1. Saved without a Doubt by John MacArthur *****
[Read from August 01 to 22]
Great book that helped allay my fears! There are a lot of Scripture references. I do think there was an issue that wasn't addressed much, that I would have liked to have seen more about, but all in all an excellent book. After reading the study questions in the back of the book, I realized I don't know the material as well as I should, and will likely be reading the whole book over again, perhaps several times. There are assignments in the back of the book that should be helpful, too, such as memorizing key Scriptures.
Here are some of the many quotes I underlined on the kindle edition:
'Because we do not directly and immediately receive the fullness of all God's promises when we first believe--since it is "reserved in heaven" for us according to 1 Peter 1:4--we may sometimes be tempted to doubt our salvation and wonder about the ultimate blessings that are supposed to accompany it. The work of salvation in our lives remains incomplete--we still await the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23), which will occur when Christ returns for us. Because we have not yet received full possession of our inheritance, we may question its reality or at least its greatness.'
'Our hope is not in ourselves but in our great God, who is faithful. Isaiah described God's faithfulness as "the belt about His waist" (Isa. 11:5). David declared that the Lord's "faithfulness reaches to the skies" (Ps. 36:5), and Jeremiah praised Him by exclaiming, "Great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:23). The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23). While continued faith is necessary, our ability to hold fast is founded upon the Lord's faithfulness, not our own.'
'The peace spoken of here [Romans 5] is not subjective but objective. It is not a feeling but a fact. Apart from salvation through Jesus Christ, every human being is spiritually at war with God--regardless of what his or her feelings about God may be. In the same way, the person who is justified by faith in Christ is at peace with God, regardless of how he or she may feel about it at any given moment. Through trust in Jesus Christ, a sinner's war with God is ended for all eternity.'
'Natural human love is almost invariably based on the attractiveness of the object of love, and we are inclined to love people who love us. Consequently we tend to attribute that same kind of love to God. We think that His love for us depends on how good we are or how much we love Him.'
'Do you reject the world? Do you reject its false religions, damning ideologies, godless living, and vain pursuits? Instead, do you love God, His truth, His kingdom, and all that He stands for? That doesn't come naturally to any man or woman, because the human tendency is to love darkness rather than light to mask evil deeds (John 3:19-20). Unbelievers are of their father the devil and want to do the desires of their father (John 8:44). If you reject the world and its devilish desires, that is an indication of a new life in Christ. And since that new life is forever, settle into it with an abiding sense of assurance.'
'I frequently receive letters from anguished Christians who doubt their salvation because they can't seem to break a sinful or unwise habit. They fear their struggle with such things means they are locked into a pattern of sin. But John is not saying that the frequent occurrence of one particular sin in a person's life means that person is lost. Rather he clarifies his meaning in saying that a true believer cannot practice lawlessness (1 John 3:4). The Greek term used there (anomia) literally means "living as if there were no law." A person who rejects God's authority doesn't care what God thinks about his habits and is obviously not a Christian.
A Christian, on the other hand, has a drastically different way of relating to God. He or she is no longer a slave to sin but has offered himself or herself as a servant to the Lord (Rom. 6:14, 17-18). A true Christian can still sin, and may even do so frequently, but sinning frequently (while continually responding in confession and repentance) is not the same as shamelessly and unrepentantly practicing sin. In 1 John, we see that a true believer can do the first but not the second.'
'Now your love won't be perfect, but it will be there. Let that bolster your assurance, for John warned that your heart or conscience might try to incriminate you and make you doubt. The fallen flesh has the capability to play games with your mind. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, may seek to exploit that tendency.'
...The book goes on to talk about answered prayer, belief in Christ, discerning between spiritual truth and error, suffering for Christ, temptations, disobedience, adding virtue upon virtue, knowledge of theology, self-control, focus, not having a victim mentality or sugar-coating sin, use of the Word and prayer, endurance, and more.
2. The Mystery of Mary by Grace Livingston Hill **
[Read on August 24]
Trying to weed out some of my stash of novels, and in the process finding it hard not to read through them all, because sometimes there is a gem amid the so-so books. Not the best GLH book, though the story was quite engaging. Rather unrealistic, too, and not really anything about the Lord. Also quite a bit of deceiving going on, even if it was for safety (couldn't there have been a different way?).
3. The Button Legacy by Ginger Marcinkowski ***
[Read on August 27, 2013]
The button box holds a secret. Not a trap-door kind of secret, but one of God's love through everything. The story is simple, but the words resonate with poignancy, picturesque stories told for each button. There are some sad stories, some funny stories, but in the end they point to God's grace. I appreciated the love and prayers between family, and the humble way of confronting wrong. There were a couple of somewhat embarrassing/intimate things, but not detailed. It wraps up a little too quickly, perhaps, at least for those of us who haven't read the companion book about granddaughter, Emily. There is nothing exactly objectionable, unless you count the time Emily goes into a dance-hall/bar and gets drunk--but the action is not condoned. Overall a solid, well-written tale, but it seems a bit unfinished.
I received a free kindle copy of this story from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review.
4. Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge ***
[Read on August 29]
Jules (Juliet) is a blogger who has never recovered from the pain of losing her husband. She struggles with life and death issues and with trusting in God, though she knows her husband did.
There is a cop who wants to help, feeling he has failed her and her husband. When she goes missing, he tries his hardest to follow any clues, even to the point of possibly losing his own job.
I thought I would only read a third of this book or so the first day, but ended up finishing it all! It soon captured my interest, and though it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, it was fascinating.
There were twists, well-written characters, and a few good lessons, but it wasn't exactly a joyful read. (I know: what do I expect from this sort of book?)
Here's a good quote that partly sums up the lessons in the book: '"Most people believe we need each other to fill our lives with abundance and blessing. We believe we need people to show us all the good in ourselves. But I don't believe that's the case. We need people, Juliet, to show us our selfishness, to extract the ugliness that reveals itself in our hearts."'
I'm not sure the author believes in total depravity, but it comes close, which is better than most books these days.
The ending was a tense, riveting ride, with a few gruesome details, but nothing most people couldn't handle.
Overall a good, maybe very good novel, but not a particular favorite of mine, just because of the sadness and confusion of the main characters.
5. The Book of Galatians
6. The Book of Ephesians
7. The Book of Philippians
8. The Book of Colossians
9. The Book of 1 Thessalonians
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