20th out of 92 books
—
55 voters
Blessed Child (The Caleb Books #1)
by
Ted Dekker (Goodreads Author),
Bill Bright
The young orphaned boy was abandoned and raised in an Ethiopian monastery. He has never seen outside its walls -- at least, not the way most people see. Now he must flee those walls or die.
But the world is hardly ready for a boy like Caleb.
When relief expert Jason Marker agrees to take Caleb from the monastery, he unwittingly opens humanity's doors to an incredible journey...more
But the world is hardly ready for a boy like Caleb.
When relief expert Jason Marker agrees to take Caleb from the monastery, he unwittingly opens humanity's doors to an incredible journey...more
Paperback, 350 pages
Published
September 3rd 2001
by Thomas Nelson Publishers
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Ted Dekker and Bill Bright have teamed up to write one of my all time favorite books. It’s a story that everyone should read and admire. Blessed Child follows the epic journey of an innocent child that has become the worlds healer. This amazing story has a miraculous ending that will surprise everyone.
Jason had been in Ethiopia for many years working for the peace corp, after his son died and wife left him, to escape his troubles. One day he finds himself in a war zone picking up a Canadian nur...more
Jason had been in Ethiopia for many years working for the peace corp, after his son died and wife left him, to escape his troubles. One day he finds himself in a war zone picking up a Canadian nur...more
Towards the middle, I was getting annoyed with how little unpredictability there was. I was ready for a big ending. TD and BB delivered beautifully.
Caleb kept getting popular and healing over and over at first, then he started losing it, was poisoned, shot, abducted, and shot. I loved how innocent and joyful he was, though. He never wanted to show off, just wanted people to see the truth of God's kingdom. He jumped and praised the Lord every time his prayers were answered! (And Caleb's prayers w...more
Caleb kept getting popular and healing over and over at first, then he started losing it, was poisoned, shot, abducted, and shot. I loved how innocent and joyful he was, though. He never wanted to show off, just wanted people to see the truth of God's kingdom. He jumped and praised the Lord every time his prayers were answered! (And Caleb's prayers w...more
Ted Dekker and Bill Bright seemed like an unlikely writing team, but this story captured my attention from Page 1. Like other readers who reviewed this book, I fell in love with the child and found myself wishing we could all be like him. The supernatural power of prayer seemed "fictional" to this 21st century American, but the words of Bill Bright at the end reminded me that the skepticism of Americans is a Western characteristic. Missionaries and Christians in other parts of the world have see...more
This book was written by two authors, so I really don't know who to aim my fury at. When I pay money for a book, I do not expect to get an info-mercial for the author's religion! This review does come from my non-Christian perspective. Stop. I didn't say from my athiest perspective, now did I? But enough about me.
The first part of this book kept me reading like it was my job. It had a fabulous supernatural mystery, good against evil theme, a sweet romance, and lots of adventure and suspense. I w...more
The first part of this book kept me reading like it was my job. It had a fabulous supernatural mystery, good against evil theme, a sweet romance, and lots of adventure and suspense. I w...more
This is an excellent book. It was recommended to me by a big Ted Dekker fan after I complained about feeling "cheated" at the end of Dekker's book Thr3e. He said that if I were only going to read one Dekker book, it should be Blessed Child, written with Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ).
This book is about a young boy named Caleb, who is raised by an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monk. He spends all ten years of his life in a monastery, sheltered from the world at large, before be...more
This book is about a young boy named Caleb, who is raised by an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monk. He spends all ten years of his life in a monastery, sheltered from the world at large, before be...more
One of the underlying arguments throughout the book was where Caleb's power came from (psychic, God, devil) which led back to whether there is a god and if there is whether he would give people power like Caleb's. In the book even within the Christian community there was conflicting beliefs about where his power came from. Some people thought it was god, others like Caleb's legal guardian Father Nikolaus believed that it was psychic power from his mind. In this book there were also a lot of inte...more
(view spoiler)
This was good. This was Dekker's writing coupled with Bright's theology, and it was terrific. A heart healed, a soul reclaimed, is more importa...more
This was good. This was Dekker's writing coupled with Bright's theology, and it was terrific. A heart healed, a soul reclaimed, is more importa...more
May 02, 2013
Robert
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult,
christian-fiction,
fantasy,
inspirational,
spirituality,
thriller,
ebooks,
mystery,
reads-2013,
favorites,
tear-jerker
Spell MAGNIFICENT!
It's this book! Oh my, no words can express how I was so touched and inspired by this!
I recommend it to Christians and especially non-believers, who are always questioning God's power in anyone's life. You must read this besides the Bible! The story is very interesting because of the protagonist's mysterious characteristic. Caleb, is a blessed child truly, as he have the Holy Spirit within him and that's what makes him blessed and can perform miracles beyond human understanding...more
It's this book! Oh my, no words can express how I was so touched and inspired by this!
I recommend it to Christians and especially non-believers, who are always questioning God's power in anyone's life. You must read this besides the Bible! The story is very interesting because of the protagonist's mysterious characteristic. Caleb, is a blessed child truly, as he have the Holy Spirit within him and that's what makes him blessed and can perform miracles beyond human understanding...more
Jul 07, 2011
Cassondra
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-christian,
favorites
Wow. This was a BRILLIANT read!
For those who don't want to delve into Ted Dekker's Circle just yet, try this Dekker book.
