Book Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but hypocrytical . . ........2007-10-11
As a Christian who frequently finds sustaining spirutuality in more resources than just the bible, I enjoyed this book some of the time.
Miller is dead on in his assertion that "the Church" and from that really all Christians, need to re-connect with the example of Christ's love, especially with regards to those whom Christians don't mingle with on a daily basis (at least my "daily basis" anyway).
His hypocrisy ruins it for me, though. It seemed like every time things were warming up about "loving others", Miller would drop some hugely critical comment about Republicans, fundamentalists, evangelicals, etc. I get it that these people aren't necessarily his cup of tea. However, if we are to accept, and adopt, Christ's example of love, it's all inclusive.
Loving only the less fortunate doesn't count; Christ loves all of us. And if Miller is going to write with integrity about emulating and expanding that love in our own lives, he can't pick and choose whom to love and not to love. In short, he falls in to the very trap he accuses "the Church" of living in.
And the hypocrisy of that makes it difficult to take his message seriously, at least for me.
With all that said, I am sending a copy of the book to an atheistic friend. You never know!
Miller's faith perspective rings true.......2007-10-10
Get Real: a spiritual journey for men
Blue Like Jazz is a beautifully written book that requires the reader to think honestly about issues of faith. Miller has moved well beyond the posturing and pretense that characterize too much of Christian apologetics. It's impossible to read Miller without being struck by his disarming candor and honest self-examination. Rather than introduce doubt, Miller makes sense, and he makes a strong case for a Jesus who is real and interactive in the world today. Like journalist Derek Maul's "Get Real: a spiritual journey for men," (2007) Blue like Jazz presents the Gospel as engaging, incisive, and deeply authentic.
Inspired Me to Read His Other Books.......2007-10-08
Blue Like Jazz is a sort of meditation on Don Miller's spiritual life so far (he's in his early 30s), sprinkled with a little Christian apologetic told by narrative rather than by theories or "spiritual laws" (Miller's "Search for God Knows What" is more along the lines of an apologetic though). Miller's writing style is accessible and easy, though he's prone to meditative tangents on the nature of God or faith or creation that may annoy the less religiously-inclined reader. Miller has a lot of credibility in the so-called emerging church movement for his narrative approach (and probably for his decidedly left wing politics), but his religious beliefs themselves come across as pretty standard evangelical Christian, which I was a little surprised by. It's not heavy theology by any means, and there's a lot of raw meat in Miller's book for the internet's theology attack dogs to tear apart, but the books resonated with me. After reading "Blue Like Jazz," I was inspired to read Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" and "Through Painted Deserts." My favorite moment in the book was the "reverse confession booth," where the campus Christians confessed the sins of the church to astonished students. For a new spin on evangelical Christianity, check out "Blue Like Jazz."
Re-thinking my original opinion.......2007-10-06
I am actually re-reading this book because I got so much out of it during my first read. I may have made a mistake by reading all these negative reviews here, but I'm finding I agree with some of them to an extent. It's funny because I am seeing both sides here, both good and bad, about the book. Yes, some of the stuff he wrote about is a little self-obsessed, but some of the stuff he wrote sparked real passion in me and furthered my relationship with God. I think I just had a moment of realization (an epiphany, if you will) that you cannot take ANYONE'S word for anything, except God's. This is just more proof to me that people, no matter who they are or what their intentions or how close to Christ they are, can lead you astray. To conclude; read the book (it has some good stuff in it), take from it what you will, and trust God with all your heart.
Offensive to jazz fans!.......2007-09-30
Donald Miller, I'd like you to take out the sheet music of Mood Indigo, which I'm sure you've studied extensively, and show me where it doesn't resolve--I think that harmonically it's one of the perfect all time pieces of music, and it resolves better than a lot.
Maybe he's talking about free jazz or bop or post bop or modal jazz or something, but I'm not sure he actually knows what those terms mean. It sounds to me like he's heard a couple of jazz songs at some point and decided that this makes him an expert. Yeah, man, he was turned on to this stuff by Tony, his beat poet buddy, man. Oh, that is so hip!
But even if you're saying on a technical level that jazz music, in some of its more far-flung explorations, abandons established notions of harmony, melody, rhythm and tonality, it can always be explained. You can always notate it, analyze it, study it, and explain it. You can break it down to vibrations traveling through the air and you can know exactly what those vibrations are doing.
You can't do that with Christian spiritual notions, because they're based on assertions of faith that require you to abandon the desire for statements of fact to be proved. It's cute, Donald Miller, for you to say that you're just not interested anymore in the intellectual/theological aspects of Christianity, but it's stupid and ignorant for you to use jazz as a point of comparison. Jazz musicians know exactly what they're doing and they can explain it to you in minute detail, and yes, they could write it down if they wanted to. It's not just getting up in front of people and blowing some BS through your instrument. That's what YOU are doing in your spirituality. Jazz music requires training, education, rigorous practice and relentless creativity. What you do requires a huge capacity for BS and evasive, circular arguments. Guess which one I respect more.
Any jazz solo can be studied note for note, analyzed, and explained. And the person who performed that solo can you tell what choices they made at every point and why, and they can base that on established musical concepts. Once you get to that point, it isn't mysterious anymore, but it is beautiful and special in a way that your unfounded, frightened faith can never be.
