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Showing posts with label Cross Focused Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cross Focused Reviews. Show all posts

Living in the Light: Money, Sex, and Power by John Piper Book Review






In Living in the Light, John Piper explored three key areas the world loves to worship and engage in. God created money, sex, and power with good intentions but the enemy is actively attempting to lure us into falling into these dangerous temptations. God created each of these in order to bring glory to His Holy name. John Piper explained that money is a currency we can use for good purposes or for evil. Where we spend our money shows where our treasure is. Sex was defined as, “experiencing erotic stimulation, seeking to get the experience, or seeking to give the experience.” When sex occurs between a husband and wife, it is a God given gift to be enjoyed among both spouses. Power was described as, “as the capacity to get what you want, or the capacity to pursue what you valve.” 



One of my favorite chapters was entitled, “The Pleasure- Destroying Dangers of Sex”. This chapter discussed how Adam and Eve sinned and ate the forbidden fruit. Satan has attempted to try and tempt people into falling into sexual immorality. Piper explored the verses found in Romans 1:23-28. It talked about trading the glory of God for images looking like men and women and animals. It also goes into details about how women are settling and seeking another woman and how men are longing for another man. He also shared 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and how the “unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God.” The wonderful thing is when we repent and turn from our ways, God can forgive us for our sins and we can be cleansed. 



I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to live in the light and they are wanting to honor God and bring glory to His name. I loved how John Piper was very real in dealing with the difficult topic of sex and sex outside of marriage and even homosexuality. Most authors are afraid to deal with this challenging topic because I think some are afraid they will upset some readers. I will be honest I also haven’t heard many sermons taught on these verses either. I love how he gave readers hope that even if they have already sinned sexually before marriage, God is able to forgive them and cleanse them for their sins. This book is a very impactful book and it will change believer’s outlook on how they live their lives.



“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / The Good Book Company for this review”. 





If you would like to purchase a copy of Living in the Light, then check it out on Amazon.com: 



Boot Camp: Equipping Men with Integrity for Spiritual Warfare By Jason Hardin Book Review


 
In Boot Camp, Jason Hardin has written this book to prepare men in resisting the adversity and the schemes that the devil uses against believers. He began the book by providing readers with an overview of wonderful Biblical stories including Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah, and many others. In every chapter, he introduced a Biblical story to help readers obtain victory in the battlefield. He encouraged believers to follow the advice found in Matthew 7:14 and we’re called to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life. God has commanded us to live a live filled with integrity and to do just that, we have to put to death certain destructive things like selfishness, sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, and a few other harmful compounds. Near the end of the book, Jason Hardin revealed the strategies in engaging in spiritual warfare and putting on the full armor of God.

 

One of my favorite chapters was, “Sexual Immorality: Learning When to Fight and When to Run”. Jason Hardin shared about a discussion he had with six other married guys. They all admitted that they have been hit on by other women while they were married. He strongly suggested that men must be proactive, and decide ahead of time, and have their mind set firmly in setting boundaries, and saying no when temptations present themselves. Jason Hardin illustrated the story of Joseph and his enticement with Potiphar’s wife and Joseph displayed great veracity. He turned down her sexual advances every single time, she made a move and asked him to lie with her. Jason made a superb point that numerous people uses excuses as to why it’s okay and they compromise their integrity. They buy into the lie, this small act won’t lead to intercourse. I also liked how he was very real in stating that older men may be shocked and uncomfortable in reading parts of this chapter. He exposed oral sex is not considered that big of a deal amongst the younger generation. But a compromise is still a compromise.

 

I would recommend this incredible book every single men where they can be strengthen in the battlefield against the devil fiery attacks and schemes. I immensely loved how the book was written to assist readers in preparing for boot camp and it warned readers of the vicious tactics satan uses to entice believers. I have experienced firsthand an engaged woman hitting on me and trying to tempt me by making advances towards me. And I walked away and kept my distance from this person. I personally benefited with the reminder of the dangers of sexual immortality and the crucial importance of fleeing from sexual temptations. I liked the inclusive assessment of putting on the full armor of God and fighting against the attacks of the enemy. If you’re looking for a book that will equip you in preparing for the final battle against the devil, then read this book!

