This book is filled with a beautiful overview of how the grace of God affects all aspects of Christianity. When nearly every Christian book is preaching a false inadequate gospel, MacArthur sticks to the gospel truth and explains to readers the difference between God's true gospel and today's easy-believism gospel that doesn't even save! This book is so important to read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The part of this book that stood out the most to me was when MacArthur went into the difference between true salvation and false assurance of salvation and how these relate to sin. If we receive the true gospel, we will receive the Holy Spirit and this Spirit will change our hearts to desire the things of God (truly, not just halfway). By the grace of God, we are given faith, repentance and a desire to obey God's law (in deed and in spirit/heart). If we receive the false easy-believism gospel, we will never really receive the Holy Spirit but only think we have. And so all our good works will be from our own efforts. We will have no Holy Spirit to help our good works. These will be self-righteous works, just like the Pharisees. Works from the hands of human achievement. MacArthur rightly points out, the good works of a Chrisitan are from God. All good things are from God. I think it is so important to know the difference between NOT accidentally trying to earn your salvation through works vs actually living for God and because of your love for God and His things (His law), then good works naturally flow from a believer. The motivation and power from which good works flow are different in a believer and unbeliever. This is so key. Please read this book because your salvation or someone you know will need to know this true gospel and realize that they may have been tricked into false assurance of salvation all along.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
Pass: Max Lucado's Great Day Every Day
I guess I shouldn't have expected a deep book, considering the author, but I didn't expect Max Lucado's Great Day Every Day to be so "devotion-like". I felt like I was reading a feel-good devotional. Or reading Joel Osteen, with all positive thinking, positive messages. I have read some of Lucado's books before and although I wouldn't call them deep, at least they have a little substance. This book was shallower than most.
Like all his other books, this book includes the false easy-believism gospel. Lucado teaches that all we need to do is believe in who Jesus is and what he did and we will be saved. But the gospel that Jesus preaches in the Bible is all about dying to self, conviction of sin, and repentance. Why else did John the Baptist and Jesus keep going around saying "Repent! Repent!" Lucado does not include repentance in his version of the gospel. A gospel without the core message is no gospel at all.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
Like all his other books, this book includes the false easy-believism gospel. Lucado teaches that all we need to do is believe in who Jesus is and what he did and we will be saved. But the gospel that Jesus preaches in the Bible is all about dying to self, conviction of sin, and repentance. Why else did John the Baptist and Jesus keep going around saying "Repent! Repent!" Lucado does not include repentance in his version of the gospel. A gospel without the core message is no gospel at all.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
PASS: The Jesus We Missedby Patrick Henry Reardon
This book will make you think and question your current beliefs about WHO Jesus Christ is. We usually assume Jesus is God and so Jesus wouldn't have all our gross or weak human traits, but Patrick Henry Reardon's book is all about pointing out those things that we aren't comfortable considering. Although we quickly admit Jesus was fully man also, we are not comfortable really thinking about Him like this. Example: Being fully human, Reardon and Russell D. Moore point out that Jesus would probably get sick, get an upset stomach, vomit, etc. Of course, to most of us, this sounds blasphemous, if not just disrespectful to consider. But, that's what this book is about. Seeing Jesus as fully human and attempting to fill in some of the blanks in Jesus' life story, growing up as a child, and how Jesus developed into a powerful man of God.
When I saw Russell D. Moore wrote the forward to this book, I assumed this would be a good book. But I enjoyed this book. It was slow, boring and I had to re-read some parts just to get through it, as my eyes kept glazing over. I didn't really find much in this book that wasn't said before - many times over. In fact, the author starts off the book saying that he hopes nothing in this book is new. Well, he did a good job of accomplishing that. There was not much new in this book and that made it boring.
One neat part was when the author drew the conclusion that Matthew and Luke must have gotten the Nativity and Jesus' early years stories from Christ's mother, Mary. He assumed this because Mark and John don't include these stories and Mary or Joseph would have been the only witnesses. This was a neat idea, but not worth reading the book for! I didn't care for how the author assumed "Joseph died". I couldn't find that story in my Bible but I certainly heard it among Catholic legend. I had hoped such an indepth analysis of Jesus' missing childhood would stick to the Bible only, not legend. And if the author was going to mention legend, he should tell us his source. Instead he just writes "Jesus remained at home with Joseph, eventually taking over the workshop when Joseph passed away." Next Reardon declares "If Jesus really was the Messiah, there was no outward sign of it." I cannot agree with this statement at all! If Jesus was sinless and a perfect human model of God, ever action or lack of action would be screaming signs to his entire family! Not only did his parents know the prophecies, meet the angels, be inpregnated by the Holy Spirit, but they knew their son was the destined Messiah. And Jesus was the only one of their sons and daughters who was sinless and perfect. How could a parent not notice this?
