Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 80

BOOK REVIEW: "The Good Life" by Charles Colson, Harold Fickett

As a child of the seventies, I watched the unfolding Watergate drama on television with great interest. In history classes we discussed the ramifications of this political scandal.



Then as a Christian adult, I heard of Chuck Colson's conversion and his work with prison ministry. When his book, How Now Shall We Live? came out, I bought it and devoured it. It's still on my bookshelf as a keeper.



I was delighted to find this 2005 release, The Good Life, free for Kindle. Quickly I scooped it up and devoured it also. It's a keeper, too.



Throughout the book, Colson reveals how the good life and truth go hand in hand. He also shows how easy it is to get so caught up in our own self-righteousness that we do the unthinkable. Consider this passage:

What undid me, as I'll be discussing in greater detail later, was my blind self-righteousness. I thought I had built such a moral hedge around my actions that I couldn't  commit a grave moral offense, much less a crime. My defense against moral and legal failure assured me that I couldn't be in the wrong even as I committed a felony. Once I had reflected, I knew at the deepest possible level that I had betrayed my own standards, but in the moment I disengaged whatever alarms my conscience might have triggered by the powerful presumption of my own innocence.

Colson then goes on to show that living the good life on our own efforts is impossible.  The only possible way to have a good life is through union with the Truth--Jesus Christ.



This is a great gift book for thinkers and seekers, especially those who are skeptical of following Christ. It might just make all the difference in their pursuit of Truth.



(NOTE: I received no remuneration for this review, which is my honest opinion.)



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sharing from his own life, as well as the stories of others, Chuck
Colson exposes the counterfeits of the good life and leads readers to
the only true source of meaning and purpose, Jesus Christ. But he does
that in an unusual way, allowing powerful stories to illustrate how
people have lived out their beliefs in ways that either satisfy or leave
them empty. Colson addresses seekers--people looking for the truth. He
shows through stories that the truth is knowable and that the truly good
life is one that lives within the truth. Through the book, readers get
to understand their own stories and find answers to their own search for
meaning, purpose, and truth.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




The
well-known story of Charles Colson's transformation from President
Richard Nixon's "hatchet man" who was "incapable of humanitarian
thoughts" to founder of the Prison Fellowship Ministries and
internationally recognized Christian author and speaker is a triumph of
God finding a man and a man finding God. His 1973 conversion to
Christianity was followed by a guilty plea to obstruction of justice and
a seven-month prison sentence in 1974. He founded Prison Fellowship
Ministries in 1976, fulfilling a promise made to fellow inmates that he
would "never forget those behind bars."



Charles Colson's first
book, "Born Again," was released in 1976 and instantly became an
international best seller. He has authored 16 books that have
collectively sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, including
"Justice That Restores," "How Now Shall We Live?," "Burden of Truth,"
"Answers to Your Kids' Questions," "The Good Life," "Gideon's Torch,"
"Why America Doesn't Work," "Kingdoms in Conflict," and "Loving God."



The
phenomenal growth of Prison Fellowship Ministries over the last 25
years leads Charles Colson and some 50,000 volunteers to serve the needs
of prisoners in over 88 countries. In addition to Prison Fellowship, he
founded Justice Fellowship, Neighbors Who Care, and Angel Tree. Angel
Tree is a program that provides Christmas presents to more than 500,000
children of inmates annually. He is also a syndicated columnist,
international speaker, and commentator on the nationally syndicated
radio broadcast "BreakPoint." He received the prestigious Templeton
Prize for Progress in Religion in 1993 and donated the $1 million prize
to Prison Fellowship's Endowment Fund.



Charles Colson remains
committed to the unity of the church, the relationships between church
and state, and the struggle between the spiritual and secular worlds. He
constantly encourages Christians to understand biblical faith as an
entire worldview and to adopt biblical faith as a perspective on all
life.



  

Without Excuse

I don't get it. I really don't.



How can people believe and claim there is no God?



I
step outside our mountain cabin at night and see a velvet night sky
punctured with thousands of bits of light--and I know He is.



I stand beneath a maple tree, once green, now bathed in brilliant color--and I know He is.



I gaze at a newborn's tiny fist grasping my finger tightly--and I know He is.



Like King David, my heart proclaims:



When I consider Your heavens,
   the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which You have set in place,
what is mankind that You are mindful of them,
   human beings that You care for them? ~Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)



A day is coming when "at
the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father." ~Philippians 2:10-11



Think about it! Even those who deny His existence will bow and confess. And sadly, they will be without excuse.



