I try to stay away from political books, not because I do not enjoy them, but because they raise my blood pressure. Having read Gutfeld before, I could not pass this one up. He has always been a fun read. I think the humor cushions the anger that it would normally provoke.
The premise of the book is intriguing. Cool vs. Uncool. He could have used a number of themes to say the same thing - Snobs vs. peons, socialist vs. free, Whole foods vs. Wal-Mart shoppers… and so on and so forth.
It reminded me of a TED video I watched once, (I know, I’m sorry). In this lecture the guy asked how many people knew someone who shopped at Wal-mart. I think I heard crickets. No one was so "low-class" as to even know anyone who shops there.
Gutfeld shows that the Cool not only believe they are cool, but they want to run the lives of the uncool. They want to make you cool also. This is something I have ranted about for years. A group of rich, spoiled liberals (and a few Republicans), who hate all normal people are the ones who run our country and our lives.
"It is for our own good" the liberal says. "We don't want you to get hurt so we need to make guns illegal". "We want to keep you healthy", so Cigarettes and Trans-fats are taxed or made illegal. But these people are hypocrites. The same people that try to outlaw cigarettes, legalize pot? Maybe second hand pot smoke is good for you. The same people who hate Christianity have found a new peaceful religion in Islam. The same idiots who raise taxes are caught not paying their own.
I agree with Gutfeld - leave me alone. Let me live my life. If I do not hurt anyone, why am I being punished? Like a parent who can not find out which child that busted the window, they just punish them all instead of the one that actually broke it.
This book was great. Being a Christian, I did not like some of the language, but I can overlook that a little. The message of the book is excellent - Just like High school, America consists of the cool, good-looking, but dumb people getting the breaks while the normal, smart, but ugly do all the hard work. That is why we elected a “community organizer” instead of a war hero or a religious business man for the highest office in the land. Old war heroes who move slow and boring business men just aren’t cool. A mysterious young guy with hardly any background except for skipping class in college to do drugs is way cooler!
My rant is now over. If you want a rant of your own, READ THIS BOOK!
I highly recommend this book. It my cause the veins in your forehead to bulge, but don't we need that every once in a while.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Crown Forum and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having read and enjoyed Jeremy Walker's writings before, I looked forward to this book.
"Life in Christ" is basically a book about the gospel. What must I do to be saved? Walker tells us - Look unto Jesus! It is not ourselves, our church, our family, our money, etc. It is Jesus and Him crucified! Jeremy does not stop there. He shows us what our life in Christ should look like and how God, not only changes a person, but births a new creation in them. We are not the same. We are new creatures.
This book is very understandable and easy to read. In some places I felt like I was reading a sermon from Spurgeon. Here is a small example:
"We look to Him at Calvary. There hangs the suffering, bleeding, dying Lamb. Look to Him, with the crown of thorns piercing His noble brow. Look to Him, with the blood pouring from His hands and feet, cruelly pierced with Roman nails. Look to Him as the gore drips from His wounded flesh, torn from His back by a vicious scourge. Look to Him as He bows His head in agony under the weight of His holy Father’s just anger against sin. Look to Him as He cries out from the midst of an impenetrable darkness, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Look to Him as He shouts with a loud voice, “It is finished!” Look to Him as He yields up His Spirit."
Wow, Just thinking of what Jesus done brings tears to our eyes. He took our place. He was punished for me! Like I heard an old preacher say years ago, "If that don't fire you up, your wood must be wet." What a savior we have!
I loved this book. It is not only written with sound doctrine, it also has, what Edwards called "Religious Affections". It will stir your heart toward Christ. If you need encouragement, not the feel-good self-esteem kind, but true gospel edification, this is the book for you.
I highly recommend this book to all, believer and unbeliever alike, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Reformation Heritage Books and Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
To Hear some great interviews follow these links:
http://www.janetmefferdpremium.com/2014/01/16/janet-mefferd-radio-show-20140116-hr-3/
and
http://confessingbaptist.com/podcast038/
When scanning through books to read, I came upon this gem. I had never heard of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, but the title was very intriguing. I placed it on my "to read" wish list. Then I was blessed to see it offered for audiobook review. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.
This book has to be one of the most heartfelt biographies I have read (or listened to) in a long time. Rosaria's story is not you average - "I did drugs and Jesus saved me" testimony. She was an English professor, a gay rights activist, and a practicing lesbian. She was writing a book against the christian right, when God stepped in.
When going through some love and hate mail from an article she wrote against Promise Keepers, one letter challenged her belief system and lead her to a whole different perspective. Her life did not change overnight. God dealt with her heart over a period of time. We get a glimpse at the highs and lows of her life as God dealt with her heart,
We normally see the person come to the Lord at the end of a book like this. But in this case, Rosaria is saved in the middle. We not only get a glimpses of her life without Christ, we also get to see what happens after she is saved.
Boldly honest, this book pulls no punches! The narration is preformed by the author and it is well done. Because it is her story, we hear the emotion as she reads.
I highly recommend this audiobook and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed this book courtesy of the Christian Audio review program at http://christianaudio.com and received the audio book, free of charge, from ChristianAudio.com and Crown & Covenant Publications in exchange for an honest review.
I have always thought of the Heidelberg Catechism as a strictly Calvinist document. Here, Lyle D. Bierma, convinces otherwise.
Over the years, I have read a few commentaries on the Heidelberg, but this book is a little different. It is not a commentary, per se; it is more of a history of its theology.
Bierma's thesis is that the catechism was a synthesis of Calvinism, Lutheran and some times Zwinglian theology. He believes it was an ecumenical document to be used in more than just the Calvinist Reformed churches. His arguments are precise and convincing.
In this work he takes us through each question of the Heidelberg comparing them to other catechisms and documents of the time. His goal is to prove that the origins of the wording were taken from multiple sources.
In this short but convincing work , Bierma accomplishes the task he sets out to perform. The writing is straight forth and readable. I believe the sections concerning baptism, the covenant, and the Lord's Supper are the most persuasive.
I enjoyed this book and will now look into reading, what seems to be, the companion volume, "Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism", by the same author
Though not for everyone, I recommend it and give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Westminster John Knox Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have had the privilege to read a number of books or booklets in the "Basics of the Faith" series. They have all been a great blessing and this one is no exception.
This is also the second book I have read by Barrett and I am very impressed. His writing is excellent and I will read him again in the future.
In this small book, he takes the subject of his larger volume, "Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration" and condenses it into 40 pages. Focusing on regeneration, he gives us a very understandable overview of the subject. Using scripture to back up each statement, Barrett shows us that God is the one who makes us alive. We can not birth ourselves. We are born not of the will of man, but of God himself.
He shows us the difference in the “gospel call” and the “effectual call”. The “gospel call” is the outward call while the “effectual call” is the moving of God upon the heart. We see what it really means to be "born again" and how God gives us a new heart. We also see how God opens the heart to see the things of God. Because we are born blind and in sin, God gives us light to understand and the new heart to accept it.
Even though this book is very small, it was a great read. I think this would be a great resource for those who are new in the faith and would like a short and readable explanation of what God worked in their hearts to bring them to Himself. It would also be a great introduction to regeneration for those who feel that the 429 page, "Salvation by Grace", is a little long.
I loved this book and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from P & R Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
