God loves you.  No, really.
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Incredible raw book, full not only of stories, but the beaten down reality that, for some, has become as dull as memorizing facts for a chemistry test: God loves you.  He really does.  And it's not just a fact to memorize and agree with.  The stories Kevin tells in this book demonstrate a Love that is active and wants to be with you.  The head knowledge becomes heart knowledge finally.
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I love reading the Bible. Actually to me it is not reading but rather listening to God.

I am also reading an insightful book written by Larry Thompson, "Know Be Do". In it he writes, "The Bible is literally the Autobiography of God. It's not just history, it's His Story. It's a story that's rolled out precisely the way He knew that man needed to receive it. It gives us everything we need to know about Him and nothing we don't. Nothing we dont. That's no small point. Because trying to communicate an infinite God to a finite mind is already like trying to put War and Peace into a 140-character Tweet. He knows exactly how much we can absorb about Him. And that's exactly what He wrote."

This really resonated with me. I am going to embellish the authors thought about the tweet a bit. As deep and wonderful, and rich, and complex, and majesticGods Word is, I believe the entire Bible is a mere Tweet in comparison to how big God actually is. He had to human it down so we might know Him. And what is totally amazing is the fact that He SO desires for us to KNOW Him!

We must know someone to truly love them, trust them, follow them I watch my grandchildren as they emulate their parents. Their actions, words, expressionsare just like their parents. Why, because they are with them, love them, trust them want to BE like them. They DO what they DO.

There is a cloud of uncertainty, despair, concern in our country and world. There is also a famine: The days are coming, declares the Sovereign Lord when I will send a famine through the landnot a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11

It seems very few people have time and/or the desire to spend time daily with God by reading/listening to His Word. Getting to KNOW Him; desiring to BE more like Him; DOing the things He does. We care more about ourselves and less about others. We want more and give less. We are less grateful, communicative, compassionatewe do not do what our Father does. What frustrates me is our country seems to run further from God as though His way is what is getting us in this mess rather than realizing turning from Him is fostering such turmoil.

I believe this; God will replace uncertainty with Truth, despair with hope, and concern with a promise- Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty, Malachi 3:7.

I do not place my hope or future in donkeys or elephants, whether England is in or out

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 What I do hope for is: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

OK Gods people, do you want change? Do you feel our country/world is headed in the wrong direction? Are you called by His name Christian? God tells us exactly what to do! Get into His Word! Let Him speak to you and you to Him. Know Be Do!
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In an age of overwork, programs and performance based assessments (of everything), this is a liberating book which majors on God loves for us, such great love.  Jacobsen emphasises our need to know God and to abide in Him.  He reassures us that we are loved unconditionally and that our service flows from our security in Christ, not as a method to attain that security.  Thanks Wayne.
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"The manifestation of God in your life [as a christian] is that value that you give to other people." Love - We need to comprehend and practice God's love [Agape] to be filled with the fulness of God Himself (see Ephesians 3:17-19) The very thought of that sends shivers through my spirit. I enjoyed this message. you should too.
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I knew Bill Lane a little, had him as an instructor, and have met Michael a couple of times.  I very highly respect both, and am in awe of the intensity of their relationship with God.  But I can't help but wonder about those of us who love the Lord, yet are created as "type B" personalities.  Their mentoring relationship was a match because they both demand from themselves words like more... better... most... maximum... unrelenting... utmost... achievement... driven...  This path is exhausting emotionally, spiritually, socially, and physically for those of us who are not "driven to excel" people.  I believe one can be deeply in love with God without being driven  Where does one find rest?  God tells us to love Him above all else, and with our whole selves - and to love people as ourselves.  But a continual driven-ness to more and better, more and better, more and better seems to border upon worshiping one's relationship with God, rather than worshiping God alone.  Yet, Bill's and Michael's friendship and mentoring relationship is still greatly worthy as an example of what Christian fellowship, led by the Holy Spirit, can achieve.
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Your God is a monster, my friend told me.  He is responsible for all kinds of atrocities throughout human history, such as The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and massacres of entire people groups.  He is so bloodthirsty that when his son came to earth he demanded his blood as some sort of payment for the mess humans have made.  That entire scenario is just plain sick.

