Man Myth Messiah by Rice Broocks

           Though the name of Jesus of Nazareth is known literally throughout the world, what people understand about him widely varies. But, to be certain, no other name seems to have the ability to evoke both strong positive or negative reactions wherever it is mentioned. Pastor Rice Broocks, from Bethel World Outreach in Nashville, Tennessee, has written previously about the truths of Christianity in "God's not Dead", but in his newest release "Man Myth Messiah" he tackles, head on, the claims about Jesus, examining who He was, in the light of both scripture and historical research. I received this book for free as a part of the book review program for bloggers, available at www.booklookbloggers.com and the views expressed are my own.
     First, I previously read and reviewed Rice's book "God's Not Dead" on my blog, found at www.therefugeministries.blogspot.com but I actually like :Man Myth Messiah" a little better. Both are well written and documented, but I think the author spent time focusing on the issues that surround Jesus rather than talking about the critics this time, more than in his previous effort. And, I commend him for it. The chapters include discussions on the Gospels, Jesus crucifixion, His resurrection and even the subject of miracles.
     Another thing I liked is that the author is not afraid to tackle the views of the skeptics, doubters and even atheists. He has obviously studied many of their arguments and does not dismiss them. He simply shares the opposing viewpoints and challenges the reader to evaluate the evidence. It is not an attack on anyone, but merely a presentation of Gospel beliefs.
     I think this book will be a good resource for anyone who has heard many of the common arguments against the person of Jesus Christ, stating that He didn't exist, or He didn't do what people say He did, or that He wasn't the Son of God. All of these opinions and others receive their fair treatment throughout the book. I also think it would be a good help for high school or college students who finds themselves consistently having to defend their faith against an onslaught of critical viewpoints. I hope that Pastor Rice Broocks writes more apologetic materials in the future, to better reach more unbelievers, who would benefit from his teachings, and to equip more Christians for works of service, to be better prepared to know what they believe and why they believe it.

Stealing From God by Frank Turek

   

      Perhaps you've found it difficult to discuss Christianity with atheists. Maybe some of their arguments have even taken you off guard and made you wonder how to respond to their queries and their critiques. Dr. Frank Turek has recently written a unique book entitled "Stealing From God" which discusses some of the most common arguments most atheists propose, while demonstrating through solid reasoning why these same arguments require God in order to support their own positions. It is a thought provoking book that challenges the conventional thinking of skeptics, while equipping the mind of the believer to see the impossibility of some atheistic claims apart from the knowledge of God.

       Dr. Turek is the President of "Cross Examined" and the co-author of "I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist". He is not afraid to tackle questions that some might consider tough to argue and has debated at numerous campus and other public venues. It is his depth of scholarship, combined with his simplicity of reasoning that make his arguments worth reading and exploring carefully. He even includes small excerpts of public debates where some of the objections he addresses have been raised by others.

       Using the acronym CRIMES, he proceeds in the chapters of the book to examine the areas he considers some of the major places where atheists 'steal from God' to propose their doubts. In areas including, causality, reason, information and intentionality, morality, evil and science, each topic is probed by often quoting the words of the critics themselves to carefully articulate their ideas. But, then, with a surgeon's precision, he cuts to the real root of the trouble and gives the diagnosis that identifies the ailment for each one. It is a very thorough treatise of truth.

       The only area I think would have made the book an easier read would be in summarizing earlier in the book. He concludes by reviewing some of the main points addressed in 1-2 pages, which were simpler in form that the pages of material used to explain them. But, for those familiar with this type of debate, it may not be that unusual. I also like his presentation of CS Lewis "Four Point Case for Mere Christianity" and appreciated his willingness to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My recommendations are for those who want to learn better how to defend their faith, for some who think they have legitimate arguments, and for the individuals who are not afraid to tackle the questions which may baffle some, but are in reality "Stealing From God".