For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal
power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ~Romans 1:20
(NIV)



If you are one who either denies His existence or
denies what He has done for you through Christ, I dare you to look
around. You will see Him. Wouldn't you rather acknowledge Him now? If you don't, you will someday...

BOOK REVIEW: "Up, Down, or Sideways: How To Succeed When Times Are Good, Bad, or In Between" by Mark Sanborn

This book was a recent free selection for the Kindle. When I read the description, the book appealed to me on many levels. I liked the fact that it presented a Christian worldview on not only business, but life practices. And who of us can't relate to the ups, downs, and in-betweens of life?



I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author, Mark Sanborn, uses Biblical principles supported by scripture to help the reader define success and then carry out a plan for success. In our dog-eat-dog world, it's refreshing to read a book on success that focuses on meeting the needs of others.



Whether reading this for application in your life or your business, I believe every reader will come away with useful information after reading this book. I highly recommend it!



(NOTE: This review is my honest opinion, I received no compensation for this review.)



ABOUT THE BOOK: In Up, Down, or Sideways, Mark Sanborn, author of the bestselling book The Fred Factor,
prepares you for life's inevitable cycles of up and down—and, too
often, sideways. We tend to be surprised when downturns hit us and treat
them as the exception—and when times are good, we act as if they will
never change. In this book, Mark shows us what we should always be doing
to be prepared for these cycles and events in our lives in order to
make the most of them. Mark tells his own story of a downturn he
experienced. Then, he identifies the principles and practices that will
help you discover opportunities in both good times and bad, in up and
sideways years. Mark provides timely wisdom that can't be ignored no
matter where you are in your personal or professional life.





 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I am a Buckeye and now live in the Denver area! I was born in Ohio, grew
up on a farm and graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University but
I love the Rocky Mountains. My business, Sanborn & Associates, Inc.
is an idea studio for leadership development. I am a past president of
The National Speakers Association. My book The Fred Factor was a WSJ,
Business Week and NY Times bestseller. I have spoken to over 2400
audiences in every state and nearly a dozen countries. My passion is
developing leaders. whether or not they have a title (which is why I
wrote You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader). In 2007 I was the
recipient of the Cavett Award. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I
enjoy writing it. I enjoy communicating with readers and sharing ideas,
so please contact me at mark@marksanborn.com.

Gospel Essentials

The word "gospel" means "good news." God, in His great wisdom, laid out the perfect plan--one so simple that even a child can understand:





1. God loves us and sent His Son to die on our behalf.



For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~John 3:16 (NIV)



God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)



2. Christ willingly laid down His life to redeem us.



"The
reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up
again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I
have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This
command I received from My Father." ~John 10:17-18 (NIV)



3. Jesus (God in the flesh) died, was buried, and rose again.



Now,
brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to
you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this
gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to
you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures... ~1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV)



4. Confessing Him as Lord and believing the gospel leads to salvation.



If
you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with
your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you profess your faith and are saved. ~Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

 

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED:



1. Our own work - For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can
boast. ~Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)



2. Keeping the law as a means of salvation - For
if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the
promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is
no law there is no transgression. ~Romans 4:14-15 (NIV)



3. Empty, religious practices and the traditions of men - "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions." ~Mark 7:8 (NIV) (See also Matthew 23.)



Dear
Father, thank You for loving us all so much, in spite of our
sinfulness, that You sacrificed Your Son on our behalf. Thank You that
Your good news of salvation is available to everyone, and that it's
simple and easy to understand. Lord, I pray that as Your followers, You
will help us to have a firm grasp on what the gospel is so that we can
share it with those You place in our path. Lord, I also pray for those
who don't yet know You, that they would come to know You as Savior and
Lord. I ask this all in the precious and powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Courageous

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn
from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever
you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in
it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. ~Joshua 1:6-9 (NIV) 




If
anyone should be courageous, it should be God's people. We have His
presence and power within us. But too often, we are like the cowardly
lion in The Wizard of Oz. We whimper instead of roar and twist our tails
rather than attack.



Perhaps that is why God admonished
Joshua--not just once, but THREE times--to "be strong and courageous."
The message is still relevant to us today.



1. God has a plan and we're part of it. Notice that God doesn't tell Joshua what might happen. He tells him that he will
lead the people to inherit the Promised Land. In like manner, God has
placed people in our path for a reason. Consider these people as your
divine appointment. It's our task to lead them to Him, our Promised
Land.



2. This task requires complete obedience to our heavenly Commander-in-Chief. Remember Christ's equation: Love = Obedience. If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. ~John 14:15 (AMP)



3. We can't obey His commands unless we know His commands, and the only way to do that is to study and meditate on His Word. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. ~Psalm 119:11 (NASB) Our success is guaranteed when we keep His commands.



