To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Gallaway

Callaway is a standup comedian. Imagine his surprise when his publisher called him and made a proposal: tell only the truth for a year and write a book about it.

He took on the challenge. He emailed all his friends and announced his plans for the year. He was dismayed when many emailed back asking for the “truth” about pranks.

His adventure gets off to a bit of a slow start. Parts were a bit boring.

Day 43: “Call me cranky, but I decided not to join in on a few of the worship songs at church this morning. I feel too much like a liar when I do.” “You're all I want...” Callaway couldn't help but think of all the things he wanted. “Shout to the Lord...” He sat there, quietly.

Callaway debates confronting others … with the truth. “truth-tellers … rarely win popularity contests.” “Sometimes we need to tell ourselves the truth before we tell it to others.”

Day 83: “I'm learning that you should never tell a lie to your spouse, but you shouldn't always tell the truth either.” He found an acrostic that helps:

T – Is what I'm about to tell her the Truth?

H – Is it Helpful?

I – Will it Inspire?

N – Is it Necessary?

K – Am I Kind about it?

Day 235: “God is working on me, but he's slow. I squirm a lot.”

He writes about being convicted in church, about visiting his dementia plagued mother, a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, a failed investment. He carries on an email dialogue with people from the Post Rapture Pet Care business. His mother dies.

His conclusion: He is much more aware of his flaws and weaknesses. He's “learning the joy of scratching a little deeper beneath the surface of Gods grace.”

Maybe I expected too much but I did not think this book was all that funny. There were funny moments but the majority of the book was rather serious.

The strength of the book comes, I think, in the discussion questions at the end. They are divided into thirteen sessions. The questions are very good. They are penetrating, jumping off from Callaway's own experiences. They would best be used in a group discussion setting.

Phil Callaway is known for his humorous yet perceptive view on life. He is the author of twenty books and is the president of Laugh and Learn, Inc. He is a popular speaker at churches, conventions and corporate events. He also repeatedly appears on television and radio shows. He and his wife have three adult children.

Multnomah Books, 224 pages.  Publisher product information.

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Walking as Jesus Walked by Dann Spader

1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” This book is for people who want to study the life of Christ and understand what it means to walk as Jesus walked. It is designed primarily as a small group interactive study but can be used by individuals as well.

The study is designed so that each week begins with an introductory overview. There follows five days of personal study in preparation for the group meeting. As the end of each lesson are questions for deeper reflection.

Here is a sample week from this study:

Getting Started: What would it be like if, just for one day, Jesus became you? What if He walks in your shoes, lives in your house, does your work? What would it be like if, for one day, Jesus lives your life with His heart?

After all, Philippians 2:5 does say we should have the same mind (heart) as Jesus. We are called to think and act like Jesus. Looking at Jesus' habits, commitments, and behaviors is at the heart of this study. It helps you discover not only what Jesus did, but also how He did it.

“Walk” is peripateo in the Greek. It means, “following, making progress, regulating one's life, or conducting oneself” after the pattern of another person.

Readers are asked to record their initial impressions of what it means to walk as Jesus walked.

Day 1: One way to study the life of Christ is to study His message. Readers are asked to look up several verses and write what they convey about Jesus' message. There are also questions aimed at revealing how people responded to Jesus' message. Reflection questions ask about identifying themes in Jesus' message, contemplating what might be missing from His message, and then summarizing His message.

Day 2: Another way to study the life of Christ is to look at His methods. Readers look up various passages to identify some of the methods Jesus used. Reflection questions ask readers to identify methods thought to be radical, methods missing in contemporary ministries, and methods that need to be developed personally.

Day 3: Dann wants to make sure his readers will not just concentrate on saying the right things (message) or acting the right way (methods). He wants Jesus' life to be a model, requiring a look at the complete pattern of His life. This requires looking at Jesus' humanity, His behavior as a man in real time and place. We look at our humanity in relation to His. Various verses are given, challenging readers to look beyond Jesus' message and method, identifying the example of His life.

Reflection questions ask about what is most challenging, if it is hard to believe one could think and act like Jesus, and if it is possible to miss the true meaning of Jesus' life.

Day 4: The reader is asked to look at two statements that summarize Christ's life and mission: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Deeper reflection includes determining the context of the verses, how a lifestyle of “love” silences critiques, and what it means to make disciples who can make disciples.

Day 5: Jesus says, “Follow me.” (John 1:43; 21:22) The Greek is akoloutheow, “to walk in the steps of, to conform to, or to follow behind closely.” Jesus has blazed a trail and we are to follow. Readers look up verses describing Jesus' preincarnate existence. Next are verses describing Jesus' resurrected existence. Readers are reminded that we are not called to follow Christ in His preincarnate existence nor His resurrected existence, but his incarnate existence. Deeper reflection questions ask about how Jesus' existence as preincarnate and post-resurrection differ, are similar, what has been found most challenging this first week, and something realized.

