Two Books: Miracles and Rumors of an Another World

I recently reread the two books featured here. Both are informative and inspiring. Great for summer reading. Enjoy!

Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen and How They Can Change Your Life

By Eric Metaxas

This is an outstanding book with a wealth of information about miracles and many beautiful miraculous stories. The book is divided into two sections: Part 1 The Question of Miracles and Part 2 The Miracle Stories.

Metaxas offers definitions of the word “miracle.” Webster defines it as “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” Skeptic David Hume didn’t believe in miracles but defined them as “a transgression of the law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent.” Metaxas adds his definition: “When something outside time and space enters time and space, whether just to wink at us or poke at us briefly, or to come in and dwell among us for three decades.” Metaxas describes the incredible miracle of our world which could not exist without many exact parameters. The chapters on The Miracle of the Universe and on The Resurrection are outstanding.

Part 2 is titled The Miracle Stories. Metaxas offers chapters on Conversion Miracles, Healing Miracles, Inner Healing Miracles, Angelic Miracles and more. The stories he tells are all of people he knows. He limited the stories in this way so he could be certain about their veracity. These stories are all amazing and miraculous though skeptics might call some coincidental. The idea that conversions are miracles surprised and delighted me. I had not thought of it that way even though I know the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. I will reread this book – it’s that good.

Rumors of Another World: What on Earth are We Missing?

By Philip Yancey

This is a book for believers and non believers who wonder about the meaning of life. Yancey details his own struggles and questions and muses about them. He says “I wrote this book for those who live in the borderlands of belief.” Many Christians are at the borders - full of doubts. He notes his own doubts and wonders if the visible world is all there is. He wonders what are we missing. What is a human being? Why are we here?

The thesis of Rumors is that we live in two worlds: the every day world that we can touch and see and an unseen spiritual world. Yancey proceeds to show us hints of the unseen world.

He says, “If there is no Creator, what then? I would have to view the world with all its suffering as well as its beauty as a random product of a meaningless universe, the briefest flare of a match in cosmic darkness.” pg. 50

And again, “Biology is destiny declares the one who looks down….Eternity is destiny declares the one who looks up. Our genes may indeed contain predispositions toward bestial instincts, but we hear a call to rise above them.” pg 58

Chapters of note are Designer Sex, The Good Life (in which he details his respectable sins), The Gift of Guilt, and Chapter 12 about the Elephant Man. This is book is full of stories, examples and thought provoking information. I have read it twice and will read it again.

I think Yancy’s uncertain faith is due to his looking down more than he looks up; looking at this world and it’s woes and cynicism more than joining with Christians in worship and experiencing the joy of the Lord in Scripture.

I know that the rumors of an unseen world are true! I’ll read it again so I can better articulate the evidence to loved ones who don’t believe.

Blessings, Dottie

WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?

Here are book reviews on two excellent books about HEAVEN. With all that’s going on in the world it will help us to learn about heaven and keep our eyes on God and our future with Him.

Heaven 

By Randy Alcorn

This is an amazing book. Randy Alcorn gives detailed and convincing explanations of what Scripture says about life after death. He briefly describes the intermediate Heaven but spends most of the book describing the New Heaven and the New Earth.

I read this book about ten years ago and studied it with a Sunday school class. At that point I couldn’t believe what he says. Now I’m convinced!

I had pictured Heaven as a place where our spirits floated around on clouds and we sang praises to God. We were in His holy presence and it was wonderful with no more tears or sorrow. This last sentence is true but the floating around part is not according to Alcorn.

He maintains that Scripture promises a New Heaven and a New Earth and they will be like our physical earth and our universe. Our earth is physical and humans are physical creatures with physical bodies. The New Earth will be a physical one and will be united with the New Heaven, a new universe of stars and planets. Jesus will occupy the New Earth and we will help him rule it as he originally planned for Adam and Eve to rule our current earth.

Throughout the book Alcorn gives compelling Scripture references to prove the kind of New Earth we will live in. Through more than four hundred pages and forty-six chapters he meticulously describes what life on the New Earth will be like. He cites many other experts on this subject quoting from C. S. Lewis, Joni Eareckson Tada, Helen Keller and John Wesley and more. For example, R. A. Torry says “We will not be disembodied spirits in the world to come, but redeemed spirits, in redeemed bodies, in a redeemed universe.” Pg 110 We will keep our unique identities and will recognize friends and family members we have known. And Alcorn says there will be animals in heaven, maybe even your lost pets!