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / DeWard Publishing Company for this review”. 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Boot Camp, then check it out on Amazon.com: 

  

A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God By J. Stephen Yuille Book Review



In A Hope Deferred, J. Stephen Yuille opened up about their infertility issues and their problematic time going through the adoption process and the long waiting period. Their story started when after being married a year, they both decided it was time to start a family. They longed to have two biological children and two adopted children. They tried countless times to conceive but they couldn’t. There was no medical reason as to why they couldn’t conceive and they ached for a positive pregnancy test. Like most people, they witnessed numerous of their friends getting pregnant and some without even trying. They began to experience excruciating pain and heartbreak when their attempts were unsuccessful. They realized that they were being tested in their faith. During their seven year of marriage, they began the adoption process and they had to endure the lengthy time consuming interview procedure. They had to wait some more months because the Social Services were already booked up. A few weeks, the unexpected happened his wife was pregnant. They ended up having a healthy daughter. Understanding God’s timing and His definite ways was something that is difficult to comprehend and it’s something we won’t ever truly fathom. The book goes through the agony of their miscarriage and later their extensive process with their adoption.

 

In the even chapters, he discussed their personal journey in adoption. In the odd chapters, he explained the doctrine of Biblical adoption and he explored the concepts presented in scripture. God in his vast love for us has prepared ahead of time to adopt us into His family. We don’t have to beg and pled for Him to love us, He just does because He wants to. Paul stated that God preordained and chose us to be His children. Stephen Yuille reiterated the Biblical truth found in Abraham’s story and how he had to persevere and believe God would fulfill His promise that he would be a father with numerous descendants. In the natural, he was old and Sarah’s womb was closed up. But he was commanded to believe, despite what he saw in the natural. This required faith in the impossible and a determination to trust in the declaration that God promised. Stephen and his wife believed and prayed for children for seventeen years and eventually God blessed them with children.

 

I would recommend this remarkable book especially to anyone who is longing for children and is considering adoption and is seeking encouragement from someone who has been there. I would also recommend this book to readers who are desiring to discover the Biblical truths in God adopting us as His children. I immensely connected with Stephen Yuille’s story and was inspired by his faithfulness in believing that God was able to provide them with children. I’m also believing that God will bless me with meeting my wife, having children, and adopting children in a few years. I learnt a great deal about the entire adoption process and this book will be one that I will reread when we’re entering the adoption process. This story was such a reassurance in persevering through uncertainty and pressing on through the trials and setbacks in life. Even if in the natural it looks like it’s impossible, God is still able to achieve His perfect will in your life. If you’re looking for a book on adoption and holding onto hope through challenging seasons and setbacks, then read this book for encouragement!

 

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Shepherd Press for this review”.

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of A Hope Deferred, then check it out on Amazon.com: 
 

 

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace By HeathLambert Book Review

                                      
In Finally Free, Heath Lambert is on a mission to assist readers in breaking the strongholds of pornography in their lives. Most people struggling with pornography use excuses as defense mechanics and they rationalize why it's completely normally for them to continue down a destructive path. He pointed out at the very beginning of the book that this book doesn't contains numerous statistics on the porn industry and it's effects on users. He has witnessed firsthand that sharing about the dangers of pornography, isn't bringing lasting freedom from this addiction. Instead, he tackles the issue from relying on the power of Jesus Christ to eliminate pornographic images from your life. 


The first chapter sets up the fundamentals of the critical areas of understanding grace. Grace has two major aspects: forgiving grace and transforming grace. Forgiving grace means that all sins that we commit can be forgiven by the blood and debt paid by Jesus' death. This includes any and all sexual sins and immorality. Transforming grace means asking and believing that God can actually assist us in destroying our ties to sexual sins. Next, he goes into details and uses eight different key tools to conquer a pornography addiction. 