Book Description
An intimate guide to living a life in full, from a woman who has . . .
“Everything starts with one person . . . I don’t care if you’re 5 or 105, God from all eternity chose you to be where you are, at this time in history, to change the world.”
“If you are following God, He never shows you the end. It’s always a walk of faith.”
“Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”
—Mother Angelica
Are you unsure of your purpose in life? Stuck in the past and worried about the future? Hamstrung by fear, failure, or trials? Mother is here to help.
For more than twenty-five years, Mother Angelica has dispensed spiritual wisdom and practical advice to millions around the globe through her lively broadcasts on EWTN. Now she shares with you her personal life lessons and hilarious counsel as never before. Raymond Arroyo, author of the bestselling biography of Mother Angelica, has assembled an inspiring collection of her powerful insights, comic musings, and no-nonsense guidance for everyday living. Culled from never-before-seen interviews, private conversations, and recorded lessons not heard in over thirty years, to which Arroyo had exclusive access, these selections capture Mother Angelica’s spunky spirit and profound wisdom at their zenith.
In Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, the beloved nun is your personal mentor. Together you’ll discover:
How to find God’s Will in your life
How to pursue inspirations fearlessly
How to make sense of pain and suffering
How to spiritually overcome personal faults and trials
Created in cooperation with Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, this devotional treasury is accompanied by original prayers from Mother Angelica’s private collection. Within are the meditations, personal beliefs, and pithy life lessons that transformed a disabled child of divorce into Mother Angelica, founder and CEO of the world’s largest religious media empire. Packed with real-world hope, this little book is sure to transform your life in a big way.
A portion of the proceeds of this book goes to support the work of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery
Customer Reviews:
Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality .......2007-10-01
It's a great book and an awesome lady. She is so intellent when it comes to spirituality. I recommend the book to all. You should also read her life story.
She is a living saint.
Ken & Linda
Audio CD review.......2007-07-20
I have to admit, at first it was a little annoying listening to Raymond changing his voice to imitate Mother. He sounds much more like Jonathan Winters' "Grandma Frickert" character than Mother Angelica.
But the content of this book is of course so good that I was able to tune that out and just become absorbed in Mother's timeless wisdom. Good job, Raymond!
Wonderful Words Yet Hurtful!.......2007-07-16
Her Words are worderful, yet could be very hurtful. Since she's giving us some thoughts to think about, let me give you some thoughts to think about.
What about the family in Tacoma, Washington, whose 12 or 13 year old girl was suddenly grabbed after watching fireworks and whose dead bady was found a few days later! Should they be giving the experience over to the Lord! Don't they have the right,at least for awhile, to be FOROCIOUSLY MAD AT THE LORD before they come to the point of being able to give it over to Him or perhaps would that be an example of praying to much for ourselves as Sister likes to say so much!
What about the lady who was dieing on the floor of the convenience store and people were walking over her and some even taking pictures? Wouldn't she have the right to be TREMENDOUSLY MAD AT GOD before she could give it over to Him, or, as Sister is so fond of saying, would that be praying to too much for ourselves?
What about the rape victims, the children who are in abusive situations within their own homes, etc.? The way that she sounds is that those of us who are in trouble can INSTANTLY give EVERYTHING over to the Lord.
I'm sorry Sister Angelica, sometimes that's not possible for many reasons. Sometimes the reasons are due to Post Tramatic Stress requireing a therapist and/or psychologist for medications.
Sometimes the Lord will use various types of professionals to help bring a person to the point where he or she can give everything over to Him. Within your book, you seem to recognize the fact that we should give everything over to Him, however, you never mention the need that sometimes that requires the use professionals and sometimes, depending upon the individual involved and the type of situation, even with the use of a professionals and even prayer, it might take a year or more to completely give everything over to the Lord. Sometimes, that's just the way the Lord's made us.
A Guide to Life.......2007-07-04
Mother Angelica, through her frankness and wit, provides us answers to the questions we all seem to ask at one time or another about life. She is a genius! Read her biography as well if you can. This book will give you information on how to improve your life, and her biography will give you the motivation. Her show on EWTN was a gem. They play reruns - catch it if you can to see her in action. She is simply stunning.
Fantastically inspiring!.......2007-07-03
Arroyo does a marvelous job of compiling this beautiful and inspiring book on Mother Angelica's everyday spirituality and life lessons. You can tell he was close to her and knew how to put this all together. This book was so inspiring to me because it speaks from such a practical stand point. Her lessons are not deep and theological but practical and useful for our everyday life struggles. I highly recommend it no matter what religious persuasion you may come from!
Average customer rating:
- Carry this book with you on your spiritual journey...
- Caroline Myss at her best
- Good for some
- Lost in Translation
- get to know yourself
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Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul
Caroline Myss
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Catholic
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| Religion & Spirituality
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Mysticism
| Theology
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General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Mysticism
| Other Practices
| Religion & Spirituality
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General
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
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| Myss, Caroline
| Authors, A-Z
| Health, Mind & Body
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ASIN: 0743255321 |
Book Description
Internationally renowned motivational teacher, spiritual instructor, and popular theologian Caroline Myss has created a transcendent work of unique insight and revelation in Entering the Castle. This exciting new teaching of contemporary mysticism is also a brilliant synthesis of the psychology of consciousness and of Eastern and Western mystical traditions. Myss provides a highly original inner path to self-knowledge -- which is also the road into a spiritual knowledge of God and your own soul -- as she reveals a necessary external path, one that takes you out into the world to serve God and others as a mystic without a monastery -- without having to retreat into total silence, self-denial, or isolation.