Even if my friends grasp of history may have been somewhat skewed, many people I know share a similar view of God.  Hes angry, violent and intent on killing people, even his own son.  What kind of God is that?

Jeremy Myers, in his excellent book The Atonement of God, proposes that such a God is a product of what is generally referred to as the penal substitution theory of the atonement, a mouthful of words used to label a theological explanation of why Jesus was crucified.

While the penal substitution theory may be the predominant explanation of Jesus' crucifixion among many Christian conservatives, Mr. Myers explains that the idea was largely absent among Christians in the early centuries of the church.

Mr. Myers proposes an alternative explanation of the crucifixion and death of Jesus that looks back to the understanding of those who lived much closer to the time that Jesus walked this earth.  Instead of an angry, blood-thirsty God, Mr. Myers finds a kind, loving God.  There is a villain in the story, but the role falls to someone other than God.

Whatever your religious leanings you will discover a God in The Atonement of God who is loving, a God who inhabits human history in a manner much different from what has been proposed by many  theologians with their own agendas.  Read the book and decide for yourself which understanding of God is most accurate and which understanding of God best explains the God of the Bible.  Decide for yourself if God is an angry bloodthirsty monster or a loving heavenly father, a God who loves us and a God we can love.
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How many times have you uttered the words, Gods love is unconditional?  Yet the term is strangely absent from Scripture.  One might argue that other terms are absent as well, like Trinity and hypostatic union.  Of course, the terms are missing but the truth of the Trinity and the hypostatic union are clearly taught.

So what does one make of the notion of Gods unconditional love.  David Powlison tackles this important subject in his book, Gods Love: Better Than Unconditional.  Heres his proposal: Gods love is much different and better than unconditional  God cares too much to be unconditional in his love.

Powlison is not the only one who resists the notion of Gods unconditional love.  R.C. Sproul adds, I can think of no more pernicious lie to destroy peoples souls than this, which some preachers are spreading around the world: God loves you unconditionally.  No, he does not.  If we do not meet the conditions that he established for us in creation, then God will send us to hell forever (Truths We Confess, Vol. I, 216).

Powlison grounds his argument with four unconditional truths.

1. It is true that conditional love is a bad thing.

2. It is true that Gods love is patient.

3. It is true that true love is Gods gift.

4. It is true that God receives people just as they are.

The author admits that the phrase unconditional has a noble theological lineage in describing the grace of God.  But the term is fraught with difficulties.  He suggests four biblical improvements:

1. There are more biblical and vivid ways to capture each of the four truths just stated.  The Bible provides much richer descriptions of Gods love than unconditional.

2. It is clear that unmerited grace is not strictly unconditional.  While it is true that Gods love does not depend upon what you do, it very much depends on what Christ did for you.  In that sense, it is highly conditional.

3. Gods grace is something more than unconditional in that it is intended to change the people who receive it.

4. Unconditional love is filled with cultural assumptions.  Such a term implies the minimizing or even elimination of expectations on the one receiving the love.

Powlison urges readers to consider the notion of contraconditional love.  He continues, God has blessed me because his Son fulfilled conditions I could never achieve.  Contrary to what I deserve, he loves me.  And now I can begin to change not because I can earn his love, but because Ive already received it.

I commend Gods Love: Better Than Unconditional to fellow pilgrims.  It contains the biblical answer to the questions in regards to the love of God.  Readers concerned with Powlisons thesis will be quickly persuaded and encouraged to pursue God with greater obedience and passion  an overflow of the love received from the sovereign and loving God of the universe.
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This book shows you how to love God and be loved by God, in our own special way with our true innocents ways.
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I am going to be honest here. I have never felt more disgusted or sickened by any book I have read. Dianna writes as if God is not static, but changes with the culture. Ugh. God never changes. You cannot create a god that YOU are comfortable with and then claim that is the God of the Bible. I will repeat this statement, You cannot create a god that YOU are comfortable with and then claim that is the God of the Bible. Period.

