Review: "If God is Good" by Randy Alcorn

Last month the folks at Random House sent me a copy of Randy Alcorn's new book, "If God is Good." Unfortunately I have been unable to find the time to read the book so (as per my agreement with them) I am posting the summary they sent me about the book.

Again, I have not read this book. I scanned through the table of contents and a couple of chapters. It SEEMS solid but I can't tell you for sure. So, please do not purchase it based on my recommendation. Check out other reviews to see if it's worth reading.

Here's the summary:

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

The review book was provided by Random House, Inc. Follow the link to purchase "If God is Good."

Review: "You Were Born for This" by Bruce Wilkinson

“What if I told you I'm certain you missed a miracle yesterday? And not just any miracle but one that Heaven wanted to do through you to significantly change someone's life for the better—maybe your own?”

So begins Bruce Wilkinson's (of The Prayer of Jabez fame) latest book, You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. Wilkinson sets out to teach the reader how to consistently perform miracles (aka “divine coincidences, miracle moments, supernatural provisions”) for other people. Frankly, I believe this book has several flaws, therefore, I do NOT recommend you read this book. Let me repeat that, I do NOT recommend this book.

Wilkinson's practical examples do not match his definition of a miracle. On page 16 he defines a miracle as “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” That brings to my mind Jesus making the blind see, the lame walk, the sick healthy, and the dead alive. While I do not doubt the working of the Holy Spirit in Wilkinson's examples, I don't find them to be “extraordinary.”

For example, he tells the story of a man walking through a large airport praying for God to use him for a miracle. The man then feels led to talk to a young female store clerk that he just made a purchase from. The woman reveals that she's pregnant and going for medical tests soon to confirm if something is wrong with the baby. The two pray together and she feels comforted. On the man's return trip he finds the woman and the two rejoice that the baby is fine.

Divine intervention to provide comfort for the young woman? Absolutely. An extraordinary event? Not really.

Wilkinson's method of achieving a life filled with predictable miracles has little to do with a life filled with prayer, Bible study, Scripture memorization or spiritual disciplines. Instead you say a prayer making yourself available to God for his “assignment” and then you watch for it all day. When you see certain signs and feel the Spirit prompting you then you act.

Maybe I'm nitpicking but I think he has the cart before the horse. The “miracles” he describes should be the outcome of a live filled with spiritual disciplines, not the reverse. A Christian's focus should be on Jesus, not what amazing experience can I have today.

Wilkinson's analogy of Heaven as “Command Central” and Christians as God's “partner” paint a picture of a weak God. The presence of God is a dreadful (in the overwhelming, awe-inspiring sense) place to be. It is NOT an office where messages are sent out just as a courier or messenger service sends out people. Also, God chooses to use people to accomplish his will but we are not his partners. Partners imply equality. We are never on the same level as God. We are his creation, his children and his servants. But never his partners.

I'm sure that this book will become wildly popular and widely quoted. It utilizes that feel-good, experience based philosophy that is so common among Christian literature right now. And I'm sure many good deeds and “miracles” will be accomplish in the next few years, I'm just not sure that lives will significantly be changed.

This book was provided for review by Random House, Inc. You may purchase the book at their website through this link: You Were Born for This.

Apple Picking Book Recommendations

It's apple picking time in New England! In honor of our annual tradition, here are a few excellent books on apples and apple picking that I found at my local library.

Amazing Apples, written and illustrated by Consie Powell.
Published by Albert Whitman & Co. in 2003.
ISBN 0-8075-0399-1

Amazing Apples uses simple poems in acrostic form to describe apple orchards and apple picking. The poems are clever and and not forced for the sake of the acrostic form. For a peek at the inside of the book follow the Amazing Apples link.

My 6 year old reader did not notice the acrostics when he read the book by himself. However, once I pointed them out he easily understood the concept of an acrostic. He thought writing his own acrostic would be fun, though it might be a challenge since his spelling isn't as good as his reading yet.

In addition to the fun poems, I also enjoyed the illustrations. Mrs. Powell used hand-colored woodblocks to create the images. Each page is filled with colorful details to interest the eye. Maybe we will use some potato blocks to illustrate our own acrostic poems next week.


The Life and Times of the Apple, written and illustrated by Charles Micucci.
Published by Orchard Books in 1992.
ISBN 0-531-05939-1

Grafting, parts of the flower, statistics on apple production around the world, The Life and Times of the Apple is chock full of information about the apple.

In addition to the apple facts, the illustrations are fantastic! Using watercolor and pencil, Micucci shows you the fine details of the parts of an apple flower, how a bee pollinates an the flower and how the flower turns into an apple. Despite all of the facts The Life and Times of the Apple manages to maintain a whimsical attitude that children and grown-ups will enjoy.

Those are my apple book recommendations for this year. What apple books do you recommend I read next year?