The Great Divorce

This book was on my list, as many C.S. Lewis books are, and I saw it for real cheap at a used book store.  It looked to be a nice easy read heading into the holiday season so I bought it.  Glad that I did.

I didn't really know much about this book before I picked it up.  The sub-title was "A fantastic bus ride from hell to heaven - a round trip for some but not for others".   Interesting to say the least.

It was a very creative first person short story.  The basic idea is that people in Hell (not the typical fire filled place you hear about) get on a bus ride to visit Heaven (not the typical streets of gold you hear about).  From there the experience is described vividly and creatively.  Observations of various people are described.  Interactions between those in heaven and hell are the focal point.  The perspectives are elaborated on and are very interesting. 

In the end, the focus isn't on realistic or truly biblical descriptions of heaven or hell.  The interactions and insight into the lives of those from hell and from heaven will cause you think about how you view certain things in your life.  Attitudes and opinions you may have will likely be challenged somewhat.

It's not an overly complex book with deep challenges.  It's a pretty short and easy read.  The creative writing of C.S. Lewis is always enjoyable (in my opinion).  Glad I read it.

Velvet Elvis

I knew before I even read this book that I would find it interesting.  I also already had a pre-formed opinion on Rob Bell and his ideas.  I feel my review either has to be short and brief or extensive and address many various points.  For now, it will be the brief version (i.e. the easy version).

For me it comes down to a few things.  I believe some of the basic ideas Rob Bell proposes have value to them.  Some of the finder details he hints around and how he presents those ideas I feel lead to more problems than good.  It seems like he believes in absolute truth sometimes but there are other times where the way he presents an idea seems to lead to a wishy-washy foundation.  Even if he were to defend that and say he does believe in that absolute truth I would argue that he should present that more clearly.  Leaving that up for interpretation causes issues in my opinion.  Although they may only be example topics he uses he picks on a few foundational issues and opens them up in a way that seems irresponsible to me.  I am completely fine with always seeking the actual truth and being open to the fact that our original interpretation may have been wrong.  I think you have to start with a clear belief however that there is one true interpretation and from there our responsibility is to try and find that.  It's not entirely clear to me that Rob Bell would believe that.  It seems more that he might believe those truths could evolve over time. 

I could go topic by topic and do a more in depth review but I don't really have the time right now.  I think a mature Christian could find some value in the challenges presented.  I think an immature or confused Christian might run into more problems than good.  For that reason I wouldn't recommend this book broadly.  Rob Bell does have a unique and inviting way of writing.  He does appear authentic and thoughtful.  I just feel the nature of the questions he asks and how he asks them is sometimes irresponsible.  I know there are many different opinions on Rob Bell and I could probably formulate mine further but I don't feel that's really necessary (at least at this time).  I just pray that those influenced by his ministry would be grounded in the truth of the Bible.

Love Is Always Right

I read this book about 13 years ago when I was attending Liberty University.  I only vaguely remembered the content but I did remember that I liked it and the conversations it started.

It was a relatively easy read and flowed nicely.  The majority of the book sets the stage for more practical application points towards the end.  I liked the fact they covered the full spectrum of topics on love including elaborating on the premise that love is always the right choice in all situations, sharing contrasts, the importance of loving ourselves, and then love in conflict.  The love in conflict portion is often where the "rubber meets the road".  They address topics that are difficult.  Moral dilemmas that often get politicized.   Topics that are often deeply personal but very important.  The principal of choosing the greater good was intriguing but I think it was quite practical.  The idea that the love command is absolute ("Do the most loving thing possible"), but that our duty to God has priority over our duty to people is an important one.  The conclusions are logical but at first some of the examples didn't seem intuitive.  In the end though I thought it was well articulated and I think they have it right. 

Curious on how to deal with a difficult situation with a pregnancy that will take the life of the mother?  Is it ok to kill someone in defense (of self or family)?   Is it ok to lie for protection?  What if you were in a situation where sacrificing someone's life to protect other lives was the only valid option?  What about a situation where a loved one is on life support and you need to consider when to "pull the plug".  How do you decide what to do?  Most of us would agree that we should do the most loving thing possible, but it is not always perfectly clear.  This book does a good job at defendin that moral absolute.

Love IS always right!

I recommend you find the time to read this book.  It was challenging and helpful.

From horror to... hope in whom?

God sometimes works in mysterious ways.  I recently read an article that broke me.

Imagine a bucket slowly filling with water... drip by little drip.  As the bucket fills the water eventually starts to bulge at the rim.  The "skin" of the water somehow miraculously lets the water fill above what the bucket should actually hold.  Suddenly, one more little drop is all it takes to overflow.  Just that one drop.  In reality it's the equal combination of all the drops up to that point causing the overflow.  It just appears it was only that final one that did it.  Well, I'm not sure what the end result will ultimately be, but this most recent article was the "last drip" into my bucket.

