Review: We Shall See God

Summary: No author in history has more material in print than Charles Spurgeon. During his lifetime, Spurgeon and his writings affected the world far and wide. Today, nearly 120 years after his death, countless people continue to have a passion for this London preacher, and more and more discover him every day. Some of Spurgeon’s most powerful sermons were those that he preached on the topic of Heaven. Up until now, however, very few of these sermons have been accessible to a mass audience. In what is sure to become an instant classic, best-selling author Randy Alcorn has compiled the most profound spiritual insights on the topic of eternity from these sermons and arranged them into an easily-accessible, highly inspirational devotional format complete with his own comments and devotional thoughts. Whether you are familiar with the works of Charles Spurgeon or not, you are in for a treat, as Alcorn invites you to sit at the feet of the Prince of Preachers and discover timeless pearls of wisdom from one of the greatest theological minds of all time.

My Thoughts and Review: This book is a treat for me, indeed! Charles Spurgeon and Randy Alcorn are two of my favorite Christian authors. I believe most Christians don't think much about heaven until they're old, dying, or losing their loved ones. But the Bible says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4) Heaven is our permanent home and we should be storing up our treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). We Shall See God will help you set your hearts and minds on things above. Randy Alcorn selected, arranged, and edited 50 of Charles Spurgeon's Biblically insightful sermons preached on Heaven. At the end of each day/devotional section, Mr. Alcorn shares his comments. Although Charles Spurgeon suffered from chronic depression (most of his life), gout, arthritis, and liver disease, he faithfully served God and his Christ-exalting passion shone through and through. God gifted him much and he glorified God much. This is a wonderful book that helps readers ponder the hope of Heaven and shed their fear of death.

"Oh! Let us not live in this world as if we thought of staying here forever, but let us try to be like a pious Scotch minister who was very ill and, being asked by a friend whether he thought himself dying, answered, "Really, friend, I care not whether I am or not, for if I die, I shall be with God. And if I live, he will be with me." (p.54)

- You can read the first chapter here.

- Visit Eternal Perspective Ministries (Randy Alcorn's website) here.

- Connect with Randy Alcorn on Facebook here.

- Follow Randy Alcorn on Twitter here.

~ I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Our Thoughts on Tithe

"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1

Everything (more than just 10%) belongs to the Lord! On earth, we are simply His stewards. He entrusts us to manage all He owns in the ways that will glorify and honor Him. We need to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and according to His will.

We need to give all of ourselves to the Lord. Many give 10% and consider that the rest of their resources can be spent at their discretion. Let’s realize that God owns all of us, including our resources. Let’s spend them as He leads us by His Word and His Spirit. The New Testament portrays the concept of freewill sharing and equity among believers. "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

We, as the body of Christ, are called to reach out to a lost and dying world. We need to deny ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Jesus. We need to live lives of "New Testament" simplicity, and not in luxury and self indulgence. We believe there is a significant mismanagement of God’s money among His Church (the body of Christ) in affluent countries. The Church should not be spending billions of dollars on church buildings, church salaries, and unnecessary/extravagant personal items/hobbies/property. (Certainly, the worker deserves his wages, but his work must be in accordance with the Father’s will. The Church is not a business.) These resources should be spent on reaching the millions of people who have never heard of the Gospel even once, and on providing them with the Word of God in their own language. Sadly, we are spending the majority of our resources on the areas of the world where Christ has already been preached. "More than 95 percent of the total church budget in the United States is spent at home to maintain programs rather than to reach out in mission. Of the five percent that goes overseas to mission, less than half of one percent is used to reach the lost." (K.P. Yohannan, The Road to Reality, p. 118) It is unjust to share the Gospel of Jesus repeatedly to people who have already heard when there are those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus even once. These resources need to be quickly redistributed so that the majority of the Church’s resources are sent to the unreached people groups of the world.

We need to give to native missionaries who are reaching the unreached, to organizations that are actively sharing the Gospel in unreached areas (i.e., CRU's Jesus film ministries), and to organizations that are actively translating the Bible into unreached languages (i.e., Wycliffe).

We should also generously give food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies where possible to the neediest from among mankind. We need to give to those who could not otherwise receive the basic needs of life from anyone else. Many of us are so comfortable and wealthy compared to these needy ones. If we live simply and pool our resources together, by God’s grace there will be enough for everyone throughout the world who is in need (remember the five loaves and two fish). We need to join together in praying and giving to those in need across the world as God directs.

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33, 34

Striving to be good stewards,
Eric and Urailak

~ To find other Spiritual Sundays participants, please visit here.

Book Review and Giveaway: Start Here

Summary:
At the age of eighteen, Alex and Brett Harris wrote Do Hard Things—and launched a movement that would change a generation. Young people around the world were ready to be inspired, ready to move beyond complacency, ready to rebel against society’s low expectations.

Now the highly anticipated companion book, Start Here, answers the questions Alex and Brett have received from thousands of teens on their worldwide conference tour and popular online community: How do I get started? What hard things does God want me to do? How do I keep from getting discouraged or burned out? What is the best way to inspire others?

Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide for young people who are ready to take the next step and blast past apathy. Let the rebelution continue.

Author Bio:
Alex and Brett Harris are the coauthors of the best-selling book Do Hard Things, which they wrote at age eighteen. Today the twins speak regularly to audiences of thousands on The Rebelution Tour, maintain a hugely popular online presence through their blog, TheRebelution.com, and have been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and in the New York Times. Raised in Portland , Oregon , the brothers currently attend Patrick Henry College in Virginia .

My Thoughts and Review: 
Do you believe that teenagers are simply irresponsible and just do whatever they want?  That's what this culture in general embraces.  However, God does not want His children to be like that.  "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)  That's what Alex and Brett Harris have tried to do, starting with the Rebelution blog.  They have been encouraging young people to do hard things for the glory of God.  Their first book, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, made a great impact on my teenaged daughter.  She and I attended one of their conferences.  I am not biased (even though they are fellow Oregonians :)) to say that they are excellent examples/role models for teenagers.  In this book, Start Here, they offer practical guidelines to begin doing hard things right where you are.  It includes answers to frequently asked questions such as How do I get started?, How do I ask people to support my cause?, How do I keep my motivation for doing hard things pure?, What if I try to do something hard and it doesn't work out? Does that mean I didn't hear God right?, Am I missing out on anything because I'm not doing the "normal" things teens do?, and much more.  The authors share from their own experiences and use the stories of other real life rebelutionaries as examples/lessons to learn.  The book also includes 100 Hard Things (ideas to get you moving, not just thinking/wishing) and discussion questions (great for small group discussion).  I highly recommend this book (and Do Hard Things) to anyone, especially teens.  Don't waste your life (at any age); be intentional about how you live...how you use your time, talents, and treasures.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.

Download and read the first chapter of START HERE.
Download the chapter by chapter discussion guide for START HERE.
Visit their website at http://www.therebelution.com/. 

Please rate this review. Thanks so much!

Giveaway:  You can win a copy of Start Here.
To Enter: Leave a comment here sharing what hard things you or your child(ren) are doing for the Lord or plan/desire to do.  Make sure you leave your email address or blog address, too.
For extra entries: 1. Read any of my posts (besides this one) and come back to comment about it here.
                           2. Follow me on Twitter (treasuredbyGod) and tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment here letting me know.
Deadline: March 31st at midnight (Pacific time)

~This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.