A Book Alley

Rick Warren - Purpose Driven Life

2010-02-02T11:14:00.001-08:00

Richard Duane "Rick" Warren (born January 28, 1954 in San Jose, California) is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States (this ranking includes multi-site churches). He is also a bestselling author of many Christian books, including his guide to church ministry and evangelism, The Purpose Driven Church, which has spawned a series of conferences on Christian ministry and evangelism. He is perhaps best known for the subsequent devotional, The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 30 million copies, making Warren a New York Times bestselling author.

Warren holds conservative theological views. While holding traditional evangelical views on social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and stem-cell research, Warren has called on churches worldwide to also focus their efforts on fighting poverty and disease, expanding educational opportunities for the marginalized, and caring for the environment. During the 2008 United States presidential election, Warren hosted the Civil Forum on The Presidency at his church with both presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Obama later sparked controversy when he asked Warren to give the invocation at the presidential inauguration in January 2009.

Anne Rice's Recommendations

2010-02-01T03:23:00.001-08:00

What we can learn from Scripture and Tradition, September 28, 2009
Angels and Demons by Peter Kreeft

The market is flooded with books on angels, many whimsical and speculative, others recounting meetings between angels and humans, and some even claiming to tell you how to talk to your angel. We have angel dictionaries and angel encyclopedia, books filled with great paintings, and others with personal angel art. This book is for those who want to ponder what Scripture tells us about angels, and what the great theologian, Thomas Aquinas, had to say about God's messengers as well. For those of us interested in the real root of the fascination, this is a treasure trove. Anyone can dream dreams of angels; anyone can make up stories about them. Anyone can draw his or her ideal winged guardian. But pondering the actual biblical passages that involve angels can be very surprising and inspiring, as this is where the real beginning of our understanding of angels resides. Like all Peter Kreeft's many books, this one is very readable. It's clear, concise, and will lead inevitably to the Bible itself. After all, that is where we first meet our angels, in the pages of the Old and New Testaments; and it may surprise readers to discover how much the Bible actually tells us about these mysterious and powerful creatures. I should add here that I find Thomas Aquinas endlessly fascinating, but difficult. And after reading Peter Kreeft's book, it was much easier for me to approach The Summa Theologica for the many intricate passages on angels bad and good. Peter Kreeft is a great teacher. This book captivates and instructs. (Source: Anne Rice)

Excellent for the MainStream Reader, October 10, 2009
The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity (Cornell Paperbacks) by Jeffrey Burton Russell

Russell has been writing brilliant and very readable books on the problem of evil for quite some time. Many reviews here go into depth about his theological or philosophical points. I'm signing on only to recommend him to mainstream readers who might welcome a profound yet highly accessible scholar writing about evil in a responsible and compelling fashion. I also recommend Russell's Paradise Mislaid. This is a first rate thinker who is discussing complex metaphysical problems in deeply felt and provocative books. (Source: Anne Rice)

Profound and Important Theological investigation., October 19, 2009
The Gospels for All Christians: Rethinking the Gospel Audiences (New Testament Studies) by Richard Bauckham

Are our beliefs about Hell changing? I would say that they are. Many Christians today, I think, are deeply uneasy with the notion of a place of eternal damnation and unremitting punishment. Their faith in God is strong. But they have real questions as to whether any soul can really merit everlasting torment. ---- And non Christians report that the concept of Hell is something that stands between them and embracing faith. ----- This does not mean people don't want to face the consequences of sin, I don't think. It means that they have trouble grasping the finality of damnation and the everlasting punishment for sins committed by flawed human beings. -----Whatever the case, many are troubled by the concept of Hell, but they long to be faithful to their God, to the Scriptures, and to their churches. Does that mean they have to believe more people go to Hell than to Heaven? Does that mean that they have to believe people are burning in Hell now and will be for all eternity? This book by a brilliant theologian explores the possibility that we might indeed hope that all humans can be saved. Balthasar examines Scripture, Christian tradition and the writings of the saints on this subject. And he quotes much very impressive material. Whatever one concludes, after reading this book, one has to be aware of the complexity of the questions surrounding Hell, and God's justice and mercy. (Source: Anne Rice)

Excellent Scholarship on Christ on Earth., January 1, 2010
Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened by Craig A. Evans

I highly recommend this concise book to anyone interested in the mystery of Christ entering history. Evans and Wright are exemplary scholars of international reputation. The writing is clear, the book is short, and the power of it is considerable. I also recommend all the other books by both of these gentlemen. (Source: Anne Rice)

Exquisitely done about a vitally important subject, October 26, 2008

Amazing Grace DVD ~ Ioan Gruffudd

This film is relevant and timeless. It's about a giant of a man, a Christian dedicated to abolishing the English slave trade, and it paints a beautiful and moving portrait of this man, William Wilberforce, played marvelously by Ioan Gruffudd. Rufus Sewell is also outstanding as his friend, Clarkson, and Albert Finney is unforgettable as the former slave ship captain who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace." This is the sort of film that can be shown to high schools and college classes, to families, to church groups, to any and all who want to know the story of all that Wilberforce endured politically and personally for his beliefs. It is exquisitely directed by Michael Apted and every performance is terrific, not just the few I've named. The portrait of William Pitt in this film, England's youngest prime minister, is deeply affecting, and the film takes on even greater power when we realize that slavery in many forms still exists today. This is a film that makes us ask "Are we doing enough?" on every level? Are we doing enough to bring out the best in ourselves and in others, and for the greater good? Highly recommended. (Source: Anne Rice)

Highly readable, Sound and Reliable , May 14, 2008
The Gospel According to Matthew (Pillar New Testament Commentary) by Leon Morris

Next to the commetaries of Craig S. Keener, and D.A. Carson, I keep this book for constant reference. It is very accessible for a mainstream reader and has given me wonderful insights. This book is not as thorough as the work by Keener, but it has its own fine elements to offer. As I'm still engaged in studying it, I will probably have more to say later on. I am reviewing it now because I am a Christian novelist and my readers ask me for references. I recommend this book without reserve.---- I like the voice of the author very much, and look forward to learning more from him.---- Let me quote part of a paragraph (p. 15 of the hardcover) which is close to my heart: "In the last resort it appears that the authorship of this Gospel will remain in dispute. In my opinion there is more to be said for the apostle Matthew than recent scholarship commonly allows and more for Matthew than for any other candidate." Agreed, with humble thanks. (Source: Anne Rice)

