Category Archives: Christian Non-Fiction

First-Line Friday #48

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Listening Prayer:

Learning to Hear The Shepherd’s Voice

By: Joanne Hillman

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About the Book

“Father, what do You want me to know?” I wrote in my journal. Did I really want to know what God had to say to me?

I have been struggling with prayer lately, and I have come to the conclusion that it’s all my fault. I have been talking a lot AT God, but I haven’t been very good at including Him in the conversation. I was feeling like I needed a little extra help the other day, like I could use a good resource in addition to my Bible, so I went to Amazon looking for a text that could help me with tips to making my prayer life stronger and more authentic. I came across Listening Prayer. It sounds like it could be a really excellent resource, and I look forward to reading it! As soon as I am done, I will definitely write a review in case you, too, are looking for a resource to help with your prayer habits.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN! GRAB THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING, OPEN TO CHAPTER ONE, AND POST THE FIRST SENTENCE (OR SECOND SENTENCE) IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. THEN HEAD ON OVER TO HOARDING BOOKS TO SEE ALL OF THE FLF PAGES THIS WEEK (JUST CLICK ON THE FLF BUTTON BELOW).

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

Growing Kids With Character: Nurturing You Child’s Potential, Purpose, and Passion (2018) — Review + Giveaway + Facebook Live, Oh My!

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Growing Kids With Character (2018) by Hettie Brittz is a Christian Non-Fiction parenting text published by David C Cook. This non-fiction text comes in all forms including eBook, and is 272 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very busy five-year old at home, this book took me about three weeks to digest. This is not a book you want to go through quickly. There is a lot of good information to process, and I recommend taking the time to really read and understand the different ideas. I received a copy of this text in paperback form from the publisher, David C Cook, which I requested from Litfuse Publicity Group. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give Growing Kids With Character 5 STARS.

About the Book

Through Hettie Brittz’s famous tree metaphors, parents will discover how to let their kids excel at being who they naturally are as they grow in their unique purpose in the world.
Author and speaker Hettie Brittz helps readers identify their kids’ natural bent and understand how that affects the parenting journey. Parents will learn how to:
  • Cultivate each of their kids’ unique way of encountering, following, and worshiping God
  • Disciple and discipline based on each child’s blueprint
  • Help their children celebrate God’s individualized design for others
Brittz offers tools to parents for recognizing their kids’ God-given personalities, guiding them on their spiritual journeys, and establishing their identity and purpose in Christ.

About the Author

Hettie Brittz is a South African-born author, international speaker, and a foremost voice in parenting advice and personality styles. She is the author of “(un)Natural Mom,” the developer of the Evergreen Parenting Course, and the co-developer of Tall Trees Profiles. She heads up Tall Trees Consulting (USA).

Find out more about Hettie at http://hettiebrittz.com.

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My Thoughts

I have a beautiful, highly intelligent, unique, creative, stubborn daughter. Her name is Bella. Bella is my miracle baby, and I love her so much. Those of you who read my blog know how special and important Bella is to me. Bella is a first-born, only child. She is a plethora of positive attributes. For the most part, Bella is a mature child. She is a joy to take on adventures. We just visited the Getty Museum, and we had a blast! She loved the various pieces of artwork, the gardens, and visiting the Museum store. After almost five hours, she was done and asked if we could leave and get dinner. No whining, no fighting! It was a wonderful family day. This is typical behavior for my child, and I admit I am blessed. She is a pretty easy kiddo! But sometimes, when she’s in what I call her fighting moods, I’m completely at a loss as to how to parent her. Nothing seems to work when she’s in these moods, and I feel like a total failure as a mommy.

When I saw that Growing Kids With Character was up for review, I had to jump on this opportunity, and I am so glad that I did. I learned so much about my child’s personality and how best to work with her in her typical good moods, and in her fighting-mood moments. When you purchase this book, you receive a code that allows you to take a test that helps you determine what kind of tree your child’s personality is. I completed the test with Bella in my lap, which I highly recommend doing with your own child[ren]. She had insight into her personality that I didn’t even realize she knew.