In the end, this book is an interesting read because it challenges your current ideas about Christ, but I feel the author was not careful enough in his conclusions and statements. I also feel he didn't back up enough of his statement with good solid logic and bible verses or references. Slow and boring but not without some benefit in challenging us to think outside of the box.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
When I saw Russell D. Moore wrote the forward to this book, I assumed this would be a good book. But I enjoyed this book. It was slow, boring and I had to re-read some parts just to get through it, as my eyes kept glazing over. I didn't really find much in this book that wasn't said before - many times over. In fact, the author starts off the book saying that he hopes nothing in this book is new. Well, he did a good job of accomplishing that. There was not much new in this book and that made it boring.
One neat part was when the author drew the conclusion that Matthew and Luke must have gotten the Nativity and Jesus' early years stories from Christ's mother, Mary. He assumed this because Mark and John don't include these stories and Mary or Joseph would have been the only witnesses. This was a neat idea, but not worth reading the book for! I didn't care for how the author assumed "Joseph died". I couldn't find that story in my Bible but I certainly heard it among Catholic legend. I had hoped such an indepth analysis of Jesus' missing childhood would stick to the Bible only, not legend. And if the author was going to mention legend, he should tell us his source. Instead he just writes "Jesus remained at home with Joseph, eventually taking over the workshop when Joseph passed away." Next Reardon declares "If Jesus really was the Messiah, there was no outward sign of it." I cannot agree with this statement at all! If Jesus was sinless and a perfect human model of God, ever action or lack of action would be screaming signs to his entire family! Not only did his parents know the prophecies, meet the angels, be inpregnated by the Holy Spirit, but they knew their son was the destined Messiah. And Jesus was the only one of their sons and daughters who was sinless and perfect. How could a parent not notice this?
In the end, this book is an interesting read because it challenges your current ideas about Christ, but I feel the author was not careful enough in his conclusions and statements. I also feel he didn't back up enough of his statement with good solid logic and bible verses or references. Slow and boring but not without some benefit in challenging us to think outside of the box.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
PASS: I Am A Follower by Leonard Sweet
I Am A Follower by Leonard Sweet is a book about following Jesus Christ by becoming Christ-like, instead of wanting our own self-glory and trying to all become and create leaders using the worldly CEO-corporate-secular business model of success. Sweet tells us that church should not be deemed a success based on numbers, tithe, etc but based on christ-likeness and brotherhood of believers. This is a good solid message.
This book has some REALLY good parts: especially pages 40-90. My favorite quote from the book is:
I would love to recommend the book based on these pages alone, but the rest of the book is dry, painful and I couldn't find any value in it. Once you hit the middle of the book, the rest of the book after page 90 is difficult to find anything meaningful. This is supposed to be the practical - how to apply this to your life part. However, it comes across that the author doesn't really know how to apply it, doesn't live it or just has a difficult time explaining to his readers how to apply.
After finishing the book, I came away not sure of Leonard Sweet's own theological beliefs, but he seemed to lean liberal/Arminianist. I Googled him and learned he is a Methodist clergyman. Sweet quotes all types of believers, even though they hold some different and opposing theologies. This makes it seem like the author doesn't have one solid theological point of view himself. On the conservative side, he quotes St Augustine. In the middle to liberal side, he quotes: Thomas Aquinas, CS Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, the Catholic Thomas Merton and Methodists Charles Wesley and Sydney Carter. He also quotes Pentecostal Jack Hayford. But then on the extreme liberal side, he quotes Word of Faith (who some would call "cultic") Joyce Meyer and John Wimbler (Third Wave, Vineyard Church). Others he quotes: Nelson Mandela, William Cushing, Rusty Ricketson, Barbara Kellerman, Travis Keller, Hugh Halter, Frederick Buechner, and Roger Scruton.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
This book has some REALLY good parts: especially pages 40-90. My favorite quote from the book is:
If the primary relationships of our church members lie in their relationship to the church en masse rather than in life-on-life connections with one another, then we have missed the sweet spot. We have attracted a congregation, but we have not developed a "Christbody" community. Pg 85
I would love to recommend the book based on these pages alone, but the rest of the book is dry, painful and I couldn't find any value in it. Once you hit the middle of the book, the rest of the book after page 90 is difficult to find anything meaningful. This is supposed to be the practical - how to apply this to your life part. However, it comes across that the author doesn't really know how to apply it, doesn't live it or just has a difficult time explaining to his readers how to apply.
