C.R. Mooney

It’s been said that you can learn a lot about a man by the company he keeps, if that truly is the case, A.W. Tozer was a great man.  From evangelists and preachers, to mystics and monks, James Stuart Bell gathered excerpts from the books that shaped Tozer into one of the greatest preachers of his generation.

“From the Library of A. W. Tozer” has a great index so you can quickly find writings of interest, as well as a list of publications that were used, many of which I will be adding to my library.

The selections are only a couple pages, which makes it great for devotional reading.  The content is so rich, I couldn’t consume more than that at a time anyway.  This will be a staple in my library, and something I will pick up over and again through the years.

So go and get a copy of this one, because there’s no way you’re borrowing mine.

Buy here.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers who provided this copy to me free of charge for review.  A positive review was not required.

There are few things in American culture that everyone will agree on, but one is that slavery is wrong.  The mention of it brings up images of horror, oppression, and disgust from our country’s past.  So when I saw the cover of John MacArthur’s new book, Slave, I was put off by the solid black dustcover and white text.   Really?  I’m not sure how that one got through marketing.

That aside, this book defines the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  In Slave, MacArthur uncovers a truth that opened my eyes to the level of commitment and obedience God expects of us.  Many times I have heard the phrase; you cannot serve two masters (God and the devil) and thought it at least plausible that you could.  Throughout the New Testament, the word “servant” should have been translated “slave”.  Wow.  That makes sense.  There is no way that you could be the slave of two different masters.  None.

John MacArthur also does a masterful job of redefining “slave” in the context of the Roman culture in which it was written, thus removing the stigmas that have been ingrained in American culture.  This book so impacted me, that I offered my copy to my pastor.  Get this.  Read it.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze for allowing me to blog-review this book, and providing a copy free of charge.  A positive review is not required.

Gray Matter – David Levy, MD.

One of my favorite TV shows is House (NBC), so when Tyndale Publishers gave me the opportunity to review a book by a neurosurgeon, I couldn’t pass it up.  In Gray Matter, Dr. David Levy documents his journey of adding care for the individual’s spiritual needs into his medical practice.

He begins with asking patients if he can pray with them before surgery, progresses to talking some patients through forgiveness and releasing bitterness as part of their overall health.  Each Chapter recounts several surgeries with incredible detail, and how patients and colleagues react to the unexpected request from Dr. Levy to pray.

Dr. Levy also gets quite personal, sharing some of his failures, and how he coped with not being able to help everyone, despite his best efforts.  His stories are filled with faith and hope and have inspired me to step out and ask those I am in contact with everyday if I can pray with them.

Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary ARC of Gray Matter.

I love God, history, and random facts, so when I saw this title available for review at BookSneeze, I had to get it.  I was not disappointed.  It is set up as a 366 day daily reader and is filled with stories spanning two thousand years of Christian history.   Some stories are sobering accounts of martyr’s and other persecuted saints, while others are tidbits like ushers poking sleeping parishioners with poles during service.  I found it easy to read, and liked that it wasn’t a chronological text of Christian history.

On This Day in Christian History was so fun and educational, I read a month’s worth in one sitting on several occasions.  I recommend this for you, or as a gift for a friend.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze for allowing me to blog-review this book free of charge.

Today’s political environment is quite polarized, so when I saw the title, “Uncle Sam’s Plantation,” I had to get a copy.  I didn’t know anything about the author other than the blurb, so I wasn’t sure what side she taking.  Was she was accusing the government of enslaving America’s poor, or did she feel she was a victim.  I had to know.  Star Parker surprised me.  What I thought might be loose accusations and opinionated theories turned out to be her life experiences and a concise history of black America.

Parker lays a foundation by defining the different types of poverty, and the mentality of those making up the different classes.  She moves on to her personal story of profiting from the welfare state, to making her way to personal and financial independence.  Her change came when she realized she was owed nothing, and responsible for her actions and life.

The next several chapters are a treatise of eighty years of the government’s best intentions to help the lower class.  Sometimes our best intentions are not the best policies, and many have had a reverse affect and enslaved entire generations to dependency on the government for the necessities of life.

Parker contends that the solution to the poor rising out of their poverty is not more legislation, but in the government returning freedoms to the people, and in the return of the core values of the traditional family.

I enjoyed Uncle Sam’s Plantation, and found it quite informative.  It exposed me to parts of American history that I was not aware of, and to issues I chose to overlook.  I agree with Parker in that the war on poverty cannot be won with more legislation and bailouts.  There will always be poor among us, but we would be better served by empowering and giving incentives for them to be independent of handouts instead of encouraging it.

I recommend this book and will hold onto it for my kids to read.  I would be interested in reading something of the opposing view though.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze for allowing me to blog-review this book free of charge.