The test took me and Bella about 30 minutes to complete. It’s a series of really fun cartoon characters going through various scenarios. After the scenario is complete, the tester is given a question and you choose the best option. Bella and I were pretty spot on where her personality is concerned. If she chose something different than what I was thinking, we were able to discuss why she felt a certain way, and then we made the appropriate choice for her. At the end of the test, you receive the tree personality that best fits your child, and then you are told what pages in the book to read through to better understand the personality, the typical behaviors of that tree, and what to do and don’t do in order to foster the positive potential, purpose, and passion of your child.

My child is a Contra-Palm. That means she is a combination of Boxwood, Rosebush, and Pine tree personalities. The Contra-Palm kiddo tends to be independent, content to play alone, responsible, and very eager to do things right. This is my daughter to a T. Because she is a Contra-Palm I had to read through the Boxwood, Rosebush, and Pine tree chapters to sort out and learn the best ways to understand, soothe, talk to, discipline, encourage, etc., my child, which is why this book took me a while to read. I have been able to put some of the concepts I learned from this book into practice, and I have already seen marked improvement in my relationship with my child. For this reason alone, I highly recommend this book!

What I recommend with this book:

  • Read the introduction chapter — it is NOT a waste of time.
  • Read chapters 1-3. These chapters set-up and explain the whole point of the book. And, they have excellent reminders and quotes to write down on Post-it Notes and put around your desk or wherever you put reminders up in your house. For example, my favorite quote — “A parent living surrendered to Jesus is a better example of a Christ follower than a parent who tries to fake perfection” (23). Such a great starting point with this book — we, as parents, have to be all about Jesus first before we can be the parents God wants us to be. And, fake won’t cut it!
  • Make a list of HOW you prioritize your child[ren]. This is not to make you feel bad or good. This is to open your eyes to what you already do!
  • Take the personality test with your child — if that is feasible. Obviously, a newborn will be no help in this situation! LOL!
  • Thoroughly read through each tree-personality chapter, and take NOTES!

What I love about this book:

  • Chapter breakdown
    • The beginning of each chapter starts with an agenda so the reader knows exactly what to expect from each chapter.
    • An example of that personality type
    • An explanation of HOW TO nurture the personality type (so helpful)
    • An explanation of HOW TO teach the personality type
    • An explanation of HOW TO discipline the personality type effectively
    • An explanation of HOW TO shape the personality type in the way God wants
  • The HOW TOs are actually helpful and SHOW what to do
    • There are scripts to follow. You may not use the script, but it’s nice to watch a scenario play out in your head.
  • This book doesn’t make you feel bad for not knowing things! This may be what I like the best. There is ZERO condemnation here! I’m just super excited to have tools to make a better relationship with my daughter.

WHEW! I know this is a BIG post today, but there is SO much to say about this fantastic parenting text. If you have children, or you are planning to have children, I cannot recommend this book enough. It will really bless you on your parenting journey.

Facebook Live + Giveaway

Have you ever wished your kids came with an instruction manual? Hettie Brittz’s new book, Growing Kids with Character, provides a resource to understand a child’s natural bents not only to excel in life but also to firmly establish their identity and purpose in Christ better. Through Hettie Brittz’s famous tree metaphors, parents will discover how to let their kids excel at being who they naturally are as they grow in their unique purpose in the world.

Join Hettie and other parents to learn how to grow kids with character at her Facebook Live event, plus enter to win a family fun prize pack!

One grand prize winner will receive:

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 3. The winner will be announced at Hettie’s Facebook Live Party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Hettie and other parents, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word-tell your friends about the giveaway and Facebook Live party via social media and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 3rd!

CSB She Reads Truth Bible (2017)

CSB She Reads Truth Bible (2017) by Holman Bible Publishers is a fantastic Bible that released this past April 2017. There are a lot of fun cover options for this Bible including poppy hardcover (pictured), navy blue imitation leather, and brown genuine leather. I really love this Bible, and have added it to the ESV and KJV Bibles that I use for my daily Bible studies. I purchased this Bible to review through Amazon on October 26, 2017. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this Bible 4.5 STARS.