Throughout this entire book Dianna is discussing how we need to do what our bodies are telling us. Only we know whats good for our bodies. ?????? That is COMPLETELY fine if you want to believe that. It is your right. However, it is not OK to claim that is how God works. Maybe your god, but not the God of the Bible.

You can reference all of the old testament laws you want, but there are many places where God tells us that fornication is wrong. Look, I am not some innocent purist. I was a single mother (OBVIOUSLY having sex) and I was raped. I became pregnant. You, Dianna, tell us that it is ok to have an abortion if thats what your body is telling you. YUCK! No. Absolutely no. My son is the greatest gift that could have ever come from such a monstrosity.

God gave us laws. Absolutely. He gave us rules. There is a reason for that and it is because there is freedom in Christ. When you listen to the things that He tells us not to do, you can see how disobeying those lead you to boxing yourself in and losing your freedom. There is not one thing that God is asking us to live by that would take away our freedom. I would argue that EVERY SINGLE ONE of those would actually GIVE you more freedom.

We should never hate someone that sins. We all sin. There should be no guilt either because God has paid for our sins. So, I am not condoning judgement in any way. I am saying it is wrong. Thats it.

I am completely disappointed in Faithwords for allowing this book to be published. I also hate to promote it with a review. It will lead so many more people to think that you can make a god up that you are comfortable with and claim he is the real God.

The road is narrow, my friend. This is exactly why.

0 stars.

Thank you, netgalley, for the book. As always, this is my honest opinion. Heres to many more (hopefully good) books!
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This book has a great title and is filled with great deception. This is the proverbial Trojan Horse.
This is New Age doctrine that makes God in our image. No guilt, no shame, no sin, no heaven, no hell, nothing to worry about. One should compare this book with the greatest Book ever given to man - The Bible, God's Holy Word. The Holy Scriptures teach us of a loving God that redeems sinful mankind by the substitutionary sacrifice of His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Now that's a love story! There will be nothing to worry about in Heaven.
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Easy to understand.  Brings one closer to knowing God, and how He speaks to us.

It is rather harsh though in the teachings, in that the only reason He chose anyone to be saved, is to do God's work.  The only reason He does anything for us at all to keep us alive, is to be used of Him for His glory.  Albeit, that is the highest sense of significance a human can attain.  Without hearing from God, and His will for our lives, there is a vast emptiness in our souls.  Still, going through this study makes me throw all teachings of asking God for favor, prosperity, or comforts of life, out the window.

They explain how if you don't take action to do what God is calling you to do, He will find someone else.  His will always gets done.  But then He will stop talking to you, and everything in your life will go wrong.

The examples are not anything I could relate to since they pretty much all have to do with planting churches.  The authors of this book are so single minded about going out and doing God's work, that at when they give the testimony of how their daughter was healed of cancer, they seem much more excited about the prayer warrior's faith grew because of her healing, than they were that their daughter was still alive.  It's as if that were secondary.

