The Hope...and It's not Happiness

31 Days to Happiness:  How to Find what Really Matters in Life, by David Jeremiah, is a solid book that every Christian should read.  Before jumping into the review, understand that this book was previously released under a different title -- Searching for Heaven on Earth.  In my opinion, the previous title is the one that should have remained; however, that decision was the author's or the editor's to make.  Either title fits, but my preference is the former.

Simply put, 31 Days is an in-depth examination of the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes.  While it falls into the "wisdom literature section" of the Bible, Ecclesiastes can be a rather depressing book as it constantly references the worthlessness of things on earth.  The only true satisfaction that we can find is when it is given to us by God through His grace.  For that reason, I believe the former title was  a better fit because searching for "heaven on earth" is impossible without God. 

As the title implies, the book is neatly divided into 31 chapters, so that any reader can consider one chapter a day.  Think of that -- you can read through Ecclesiastes and gain direct life application in one full month.  Dr. Jeremiah has a unique ability to transform complex and gloomy passages into thought-provoking and challenging ideas.  I am not saying that he is improving upon God's Word, but he does have the knack to apply God's Word into our daily lives. 

If you are looking to build a resource library on the books of the Bible, you cannot neglect this one for Ecclesiastes.  I am not going into great detail about the exegesis -- which is sound -- but I do want to implore you to get this book.  Unfortunately, other than the first few verses of chapter 3, Ecclesiastes is generally avoided but its lessons are valuable for the modern-day Christian.  As the title of my review says, the hope...it's not happiness!

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.”

Jesus: An Actor on Stage in the Old Testament Story

David Murray's book Jesus on Every Page is a good read for any believer looking to have a 10,000 foot survey of the Old Testament.  The entire purpose of his book is to ensure that Christians know and understand that Christ can be found throughout the Old Testament -- if we only look for Him.  Murray, quite correctly, says that far too many sermons are from the New Testament because many (if not most) Christians sigh in despair when an Old Testament text is implemented.

The book can be divided into two parts.  The first is what Murray calls his "Emmaus Journey," and it reflects his own experiences of deciding to seek Christ in the Old Testament.  The second part of the book is the breakdown of how Christ can be seen in the following:  creation, characters, law, history, appearances, prophets, types, covenants, proverbs, and poems.

I believe his section on typology and the Proverbs where his strongest points.  Typology can be a rather stale and rigid study, but Murray breaks this down to the point that a lay person can understand what he is saying.  He offers solid points that can be utilized by a student of the Bible resulting in a deeper understanding of the Word of God (as it relates to Christ in the Old Testament). 

His parsing of the Proverbs was equally astute.  You simply must read and take note of pages 180 and 181 because Murray offers an absolutely wonderful sentence that explains how Christ would have been seen in each Old Testament section by Israel.  I am not going to give this away, but it is worthy of transcribing into the front page of the Old Testament in your study Bible.

The author is clearly skilled at alliteration -- all of his chapter titles are alliterated as are nearly all of the sub-points related to the chapter titles.  At times, the alliteration seems somewhat forced and that diminished the true message behind what he was intending for the reader. 

Despite that fact, I appreciate his overall attempt at strengthening our viewpoint of Christ in the Old Testament.  This manuscript is a good read and is worth your time. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® 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.”

Spark -- No Fire, Just Smoke

Spark, by Jason Jaggard, is one of your normal self-help books that flood the market every year.  Jaggard supposedly operates from a Christian worldview (this book was published by Waterbrook Press); but, strangely, that worldview lacks much mention of Jesus Christ.  For instance, he says that he does not know where to start in order to hear God's voice.  A person from a Christian worldview would provide the easy answer -- searching the Scripture and solitude with the Savior.  Thus, the blog title explains my overall view of the book -- no fire (a vibrant relationship with Christ that makes all the difference) just smoke (a me-focused, works-oriented "let's treat the symptoms rather than diagnosing the illness" motif).  Allow me to expand upon this further and show you what I mean.

In the conclusion of the book, Jaggard says that God's "favorite gift" that He gives us "is the opportunity to serve others" (p 193).  Not so!  His favorite gift that He gives us is restoration of the relationship with Him.  If there is no redemption, then our service does not matter because it is empty and powerless.  His favorite gift is the most expensive gift that has ever been given -- the sacrifice of His only Son on a cruel cross to pay the penalty for our sin.  Not only that, but He conquered death meaning that we have nothing to fear IF we trust Him.  Our choice of Him, not the world, is the difference that this world desperately needs:  He is the Spark of change.  We can do nothing long-lasting and meaningful for this world, of a redemptive and transformative purpose, until He has first changed us.

I could provide further examples of the point above (i.e. a gap between the final paragraph on page 204 and the first paragraph at the top of page 205 that totally omits the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus); however, I will turn to other matters.  Jaggard redefines Biblical terminology in order to fit his book -- holiness becomes inspiration, faith becomes risk, love becomes compassion, and hope becomes optimism.  While that is dangerous ground, a bigger issue is the focus on spiritual "balance or equilibrium" (p 108).  These terms are not defined meaning that the reader can form their own opinion.