4.
Courage isn't an option; it's a requirement. God commands it. We're not
to be afraid or discouraged, because He is always with us wherever we
go.



Heavenly Father, thank You for the courage that is
ours because of Your presence with us. Help us to embrace that courage
for the purpose of leading others to You. Thank You for allowing us to
be a part of Your plan, a plan in which victory is guaranteed because of
the work of Christ on the cross. Help us to demonstrate our love for
You through obedience to Your Word. Grant to us a strong desire to know
Your Word and to meditate upon Your Word. Help us to always treasure it
in our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Whose Life Is It?

Life. Such an amazing gift. Unfortunately, in our sinful state of
humanity, we view this gift as ours. Like two-year olds, we boastfully
claim, "Mine, mine, mine."



But nothing could be further than the truth. He is the generator of our life in every sense. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' ~Acts 17:28a (NIV)



For
those of us who claim to be Christians, this tendency to live life our
way is even more ludicrous. Consider the following verses:



I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
~Galatians 2:20 (NIV)



Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)



Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ~Romans 12:1 (NIV)



Since our lives are not our own and Christ lives within us, our greatest task is to complete His mission. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. ~Luke 19:10 (NKJV)



Since,
then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade
others...For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One
died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. ~2 Corinthians 5:11, 14-15 (NIV)



The last verses reveal two motivating factors when it comes to living our lives out loud for the Lord and for the lost.



1.
"We know what it is to fear (reverence) the Lord." Our reverence of Who
He is and what His Word says gives us fuel to persuade others.



2.
"Christ's love compels us." His death on the cross for all mankind
seizes us and consumes us. When we realize (as much as is humanly
possible) the depth of His love for us--what He was willing to do to
bring us back to Him--we want to share that love with others so they too
may experience His amazing saving grace.



For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ~Matthew 16:25 (NKJV)



Father God,
how blessed we are to find our life in You. Make us ever mindful that we
are not our own. Keep the fact that we were bought at a great price in
the forefront of our thoughts. Lord, You are Almighty and Holy God. May
our reverence for You help persuade others. Thank You for loving us so
much that You were willing to suffer the agony of the cross to redeem
us. Grip our hearts with this truth so we boldly share Your love with a
lost and dying world. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

The Benefits of Dwelling with God

God desires fellowship and communion with Him. (See last week's post.)
He is to be our focus and He is the ultimate reward. But above and
beyond that, He blesses us with even more when we choose to make Him our
dwelling place.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the
Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the
LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely
he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly
pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you
will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You
will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that
destroys at midday.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at
your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe
with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say,
"The LORD is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, no
harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he
will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your
foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will
trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me,"
says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he
acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will
be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life
I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." ~Psalm 91 (NIV)

Consider the benefits of dwelling with Him:


shelter
rest
refuge
protection
removal of fear
no harm
rescue
deliverance
honor
long life
salvation

Oh,
LORD my God, how glorious is the experience of making You my dwelling
place! Help me always be mindful of Your benefits so that praise and
thanksgiving continually flow from my lips over all You are and all
You've done. Thank You for desiring a relationship with me, and for Your
grace and sacrifice that made it possible. Amen.

Intimacy With God

Our most special relationships on earth are those which are intimate.
Within these relationships we find a closeness and a level of trust and
understanding that are missing in our casual friendships. How
mind-boggling it is that our God desires an intimate relationship with
us!



In fact, He created man for this type of intimate relationship
and enjoyed it until sin entered the human race and separated us from
our Holy God (Genesis 3:1-9).



Throughout God's Word, this idea of intimacy with Him is revealed.



My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming." ~Psalm 27:8 (NLT)



He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ~Psalm 91:1 (ESV)



Ah,
I hear my Lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over
the hills. My Lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look,
there He is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into
the room. ~Song of Solomon 2:8-9 (NLT)



Jesus turned and
saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they
said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He
said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where He was
staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth
hour. ~John 1:38-39 (ESV)



Behold, I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. ~Revelation 3:20 (ESV)



And
Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the
bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,
God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses,
Moses." And he said, "Here am I." ~Exodus 3:3-4 (KJV)



And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. ~Exodus 33:11 (KJV)



"Are
you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with
Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced
rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep
company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." ~Matthew
11:28-30 (MSG)



I am the vine, you are the branches; he
who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me
you can do nothing. ~John 15:5 (NASB)



One thing
have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in
the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty
of the LORD and to inquire in His temple. ~Psalm 27:4 (ESV)



I
once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them
worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is
worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all
as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ~Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT)



How
we should long to sit in His presence, until all earthly desires are
burned away by His holiness, and the only thing left is a yearning for
more of Him. He is our Shelter and Refuge, our Lover leaping over hills
to be with us, the One who invites us talk with Him and eat with Him and
follow Him.



