Has God Spoken? Proof of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration

Has God Spoken? Proof of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration by the Bible Answer Man Hank Hanegraaff started out very promising. I loved diving into the book and seeing from the start that this man knew what he was talking about. He knew other religions and seemed to know his bible. He did a fantastic job describing the different archeological, anthropological, and sociological evidences that prove the Bible’s validity. Anyone who question’s the validity or authenticity of the bible will really have only their lack of faith to blame if they choose not to believe the evidence in front of them.
The problem I ran into was maintaining my interest to finish the book. Usually I have no problem, but this was a rare exception. Although the book started out fantastic and I was thoroughly impressed with Hanegraaff’s knowledge I got bored really quick. I love historical and archeological books (I’ve even gone on a few archeological digs in the Middle East) but this book lost it’s luster the more I read it. By the time the archeological evidence ended I was breathing a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t fresh for long.
Although I respect other’s interpretation of the Bible I disagree with how Hanegraaff almost bullies his ideas to the reader. I personally disagree on much of his interpretation of certain scripture, and being a theology major I have ample reason and proof to show where Hanegraaff is wrong with his interpretation. The bigger issue to me is that the way he presents his interpretations is “his way or the highway” and I don’t respect how he bash’s other religious groups who think differently then he does.
Overall the evidence is virtually spotless and I would say the validity is proven but the book has it’s downfalls. It all depends on why the reader is picking up this book: to find proof for the Bibles authenticity or gain a deeper theological/ spiritual understanding of God and religion – that you (at least I) did not get.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through their bloggers review 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.”

Why God Won't Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty? By Alister Mcgrath

Why God Won't Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty? By Alister Mcgrath was a pleasure to read. Rather then disproving all atheistic arguments and delving deep into new atheism philosophy this book provided an excellent beginning to those that are not familiar (or semi familiar) with the new atheism movement today. Mcgrath began by introducing the four henchmen: Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and Dennett and presented some of their claims. Mcgrath then tackled the issues himself with intellectual arguments and visible evidence. Being a philosophy student I was impressed with Mcgrath’s arguments. I enjoyed, for once, reading a Christian’s viewpoints on such a hotly tempered and debated subject all the while being so respectful of the other side. I am a Christian but I cannot stand ignorance or bashing someone’s ideas just because their beliefs are not inline with mine, this is why I came away impressed with how Mcgrath presented his arguments. His arguments were solid, granted not all subjects or atheistic claims were debunked in this book but it leads the reader in the right direction, essentially showing how flawed new atheistic claims are.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to understand what exactly new atheism is, has doubts after reading such books as “God is not great” or “God delusion”, or is simply looking for an interesting read and a new way of looking at an age old subject. Great book.


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

“Is the Bible reliable: building a historical case” from TrueU and Focus on the Family

In case anyone that reads this may not know, but at times I get material from publishers like Tyndale which ask me to give an honest review about the material. The last item I got from them were two DVD’s entitled “Is the Bible reliable: building a historical case” (released be TrueU and Focus on the Family) I don’t know about other people but I love diving into hard evidence regarding the bible and these DVD’s allowed me to do just that. They have been an absolute delight to watch and learn from. I have done a number of reviews so far, but this is one of my favorites. I know even before I get into the summery the DVD (+booklet), if you look into purchasing the DVD’s they are $40 which may seem like a lot but I would have to say they are well worth it! The information is fantastic, engaging, and well presented. These DVD’s take you through all the defining moments of the Bible and present unquestionable archeological evidence and provide great background information regarding culture and the times, further proving the Bible’s validity. The DVD’s are made in an excellent way that you can enjoy it either at home with family or make group studies with them. The book that comes along is a bonus already containing outlines for doing group studies and helping to cement the knowledge.
I am a student that has gone to a public high school and I have many unbelieving friends. At times I would share with my friends about Christ, I would sense that they wanted to be a part of God’s loving family but they had a difficult time accepting the Bible for they felt like there was no proof of the events in it. After watching these DVD’s, they’ll have all the proof they need. These DVD’s a great way to strengthen one’s own faith and provide answers to those with doubts.