After finishing the book, I came away not sure of Leonard Sweet's own theological beliefs, but he seemed to lean liberal/Arminianist. I Googled him and learned he is a Methodist clergyman. Sweet quotes all types of believers, even though they hold some different and opposing theologies. This makes it seem like the author doesn't have one solid theological point of view himself. On the conservative side, he quotes St Augustine. In the middle to liberal side, he quotes: Thomas Aquinas, CS Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, the Catholic Thomas Merton and Methodists Charles Wesley and Sydney Carter. He also quotes Pentecostal Jack Hayford. But then on the extreme liberal side, he quotes Word of Faith (who some would call "cultic") Joyce Meyer and John Wimbler (Third Wave, Vineyard Church). Others he quotes: Nelson Mandela, William Cushing, Rusty Ricketson, Barbara Kellerman, Travis Keller, Hugh Halter, Frederick Buechner, and Roger Scruton.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for the book. This is my critical review of the book as if I had bought the book with my hard earned money.
PASS: Daily Gifts of Grace by "The Women of Faith"
[WARNING: Please read my review fully and carefully. This book is not what it seems.]
This is a very beautiful devotional book made with nice quality hard cover, with even a very pretty hardcover flap (like the kind on journals) that closes over the front cover with a magnet. This is the most beautiful book - from the outside. It's the kind of pretty book you want to buy for all your friends based on looks alone. But Chrisitians have been taught that the surface doesn't count - it's the inside that really counts. And you will want to read and understand my review carefully, when it comes to the inside.
Sadly, thats all this book is - pretty from the outside. I was surprised at how void of God and Jesus this devotional is. At first I thought it was mostly poetic, psychology, opinion and fluff. There are about 20 authors and they mix their writings up randomly. However, I read this book by each author, so I could get a feel for what each of them is saying - each woman's point of view. And that's when I realized the "theology" behind this book is much worse than simple poetic fluff. These women are teaching the "prosperity gospel" that turns God into a genie and us into users of God.
The most prolific writer in the book is Sheila Walsh. In her writings, Walsh tells us about God's promises but her words have no depth behind them. There is no life application. Her paragraphs are choppy and lose focus. It's almost like she had a few ideas and wrote them down but forgot to edit them to make them flow nicely. After reading her writings, I began noticing a pattern and felt her teachings were not biblical - she seems to make God into a genie that must grant us wishes because "God promised". This sounds like the "propsperity gospel" that some of those tv evangelists are misleading millions of people with.
Example: Walsh tells us that "God has promised to deliver us" but she fails to mention anything about when, how, why or God's will. Just a blanket promise that makes it seem like "God promises to ALWAYS deliver us no matter what". Well, clearly we all will die some day, so God's promise isn't the blanket promise Walsh portrays - we are't always delivered from death or even trials. Truth is, God doesn't promise to deliver us from trials or death. His promise is for salvation to believers only. Walsh only tells us that God promised so-and-so and she makes these promises into ALWAYS-NO-MATTER-WHAT promises, such as when she writes "grace and peace are our birthright."
Walsh's other writings are choppy and shallow with misapplied verses: "Do you ever feel like a nobody? Satan tempts us to be somebody. Mt 4:7 says "Don't tempt God." So don't fear. God has our best interests at heart. He will provide for us." I don't really see how Mt 4:7 is relevant to "wanting to get glory for yourself." And I don't really see how "God will take care of you" has anything to do with a solution for being egotistical and seeking your own glory. Most of Walsh's writings that aren't leading us to believe in false promises and turn God into a genie are instead like this one - choppy and with no clear point.
Luci Swindoll is another author I was interested to hear her thoughts, considering her relation to her famous father, Chuck Swindoll. But her writing was very shallow and had little to do with God and I was surprised to find that she also seems to be teaching the "prosperity gospel" as well. She writes about "planting seed-thoughts" - "seed faith" or "seed thoughts" are terms I've only heard scamming tv evangelists like the Mike Murdock use or Word of Faith false teachers like Oral Roberts use.