Dr. David Jeremiah’s subtitle implies that his book is going to help explain current world happenings in light of Biblical prophecy, however I believe a more accurate subtitle would be “10 Opinions Why I Believe The World Is Going To End In My Lifetime.”

Some of this text is well written and researched, like his history of the Middle East and rebirth of Israel as a sovereign nation, but it pretty much ends there.   Some of his prophetic clues are vague speculation at best.  One example is prophetic clue two, the possibility that Israel is sitting on one of the world’s largest oil reserves.  He cites two verses, and the remainder of the chapter is dedicated to “what if” speculation.

Clue five is “Without a Trace” otherwise known as the rapture.  This chapter lays out his timeline with the rapture of the saints coming before the Tribulation.  I am not sure how this is a clue as to what is going on in the world today, unless the rapture has already occurred, and we are now in the Tribulation.

Another of his clues is that the United States is not mentioned in the Bible.  Again, I still am not sure how that is a clue of what is going on today.

I found this more to be an explanation of Dr. Jeremiah’s eschatology than a guide to what is going on in the world today.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze.com for allowing me to blog-review this book free of charge.

Venom and Song is the second book in the Berinfell Prophecies Series by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.  It continues the story of seven elf lords who were kidnapped from their world as babies and hidden on earth by the Spider King.  In book one, Curse of the Spider King, the children are discovered by their own kind, and return to their world, Allyra, to defeat the Spider King.

Venom and Song follows the young lords as they train for and battle the Spider King and his forces.  Along the way they deal with the trials of transforming into a team of warriors, the pressure of being royalty to a people they have just met, and the betrayal of those that were to be trusted.  This story has a great flow, and is ripe with suspense and twists.

Book two picks right up where book one ended, so I believe that if you have not read the first, you may find it hard to keep up with the many characters, especially when the seven lords are referred to by both their earth and elf names.   Also, some of the characters disappear for awhile, probably a product of page limitations.   The characters were fun to follow, and the creatures and people of this world were well crafted.

There is quite a bit of violence in this, which is fine for me, but possibly not suitable for younger kids.

I loved this story, and I hope that there is a book three available soon.   I will be holding onto this one for my kids to read.

I received a free copy of this for review courtesy of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program.

It has been said that if you want to be successful, you have to surround yourself with successful people.  If you are like me, you may not be not privy to such a selection of friends.  “Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life,” by Bryan Curtis, a book of quotes from some of the most successful people past and present, allows you to immerse yourself in their way of thinking.

I found “Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life” to be informing, inspiring, and convicting.  You can see how those quoted knew not only how to dream, but what it takes to fulfill those dreams.  Many quotes offer some discerning words to those who need motivating to achieve their own dreams.

While the book is not organized into chapters or themes, I still find it a great read.  One other thing I would like to have seen is a reference page for the quotes.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for inspiration and motivation, or as a gift to someone you want to impart them to.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze.com for allowing me to blog-review this book free of charge.

Where Is God?: Finding His Presence, Purpose and Power in Difficult Times

There are several pressing times in my life when I had to ask, “Where is God?” Dr. John Townsend tries to help answer this question in his book.

For me, “Where is God?” starts very slowly. I understand that he is building a foundation for his later points, but it just dragged on forever.

Honestly, I tried to write this review several times trying to highlight parts I liked, and other than his answer for, “How does a loving god allow suffering,” and the list of recommended reading at the end, the book did nothing for me.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to blog-review this book. You can’t win them all.

If you surf around the blogosphere very much, you may have run into Jonathan Acuff’s blog, stuffchristianslike.net.  His site is a fresh and hilarious look at things we (Christians) like that can get in the way of our relationship with God.  His blog got popular enough, made it into a book:  “Stuff Christians Like.”

I just finished listening to the audiobook (available at christianaudio.com) and my review is simple:  Awesome!

I read quite a bit, and very few books get the five star treatment, but Acuff has earned it.  His humor in essays like “Booty, God, Booty” and “Understanding how metrosexual your worship leader is” (Christopher, we need to talk, lol) is perfect anesthetic for him to slip in honest, convicting truth.  I would describe his style as Donald Miller meets Matthew Paul Turner.

This book is great for both Christians and non.   It’s like Acuff is fishing on a lake, and he sends his lure down into the lake.  The Christian fish can’t resist the sarcastic humor mixed with truth, so they latch on immediately.  Meanwhile, the non Christian fish are laughing it up, “See, we told you this Christian gig was a trap!”  Then, with masterful precision and sleight of hand, Acuff lays out the Truth like a stick of dynamite and cleans out the lake.

What are you waiting for?  Go get a copy. Clicking the pic will get you there.