The Case for Christ - student edition by Lee Strobel

                 The field of 'Apologetics' might sound to someone unfamiliar with the term as though one would be studying how to apologize. However,  to followers of Jesus Christ, this discipline is a look into how to effectively give a defense of the Christian faith. One of the more well known teachers of Christian apologetics is a former writer for the Chicago Tribune, an author by the name of Lee Strobel. Lee was converted to Christ while researching the facts of the Christian faith many years ago and wrote a book for adults that became a best seller called, 'The Case for Christ'. And my task, recently, was to delve into the student edition of 'The Case for Christ', given to me free of charge by the program for bloggers at http:// www.booklookbloggers.com/blogger/resources/9780310745648.
                  As a student edition of it's name sake, this version condenses much of the material examined in the original edition. The book is about 120 pages and is divided into three major sections, asking who Jesus is, how reliable was the information about Him and can a dead man be raised back to life. The nine chapters tackle each of these subjects and present a synopsis version of the material. It is filled with many age appropriate illustrations and does a good job of tackling the questions, giving the author's own personal journey of how he approached the subjects when he first researched them decades earlier.
                  Honestly, the book is full of good information that is very important, but I personally did not find it engaging my attention enough. Perhaps this is because I am not a teen or twenty-something or maybe it is due to my familiarity with much of the material already. Either way, I was not as compelled as I have been by other apologetics books I have read previously.
                  In spite of this, if you have a teen or college student, or know of one, who has questions about the Christian faith or wants to learn how to defend their own faith, this is a good resource to start them with in their quest. The length and style make it a quick read and it is formatted to be used in small, discussion based groups (with other resources available for that purpose). Everyone, at one time or another, has had some questions about why Christians believe what they do. This is a tool that can be used to answer those questions and to point others to faith in Jesus Christ as the son of God, the Savior of the world.
                

Confident Faith by Mark Mittelberg

       How did you enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Was it because you had a dramatic experience? Were you always taught to be that way? Or was it something that just 'worked for you?' All of these and other approaches are the answers cited by those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ. And, they are just a portion of the topics discussed by author Mark Mittelberg in his excellent new book Confident Faith.
       Mark Mittelberg codirects The Institute at Cherry Hills in Colorado, along with author Lee Strobel. He has served in full time ministry for a number of years and has written other books on apologetics previously. What I appreciated most about this book was it's simplicity in presenting the material that he covers. While some books on defending your faith can be, well, 'defensive' and complicated, Confident Faith is easy to read, and reasonable in it's presentation.
        The first section of the book discusses the various faith paths that people travel on their journey to their beliefs, ending with the evidential path. He continues with twenty 'arrows' of truth, or areas that point to spiritual truth. And the final section focuses on ten barriers to belief, which concludes with finding a confident faith. This is a great book that will equip you to not 'defend' your faith, but to share your faith with confidence. And I believe that high school students, college students and others seeking to grow in understanding the truths of Christianity will benefit from the material.
         Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book free as a part of their book review program for bloggers. In an age where intelligent faith is slowly being replaced with a quick prayer for salvation, Confident Faith is a refreshing book that will strengthen your faith and better equip you to share Jesus with others. I highly recommend this book to you.
      

Authentic Fire by Dr. Michael Brown

         

           Dr. Michael Brown has been in ministry for decades as a teacher, author, activist, theologian and radio host. His newest book, Authentic Fire, is just another example of his great contributions to the Christian volumes on theological issues, this time addressing the concerns voiced by another Christian leader, Dr. John MacArthur, in his Strange Fire book and conference. Authentic Fire openly answers Dr. MacArthur and his colleagues criticisms of those come from the Charismatic stream of Christianity. But, he deals with the questions raised not as an adversary of those opposing him, but as a brother desiring to resolve family disagreements with open and honest communication.
           For those of you reading who are not familiar with the terms cessationist and continuationist, let me be as brief as I can. These two words define the difference between those who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 of the Bible have either ceased or continue to be used today. Dr. John MacArthur recently wrote a book entitled "Strange Fire" and held a conference by the same name. In both, he makes several bold assertions against those continuationists, primarily found in what are called Charismatic churches, even declaring a "collective war" on those who hold to these positions. Dr. Michael Brown has  written a detailed, thoughtful and Biblically based response to those assertions in the book Authentic Fire, and gives the reader plenty of points to ponder in determining whether or not the gifts of the Holy Spirit are valid in today's contemporary culture.
          Honestly, I was disappointed but not in Dr. Brown's book. On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will keep it as a ready reference for the topics of spiritual gifts and charismatic expression of them. No, I was disappointed that a book even needed to be written about these issues, when the arguments Dr. Brown presents are so clearly laid out scripturally, historically and systematically. When Dr. Brown has to answers questions like "where is the charismatic hospital? Social Services? Poverty Relief?"  he does so graciously, but  either Dr. MacArthur never heard of organizations like Teen Challenge, or he forgot them for some reason. I could site many other disappointing examples, but I think one suffices for now.
          Dr. MacArthur's arguments in Strange Fire seem convincing at first glance. But, Dr. Brown does a masterful job of bringing to light the truth about the accusations made and does so as a gentleman. I also enjoyed the appendixes found at the end of the book, written by other authors. Sam Storms article on "Why New Testament prophecy does not result in 'scripture quality' revelatory words" should be read by everyone on both sides of this issue.
          In conclusion, I highly recommend Dr. Brown's book Authentic Fire for those concerned about these issues, for those who want to be better equipped in defending their charismatic beliefs and for anyone who has never been taught about the Gifts of the Spirit and how God speaks today. I appeal to Dr. MacArthur and those who agree with his conclusions to reconsider their position in light of the truths Dr. Brown presents and to humbly seek to build up rather than divide over these issues.