And that is just one of the ten weeks of study! Other weeks concentrate on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, Jesus and prayer, Jesus and obedience, Jesus and the Word of God, Jesus exalting the Father, Jesus loving others, and Jesus discipling others.

This is an excellent study. It covers every aspect of life and how Jesus is our model. I highly recommend it.

The author's prayer is that this book would help people gain a fresh look at Christ and see His humanity as a model of how God intended us to live. Dann has been studying the life of Christ for over thirty-five years. He is continually finding new insights about living for Him.

Dann is the founder and director of Sonlife ministries and serves as a consultant to more than eighteen denominations developing youth and church leadership. He has written several leadership training manuals. He lives in Illinois with his wife and family.

There is more information online as Dann introduces each week at WalkingAsJesus.com. A leader's guide is also available at that site.

Moody Publishers, 181 pages of study. Publisher product information.

I received a complimentary copy of this study from Moody Publishers for the purpose of this review.

Seeing Through Heaven's Eyes by Leif Hetland

“Seeing Through Heaven's Eyes entails seeing all the things that others see but determines that they are seen through eyes of absolutely unconditional love.” (24)

Leif describes his book as a guide on how to see into unloved realms, those places of darkness and shame. “How you see yourself – and your secrets – is directly related to how you see God.” (31) Do you see God as judgmental or loving? When we see God correctly we will see ourselves correctly.

Leif went through an experience where he was baptized in love. He now see through different eyes. He no longer sees God as austere. He now sees God as kind and tenderhearted.

Jesus announced that God longs for sons and daughters. God is entering into a new relationship with us and we can call Him Father. Jesus holding children in his lap is a picture of the Father's affection. The parable of the prodigal son shows the compassion of the Father.

Leif did not experience the love of God when he got saved. He was humiliated when he joined a youth group. He turned to drugs and crime. When he hit bottom he returned home and was welcomed by his father. He went to Bible college and seminary, got his first church and turned into a Pharisee. He burned out after sixteen years of ministry.

Leif helps us see paradise lost and our homesickness for Eden. He shares his travels, his 12 safaris, looking for remnants of Eden. The closest to paradise, he found, was El Nido.

Leif realized he was doing, not being. He shares his painful experiences: a compression fracture of the neck in 1995, broken back and leg in a sports car accident in 1998. In 200 he had an experience of the Father's love, a baptism. In 2005 he was in a treatment facility for a month, having abused pain medications. At the end of 2008 he lost lots of weight, had double pneumonia, a benign tumor removed.

The Christian life is about living out of love, Leif writes. “The Holy Spirit immerses us in the Father's love.” (135) “Once we have experienced that, he writes, “we begin to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength.” (136) Then, coming to see through heaven's eyes is a process, like a butterfly emerging from the dissolved cocoon. He emerged from the darkness a lover. Leif wants us to understand that this transformation is painful. It dissolves the old you.

But your eyes are open to see Jesus through heaven's eyes, your enemies, the Kingdom of God, the mystery of the Church, and the return of the King.

Leif has a great deal of Bible teaching, interspersed with his own story. He is widely read, as he quotes from a number of books. (He also shares six pages of dialogue from the movie, Mr. Holland's Opus.)

Leif has a message for Christians today. We are to be showing the love of God to others through the power of the Holy Spirit. Leif tells us how the transformation happened for him. His story is a great encouragement.

Leif Hetland is the president and founder of Global Mission Awareness and Leif Hetland Ministries.  He has traveled worldwide motivating people to see the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Destiny Image, 226 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for the purpose of this review.

Naked Spirituality by Brian McLaren

McLaren begins with the example of St. Francis, who was naked before God. “ Frances joined a long tradition of nakedness in the service of spirituality ... Samuel ... Saul ... Isaiah ... Jesus ...” (vi) Naked we came in, Job said, naked we go out. In between we clothe ourselves in thousands of ways.

This book is about getting naked spiritually. “It's about stripping away the symbols and status of public religion... ...[T]his book invites you to experiment with the naked experience of God... And it's about attending to the well-being of the soul clothed only in naked human skin.” (vii)

McLaren shares his own conversion experience so his readers know he is not a dispassionate observer. What he writes about spirituality has been tested in the crucible of his own experience.

How do we become truly spiritual people? How do we learn to strip away the superficial? How do we nurture daily spiritual experience?

McLaren writes about what it mans to be spiritual. He explored twelve essential spiritual practices. These practices, he writes, are simple, doable, and durable. Founded in ancient traditions, they are basic to twenty-first-century spirituality.

He separates the practices into four stages of spirituality.

Simplicity: Here (invocation), Thanks (gratitude), O (worship)

Complexity: Sorry (confession), Help (petition), Please (compassion)

Perplexity: When (exasperation), No (rage), Why (lament)

Harmony: Behold (meditation), yes (surrender), […], (contemplation)

As with all of the other books I have read by McLaren, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that I like the way he has arranged the disciplines to reflect the growth in one's spiritual life. It seemed to describe my spiritual development as well. I can see some who have gotten stuck in certain places, say, simplicity, and have not moved on. Reading the way McLaren describes spirituality helped me to understand where people are in their spiritual experience.