A Sound, Reliable and Illuminating Commentary on John, May 14, 2008

The Gospel according to John (Pillar New Testament Commentary) by D. A. Carson

I keep this book on my desk right beside Craig S. Keener's commentaries. Carson writes clearly and succinctly and touches on almost every mystery of the Gospel that concerns me. I think he is completely correct in his criticism of the skeptics. The book is obviously shaped by immense faith and displays great attention to current scholarship and to the details of the text of John. The book also contains a marvelous and forceful summary of the arguments for and against the belief that the Apostle John bar Zebedee wrote the gospel. This is a decisive and brave commentary. Also recommended are all D.A. Carson's other books, including Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility. This scholar's output is enormous. It will take me years to catch up with what he has written, and I doubt I'll ever catch up with all of it. I admire him greatly, and recommend him wholeheartedly. --- Addendum added May 16, 2008 as I continue to read this book: There is something commonsensical and firm about the way this author presents his points; he dispatches the objections or contrary theory of others with conviction and an economy of language. Again and again, he appeals simply and unobtrusively to sound judgment as to points over which people argue, and it is refreshing. --- Some scholars today are so hampered by earlier skeptical objections, speculations, and disputes that it is difficult to get through their books. One gets the feeling sometimes that some authors are writing for one another. ---- Not so with D.A. Carson. His writing serves the text and the mainstream reader as well as the scholar. ---- Yet he is ever the Christian (charitable) writer. ---- I sense no snideness or unkindness, but simply a great deal of well earned self confidence, and a straightforward appeal to sound logic. Some readers may find this commentary particularly accessible because of all this. The writing is brisk. (Source: Anne Rice)

Beautiful Book on the True Meaning of Christianity, May 14, 2008

The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren

Since there are over a thousand reviews posted here, one might ask: why am I writing another one? It is because I feel this beautiful book, so eloquently and accessibly written, has much to offer Roman Catholics as it has to offer non-Catholics, and Rev. Rick Warren continues to be one of the most loving and positive ministers in the public arena. He has managed to write a deeply meaningful book here about how to live as a Christian, without saying anything negative about anybody or anyone else's church. This is no small feat. We Christians are tempted at every turn to criticize one another. Rev. Rick teaches love. Anyone who thinks this is superficial or insipid should, I believe, reconsider. To love one's neighbors and one's enemies is for me the hardest thing about being Christian; it is at the core of the Christian explosion of the First Century, and it remains the core of Christian teaching today. --- Just about every page of this book is inspiring, and Rev. Rick has managed to impart to the reader complex theology in wonderfully simple terms. ---- When theology is too difficult, when it is opague or unreadable, what good does it do for most Christians? Well, this is a book with deep theological roots that is for everyone. Highly recommended. And also an excellent gift. ---- Let me quote Rev. Rick in closing: "Jesus taught that spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. Maturity is for ministry!" (p.231 of the hard cover.) (Source: Anne Rice)

One of the All Time Great Commentaries on John, May 13, 2008

The Gospel of John: A Commentary - 2-Volume Set by Craig S. Keener

This two-volume work is one that I keep right on my desk every day, year in and year out, as I study Scripture. What astonishes me is the sheer scope of Keener's knowledge, and the clear and engaging way that he presents his conclusions. He treats the skeptics with the requisite generosity and patience to which I've become accustomed when reading the brilliant scholarship of a believer, and his knowledge of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish writers is breath-taking. This and his work on Matthew are immense contributions to the field of New Testament Scholarship. I find all Keener's work to be accessible for mainstream people such as myself, who cannot read the ancient languages. The comprehensive nature of Keener's approach, the way he truly does explain just about every conceivable interpretation of a passage is simply amazing. I turn to him constantly for insight, and go back over material again and again discovering something new each time. Make this part of your library. (Source: Anne Rice)

A BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING BOOK , May 13, 2008
Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI

This book is gentle yet profound, filled with beautiful observations on the life of Our Lord, and on Scripture. I'm in the midst of studying it and won't finish any time soon as I savor each page as I go along. I recommend it without reservation to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. I've discussed it on Youtube, and with pleasure. Our Pope is a brilliant teacher, and a brilliant writer as well. His encyclicals are also available now in book form and I recommend them completely. (Source: Anne Rice)

Magnificent Study of the Gospels. , May 13, 2008
The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3) by N. T. Wright

When I first commented on N.T. Wright's books, I was new to Amazon and didn't do it under my own name. I'm signing on now, again, to say that he remains for me a giant among scholars. This particular book had an impact that I can't fully describe. A deep Christian spirit pervades the writing itself, and Wright's generosity to skeptical scholarship is a shining Christian example to those of us who become too impatient with the anti-supernaturalists. Wright is a believer and a convincing believer with a brilliant yet accessible style, a genius who has had an immense influence on the entire field of Biblical scholarship. One encounters his name everywhere. Wright's books are mammoth in soul and physical size. He provides a complete education in the Gospels, and many of his other books, the smaller, more compact ones, are profoundly inspiring. Other reviews may have more to say in detail about his most important works, of which this is certainly one. Let me close by saying simply "Make his books a part of your library, and your education, and a part of your prayer life." (Source: Anne Rice)

Brilliant and detailed insight into John the Baptist and Jesus, May 13, 2008
The Life, Character And Acts Of John The Baptist And The Relation Of His Ministry To The Christian Dispensation by L. Von Rohden

This remarkable monograph by Rev. William C. Duncan is in fact an adaptation of a book in German by L. Von Rohden, in that it is not only a translation of that book, but includes quite a bit of additional material by Rev. Duncan, the book being published in 1853. ---- Rev. William C. Duncan, M.A. is identified as a professor at the Louisiana University in New Orleans. ---- I am finding in Rev. Duncan's agreeable and thorough prose one of the finest discussions of the mysteries that surround john the Baptist that I've ever read, and for me, John the Baptist is indeed a mysterious person in the Gospels who has not inspired that many books. ----- I highly recommend this to any student of the gospels who finds him or herself baffled by certain questions regarding the Baptist, and the deeper I penetrate into this book, the more respect I have both for its logic, its simple eloquence and its profundity. ---- Highly recommended. ---- The tone reminds me of the twentieth century scholar, John A.T. Robinson (The Priority of John), in that I feel I am sitting in a book lined study with this man, listening to him explain things to me about John the Baptist in an agreeable and stunningly brilliant way; Robinson's tone often approxmates that intimacy as well. ---- I am a little amazed that in a book so old, by one so obscure (?), I am discovering so much brilliance. ----- I strongly urge any New Testament scholar to add this book to the collection. ---- The writing, like that of Charles Dickens, is clean and therefore almost timeless. And every aspect of John's ministry is being thoroughly discussed here. ---- I wonder sometimes if our guardian angels do not in fact somehow make available to us the very books we need at the time in which we most need them. This book certainly has come to me as if the angels heard me voicing my questions as I pace my office. -----There is even something unexpectedly delightful about the prose here; and the fervent belief of Rev. Duncan underscores his many thoughtful and unforgettable observations. Do try this book. I would say buy copies of it for students you know, or even for teachers, and perhaps for pastors ---- as it is clearly not such a well known book, and I think it should be. ----- Today probably one could not adapt a German work in this fashion. These are post-copyright days. But the main thing is this: Rev. Duncan has created a book here filled with great insight into the many questions that surround John.---- I hope others read this book and perhaps comment on this review, as I would like to discover if other students are as impressed as I am by this wonderful work. Deo Gratias. (Source: Anne Rice)