Six Days by Ken Ham

           

             Ken Ham would have made a good attorney if he had not chosen to dedicate his life to creation science and defending Biblical worldviews against the onslaught that challenges such positions. In his new book "Six Days" he argues passionately, unreservedly and without apology for the Biblical position of creation that is based on six literal days and not on the millions or billions of years associated with the evolutionary theories of the world. He presents his case coming from several different angles and gives the reader plenty to think about in this challenging book.
            The book focuses on the arguments raging even among Christian circles that the Bible book of Genesis, chapters 1-11 specifically, should not be taken literally and can very easily be compatible with the scientific discoveries of man and the record "millions of years" of life on the earth. In order to effectively counter the arguments used by those who oppose a literal, six day account of creation, Noah's flood and other passages found in Genesis, the author first has to define terms. After emphasizing the importance of proper foundations in this area, he defines 'science', distinguishing between observational science and historical science.
             Moving on to describing the difference between exegesis and eisegesis in interpreting the Biblical text, the author lays a foundation for explaining why he believes the unnecessary inclusion of reading 'millions of  years' into the Bible narratives is not only problematic, but can lead to greater questioning of other Biblical texts, such as the resurrection of Jesus. And, while this may sound to someone reading this review as a wide gap between doubting six literal days and doubting Jesus' resurrection, Ken Ham states his case emphatically and provides the reasons he believes such a connection can easily be made.
             I enjoyed the fact that Ken Ham is passionate about what he believes in the book. I also liked the fact that he is not simply reciting the literal six day creation position without scientific support. There are thousands of scientists who do not support evolutionary views, and his organization Answers in Genesis publishes a considerable amount of material to present concrete evidence of their views. But, perhaps what I appreciated most was that the book is not simply trying to prove his point on the six days of creation, but rather to emphasize that how we interpret scripture determines how we will inevitably live, and compromising in one part of the Bible can lead to compromising other parts, with possible eternal implications.
                 A trailer about the book is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwq_jPEtDW8&feature=player_embedded#t=0 . I received this book for free through the Master's Books, a division of New Leaf Press Publishing Group, book review program for bloggers at nlpg.com. The views expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. You may order the book at http://www.nlpg.com/imprint/master-books/six-days or preview the contents of Six Days at the link http://www.nlpg.com/downloads/dl/file/id/518/six_days.pdf . For more more information about Ken Ham or Answers in Genesis, you can read http://www.nlpg.com/ken-ham . The fight that the author espouses is not one of merely six days of creation, it is fighting for Biblical truth. May this book better equip you to win.

The New Answers Book 4 by Ken Ham

             
              There are several subjects in the world which can ignite debate rather quickly. One of the prominent topics that can be found on that list is the subject of evolution. While some may claim that this debate is fueled only by the sides of Christians vs. non-Christians, the lines are not that distinct, as there are many non-Christians who profess non-evolutionary views, and even many Christians who believe that the earth evolved as part of Gods creation. But, whichever side of the debate you choose to stand on, Ken Ham and the organization Answers in Genesis have put together another book which addresses many questions that people have in connection with science, creation and the Biblical accounts of life and the issues it addresses.
               The book I reviewed is the New Answers Book 4. This is the fourth in a series which contains articles, lectures and messages given in response to common questions that stem from the ongoing dialogue between creationists and evolutionists. Written by a series of authors, with a litany of credentials to support their expertise and experience, the book approaches each issue from the perspective of creation science and provides the reasons, scientifically, why the writers hold their viewpoints.
               The New Answers Book 4 contains 33 chapters. The questions answered include, "Was Charles Darwin A Christian?", "What About Living Fossils?" and "How Big is the Universe?". There are too many others to list, but it is a wide variety of topics within the scientific community that are discussed within it's pages. I am not a very scientifically minded person, so I was lost at several points in what is probably simple language to most people in the field. But, I did find the book a very valuable resource and believe it will help you to understand the perspective of many issues from a creation science viewpoint, even if you do not agree.
              I received this book for free through the Master's Books, a division of New Leaf Press Publishing Group, book review program for bloggers at nlpg.com. The views expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. You may order the book at http://www.nlpg.com/new-answers-book-4 or preview the contents of The New Answers Book 4 at the link http://www.nlpg.com/downloads/dl/file/id/489/the_new_answers_book_4.pdf. In an age where many believe that creationists have no scientific validity for their convictions, The New Answers Book 4 will offer the reasonable, rational and relatable reasons for a radical faith in the God who created the world.