The bad news is, just when I think McLaren is evangelical, he writes something like this: “... Protestant, Evangelical … Sunni or Shiite … the possibility of naked spirituality remains a live option.” (11) Or, “A spiritual life is a Spirit life...” (18) Or, “Jesus was right. Paul was right. John was right. The Buddha was right.” (239)

Although McLaren says he is a Christian, he includes the spirituality of other faiths as if they know God to the same extent as Christians. He does not seem to acknowledge Jesus' claim that no one can really know God unless they know Jesus (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22).

There is much to learn from McLaren but he must be read with discretion.

There is a group discussion guide way in the back, after the footnotes. I missed seeing it at first.

HarperOne, 280 pages.

I Am a Follower by Leonard Sweet

“Jesus invites us all to dance...” (26) All it takes is one to start, to lead, and others will follow. “Jesus leads us in a new dance of human connection under divine direction.” (27) Too often our churches just want us to concentrate on dancing lessons. Sometimes we would just rather be dancing judges.

“This book is about those who would dance the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. About those brave and courageous first followers who first step forth to join the dance. They are the way pavers, those willing to play the first fool.” (27)

Sweet doesn't want us to be better leaders. He wants us to be better followers. “Jesus is the leader.” “We are his followers.” (41)

We've developed a celebrity cult culture. But Jesus said we are to be different. “And even when we must lead, he calls us to lead in a different way – from behind.” (48)

“A follower is one who has said yes to being chosen and announces that human chosenness to the world.” (60) “The key issue for Jesus followers ir our ability to spot where 'he is in the world today' and our agility in conjoining ourselves to the living Christ. Aligning one's life with the attributes and activities of God is the highest form of holiness.” (61)

The rest of the book is organized into three parts to reflect Jesus' three-part story: the way, the truth, and the life. Sweet identifies the natural progression Jesus proposed: first belonging (way), then believing (truth), then behaving (life). “When Jesus summoned people into the way, he was inviting them to share a purpose or path (way), a new set of relationships (truth), and the beauty of community (life).” (64)

Sweet is quick to point out, “But we don't first get it right and then follow Jesus.” (79) We follow and then it makes sense. Following Jesus is just that. It is not worrying about the future or even survival.

“For the most part, the Father's business has been replaced by the corporate business of the church, patterned after the business world itself.” (95) Sweet would rather see “pedestrian churches, consisting of people who walk with Jesus, “...because much of the so-called wisdom of corporate culture directly contradicts the ways and means of Jesus and his kingdom.” (101) We are supposed to be in the disciple-making business, not the church-making business.

Sweet notes that Christians should be casters of the fruit of the Spirit. For example, “Followers of Jesus should be the most at-peace people on the face of the earth. Sadly, quite often, we seem to be the most nervous and agitated bunch around.” (133)

In part two, Sweet reminds us Jesus is the Truth. We follow the path Jesus has made for us, even though we may not know where we are going. It takes daily work and practice. “Confession of sin and recognition of weakness lie at the heart of a followership culture.” (183) We don't need to hide our weaknesses, our imperfection. “Whatever God calls you to do, it's going to be bigger than you are.” (188)

Sweet emphasizes the priesthood of all believers. We don't need more larger-than-life leaders. We need more down-to-earth followers.

In part three, Sweet writes, “To be a follower of Jesus is to share his life and his cross, to live not only as a disciple of his teaching but as a continuing incarnation of his life, death, and resurrection.” (211) “To be an incarnational disciple of Christ is to make Christ's way your way, Christ's truth your truth, Christ's life your life.” (212)

Following Jesus doesn't just happen. “You have to be schooled in following Jesus.” (214) It takes disciples to make disciples.

We are fully human. “To walk with Jesus is to embrace both the pain and the joy of life in all its fullness...” (243)

Included at the end of each division of the book is an extensive study section. These questions make this book a good selection for small group study.

Thomas Nelson Publishers, 240 pages. Publisher product information.

I received an egalley of this book from Thomas Nelson for the purpose of this review.

Live Abundantly by Lenya Heitzig & Penny Rose

Heitzig & Rose help us study the book of Ephesians in Live Abundantly. Ephesians, though written to believers in Ephesus, it is written to us too, if we are “faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 1:1) “Did you know that Ephesians contains a spiritual blank check from God written directly to you?” (9) Many of us are ignorant of our inheritance and do not know the true riches we possess. “It is our desire,” they write, “that as you complete this study, you, too, will know how to Live Abundantly. We pray that God will open your eyes to His wealth, your heart to worship, and your life to be worthy of His calling.” (11)

Each week of the study is divided into five days for our personal time with God. Each day's lesson has five elements.

First is “lift up.” We are encouraged to lift up prayers to God, asking for spiritual insight for the day. (These prayers are written out.)