As her main template for this extraordinary, modern spiritual journey, Myss uses the beloved, revered writings of The Interior Castle by Teresa of Ávila. Adapting Teresa's vision of the soul as a beautiful crystal castle with many floors, or mansions, and many rooms within those mansions, Myss guides us from room to room, helping us meet different aspects of our self, our soul, and our spirit -- preparing us for the ultimate encounter with God and our own divinity. Through intense practices and methods of spiritual inquiry adapted for contemporary life, she helps us to develop our personal powers of prayer, contemplation, and intuition and to ascend the seven levels of soul knowledge that build an ever stronger interior castle of our own -- a soul of strength and stamina.
As in all her books, Myss also recounts stories of profoundly moving real-life experiences -- of her own, as well as of her students and of renowned spiritual figures -- that bring home the universal truth of her insights. Presiding over the entire book and journey are the great mystics, ancient and contemporary, of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism with their inspiring lives and discerning spirits. And over all, the benevolence, truth, and gentle and tough love of Teresa of Ávila shine through.
Doubtless Myss's most deeply personal, revealing, compassionate, and transforming book yet, Entering the Castle is a comprehensive guidebook for the journey of your life -- a journey into the center of your soul. There, peace, God, and a fearless bliss wait for you to discover them...and claim them for your own.
Customer Reviews:
Carry this book with you on your spiritual journey..........2007-09-12
Carolyn Myss coined the phrase, "We are becoming mystics without monasteries", which is the essence of this wonderful book, based on St. Teresa of Avila's seven interior mansions. However, the book is not meant to be a quick read - it is a roadmap that each one of us may take into the interior place of our soul, our castle, where we can purify, blend, and distill the gold from within, so that we may shine our light out into the world. Take this along on your journey of spiritual growth and service.
Caroline Myss at her best.......2007-08-25
If you've enjoyed and benefitted from any of Caroline Myss' previous work, then definitely get a hold of this. I've always found her voice particularly reassuring and inspiring, so the CD is probably your best bet if you're like me. Entering the Castle is a fascinating modern interpretation of Teresa of Avila's most creative work. Myss's psychological and spiritual adaptation and her explanations and instructions cannot be underrated. I hesitated on this, but am glad now that I've taken the next step on the Myss journey.
Good for some.......2007-08-14
I did not care for this book, but I am giving it 3 stars because I think that it might be a valuable book for some people, especially if you are Catholic or Christian, as this really forms the basis for this book. Carolyn makes an attempt to draw in other faiths by mentioning Buddhism now and then, but she makes it clear that practices such as meditation and repeating mantras just doesn't cut it as a mystical practice. I'm sure the Buddhists & Hindus worldwide are supprised to know that they aren't *really* doing a spiritual practice. Also, if you are New Age or New Thought then you know darn well that you don't want to keep focusing on "the dark night of the soul" and all the other fearsome stuff that Myss dwells on or you're going to attract it and who wants that?
Anyway, I think there are many other ways to get closer to your God than this, but if you've already got that focus on sin, humility, surrender, redemption and such and love to journal and do lots of exercises then this might be your cup of tea.
Lost in Translation.......2007-07-29
It takes 100 pages before you enter the first mansion. Some of the material in the beginning is important, but I'm sorry, I just could not connect with the author's own personal experiences. Some of them just sounded to "new age" to me. Superficial is the word that comes to mind although I do not want to to discredit the author's experiences.
The author brings up a good point about the need for deeply spiritual people in the world. The author uses the term "monks without monasteries". It is a catchy phrase, but it confuses the purposes of different vocations. Both vocations call for personal sacrifices (a word not much used in this book), but they are directed toward different goals. The author belittles, or does not recognize the secondary function of monasteries as a conveyor belt to drive and supplement, to support and re-energize the spirituality of those working in the world. (The primary function of monasteries is beyond the book and this book review.)
It seems like the author is specifically looking for some kind of extraordinary experience of God. We all are. But St. John of the Cross and even St. Teresa of Avila herself, along with many other genuine mystics, urge not to seek, or even hope for, these kinds of *extraordinary* experiences. Although they can and do reinforce faith, they become distractions and obstacles for "the one thing necessary"--to love God for God, not for God's consolations and gifts.
There was also an alarming tone of lack of poverty of spirit throughout the book. The author waits too late to address humility in the book, and then it was a bit shallow. The author treats it almost as a drawback or turnoff to reading any further in the book. In too many places I wrote in the margin, "What about grace?" (One definition of grace, avoiding much Christian connotation, is the gift to see old things in a new way. It is a gift and not something that can be self-manufactured.) The author makes it sound like *you* yourself are responsible for working your way through all the mansions of the castle. Yes, the first couple mansions require *work* on your part, but even through these, God is still doing the *real work*. You have to show up and choose to cooperate. Yes, you have to do your homework, but only grace (energy, power, or whatever term one uses) from God will empower you to do so, not your own volition. Without sincere, deep, and total humility, St. Teresa said that it is impossible to progress through the mansions regardless of how much one wants. (Read Johannes Baptist Metz's small book, Poverty of Spirit if you really want to understand humility and realize/live true poverty of spirit.)