Having gone through rehabilitation for an ACL replacement, I had to to relearn balance; and those physical therapists did some rather interesting things to restore something that we take for granted.  In that whole process, I learned that core strength is absolutely vital for balance.  The same is true within the spiritual realm -- our core strength is developed through detailed study of God's Word.  That admonition is lacking throughout Spark, meaning that the results are simply going to be smoke not the desperately needed fire.  The game-show Survivor, at its regular tribal councils, has taught us that "fire represents life.  Once your fire is gone, so are you."  There is no true life without Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Yes, I am not rating this book very highly, but I do want to offer this disclosure -- even with the worst book I have ever read (this is NOT it), I did glean some positives, and Spark is no different.  There are some great one-liners in the book (p 201:  "relationships die the moment one person stops believing that the other person can grow") but they do not counter-balance the sorely-lacking and necessary foundation.

In sum, this book falls short of truly igniting a fire.  Jaggard does consistently plug his company and the methods they use to encourage healthy risk-taking through their "Spark Groups."  If you want smoke, this book can help produce it; however, if you are truly looking for a vibrant fire, then you need to look elsewhere for assistance in that area.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  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 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Leading by the Book

Zondervan, as a publishing company, has commissioned and produced the NIV Leadership Bible.  The aesthetics of this Bible are wonderful.  Mine was a "duo tone" Italian leather with shiny, golden trim on the pages.  I was shocked at its visual appeal because, quite frankly, I anticipated a simple hardback Bible.  When you see it, the Bible will clearly capture your eyes.

This version of the New International Version (NIV) is the Updated Edition.  If you carefully read the preface, you will come to understand why the words "updated edition" are included in the title.  The New International Version, as a translation of the Scriptures, was originally completed in 1978 with a revision released in 1984 by the Committee on Bible Translation.  In 2005, however, another revision was done and is often called Today's New International Version (TNIV).  This leadership Bible incorporates the original AND the latest revision to for this Updated Edition.

Before I launch into other opinions on this leadership-themed book, I want to stop and announce an immediate bias -- I am not a fan of the New International Version (NIV) as a translation.  While I grew up in a King James Version only church, that opinion is not one to which I hold.  My particular preference is a "word-for-word" translation from the ancient texts rather than the "thought-for-thought" approached utilized by the NIV.    The former method is often referred to as the literalist approach while the latter, used by the NIV, is called "dynamic equivalency."  In other words, the KJV, NKJV, RSV, ESV, and NASB create their version by direct word translation while the NIV goes for a broader method of translation by focusing on thoughts not words.  To me, the thought methodology interjects more of man's interpretation onto the text than the word translation would.

With that preference or bias stated upfront, I knew that this leadership-themed Bible was the NIV -- the leadership motif is what captured my attention.  The Bible offers a 52 week leadership study that is wonderful for work.  They claim it takes 15 minutes a day and has "home pages" that guide you throughout the Bible for your studies in leadership.  It is easy to use and can be done in roughly 15 minutes.  I highly suggest that you place this Bible on your desk at work and start every day with the leadership studies.  If we are going to be Christian leaders, we must understand that we take our sacred beliefs into a secular world every day.  Those few minutes of focus, using this tool for leadership development, is a great way to start your work day.

The tag line of the Bible is the title of this review -- Leading by the Book.  My dissertation focused on the need for Christian leaders to consult the Bible for their learning on leadership.  If God's Word is enough for us to trust for our eternal destiny, then it certainly is enough for us to gain and grow as leaders.  I am not knocking all of secular scholarship on leadership; but if we adopt the ways of the world, we will get the same results of the world.  We must focus on THE book that provides THE truth in all things and focus on THE definitive source of leadership scholarship - God's Word.

For instance, I also own a NKJV of the Bible that is put out by John C. Maxwell.  It is his leadership Bible and is peppered with references to his other books and articles.  His intent is, no doubt, to develop readers but the approach is different than this NIV Leadership Bible.  Rather than plugging other human works, the themes and principles are Bible-based.  Despite my version bent away from the NIV, the editors of this leadership Bible have done a great job with the leadership approach.

I do have one suggestion for Zondervan -- put the words of Christ in red.  I know that many newer Bibles have moved away from that piece; however, I do like it.  While I recognize that is a preference, it would make my reading experience even more enjoyable.

In summary, my only gripes on this Leadership Bible are related to personal preferences.  If you like the NIV and want to develop as a spiritual leader (whether in a secular or sacred vocation), this leadership Bible will help you do just that.  Lead and be sure to lead by the Book!

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.”

 

Fearless in Paperback -- Same Great Story with a Few Additions

Eric Blehm’s Fearless is a book that I reviewed when if first came out.  At that time, I said it was "one of the best books I have read in recent memory.  Adjectives that I would use to describe it are:  riveting, inspirational, gutsy, patriotic, and redemptive."  To this day, I stand by that initial review. 