One of my favorite chapters was, "Using Radical Measures to Fight Pornography." Heath Lambert suggests that people struggling with a pornography addiction must take a radical approach in your thought life, in your use of time, and cutting off access to porn. Only then will we win the victory in eliminating the control porn has over us. Managing your thought life starts with repenting for your sins and resisting sexual temptations. Next, it's important to remember scriptures to fight back against sexual sins. The third crucial key is leaning on support from trusted accountability partners and friends, and reaching out to them, and calling them when faced with temptations. The biggest difficult facet that Heath recommended was removing the technology equipment completely from your life that you are using to access porn images. Not everyone will have to go that far, but if sexual temptations are ensnaring you, and you can't break free, you may have to. If people who are looking at porn would seriously put into practice these protection measures, victory would be obtainable. 


Another favorite chapter was, "Using Your Spouse (or Your Singleness to Fight Pornography". I immensely connected with the importance of striving for total purity with your spouse or future spouse. The way Heath Lambert shared about the dangers of the forbidden woman was truly life changing and eye opening. Scripture warns us repeatedly in Proverbs 5:1-14 about the dangers found in sexual immorality and the forbidden woman. He forbidden woman knows how to lure and seduce men with her words. But at the same time, she is trying to destroy and take the man into the path of destruction. Ultimately, in Proverbs 5:15-20, we learn about the positive effect of pursuing our wife and having an intimate marriage. Scripture also states that we are supposed to be fully content with our wife's physical body and we shouldn't be needing to lust after pornography. 


I would strongly recommend this incredible book to anyone who is struggling with an active addiction to pornography, and they are truly sick and tired of the control it has over them. I would also recommend this amazing resource to anyone who knows someone who is fighting against pornography temptations and they are wanting to learn more about how to assist in helping their loved ones to win the final victory. This book is mainly written towards men and their sexual temptations, but it does include a few women stories and their challenges with pornography addiction and loneliness. I commend Heath Lambert in taking such a radical stance in beating sexual sins and temptations. The different methods on defeating the strongholds of sexual immorality prevalent in your life isn't going to be easy. I highly believe that if readers would firmly establish and activate the principles present in this book, their lives would be transformed completely. If you're seeking a wonderful book on breaking free from a pornography addiction, then read this book! 

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Zondervan for this review”.




If you would like to purchase a copy of Finally Free, then check it out on Amazon.com:

 

God in My Everything: How An Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God By: Ken Shigematsu Book Review


 
In God in My Everything, Ken Shigematsu explored the paradox of the busyness of life and how we have many different things and events competing for our precious time and energy. Ken Shigematsu started the book off by sharing how he travelled to Ireland on a pilgrimage to visit and witness how the monks lived their everyday life devoted to their Creator. The monks built their entire lives on prayer, reading scriptures, and they lived near places where they could demonstrate the love of Christ. Ken Shigematsu has written this very book to encourage readers to develop their own “rules of life”. He referred to these rules as rhythm of practices that assisted us in creating and expressing our devotion to sharing the love of Christ to unbelievers, as well as, leading us into God’s presence more and more each day. Ken Shigematsu personally worked the long hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and he eventually realized that he had to make a dramatic choice. He cut down on his long hours and formed his own rules of life where he could be the better husband and father.

 

He has conducted a spiritual ecosystem in order to describe the many different rhythms and practices we can construct to bring structure to God being at the center of our lives. He stated and reminded readers that the word “rule” comes from the Greek word, “trellis”. Trellis “is the support system for a vive or plant that enables it to grow upward and bear fruit” (Page 21). He used this concept as a way to define the three diverse roots, “Sabbath, prayer, and sacred reading.” Next, he reinforced the different components into three categories, “relate, restore, and reach out”. He also breaks down the components that consist of the three categories and he assisted readers into creating their own rules of life throughout the chapters.