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About this Bible

The She Reads Truth Bible aims to live at the intersection of beauty, goodness, and Truth. Featuring devotionals by the She Reads Truth team, and Scripture reading plans that include supplemental passages for deeper understanding, this Bible invites every woman to count themselves among the She Reads Truth community of “Women in the Word of God every day.” The She Reads Truth Bible also features 66 key verses, artfully lettered to aid in Scripture memorization.

Features include: 189 devotionals, 66 artist-designed key verses, 35 full-color timelines, 20 full-color maps, 11 full-color charts, reading plans for every book of the Bible, one-year Bible reading plan, detailed book introductions, key verse list, carefully curated topical index, smyth-sewn binding, and wide margins for journaling and note-taking.

The She Reads Truth Bible features the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) text. Translated by more than 100 scholars from 17 denominations, the Christian Standard Bible features an optimal blend of accuracy and readability that’s faithful for serious study, and written with heart-stirring clarity that inspires readers to live and share it.

AMAZON          ChristianBook

My Thoughts

I love this Bible so much. I highly recommend adding it to your collection of Bibles that you use for your daily Bible studies. To make this review a little streamlined, I am going to evaluate this Bible’s PROS vs. CONS using the book of Esther to illustrate.

PROS

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  • Each book begins with a focus quote illustrated in unique ways. I really love this detail. I find it makes the Bible a bit more personable to me.
  • After the focus quote, the book gives the reader basic background information that I find to be quite helpful. It helps set the stage for the reading. What I really love is that the background info is enough. Some Bibles tend to make this section feel rather textbook-ish. I find when that happens, I gloss over those intro parts. I feel really guilty doing that, so I appreciate that in this Bible the info feels like the perfect amount.
  • For Esther, the publishers included a map of King Xerxes’s kingdom, which I felt is rather helpful because he likes to explain to everyone just how big his kingdom is. It is nice to be able to wrap my head around just how big his kingdom was during his reign.
  • My MOST FAVORITE aspect to this Bible is that it includes a really nice reading plan at the very beginning of each book. I love this so much. It really helps focus my studies a little better. There is also a year-long study plan detailed in the back of the Bible as well. It also includes little check-mark boxes to help you stay on track for each daily reading. I LOVE THIS!!!
  • And, throughout each book, there are really excellent devotionals that add to and enhance the readings of specific chapters. I like these devotionals because they may include good reminders and facts that make my studies feel that more rich and deep.

CONS

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The only CON I have with this Bible is that the pages are SO thin. Each page is practically see through. If you look closely at the devotional page, you can see my notes from the page that comes after it.

I love to write and highlight and use Post-it Notes throughout my studies. Because the pages are so thin in this Bible, it limits my note-taking abilities a tad (you can see it really hasn’t stopped me from making my notes).

If I could request one thing of the publishers to change with this Bible, it would be that they chose a more substantial paper stock.

Overall Impression

Buy this Bible! If you are in need of a new Bible to add to your daily studies, I recommend purchasing the CSB She Reads Truth Bible. The women who worked diligently to put this Bible together, Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, really have a heart for God as is seen in their introduction. They explain:

Our heart for the She Reads Truth Bible is not to add to or improve on the perfect and complete gift of Scripture God has given us. Rather, our heart is for everything we’ve included in this Bible to point back to God and His Word. Every human word and element in this book is an intentional invitation for you to both read Scripture and grow in your affection for it.

What a fabulous purpose! Truly, it is a great translation. It has helped to enhance my Bible studies in a BIG way. This Bible has been an enormous blessing to me, and I am sure it would be one to you, too!

Thomas Nelson’s KJV Know the Word Study Bible (2017) + Giveaway

35826621KJV Know the Word Study Bible (2017) by Thomas Nelson Publishers is an excellent new study Bible that just hit markets on September 12, 2017. As of right now, this Bible comes in Hardback and eBook format. I love this study Bible so much that I have added it to my daily Bible studies as one of the two Bibles I consult (I also use an ESV study Bible). I received a free copy of this study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers. In no way has this influenced my opinion. All opinions expressed here in this review are my own. I give this study Bible 4.5 STARS.

About the Book

Gain a greater understanding of the Bible book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic.

The study of God’s Word can be easy and rewarding if you break down the Bible into easy-to-understand segments. The KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers three easy ways to begin studying Scripture and helps individuals transition from being a casual reader of the Bible to becoming a regular student of the Bible. You can choose to study the Bible book-by-book, verse-by-verse, or topic-by-topic; each path offers powerful insights that will help you develop a daily routine of Bible study.
The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God’s Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.
Features include:
-King James Version Bible text
-Three easy approaches to study the Bible: 1. Book by Book; 2. Verse by Verse; 3. Topic by Topic
-Insightful introductions for each book of Scripture
-Words of Jesus in red
-Beautiful two-color interior page design
-Comprehensive list of theological notes
-Concordance
-Full-color maps
-8-point type size

About the Publisher

In business since 1798, Thomas Nelson is one of the oldest Bible publishers in the world and the largest publisher of the King James Version. Their mission is to inspire the world by using our talents, assets, opportunities, and influence to engage and equip people with Scripture and draw people to a deeper study and understanding of God’s Word.
Find out more about Thomas at https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com.

My Thoughts

I’ve never reviewed a Bible before, so I’m going to do this a little differently than my typical fiction reviews. In this review, I am going to discuss PROS vs. CONS.

PROS:

  • I love that this Bible lays flat. This may be a minor thing to like, but I can’t stand when I’m deep into a Bible study and my pages are all over the place because the Bible’s spine is not a lay-flat spine. It’s frustrating when you’re on a roll in your studies and then realize your page is missing because your Bible closed on you!
  • I love the study notes at the bottom of each page. Some seriously interesting facts are included. For example, what you see in the pictures are my notes in Jonah. I’ve read Jonah many times for various studies, and thought I knew Jonah pretty well. This Bible is a WORD study Bible, which means it teaches about the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek as Jesus would have been familiar with in His day. In Jonah 1, the Gentiles on the boat with Jonah have a conversion moment. Later in Jonah, the Ninevites have a conversion moment, too. According to the study notes, the Hebrew word used when the Gentiles on the boat have their conversion refers to a total heart transformation, but the Hebrew word used later for the Ninevites illustrates a temporary heart transformation, which is why the Ninevites are later brought to destruction. We don’t see any of this in the English translation though!
  • I love the information inserts on many of the pages throughout each book. They add to the passages thematically, historically, etc. I feel these information inserts are very helpful in personal and small-group Bible studies.

CONS:

  • This Bible comes in a KJV translation only, which is not my favorite. I find it hard to interpret and cumbersome.
  • This Bible is severely limited in space. There is very little room for annotations and comments, hence the Post-it Note.

Overall Impression:

I really like this Bible, and already include it as part of my daily Bible studies. I think the knowledge gained through the study notes at the bottom of each page make my CONS insignificant. I am a firm believer that multiple translations should be used during Bible study, unless you are fluent in Hebrew. If you are, then you should read God’s Word in God’s language. But, if you are like me and foreign languages confound you, then I do recommend you add this translation to your current repertoire.

Thomas Nelson’s KJV Know the Word Study Bible Kindle Fire Giveaway

Diving deeper into God’s Word can be easy and rewarding if you break it down book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic with the new KJV Know The Word Study Bible by Thomas Nelson. The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God’s Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.

This fall, become a regular student of the Bible and enter to win the Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A copy of the KJV Know The Word Study Bible
  • A Kindle Fire 7
  • A Kindle Fire case (winner’s choice)

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 31. The winner will be announced November 1 on the Litfuse blog.

 

Convicted (2017)

33673634Convicted (2017) by Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins is a true story about a crooked cop and an innocent man. This non-fiction text will be released on September 19, 2017. This book will come in all forms including eBook, and is 213 pages in length. With a full-time job and a five-year old at home, this book took me three days to read. I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Press; all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this book 5 STARS. This text is a Non-Fiction Christian biography.

About the Book

Speaking directly to recent headlines and cultural tensions, this is the poignant account of a crooked white cop who framed an innocent black man–and how their stories later intersected to show a divided nation a way forward to reconciliation and healing. This revealing story explores racism in small-city America and ultimately highlights the power of the gospel to heal the relationship of two of the most unlikely candidates for reconciliation.

My Thoughts

Reading this book is like going on a roller coaster. I went through every type of emotion possible from shock to anger to disbelief to resignation to defeat to hope. This text is a must read for everyone! It will challenge you, it will hold a mirror up to you and force you to confront some ugly truths that may be lurking deep inside. This book will help you draw closer to God.

When I signed up to be part of the book launch team for this book, I didn’t really have any expectations. The description of the book caught my attention, and it really caught my husband’s attention, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I actually thought it would be a bit stereotypical: a wicked white cop with an ego the size of Antartica, and a poor black man. I didn’t want that story. That story is always being told on TV, in movies, and in the news. Now, Andrew Collins does eventually describe himself as a bad cop with an ego and pride problem, and Jameel Collins does become a poor black man because of depression and bad life choices, BUT this book is not a stereotype. What I really like about the book is that it is told through both men’s points of view. One chapter is Jameel’s, the next is Andrew’s, and it continues to switch back and forth as the events take place. The reader gets to see the same event in history through two eyes. I loved this so much. It was fascinating to see an event unfold through two vastly different people’s experiences.

textgram_1503161414Forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness is really hard. Whether you have to give it or accept it, it’s one of the hardest things to experience. If you have to give it, you have to overcome your pride, arrogance, fear, failings, etc., which is a really hard thing to do. Many times, our egos and selves get in the way, and we don’t even realize it. If you have to receive forgiveness, you have to overcome your anger and distrust with the person who hurt you. For me, anger is my Achilles heal. I relate so much to Jameel McGee’s struggle with anger and forgiveness in this book that many times it felt like I was looking into a mirror while I was reading. This book is a Godsend. There are so many good reminders in this book, but for me, the best reminder is Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (ESV).

I cannot express how important this book is. I highly, highly recommend it. This is a story that needs to be read by everyone, especially with all that is going on in our nation today. This book has left a lasting impression in me. It has shown me some things I need to change NOW. And, it has again shown me just how important and necessary it is to draw close to God every day. I hope that when this book is released, you purchase a copy immediately. But until then, click on the link below and enter my giveaway for a chance to win the ARC copy of Convicted.

The Book of Revelation Decoded (2017)

30838435The Book of Revelation Decoded: Your Guide to Understanding  the End Times Through the Eyes of the Hebrew Prophets (2017) is a stand-alone non-fiction text written by Rabbi K. A. Schneider. Rabbi Schneider is a Messianic Jewish man who is an evangelist, and the leader of the Lion of Judah World Outreach Center in Toledo, Ohio. This non-fiction text comes in all forms including eBook, and is roughly 256 pages. With a full-time job and a five-year old at home, this book took me ONE day to read. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley; all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this non-fiction text 2.5 STARS.

Here is the GoodReads blurb:

Rabbi K. A. Schneider decodes the book of Revelation, showing how the end-time events prophesied in the New Testament book correspond with the teachings of the Torah and the Hebrew prophets. You will discover how the Passover foreshadows the great tribulation, and what the Hebrew prophets reveal about the anti-Messiah, Armageddon, hell, the return of the Messiah, the millennial kingdom, heaven, and much more. As the world grows darker and darker, many people have a sense of impending doom. This book will teach you what to expect during the last days and how to stand firm in Christ even in the face of opposition.

I want to begin by saying that I was completely misled by the title of this book. I believed when I received this book that I was getting a book steeped in research, both Biblical and Hebraic. I believed that this book would go through the 22 chapters of Revelation, and, through a Hebraic lens, would give a thorough explanation of those 22 chapters. With the subtitle alluding to the Old Testament prophets, I believed I was going to get a thorough account of the prophets and God’s Words spoken through these prophets to help explain Revelation. NONE of this is what I got. What I got is one man’s — who just so happens to be Jewish and Christian — ideas on what he thinks the end days will look like based on how he has read and studied the books of the Bible. To say that I am disappointed by this book would be a gross understatement.

I am an English major. I have two advanced degrees in Literature. None of this really matters except to say that I know research. Research is my passion. I can pour over a Bible passage, or book, for days researching for hours one or two words or concepts. The research in this book is basic at best. When I saw that a Rabbi had written this book, I was so excited because I thought, “Yes! A Hebraic expert will delve deep into Revelation and help me understand things I can’t really understand because I am not solid on Jewish customs, the activities that take place during the Feast Days, or the Hebrew language!” I believed I was going to get word studies and explanations both in Hebrew and Greek to help my understanding of Revelation. I thought Rabbi Schneider would touch on the Feast Days and illuminate how Jesus’s first coming beautifully fulfilled the Exodus and Passover, and how the Fall Feasts (Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles) will be fulfilled by HIS second coming. That does not happen in this book.

Let me give an example of the level of research you get in this book: “Some rabbis claim it was the angels, but the rest of Scripture proves the Lord was addressing the relationship existing within the triune Godhead” (50% through text; my emphasis). WHAT?! Are these secret rabbis? Who are they? Is it a famous rabbi like Gamaliel, Rambam, Hillel, or Akiva? Why is this even in the book if it is not going to be explained? This is research?!? This is just one example where the research is less than basic. Don’t even get me started on his inability to fact check. At the 41% mark in the text, Rabbi Schneider uses the films Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings to make a point. The point he was making using the movies is totally fine, BUT he got a detail in Gladiator wrong. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Who cares?” I know, it’s dumb, but I saw Gladiator in the theater 4 times. I owned it for many years and watched it often, so I know the movie. It’s a minuscule detail that is incorrect, but what bugs me so much is the surface level at which this book is written. This one stupid mistake took me out of the text completely because it is a stupid mistake.

Rabbi Schneider makes a compelling case when he uses the Exodus as an example of when the Bride will be taken up to meet Jesus. He believes that the Bride of Christ will have to go through the majority of the Tribulation just as the ancient Israeli slaves had to endure the plagues of the Exodus. He believes the rapture will occur right before the 7th trump in Revelation. He is calling this “the last trump.” Schneider does give a lot of verses from the Old and New Testament that he feels support this idea. BUT, anyone can pull verses from the Bible to make things fit. That is what it feels like to me. Again, I say, where are the word studies in Hebrew, the cultural understandings, the feast explanations that actually support and link this idea to Revelation?

There is not a single mention of God’s Feast Days and their importance to the comings of Christ. Not ONE! Yes, God is a God who loves chiasms, coming full circle, and measure for measure, but I believe that Jesus’s first coming exactly, perfectly fulfilled the spring feasts: Passover and Pentecost. I think that His second coming will exactly, perfectly fulfill the fall feasts as mentioned above. I think the Bride is a small, special remnant of Christians who truly know Jesus as He really is who will be raptured and prepared as the Bride (like Esther) during the Tribulation period. I do think saints will be left on Earth for a specific purpose during the tribulation, but these saints are not the Bride. I believe these are the guests at the wedding feast as described in Revelation 19. Now, I admit that I could be totally wrong. No one totally knows God’s plan for the end days except God. The point I am trying to make here is that what I have just finished writing here are my opinions. I can back them up with verses from the Bible, but they are my opinions and feelings on the matter. And, that is what I feel like this book is: it is just one man’s opinion.

I believe wholeheartedly that the Bible is one book. There are not two parts to the Bible; there is one book written by God through man. I believe that to understand Revelation, one absolutely must know everything in the Tanakh. Jesus is found on page 1 of the Bible, and on every other page after until the end. What I appreciate the most in this book is Rabbi Schneider’s repeated insistence that the Bible is ONE book. And, he does make some really good points about being ready for the end times and Jesus’s second coming because we don’t want to be caught sleeping like the five foolish virgins. But this book does not go through Revelation as I had hoped. I am a little disappointed in this book and cannot recommend it. I have no more insight into Revelation than I did before I began reading this book.