Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

No one does biblical fiction better than Mesu Andrews. Once again, this time in "Isaiah's Daughter,  she makes the biblical world come alive for the reader. The Hebrew nation is divided and Judah and Israel are at war. Caught in the midst of the warring, Ishma a young girl, becomes an orphan and is taken to Jerusalem and adopted into the family of the prophet Isaiah.

Once adopted, Ishma (which means desolation) is renamed Hephzibah (delight of the Lord). As a young girl she is tutored along side Hezekiah, the king's son who has seen the horrible sacrifice of his older brother to a pagan god. Their friendship blossoms into something more and Hephzibah serves as queen of Judah alongside her husband, King Hezekiah.

With threats from Assyria and the sometimes difficult prophecies of Isaiah, these are challenging times for the rulers of Judah. As Queen Hephzibah and King Hezekiah struggle to face these challenges, they learn a great deal about the God in whom they put their trust.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.   

Whisper by Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson has done a masterful job of describing how God speaks to His people today. Through Scripture and personal stories and illustrations, he explains seven love languages that God uses to speak to an individual. These include Scripture, Desires, Doors, Dreams, People, Prompting and Pain. He explains each of these languages in this very readable and informative book.

I would highly recommend this for anyone seeking to hear God’s voice and to understand His leading in their lives. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  

Immeasurable by Skye Jethani

So many times in church ministry, the thought is that bigger is better.  Whether it is a worship service or an outreach event, the more people involved or the more money that is raised determines whether the service or event has been a success. Instead of focusing on doing the work or ministry, Skye Jethani asks ministry leaders to take a step back and ask “Are we doing the right work?”

Although, the book is mainly for pastors, I found many of the questions raised in the book pertaining to anyone involved in leading within the church.  The book can be read  a chapter at a time with time used to reflect on the questions posed at the end of each chapter. Chapter titles included Ambition, Effectiveness, Wastefulness, Enemies, Brevity, Celebrity, Technology, Justice and Consumers to name a few.  Topics examined include how American consumerism has affected whether or not we commit to a local church; why reading is an essential discipline of ministry; and is effectiveness a measure of success or an idol.

This book is a valuable resource to anyone who in actively involved in ministry and provides much food for thought and reflection.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this honest review. 

Long Before Luther by Nathan Busenitz

The author of this book poses the question,"Was the Reformation understanding of justification through faith alone an invention or a recovery?" Author Nathan Busenitz first takes a look at the church history in documents dating from before Augustine. He then examines what Augustine has to say about justification and finally takes a look at the church after Augustine.

This book is based on documents which are duly quoted and noted in this historical survey. The conclusion of the book is that the Reformation understanding of justification was not a theological innovation never before anticipated in church history. The doctrine of justification or sola fide is anchored in God's Word and it is also affirmed throughout church history. It was not a new concept created at the time of the Reformation.

This book is for those seriously interested in  theology, church history and/or the Reformation, I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.