational tale, you've read them all. This one takes Jaynes' personal story and adds that little insight to make it personal for you. This does not make this book bad at all. It's just one too many inspirational tales for me this weekend. The personal stories give the book just the edge it needs to keep this from being a carbon copy.

If you're tired from the ritual/routine of Bible reading and praying to the ceiling, this book may help you understand how there is no such thing as a spiritual life apart from your actual life.

Jaynes fills this book with Scriptural references and included a helpful Bible study and discussion guide at the end. (Which have become commonplace in these books)

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.

Body Broken by Charles D. Drew

I can't get enough of the political books that are unbiased politically. I love books that simply speak the truth in all instances. Broken Body (a re-release) is the perfect example of the book every Christian should read in this venom-filled political season.

Drew tackles a number of issues for Christians to grapple with - both Democrat and Republican. He does it all with a humility and gentleness that everyone will read and understand. Without all the heated rhetoric, what are the pundits to do?

If you consider yourself a Christian and you're interested in politics - you have to read this book.

Among other things, Drew writes about how to keep the church focused on the kingdom of God and not to be so easily distracted by the political hot-talk.

He explains the two-kingdom mentality and what it means to give Caesar his due while giving God His.

This book levels the playing the field in a society that loves to claim God is on their own side while vilifying the other side. You will not finished this book unchanged.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by New Growth Press.

Below is an interview I had with author Charles Drew.


Why are Christians so prone to panic during the political process and how can we avoid panicking?

I think Christians are prone to panic, at least in part, because they have made an idol out of political solutions. Idolatry happens whenever we put our deepest hopes in anything created; whether it is our vision for America, or a particular candidate, or a particular law we hope to see passed, or a particular platform we hope to see established. There is nothing wrong with having a vision and a strategy for seeing that vision advanced.  The problem arises when we put our deepest hopes in such things. And anger, fear, and panic are good signs that we have. Christians need to see that making an idol of political solutions is more than frustrating for them (idols have no life in themselves).  It is deeply wrong, for it is false worship ("Let all be put to shame...who boast of idols" Psalm 97:7).

We can avoid panicking, or we can at least reduce our panicking, by repenting of our idols and renewing our trust in God.  As part of the process of repenting we may find it helpful to note how weak political power actually is:  Very few people get to exercise it, and when they do, they discover huge obstacles to exercising it in a democracy like ours where Congress can hold up legislation for years.  And more than likely their power is short lived - as Democrats discovered in the 2010 mid-term elections.

Could you explain what you meant by "the idol of too much hope" in politics?

Some Christians just want to be left alone.  But others have rightly discovered that in our democratic system they have a voice.  We have discovered, rightly, that we need to exercise our  voices in the public square.  We have more hope when it comes to exercising political influence than do many people in our world, both now and down through the ages.  The problem as I see it is when we put too much hope in the political process.  Politics is made up of people, and people are weak, fallible, and self-centered.  Our power, if we ever get any, is short-lived, our political solutions are imperfect (often with unintended consequences); if we succeed in passing a good law this time around the likelihood is that it will be reversed by the "bad guys" the next time around.  Thinking that there exists a "magic bullet" politically is, for these reasons, naive, and it sets us up for disappointment, frustration, and anger.  Ironically, those who put too much hope in politics often end up so disillusioned that they withdraw into the "safety" of cynicism.  The Christian who properly moderates his hope in politics is more likely to stay active, as he should, because his deepest hope does not lie in political success.  He knows that God is in charge of results, while he is "in charge of" faithfulness - patiently and humbly seeking to move things in the right direction.

In your book, you call some Christians "secret utopians".  How is that contrary to what Christ promoted and how can our prayers reveal that aspect of our lives?

Christians ought to be utopians in one sense.  We believe that Jesus is ruling at the right hand of the Father and it is only a matter of time before his kingdom becomes fully manifested on planet earth.  This hope animates us, or should, in all that we do in our public discipleship.  What I mean by the term "secret utopian" is something different.  The secret utopian is the person who thinks that we can ourselves bring in God's good society by our own efforts and strategies and is therefore driven to make it happen and fearful when the "bad guys" seem to be getting their way.  This sort of utopianism can show up in bitter and impatient praying, "God, get rid of that Senator!"  It can show up in the failure ever to thank God for one's leaders or to pray humbly for them, understanding how very difficult it is to govern given all the frustrations and temptations of office.  It can show up as well in triumphalistic praying: "Oh God, thank you that your man is in the White House!"  The praying of the proper sort of utopian (the one I mentioned first) will be earnest, grief-stricken, humble, and hopeful:  earnest because we know that no human being or group of human beings can solve our nation's deepest problems, greif-stricken because this is our country and we are responsible for what is wrong with her, humble because we ourselves can only guess at what the best solutions are, and hopeful because we know our Father hears us, his triumphed in Jesus, and will in the end put everything right.

When talking about Christianity and politics you will always seek to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.  How can a Christian decide which of God's values should be enforced by law and which should be enforced by other means?

This is a very good question calling for a great deal of careful thought.  We should note first that everybody legislates morality - even the atheist - for morality expresses the values we hold dear and laws are the codification of those values.  So the really important and interesting question is not whether we should legislate morality, but rather which morality we should seek to legislate - your question.