Luci Swindoll's other writings have nothing to do with God and revolve mostly around herself and her famous father, Chuck Swindoll. Instead of Jesus, she writes about her "elocution lessions", her not wanting get married or have children, her love of "figuring out how things work", her decorating her bedroom, building model airplanes, "bowing to pressure from friends and Mother" to date, a false engagement to a man she had no intent to marry, and "the greatest adventures of my life have come because I said yes to the unknown". Swindoll even writes about "I began memorizing Scripture and learning about the promises and blessings that were mine by simply putting my faith in Christ." Does Swindoll sound more interested in Jesus because of a personal reltionship with Him or interested in getting "promises and blessings WHICH ARE MINE"? Based on her own words, she's seeking to use God for his blessings, more than have a relationship with our Savior. She has made God her genie. This is "the prosperity gospel."
I absolutely would pass on this book. It is pretty on the outside but poison and self-centered on the inside. "The Women of Faith" are clearly wolves in sheeps clothing - their teachings are centered around themselves and what promises they can get from God. They are simply seeking to use God for their own selfish gain.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
This is a very beautiful devotional book made with nice quality hard cover, with even a very pretty hardcover flap (like the kind on journals) that closes over the front cover with a magnet. This is the most beautiful book - from the outside. It's the kind of pretty book you want to buy for all your friends based on looks alone. But Chrisitians have been taught that the surface doesn't count - it's the inside that really counts. And you will want to read and understand my review carefully, when it comes to the inside.
Sadly, thats all this book is - pretty from the outside. I was surprised at how void of God and Jesus this devotional is. At first I thought it was mostly poetic, psychology, opinion and fluff. There are about 20 authors and they mix their writings up randomly. However, I read this book by each author, so I could get a feel for what each of them is saying - each woman's point of view. And that's when I realized the "theology" behind this book is much worse than simple poetic fluff. These women are teaching the "prosperity gospel" that turns God into a genie and us into users of God.
The most prolific writer in the book is Sheila Walsh. In her writings, Walsh tells us about God's promises but her words have no depth behind them. There is no life application. Her paragraphs are choppy and lose focus. It's almost like she had a few ideas and wrote them down but forgot to edit them to make them flow nicely. After reading her writings, I began noticing a pattern and felt her teachings were not biblical - she seems to make God into a genie that must grant us wishes because "God promised". This sounds like the "propsperity gospel" that some of those tv evangelists are misleading millions of people with.
Example: Walsh tells us that "God has promised to deliver us" but she fails to mention anything about when, how, why or God's will. Just a blanket promise that makes it seem like "God promises to ALWAYS deliver us no matter what". Well, clearly we all will die some day, so God's promise isn't the blanket promise Walsh portrays - we are't always delivered from death or even trials. Truth is, God doesn't promise to deliver us from trials or death. His promise is for salvation to believers only. Walsh only tells us that God promised so-and-so and she makes these promises into ALWAYS-NO-MATTER-WHAT promises, such as when she writes "grace and peace are our birthright."
Walsh's other writings are choppy and shallow with misapplied verses: "Do you ever feel like a nobody? Satan tempts us to be somebody. Mt 4:7 says "Don't tempt God." So don't fear. God has our best interests at heart. He will provide for us." I don't really see how Mt 4:7 is relevant to "wanting to get glory for yourself." And I don't really see how "God will take care of you" has anything to do with a solution for being egotistical and seeking your own glory. Most of Walsh's writings that aren't leading us to believe in false promises and turn God into a genie are instead like this one - choppy and with no clear point.
Luci Swindoll is another author I was interested to hear her thoughts, considering her relation to her famous father, Chuck Swindoll. But her writing was very shallow and had little to do with God and I was surprised to find that she also seems to be teaching the "prosperity gospel" as well. She writes about "planting seed-thoughts" - "seed faith" or "seed thoughts" are terms I've only heard scamming tv evangelists like the Mike Murdock use or Word of Faith false teachers like Oral Roberts use.
Luci Swindoll's other writings have nothing to do with God and revolve mostly around herself and her famous father, Chuck Swindoll. Instead of Jesus, she writes about her "elocution lessions", her not wanting get married or have children, her love of "figuring out how things work", her decorating her bedroom, building model airplanes, "bowing to pressure from friends and Mother" to date, a false engagement to a man she had no intent to marry, and "the greatest adventures of my life have come because I said yes to the unknown". Swindoll even writes about "I began memorizing Scripture and learning about the promises and blessings that were mine by simply putting my faith in Christ." Does Swindoll sound more interested in Jesus because of a personal reltionship with Him or interested in getting "promises and blessings WHICH ARE MINE"? Based on her own words, she's seeking to use God for his blessings, more than have a relationship with our Savior. She has made God her genie. This is "the prosperity gospel."