In a spirit of ecumenical/all-faiths dialog, the author has sacrificed the beauty and depth of St. Teresa's original, albeit Christian, metaphors and symbols. The author decides to use the word "reptiles" instead of St. Teresa's word "snakes" for evils and worldly temptations. The word "love", although loaded with connotations, seems to be used very sparingly by the author. St. Teresa's word for God, the object of her total desire and commitment, was her "Beloved". This one missing word makes entering the Interior Castle more of an abstraction or exercise of improving ones self-esteem instead of the infinitely more personal and real seeking union with God.
The questions the author asks within each mansions do assist one along the proper path as outlined by St. Teresa. One should be aware that there are many other questions (and rooms) within each mansion that have not *yet* been explored by the book. It is also important to remember that it is not a sequential, linear progression as the author notes.
The detailed imagery the author uses to describe each room and mansion may help many people, but remember the whole idea of the Interior Castle was to be a metaphor/symbol for the *real* journey. Each room and mansion is just a signpost to where you are suppose to go, to some place to visit within. Do not get attached to the signposts, to the imagery of symbols and metaphors. Since St. Teresa was an apophatic mystic, all of the words and imagery themselves will eventually have to be left behind any way in order to seek union with the God above all concepts.
If this book gives you some insight, great. But I recommend reading the original from St. Teresa. Although this author adds much helpful psychology (which is different in many ways than spirituality), too much is lost and sacrificed in the translation.
get to know yourself.......2007-07-28
this has wonderful exercises to delve into your soul. an enchanting read full of great information. a must for someone on the spiritual path!
Book Description
When governments collapse, human philosophies fail and your life is crashing down around you, Rediscovering the Kingdom will become your guide through the treacherous storms of the 21st century. All of the past ideologies have failed—humanism, communism, totalitarianism, fascism, socialism and even democracy. This is a philosophy, an ideology that will not fail, for it was bore in the heart of God Himself.
As Dr. Munroe unveils the reality and the power of the Kingdom of God, you will be challenged to the core of your religious soul as you discover realities that few have seen, let alone talked about.
Rediscovering the Kingdom will defy almost every concept you have about religion as it shifts the focus away from religion towards the ultimate issue—the Kingdom of God. In this book you will discover:
• The keys that make the Kingdom function in your life.
• Why religion cannot solve your problems.
• Why governments and world leaders continue to fail us.
• Why religion can never fulfill your deepest desire.
• Why power is the pursuit of all mankind.
• The present and future reality of the Kingdom among us.
• The original message and purpose of Jesus.
Download Description
When governments collapse, human philosophies fail and your life is crashing down around you, Rediscovering the Kingdom will become your guide through the treacherous storms of the 21st century. All of the past ideologies have failed-humanism, communism, totalitarianism, fascism, socialism and even democracy. This is a philosophy, an ideology that will not fail, for it was bore in the heart of God Himself.
Customer Reviews:
Rediscovering the Kingdom by Dr. Myles Munroe.......2007-10-02
This is a perfect book for a Christian Library. The concept is based on God Kingdom. This book is perfect to use in Sunday School classes or just for personal study. I enjoy reading it and I'm still using it as a reference.
Outstanding Book.......2007-09-24
This book changed the way I've viewed myself and introduced me to a world I never knew existed. It revealed my position as a child apart of a royal family. Thank you, Dr. Munroe. My prayer is that every child of God gets this book and discover who they really are.
Most important subject.......2007-08-14
Myles Munroe has hit on the most important subject in the bible, The Kingdom Of God. The emphasis has been on everything but the kingdom for far to long. Munroe has re-focused our attention on the importance of seeking the Kingdom of God. His unique insight on the subject gives the reader a view of the Gospel that would otherwise not be seen. Being from the Bahamas, he has lived the part of a kingdom dweller and knows first hand what it's like. He then correlates this experience with the life of a believer in Jesus Christ and what comes out is a tremendous work on 'Kingdom living'. If you're serious about your walk, this is a 'must read'.
Rediscovering the Kingdom Audio Book by Dr. Myles Munroe.......2007-08-06
Life Changing, Such a needed word for the Body Of Christ.
Kingdom Information and Impartation.
Thank You Dr. Myles Munroe for allowing God to use you to share so great truths about the Kingdom Of God.
I am finally getting past the door.......2007-06-27
This book is an illumination of truth in a world wasting away in denominational and religious darkness. I thank God for the grace to stay with my faith until this point to read a book that is so dynamic and confirms the good work that God, through His Holy Spirit, has started in me. Prior to this book I thought I was crazy or that everyone else just wasn't getting it. If it's not the off the shelf cracker box Jesus, most people don't accept the idea that our faith is deeper than just Sunday morning church. Thank God for people like Myles Munroe who take the time to spend with the "tutor" and re-discover the truth.
