LAZARUS AWAKENING Are you living in graveclothes?

Joanna Weaver’s book Lazarus Awakening is her third book focusing on the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In this book Weaver sets out to teach God’s truth from the story of Lazarus. She takes simple statements such as “Lord, the one you love is sick” and “take away the stone” to present eternal truths. She has many insightful observations.

The book jacket announces that a 10-week companion Bible study is included in the book. The Bible study, which was the first thing I looked at was a disappointment. In the book it is called a study guide and is full what I call “milkshake” questions such as, What do you think? How does that make you feel? Not much of a study of the Word of God.

This book did not live up to my expectations. The book part of the book was full of “fillers” – lengthy quotes from numerous authors, 21 boxes of enrichment information (some of which took up 2 pages), 10 pages of the verses of the Lazarus story that is also reprinted in one of the appendixes.

The information taught didn’t seem to follow an order. Often a chapter would begin not with the story of Lazarus but another story about Jesus, which isn’t bad thing, but this reader had a difficult time keeping up with the flow of Weaver’s thoughts.
Weaver made some good points, but they were disconnected. Instead of focusing her book on Lazarus, she should have written a different book and developed her meaningful insights in a more organized manner.

I would not recommend this book.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Review: Look At It This Way

In her book, Look at it This Way, Jan Silvious writes about using God’s wisdom to put your life in perspective. Using personal life illustrations and multiple Bible verses, she gives excellent counsel on how a person can begin to get their view of life aligned with God’s wisdom and truth.

Without being preachy she covers –
• this is one event in a lifetime of events
• what might have been does not exist
• they said, doesn’t make it true
• fretting only destroys you
• don’t tell everything you know
• feeling guilty doesn’t mean you are
• attitude is everything
• the last chapter has not yet been written

The book is not a how to book (just do these 10 steps) rather it is a way God will begin to guide the reader in renewing their mind by bringing to mind the truths the author so clearly sets forth.

I would heartily recommend this book, to a friend and even to someone I was counseling. The author’s style is easy to understand, enjoyable to read and insightful.

Book Review: What? You Don't Go To Church Anymore?

Do you know people who are leaving the church? Or are you one of this growing number of disillusioned people? Michael Spencer's book, Mere Churchianity, addresses this phenomenon. He says about his book –“I’m writing … to those who may still be associated with the church but no longer buy into much of what the church says. Not because they doubt the reality of God, but because they doubt that the church is really representing Jesus.”

This book is like reading Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz on steroids. Spencer hits the American church hard and fast. He doesn’t mince words.He names names and calls people and institutions out for the “devastating effect” their programs and rules have had on believers. Spencer loves Jesus, but sees and explains how the modern American church has left their first love, pushing “Jesus aside and replace[ing] His plain teachings with patriotism, nationalism, denominationalism, entertainment and their personal desires to live comfy in the culture.”

In his book Spencer has coined the word CHURCHIANITY which is church dependent religion. He urges believers to seek Jesus- shaped spirituality as opposed to church-shaped spirituality.

I don’t agree with everything Spencer writes. His focus on the gospels has limited his understanding of the New Covenant, which was instituted after Jesus ascended and taught about it in the rest of the New Testament. Michael also has a very hopeless viewpoint on the likely hood of a believer ever being victorious in this life on earth, which I believe shows a faulty idea of who we are in Christ.

Spencer has written a compelling book on why Christians are leaving the church, where the church has gone wrong and has given suggestions on what these people could do in place of the institutional church. He may support and applaud a person’s choice to leave the church but he is not encouraging giving up on Jesus.

He spends his last chapter on how to find Jesus- shaped spirituality despite the church and outside the church. Overall his book is thought provoking and potentially life changing for the reader. His commitment to knowing and following Jesus only, is a breath of fresh air. The author put an eloquent and precise voice to thoughts and doubts I have personally had while sitting in church. I would recommend this book.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.