First, before reading much further here, I would highly encourage you take the time to read this article.  It is a lengthy article but I think it is time well spent.  Consider it an investment.  I can't guarantee any return on that investment but would consider it well worth the risk. 

Here is the link - From Horror to Hope  (I think there will also be a video on that page in the future after their TV show airs).

I don't intend to dive into all the details of the story here, although I find them very interesting.  I also don't intend to dive into all the pieces related to forced begging, debt bondage, modern slavery, or human trafficking.  I highly encourage you fully educate yourself on these topics.  I have found it to be valuable, eye opening, and life changing.  That is not the primary purpose of this post however.

First, my heart was torn while reading the story.  I find the evil acts horrifying.  Although I'm not entirely surprised by how gruesome they are it does not change the fact that it is equally disturbing each time you hear something like it.  The innocence of a young boy being destroyed like that brings about anger.  It's hard to describe.  The pure torment it must bring upon the parents is unbearable to think about.  What a horrifying story. 

As the story unfolds there are some twists and turn that bring about hope.  To see their hope ebb and flow throughout the story certainly created a few tears.  The willingness of Aram Kovach, a businessman, to proactively reach out and offer help is encouraging.  Given the mess in the beginning of the story you might think there could be no positive outcome.  In the end you are left with enough positive to continue to hope for the best.  Hope...  what would we do without hope?

Throughout the story you hear a few references to the parents praying to Allah.  Not much detail is given or discussed about the role of religion in their lives and the impact on their story. 

As a believer in Christ I felt like something significant was missing in this story.  I'm not suggesting that something was intentionally left out.  I am saying that it is sad to see a family going through so much pain and looking for true healing without being introduced to the true healer.  Christ has offered so much to this family and has asked that his followers share this with them.  It's sad that it doesn't appear to have happend.  I realize the article may not share every detail of their lives, but from what I've read it appears this is missing.  Another piece of the story that brings tears to my eyes.  How will they ever hear this message?

There was a point in the story where this really hit home for me.  The father, Abed, asks Kovach why he would do this for his family (flying them to the US for special surgery and specialized assistance).  I believe the response was honest and genuine but I felt something was missing.  Kovach at first says it's because he loves them and that because he hopes someone would do the same for him if he was in need (on a side note, true love, and the best kind, is done with no expectation of having the same done in return).  Kovach then goes on to say "It's just what we do.  It's just what we do as human beings."  First, let me say that I admire the initiative of Kovach and think he should be recognized for his efforts.  I do believe he loved this family and had a genuine heart...   but, what an empty response!  If you're this family could this be any more confusing?  If you put your faith in "It's just what we do as human beings" then you will only lose hope.  What about the "human beings" who caused this harm in the first place?  They might argue "It's just what we do as human beings!"  Again, I understand the sentiment and intention of the statement.  I don't intend to pick on the response or even suggest that he should've said something different.  I just find it hard to put my faith in humans when you see the havock that has been wreacked in our world throughout history.

My observation as a reader however is that is so sad to have an empty and possibly confusing response like that.  My heart ached so badly and I wanted to insert myself into that position and be able to say that it is only because of the love that Christ has shown to us.  His example of giving his life for us is overflowing to them.  It is his love that offers them a safe place and the healing they are seeking.  But as I read the story it never happened.  I wished and wanted to to share this truth with them.  They NEED to hear it so badly.

This was that last extra drip.  How often does this story play out in our world?  I'm sure it happens in millions of different iterations all the time.  Forced begging by children is commonplace in some parts of our world.  Debt bondage is a major issue.  Sex slavery of young girls is rampant in more places that you can imagine.  Human trafficking is recognized as a major global problem.  How many times will someone need help like this boy needed help?  How many more stories will the story of Christ be a missing piece?  Far too many is the answer.  There will be far too many stories where a boy is crying out for help.   There will be far too many stories where a young girl will need someone to love them.   There will be far too many stories where a child will need help but wonder WHY anyone would ever even consider helping them.  Are they even worth it?   The answer is a resounding YES!!  They are worth it!  There is a beautiful answer to that question of "why?".  Christ loves them with an infinite and pure love.  He wants to wrap his arms around them and let them experience true healing.  One of the most practical ways he does that in our world today is through his "hands" and his "feet"...  ME (us) (His Chruch)!!!!

I'm not sure what it means for me now, but this last drip in the bucket is too much for me to keep from overflowing.  I pray for all those in the world who have experienced life's truest horrors at the hands of other humans.  I pray that someone will enter their lives and share the story of Christ.  How will God answer that prayer?  Will it be you?  Will it be me?  They need to be rescued; they need to know the love of Christ.

"Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defedn the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."   Isaiah 1:17
 

What if Jesus Had Never Been Born?