The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

I hate it when you pick up a book expecting something interesting, insightful, and intriguing; thinking I learning about either something I never knew before (whether it falls in line with my beliefs or not) or expound my knowledge about a particular subject. Today I finished the book “The Liturgical Year” a book about why we should follow the liturgical year festivals that the Catholic church follows, but unfortunately this was a book exact opposite of what I described above. I don’t know much about the “liturgical” year so I was interested to pick this book up to read. I love learning about other religions (not to convert, but to not be ignorant), however, I don’t know what category to place this book under. It does not explain much history but simply the surface information about a particular holiday or feast in the Roman Catholic Church, but does not go deep into any holidays and almost assumes the reader knows about the holiday/ feast already. However if I even was a Roman Catholic, this book would still be useless because I would assume I would already know much if not all the information covered in this book. I am not Roman Catholic yet I already knew most of the things (if not all) that this author talks about simply because it lacks so much depth, at least if it was interesting with maybe a few funny or insightful stories… but it did not have any of those either. I am so disappointed when I read such books. I want things that improve my spiritual life, and my knowledge and understanding of the world around me, books like this one seem to be a waste of time to read. 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.”

Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt

Today I finished reading `Couples Who Pray - the most intimate act between a man and a women’ by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt and I have to say I was impressed. The book can be summarized with the statement, couples who pray together stay together and the authors challenge couples to go ahead and try a 40-day prayer challenge with their spouse and watch the improvements in all areas of their lives together. The reason that I am impressed is because they take a simple statement/ challenge and they do a good job writing an entire book out of it! They encompass different areas of spirituality in the book and ultimately give all the credit to God of the wonderful things that happen to us. This book is not only for firm believers but also for those who are not followers because they can see through examples of many famed celebrities in the book that this is for real (so if you don’t think you need it, go ahead and get it for a friend my need it for their relationship, and at the same time they will develop a relationship with God). The book can greatly benefit many couples and even bring people to Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend it to all, believer or non, singles and married; I am only 22 and single myself but I walk away after reading this book with knowledge that will greatly benefit me in the future. Satan is defiantly out to get families and marriages, we can see it all throughout North America with broken marriages and home, if we can do something about it, why don’t we? This is a book that definitely gives us that advantage over the enemy. Before I close this this quick review I must mention that I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program and I was not required to write a positive review but write whatever I though, I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Max on Life by Max Lucado

Today I read Max Lucado’s “Max on Life”, this book was truly a phenomenal read. Max takes everyday questions from everyday people and answers them in a powerful and inspiring way. He deals with the aspects of hope for the believer and the sinner, conflicts and hurts that make us question and doubt, help found in seeking God, questions in sexual activities, the after life and everyday business from kids to finances and lifestyle. As I read some of the questions, I thought to myself oh boy it’s going to be tough answering that one, but then in less then one page Max not only answers the questions but leaves the answer seeker with a sense of God’s love, grace and joy.

I have read a number of Lucado’s book and I must admit, I didn’t like them all, but this one was spectacular book with encouraging and awe-inspiring answers. I am very glad to have read this book, it answers some of my questions I had in ways I never thought of. Of course depending on one’s denomination you might find discrepancies in what Max writes about Hell and death (as I do) but that does not stop me from being inspired and encouraged and furthermore blessed by reading his book.
Go and get this book and be blessed!
(By the way, 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)

Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time by David Levy

Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time

So I just finished reading an excellent book called Grey Matter by David Levy. It was an excellent and intriguing book about the story of a neurosurgeon  (David Levy himself) and his stand for faith. In today’s world it is hard, if not impossible, to share one’s faith with strangers, especially in the work place. David Levy’s story provides great examples of what sharing one’s faith can do for others. He lists countless stories and responses he has received and unexpected answers and response from patients that he asked to pray with. He recounts his struggle with accepting Christianity, then sharing his faith with patients, workers and all those around him.

It was definitely an interesting book to read. Having a brother neurosurgeon, and planning to become one myself it showed me how my future (hopefully) job, and any job for that matter, can become ultimately a way to lead people to Christ. The book virtually shows step by step how anyone can do what Dr. Levy has done by displaying one’s faith to others and yet not cramming it down their throat either. It is an excellent book to read for anyone that loves medicine or simply is looking to share their faith with the world. This book was sent as a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes from Tyndale house and everything mentioned above is my honest opinion. 5/5 stars.