I absolutely would pass on this book. It is pretty on the outside but poison and self-centered on the inside. "The Women of Faith" are clearly wolves in sheeps clothing - their teachings are centered around themselves and what promises they can get from God. They are simply seeking to use God for their own selfish gain.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
PASS: Heaven Is For Real DVD-Based Conversation Kit by Todd Burpo
Heaven Is For Real DVD-Based Conversation Kit by Todd Burpo is the dvd version of the book. The basis for both the book and DVD kit is a boy's near death experience and his version of heaven from the the NDE. This is not bible-based. Also, readers should know there are about 11 other near death experience books of men, women, boys, girls, etc all having heaven or hell near death experiences or dreams and all these different books conflict in their experiences with one another.
So, while I did not like the book itself because it taught an experiential view of heaven that we do not find in the Bible, the DVD and Converstaion Kit are a little bit better, but not much better. At least, they ask a few questions to get the reader thinking outside of just "a boy's near death experience" and into some more relevant questions. Still, the questions presented are not at all deep and many are just silly and shallow, so I would not recommend this combo pack either.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
So, while I did not like the book itself because it taught an experiential view of heaven that we do not find in the Bible, the DVD and Converstaion Kit are a little bit better, but not much better. At least, they ask a few questions to get the reader thinking outside of just "a boy's near death experience" and into some more relevant questions. Still, the questions presented are not at all deep and many are just silly and shallow, so I would not recommend this combo pack either.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
PASS: Healing Is A Choice by Steve Arterburn
Healing Is A Choice by Steve Arterburn is about your responsibility and your part in the healing process. There is so much is wrong with this author and his book that it overshadows any seemingly "good points". And even these "good points" are tainted with false teachings that are not biblically based.
In Chapter 1, Arterburn falsely teaches ""All I need to heal is just God and me" is a lie." Arterburn tells us that we need other people to heal. God won't do it alone. You will have to go to other people for support and help and then God will work through them to heal you. I know this is false because God has helped me forgive people in my life without ever getting an apology and God helped take away my anger towards people many times. I prayed to God and God changed me. I didn't need to vent to humans and go to a counselor. In Chapter 2, Arterburn contradicts Paul when he claims "It is a lie to say "Christians should have joy in all circumstances" (2 Cor 7:-6, 8:2-3). There are some truthful things (nothing you haven't heard before) in this book, but they are mixed among many false claims with no scripture to back it up. So, if you choose to read this book, discern carefully! There is only a little baby and a whole lotta bathwater in this book!
I agree with other reviewers in that I also found the way the author writes about his previous failed marriage is shocking and disturbing. He comes across arrogant and self-righteous. He is all "me" "me" "me" "Sandy's ruining MY life" and "MY career". He never once mentions any warmth or love towards his wife. He never says he will miss her but instead justifies his actions. See below as the author describes his feelings and thoughts after his former wife, Sandy, phones him to tell him she is filing for divorce:
= "Anger, dread, fear and disgust swept through me"
= "I was certain I had written my last book and that everything else I loved doing was over"
= "Not all our marriage was miserable. There were some very good times, great adventures, and a few sweet moments, such as our adoption of Madeline [daughter]. [Notice that Madeline is described only as a "sweet moment" and not a "very good time"]
= "Numerous marriage counselors did little or nothing for us..."
= "I did what I knew to keep the marriage going. I was far from perfect, made many mistakes, BUT [emphasis added] was willing to do anything I could to have a marriage we both could enjoy..."
= "The last marriage counselor had [showed] some hope. [BECAUSE] she thought Sandy had finally made peace with our marriage." [Notice it was Sandy's problem and not Steve Arterburn's?]"
= "I was about to become a divorced writer who wrote about relationships; a divorced radio talk show host whose show dealth with marriage, relationships, [etc]...I was about to become a divorced speaker and preacher who attempted to inspire people... I was about to have a public divorce, and I knew the humiliation and embarrassment would be intense." [Is his own humiliation and career the only thing he cares about? From his own written words, it would seem so.]