Amazon.com
Mention the word "grace" and what immediately comes to mind for most of us is a bagpipe wailing the solemn notes of "Amazing Grace."
The grace of which Philip Yancey writes is the freely given and unmerited favor and love of God. This grace seems a remote, almost sentimental concept, without a place in our lives or our society. It is a vague, slippery thing to us, probably because we seem to experience grace so rarely and have managed to leech the word of meaning. But Philip Yancey has set about to rescue grace in his book What's So Amazing About Grace?
This grace is the true message of Jesus. All faiths have virtues and creeds and justice and truth, but Jesus speaks merely of receiving the love that God has for us. Accepting it, not earning it or making ourselves worthy of it. And frankly, accepting something we have not earned or are not worthy of is not an easy thing for most of us.
In truth, grace is both utterly simple and utterly confounding. Little by little, Yancey guides us into a clearer understanding of grace by using stories, in much the same way Jesus did. We read stories of both grace and ungrace at work in people's lives. Sadly, it is stories of ungrace that are more prevalent today, the current culture wars painful acknowledgments of ungrace in our lives as Christians in this country. Yancey helps us understand that ungrace is that state of being in which self-righteousness and pride are a result of thinking that we have somehow earned God's approval and may now stand in judgment in his behalf.
Philip Yancey was awarded the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year award for this book in 1998 by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Readers concurred with this decision, making this book an immediate bestseller. Believers and nonbelievers alike should accept Yancey's challenge to become agents of grace rather than agents of vengeance or judgment or anger. In truth, we are each starving for grace, ready to grasp it tightly. And it is through grace that all other hungers--for justice, for righteousness, for love--are satisfied. Yancey opens his book by telling us that "grace" is the last best word, and in What's So Amazing About Grace?, he proves that he's right. --Patricia Klein
Book Description
In 1987, an IRA bomb buried Gordon Wilson and his twenty-year-old daughter beneath five feet of rubble. Gordon alone survived. And forgave. He said of the bombers, "I have lost my daughter, but I bear no grudge. . . . I shall pray, tonight and every night, that God will forgive them."
His words caught the media’s ear--and out of one man’s grief, the world got a glimpse of grace.
Grace is the church’s great distinctive. It’s the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else--for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world.
In What’s So Amazing About Grace? award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?
Yancey sets grace in the midst of life’s stark images, tests its mettle against horrific "ungrace." Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust? Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan? Should any grace at all be shown to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and cannibalized seventeen young men?
Grace does not excuse sin, says Yancey, but it treasures the sinner. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today’s AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus’ day.
In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace’s life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks, How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear?
And he challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What’s So Amazing About Grace?
Customer Reviews:
What's so Amazing About Grace.......2007-08-27
This is one of the best books I have ever read. Philip Yancey has it right. At a time when some Christians alienate people with their right wing political issues and high and mighty attitudes, Yancey has brought to light through the Bible that it is better to effect change by showing grace. Yancey gives me reason to make make a difference. I am ashamed of not showing more grace to people in my sphere of influence. Thank you Philip Yancey for your honesty concerning your own life and for giving us a book that as Chuck Colson said, "makes everybody mad".
A must for all pastors.......2007-08-13
I did not know what to expect of Yancey, I had not red any of his book prior to this one. I got hoocked after the first page.
I believe that every christian and defenetly every pastors should read this book.
We serve a God of love and as Jesus says: I will know my followers by their fruith, and the fruith is that you love one another.
As Christians we say a lot of right morally speeking, but we need to be sure we say and preach that truth in love. So many times we come across as condaming. Paul talks about that in 1. Kor 13. We can speek with human or angles language, we can know all the secretes of the world, we can have profetic gifts, we can even give our own bodies as a giving, but if we have not love....
Take your time and read this book. Use it as a thremometer to find out how warm your love is.
Frode Schanke Eikum
Feel Good Religion.......2007-07-27
One can easily see why this book has received such praise. It is full of good news, amazing stories and exposes the positive aspects of Grace in its full depth. However, I found as I was reading this book, the author drifted from the scriptural view of Grace by selectively focussing on the "good feeling" of God's Grace and avoiding the sinners state of depravity, evil and death.
Preaching only about Grace, apart from preaching the depths of sin is preaching half a Gospel. The contents of this book are great for regenerate sinners who have been through the crisis experience or people who are under conviction and have turned to the Lord. When read by someone who is not regenerate, has not had that crisis of inner conviction, who has not cried out with Paul "who shall save me from the body of death?"; this book does a grave injustice.
Sinners must become convicted of their sin. Conviction is a far different thing than "I'm sorry." Without knowledge of the depth of sin and where the sinner stands before the Lord, he cannot appreciate the full depth of Grace. It is like singing the old hymn "He took me out of the mirely clay, He put my soul on the rock to stay" and only singing the second part of the lyric. Without conviction leading to repentance the sinner will not experience salvation and God's saving Grace.
This is the trend of the "feel good religion" that may be giving false hope to sinners who have not truly repented. What is so amazing about Grace is found in the old Hymn "that saved a wretch like me." Half a gospel, like half a hymn is no gospel at all.
