A Life that Should be Filled by "Days with Jesus"

Before launching into my review of Jim Jackson’s book Days with Jesus, I need to offer full disclosure – I have not yet purchased this book and did not receive it from any publisher websites. The author found my book review blog and asked that I read and review a PDF version of the book, which, obviously, I agreed to do. Without giving away too much of what will be said below, I do want anyone reading this review to know that I have placed my order for an actual copy of the book.

Jackson tells any readers that his book is a little different because he references it as a “docuvotional.” The author offers short sections to be read on a daily basis – a devotional – while also using it (along with videos on his website) to provide historical, cultural, philosophical, and social context to the events of the selected Gospel account – the documentary.

He purposefully selected the Gospel of John for this intimate look at Jesus Christ. As a trained historian, I would have selected Luke’s account because he utilized eyewitness accounts and placed them in the proper order (Luke 1:1-5). Jackson, however, took a different approach and simply explained his rationale – John was one of the inner circle of disciples and is referenced as the “one whom Jesus loved.” Thus, Jackson wanted the details of this individual who was directly there during the ministry and did not forsake his Lord during the crucifixion. It is one thing to piece together a historical account but another to write the direct biography from personal experience.

The format of the manuscript makes it easy to read by the utilization of humor; yet that format, at times, was where I struggled. For instance, I thought the chunks were too big to gain a deeper understanding of the passages. The author’s subtitle says “Part 1;” so we know other pieces are coming – just not how many. Not understanding the exact intent (is this going to be 2 books or 3), I am somewhat perplexed in what to say. Although I did not write the book, I can see this being a wonderful tool in the hands of a believer; so I would love to see this stretch to at least a 90 day “docuvotional.”

There is also a “FYI” section all the way at the end of the book, and the reader is keyed into more information through the use of an asterisk (*). I am the type of person that reads the footnotes of every book, so I would love to have seen this information at the bottom of the page rather than all the way in the back. Also, some of the info in the FYI section did not really add to the understanding of the concepts but was more about interjecting humor (i.e. the Jesus steak recipe…which was quite good!). This section needed a direct tie into the examination of “days” or it should have been stricken totally.

With my format criticism out of the way, let’s turn to the work itself. I can summarize my thoughts in this statement: the more I read, the more I liked it. His use of realistic examples resonates well with any reader and ties them into the specific passage. This easy-to-read language overcame the fact that the book started a bit slowly. Jackson then hammered home some tremendous points. In fact, look at this succinct statement of the God we serve – “While men want the pomp, power, and prestige that come with taking the presidency of a country or becoming CEO of a company, the God of the universe gets the unglamorous title of Lamb” (page 13). I will be using quite a bit of his commentary in my up and coming series for the Bible class I teach at church.

The author also has the ability to turn a short phrase with complex meanings. On page 19, he summarizes, in one sentence, what Mark Batterson spent an entire book discussing in his book Wild Good Chase – “Following God is serious business, but it is not seriously boring.” How true! God has promised to be there every step of the way on this adventure that will bring Him glory and honor. We make it through the serious journey and the frenetic pace by spending Days with Jesus.

I have been a Christian for quite some time but learned a great deal about the cultural context of this Gospel account, and those contextual frameworks add wonderful relevance to the words of Jesus. As an example, look at day 24 entitled “When the Son Shines.” Jackson points out that Jesus, in John 8:12, would have been speaking during the “lighting of the lamps” at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles. The location of the Temple meant that this area would have been lighted for the entire city to observe. Thus, Jesus’ words on broadcasting light throughout the world gained additional significance through the immediate word picture at hand.

In rating Days with Jesus, I waffled between 3.5 and 4.0 stars. I did go with the 4 stars due to the novel “docuvotional” and the common sense language used throughout. Unfortunately, many Biblical works use scholarly tones written for Biblical academicians but that is not the case in Days with Jesus. As a reviewer, I can state with absolute certainty that you must check out the website videos that accompany many of the days. In doing so, you will come to understand how and why these short vignettes pushed me over the edge to the 4 star rating. You can find them at www.dayswithjesus.com.