Coming out in paperback, Blehm has added a new section at the end of the book called "Adam's Legacy."  These few pages are selected comments that were sent to the author and/or the Brown family.  These go on to show how powerful an effect this book can have on people.  They provide a nice book-end to the manuscript as evidence of how character can touch other lives. 

It is rare that I review a book and do not offer any sort of criticism, but, quite honestly, Fearless is one such book.  The author did a masterful job of weaving together the whole story of an American soldier that ultimately gave his all for you and me.  While the writing demonstrates clear skill of the author, the material is rich and engaging for any reader.  Clearly, the compelling life of Adam Brown carries the reader through a roller coaster of emotions and the story does not end with his all-too-soon departure from this earth.  

The story traces the life of Adam Brown and shows his intense love for his home state of Arkansas.  A reader comes to understand that his character was forged at an early age including his penchant for danger (i.e. reenacting a movie scene of jumping off a bridge from a moving car) and sense of justice.  Somewhere along the way, due to some “friends” he associated with, Adam was sidetracked through addictions.  The greatest challenge of his life was overcoming that addiction even though he had the woman of his dreams and pursued his life’s dream of becoming an elite Navy SEAL. 

You learn about the rigorous and grueling training that must be endured to become a SEAL team member.  Although training accidents slowed his progress, Adam’s determination moved him forward closer to fulfilling his passion.  He had to step back and retrain himself in many areas to overcome those obstacles.  The author interjects some interesting anecdotes about Adam that quickly reveal why others thought so highly of him – all I can say is “fire ants” and will leave the rest for you. 

Ultimately, though, Brown’s story is one of redemption.  After hitting rock bottom and sitting in jail, he gives his life to Christ and accepts the free gift of salvation.  Yet, the circumstances of his life do not become prosperous and rosy.  He still struggles with his internal demons related to drug addiction, and he faces multiple setbacks along the way of making it onto Seal Team SIX.  Love, commitment, and teamwork ultimately helped him overcome but the struggle still remained.

This book is not just for military enthusiasts.  It can be used to help those battling with addictions.  It can be used to teach leadership lessons.  It can be used to engender a better appreciation for our men and women in uniform.  It can be used to show the powerful meaning behind the words often contained in wedding vows:  “in good times and bad.”  It can be used to impart tough love needed as a parent.  It can be used to encourage those going through difficulties.  It can be used to provide the importance of enjoying every waking moment of life and those that you love.

Please, get a copy of this book.  Read it and share it with others – you will not be disappointed!

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks.  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 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

A Five Star Leadership Book

Are you looking for a leadership treatise that is Biblically based and Christ centered?  If so, this book is not the one for you.  I am not sure why this work is considered a “Christian book” (other than the author’s profession to be a Christian); yet, I do believe this leadership manuscript is one that is worthy of your time, effort, and money.  

Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud can be misconstrued as just another leadership book and that is the beauty of Cloud’s work – it is not just another leadership book.  I do not like to use the word “revolutionary” for books because those are lofty and often meaningless words to curry favor with potential readers (or an author).  In this case, however, I will say that Dr. Cloud’s work has “revolutionized” my thinking as an educational leader.

I can say such a thing because of the timeliness of receiving this book.  We are in the midst of a significant, external situation involving politics.  In maintaining a transparent operation, I have shared what is taking place with my constituents and we have all share in each other’s misery.  The problem has been that those times to “get it off the chest” have turned into prolonged periods of paralysis.  Cloud has what he calls a “control divide exercise” and that was significantly beneficial for us.  He also has other tools that can be used (calendar audit) to truly help focus a leader on what matters most.

The thesis of Boundaries for Leaders can be summarized in this way: boundaries are essential for success and they are defined as what you create and/or what you allow.  Leaders miss the true intent of leadership – not the bottom line or attaining certain goals but people.  In working with people, a leader must free their creativity, and boundaries are what help focus those individuals on the most important work.  Therein lies the problem – our work cultures suffer from what Cloud calls “organizational ADD.”  So much is going on that we permit that mentality of putting out fires rather that purposefully focusing on the things that matter most.

In a sense, leaders establish boundaries that fall into three categories:  attention, inhibition, and cognition.  Attention, you guessed it, is focusing on what matters most and will produce the greatest result.  Conversely, inhibition is dictation what factors cannot and will not be tolerated because they are irrelevant or unfruitful.  Last, cognition (my term) is reminding constituents what information should be retained due to its value in future areas that will demand our attention.  Those simply thoughts are what the entire book is based upon, and he provides a significant amount of personal examples to help the reader understand his exact intent.

This book, in my opinion, is worth a read.  Get it and put it on your shelf.  There will come a time when you need to reconsider its tenets as a leader.   His final chapter – a leader’s boundaries for self – and the conclusion are wonderful thoughts to bring an end to a solid, leadership book.  Some leadership scholarship is selling a program to help the author “get rich quick;” however, this manuscript is different.  You can tell he knows and understands what he is saying and truly wants to help. 

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.”