Tag: Where is God

If God is Good By Randy Alcorn (a Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn books, UncategorizedLeave a comment

If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil is by far one of the best books I have ever read on the subject of evil and suffering.  Randy Alcorn is a very skilled writer and takes on this difficult subject in a way that answers questions, provides hope, and points the way forward for those who find themselves in the midst of suffering.  Randy writes to a broad audience balancing the full counsel of scripture with scholarly philosophical arguments, while noting the suffering of individuals and sharing their stories of faith (or lack their of) in the midst of suffering.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.  For those who are suffering, you will find a challenge to think through the pain, see past the false accusations and gain insight on how to grasp hold of God in the midst of your darkest hour.  For those who are not currently suffering, you will encounter suffering in your life. Why not have a good resource already on the shelf and walk through the issues before you get there?

This book has already been a great use to me in gaining perspective on suffering.  I give it my highest recommendation.  To my knowledge it is the best written, easy to reference, and most concise book on the subject of suffering.  The retail price of If God is Good is $24.99 (Paperback), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $16.49. I gave it five stars.

If you pick up a copy somewhere or know of a similar book on the subject, let me know.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy ofthis book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.”

Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

I am praying for Pete Wilson and his church today as they face the clean up efforts around their city of Nashville.  Pete commented on his blog (www.withoutwax.tv) that it was quite ironic that his book, Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? would come out the day after one of the worst natural disasters his city has ever seen. I see it as providential timing.

True to its title the book is about moving on and trusting God when we are caught off guard by the circumstances of life.  Pete has a personal and engaging style in writing.  He draws the reader in with his personal stories of setbacks, heartache, and seeming failure. Then in the midst of the story he applies the healing balm of God’s word most often by examining the life of a Bible character.

I really liked the book and appreciated the author’s engaging and transparent writing style.  I had minor disagreements with a few statements on a theological level, but the statements weren’t made as theological observations as much as running commentary on life events and were easily dismissed.  I think the book is a great read and a timely for what many people are facing in Nashville and other places today.

We are continuing to keep Nashville in our prayers.  If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Plan B, the retail price is $14.99 (Paperback), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $10.19.  I gave it four stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger 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.”

Book Review: “Where is God,” By Dr. John Townsend

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

Where is God by Dr. John Townsend is not all that I expected it to be.   Quite frankly there are better books on the topic available in the market.   The author does an excellent job of taking the reader through a series of questions and shares great clinical insight from years of practice.  However the real insights don’t begin until near the end of the book.  It seems as though I was sitting down with a friend to hear his latest thoughts on why God allowed suffering.

I enjoyed the wisdom I gained from Dr. Townsend’s years of clinical experience, the few references to scripture, and the stories of practical expression of the question, “Where is God?”  A book like this aimed to be, needed to be grounded in scripture, up to date on relevant study and written by a man with years of clinical experience.  In the end I felt as though only the last requirement was satisfactorily answered.  Though Dr. Townsend has a well respected name in his field of work, I fear that is all that was driving this book.  Though I agree with him in many areas he left too much unfounded and unsaid. I have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.  For a topic this large a more complete treatment was necessary.

Where is God? is a book to read for anyone very unfamiliar with the scriptures and searching for a starting point. The retail price is $22.99 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $15.63. I gave it two stars.

Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a free review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.