A Place Called Heaven

Amidst a heavenly sea of celebrity and pseudo-celebrity authors producing books on what exactly heaven will be like, we have another. Many are without substance, tipping more to the devotional side (see here). But this one has some measure of meat to sink your spiritual teeth into albeit much of the information has been presented previously.

If you have ever wondered about your heavenly home, Dr. Robert Jeffress has written an informative book entitled A Place Called Heaven: 10 Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home which beautifully addresses the subject.

Jeffress uses a perfect balance of Scripture as well as insight from many acknowledged wise men of faith such as D.L. Moody, Howard Hendricks and Randy Alcorn to support his beliefs and validate any issues that might be raised. He also uses timely illustrations to drive home the answer to pertinent questions such as “What will heaven be like?”; “Will I still be “me” in heaven?”;  “Won’t I be bored?” and “Who and what will we do there?” These and six other questions are dealt with in separate chapters making the book topical and easy to digest.

One of the relevant chapters for current inquirers of heaven focuses on near death experiences. Using Scripture and apologetic reasoning, Jeffress educates the reader how to recognize and address these questionable issues in a discerning manner. This chapter is worth a serious study in view of the slew of books and movies on this subject during the last several years.

This is an easy-to-read and comprehend 250-page volume and is well-suited for both the new believer and those of the faith who long to know more about their future home. The volume is not targeted to theologians and scholars. With that thought the major criticism is the price tag of $19.99. A book written and targeted toward inquiring or potential Christians should be less pricey and thus more affordable for the everyday Believer.

The end of the matter is this: excellent for new believers and the non-believer; can serve well as a basis for Sunday School or small group study.

NOTE: A portion of this book review was provided by Ellie Marrandette, New Creations Ministries. https://newcreationsministries.wordpress.com/

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by Baker Books for a fair and honest review.

Classic Hymns

Certainly everyone knows that music, especially the Classic Hymns, are a vital component of worship. I realize a great quantity of these great old hymns have been eliminated from worship in a lot most churches but they also remain a worship staple for some.

So, in any effort to keep alive the Classic Hymns alive, B&H Publishing Group has released the latest in its Reflect on series – Classic Hymns: Read & Reflect with the Classics. If you are a lover of “Holy, Holy, Holy,”  “Love Lifted Me” and the like, this is a volume you will thoroughly enjoy.

Now, with that in mind, this is not a book that will reveal the history of the hymn for you. Rather, it is constructed as a devotional. There are 90 Classic Hymns included in the book – three months’ worth of devotionals. Each hymn includes the complete text along with the writers of the words and music. This is followed by three separate devotional sections: Bible Study Questions, Personal Reflection Questions and Prayer.

The Bible Study segment suggests you read a Scripture selection which is pertinent to the hymn and then reflect on that Scripture by answering a couple of questions. In general the questions are thought provoking. Personal Reflection focuses on private questions that integrate both the hymn and the Scripture reading. Although some are a bit tacky, for the most part they will demand that you take a little time for contemplation.

If you are searching for good devotional material either private or in a group setting such as family, Classic Hymns will be a good resource. It will get you into both the Bible and the hymnal. It should certainly revive your interest in the great hymns of the faith.

Disclaimer: The volume was provided to me by B&H Publishing Group for a fair and honest review.

NIV Reader’s Bible

In today’s world of Bible printing and translation, there is a copy of Scripture for everyone and every need. Quite honestly, if you cannot find a Bible that matches your reading level and style and that suits your desired study interest, you would be better served to learn Hebrew and Greek and return to the original languages. However, into this world now enters a Bible that fills a void – just plain ol’ reading the Scriptures. What a concept!

The NIV Reader’s Bible  adds to that collection but it is like water in the desert. It is exactly what the title claims. In fact it promotes itself as being “Designed for a seamless reading experience.” It is precisely that. It has been created just to be read. There are no chapter and verse references within the text. Book, chapter and verse designations are given at the top of each page – and that’s it. The lone exception is the book of Psalms in which each Psalm is numbered but there are no verse references. The only reading assistance given in the entire Bible is in the form of paragraphs throughout the text. Textual and translation footnotes have been converted into endnotes and placed at the end of each book which also aids in the reading experience.

The text itself, of course, is the highly readable NIV which, since it is a dynamic equivalent translation, lends itself perfectly to this format. It is smooth reading without distractions to the eye – even in good sized print – 10.5 point type size.

Here’s the summation of the matter: This Bible is perfect for a Scripture Reading Plan, whichever one you may select – absolutely perfect. Nothing within the text will divert the eye of the reader. You won’t be able to do in-depth study with this Bible, but that was not the intention of Zondervan, the publisher. Zondervan wants us to Just Read It.

And, as you might imagine, from a marketing standpoint, the timing on this release is also strategic, just in time for the gift-giving season. So, if there is someone on your list who needs to just READ the Bible, this is the ideal gift.

This Bible is a must if you just want to sit down and read Scripture.

Disclaimer: The Bible was provided to me by Zondervan for a fair and honest review.