"The Power of the Prophetic Blessing" by John Hagee

John Hagee presents a quite frustrating but fascinating read with his new book "The Power of the Prophetic Blessing." I have always admired John Hagee's preaching - he speaks with great conviction and power. I have also learned so much from his writings about the nation of Israel. (His book "Jerusalem Countdown" is a great example... read my review here).

Let me begin with the positive aspects of the book. I really enjoyed his discussion of the nature of the blessings of the Old Testament - particularly, of Jacob blessing the sons who would become the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. There is also the great section talking about the power of affirmation through touch in a child's life and development. Those two sections alone are worth the price of the book, in my opinion. Then, Hagee forcefully reminds fathers (and mothers, but fathers especially) about their role as spiritual authority in the home - and of the overwhelming need to pray over our wives and children. This is a much needed message for the church today.

The negative aspect of the book is one that I had feared from the start. Hagee goes beyond the bounds of God's intention when he claims that we can speak our own prosperity into existence. With all the strong words Jesus had to say against materialism and with all the warnings God gives against money and the love of worldly things, I am quite sure that the blessings God has for his children are not primarily of a materialistic nature. It is not wrong to think that unexpected material blessing comes from God, but it is wrong to imagine that there is no way God can bless you other than to give you prosperity, promotion, wealth, riches, and even health and right relationships - all of which Hagee points out repeatedly in his book. I would imagine God's greatest blessing to man would be a more accurate understanding of God Himself - which he gave to Job, but only after Job had LOST all material blessings, wealth, health, and even relationships.

I would say that, to the wise reader who can avoid the pitfall of the prosperity teachings, this book can be an informative tool. My wife and I have already talked about some of the things I learned in it, and we are going to try to follow God's Word more accurately when it comes to praying for each other.

My fear is that weak or easily misled believers will get one thing only out of this book: if I believe hard enough, God will give me a new car and heal my cancer. There is nothing wrong with praying for either one of these things, but what will become of the man to whom God refuses to bless in this way? Will he become angry at God? Will he cease to pray, assuming that it is of no value because his prayers weren't answered?

I still give it a 3 out of 5 stars for all its positive points - but read with discernment.

I received this book free from Handlebar Marketing in exchange for my honest review.

UPCOMING BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

I recently came into possession of a fairly sizable book collection. I have picked through the piles and kept a bunch, but there are also a few books that I thought would be fun to offer as giveaways. I will probably scan through my own personal book collection for books to add to the Giveaway pile.

So, here's how it will work. I will type up and post a list of books for the giveaway. If you see a book on the list that you want, just contact me and tell me which book(s) you are interested in. You can contact me through email, comments on the blog post containing the list, text messages (if you have my cell number), or in person (if you attend my church). NOTE: if you live out-of-town/state, we can work out book shipment (you pay shipping...I have a Paypal account).

They are used books, but most of them are in decent shape. If they are damaged, I will let you know on the list that will be posted. I'll also try to keep the list updated and remove books that are claimed.

Whatever books are left will be taken to the used book-swap store, so get them while they're here! The list should be posted sometime in the next 7 days.

"A Ship Possessed" by Alton Gansky

Alton Gansky gets some serious respect for his creativity: a demon-possessed nazi in a raft gets picked up by an American submarine in World War II, then the sub disappears... over half a century later, the sub shows up at a San Diego beach. It's (supposedly) empty, but how did it get there?

A retired Navy officer is called back to investigate this mystery. But his assistant, a young female officer, is trying her best (unsuccessfully) to hide her paralyzing fear of the sub. What is it about the sub that is causing her terror?

Brilliantly weaving the two stories (the WWII story, and the investigation by the retired officer), Gansky did a great job of creating a "spooky" feeling that adds the thrills to the books that are supposed to be "thrillers." Some authors are not able to achieve this. Not only that, but Gansky also includes very vivid descriptions of the spiritual realm that help to visualize what the demon-possessed people are experiencing during a possession.

I'm personally not an expert on demons or demon possession. And I have no idea what the spiritual realm would look or feel like to a demon-possessed person. But, taking it from a purely literary standpoint, Gansky's version is quite terrifying. (Although I'm sure real demon possession is much worse)

I enjoyed the book (not as much as "Certain Jeopardy", co-written with Jeff Struecker). I especially liked the parts describing Navy and Coast Guard procedures, terminology, etc. Submarines have always fascinated me. How do those guys not go crazy in there for so long? Anyway, there are two other books in this series, so I hope to get to those soon.

"Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin

When my friend Joe K. loaned me this book last year, I have to admit that the biggest draw for me was the fact that Bob Kauflin has some connection to the Christian vocal group GLAD. I love GLAD's a cappella music. So, I was really interested to hear what this man would say in his book written (mainly) to worship leaders.

There were a few apprehensions and assumptions that I had going into the book. First, I assumed that it would be light on Biblical doctrine and theology. And Second, I assumed it would be heavy on music. Both of these assumptions were wrong. I've read many "Christian living"-type books that had far fewer Bible references or doctrines than this book. Early on in the book, Kauflin sets a very solid foundation for Biblical worship. It is surprising how much the Bible says about worship - much of which we never hear or read.