Second is “look at.” We are asked to look at a portion of Scripture. Inductive questions are provided to help us understand the facts and other basic aspects of the passage.

Third is “learn about.” Sidebars are correlated to particular questions to help us understand what the text means. These sidebars might be a cultural insight, a definition, or a commentary.

Fourth is “live out.” Questions and exercises help us investigate how this passage is to change our life. We are challenged to live out the principles in the Word.

Fifth is “listen to.” The day's section finishes with inspiring quotes, sharing the wisdom gleaned from the lives of others.

This book would work well for personal or small group study. Heitzig & Rose have provided suggestions for both. The oversize book has plenty of room for writing.

The “look at” questions (to help us understand the facts of the passage), are very simple. Here are the questions for Ephesians 1:7-12:

1. “In Him” refers to Jesus – the Beloved Son – from verse 6. What do we as believers have in Him?
2. By What means did Christ purchase our redemption?
3. Redemption and forgiveness are possible “according to the riches of His grace.” (v. 7) How would you restate this phrase in your own words?
4. Why has God made known the mystery of His will to us (v.9)?
5. What was the purpose of God's plan (v.10)?
6. What more have we obtained in Christ (v11)?
7. What phrase confirms the idea that there are no accidents in a Christian's life?
8. What is the end result of a life that trusts in Christ (v.12)?

The strength in this lesson (and the others) comes in the “live out” section. The questions for this section deal with forgiveness of sins and the inheritance we have. We are encouraged to write down some things we understand about God and some things we still don't understand. The “live out” questions would be great for discussion.

This is not a “deep” study. Each day's study can easily be done within the twenty minute suggestion. The most important part of each day is the “live out” section. Since we can easily fool ourselves, I think this study should be done in a group setting. The daily work could be done at home but the “live out” section should be discussed with others. I think the accountability found in a study group would bring greater value to this book.

Lenya Heitzig is an author and Bible teacher. She and her husband founded Calvary Church of Albuquerque. She oversees weekly bible studies and yearly retreats. She and her husband live in Albuquerque.

Penny Rose is the author of numerous books. She teaches at conferences and retreats nationwide. She lives in Albuquerque with her husband, Kerry, a pastor at Calvary Church.

David C Cook, 291 pages.  Publisher product information.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament ed. by Daniel B. Wallace

This is the inaugural volume of the Text and Canon of the New Testament series. All of the essays by the six authors focus in issues of textual criticism.

The first chapter frames the discussion the rest of the book addresses. The text of the New Testament we have is a result of copies of copies. Can we tell, through rigorous analysis of surviving manuscripts and scribal methods, what the original text essentially looked like? Did the early church get it right in evaluating and designating just the twenty-seven books of our NT as Scripture?

“One the one side,” writes Wallace, “are the King James Only advocates; they are absolutely certain that the KJV, in every place, exactly represents the original text.” (22)

On the other hand are those who say there is no hope of knowing the original texts since we no longer have the originals and there could have been tremendous tampering with the texts. The argument may be carried on to the theology derived from these texts. “According to this line of thinking, the message of whole books has been corrupted in the hands of the scribes; and the church, in later centuries, adopted the doctrine of the winner – those who corrupted the text and conformed it to their own notion of orthodoxy.” (25)

There are lots of manuscripts (more than 5,600), some 2.6 million pages of texts. There are more than a million quotes of the NT by the early church fathers. At least twelve of the manuscripts date from the second century. “Of the hundreds of thousands of textual variants in NT MSS, the great majority are spelling differences that have no bearing on the meaning of the text.” (40) Less than one percent of the textual variants are meaningful.

Wallace takes Bert Ehrman to task. A high proportion of Ehrman's examples could easily be classified as accidental, with no theological motives. Wallace critiques Ehrman's text-critical method, noting that Ehrman prefers the least orthodox reading.

Philip Miller investigates Ehrman's conclusion that the NT text was corrupted at the hands of orthodox scribes, to make the texts say what the scribes already believed them to mean. (58)

Matthew Morgan investigates the legacy and heritage of two eighteenth-century manuscripts and the text of John 1:1.

Adam Messer highlights one example of the attention Ehrman gives to historical evidence and the implications drawn concerning theologically motivated changes.

Tim Ricchuiti concentrates on the Gospel of Thomas, first considered primarily a Gnostic and apocryphal text, but now esteemed by some to be on the same level as the New Testament Gospels.

Brian Wright investigates the relationship of Jesus and Theos (God).

This book will best serve those who have read Bert Ehrman and his views on the transmission of the New Testament texts. That being said, anyone interested in the issues of scribal changes in NT MSS will benefit from this book.

The book is written on the academic level. The average layman will have difficulty following the precise work.

Kregel, 266 pages.  Product information.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications for the purpose of this review.

