Blanket Recommendations

The last book I reviewed got a mixed review from me. I said I like it--and I do. I like it because I think there's a lot of really good stuff in it. Is it the first book I would recommend? No. Definitely not. If that is the kind of book you like and Sheila Walsh is an author you have enjoyed in the past, you will probably really like it. I like her style of writing because it is easy to read. But, if I were to recommend a book about trusting God, I would first point someone to Trusting God by Jerry Bridges because I think it explains what it means to trust God better--both theologically and practically. It is deeper though and a lot more to chew on. I think Fearless by Max Lucado had a very similar message and I would also recommend it over Sheila Walsh's book. It was more scriptural and didn't read into the Word.

In reading so many books recently, I have come to realize that people are encouraged by different books and that people have different reading levels--which can affect what kinds of books they choose to read. My mom just told me this morning that her small group and her church (of 6,000 people) are going to begin reading Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life again. Is that a book I would recommend? No. It was the publicity for that book that predisposed my view of it actually way back when it was first published. I am also very skittish about books that develop cult-like followings. (Like the Prayer of Jabez).

But, my mom enjoyed the book then and is looking forward to reading it again. It has encouraged her in her walk with the Lord. I know that it has. I think there is a fine line between giving negative reviews about books (sharing concerns about the content of particular books) and causing division/making comments that are not edifying to the body of Christ. Such comments could be discouraging and feel like attacks. When we feel attacked, we also feel defensive which leads to discord.

Yet, isn't it still important that I say when I think a book is unbiblical or isn't scriptural? Yes. Is it important to point out that a book is more Christian psychology than Bible Study? Definitely yes. It is easy for us to be decieved. With Sheila Walsh's books, the wisdom that I found and agreed with was simple. It wasn't unbiblical. Did I agree with her way of going about making those points? Not really. It wasn't what I would wish for--but I agreed with her conclusions and the thoughts she wanted to encourage women with. Does that justify her means? No. But, that was why my review encourages anyone who reads the book to take those stories back to the Bible and make sure that they know what the Bible says and what it doesn't so that they don't let man's interpretation and extrapolation get confused with what God really put in His Word.

I know this probably seems like a circular argument within my own head =) And to some degree it is a back and forth argument I have with myself. But, in the end, I always take sides with the side that desires for books to be Biblical and for them to point me towards God and not man. =)

Thanks for listening to this argument I'm having in my own head!

Comparison of Verses

Tonight I was reading the Mom's Bible again (NCV) and compared this verse: NCV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is the church. 24 As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should yield to your husbands in everything. NIV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. The Message 22-24 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewis...

Grieved

Why is it that my generation (I belong to Gen X) and generations after us always seem to think that they know more than the generations that have come before us? Why is there such a lack of respect in our generation for our elders? Why do we think that the liturgy of the church and hymns are irrelevant? It is ironic to me that the emergent movement is saying that the seeker sensitive movement is irrelevant. It seems as if it was only a few years ago when it was the seeker sensitive movement that said to the traditional church that it (the traditional church) was irrelevant. I'm reading a book with all of these big words and I want to be honest--I didn't understand a lot of it. I'm not dumb. I understood most of it, but the author was assuming a lot of background knowledge on the part of the reader. Most of the time I learn deep theological concepts and then I have to store them in my "attic" (as Autumn would say) because there isn't enough room in the ...

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...

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