First, some of God's laws go straight to the human heart and are, for that reason, unenforceable by human law.  These should remain off the books.  I am thinking, for example, of the first and the tenth commandments ("You shall have no other gods before me" and "you shall not covet").  There are other  divine laws that address human public behavior and need enforcement for the purposes of limiting human selfishness and cruelty.  "You shall not kill", "you shall not steal", "you shall not bear false witness", and possibly "caring for the poor and marginalized" all belong to this category.  The Christian and the non-Christian can often find common ground in these areas.  But even here it gets tricky: Abortion in my view is a form of killing that should have laws written against it - but what precise form should they take (what form of the law is likely to pass, what should the sanctions be for breaking the law when so many don't view the unborn as a person, and what provisions should be made in the case of rape and other special circumstances).   How about killing in a war if the war is not a just one (and who decides whether a war is just or not)?  Or take the command against stealing.  What constitutes stealing, and what sorts of stealing should we write laws about (Are excessive interest rates stealing?  Are certain executive salaries outside the range of what is fair and just and therefore a form of stealing from share-holders and employees?  Who decides?).

Even trickier are laws that pertain to marriage and sexual behavior.  Christians may agree, for example, that gay sex and therefore gay marriage are wrong, but they may in good conscience disagree on the best way to advance the cause of traditional marriage in our culture.  Some may earnestly believe that legislation is not the way to go, that it will only drive gay people from the church; others may be convinced that legislation is the way to go.   And how, even if Christians all agreed that gay sex should be forbidden by law, how would such laws be enforced?

So the answer to the "which law" question is nuanced.  Christians should think and talk about them, refining their thinking and knowing that they may well have to live with the fact that they will come out in different places on question in particular instances.  For this reason, I believe that pastors, speaking on behalf of Christ from the pulpit, should be very reluctant to dictate on the question.   As private citizens, not speaking for Christ, but simply talking about their own view in informal conversation, they can and should speak their mind.

The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker

As a sequel to The Priest's Graveyard, Dekker's latest continues the story of Renee Gilmore and Danny Hansen. And it succeeds in every aspect.

Danny is serving time in prison. While he is transferred to a new facility, Renee receives a box containing a human finger with a warning that Danny's life is in danger. Now Renee must figure out a way to rescue her man before time runs out and more people die. Getting into the sanctuary is easy; getting out is impossible. Who can she trust before the body count includes her?

I was fascinated by this book. It wasn't a typical Dekker novel. It read like he has turned a corner with his writing. It had some similarities: adrenaline-laced plots and twists and turns with each chapter, this book takes on some deeper meanings and layers. I like it a lot.

While in this new "sanctuary" Danny is tasked with complex tasks of protection and punishment. Will he be able to stand strong to his new principles of nonviolence or will the new warden bring the beast back out to wreak righteous judgement on the wicked inside?

Some may find the details of such rehab too intense. Some may not enjoy the setting and the life inside a prison described, but Dekker is not new to such criticism. The story makes the questions asked long after the book is finished. You may even want to go back and read it all over again.

While you may find yourself debating the values of our penal system and rehabilitation techniques, Dekker pulls out a more universal question that is bound to have fans clamoring for more.

The villain is ruthless, the love is relentless and the action is heart-stopping. As cliche as this phrase as become in reviews, this is honestly Ted Dekker at his best.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Center Street.

The Invested Life by Joel Rosenberg & Dr. T.E. Koshy

Joel Rosenberg wants to counter the push toward seeker-sensitive church. It's not that it's completely wrong,  he simply understands the church to be about bringing people to Christ as well as helping them mature in their faith.

Rosenberg and Dr. Koshy bring us into their discipleship process in this book. You'll gain some new tools and some fresh ideas on habits of old that are still valuable.

There are nine chapters in this book. Each chapter builds on the previous one to help you move forward in your discipleship.

1. Two simple question.
2. Defining Discipleship
3. Be Discipled
4. Follow Jesus' Model
5. Prayerfully Choose
6. Get Started
7. Go Deeper
8. Worship Together
9. Track Your Progress

At the end of each chapter is a personal testimony to give that personal touch to this book.

Very simply, this is a how-to book. It will give you the preliminary tools and ideas to get started in investing in others and allowing others to invest in your life.

You may feel like you'll want to seek out more challenging/practical books for when you've been through the process.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Tyndale Publishing.

What a Difference a Mom Makes by Dr. Kevin Leman

There are plenty of good books out there for fathers and how to be better dads to your sons. This is a nice addition for mothers of boys.

Dr. Leman is known for his "Have a New Kid/Husband/You by Friday" books. So it is good to see the kind of impact mothers have on their sons.

Within twelve chapters, Dr. Leman tackles issues of why boys need a good dose of femininity (without wearing skirts), planning for his wedding while he's a toddler (raising a boy who will be a great father & husband), determining what kind of mother you are and what your parenting style is, learning about discipline that works, helping him treat women correctly.

All of these chapters have value to them. My biggest issue came during the "sex" chapter. I'm a little uncomfortable with mom talking to sons about how boys make girls feel or referring to certain body parts as "Mr. Happy". Seriously? I understand that Dr. Leman is also a humorist but really, I would have freaked out if my mom talked to me that way.

There's no question that mothers play an incredible role in the upbringing of children, especially boys. No one questions that reality.

This book is great on helping moms deal with sibling rivalry, understanding sons during their teenage years and how to continue to be an influence in their lives well after they've left the house.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Revell Publishing.