Live Reflectively by Lenya Heitzig

Heitzig helps us dive into the life of Moses in Live Reflectively. She writes, “It is my prayer that as you gaze into the watershed moments of Moses you will experience life-changing encounters with God.” (11)

Heitzig divides Moses' life into three segments: forty years being somebody, forty years becoming nobody, and forty years leading everybody. She notes how the life of Moses mirrors that of the Messiah.

Each week of the study is divided into five days for your personal time with God. Each day's lesson has five elements.

First is “lift up.” You are encouraged to lift up prayers to God, asking for spiritual insight for the day. (These prayers are written out.)

Second is “look at.” You are asked to look at a portion of Scripture. Inductive questions are provided to help you understand the facts and other basic aspects of the passage.

Third is “learn about.” Sidebars are correlated to particular questions to help you understand what the text means. These sidebars might be a cultural insight, a definition, or a commentary.

Fourth is “live out.” Questions and exercises help you investigate how this passage is to change your life. You are challenged to live out the principles in the Word.

Fifth is “listen to.” The day's section finishes with inspiring quotes, sharing the wisdom gleaned from the lives of others.

Heitzig encourages you to journal. “By writing your insights from God day to day, you'll have a record of your relationship with Him that you can look back on when you need a faith boost.” (15)

This book would work well for personal or small group study. Heitzig has provided suggestions for both. The oversize book has plenty of room for writing.

The “look at” questions (to help understand the facts of the passage), are very simple. Here are the questions for Exodus 17:11-13:

1. What action did Moses perform that caused Israel to prevail?
2. What caused Amalek to prevail?
3. What happened to Moses' hands? What was the first thing others did to assist him?
4. How did Aaron and Hur help Moses?
5. How long did the battle last?
6. How did the battle end?

Someone who was in Sunday School as a child would already know all the answers to these questions on this well-known story. So there is nothing new there.

The strength in this lesson (and the others) comes in the “live out” section. The questions for this section deal with writing down a way you can come alongside your own leader.

This is not a “deep” study. Each day's study can easily be done within the twenty minute suggestion. The most important part of each day is the “live out” section. Since we can easily fool ourselves, I think this study should be done in a group setting. The daily work could be done at home but the “live out” section should be discussed with others. I think the accountability found in a study group would bring greater value to this book.

Lenya Heitzig is an author and Bible teacher. She and her husband founded Calvary Church of Albuquerque. She oversees weekly bible studies and yearly retreats. She and her husband live in Albuquerque.

David C Cook, 276 pages.  Product information.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Discovering Your Spiritual Center by David Teems

Life asks impossibly difficult things of us at times, and too often we can lose our way. We can misplace our maps that led us to the Father in the first place. We have drifted off center.

When Teems experienced this drift, he devoted himself to reading Psalm 119. He read the twenty-two sections in twenty-two days.

Strategy 119 is the application of Psalm 119. It is a progression, reading a section each day over twenty-two days. “With every movement toward the interior, the hope is that you will, with each successive day, surrender another part of yourself, that you will allow God permission to meddle deeply and effectively in your lean inner man to the finest possible detail.” (53)

Psalm 119 is Scripture about Scripture. It serve as a passage into all of Scripture. Before beginning, Teems asks just how willing we are, how badly we want to be caught up in the current of God.

The rules to his Strategy 119:

Read only eight verses a day (perhaps more than once). Do not skip a day.

Read them out loud. Listen to the creative Word.

If possible, isolate yourself. Try to keep a routine of time and place.

He includes a few “lesser” rules, such as including prayer and writing in a journal.

For each day, Teems has listed a quote from various authors, the portion of the Psalm, a short meditation, comments about the section's Hebrew letter, and a short prayer.

Teems adds many of his own insights. For example, for Day 11, on the letter kaph: “It resembles the palm of the hand. It is a symbol of nurture and protection, of paternity and comfort. Often the kaph includes a dot in the center that intensifies the image of one cradled in the palm of God.” (143)

Teems is a wordsmith. Here is his prayer from Day 20:

“I am an excess of wind and whine. I have been self-serving my entire life. I am the head and I am the tail. The greater part tail. Even some of my better intentions were fueled by my selfishness. Let the complaint in me die – the whine, the howl, the whimpering and needy little man. Breathe life into the neglected parts, the unfed and unredeemed parts. Save me according to your great love. You are Holy. Holy. Holy.” (189)

Teems predicts at the end of twenty-two days we will feel a “quickening of the interior.” (199) That fire will need maintenance. He suggests we read a portion of Scripture every day, and read it as a form of prayer. If we begin to drift out of center, return to the Strategy 119.

This book is a great tool to use when we get off track. Pick up this book and savor the work of Scripture in your life.

David Teems is the author of several books, a recording artist, songwriter, worship leader, and speaker. David and his family life in Franklin, Tennessee.

Leafwood Publishers, 202 pages.

http://www.leafwoodpublishers.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Jesus, the Exact Image of God - CEB

This is John 1:18 in the Common English Bible:

No one has ever seen God.