We are God seekers and Our God teaches, August 12, 2007
The Unity Principle: The Shaping of Jewish History by Ellis Rivkin

This audacious book presents a creative theory of virtually everything! I am so in awe of Professor Rivkin that anything I write here is going to be inadequate. It's impossible to do justice to Rivkin's comprehensive knowledge of Jewish history and world history, to his powerful explanations of the creative power of monotheism or his observations of our present global challenges and possibilities. One must experience this great mind first hand. The Unity Principle is as accessible as it is brilliant. The man writes beautifully. This is a transformative book. You may not be the same after you read it. We are God seekers, and our God is a God who teaches. That is the essence yet only the beginning of Rivkin's offering here. (Source: Anne Rice)

Of great contemporary importance to Christians, August 11, 2007
Women and the Genesis of Christianity by Ben Witherington

This is a very fine and extremely relevant work of scholarship in which a deeply respected author covers a subject of vital interest -- the role of women in the New Testament. Witherington is reverant, responsible, thorough, and often brilliant. The book is rich in observations, insights, and well supported conclusions about all aspects of the texts. I'm especially concerned with this subject matter because it seems to me that "the woman's movement" has caused a crisis for some traditional Christians today. Witherington is absolutely right to insist that, on these issues, the Bible should have its say. Indeed, yes, the Bible should have its say. Readers will find this not only immensely satisfying but enjoyable; it's profound writing for the mainstream. One might want to buy several copies of this book and, politely, offer them to friends, ministers and priests. Highly recommended. I also recommend Craig S. Keener's Paul, Women & Wives. --- [...]. (Source: Anne Rice)

Fine Scholarly Work on the Canon, June 27, 2007
The New Testament Canon: Its Making and Meaning by Harry Y. Gamble

This is a profoundly intelligent and well reasoned investigation of the establishment of the New Testament canon. As Dan O. Via says in the Editor's Forward, this "is a historical analysis of a fundamentally theological problem." The author himself says, "The purpose of this volume is to assess the NT as canon and thus to comprehend the fundamental form of the NT itself." Though the book might prove demanding for mainstream readers, I think it is well worth the effort. I've found it deeply engaging. Also rank and file Christians aren't being served that well by easy popular books on the origins of the Christian bible. These "popular" books are often shallow and full of misinformation. Gamble is great scholar. His "Books and Readers in the Early Church" is greatly respected. I also recommend "The First Edition of the New Testament" by David Trobisch. --- anneobrienrice@mac.com. (Source: Anne Rice)

Well researched and provocative, June 26, 2007
Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz

This is an extremely well researched investigation of the institution of marriage from earliest times to the present. It may prove shocking to some readers to discover how recent our concept of "traditional marriage" may be. But information such as this book provides is essential for those concerned about marital values. History provides us with immensely important lessons regarding the attitudes and feelings of human beings over the centuries; and we must not shrink from the observations made here as we seek to understand the social and economic and even religious crises of our times. The scope of the book is incredibly ambitious yet it is clearly and at times entertainingly written, and always inviting. It can point the way for further research in many areas. On all counts, a fine and important book. (Source: Anne Rice)

Key Work by Renowned Theologian, June 25, 2007
Women In Christianity (Continuum Icons) by Hans Kung

A very brief, clear and immensely powerful discussion of this explosive subject. One can spend a lifetime studying the role of women in Christian history and pondering Christ's relationship to the women in the gospels.--- Dairmaid MacCulloch has quite a lot to say about it in his enormous and brilliant work, The Reformation. And there are countless other scholarly works dealing with the subject --- But a concise treatment such as this by a great theologian has immense authority. Hans Kung leaves no doubt that the life of Christ, His teachings, and His saving grace belong in full measure not only to men, but to women. The book is fully documented, and highly accessible. [...] (Source: Anne Rice)

Powerful and Compelling Answer to the Skeptics, December 5, 2006

Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels by Craig A. Evans

This is a highly readable and very convincing work for the mainstream reader about current New Testament research. It's a badly needed response to the nonsense in the Da Vinci Code, and to the work of other skeptics who have filled the front tables of bookstores with outrageous attacks on Christian tradition, Christian history and Christian belief. Evans goes into detail as to what we can know and what we can not know about the historical Jesus. He examines the earliest manuscript evidence we have for the canon (which is fairly impressive). He lays out the latest arguments against the hoax of Secret Mark. He examines all the issues raised by the Gospel of Judas or the Gospel of Mary or the Gospel of Thomas. -- This is an excellent book to give to people who have a strong interest in New Testament scholarship but don't know where to begin their studies outside the bible. It's an excellent book for those who have been negatively influenced by the claims in the popular press that Jesus never existed, or that the Four Gospels don't contain witness to Jesus in His own time. --- I wish there were more books like this, books this impressive and this thoroughly researched. The gap between the academy and the popular reader is too great. -- I recommend also Ben Witherington's latest effort on the same theme. anneobrienrice@mac.com . (Source: Anne Rice)

Great scholarly work accessible to the mainstream reader! , September 5, 2006

A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew by Craig S. Keener

This is a huge, rich and very readable commentary, bringing to bear on every line of Matthew a knowledge of pagan and Hebrew literature that is simply breathtaking. Keener knows the ancient world. He gives you context as well as brilliant insight. --- Reviews and supporting quotes on this book point out its immense value for teachers and pastors. But this book is a great gift for the mainstream reader for two reasons 1)the clean and compelling writing, and 2)the fact that all quoted materials from sources ancient and modern are presented in English. (Usually in scholarly books of this sophistication, a reader like me is locked out by blocks of material in German, Latin and Greek. Not so here!) --- Do not be put off by the size of this work. Use it like an encyclopedia. Look up the passages that most trouble you or intrigue you. Move on, back and forth from there, and you'll gradually cover the whole book. --Let me also say that the book is infused with a genuine Christian generosity, a deep Christian faith. The opinions of other scholars are dealt with fairly and patiently, and Keener's convincing conclusions presented with eloquence and simplicity. --- Truly a magnificent and magisterial work. I keep this book at my side; I rank it with the scholarship of N.T. Wright -- the finest. (anneobrienrice@mac.com.) (Source: Anne Rice)