= "This book is about so much more than just my divorce. It is about your divorce or your loss or your abuse or your abandonment [Arterburn really means his own "abuse"]. It is about the disgust you [meaning Artherburn] have felt at whatever cruelty has been trust upon you [meaning Arterburn, who is innocent since it was "TRUST" upon him. He is the victim.]. It is about the isolation you have felt from abandonment by people [I suppose Arterburn feels abandoned since Sandy left] who looked nice to the outside world but who were monsters [It seems he is referring to Sandy] to you at home.
Readers might also wish to know that Arterburn admires and believes Word of Faith cult preachers John & Lisa Bevere who claim humans "Are Christ" and have the "exact same unlimited power as God Himself" and we should be able to walk through walls, walk on water, stop natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes and pretty much anything else we want to do. We ARE God, according to the Beveres.
I also learned that Arterburn told and wrote about how he got his girlfriend in college pregnant and paid to have her abort the baby. He called himself "an adulterer and murderer" but then sued some Christian guy for telling a business acquaintance this information when the acquaintance asked directly about Arterburn.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
In Chapter 1, Arterburn falsely teaches ""All I need to heal is just God and me" is a lie." Arterburn tells us that we need other people to heal. God won't do it alone. You will have to go to other people for support and help and then God will work through them to heal you. I know this is false because God has helped me forgive people in my life without ever getting an apology and God helped take away my anger towards people many times. I prayed to God and God changed me. I didn't need to vent to humans and go to a counselor. In Chapter 2, Arterburn contradicts Paul when he claims "It is a lie to say "Christians should have joy in all circumstances" (2 Cor 7:-6, 8:2-3). There are some truthful things (nothing you haven't heard before) in this book, but they are mixed among many false claims with no scripture to back it up. So, if you choose to read this book, discern carefully! There is only a little baby and a whole lotta bathwater in this book!
I agree with other reviewers in that I also found the way the author writes about his previous failed marriage is shocking and disturbing. He comes across arrogant and self-righteous. He is all "me" "me" "me" "Sandy's ruining MY life" and "MY career". He never once mentions any warmth or love towards his wife. He never says he will miss her but instead justifies his actions. See below as the author describes his feelings and thoughts after his former wife, Sandy, phones him to tell him she is filing for divorce:
= "Anger, dread, fear and disgust swept through me"
= "I was certain I had written my last book and that everything else I loved doing was over"
= "Not all our marriage was miserable. There were some very good times, great adventures, and a few sweet moments, such as our adoption of Madeline [daughter]. [Notice that Madeline is described only as a "sweet moment" and not a "very good time"]
= "Numerous marriage counselors did little or nothing for us..."
= "I did what I knew to keep the marriage going. I was far from perfect, made many mistakes, BUT [emphasis added] was willing to do anything I could to have a marriage we both could enjoy..."
= "The last marriage counselor had [showed] some hope. [BECAUSE] she thought Sandy had finally made peace with our marriage." [Notice it was Sandy's problem and not Steve Arterburn's?]"
= "I was about to become a divorced writer who wrote about relationships; a divorced radio talk show host whose show dealth with marriage, relationships, [etc]...I was about to become a divorced speaker and preacher who attempted to inspire people... I was about to have a public divorce, and I knew the humiliation and embarrassment would be intense." [Is his own humiliation and career the only thing he cares about? From his own written words, it would seem so.]
= "This book is about so much more than just my divorce. It is about your divorce or your loss or your abuse or your abandonment [Arterburn really means his own "abuse"]. It is about the disgust you [meaning Artherburn] have felt at whatever cruelty has been trust upon you [meaning Arterburn, who is innocent since it was "TRUST" upon him. He is the victim.]. It is about the isolation you have felt from abandonment by people [I suppose Arterburn feels abandoned since Sandy left] who looked nice to the outside world but who were monsters [It seems he is referring to Sandy] to you at home.
Readers might also wish to know that Arterburn admires and believes Word of Faith cult preachers John & Lisa Bevere who claim humans "Are Christ" and have the "exact same unlimited power as God Himself" and we should be able to walk through walls, walk on water, stop natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes and pretty much anything else we want to do. We ARE God, according to the Beveres.
I also learned that Arterburn told and wrote about how he got his girlfriend in college pregnant and paid to have her abort the baby. He called himself "an adulterer and murderer" but then sued some Christian guy for telling a business acquaintance this information when the acquaintance asked directly about Arterburn.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the publisher but I am giving my honest review.
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