God the only Son,

who is as the Father's side,

has made God known.

We find out more about how Jesus has made our invisible God known in Colossians 1:15. The CEB reads:

The Son is the image

of the invisible God,

the one who is first over all creation...

“Image” is eikon, in the Greek. It indicates a precise reproduction, not just a likeness. “Jesus is the very stamp of God the Father...” (p. 477, vol. 4, Word Pictures in the New Testament).

We find more in Hebrews 1:3. The CEB reads:

The Son is the light of God's glory and the imprint of God's being...

The word for “imprint” is charakter. It is used only here in the New Testament and comes from charagma, a stamp, impress. Robertson translates charakter es hupostaseos as “The very image of his substance.” (p. 336, vol. 5, Word Pictures in the New Testament) Robertson notes that hupostaseos indicates the being or essence of God.

Vincent says, “Here...the Son bears the exact impress of the divine nature and character.” (p. 383, vol. 4, Word Studies in the New Testament.)

Jesus is the exact representation of God's being, the exact representation of God's essence, His nature, His character. Perhaps that is why Jesus said no one could know God except by knowing him (John 14:6).

What is amazing to me is that we Christians are to become that image!

Rom. 8:28-29a says, in the CEB:

We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. We know this because God knew them in advance, and he decided in advance that they would be conformed to the image is his Son.

And, if that was not enough, here is 2 Cor. 3:18b in the CEB:

We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory.

And yet again, Col. 3:9b-10 in the CEB:

Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Mark 1:17 - CEB

Church going people are familiar with the traditional “I will make you fishers of men” translation of Mark 1:17b. Many translations read this way, including the KJV, RSV, NASB, and NIV.

Here is the verse in the Common English Bible:

“Come, follow me,” he said, “and I'll show you how to fish for people.”

When the translators of the CEB came to this verse, they had the choice of following other modern translations (in the tradition of Tyndale) or producing a fresh reading. In contemporary English, it is important to communicate that Jesus was not speaking of evangelizing just males. How to render the Greek anthropon, a form of anthropoß, “a man,” is one issue. Also, “fishers” is a bit of an archaic term. And, “make” sounds like Jesus will force his disciples to fish.

The NLT translators tried to make this verse more understandable: “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

The CEB takes one more step toward readability when it does not follow the original word order. (“and said to them Jesus come after me and I will make you to become fishers of men,” p. 138, The NASB Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Alfred Marshall.) One additional step in translation is the use of the contraction, “I'll,” to make the passage readable to contemporary English readers.

One aspect of this rendering that bothers me is the translation of poihsw umaß genesqai. Marshall (see above) renders this, “I will make you to become.” The word poiew is a primary word, “to make, do.” (NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible) For me, saying Jesus will “show” them, just doesn't seem to convey the sense of the original. Perhaps something like “cause,” at least for me, seems to be closer to the original meaning. “I will cause you to become...”

What do you think? How would you translate Mark 1:17?

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Wayward Son by Tom Pollack with Jim Alves & John Loftus

Amanda James works at the Getty Museum in California. An old flame asks her to come to Italy, to an archaeological site near Mt. Vesuvius. He needs Amanda's help. The team has investigated a narrow passageway that recently opened up. Their photography robot came upon huge doors with multiple symbols. Only Amanda has the knowledge to figure out the code to open the doors.

She does manage to open the doors and sees wonders. Contained in this room are artifacts from the centuries before Christ. She inadvertently steps on a device that closes the doors. She is trapped inside.

As she wanders the domed room, she sees a statue. When she grasps an odd pendant around a man's neck, her world changes.

She experiences a vision of Cain and his life after killing his brother Abel. Part of Cain's curse is that he does not die, but lives for centuries. He meets Pharaohs, Chinese emperors, Greek philosophers and Roman rulers. He marries and has children but continues to outlive them all. He is dogged by an evil spirit – Satan.

He eventually meets Jesus Christ in Judea and his life is forever changed.

Meanwhile, the book cuts back from time to time and the efforts to rescue Amanda from the underground room.

Cain's death is never recorded in the Bible. The idea of Cain being immortal is a unique idea. He cannot die and his wounds heal quickly. He participates in and at times causes historical events.

The historical aspects of this book are good. We see how Cain sneaked onto the ark and managed to live through the flood. We meet Homer and experience how he was encouraged to write down his stories. We meet Nero and are confronted with his hatred of Christians.

A very clever aspect of the book is the portrayal of Satan. That part of the plot I thought was very well done.

There were two aspects of the book I did not like. One was the abrupt change in storyline from Amanda to Cain. I had become quite interested in Amanda. We learn quite a bit about her, to the extent that I thought the novel was going to be about her.

Then, suddenly, and very abruptly, she is no longer the focus of the plot, Cain is. The periodic jumps during Cain's story to find out what is happening back at the archaeological dig in the current day, also seemed abrupt to me. That whole aspect of the novel distracted from the true storyline, I thought.