The book is sound Biblically and can serve as a wonderful resource for discipleship ministries with new believers; so follow my example and get a copy. Clearly, the thoughts of Jackson can assist new Christians learn and grow while also adding additional context for more mature Christians. In conclusion, my title says it all – our lives should be filled by Days with Jesus. Those chosen Days with Jesus, along with this book, are an eternal worthy investment.

The Truth about the Lordship of Christ

I have often criticized smallish theological books for their size. Typically, I have equated light with shallow because some of the deeper conversations were omitted from the manuscript thus leading to the smaller work. Well, that criticism cannot be levied against John MacArthur's The Truth About the Lordship of Christ. In this instance, mini means mighty. In taking the lead on topics of truth in a society built upon relativism, MacArthur has created "The Truth About" series. The series is currently comprise of three books -- the lordship of Christ, grace, and forgiveness -- and my sincerest desire is that many more will be forthcoming. Technically speaking, the book on grace was the first installment of the trilogy; however, I believe the lordship of Christ must be the centerpiece of the series. After all, if you do not believe in the lordship of Christ, the offer of grace from His sacrifice on the cross will not matter to you. MacArthur does not provide a flowery or catchy introduction for the reader. He opens with three provocative sentences: (1) Christians have many reasons to rejoice, (2) God's sovereignty over all things it the major one, and (3) His sovereignty is the most significant truth about God in all of Christianity. There's no fluff in those statements and he has immediately launched into the truth about His lordship. Later in this opening chapter, he brings in tough matters and ultimately resolves them with philosophical simplicity: if you believe in God's sovereignty, then you recognize your own simplicity; so, since God's ways are higher than your ways, you must trust in Him and His lordship. The progression of the work is natural: Lordship of the universe and then our lives. This lordship in our lives leads to several present factors (daily submission, holy living, confession, and restoration) and a future reality -- the ultimate destination of an eternity with God. Clearly, the thoughts are well-reasoned, clearly defined in Scripture, and provocative. My favorite quote from the book overlaps pages 32 and 33: "spiritual passion is not the norm. The norm is not to let Christianity disrupt your lifestyle. If you follow that, your spiritual temperature will drop and you'll become apathetic." In those short sentences, he has diagnosed the problem with modern Christianity that the title of the book (Lordship of Christ) can quickly resolve. 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.”

He Chose the Nails

He Chose the Nails, by Max Lucado (LUH-KAY-DO….read the book and you’ll understand the pronunciation assistance) has produced a rather interesting look at Christ’s death. He unpacks the different elements of the crucifixion – the nails, crown of thorns, garments, ridicule, etc. – and explains their importance for the Christian. He digs into the minutiae of the event which we are guilty of overlooking due to familiarity with the story. I enjoyed this read because Lucado has a wonderful gift of turning a nice phrase – what I call a “snippet statement” – and that ability forces them into your memory. As an example, read chapter 14 because this entire chapter is one of these “snippet statements.” These wonderful phrases are the delight of the book and reveal his ability to convert complexity into simplicity. My only complaint is the size of the book. As quotable as Lucado is, I would love to have seen more depth in the analysis of these implements. Bringing in historical context of these items would have added much more to his overall goal. The book is only 151 pages, but it, in fact, is much less. The actual text starts on page 3. Further, the transition between chapters takes at least 2 pages (and sometimes 3); therefore, the actual text, with its 15 pages, hovers around 120 pages. I do understand this was a light treatment, but I simply craved more depth because the author piqued my interest. I do like how the book was ended – with study questions for each chapter. These allow the reader to dig further into Scripture and to go beyond what Lucado placed into his short chapters. Overall, the book is accessible, easy to read, interesting, and worth your efforts at reading. It will take you no time at all to breeze through He Chose the Nails; however, I suggest two readings. The first would be a quick read to cover the breadth of the book. The second read, however, should be more deliberate and slow. I encourage you to use this as a 15 day devotional prior to Easter and to couple it with the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. 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.”