Invaluable Archaeological Resource: Galilee, July 3, 2006

Jews, Pagans and Christians in the Galilee: 25 Years of Archaeological Excavations and Surveys: Hellenistic to Byzantine Periods (Land of Galilee) by Mordechai Aviam

This is a breathtaking compendium of facts about life in ancient Galilee, based solidly on archaeological finds and clearly laid out with impressive detail. There are helpful drawings and photographs throughout. The material on stoneware, ossuaries, earthworks, fortifications, house foundations, olive oil presses, and many other subjects, including later churches and monasteries, is rich and revealing. The author's conclusions as to cultural developments are well reasoned and well researched. The book is an invaluable resource whether you want to read about the individual tools found in an ancient blacksmith shop or the construction of the old roads. We need more books like this about ancient life, books that contain real data. Highly recommended. (Source: Anne Rice)

Deliciously Readable and Wondrously Comprehensive, June 16, 2006
The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch

Don't be put off by the size of this book or the size of the subject. The book will give you the "who, what, where, when and why" of the Reformation in smooth, clear and inviting prose. MacCulloch makes fine and fascinating distinctions about a breathtaking amount of material, as he puts in rich full context a battle of ideas that is still being fought today. For all its brilliance, this book is actually great fun. For the mainstream reader it is a treasure. I can not recommend it enough. --- Added 2008. ----- Having now spent over a year and a half reading this book, studying in it, underlining passages and writing in just about every margin, I have to return to my review here and try to do justice to the mammoth accomplishment of this work.---- It is a full multi-course education in one of the most baffling and violent periods in history, during which thousands died for varying religious positions, and we in America are some of the inheritors of the violence and theological speculation and doctrinal decisions of these times. ----- This book gives full rich portraits of Protestants and Catholics alike, striving to bring to us an understanding of how these men and women of religion saw themselves and their relationship to God, and why they were willing to go to such lengths for their beliefs.------ And, as the jacket copy tells us: "MacCullogh examines the impact of the Reformation on ordinary lives." ----- This is of immense value because we are, I think, still in the midst of religious revolution and reformation today. ---- Possibly we always will be.---- As Christians, we are part of a quarreling religion, a religion with great respect for debate and contrary opinion, yet a religion that strives constantly to put an end to all debate with inspired positions. ---- It never seems to come to that. ---- Our debates, within our denominations, and within the great church as a whole, go on. ---This book deals with some of the most vital and most fateful quarrels in which we've ever been involved, and to understand ourselves better, we need to know about them. ------ I recommend this book whole heartedly for a confrontation with our own religious obsessions and attitudes towards a whole range of life's most serious questions, including those pertaining to family life. --- For those presently watching the new spate of films and mini series about Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth I, this book provides a great resource for examination of the misunderstandings, tragedies and accomplishments of the era which do not always make it to film. ---- Obviously people in America in the year 2008 are obsessed with religion, and nothing will help us more with our obsession than valid observations, and insights such as this book provides. Nothing, except prayer, that is, and an educated examination of our own consciences. -------- Let me add on a practical note the book is filled with valuable cross references. When you come to the life of Luther, for example, you'll find specific page references to Luther elsewhere in the text, and these cross references are of terrific help. The cross references help you to organize what you are discovering here and seeking to absorb, which is, of course, an immense mount. ---- For Catholics, this book provides a particularly rich description of what we call the Counter Reformation, and it seems to me that MacCulloch is as insightful and even handed here as he is with Protestant personalities and developments. ----- One final note: sink into this book. Sink into it. You may come out disagreeing with some of MacCullogh's views, but the book is bound to teach you more than you can possibly dream. ---- You will want to read biographies of people of whom you perhaps knew nothing before you started here. You will want the education to go on. ---- Recommended for everyone --- the armchair historian, the scholar, the teacher, the professional historian, the person who just wants to know! --- for us all. (Source: Anne Rice)

Excellent Scholarship on Matters Causing Much Pain to Christians, December 8, 2005
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality by Daniel A. Helminiak

This book is clearly written, well documented, and provides a detailed examination of all passages in the bible which appear to refer to homosexuality. It also contains important reflections on the nature of translation, interpretation, and changing views in society and how they influence our approach to the perceived law of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is concerned with homosexuality and Christianity. Even the most old fashioned fundamentalist will find things here to ponder. In a day and age when so many gay Christians are suffering persecution, inspite of their ardent desire to be united with the church, we owe it to ourselves to become informed on these topics. There is much scholarly debate on the subject, and we ought to seek knowledge in this area for our sake and the sake of all God's children. This book is an excellent start and a very thorough overview of the field. (Source: Anne Rice)

Marvelous contribution to gospel scholarship; accessible to everyone, August 21, 2005
Three Gospels by Reynolds Price

Price has done a beautiful thing here with his dedicated and solid work on the gospels. And thank Heaven he speaks up for John bar Zebedee being the author of his gospel. The commentary is deeply moving -- some of the best writing on the gospels I've seen anywhere. I'm grateful for this book. I return to it again and again. Of late, academic scholarship has done so much to tear the gospels to shreds, to rob them of their intensity and depth, to deny their individual personality and power. Reynolds is a wonderful corrective to all this, a brilliant writer who approaches the texts we have with profound respect and fascinating insight, and his writing is truly elegant and expressive and sensitive -- an inspiration. This is a gem of a book. (Source: Anne Rice)

Robinson is a giant among scholars. , June 4, 2005
Redating the New Testament by John A. T. Robinson

This man was brilliant, and his criticisms of Biblical scholarship are as fitting for today as they were when this book first saw print. His reasoning and his arguments are all highly persuasive. This and his book, The Priority of John, are of great importance to anyone undertaking serious study of the gospels or study of "the historical Jesus." He left me pretty well convinced by his ideas about the early date of the gospels, and I've read much since -- published after his death -- that supports his view. (Source: Anne Rice)

Thoroughly entertaining and more...., June 4, 2005
Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant by Graham Hancock