The theology in the book was a welcome surprise. After all (and I hate to say this), the big churches always seem to have a worship leader who appears to excel in two areas: big stage productions, and fashion. They can put on a great show on stage, and they can create their own "look" - but we don't automatically think: worship leader = theologian. Even sadder than this trend in the big churches is the number of smaller churches that feel like they have to emulate this formula. From the selection of songs right down to the "look" of the worship leader, small churches have bought into the worship leader movement.

I disagreed with the author doctrinally on only one point that I can remember. He believes the "sign gifts" of the Book of Acts (tongues, healing, etc) are still available to believers, while I believe they passed away with the completion of the canon of Scripture. However, he deals with this subject very tactfully, and admits that many readers of this book will not feel the same way. Also, he does not say "If someone starts speaking in tongues, you know the worship service is going great!" In fact, he seems to avoid the subject altogether, other than to acknowledge that a controversy exists.

The second good surprise is that the book was not really about music. It was about worship. Music came up quite a bit, of course - but the author (rightfully) separated the two. He deals quite a bit with the heart and motives of the worshipper and the worship leader. The last portion of the book examines how a church can stay "up-to-date" with technology and music styles, while not forsaking the traditions of the church and the great hymns of the faith. He encourages the worship leader to be very deliberate and picky about the music and songs used. He also encourages the worship leader to follow the vision of the pastor - not his own idea of what the music department should be.

In all, this book is a great reference for both pastors and worship leaders. I know I have greatly benefited from it - and I am planning on buying a copy for my worship leader (if he doesn't already have it). Excellent book.

UPDATE: By the way, I didn't keep Joe's book for a whole year... I gave it back to him and bought my own copy so I could finish reading it!

"Has Christianity Failed You?" by Ravi Zacharias

I have the utmost respect for Ravi Zacharias, as an author, as a speaker, as an apologist, and as a Christian. He quickly cuts to the heart of the matter at hand - right down to where feelings and emotion interact with knowledge and doctrine. He is not afraid of tough topics. So, it is no surprise that he wrote a book such as this one.
Let me say up front: this book is NOT about the times you don't feel like a Christian, or about the times when you wonder why you should care so much or try so hard to be like Christ. For those types of issues, I would more recommend the writings of Philip Yancey - such as "Disappointment with God". No, this book is about the genuine questions about the toughest issues concerning Christianity. What is Christianity? What is a Christian? How can I reconcile the existence of God with the evil and suffering I experience? Why doesn't God answer my prayers?
With his characteristic eloquence, Zacharias presents a solid case for Christianity - it contains paradoxes, yes. There are things that we don't fully understand - of course! That's to be expected really. But Christianity stands up to even the toughest questions, because it is founded upon truth. Paradoxes are not the same as contradictions. Unanswered questions do not mean there is no God to converse with. And prayer DOES have meaning and purpose.
One of the more intriguing sections of the book deals with the issue of sexual purity. Ravi Zacharias tackles the issue of single-ness and the allure of sex outside of marriage. I thought the author did an absolutely masterful job of explaining the purpose of sex in marriage, and how God gives both the gift of sex and the grace for purity. Any single Christians would do well to read and ponder these words.
The chapter on prayer was another excellent section. Really, there were no "bad" sections at all. Some of the points made can be found in other books by Ravi Zacharias, but this book is constructed to flow in a certain manner and to address certain points that are not addressed in his other books. For that reason (among many others), this book deserves to be in the library of every Christian and honest thinker.

"Book of Days" by James L. Rubart

This is the second novel from author James Rubart. In my opinion, it is not quite as good as "Rooms", which is one of my all-time favorite novels. However, "Book of Days" has several great things going for it.
First, it is a very unique story. The book centers around Cameron Vaux, who seems to be losing his mind - literally. Memories come and go as they please. Two years after his wife dies, Cameron begins to remember conversations he had with both his father (who died with the same mind-loss sickness that Cameron has contracted) and his wife regarding a Book written by God that contains the past, present, and future of every person who ever lived. According to the novel, the idea is also found in Scripture: Psalm 139:16 (although in the King James Version, the verse is translated with the word "members" instead of "days"). So, Cameron sets out to find this Book, hoping to cure his mind and preserve the memories of his dad and wife that he cherishes.
Second, Rubart has a talent for conveying strong emotion - I empathized with both Cameron and the character Taylor Stone, even though I've never suffered a loss as great as theirs. This empathy is what made "Rooms" so powerful, and "Book of Days" makes great use of it as well. To create characters so real that we feel their pain - that is GREAT writing.
Third, there were just enough twists to keep things interesting. It is not so much a mystery book, although Cameron is trying to unravel the "mystery" of the Book. So instead of being filled with nail-biting suspense and thrills (although there are a few thrilling scenes) it is a very easy and well-paced read. It never got boring, even though it might have been a little slow in some places.
Fourth, I LOVE it when a character in a Christian novel gets saved! I know they aren't real people - that's not the point. Talented writers like Rubart have a way of expressing and describing the intangible and invisible in some incredible ways. At the very least, these scenes in Christian books remind me of how wonderful it is that I have a Savior and God named Jesus Who loved me enough to die for me and pursue me with His great love and mercy.
There weren't any negative issues worth mentioning, so I will give this book 5 out of 5 stars. But, if you only read one James Rubart book, I'd still pick "Rooms" over this one.