Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Book Review: Our Last Great Hope: Awakening the Great Commission by Ronnie Floyd

The word *hope* has been thrown around a lot over the past few years, and it seems to me that it may have lost some of its meaning.  When the *hope* that people think they are getting turns to dismay, disappointment, and disillusionment, it may be a wake-up call that the focus is not on the Messiah.

Ronnie Floyd, a pastor, has recently written 
Our Last Great Hope: Awakening the Great Commission.  While the "last great" part of it may seem rather fatalistic, in a greater sense, it is.  He wants the reader to appreciate that there are millions (or perhaps billions) of people dwelling on earth who have not heard the good news and are not saved.

His argument is that rather than tithe, pray for a handful of missionaries, and move on with your life, you should be active--evaluating yourself and your commitment, engaging and enthusing your church, "talking" Jesus daily, and reaching the next generation now.

As someone who routinely tutors "the next generation" and has conversations with them about their priorities, their goals, and their lives, I can attest that this is one of the greater challenges.  As the author expresses, however, it is Our Last Great Hope.

I think this book would be especially useful when read as a group -- women's or men's groups at church, church leadership, college-age group, or any other similar group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Book Review: Has God Spoken? by Hank Hanegraaff


In Has God Spoken?, Hank Hanegraaff, “the Bible Answer Man” turns his attention toward the attacks on the reliability of Scripture.  He does so through catchy (if sometimes forced) alliteration and acronym-filled arguments while sprinkling in the occasional pop culture reference, possibly to lighten the mood from what he fears may be getting too academic (though I obviously can’t predict his reasoning).

Hanegraaff opens the book by stating the problem of popular attacks on Biblical inerrancy, specifically citing Barak (Obama), Bart (Ehrman) and Bill (Maher) among a “procession of political pundits, professors, and public personalities” that call into question its reliability.  (I told you he liked alliteration.)

Having established the attacks, Hanegraaff proceeds to answer some key questions while providing evidence, utilizing the tool of acronyms for memory purposes.  He offers MAPS to follow in this debate - Manuscripts, Archeology, Prophecy and Scripture.  These main headings he breaks down further.  I’ll discuss them briefly.

Manuscript COPIES – Copyist practices, Oral culture, Papyrus and parchments, Internal evidence, External evidence and Science of textual criticism.  In this section, Hanegraaff offers a look into the stringent practices of historical copyists of Scripture while examining the impressive precision of oral tradition in cultures that thrived upon it.  He also points out the many pieces of manuscripts and early dates of them while marveling at the harmony within Scripture and historians’ support of what Scripture says. 

Archeologist’s SPADE – Steles and stones, Pools and fools, Assyrian archeology, Dead Sea Scrolls and Epic of Gilgamesh.  Hanegraaff points out that other religious writings, the Book of Mormon for instance, make many claims about places and events that simply cannot be backed up archeologically.  The Bible stands in stark contrast.  Many of its places have been excavated and archeology is time and again revealing that Scripture is accurate in what it says.

Prophetic STARS – Succession of nations, Typological prophecy, Abomination of desolation, Resurrection prophecy, Superstar ABCs.  Pointing to various prophecies and their fulfillments, Hanegraaff highlights the impressive track record of Scripture.  From the notable progression of national powers offered in the book of Daniel to specific prophecies regarding the Messiah, he lays out events that could not happen simply by coincidence.

Scriptural LIGHTS – Literal principle, Illumination principle, Grammatical principle, Historical principle, Typology principle and Synergy principle.  Having used Manuscript Copies, Archeologist’s Spade and Prophetic Stars to illuminate the reliability of Scripture, Hanegraaff focuses this last chapter on ways in which one may read and study Scripture well – interpreting it accurately and applying it faithfully.

For a layman, this book is a good starting point.  It will bolster your assurance in the reliability of Scripture, offering sound reason for believing the truth that is found in the pages of your Bible.  However, it falls short in what seems to be Hanegraaff’s main claim, to provide a sound, academic defense of inerrancy.  Before you stone me as a heretic, let me explain. He repeatedly alludes to Bart Ehrman, a notable professor who writes and teaches against the accuracy of Scripture.  Hanegraaff also uses some very technical terms for textual criticism, terms which he uses incorrectly and which are very familiar to Ehrman (and any other textual critic regardless of whether they side for or against inerrancy).  If Hanegraaff were to enter into an academic debate with Ehrman using the material he presents here, he’d be torn to shreds.  That said, if you’re looking for an academic discussion, this is not the book you’ll choose, for the casual reader concerned about the reliability of their Bible, this is  a great place to start.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Book Review: God's Love Letter's to YOU, By Larry Crabb

God's Love Letters to You, a 40-Day devotional experience by Dr. Larry Crabb, is one of the best devotional books I've read. In fact, I didn't want to read just one a day as intended. Dr. Crabb is a well-known Christian psychologist, teacher and speaker, and he uses his background to inspire us into real conversation and thoughts with the God of the Bible. Using personal letters from God (straight out of the Bible) to us, he is challenging us to hear the love story God is telling us, and to awaken our souls with God's word of life. After each day's devotional, there are also moments to reflect and a short prayer. I particularly recall day 17: Jonah Where God demands our cooperation. Dr. Crabb reminds us that God says, "We are to grow up. Our days of naive worship and shallow intimacy are over. We are wrong to demand GOD's cooperation with our understanding of life. Because God loves me and because His plans are for my good, He demands that I cooperate with Him. There is no other way to enjoy His Presence. When life hits a bump that God could smooth but doesn't, will I countinue to think that God should surrender His wisdom to mine and do what I think best?" Oh what a mess I would be in then. As a good friend of mine would say, "Oh me, Dennis!" 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”