Graham Hancock is a rather romantic figure, really -- the intrepid explorer, provoked by mystery and determined to learn as much as he can from all sources, -- the kind of person that I dreamed of being when I was a kid. He's a bit of an Indiana Jones with extreme focus on the secrets that might be revealed to us if we probe our history, our religious texts, our geography and our myths. He brings logic and reason to his quests as well as immense imagination, and he writes with enchanting skill. His vocabulary, his phrasing, his pacing and the general layout of the chapters all combine to make this book worth the reader's time even if it does raise more questions than it answers about the lost Ark. And one is left with a real taste for the land of Ethiopia, and a wish to go there to see the landscapes and buildings so richly described. Hancock documents well too, which is tremendously important, and the book provides leads for anyone wanting to know more about the Knights Templar whose distinctive red crosses show up on the "dark continent," or a host of other subjects. . Highly recommended for the read, for the depth, and for a certain distinctly British gentlemanly quality that seems to survive in any clime. Also there is the possibility of truth here, of valuable connections being made. (Source: Anne Rice)

Brilliantt and crystal clear historical analysis, May 23, 2005
Moses the Egyptian: The Memory of Egypt in Western Monotheism by Jan Assmann

Jan Assmann is a giant among scholars, and that most incredible find: a man with genius insight who knows how to write! This book is about the story of Moses and how it is told and retold in Western culture. Except for a few untranslated quotes in German, French, etc., this work is beguilingly instructive enough for a beginner, and its points are made with such beauty that they will spur one to further biblical or Egyptian research. I value the book for it's in depth analysis of Akhnaten and the extent of his monotheistic "revolution" as much as anything else. This scholar is also gentle in his approach to all the materials he treats. For that reason he inspires considerable trust. I can not recommend this book and this man too much! The whole subject of the connection between Ancient Israel and Egypt is a rich load of treasure beyond imagining, and here is a great mind to open pathways and draw our attention to things we think we see but perhaps do not. Dazzling work! (Source: Anne Rice)

Beautifully Written, December 6, 2004

Hope against Hope: Christian Eschatology at the Turn of the Millennium by Richard Bauckham

I'll leave the complex in depth reviews to others. What I love about this book is that I can understand it. It's graceful and lucid and reading it is a pleasure. The words are infused with a kind of joy. As a novelist, I have to make characters, plots, put people in action. It's hard for me to approach theology or philosophy because of the density of abstractions in the writing. I just can't get most of it. But these two highly gifted theologians have written something of great meaning that is accessible to some one like me. As to the premise of the book, it's a convincing testament to the unfathomable and ever increasing power of the Christian Event. It moves us forward. I connect it with Teilhard de Chardin. (Source: Anne Rice)

A Treasure Trove, December 5, 2004

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Edition by Alfred Edersheim

When you are tired of the endless controversies in current Biblical scholarship, when you're worn down from the specialist studies of language in this or that gospel, or the cynical books that claim to expose this and that redaction, when you want merely to exist in a rich, vital, eloquent literary world, securely based in scholarship itself, in which Second Temple Jerusalem comes to life, in which you can see Nazareth as if you were there, in which you can feel the pulse of the commerce and communications, and pilgrim crowds of the time of Christ -- then pick up this book. Dip into it by subject or time period. And you'll love it. Of course it was written by a believing man with a great generous soul. But it's thoroughly documented, and has immense and timeless insight to offer on many subjects. For some, it might be a rich corrective to the mini-series, and movies about Jesus which portray his surroundings as so meager and primitive, with no sense of the grandeur of the Holy City, and the complexity and variety of the village life that Jesus might have known. Jesus didn't live in the Stone Age as motion pictures and documentaries would have one believe. He lived in the busy world of Augustus and Tiberius Caesar. And this book embraces that period with vast wisdom and knowledge. It is outdated, yes. But the period in which it was written (late 1800's) is no doubt partly responsible for it's profound simplicty and overwhelming charm. Happy reading. (Source: Anne Rice)

A Fine and Concise Study of Biblical Language, October 2, 2004
Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus: New Insights From a Hebrew Perspective by David Bivin

This is just what I've been searching for: a book about Hebrew and how it works, and the idioms that might explain some of the often confusing phrases used in the New Testament. This book is easy to read and very convincing. You don't have to agree with everything the authors say to benefit from the text. But it helps enormously. And it does indeed open up the more difficult words of Christ with possible interpretations that make very good sense. For a person who can not tackle Greek or Hebrew from the ground up, this is marvelous. I wish there were more books like this one -- and books that would delve into how language must affect thinking. I refer to word order here, to preferences for certain proverbs and expressions. Surely a language has a personality. This book helped me to understand something of the personality of Hebrew. (Source: Anne Rice)

Magnificent, September 6, 2004
The Divine Milieu (Perennial Library) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Over thirty years ago, my father tried to introduce me to Teilhard de Chardin. I found myself lost in the abstractions. Only a few days ago I picked this book off the shelf of my own library and discovered in it absolutely sublime writing! Instantly my sense of the Incarnation was deepened and more fully realized, as this man spoke about the meaning of everything each individual human experiences in this world. This is a treasure. I'm not qualified to say much more except read this! And allow me to add that the writing is beautiful and utterly pure. I'm not sure what I mean by pure. Perhaps I mean that it is uncompromising in its vision. This is what I search for, what I long for. I love this. (Source: Anne Rice)

Deft, inviting, brilliant scholarship., September 6, 2004
Four Gospels and the One Gospel of Jesus Christ by Martin Hengel

Martin Hengel is one of the giants of modern Biblical scholarship. And this, one of his latest books, does away with some of the most destructive assumptions that have haunted a century of New Testament Studies. He makes the case effortlessly that the gospels were never circulated anonymously. That Mark and Luke came earlier than Matthew and John may be true as well. Hengel sees through alot of scholarly confusion as he seeks for what really happened. And he writes so that outsiders and novices like me can understand him, as well as for the most firmly entrenched in the field. I love his detailed examination of the primary source materials of the first two centuries; and his brilliant logic. His output is really immense, and I'm studying as much of it as I can. In my studies so far he ranks with N.T.Wright, John P. Meier, Raymond Brown and John A.T. Robinson. If I suffered any disappointment here, it was that Hengel did not go into greater detail in his response to David Trobisch whose book on the New Testament I very much admire. I think we'll see a lot of refreshing break throughs in New Testament scholarship in the years to come, and some of them are going to be purely matters of perspective: focusing on the obvious which generations of supposedly enlightened thinkers have rather madly ignored. Hengel makes those kinds of break throughs. So does Richard Bauckham. Marvelous teachers! (Source: Anne Rice)

Excellent Overview of Gospel Research and Current Cliches, September 6, 2004
Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way by Philip Jenkins

A solid, excellent, easily readable and informative book on current notions about the Jesus of history, and about research in New Testament studies. When so many foolish ideas are floating around about what we know or don't know about Jesus Christ, books like this are needed. They help the public put things in some kind of perspective. Jesus is not simply a subject of secular study right now, he is a target. I recommend this book. (Source: Anne Rice)