The author also misinterprets the interaction between Simon Weisenthal and the Nazi SS man who wanted a Jew's forgiveness. The SS man was seeking forgiveness in the world where his forgiveness needed to come from God. However, his confession before Mr. Weisenthal is part of that repentance. Grace was active and evident both ways here. Although Mr. Weisenthal, young and under extreme circumstances, left without forgiving, he evidently was touched by this incident such that it lit a spark within his soul that set him on a mission to understand Grace and find healing and resolution of his own wounds. A good scriptural interpretation of these events comes from Isaiah "A broken reed he shall not break; "A smoking flax He shall not quench." The SS man was a broken reed and Weisenthal the smoking flax. Forgiveness by Weisenthal would come in God's own time and tied in with the Grace of the healing of his own wounds. This often takes a lifetime.
Philip Yancey Does It Again!.......2007-07-22
Philip Yancy hits the nail on the head once again! Easy reading and wonderfully inspiring! Makes you feel so blessed and so full of grace! I loved every word!
Want to be stretched? Read this book........2007-07-16
Grace is such a common aspect of the Christian experience that we might gloss over a book with this title. But Philip Yancey offers an uncommon take.
If you've ever wondered why some people are turned off by the church, read this book. Yancey may echo your gut feelings. The church in the world is not about following a set of rules; it's a relationship--a grace-full relationship that God extends to us and we in turn extend to others. "Grace alone melts ungrace," Yancey writes. I think he's onto something.
Yancey reminds us of who we are as Christians: Sinners saved by (there's that word) grace. He points out that when Jesus got involved with some of the wrong people (the Gentiles, the "unclean"), he was tearing down an Old Testament principle that said, "No Oddballs allowed." And Yancey points out, Jesus replaced that principle with "We're all Oddballs, but God loves us anyhow." Therefore since God extends such grace to us, we can afford to be gracious and forgiving to others.
Yancey challenges the Christian's thinking about the relationship between politics and religion. And unafraid to broach forbidden subjects, he offers frank discussions on how his own thinking about issues in today's news has been challenged and stretched. Read this book and your ears will perk up at how often grace is mentioned in the Bible and sung about in the church--and how often we miss a chance to pass it on.
Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories about Women Who Made a Difference
Book Description
What is hell like, and how does one avoid an eternity of torment? Bill Wiese shares his unforgettable experience during which God allowed him to see and feel the agony people endure in hell.
Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned from this with vivid details etched in his memory. He records an accurate account of his experience in this book, presenting more than three hundred scriptures that verify the horrors he endured and observed.
Customer Reviews:
A must read !.......2007-10-10
This book is indeed fascinating ! It gives one a taste of what hell is like and therefore it should prayerfully lead one to dedicate their life to Christ so that they have the assurance of Heaven.
Incredible Detailed book.......2007-10-10
So often a book on someone's experience of this sort is very vague. Bill is so incredibly detailed that you actually feel like you have no further questions about what Hell is like. His descriptions are so breath taking that I highly recommend not reading this before you go to bed. Be prepared to get your socks scarred off you. I couldn't sleep for weeks after reading this book. I now purchase a number of them to hand out during Halloween. If someone wants to get scared enough to realize that God is real, the bible is accurate, and life is not to be wasted away, this is the book to read. It is life changing.
Baffled.......2007-10-06
Honestly everyone this is a must read. I can't not explain how much it touches a person, or atleast makes them think about what if? I am currently in Iraq right now for the 3rd time, and I got some down time and I read this book. Two hours and 136 pages later I was laying there baffled that I just read the whole book and enjoyed every minute of it. Not a dull moment in it at all. It makes you just want to fall down on your knee's and praise god, and tell him you love him over and over and over again. Such a good book! God Bless you all.
23 minutes in Hell.......2007-10-06
For those that might say "there is no heaven and hell" this is a good book to get for them to read...easy read and frightening..if it were me, I would pair it with "90 minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper..the two hand in hand would sum it all up. Know which destination I would choose!
Scared Straight, Are You?.......2007-10-06
I'm not going to question the motives of the author, but I will say that I've heard stuff like this called "spiritual pornography." It is titillating, and more likely than not it will generate emotions primarily geared at the gratification of self: in this case, the desire to avoid suffering. On that account, I would not automatically assume that this vision is of divine origin. If the book does not make you desire to take sufferings and sacrifices upon yourself in order to save others from such a fate, I would be doubly suspect.
The testimony in this book reminded me of the Jehovah's Witnesses who have come to my door and ask me what I thought my eternity would be like.
This is my question, fellow Christians: If you knew for a fact that you could live your life any way you liked without repercussion--that is, that you were guaranteed by God that you would have the opportunity to repent at the last minute and still obtain eternal bliss in Heaven--would you still choose to serve God as fervently as you do because you believe you might be damned if you don't?
If not, in what sense is that the love of God to which we are called? Have you not just chosen to be the resentful brother who stays home, rather than the prodigal who squanders the family fortune? While it is surely better to start serving God before your motives are the best, in the open-hearted hope that as your service of God goes on, your motives will likewise become more real, it is wrong to content yourself with a service of God that purely seeks to avoid your own suffering. It must be fairly obvious to anyone who stops to think about it that this is only a different way to serve yourself. If you are not willing to put up with vitriolic hatred, abuse, stench, heat, ugliness, pain, and even emotional desolation in order to serve God, ask yourself what kind of devotion it is that you are offering. It is not the same sort of devotion that Our Lord offered on the Cross.