Only when we turn aside to see Him, when we allow Him
to speak with us, when we get away with Him--only then can we recover
our true life and live freely and lightly. Only when we abide in Him can
we produce fruit. Without Him, we're useless and fruitless.



Like
David, we should make our "one thing" dwelling in His presence. Is it
any wonder that God considered David a man after God's own heart (1
Samuel 13:14)?



The only way to get to know someone is to spend
time with them. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords--Almighty God, the
Creator of the universe--has invited us to the greatest banquet of all
time. It's up to us to accept the invitation, to enter in and sup with
Him. Why would anyone stand in the doorway when we're invited into the
banquet hall of His great throne room? Why would we not consider
everything worthless except for knowing Him?



May we seek Him, then enter His presence and dwell there...

Deal With It

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no
bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ~Hebrews 12:15,
NIV



The squirrel buried the pecan in the soft soil. I
watched from a nearby window and heaved a heavy sigh. That nut would
become yet another tree for me to root out of the flower beds.



Sadly,
I have been that nut-burying squirrel, digging a hole in my heart and
stuffing down the strong emotions I didn't want to deal with at the
time. I thought I was doing the right thing by hiding my hurt, but the
results were even more catastrophic than the strong pecan saplings that
appeared each spring in my garden.



The anger and hurt I
refused to deal with grew into a deadly root of resentfulness and
bitterness, one I wasn't even aware of it until it was too late.



Brothers
and sisters in Christ, if you're like me and tend to bury those things
you don't want to deal with--DON'T!!! I speak from experience gained the
hard way. The enemy of our souls will use our "buried nuts" to advance
his cause when we least expect it, unleashing a world of hurt on us and
those around us.



Instead, call on the resources that are ours through God and His Word:





Learn to deal with anger quickly.

"In
your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. ~Ephesians 4:27-28, NIV



Satan
will use any crack to slither in. When we stuff our anger, it only
gives him a place to gain entrance, and if we give him an inch, he'll
take a mile.



Learn to live in peace with others.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ~Romans 12:28, NIV



This
is so hard, especially when others constantly bombard us with
combustible material to fuel our anger. Thankfully, nothing is
impossible with our God (Luke 1:37).



Learn to forgive.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32, NIV



Again,
forgiveness is difficult work, but when we take the time to remember
all that Christ has forgiven us, it makes it easier. It helps to
remember that unforgiveness only hurts us, not the other party.





Father, forgive me for the times I neglect Your Word
and harbor grudges and ill will in my heart. Thank You for showing me
the effects of not dealing with my hurt, so that I'll be better prepared
to handle things better next time. May these words I write be helpful
to others who are refusing to deal with the strong emotions that come
from living in a world cursed by sin. Give them the courage to do the
hard work of uprooting bitterness in their lives. May they experience a
strong sense of Your presence as You give them Your strength. In Jesus'
name I pray, Amen.

BOOK REVIEW: The Strategy of Satan: How to Detect and Defeat Him by Warren Wiersbe

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A timeless classic on the strategies of Christian warfare. This book is a manual of arms for the Christian soldier. It is not a devotional reader for the believer who has gone AWOL. It is a deadly serious guidebook for dedicated Christians who are on the battlefield and want to know how to win. Warren W. Wiersbe discusses basic biblical instruction on defeating the strategies of the devil. Centering his material on Satan's attacks as a deceiver, destroyer, ruler, and accuser, Wiersbe emphasizes conquering the enemy by obeying God's truth. Chapters are included on defeating the devil in the church and in the home. (Tyndale House Publishers (1979) - Paperback - 176 pages - ISBN 0842366652)





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Warren W. Wiersbe is best known as a Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker. He has ministered in churches and conferences in Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and the United States. He has published more than 150 books and was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.



MY REVIEW:

This isn't a new book by any means, but it was new to me. This book is by far the best explanation I've ever read on how our enemy works. Using several scripture references, Wiersbe guides the reader to understand the targets Satan aims at our lives, the weapons he uses to attack us, the purposes he wants to achieve, and the defenses God has provided for us. I will continue to use this book for years to come as a means of defeating the enemy in my life. This book is a must read for every Christian--a believer's guidebook for victorious living. I give it five out of five stars.




DISCLAIMER: I received no compensation for this review, which is my honest, personal opinion.