Stunning Insight and Smooth, Lucid Prose, June 11, 2004

In the Wilderness: The Doctrine of Defilement in the Book of Numbers (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series, 158) by Mary Douglas

Mary Douglas is very simply brilliant. That she's chosen to shine her unique light on the Book of Numbers is great good fortune for anyone who dives into this book. I wish I'd discovered her earlier on in my biblical research, but no matter. Perhaps I had to be ready for the insights she reveals into the reasoning that might lie beyond the rules pertaining to corpse impurity and the associations that might connect the ashes of the red heifer (used in ritual cleansing) to another obscure rite involving a woman accused of adultery. She mines the Bible for incalculable riches where others might shake their heads in confusion. Metaphor is alive to her. She feels the heartbeat behind the words. Her conclusions are undeniably brilliant, and she is compulsively readable and enjoyable at the same time. That this book is currently "not available" is dreadfully unfortunate. I was able to get a hardcover fairly easily however, and I urge others to track down the text even if it takes time. Meanwhile I'm on to more of Mary Douglas, of course. (Source: Anne Rice)

Anne Rice

2010-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Who Is Ann Rice?

Biography

One of America's most read and celebrated authors, Anne Rice is known for weaving the visible and supernatural worlds together in epic stories that both entertain and challenge readers. Her books are rich tapestries of history, belief, philosophy, religion, and compelling characters that examine and extend our physical world beyond the limits we perceive.

Anne lives and works in California. Anne's life experiences and intellectual inquisitiveness provide her with constant inspiration for her work.

Anne Rice Fact File:

UPDATED MAY 11, 2008

1. Born Howard Allen O’Brien on October 4, 1941, Anne chose the name “Anne” when she entered the first grade at St. Alphonsus Grammar School. She attended Catholic schools until 1958 when her family moved from New Orleans to Richardson, Texas.

2. After graduating from Richardson High School, in 1959, Anne attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas and later North Texas State College.

3. After a year’s stay in San Francisco, during which she worked as an insurance claims examiner, Anne returned to Denton, Texas to marry Stan Rice, her childhood sweetheart.

4. Stan and Anne lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1962 to 1988, experiencing the birth of Hippie Revolution first hand as they lived in the soon to be fabled Haight Ashbury. Both attended and graduated from San Francisco State University.

5. Stan Rice became a professor at San Francisco State shortly after receiving his M.A. there. He published many books of poetry, and later, after the couple’s return to New Orleans in 1989, painted over three hundred paintings in the attic of their Garden District home.

6. In 1972, Stan and Anne lost their daughter, Michele, to adult leukemia just before her fifth birthday.

7. Christopher Rice, born to them in 1978, seemed a gift from God in that both of his parents stopped their heavy drinking when faced with another chance at parenthood.

8. Anne wrote Interview with the Vampire while the couple still lived in Berkeley, California, just before Christopher’s birth, and has written over 28 novels.

9. Christopher Rice, who attended school in San Francisco, and later in New Orleans, has published four novels, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. Christopher attended Brown University for one year, and also attended New York University, before writing the first of his novels, A Density of Souls, which brought him national recognition. Please see the link to Christopher’s website.

10. In New Orleans in 1989, Stan and Anne bought the Garden District Greek Revival house that would become the setting for five or six of Anne’s novels. This house would also house Stan’s attic painting studio. It was here that Christopher wrote his first novel. This home was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Anne, who had passed the beautiful house frequently in her early years, going to and from her parish church of St. Alphonsus from her home on St. Charles Avenue. During the 1990’s, Anne owned many buildings in New Orleans, including St. Elizabeth’s Orphanage, her childhood home on St. Charles Avenue, and other restoration projects. The family enjoyed apartments in Florida and New York, and traveled frequently to Europe. Anne and Stan also traveled to Israel. Anne made a second visit in 2005. The 1990’s also saw Anne’s first novel, Interview with the Vampire made into a motion picture, starring Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Cruise. Anne’s screenplay was the basis for the adaptation, directed by Neil Jordan. Years later, Anne’s novel, The Feast of All Saints, about the free people of color of Lousiana, would be made into a Showtime mini-series, scripted by John Wilder. Please see the page devoted to the book and the series on this site. A Broadway musical, Lestat, was also developed in 2004 by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Linda Woolverton and Rob Roth. Though the play closed, there are rumors of a New Orleans revival.

11. Anne returned to the Catholic Church in 1998, and in 2002 consecrated her writing entirely to Christ, vowing to write for Him or about Him. She remains passionately loyal to the readers of her earlier works. Please see the Essay on this site devoted to that subject.

12. Stan Rice died in 2002 within four and a half months of being diagnosed with brain cancer. His many beautiful paintings will soon find a permanent home in a southern museum. Eventually, his collected poems will be published. His extensive diaries are now being edited. They include many observations about his poetry and his painting. Please see the link to the Stan Rice website.

13. In 2005, after completing Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt, Anne left Louisiana and her beloved city of New Orleans to live in California. Within months of her departure, Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.

14. Christ the Lord, the Road to Cana, was published in 2008. A spiritual memoir by Anne entitled Called Out of Darkness will be published in the fall of 2008 as well.

15. Anne now lives and works in the California desert, a few hours drive from her son, Christopher, who lives and works in West Hollywood.

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Dr E W Kenyon

2010-01-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

E.W. Kenyon:A Tribute

Essek William Kenyon (1867-1948) was considered one of the all-time greatest of God's teachers of the 19th and 20th century. He did more to teach and spread the truth of Christ's finished work on Calvary than perhaps any other ministry in the 20th century. Although he spent many years as an evangelist, and then a pastor, he was known as the teacher of teachers. Over the air on his radio broadcasts, he was known as "the faith builder."

Every preacher and teacher has his mentors. For E.W. Kenyon, these were the leading evangelical preachers of his day: D.L. Moody, the American evangelist; Dr. A.J. Gordon, under whose ministry he rededicated his life to God; Dr. A.T. Pierson, one of the strongest voices for evangelism and an associate of D.L. Moody; and others of Moody's "warriors" such as R.A. Torrey, S.D. Gordon, A.B. Simpson, G. Campbell Morgan, Andrew Murry, F.B. Meyer. These were all household names in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Articles by many of these writers can be found in our Library.

Having a long and fruitful ministry for over 50 years, the Word of God was taught by this devoted man of God with unusual clarity, as deep and profound revelations of the Word were preached and taught in the Divine simplicity of the Gospel. His sermons were filled with incredible love, inspiration and Divine anointing, and were all geared towards increasing the faith of the hearers.
In the days when many holiness pioneers were teaching sanctification as a second work of grace, Kenyon boldly heralded the biblical truth of sanctification by the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. This won a decisive victory for God's people. Kenyon's ministry has inspired millions to believe God for healing, deliverance and salvation all upon the finished work which our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross!