Also, the book is long. There were times when I got a bit bored – yet another major historical event to go through.

Nonetheless, the book is a great read from a unique perspective. One has to read through to the end to get the real impact of the story.

Go to www.waywardsonnovel.com to read the first hundred pages of the novel, find out more information, and how to buy the book.

Tom Pollack (center) has spent most of his professional life in the investment business. His passion for sailing gave him the inspiration for this book. His friendship with Roy Disney produced the release of a motion picture on the exploits of college-ages sailors. He lives in Dana Point with his wife and two children.

Jim Alves (left) recently completed a 25 year career in bond sales and trading. He is currently the CEO of a consulting firm. He lives in San Clemente with his wife and the two of their four sons still at home.

John Loftus (right) spent 23 years at an investment management company. He is active in philanthropy and non-profit organizations. He lives with his wife in Newport Beach.

Cascada, 512 pages.

I received an egalley of this book from the publicist for the purpose of this review.

Chapters and Verses in the Bible - CEB

Should the Bible have verse breaks or not?

The Bible in the original languages had no chapter and verse divisions. Chapter divisions came in the 13^th century, created by a professor at the University of Paris, Stephen Cardinal Langton (d. 1228). The Bible had been without chapter divisions for over a thousand years!

Verses were introduced into part of the Old Testament by Santes Pagnino in 1528. Robert Stephens published a Greek edition with verses in 1551 and a Latin edition in 1555. The Geneva Bible, which came out in 1560, was the first English Bible divided into verses.

Some theologians have wished that verses would never have been added to the Bible. They seem to have been inserted rather haphazardly. Legend has it that Stephens made the verse breaks while on a horse. Some conjecture that it was a bumpy ride, making verse divisions where they were not needed, or in just the wrong place, such as in the middle of a sentence.

Some argue that the Bible should never be printed in separate verses. The text should be continuous, with verse numbers printed in the margin.

This was the style in which Eugene Peterson first wrote his translation, The Message. The chapter and verse range of the page was printed at the top of the page. It was only later, from popular demand, that verse numbers were inserted into the text of The Message.

Most translations are now printed in paragraph form with verse breaks indicated by superscripts. This is how the Common English Bible is printed.

Here is an example from the CEB to show how odd the verse divisions can be.

Ephesians 1:22-23 “²²God put everything under Christ's feet and made him head of everything in the church, ²³which is his body. His body, the church, is the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way.”

It would seem in one place the CEB translators didn't want to break up the thought by identifying separate verses.

Ephesians 2:4-5 “^4-5However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God's grace!”

It is important to remember that the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible were not done by people inspired by the Holy Spirit. Do you find that chapter and verse divisions are helpful or are they distracting?

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

The Legacy of the English Bible - CEB

The Bible has not always been in English.

Parts of the Bible were translated into English as long ago as the end of the seventh century (Old English or Anglo-Saxon).

John Wycliffe, a 14^th century theologian, translated (or oversaw the translation of) what is known as Wycliffe's Bible. It appeared around 1382 to 1395. The translators used the Latin Vulgate Bible as their source. It retained much of the Latin style. While Wycliffe died of a stroke at the end of 1384, he was declared a heretic in 1415. His books were burned and his body was exhumed and burned.

William Tyndale (1494-1536) introduced an English Bible that had been translated using the Greek and Hebrew texts, in addition to the Latin text. Tyndale was arrested in 1535, tried for heresy and burned at the stake in 1536.

Tyndale created new English words when he could not find ones that appropriately reflected the original language. Perhaps the best known term he created it atonement (at-one-ment). He also introduced “Jehovah.”

When Tyndale translated Exodus 3:14, where God introduces himself to Moses, he did it as, “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.” This gives the correct sense of the Hebrew (ehyeh asher ehyeh), implying both being and becoming.

The KJV reads, “I AM THAT I AM.”

Several translations translate the phrase similarly but then add a footnote. For example, the ESV says, “I AM WHO I AM” then in a footnote says, “Or I AM WHAT I AM, or I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.”

This is what the Common English Bible does. The phrase is translated, “I Am Who I Am” and a footnote adds, “Or I Will Be Who I Will Be.”

(Thanks goes to David Teems for the information on Exodus 3:14, in his latest book, Discovering Your Spiritual Center, p. 54.)

The Common English Bible is the most recent English translation, just having been released in the complete Bible this fall. It is only possible because of the great legacy of men who have, at times, given their life to produce a Bible in the language of the common people.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Ephesians 1:4-5 - CEB

Ephesians 1:4-5 reads in the Common English Bible: “⁴God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God's presence before the creation of the world. ⁵God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan...”

In the ESV, the sentence begins in 1:4: “In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...”

The NASB is similar, as is the NIV.

The NET Bible reads: “⁴For he lovingly chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight. ⁵He did this by predestining us to the adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will - ...”

The KJV reads: “⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵Having predestined us...”

