Christian Book Reviews

Just finished this book. It is primarily about suffering - why does God allow us to endure pain? How can God care in the midst of suffering? So often many wonder if God is love why does he allow people to endure so much, some more than others? I really enjoyed this book as it takes you through the bible showing how God demonstrated his love to man and then moves on to talking about suffering. It is full of stories that drive home the points the author makes and make you stop and think. I am donating this to my church library as I think it will be useful to someone who may find it hard to rectify the thought of a God of love actually allowing those who are his own having to endure pain and suffering.  

This is my second read of this book and it looks at Mark's gospel highlighting specific verses of relevance to help in understanding the life and death of the Son of God. Really Mark's gospel is all about Peter, Jesus' disciple, you remember the one who denied Jesus 3 times. Mark was a secretary and translator for Peter. Nothing happens in this book without Peter being present. It is almost certainly the eyewitness testimony of Peter. Timothy Keller makes the point that throughout the book of Mark you will find it written in the present tense. He was conveying the point that Jesus is a living reality, a person who addresses us today. Mark wants us to see that the coming of Jesus calls for decisive action. Jesus is a man of action, moving quickly and decisively from event to event. Mark is all about Jesus' actions rather than his teaching. Why call this book King's Cross? Well chapters 1 to 8 show us Jesus' identity as King over all things and chapters 9 to...

If you have ever read anything by Noel Davidson you will know that he writes biographies so they are stories about real people. Debbie Forrest was a drug addict before she came to faith in Christ. Many people will immediately react and say 'well thank goodness I am not like her' but hang on a moment, whoever thought that taking the first painkillers for a medical condition could ever lead to life of dependency? For Debbie it all started in childhood. Debbie confessed to the nuns at the school she attended as a child that she was being sexually abused and they condemned her for leading the man on. When that same abuser started to give her alcohol Debbie was hooked and soon began needing alcohol throughout her teenage years. This story is harrowing to read as Debbie goes deeper into cannabis addiction until one day her daughter insisted she be taken to church. So began a new journey and brought Debbie to her knees before God. Today Debbie is a counsellor for many who face s...

So often we have the idea of a women's role but Rebecca challenges this and really makes you think about what it should or could be. In chapter 1 the book opens by looking at Hannah in the Old Testament, Elisabeth, Mary and Anna in the New Testament. She considers the idea of prophecy, how God used women in the role of prophecy being foretold and fulfilled. We tend not to think of women in this way yet I personally was always taught that it was Anna who was a women prophetess only. My perception has been challenged as I realise that in recognising Mary, Elisabeth was acknowledging this was God's son she was carrying, prophecy was fulfilled. The Jewish people had their scriptures and knew that one day Jesus would come into the world. Unfortunately they didn't recognise him when he came. All except a few and they were women. Isn't it amazing that this is the age old story of the gospel. Only a few will respond to the message of God's salvation time and time again....

Nazeem grew up as a Muslim in Kuwait although his family were originally from Pakistan. His brother moved to Charleston, South Carolina in America to attend college and through friends witnessing to him he accepted Christ as Saviour. Naeem and his family meanwhile lived through the Kuwait war and when things settled down after the invasion it was decided that Naeem should also make the move to be with his brother. At first he was very sceptical of his brother's faith and told him that unless Jesus revealed himself personally to him he would not believe. 3 nights later he did. So began an amazing adventure. It was a supernatural experience which many dismissed but Naeem held to his convictions and gradually people began to listen to his story. Today he and his wife pastor a church planted by themselves that reaches to a culturally diverse people. He shares the ups and downs in his walk with God and you are left in no doubt that he is very much dependent on God and his strength alone...

When I first came to faith in Christ I was given a wonderful book which I treasure to this day. It is called Learning and Living the Christian Life by John Blanchard. This book helped me so much in teaching me how to read my bible and pray among other things. One thing we are at a disadvantage in here in Northern Ireland is having a weekly bible study. America seems to have them in every church. We announce a prayer meeting weekly in our church and it follows a set pattern. There is a hymn, a bible reading and our pastor "teaches" from the passage, then we move in to a time of praying when anyone can pray but we don't have an actual women only bible study. Why? Well I think it's because we have this belief that to do so would lead to false teaching. The belief is that ordinary people cannot teach scripture, they have to have a theological degree from a recognised Bible College. And it can never be women only, it must be a man who leads. Quite right too I hear you say ...