Hearing the phrase "Spiritual Warfare" brings to mind pictures of exorcisms and demon possession. We think of deliverance ministries or of Frank Peretti novels. For a long time we have needed a balanced view on the subject. I believe Brian Borgman has given us that balance.
Many times a book on this subject will be too far in one extreme or another. One author believes that there is a demon under every bush, and another believes that the devil does nothing today. Both of these suffer from an unbiblical and unbalanced point of view.
The book, "Spiritual Warfare", shows us that the devil is real and we are in a war. The war we are fighting is not against other people. It is against the devil himself and his angels. Using the illustration given by Paul in the book of Ephesians, Borgman takes us through each piece of the Christian’s armor, describing each part and its use. He shows us in a very practical way how to win this war.
I especially enjoyed the Appendix sections:
Appendix 1: The Sovereignty of God and Satan,
Appendix 2: Can a Christian Be Demon-Possessed?,
and Appendix 3: Christian, Pray for Your Pastors!
Borgman gives us a good understanding of the war we are in and how to win it. Packed full of encouragement and instruction, his book leaves you with more weapons than you started with.
If you are interested in the subject of warfare, this is a great place to start. Simple and easy to read, it is a great gift for a new believer.
I recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Cross Focused Reviews and Reformation Heritage Books in exchange for an honest review.
Being both a Charismatic and a Calvinist made this book a must read for me. Even though I became a Calvinist before it was cool, I have seen many of my friends over the years do the same. I did not realize that there were more like me out there(both Charismatic and Calvinist) until I started to hear a few names being thrown around.
Little by little we started seeing young men who were tired of shallow preaching and even shallower Christian books. These guys were reading books by Sproul, MacArthur, and the like. They had a heart for theology and culture. It was a breath of fresh air.
At one time, it was almost impossible to find a book on predestination, the atonement, the Puritans, or the Reformation at the local Christian bookstore. If you did get a book on one of these subjects, it had to be ordered special. Now there is a wide variety of titles readily available at almost any neighborhood Christian Bookstore. Wow how things change!
Most books written from a Reformed perspective are probably from someone considered a "New Calvinist" In this book, Jeremy Walker gives us insights into the positives and negatives of the movement. Even though I do not consider myself exactly in the "New Calvinist" camp, I would be amiss to say I did not read and enjoy their books.
I have enjoyed Piper, Keller, Grudem, and many others. In fact, I probably would have considered myself a "New Calvinist" if it were not for a few inconsistencies from some of their writers. But the writers I just listed are not the ones I am referring to.
I liked this book. It was a little like taking medicine. It tasted bad going down, but I knew I would feel better after taking it. It is easier to admit faults in your neighbors than it is in your own family. It is like the old saying, "I can yell at my sister, but you better not!"
Walker did a great job in critiquing without destroying. He spent time on both the good and bad aspects of the movement. I respect that and commend him for a job well done.
I hope this book leads to a correction in many areas and a strengthening of the body of Christ.
It was a very interesting read. The only negative I had was it should have been 1000 pages long and packed full of footnotes. But I am just being facetious.
I don’t agree with everything but still I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from EP Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Every once in a while you find a book that changes your whole perspective. Years ago, I read a book that did just that. I have reread it a number of times since. It was called "Love Your God with All Your Mind" by J. P. Moreland. This is not to be confused with the book I am presently reviewing, which is called, "Loving God with Your Mind" I refer to the former to say that Moreland's work has become a game changer in many respects.
If you are like me, I have heard sermons telling me to "quit over-thinking stuff", "God doesn't do things logically", and "Quit relying on your mind and start listening with the spirit." For too many years, much of the Church has held an anti-intellectual stand. Some preaching almost made you feel guilty to think. It would have been funny, if it had not been so tragic.
Moreland has been a great benefit to the Church. Here, a group of men who were mentored by him, give us a series of articles showing the different areas of Moreland’s writings and teaching.
Starting with the first two chapters, I thought I may be in over my head. Platonism and naturalism are two subjects that I have very limited knowledge of. After pushing through, it really got interesting. Not that the first two were not interesting; it was more my ignorance of the subject than the writing itself.
The book is divided into three parts:
1. The Building Blocks of the World
2. Thinking for Christ in the World
3. Living for Christ in the World
Parts two and three are much more accessible than the first. Understandably, part one tended to be more abstract. I think even those like me who had to push through will come to see that it was well worth the time and effort. This book was a great read and packed full of great information.
With subjects ranging from creation to happiness, there is a great variety of information to keep you reading.
I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Moody Publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
We all have dreams. We all want to make a difference in the world. But what happens if after years of hard work it just doesn't seen to be working like we imagined?
Sarah Cunningham, in this encouraging book, gives us pointers on how not to give up. She shows us that our God-given dreams are not to receive praise from people or to make us feel good about ourselves. They are given to please God and help others. Addiction to approval is not what we are called to.
Our dreams should be to please God and not people. He is the one who called us and gave us those dreams and he is the only one we should strive to please. We may not be another Billy Graham. We need to understand that the world would be worst off if it was full of famous people. If everyone was a boss, who would do the work? If everyone was a performer who would watch the show.
She shows us that God intends for us to be content whether we have achieved our goal already or not. Contentment should be in the Lord, not in our circumstances.
I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and was interesting all the way through. It was is very encouraging and I recommend it, especially to those who feel they are tired or burned out.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from Moody Publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