E.W. Kenyon was a man of God who lived a devoted life to God above reproach. When faced with the seemingly impossible adversities of life, he conquered them all confidently, and victoriously by his simple faith in the Word of God. Kenyon's ministry needs no other vindication when we realize that his faith teachings have produced the exact same transformations in his converts. It is no small surprise that his ministry continues today, 50 years after his death, through his writings -- which are producing the same faith results in those who read his books! Kenyon's biblical teachings place us into the realm of a superman! John 14:12, "He that believeth upon Me, the works that I do, shall he do also" becomes a living reality!
Kenyon's life and ministry was so faith inspiring and uplifting that many ministries today emulate his life and faith teachings! The words and teachings of E.W. Kenyon are quoted by more ministers who teach faith and healing today than perhaps any other minister of the 20th Century! Some have suggested this is a negative thing, but this is a not a negative thing, but a positive one, because it clearly shows how one man of God has influenced an entire generation for God!

The Apostle Paul continually reminded his disciples to say just what he said, because what he said was Scriptural! E.W. Kenyon was used by God to lead men back to faith in the Word of God. Men of God such as F.F. Bosworth, who had a notable healing ministry throughout his life, continually referred to and applied E.W. Kenyon's teachings throughout his entire life. John G. Lake was also fond of E.W Kenyon's teachings.
The great healing revivalist T.L. Osborn considered E.W. Kenyon one of the greatest exponents and teachers on the subject of Divine Healing in his book "Healing The Sick." E.W. Kenyon influenced a generation for God!

In a day when very little real faith in the Word of God existed, E.W. Kenyon began teaching people how to have faith based upon the Integrity of the Word of God alone.

He taught and demonstrated to people of all walks of life, how to live by faith in the Word of God, based upon the sole foundation of the Authority of God's Word. He dominated and utterly mastered all circumstances supernaturally by his simple faith in God's Word. You can too! Kenyon's teachings will make your Bible a new Book!

If you have never read any of E.W. Kenyon's books, I strongly encourage you to order some of E.W. Kenyon's books [see below], for your faith will be strengthened, Jesus will become an absolute personal Reality to you, and you will truly learn what is is to walk by faith in God's Word! His books will teach you how to have your own faith life, how to be a master of circumstances, how to pray for sick folk and see instant results, and most of all, how to have a close and deep relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

(Source: http://www.peterwade.com/articles/kenyon/index.shtml)

You can have a flavor of Dr E W Kenyon's writings at http://www.peterwade.com/articles/kenyon/kenyon03.shtml

Kenneth E Hagin - A True Man of God

2010-01-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

Kenneth Erwin Hagin (August 20, 1917 - September 19, 2003) was an influential American Pentecostal preacher. He is often referred to as the "father" (or "granddaddy") of the "Word of Faith" movement. Many of his followers often refer to him affectionately as "Daddy Hagin" or "Pappa Hagin".
Personal life
Kenneth E. Hagin was born in McKinney, Texas, the son of Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin. He was married to Oretha Rooker. They had two children, a son named Kenneth Wayne Hagin, who is presently the pastor of Rhema Bible Church and President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries, and a daughter named Patricia Harrison.
His favorite scripture was Mark 11:23:
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Beginning to preach
According to Hagin's testimony, he was sickly as a child, suffering from a deformed heart and what was believed to be an incurable blood disease. He related that he was not expected to live and became bedfast at age 16. In April 1933 during a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life. He also claimed that he was raised from a deathbed in 1934 by "the revelation of faith in God's Word" (Kenneth Hagin, I Went to Hell and What Faith Is).
Two years later he preached his first sermon as the pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas, 9 miles (14 km) from McKinney. During the next twelve years he pastored five Assemblies of God churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, and Van.
Establishing a faith-based organization
In 1949, he began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist. Hagin was at this time also given full admission to the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) which had been established in 1951. He was also a part of the Voice of Healing Revival in the U.S. in the 40s and 50s together with Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay and T.L.Osborn. In 1963, Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association was incorporated, and the offices of the ministry moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966. That same year, he taught for the first time on radio — on KSKY in Dallas. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that continues today as Faith Seminar of the Air. Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth Wayne Hagin, is also heard on the program.
Since its inception in 1963, his organization grew to include numerous media outreaches and ministries. These are:
• Faith Library Publications – with 65 million book copies in circulation
• "RHEMA Praise" – a weekly television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network
• "Faith Seminar of the Air" – a radio program heard on many stations nationwide and on the Internet
• "The Word of Faith" – a free monthly magazine with roughly 600,000 subscribers
• crusades conducted throughout the nation
• RHEMA Correspondence Bible School
• the RHEMA Prayer and Healing Center, located on the Rhema campus in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
In 1974, Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training Center USA, which now has training centers in fourteen countries and has 30,000 alumni. In 1979, he founded the Prayer and Healing Center there to provide a place for the sick to come to "have the opportunity to build their faith",. Its Healing School continues to be held free of charge twice daily on the RHEMA campus.

You can hear his sermons on The Wonderful Name of Jesus at http://www.loaves-and-fishes.org/downloadarea.html#kenneth-hagin

Charles Spurgeon Who?

2010-01-27T15:10:00.001-08:00

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the famous Baptist theologian John Gill). The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification. In 1861 the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.

Who Is George Mueller

2010-01-27T14:46:00.001-08:00

Who Is George Muller?
George Müller: Preacher and PhilanthropistGeorge Müller (1805-1898), preacher and philanthropist, born at Kroppenstadt near Halberstadt, [Prussia] on 27 Sept. 1805, was the son of a Prussian exciseman. Though a German by birth, he became a naturalised British subject, and for over sixty years was identified with philanthropic work in England. When four years of age his father received an appointment as collector in the excise at Heimersleben. When ten years of age he was sent to Halberstadt to the cathedral classical school to be prepared for the university. His mother died when he was fourteen, and a year later he left school to reside with his father at Schoenebeck, near Magdeburg, and to study with a tutor. After two and a half years at the gymnasium of Nordhausen he joined the university of Halle. Though he was intended for the ministry, Müller was a profligate youth, but at the end of 1825 a change came over his disposition, and he was thenceforth a man of self-abnegation, devoting himself exclusively to religious work.