Caleb, a boy who's been raised in a monastery and isolated from the world his whole life, is able to do extraordinary things by the Power of God. It's when his monastery is destroyed and he is taken to America that things begin to change...and Caleb and those who love him must answer the question of "What's more extraordinary? A healed hand or a healed heart?"
This book made me...more
For those who don't want to delve into Ted Dekker's Circle just yet, try this Dekker book.
Caleb, a boy who's been raised in a monastery and isolated from the world his whole life, is able to do extraordinary things by the Power of God. It's when his monastery is destroyed and he is taken to America that things begin to change...and Caleb and those who love him must answer the question of "What's more extraordinary? A healed hand or a healed heart?"
This book made me...more
Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]The story starts with the rescue of a 10 year old boy named Caleb from an Ethiopian monastary. Jason and Leiah, the rescuers, take him to America. They want to continue to look after him, but he soon becomes virtually imprisoned by Father Nikolous at his Orphanage. When it is discoverd that Caleb has special healing powers, Father Nikolous begins booking public appearances for Caleb, and charging exorbitant...more
I don't know what I was expecting when I read this one, but I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would! The trouble with finding an author you love is that you want to give them 5 stars on every book. You love them all!
While this one wasn't nearly so complex as many of Mr Dekkers works, it was still a book hard to put down. I love the story, the idea of it and the way it was written. And as always, it has it's surprises.
If you've never read Dekker, this would be an easy way to start looking t...more
While this one wasn't nearly so complex as many of Mr Dekkers works, it was still a book hard to put down. I love the story, the idea of it and the way it was written. And as always, it has it's surprises.
If you've never read Dekker, this would be an easy way to start looking t...more
Although the opening scene is action-packed and intense, it still took me a while to get into this book. At first the relationship between Jason and Leiah seemed forced, but as I kept reading, the story and the characters grew on me. Dekker does a good job of getting his point across without forcing it down his readers throats. The spiritual themes are woven throughout the plot and Dekker addresses many difficult questions about God's sovereignty and healing. The last scene was dramatic and, if...more
I almost stayed up all night reading this. Whether it was just that good or the fact that I had a lengthy nap in the afternoon is probably a toss-up, but it was really good.
I found myself wanting a relationship with God like Caleb had, and also being glad for a little respite from cable to help me see the kind of influence TV has on my spiritual walk. I loved the illustration of vessel of oil infiltrated by the ugly black stuff. That will stick with me for a while, I think.
On the other hand, I'm...more
I found myself wanting a relationship with God like Caleb had, and also being glad for a little respite from cable to help me see the kind of influence TV has on my spiritual walk. I loved the illustration of vessel of oil infiltrated by the ugly black stuff. That will stick with me for a while, I think.
On the other hand, I'm...more
One of my all time favorites. I guess you would call this fast paced, stimulating book a supernatural thriller. I think it's the best of all Ted Dekker. The characters are deeply developed and realistic. The action is nonstop. Even the topography and geographical details are thrilling and accurate.
Although when this was written technology wasn't nearly so advanced as now, it's still quite relevant. Loooooooooooove this book.
Although when this was written technology wasn't nearly so advanced as now, it's still quite relevant. Loooooooooooove this book.
This was such a wonderful book. It really convicted me and got me thinking on why Christians don't heal as much as Caleb did. Why don't we? I think we all should. Read this book and try to change the world with the thought that we must be like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Everyone should read this book if they have doubts or questions. It is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you again Ted DeKker.
Thank you again Ted DeKker.
Blessed Child is a masterpiece of spiritual possibilities. What would life be like for a child never exposed to the world beyond that of a monastery? What type of spirituality lies dormant in our hearts?
This journey packed with adventure and thrill stands in a genre of its own. Prepare yourself to face your misconceptions about God and possibilities.
This journey packed with adventure and thrill stands in a genre of its own. Prepare yourself to face your misconceptions about God and possibilities.
There was so much truth in this book. It put into words what God has been trying to tell my heart over the last year. It is more of a miracle when hearts are healed than when the body is healed. I also loved how the authors visualized the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is real and we so often miss it because the eyes of our hearts are not opened.
A very good Christian Novel. I had a hard time doing anything else today. I gave it only 4 stars because it began to drag just a little about 2/3rds in but I had to find out what would happen...But all in all a great read! Maybe it all ended a bit too well, I would have liked it if some of the inperfections had remained, when you read it you might agree with me!
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. Especially at the beginning, when it was very fast-paced and hard to make sense of everything. Reading of the things that God did through Caleb really stirred my faith because I know that God does that sort of stuff-heals blind eyes, makes people fall on their faces and be overwhelmed by Him whether they really wanted to or not, heals cripples, etc.
I was also drawn to this book because it shows how you have to keep your relationship with God st...more
I was also drawn to this book because it shows how you have to keep your relationship with God st...more
This is a very thought provoking read. While it is a fictional modern day story that mirrors the miraculous powers of Christ, it does challenge us as Christians as to how much (or rather how little) we tap into the powers we have been granted through the Holy Spirit. The authors do an outstanding job crafting this story that relays, perhaps a controversial message. Some Christians may be uncomfortable reading this book.
Through much of the novel, I was in disbelief of any true reality of such eve...more
Through much of the novel, I was in disbelief of any true reality of such eve...more
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Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.
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“That’s it?” Jason asked. “You spent an hour talking about how lucky you were to be dying?”
No, not dying, Son. Living.”
—
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No, not dying, Son. Living.”











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