 

On my favorite chapters was about friendship and the loneliness that is becoming more prevalent in our culture. With all of the social media connection abilities and new technology, most people would perceive that we would be able to network and have more friendships connections. But researchers are beginning to discover that isn’t entirely the case. “In 1985, only one in ten Americans reported having no close confidants; twenty years later, one in four said they had no close confidants” (Page 82). So if the technology advances isn’t making in any easier to make friendships, why do so many people spent so much time on them? Ken Shigematsu pointed out that Biblical, God declared that it wasn’t good for man to be alone, as we see when God gave Adam, his wife, Eve. But many people still believe that they can be John Wayne and be the lone ranger and they can go through this life alone. He also reminded readers of the story of David and Jonathan and how they both were true friends to each other and this is one of the realist form of friendship presented in the scriptures. I know there are countless people who long to have a true friend in their life. A true friend is one that you have the freedom to bear your soul and feelings and you know that they are going to listen to what’s on your heart. They will also at times speak the much needed truth into your life. Ken reinforced the importance of cultivating face to face activities, for example, praying together, playing sports or going on an adventure together, and serving the community in order to build the friendships.

 

Another favorite chapter of mine was the chapter on sex and spirituality. Ken Shigematsu revealed that our culture has an erroneous view regarding the effects of casual sex and how many people believe hooking up with random strangers has no effect on their lives. Scriptures declare that all sex is meant to bond us to a person- physically, spirituality, and emotionality. Ken recommends that married couples need to set clear defined boundaries to protect their marriage and to safe guard their marriages from affairs. He also stated the importance of resisting pornography and installing software to keep your accountable and you can even have accountable partners to fight against temptations. And if you’re are single and not married, we can still express our sexuality in healthy ways. For instance, we can connect with our friends over a meal and enjoy the assembly with another person in a healthy way. He encouraged married couples to save sex for their marriage and for single people to abstain from having sex until marriage and yes, we all know it’s difficult to do in a world that boldly says the opposite.

 

I would recommend this life changing and enhancing book to teenagers, college students, and adults who are seeking a deeper connection and longing to have greater intimacy with Christ. I immensely enjoyed the vast rules of life presented in this book to inspire readers to construct their own rhythms. This book taught me a great deal about monks and their tactic of life and how they worship their loving Creator throughout their day to day activities. This book has valuable questions at the end of each chapter to guide readers into considering what rules they can build to worship God in their everyday lives. I especially thought that including other people’s rules of life in the appendix added more beneficial resources to the overall content of the book. It assisted me in generating my own rules to lead me closer to Christ. If you’re seeking a book that will assist you in being intentional about how you manage your time and initiating your full devotion to God every single day, then read this book and begin to custom your own rules of life to make your life simpler and more focused on Christ!

 

Here is a sample of some of my rules of life:

Andrew’s Rules:

Sabbath:

Attend Sunday worship and rest the rest of the day

Prayer:

Pray throughout the day – walking between College classes, before I start assignments, and in the car

Pray when I wake up and before I go to bed

Scripture reading:

Read a devotional each morning

Spiritual friendship:

Join and attend a small group that meets once a week

Recreation/play:

Watch movies, TV, read books, play the guitar, and hang out with friends and family

Exercise:

Lift weights three times a week

Swim in the summer

Eat:

Cook four times a week

Sleep:

8 hours a night

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Zondervan for this review”.

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of God in My Everything, then check it out on Amazon.com:

 


 

 

Check out the book trailer:
 
http://youtu.be/SgtA_hbrgyg

Compassionate Jesus: Rethinking the Christian’s Approach to Modern Medicine By Christopher W. Bogosh Book Review