Toward the end of the book Alcorn writes: “Every person reading this book is dying. Perhaps you have reason to believe death will come very soon. You may be troubled, feeling uncertain or unready to leave. Make sure of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Be certain that you trust him alone to save you – not anyone or anything else, and certainly not any good works you’ve done. And then allow yourself to get excited about what’s on the other side of death’s door.” Pg 446 This book is worth reading and rereading!

Heaven: Your Real Home

By Joni Eareckson Tada

This is a beautiful, thoughtful, well written, and well researched book about Heaven as described in Scriptures. Joni Eareckson Tada, is a remarkable person. She is a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, has written a number of excellent books, is a national speaker, and has a ministry to disabled individuals. She pictures heaven in vivid, insightful and glorious images.

The book is divided into three parts.

1. What Will Heaven by Like?

2. Will Heaven be Home?

3. The Journey Home.

Throughout the book Joni gives illustrations from her own experiences and from the experiences of others, especially those with major handicaps. Chapter 5 Why Don’t We Fit on Earth? resonates with my own experiences. Our culture’s materialism, tasteless  entertainment and corrupt morality cause me to feel this world is not my home. Joni writes “I’m a little like a refugee who is longing for a better country called heaven.” Pg. 98

Throughout the book Joni gives inspiring and thoughtful insights. For example “We are not only to “set our hearts on things above where Christ is seated, but set our minds on things above as well. That’s hard.” Pg. 127 She explains in detail why that’s hard and promises we will have “the mind of Christ when we lay hold of Him and His ideas.” Pg.129 No book review can do justice to this book!

This is not an easy read. It must be read slowly and thoughtfully. It will challenge many Christians, especially Chapter 9 Getting Ready for Heaven and the scriptures about suffering. This book can be very helpful to anyone who is severely handicapped or who takes care of a handicapped person and wants to understand God’s perfect plan for their life. It will give all readers a glorious view of our future home and help us focus on HIm!

“Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

Blessings, Dottie

Books to Deepen Faith

Here are two of the best books I know of to deepen our faith in God and to grow in knowing him. Enjoy!

One Thousand Gifts

by Ann Voskamp

One Thousand Gifts is beautifully, exquisitely written - even poetic. Ann Voskamp transparently reveals her own struggles, traumas and failures but teaches us to look for a gift in all things. She learns to look for blessings even in the mundane events of her life. She teaches us to let go of control and trust God. This is a book to read over and over again. Some reviewers found it difficult to read. I did, too, at first. Until I slowed down and took my time. It's not a book to speed read. It is a book to slow down and enjoy every word, each so well chosen.

Lessons I Learned in the Dark: Steps to Walking by Faith, Not by Sight 

By Jennifer Rothschild

Lessons I Learned in the Dark is a profound book about living by faith. The author is afflicted with an eye disease in her teens which leads to blindness. She realizes she will never be able to drive. She wonders, will I be able to finish high school? What about college? Will I have a boyfriend? Will I ever marry?

Rothschild learns how to navigate with a white cane so she can be self-sufficient away at college. Two weeks before going to college she is gripped by fear. Her parents insist she go for two weeks. She goes and stays. In the book she gives twelve lessons she learned through high school, college, marriage and having a child. Her lessons are practical as well as faith filled, profound as well as simple.

For example in the chapter titled Remember What Matters she gives a method that taught her to memorize. This method has helped her on a daily basis to remember where things are. She learned that memory is more reliable than sight! She winsomely shows that we all need to memorize the truths of scripture for our dark times and the daily grind.

Walking in the Dark is full of wisdom and light for walking in a dark world. Jennifer Rothschild has overcome a tragic life-long affliction to become a beacon for others. She is a nationally known speaker and author both because of and in spite of the loss of her sight. Most of us have easier hurdles in life – but we all have some. Applying the lessons in the book will help you run the race and jump over or accept life’s hurdles.

She says “Sometimes it’s only in the adversity we dread that we begin to discover the kind of life we’ve only dreamed of.” Pg 16

“We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

Blessings, Dottie