Veronica's 'Views: December 2016

Friday, December 23, 2016

Remember & Return: Rekindling Your Love for the Savior - by John MacArthur

About the book:

Rediscover the One who first loved you
In the busyness and trials of life, it's easy to drift away from the Savior. We may continue to go to church and even read the Scriptures and pray, but we can still lose our first love. Christ commended the church in Ephesus for their works and for their intolerance of false doctrine, yet admonished them to remember and return to their first love--Him. In the same way, our outward religiosity can mask an inner lack of love for our Savior.

In this thirty-one-day devotional, John MacArthur takes you down a biblically prescribed path as you rediscover who Christ is, what He has done, and how you must respond. Each entry will move you from understanding to application to reflection and prayer, with a goal of rekindling your first love for Christ.

My review:

This was a wonderful book filled with great practical advice. I hadn't been making spending time with Jesus a priority and I thought this book would be the push I needed. It definitely was! Each devotional was about 6 pages and consisted of a verse at the beginning and a daily challenge at the end. The first section focuses on who Jesus is, that He was fully God and fully man and his wonderful qualities. Then MacArthur points out the blessings believers have been given. The next section shows how Jesus humbled himself to become a man, giving up so many of His rights willingly and then suffering a terrible death on a cross. We desperately needed a Savior and Jesus became our substitute. Then he looks at how Jesus was exalted and regained His glory through his "resurrection, ascension, coronation, and present intercession." Finally, he looks at how Jesus suffered and how we should view suffering we have to go through, obedience and what to do when we fail and focusing on Heaven and what's ahead for us rather than looking back. MacArthur did a wonderful job explaining the different aspects we need to take into account of how amazing Jesus is and what He did for us. My favorite parts were when he explained the original Greek and Hebrew meanings of words that sometimes don't translate very well into English. We don't always get the nuances that are helpful for understanding meanings. This book really challenged me to be more grateful for all that Jesus gave up when He came to Earth and died for me. It also challenged me to really focus on making Jesus my first love and not getting distracted with worldly things. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Baker Books.

About the author:

The Author

John MacArthur
John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John's teaching is available around the world through his media ministry, Grace to You. In addition to...

Continue reading about John MacArthur

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Loved it! My Review of Deep Shadows - The Remnant Series 1 - by Vannetta Chapman

About the book:

All It Takes Is One Night
to Plunge the World into Darkness

Life in Abney, Texas, is predictable and safe—until the night a massive solar flare wipes out all modern technology.

Shelby Sparks, novelist and single mom, had one goal: to provide for her diabetic son. In the wake of this global disaster, her mission hasn't changed. Only now, medication is a priceless commodity and the future resembles an apocalyptic nightmare.

Max Berkman and Shelby were once sweethearts, but he lost his chance at claiming her love years ago. When the abrupt loss of power ushers him into a leadership role, he rises to the occasion. But his highest priority—to keep Shelby and her son safe—could prove to be the biggest challenge of all.

As the brilliant northern lights give way to deep shadows, Max and Shelby's faith will be tested like never before. Only one rule remains: Find a way to survive.

* * *

In this first book in an eerily plausible dystopian series, a memorable cast of characters must navigate a familiar world thrown into chaos.

My review:

I loved this book! It was fascinating to imagine what our world would be like without all of our modern conveniences. There were situations that happened I hadn't even thought of and a few that totally shocked me, which needless to say made for an exciting read! For instance, how do we take care of people in hospitals and nursing homes or what happens when life-saving prescriptions are no longer made or able to be transported? How about when food is no longer available in the grocery store? There was danger, excitement, action, romance, not a dull moment! The main characters were interesting, partly because Shelby and Max had been high school sweethearts years ago and there were still some lingering feelings, though Shelby fought against it. There was a hint of romance in the story. They were both pretty smart about what to do; Shelby was a writer who had researched solar flares before and Max, an attorney who was very logical and did what needed to be done. They were Christians who prayed and attended church, along with their two friends. Shelby's son, Carter, wasn't sure what he believed about God. It was interesting to get the different viewpoints of the three of them. Their pastor had a wonderful, encouraging message about the Lord being good and that His love will endure forever, no matter what happened or will happen. I loved how they supported each other and their community. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens with these wonderful characters and where the situation goes from here. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers.

Meet the author

Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full-time. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband, pets, and a herd of deer.www.VannettaChapman.com