 
In Compassionate Jesus, Christopher W. Bogosh revealed the hidden dangers into buying into the medical field advice of prolonging life by any means necessary. This book is a personal mission to educate readers into learning about the medical science and the health care system and how they deal with treating dying patients. It also looks at the spiritual side of death and if prolonging death is really God’s will for our lives. Christopher W. Bogosh joined the Army in 1989 and became a medical technician and eventually became a registered nurse. He felt God calling him into ministry and he enjoys helping out as a clinical hospice liaison. He understands having to endure pain and heartache in his own life. He recalls having his sister die in a tragic automobile accident and he struggled with the why questions. Through this horrible event, he learnt that God is merciful and that he is in complete control and everything has a purpose and a reason, even when we don’t understand why bad things have to happen. He realized that everyone is guilty and we all deserve every illness, sickness, and even death. But God is merciful and He gives us grace and forgiveness for our numerous sins.  
A big emphasis is put on the scripture verse that Paul wrote that stated, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Christopher W. Bogosh pointed out that is extremely easy to believe that declare that verse when we are healthy and no sign of sickness is in our bodies. But will we be able to boldly decree that verse when sickness and death hits us. And we all know that at some point everyone dies an earthly death. Whether we choose a life in Heaven or hell is up to us! He has personally noticed that many Christian will pursue medical treatments at whatever costs in order to live a longer life. It’s important to remember to seek God’s will for our lives and not to worship the medical field as our healer and as our saving living Savior.  
My favorite chapter would be “Medical Science: Biblically Informed”. This section redefined the meaning of brain death and he reinforced that the medical field announces that the person is dead when a patient’s brain shows no activity. But for Christians we must remember that even, if their brain isn’t functioning, but they are still breathing, then they are really still alive. A person is alive still if their heart is still beating and their lungs are working. He also took a very critical stand against organ donors who are still on life support. He has observed that most organ donors who are on life support and declared dead have their organs removed before life support is taken off. He also notes that he isn’t against organ donors, but he truly believes that the medical doctors should wait until after the person is off life support, and they stop breathing for at least three minutes before harvesting their organs. He advises people to have a written will and a DNR order in order that their spouse, children, or family doesn’t have to make the difficult decisions regarding your health. You can already go ahead and have a plan ready just in case. I believed that this was great instruction to guide readers into thinking about how they view death and how they are already prepare ahead so their families aren’t having to guess what our wishes are.  
I would recommend this marvelous book to anyone who is suffering from a disease, illness, sickness, and possibly a death sentence. The book will provide readers with the awareness and the real threat of worshiping the medical field as your one true God. I would also recommend this book especially to people who are getting older and nearing the age of death. The book contained loads of information about how to handle and assist people who are close to death. Even if you’re perfectly healthy right now, this book will be an enormous advantage for all readers. This book would also benefit pastors and churches on how to assist people who are terribly sick and dying, and they could serve and be the catalyst of change and provide much needed encouragement on their journey into their loving Creator’s arms. I immensely enjoyed reading about praying in the spirit and praying for God’s will for our lives whether we are healed on earth or in Heaven. If readers will consider their desires concerning life support and other issues, then this will save your family from having to make problematic decisions on your behalf. The book was very well researched and Christopher W. Bogosh did an excellence job at presenting all of the Biblical explanations behind the massive facets of medical science and the problems of lengthening our life. If you’re looking for a book that will transform your thinking about medical science and you’re wondering what the Bible states about health and the health care system of today, then this book is definably the one to read!  
 
“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Reformation Heritage Books for this review”.
 
 
If you would like to purchase a copy of Compassionate Jesus, then check it out on Amazon.com:
 

Is God Anti-Gay: Any Other Questions About Homosexuality the Bible and Same-Sex Attraction By Sam Allberry Book Review


 

Homosexuality is a topic that is prevalent in the headlines today and many Christians are still unsure as to how we are supposed to address this. But in this new book entitled Is God Anti-Gay? Sam Allberry explored the deeper questions that Christians are asking about homosexuality and how are Christians supposed to respond.  

Sam Allberry is an associate pastor of St Mary’s Church in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. He admitted throughout the book that he has experienced homosexual feelings. He openly stated that he doesn’t define himself as gay because using the term gay labels an identity. He promptly specified that, “It is a part of the picture, but does not get to the heart of who I am. So I prefer to talk in terms of being someone who experiences homosexual feelings, or same-sex attraction.” (Page 9). He shared that over the years when he expressed to his church that he was struggling with same-sex attraction, most people reached out to him and encouraged him and prayed for him. They didn’t reject him and make him feel like an outcast. They showed him the true message of Christ.