How does “love” get placed in the center of verse 5 in the CEB, the end of verse 4 in the ESV, NASB and NIV and at the beginning of verse 4 in the NET Bible?

In the Greek, the prepositional phrase, “in love,” actually appears at the end of verse 4. In Greek, the ending of “love” would indicate which word it modifies as it would have to have the same ending. The problem is, there are three words (or phrases) it could modify. There are no periods in this Greek text so “in love” could modify words that came before it (in verse 4) or words that come after it (in verse 5).

It could modify “chose.” It would seem the NET Bible has picked this possibility: “For he lovingly chose us...” In this case, love is the motivation for our election (being chosen).

It could modify the phrase “holy and unblemished.” This is the KJV reading. The NIV includes a footnote, “Or sight in love. He” so it does allow for “...holy and blameless in his sight in love.” In this case, it would seem that our holiness is closely connected to love.

It could also modify the predestining in verse 5. The ESV, NASB and NIV have taken this possibility. This reading is similar in meaning to that of love modifying “chose” as it gives the motivation for God's act of predestination.

I hope you see the difficulty of determining a precise translation of Ephesians 1:4-5. This, again, is why it is a good idea to consult several translations when studying the Bible.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Real - Stories by Shelley Malcolm, Photographs by Terilee Dawn Ouimette

What do your hands reveal? The rough skin. The weathered cracks.

Shelley had a dream and realized all people had something in common ... what their hands tell about them. Hands tell honest stories.

Photographer Terilee knew when Shelley contacted her that this was a project that would use the gift God had given her in photography. Photographing hands has changed her forever. She has learned to have the courage to understand the deeper side of people.

Caesar.  "Tall and slender with his head held high, he walks with an air of gratitude in each step."  His life is simple and his possessions few.  He is from Sudan, orphaned at a young age during the Sudanese Civil War.  He traveled the world and began to express his own voice in writing, exposing some of the terrors of the Al-Bashir regime.  A target of the Sudanese rebels, Caesar remains in the U. S. under protection.

Franco.  He is proud of his reputation as an automobile detailer.  He was born and raised in Guatemala.  He wanted to pursue higher education, then law school.  But there were too many obstacles.  He came to the U. S.  Auto detailing may not have been his dream, but he is a role model of gratefulness and courtesy.  He has a high standard of service.  He is a hard-working father, knowing his dedication will allow his daughter to go to college.

Danny.  After a long day of heavy moving and hauling, his joy is to come home and set his inner artist free.  He presses his paint sprayer, finishing another large vehicle custom paint design. The sky is the limit. The universe with all its glory is his signature design.  He loves to create.  The freedom of his artwork has helped him survive the most difficult trials in life.  Discarded items become a work of art in his hands.  His swollen fingers reveal that he goes the extra mile when he works.

Gladys.  "Her fingers are taking a shape of their own these days."  To move them is painful.  She can still write a letter, she enjoys reading her Bible.  In her younger days she found her calling in her local Lutheran church.  She help many positions before the ultimately became the designated writer of notes, acknowledgments, birthday greetings, and thank you cards.  Her skill exemplifies "the art of letter writing."  Now homebound, she is far from bored.  Life is simple and visitors are treasured.

Woody and Kay.  It was a surprise romance. He had just lost his beloved wife of sixty years.  The hardest thing for him to do was continue on without her. Then along came Kay. They had known each other 80 earlier in elementary school.  Now they were both widowed.  Only weeks after the reunion they decided to get marries.  In a few months they were married. The world again had a joyous light.

There are hands of builders and bakers, of students and seniors. There are young hands, old hands, and scarred hands.

The people in this book are not famous. They are inspirational, however. They are people who have overcome difficulties, and weathered adversities. They are people who play together, and work together.

They are people just like you and me who have made a difference with their hands. 

You've just got to go to these websites to see more sample pages : http://marthamartha.net/ and

http://marthamartha.net/realexerpts/index_nobg.html

Greeting cards for sale: http://marthamartha.net/shop/shopnotecards.html.

Real - The Book from David Malcolm on Vimeo.

Buy the book: http://marthamartha.net/shop/shopbook.html.

Proceeds from Real go to various charities.  Go to http://realthebook.blogspot.com/ for more information.

While this is her first book, Shelley Malcolm is no stranger to creative projects. She is co-owner and restorer on an historic chapel, La Perla del Mar in Shell beach, CA, and a set designer for theater and film. She was named Pismo Beach's Citizen on the Year in 2011 for her extensive contributions and involvements in the community. Shelley graduated from the university of Southern California with a degree in dental hygiene. Shelley and her husband live in Shell Beach, California. They have four adult children.

Terilee Ouimette loves art, people and traveling. Photography has been a great medium to combine her passions.  She runs Terilee Dawn Photography.  She has been married for five years and can't wait to see where life takes her next.  You can see her work at http://terileedawn.com/ and follow her blog at http://www.terileedawn.com/blog/. 

I received a complimentary copy of this beautiful book from the author for the purpose of this review.