Jesus didn't say, "Repent, the end is near." He said, "Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand." Please recognize that those are two very different things. The first is death; the second, life. When Jesus was asked, "Are there many who will be saved?" He didn't answer with a numerical estimate. He said, "Seek to enter through the narrow door." Think about that.
Book Description
There is a glory to life that most people-including believers-never see. In this insightful new book, John Eldredge presents the heart as central to life. Not only is the heart essential; the heart God has ransomed is also good. Building on these foundational truths, Eldredge shows readers why real Christianity is a process of restoration, where the broken parts of our hearts are mended and the captive parts are set free.
Waking the Dead leads listeners to understand how to live from the heart, care for their heart like the treasures of the kingdom, and give from fullness instead of emptiness. This message also shows how living from the heart can energize people to love God and others in a way they've never experienced, revealing to them life's purpose: fighting for the hearts of others.
Download Description
"There is a glory to life that most people-including believers-never see. In this insightful new book, John Eldredge presents the heart as central to life. Not only is the heart essential; the heart God has ransomed is also good. Building on these foundational truths, Eldredge shows readers why real Christianity is a process of restoration, where the broken parts of our hearts are mended and the captive parts are set free. Waking the Dead leads listeners to understand how to live from the heart, care for their heart like the treasures of the kingdom, and give from fullness instead of emptiness. This message also shows how living from the heart can energize people to love God and others in a way they've never experienced, revealing to them life's purpose: fighting for the hearts of others."
Customer Reviews:
Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive.......2007-08-09
This is one of my favorite all-time books. It is uplifting, encouraging, and a wonderful read. I have read it 3 times already, and look forward to going over it again. Every time I read it I get something new out of it. I have given many copies to friends and family, and recommended it to many others!
Awesome Book! Very Deep!.......2007-07-31
This book was really an eye opener. John Eldridge really hits on things that we all already know as Christ followers yet he puts things in perspective by using examples such as movies to make us aware that the glory of God is man fully alive!
A very deep book, I had to read a couple of chapters over again to get what Eldridge was saying, but I didn't mind at all because the chapters are short and it allows the reader to take in what Eldridge is trying to get across. "You are not what you think you are. There is a glory to your life that your Enemy (Satan) fears, and he is hell-bent on destroying that glory before you act on it." "The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it."
Warning! This book could change your life!.......2007-07-23
John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead" is both eye opening and soul changing. I've never heard or read this bilical perceptive and my heart was certainly ready to receive this wonderful message of God's love, hope and purpose for our lives while on earth. I'm buying extra copies soon to give to all of my friends and family!
Mandatory Read.......2007-07-23
Eye opening and crucial reading from John Eldridge. I have read Captivating, Journey of Desire, and Sacred Romance. I have loved them all, but this one is the best. I am recommending it to all my friends. The workbook that goes along with it enhances the experience and helps you to truly apply what you are learning to your life. I highly recommend you buy it!
Lifechanging.......2007-05-17
Respectfully, I simply don't care about all the 'analytical' criticism of John Eldredge, nor do I pay attention to all the overly legalistic slamming of his books. Simply put, God used this book and John to change many things in my life. I recommend this book as one of John's best! And a must read for those that are ready to step out beyond religiosity and into the "Kingdom" life that God wants us to abide in!
Book Description
Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness. In this important book, McNeal shows how great spiritual leaders are committed consciously and intentionally to seven spiritual disciplines, habits of heart and mind that shape both their character and competence:
The discipline of self-awareness—the single most important body of information a leader possesses
The discipline of self-management—handling difficult emotions, expectations, temptations, mental vibrancy, and physical well-being
The discipline of self-development—a life-long commitment to learning and growing and building on one's strengths
The discipline of mission—enjoying the permissions of maintaining the sense of God's purpose for your life and leadership
The discipline of decision-making—knowing the elements of good decisions and learning from failure
The discipline of belonging—the determination to nurture relationships and to live in community with others, including family, followers, mentors, and friends
The discipline of aloneness—the intentional practice of soul-making solitude and contemplation
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book! .......2007-07-05
This has become one of my all-time favorite books on the subject of leadership (and I've read books by some of the most well-know leadership experts).
Usually I run into two problems with other leadership books. First, some of them are just boring to me. Sometimes I have felt like I'm reading through some dry, academic work. This is not too fun--it seems counterintuitive to try to sharpen your skills with a dull book. Secondly, some leadership books are too repetitive and vague. The information kind of runs together, with one chapter looking suspiciously like the previous chapter.
McNeal's book is different. It was a joy to read, and each of the 7 disciplines made a lot of sense to me. Practicing Greatness is more about being a leader than "doing" leadership roles. This book further confirmed my decision to stay in my current ministry and continue to do something that I'm gifted for and passionate about.
I hope you'll take time to read it.
A good ministry tool.......2007-02-06
Better than your average Christian leadership book. It's neither so business-minded as to make you wonder where God is in all this, nor is it so spiritual that it neglects practical application. It challenges you to examine yourself through the Word of God and develop healthy relationships - which are often lacking most in church circles.