This book made it onto my shelf after I took a stack of books from my parent's "get rid of pile".  The title intrigued me, but beyond that I didn't know much about the book.

The basic premise is to do a review of much of history as well as the impact of that history in our world today and outline how that history has been affected by Christ and Christianity.  Of course you could probably argue that any significant event in history changes the course of future events.  The notable difference in this case is that Christ has changed the world in it's entirety, pervasive in culture, impact on social conventions, all in very positive ways.  In many cases things we take for granted can and should be attributed to Christ's impact on the world, and more specifically, the impact on those humans living in that world.

I have a mixed review on the book.  I still love the premise.  I've since given much of the author's conclusions more thought.  I've found myself in circumstances where I've consciously recognized Christ's impact on the world.  Where I think the book fell down is that there are many many underlying assumptions he never addresses.  The ideas are put out there as foregone conclusions without much real critical thought or analysis at how he arrived at the conclusion.  Although I personally believe much of what he presents in the book it is largely due to other presuppositions I have, not because of the apologetic provided in the book.  If you were questioning or critical at all you would likely walk away with many questions or challenges.  You would likely find it insightful but you would feel you were reading an editorial of a person's conclusions, but not much explanation on why the author arrived at those conclusions.  I wanted a little more analytical and fact based layout of the points.  I think much of the facts exist but this book chose to gloss over them and paint a broad generalized brush.  With all that critique out of the way however, as I said earlier, I did find the book interesting.  If nothing else it has led me down the path of thought that I wished the book had done on it's own.  It has actually served as a catalyst  of thought on this topic.  Maybe that was the author's ultimate intention?  If so, then I say "well done."

Overall, it was a good read but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list for recommendations.  If you already fall in line with the belief, as I do, that Christ has had an immeasurable impact on the world, then you will likely enjoy the book.  If you are a little more skeptical and hoped to read a book that outlines those details you may be disappointed.  Although it will certainly challenge you, which is a good thing, it will likely lead you to seek further answers elsewhere (which may not be a bad thing).

Great premise.  Poor overall execution.  Still a good book in the end.

Earth's Final Hour

This book made my "to read" list mostly because it was already on my shelf.  Another reason is that the author was one of my professors from my time at Liberty University.  I always enjoyed his teaching and highly respected his view on most topics. 

The topic of the "end times" is always an interesting one.  It's intriguing to think about what might happen in the future of the world.  It's even more intriguing to read a book that predicts what will happen in the future.  Add to that the sometimes complex and differing views on the interpretation of the predictions in that book.  Of course it's really more than just intriguing when you believe it's the absolute truth.  The interpretation may still not always be perfectly clear but the truth it conveys is of the utmost importance.

The range of topics covered the second coming of Christ, the error of trying to predict the precise timing of this second coming, the danger of false prophets, the rapture, some points on the relative timing of the rapture, Christ's Kingdom on the earth, the new earth, as well as many of the events during and surrouding these events. 

Overall I thought it was well written.  Not overly complex but does a good job covering details that matter.  He does pull in many "current events" which were not entirely current by the time I read the book. Some of the circumstances in world events are still applicable and the principles did apply, but it would've been nicer if it was more recent. 

I liked the way he addressed the sometimes disputed topic of when the rapture will happen relative to other end time events.  My view aligns most closely with his, a pre-tribulation rapture.  From a simple and straight forward reading and pulling in the overall Biblical context it seems to be the most accurate interpretation.  From the various passages addressing the topic there seems to be enough distinction between events of the rapture and the second coming to lead to a conclusion that the events will be at different times.  If you want the details, then I would suggest you read the book (start with the Bible first though!).

There are lots of good books on these topics.  I imagine there are plenty more that are better than this book, but there are many worse as well.  If you want a truly unbiased review of the Bible passages then this book is probably not for you.  But if you are looking for this specific perspective then this is a good one to read.

Die Trying (A Reacher Novel)

This is the third (at least in the order I'm reading them) book in the Jack Reacher series.  I've obviously enjoyed the series enough to come back for thirds.  I think I will likely keep on reading the series as I've found them enjoyable.  Although there are many similarities in the stories there is enough uniqueness in each plot to to keep the variety alive.  This one particularly provided some variety that was interesting.

Once again the story begins when Jack finds himself in just the right place in precisely the right moment... completely by accident.  I suppose you could argue he is in the wrong place at just the wrong moment but that wouldn't make as exciting of a novel.  Jack and a woman who he doesn't know are kidnapped.  You are kept guessing at who they are.   The plot line was different and certainly intersting.  An anti-government militia group out of Montana are using them as a hostage, although not a typical hostage situation.  With unique twists throughout it keeps you turning the pages.

Once again, Jack does what he needs to do and although not everything always ends perfectly it ends fittingly.  Jack just doing what he does best.  Solving problems and disapearing until the next random experience in his life, which will likely be the next story I read.