The first chapter enclosed the significance of marriage and that it is between a man and a woman. Sam Allberry begins discussing that God created Adam and he made Eve from his body. Genesis 2:24 decrees that a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. When two people say their vows and say I do they have been knitted together and they are now in union with each other. Marriage is about two flesh becoming one flesh. Sam also explained the gift God has freely given to married couples and it is the special connection of making love and having sex. This is also the physical act of two flesh becoming one. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and to reproduce children. Having children is supposed to be grounded in marriage. He also pointed out that marriage is meant to imitate our relationship with the three person Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Sam clarified that he has seen many gay couples display commitment to each other but it’s impossible for male and male or female and female to become one flesh.  

The second chapter of the book covered what the scriptures have to say about homosexuality. Sam Allberry stressed the critical reminder that homosexuality is now the whole message of the Bible. We need to focus on the newness that is found in Christ and the forgiveness that He offers. He pointed out that Genesis 19 enclosed the hidden sins found in the city of Sodom. For example, some of the sins were adultery, lying, oppression, criminals, arrogance, not assisting the poor, and homosexuality. One of the sins isn’t any greater than the others but they still faced the judgment of God. In Genesis 19, two angelic prophets were staying with Lot and a crowd of men gathered and demanded to have sex with the two men. Jude 7 is very vocal about how the cities Sodom and Gomorrah struggled with sexual sins and this is an extreme example of punishment of fire for their sins. Next, Sam looks at Leviticus 18 and 20 and both of these verses stated that men shouldn’t lie with another man. The rest of the chapter addressed many more scriptures against homosexuality. The author went into the deep questions of, “Surely a same-sex partnership is OK if it’s committed and faithful” and “But Jesus never mentions homosexuality, so how it be wrong?”  

Chapter three discussed homosexuality and the Christian and it contained tips on what to do if you’re experiencing same-sex attraction. Sam Allberry stated that many people who struggle with same-sex attraction feel unclean or even damaged goods. But Christ message is that He is able to forgive all sins and wipe all of our sins away. This chapter covered the vital question, “Can God change our sexual desire?” He also goes into detail about the gift of reminding single and what scriptures verses have to say about it. He addressed the main struggles that homosexual Christian encounter and have to deal with.  

Chapter four revealed how churches are supposed to respond to homosexuals in their church. A common problem that they feel is rejection from Christians. But Christ message is for all and for anyone who believes that He is Lord and He died for their sins. This chapter talked about what to do if gay couples begin to attend your church and how do you handle it.

Chapter five addressed the precarious way to share the true message of Christ with a homosexual person. This chapter shared how to handle and react when someone has come out to you and says that they are gay.


As you can see, this book was written for today’s times and it is a topic that many Christians are wondering on how to respond to homosexuality. For that reason, I would recommend this brilliant book on the subject to all Christians and church members. This book would be an enormous resource for any church leader or pastor. Even though the book is a short book written in about 83 pages, it has powerful concepts and life changing principles on addressing homosexuality and how we are called to love everyone and exhibit Christ’s love boldly. This is the very first book that I have read on the theme of same-sex attraction and homosexuality. I will admit that I haven’t had a lot of friends who struggle with homosexuality and it’s not something that I have witnessed much of personally. But the book still impacted me into making sure that if I do/ went I do come across someone that is gay that I must love them just like Christ. I immensely loved that it was written from the view point of Christians. Sam Allberry did an excellent job at exposing the hidden truths found in the word of God about homosexuality and he even presented an outstanding aspect about marriage and two flesh becoming one. The book has the potential to influence many Christians into being the church that they we are called to be and welcoming gays into our churches. Many Christians will have great difficult doing this, and if that is you, then this is a must read for you! Remember that Christ came and died for all sinners. This book is an essential read for every Christian who is confused on how to handle homosexuality.


 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / The Good Book Company for this review”.
 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Is God Anti-Gay, then check it out on The Good Book Company or Amazon.com:

 


 


 

Check out the book trailer: