Inspiring Christian History
931838
This book is great for anyone who wants to live an inspiring life for Christ.

There are ten different christian "Generals" who made an impact on Christendom and their inspiring lives have made an impact on everyone I have given this book to.  It is emboldening in living wholeheartedly as a christian soldier and encourages people to take their faith seriously. I have purchased maybe a dozen copies of this book to give to friends to help inspire them to live wholeheartedly for God in the great vision He has for their lives.

The notes by the author are very insightful and he retains a tone of honor and respect even when describing and commenting on some failures the Generals experienced.

I would recommend this book to anyone who aspires to be a pastor, missionary, bible teacher, church leader, or anyone who has felt the call to do something for God with this one life they have been given.
4644991
I was thrilled to be offered a review copy of Anne Bradshaw's newest book True Miracles with Genealogy. Family History is something that is dear to my heart. I have a file with over 48,000 family names my mom compiled prior to her death. I haven't done much with these names lately and was hoping this book would reinspired me to start again on my genealogy.

I'm inspired!

This book if filled with dozens of personal accounts of individuals who have received divine help while researching their family history.

This quote from the books summed things up perfectly:

These incidents could be attributed to sheer coincidence. Personally, I find it impossible to dismiss such consistencies as anything less than inspired. They are too many, too often, too consistent, and too remarkable to be mere serendipity.

Anyone interested in Family History is sure to enjoy this wonderful book.
2292648
You should read this book if you are:

1. A Christian
2. Interested in medieval history
3. Interested in Christian Church history
4. Interested in history
5. Interested in the birth of Christian monasticism
6. Interested in monasticism

And that isn't an exhaustive list. Just a wonderful book that seems to this layman to have been written with a combination of frankness, succinctness, and flat out brilliantness that you only get from a long time expert in the field. Highly recommended. Not a 5 due to minor issues that I can't remember right now.
4689070
It is nice to know that some of the great Christians may or may not have had storybook marriages. This was a great history read as well as a realistic look at marriage...personality differences, religious differences, or perfectly melded relationships. I could see myself and/or my husband in some of these stories and it gave good insight and brighter hope in cherishing differences but celebrating similiarities
4183039
Memoirs of the Way Home by Gerald Bilkes is an excellent devotional style exploration of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Bilkes walks the reader through both of these books, centering in on the main theme or focus of each chapter. The writing is very conversational, and easy to read for virtually any reading level.  Each chapter ends with questions to help the reader think more deeply about the text and to seek some practical applications.

Bilkea shines in working with the text and finding how it applies to the Christian life today, specifically how it relates to Christ.
When speaking of Joshua and Zerubbabel he state: 'What a mercy it is to have someone whom God has anointed standing between you and Him, especially if that one is able to help set up an altar that symbolizes acceptance with God. What was here represented by these two men, Joshua and Zerubbabel, would, in the fullness of time, need to be only one -namely, Jesus Christ, whom we could call 'a royal priest.'  What a blessing it is to have Christ interceding for us!

When talking about the adversaries that Israel faced Bilkes helps the reader to see how this applies to 21st century Christians:  "God's people are frequently buffeted, externally and internally, by adversaries of the gospel and a sense of their own weakness. Just as in this chapter God strengthened His people to build up the temple, so now God continues to strengthen His people in holiness through the preaching of the Word. When we seek strength from Him, then we will also be strengthened with might in the inner man. As Paul confessed:  'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'"  It is a tremendous blessing to have God ever present with us and Bilkes helps us to see this truth.

Probably my favorite quote in the entire book comes  from the chapter on the rebuilt temple's need for sprucing up. Bilkes says, "We are not sure why the Lord's house needed beautification. Perhaps it had fallen into disrepair over the first decades after it's rebuilding. Or perhaps the Jews now had more resources at their disposal than they had originally had. Whatever the case, we should look beyond the physical circumstances for the spiritual lesson here. Because the church is made up of sinners, the Lord's spiritual house quickly falls into a dilapidated condition. Every generation needs to experience the beautifying work of the Lord in reformation and revival." What a great truth for every generation of Christians to grab a hold of, we constantly need to be cleaned up and reformed more into the image of Christ.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It would make a great devotional book, as the chapters are relatively short and easy to read. Also, with the questions at the end of each chapter the reader can pause for more thought and reflection on the truth learned.

I received a free copy of this book from Reformation Heritage Books via CrossFocusReviews.com
3530354
I don't think I have ever met anyone who was not somewhat curious about their family history. We know that we are now living something of an extension of their lives; their stories are part of our stories.

If this is true in the natural realm it is most certainly true in the spiritual. In the church, the body of Christ, believers are united together even as they are united to Christ. Those who have come before us have a unique and special relationship to us as believers. Their stories serve to encourage, instruct and bless us when we consider them.

In his relatively recent book, Early Christian Martyr Stories, (Baker, 2014), Bryan Lifton takes his readers on a historical tour through the first five centuries of the church. His emphasis, as the title implies, is upon the stories of those martyred for their faith.

The source material for the work are the hagiographical texts or extra biblical writings about saints. Lifton is a helpful guide along the tour. He reminds readers that the texts are not on level with Scripture and even that some of the writing contains variant literary styles that give way to some questionable details. Lifton interacts with the material in such a way that you find yourself trusting him both historically and theologically (he is an evangelical). Further, he is not simply conducting the tour, but he is on it with you. You can get a sense of how he is personally moved by the stories as he lays them before us.

From the introduction

if you read this book from cover to cover, you will have encountered the very best sources that illustrate early Christan persecution. At times you may be horrified, outraged, humbled, or inspired. Try to let your emotions flow; don't read this volume simply as a historical sourcebook. Not one of these texts was originally written without spiritual encouragement in mind. To suppress any personal reflection on them would be to ignore the authors wishes. But if, on the other hand, you are in a receptive state of mind, I invite you to say a brief prayer, then turn the page and meet the martyrs of the ancient church. (p. 16)

The chapters include: The Maccabean Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Justin Martyr, The Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne, The Scillitan Martyrs, Perpetual and Felicity, Tertullian, Origen. Additionally, there are chapters that consider the events surrounding Constantine and another on how Augustine remembered the martyrs.

I was most impacted by the stories of Perpetua and Felicity. These two young women who were also new mothers both died for their faith in Christ. The stories, beautifully and tenderly written, served to melt my heart. In reflecting on how Augustine was likewise moved by these stories, Lifton writes, later Christians honored their courageous forerunners and passed their legacy onto future generations. (p. 168)

In the introduction Lifton provides some historical details about the Roman society that aids our understanding of the early church. The parallels established by Lifton (whether intentionally or not) are instructive to the contemporary church. This is a good, quick read.

I liked the book a lot. It is not a long book (168 pages), and while historical it is written at a level that most laymen would find accessible. It gives you what he aims to give you: a window into the martyrs in the early church.
4888440
Church history can be interesting, and sometimes dry. Tried By Fire is not only readable, but very informative. It's very interesting to learn more about the church fathers you've probably heard of. It's also interesting to learn about various heresies that still hang on in slightly different forms to this day. It's a shame how many Christians don't know about their own church history. this book is a terrific way to remedy that problem!
4355389
One my favorite books Ive read since becoming a Christian and Ive read a plethora of books since then. This book is a perfect starter for church history, I know it lit my interest and it was a topic I dreaded. Now I love it and wish I had millions of dollars to buy writings by past theologians and church history books galore. I recommend this highly.
4215399
I learned more than I thought possible about the roots of modern Christianity in this captivating book by Michelle DeRusha. Better yet, though, it was like reading a historical romance while learning about the epic shift in church and gender roles. I wish I had better words to more accurately describe how much I enjoyed this easy read that left me wishing there were more! I have a hard time reading for any length of time, but this compelling story, so well documented, made it tough to put down each night.
1465929
In On This Day in Christian History, the author, Robert J. Morgan, gives a daily recount of notable figures of the Christian faith, ranging from the Roman Empire to modern times. The book contains 365 stories of martyrs, saints, preachers, and other heroes, one for each day of the year, designed for daily devotional reading. Each story also includes a Scripture reference.

There is a topical index at the back of the book, which makes the book a handy reference for preachers or speakers searching for stories on various topics to include in their sermons or speeches.

If, like me, you like history, I think you'll find this book an enjoyable addition to your daily devotional time.
3494093
This coffee-table volume was penned by Eva Marie Everson, a Christian author, and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, a Jewish author and tour educator who specializes in Christian tours of Israel. The book is a picture-filled devotional orientation to the land for Christians - from the Judean Wilderness to Capernaum to the Upper Room - created with a sensitivity not only to the Old Testament sites it captures, but with a deep desire to honor the Jewishness of Christianity.

The co-authors' interfaith friendship is foundational to this hardcover book's tone. Vamosh's historical perspective and Everson's lilting prose blend seamlessly throughout the book. Each of the 38 sites detailed in Reflections of God's Holy Land is given a similar treatment: Scripture referencing the place comes first, follwed by a section entitled "Did You Know?", a couple of pages of historical and geographic information. The section concludes with a devotional exploration of the place that is meant to help readers connect with the spiritual story of the site, whether they ever leave their armchair to visit Israel or not.

Even with a fair amount of text in the book, the format - one or two large pictures per page, captions and lots of white space on the glossy pages - makes it unmistakably an inspirational gift book. My only gripe about the book is that all of the pictures in Reflections have blurred-out, faded edges reminiscent of the kind of pictures you'd find in a Reader's Digest gift book on a nursing home coffee table.

That said, the book certainly helped to whet my appetite for my upcoming trip to Israel. It would also serve as a great reminder of a trip for a Christian pilgrim who has visited Israel.
221747
I am in love with the concept behind the From the Library of C. S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey books compiled by James Stuart Bell. Wouldn't you love to enjoy the same works of authors that influenced C.S. Lewis?! Well with this one book you can save a lot of shelf space and still enjoy inspiration writing that may indeed have inspired the ultimate inspirer in C.S. Lewis. Whether you use this as a daily devotion or just research, it is interesting and enjoyable to read in bitesize pieces. I cannot imagine the time that went into research to find these passages from the personal library, annotations and references of the writing of C.S. Lewis, but I'm sure it is a labor of love and deserves a place on every library shelf. Divided into 18 sections there is enough here to keep you busy and amazed at God for a while to come.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing a copy for review.
3081821
Inspiring!  Awesome historical account of the Welsh Revival where Pentecostal movement of the 19th and 20th Century began....
2665415
Lovely book with great stories about Christian events and people.
3118739
This volume is intended to provide an up-to-date replacement for respected concise histories of the Church such as Philip Hughes A Popular History of the Catholic Church (1947). Such an update is warranted due both to developments in the Catholic Church in recent decades, but even more so due to major developments in scholarly research into Church history.

The author, Norman Tanner, is a Jesuit priest and now Professor of Church History at the Gregorian University in Rome. Dr Tanner has done a truly remarkable job in providing a very readable, reliable and engaging history of the 2000 years of the Catholic Church in less than 250 pages of text.

The book is not simply a chronological account of the major events and persons of Catholic history, but provides a much richer story, weaving together the history of the institutional Church with insights into many other elements of the life of Catholics, such as religious practice, popular religion, art, liturgy, religious orders, spirituality and missionary work.

The story is told in five broad chronological chapters, which the author discerns to be natural periods of division in the evolution of the Catholic Church: 1. Pentecost to the Fourth Century, 2. Early Middle Ages (400-1054), 3. Central and Late Middle Ages, 4. Early Modern Catholicism (1500-1800), and 5. Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.

An example of the recent refinements in the study of the Church history is the description of the period generally referred to as The Counter Reformation by Dr Tanner as Early Modern Catholicism, reflecting new scholarly appreciation that much was happening within the Catholic Church in this period that was not simply a response to the Protestant Reformation.

For anyone who is open to it, the history of the worlds oldest continuous institution is a fascinating story in itself. But Dr Tanner brings a deeper dimension to his account, based on an understanding that for Catholic believers their history is not simply a series of interesting or instructive facts. Rather, due to Catholic belief in the fundamental importance of both Scripture and Tradition, the study of our history provides us with insights into the story of Gods interaction with humanity, the ways the Church has sought to address the difficulties of each age, and how we today may deal with the challenges we face as the Catholic community in our own age.

While the text itself is concise, Dr Tanner also provides an expertly compiled bibliography, offering the reader many avenues to pursue their reading of general Catholic history or the specific topics he covers in each chapter.

Dr Tanner has masterfully created a concise account of a complex story, without simplification and with learning, insight and wisdom.
468877
A beautifully written biographical sketch of eight faithful Christian leaders, men and women, who changed the course of history in their times. Inspiring, challenging and very informative.
514482
Sabbath keeping in Africa has a rich history.  There is old history and new.  The interesting area is that of the Ethiopian Sabbath keepers who were constantly persecuted.  From the early church starting with the Ethiopian Eunich to today with the many Adventist and Church of God groups Sabbath keepers have a heart and desire to keep that day in spite of hardship.
Bradford does a great job showing how African Christians are heartfelt and hearty in their beliefs.  These Christians already struggle in the lands they live in, yet, the Sabbath communities are very united and strong.
With the growth of the Sabbath church of God groups, Bradford should expand his research using this as a jump off point to show how Adventist, church of God and Wesleyans have a common starting point.
This book is a good read for any Sabbatarian wishing to learn about the Sabbath keepers in Africa.  Not much is mentioned about earlier Sabbath history, like the Sabbatarians of Ethiopia.  For Christian Sabbath keepers, it is nice to learn that the Sabbath has been kept in Africa for more than 100 years.  Charles Bradford does an admirable job of piecing together the non-adventist history and honors other groups in addition to the adventists.