Excellent.......2007-01-12
This is a great book, and a must read for those looking to better themselves in the areas of leadership and life.
A quick read..........2006-11-27
Practicing Greatness is a quick read that will challenge the ministry-weary practitioner. While there are some sound principles, it's better as an introductory read for emerging spiritual leaders. It would have been nice to have more in-depth, scripturally inspired examples. Nonetheless it is a worthwhile read.
Great Leadership Book.......2006-11-10
One of the best leadership books I have read. Deals more with the person than with the tasks of leadership. Would be a great book for a group of leaders to read together and discuss.
Book Description
This is the revised edition of the original Three Battlegrounds book. Along with some slight text changes, it has an additional chapter.
This book explores the three arenas of spiritual warfare that the maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church and the heavenly places. It provides a foundation of insight, wisdom and discernment on the nature of the battle and the keys to victory.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-10-02
Not only is the author a great writer, but he possesses an insight that is rare in our day and age. I also liken this book to "A Step into Deliverance," by Toni Pugh. He deals skillfully and autobiographically about his struggle and victory over the spirit of Jezebel. I highly recommend it.
material for mature christian.......2007-09-10
This is an excellent book on spiritual warfare as a mature christian desiring to go to next level in Christ.
It will give you insight into spiritual realm and also allow you to see where you are needing deliverance,what deception you are living in.
Lies are exposed in this book and awesome truth is revealed for the believer.
Knowledge applied = Wisdom You will get this in this book!
Change of Pace from Traditional Christian Reading.......2007-08-25
I really liked the stark, in-your-face style. Too many Christian books seem vague, ambiguous, and isolated from the "real world". This was a great wake up call to the "real" spiritual war we're waging.
Excellent Teaching.......2007-07-13
Clear, precise and indepth teaching on spiritual warfare. I have bought several copies for others and continue to reread this profound book to keep these truths in the forefront of my mind and daily Christian living.
The Three Battlegrounds.......2007-07-08
This book is an EYE OPENER on spiritual warfare. I purchased three copies and am sharing it some of the members of my church. They all say they will be purchasing a copy of this amazing book for their own library. In Sister Jeannette's words, "This is a must have in my bookcase".
The author uses scripture to support each claim made in the book. A MUST HAVE for sure.
God Bless,
Vivian
Brookly, NY
Book Description
#1 bestselling author andwell-known speaker Joyce Meyer explains the ways in which God speaks- and teaches readers how to listen. In the hustle and bustle of today's busy world, sometimes it's hard enough to hear yourself think, much less to take a minute to stop and listen for the voice of God. But learning to recognize God's voice and the many ways in which he speaks is vital toward following his plan. In her book, Joyce Meyer reveals the ways in which God delivers his word-through signs, revelations, and internal confirmation-and the benefits of asking God for the sensitivity to hear his voice. By developing a tender conscience and attentive ears, readers will find peace and fulfillment as God governs each day, each step of the way.
Customer Reviews:
Must Have Book!.......2007-08-01
I really love this book (and love the audiobook even more - because Joyce Meyer really gets the point across with her great personality)
I'm not even a Christian and I love this book. It will help you tap into your inuition and learn right from wrong.
Thank You Joyce for such a wonderful book!!!
Love the book, don't love Joyce reading it.......2007-04-24
Wow was I disappointed... I love to hear Joyce preach! I love to read her books! She is so anointed! And she always speaks to me. However, maybe it's just me, but this audiotape wasn't the same. When she read the book she wrote, I found it to be dry and without life. How to Hear from God is another of her great books! Please don't discount the book if you didn't like the audiotape of it being read. I won't get another tape of her reading her books. I'll just continuing listening to her teaching tapes, reading her books, and watching her programs on tv and online.
How to hear from God.......2007-04-19
This book and the study guide that goes with it are helping me understand the word of God. Daily study with these, and other materials from the Joyce Meyer library, is enriching my life. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who are studying the bible alone, as I am.
AWESOME.......2007-03-26
I love this book! Joyce Meyer is one of my favorite authors/speakers/teachers. This book will put you on the right track in learning to do what's necessary in your life so you can prepare for a true and meaningful relationship with God. If you want to know Him better and be led by the Spirit, then buy this book!
Inspirational and Enlightening!!.......2007-02-01
I have read many of Joyce Meyer's books and I really enjoyed this book the most and in my opinion a very enlightening book as it really has helped me with my relationship with God and how he truly corresponds with us.
This is a must if you want to Hear from God!!!
Books:
- Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry
- Catching Up with Jesus: A Gospel Story for Our Time
- Celtic Traditions: Druids, Faeries, and Wiccan Rituals
- Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul: Stories to Inspire, Support and Heal (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
- Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul: Stories to Touch the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
- Chinese Primer: The Pinyin (3 Volume Set)
- Clean of Heart: Overcoming Habitual Sins against Purity
- Complete Audio Holy Bible: King James Version
- Contemporary Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice: Essays in Honor of Gilbert Geis
- Conversations with Poppi about God: An Eight-Year-Old and Her Theologian Grandfather Trade Questions
Books Index
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