For a brief period Müller gave instructions in German to three American professors, Charles Hodge of Princeton being one of them. In 1826 he resolved to dedicate himself to missionary work either in the East Indies or among the Jews in Poland. In June 1828 he was offered an appointment by the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, and he arrived in London in March 1829 to study Hebrew and Chaldee and prepare for missionary service. But in 1830, finding that he could not accept some of the rules of the society, he left, and became pastor of a small congregation at Teignmouth, at a salary of 55£ a year. In the same year he married Mary Groves, sister of a dentist in Exeter, who had resigned his calling and 1,500£ a year to devote himself to mission work in Persia. Towards the close of the same year Müller was led to adopt the principle with which henceforth his name was associated, that trust in God, in the efficacy of sincere prayer, is sufficient for all purposes in temporal as well as in spiritual things. He accordingly abolished pew-rents, refused to take a fixed salary, or to appeal for contributions towards his support -- simply placing a box at the door of the church for freewill offerings -- and he resolved never to incur debt either for personal expenses or in religious work, and never to lay up money for the future.

After about two years in Teignmouth Müller went to Bristol, where he remained for the rest of his life. There he and others carried on a congregation, schools, a Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and other organisations, but the work among orphans was that by which he was chiefly known. The suggestion and the pattern of the Bristol orphanages were taken from the orphanages which Müller had visited in early life at Halle; these were erected in 1720 by a philanthropist named Francke, whose biography greatly influenced Müller. Beginning with the care of a few orphan children, Müller's work at Bristol gradually grew to immense proportions, latterly no fewer than two thousand orphan children being fed, clothed, educated, cared for, and trained for useful positions in five enormous houses which were erected on Ashley Down. These houses cost 115,000£, all of which, as well as the money needed for carrying on the work -- 26,000£ annually -- was voluntarily contributed, mainly as the result of the wide circulation of Muller's autobiographical 'Narrative of the Lord's Dealings with George Müller' (London, pt. i. 1837, pt. ii. 1841; 3rd edit. 1845) which was suggested to him by John Newton's 'Life.' This book conveyed to people in all parts of the world knowledge of Müller's work, his faith, and his experiences. As a consequence, gifts of money and goods flowed in without direct appeal.

Love Revolution

2010-01-27T14:23:00.001-08:00

Is your kind of love phileo love or Agape love?

Love Poem

When we say we love, do we know the meaning it serves?
Do we deem it insane to suffer others' pains?
Does it wreck our nerves knowing there's nothing to gain?
There was once a man, just like you and I;
In flesh and blood He came; For all of us He died!
The One who loves us most, alas His hands we bite!
How cruel it was to be, to have Him crucified!
But in His greatest pain, He loves us all the more;
While we laughed and mocked, all our sins He bore!
He was free from wrongs and yet on the Cross He died!
This is the kind of love, we must keep in sight!

Who Is Joyce Meyer?

Pauline Joyce Hutchison Meyer, more commonly known as Joyce Meyer (born on June 4, 1943) is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Her television and radio programs air in 25 languages in 200 countries, and she has written over 70 books on Christianity. Joyce and her husband Dave have been married since January 7, 1967, have four grown children, and live near St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.

Meyer was born in the St. Louis area in 1943, and still speaks with a working-class St. Louis accent. Her father went into the Army to fight in World War II soon after she was born. Meyer has said in interviews that he began molesting her upon his return. She often talks about her experience in her meetings.

A graduate of O'Fallon Technical High School in St. Louis, she married a part-time car salesman shortly after her senior year of high school. The marriage lasted five years. She maintains that he frequently cheated on her and persuaded her to steal payroll checks from her employer, which they used to fund a vacation to California. Meyer claims to have returned the money years later. After her divorce, Meyer frequented local bars before meeting current husband Dave Meyer, an engineering draftsman, with whom she celebrated their 40th anniversary on January 7, 2007.

Meyer reports that she was praying intensely while driving to work one morning in 1976 when she said she heard God call her name. She had converted to Christianity at age nine, but her unhappiness drove her deeper into her faith.

I didn't have any knowledge. I didn't go to church. And I had a lot of problems, and I needed somebody to kind of help me along. And I think sometimes even people who want to serve God, if they have got so many problems that they don't think right and they don't act right and they don't behave right, they almost need somebody to take them by the hand and help lead them through the early years.

She says that she came home later that day from a beauty appointment "full of liquid love" and was "drunk with the Spirit of God" (and spoke in tongues) that night while at the local bowling alley.

She began leading an early-morning Bible class at a local cafeteria and became active in Life Christian Center, a Charismatic church begun in 1980. Meyer became one of the church's associate pastors and began her pulpit ministry there by hosting and teaching the weekly women's Bible study - "Life in the Word." Meyer's first media ministry began with a daily 15-minute radio broadcast that followed the church's daily broadcast on a St. Louis radio station.

In 1985, Meyer resigned as associate pastor and founded her own ministry, initially called "Life in the Word" after her popular women's meeting at Life Christian Center. She began airing her radio show on six other stations from Chicago to Kansas City.

In 1993, her husband, Dave, suggested that they start a television ministry. Initially airing on superstation WGN-TV in Chicago and BET, her program, now called "Enjoying Everyday Life," reaches a large audience.

In late 2000, she opened "St. Louis Dream Center," a social service outreach and ministry in the O'Fallon Park section of St. Louis.

In 2004 St. Louis Christian television station KNLC, operated by the Rev. Larry Rice of New Life Evangelistic Center, dropped Meyer's programming. Rice had been a longstanding Meyer supporter, but claimed that her "excessive lifestyle" and teachings which often go "beyond Scripture" were the impetus for canceling her program.

In 2005, Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America ranked Joyce Meyer as 17th.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Meyer

Who Says Grace Is Female?

2010-01-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Grace is a male PERSON!

I DARE say you will never really KNOW grace until you hear WHAT Pastor Joseph Prince IS telling about Grace !!!

Forget the idea of grace being effeminate!

Grace is macho, I'm sure you didn't know!
Come hear Pastor Joseph Prince, who'll tell you how so!

Want to hear more of Pastor Joe? Lo and behold!

Who Is Jospeh Prince?

Joseph Prince is the senior pastor of New Creation Church — a dynamic and fast-growing church in Singapore, which has a congregation of 18,000 members. His ministry as pastor, teacher and international conference speaker focuses on unveiling Jesus and revealing His heart to the people.

Joseph Prince is happily married and deeply devoted to his wife, Wendy, and daughter, Jessica Shayna, who are a constant source of love and support to him. For more information on and resources by Joseph Prince, visit his website at http://www.josephprince.org

(Source: http://globalgracenews.org/global/author/joseph_prince/)

You can read his articles at http://globalgracenews.org/global/articles_by/joseph_prince/

Or Listen to his sermons at http://www.loaves-and-fishes.org/joseph-prince.html

YOUR Everey Blessing Is Found In The Person Of Jesus

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