If you are used to hearing feel-good, watered down, prosperity sermons that are all about reaching your highest potential - this book is going to put you in your place as a true child of God.
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In reading this book (3X's) I must say that it truly shows God's love for us.  This book is not written to convert those non-believers but rather to show God's infinite wisdom, and his knowledge of human weekness.  Although it is frightning at times in the first half of the book, the second half is truly uplifting!  If you read this book pray that the Holy Spirit guides you through and that you will truly be touched....
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The people that give this 1 star think it's a noval. I hope that find God and not go to hell. Accept God into you're harts.
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In the last days, pastors will give your ears what you want to hear so that you're "comfortable" with sin.  This book pushes the envelope on the point of being good as if it really didn't matter.  If I didn't know any better after reading this book, I'd say I wasted many years thinking it was important to be good, to obey God and to fear him.  The underlying theme of this book is "Why bother being good when God is going to forgive you anyway through his grace and mercy?"  It cuts through good and evil and says evil is expected of us so relax and quit while you're ahead so to speak."  Satan is having a field day with this book.  It plays right into his hand for even the demons believe in God.  What if the title was flipped over to "How evil is evil enough?" Have we fallen so far from grace that being good is just not necessary?  So forget your moral compass because God loves you anyway.  By adding the word "enough", it means "How much can I get away with?"  How much can I push the envelope?"  Is that how you'd treat someone you love?  Would you walk up to Jesus and say "I did whatever I wanted because it's not like I'm going to burn in hell and by the way thanks for dying on the cross for me." (Your actions say it basically meant nothing to you and he knows that.  God is not a fool.)  And then you stand there and proceed to give Jesus a high five.  Do you love God in such a way that you want God to bless your sinful ways?  The Lord's prayer says "Lead us not into temptation".  It doesn't say "Lead me into temptation because God could care less whether or not I'm good."  Andy Stanley says by his words that there is no point in striving to be good for the Lord.  Everything is okay with God because as sinners we are one level above baboons and are incapable of being good.  I disagree.  This book is vulgar and I'll tell you why.  It tells people that spent a lifetime trying to do what is right that they are wasting their time and that God doesn't care either way because all the people who ticked him off are getting into heaven too and he's just winking at their sin.  The bottom line is did Andy Stanley write this book because he wants to make lots of money by making God's grace a free for all?  Or does he have some deep dark secret that he condones by thinking "Hey, we're all evil, so have at it.  God understands and he is okay with my sin and he'll flood me with his grace and mercy anyway"  What a cheap way to look at God's grace.  The God I believe in wants me to do my best.  Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey my commandments."  He doesn't say "If you love me, I expect you to raise Cain."  Does he?  Forgive me if I'm wrong but this book's blatant disregard for being good is vulgar and apathetic.
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GOD LOVE'S YOU !!

The Lord Is my shepherd. I shall not want.

Very Good!

Thank you. Barbour Bibles, Amazon
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Rob Bell,  This book is born because you were "offended".  Did you ask Jesus if you should be offended....or does common sense prevail?  Perhaps the American way should be the Christian way..."I'm okay, you're okay" let's be kind and generous with each other (not that there is anything wrong with that, in fact, let's all being doing that...but there is more to our human dilemma than kindness and filling lack).  My own heart heckles my discipleship and transformation.  Your questioning mind leads us to a way of reconsidering what has been "preached and taught" for centuries and as our minds wander/wonder with you into this realm, we become hypnotized by the  "fairness" doctrine, which seems a clearer explanation, ne, understanding, of God's love...or...are we leaving God out of the conversation and just defining His love?  Yes, I think that's it.  And now we can all relax, feel better, and tranquilly lead worthless lives for the kingdom.

Following Jesus has consequences...following Love is man's best effort...oh the frog in the heating water (who eventually blissfully boils to death).  Perhaps that is a good picture for your "Love Wins" doctrine.  You give plenty of print to what Jesus and the Bible say so we are lulled by acquiescence to the truth, but you have woven in a false doctrine of grace.  So, pray tell, why did Jesus have to come and die as the ONLY way to save us from our PENALTY for being created, living a human life of ignorant bliss (the Bible says no one is ignorant of their Creator) of why His death mattered to us?  You are trying to show that the Gospel's message is that God can't be the "bad" guy...no...God is Love..therefore your message that Love Wins defies the scholar's version (God is just and holy and the penalty for sin is JUST) and subscribes to one where because God is love..He just COULDN'T let anything bad happen to His created images...no...He gets them all, eventually...it really is WIN WIN!  You are telling the world "No Worries"...live and think well, doing your part to make this world a better place, believe in "god".  This means you are on God's side and all BELIEF in God is measured to us as good and worthy of heaven.

Satisfaction and success, as defined by Jesus, look a lot different than our culture's definition.  Hey Rob, we are NOT supposed to answer our own questions about God, we are to seek after wisdom and righteousness and Jesus has taught the truth and the Bible reveals what it looks like to please God.  YOU have muddied the waters.  Here are some better questions....
Am I going to believe Jesus?
Am I going to obey Jesus?

So I call out to you Rob, come on the real journey of faith...it is RADICAL, not comfortable,....you in?

People, I don't think Rob Bell is being honest with his title...it should read "THE GOOD HUMANS WIN" with the really bad humans losing, of course...so IT IS ALL GOOD!  I'm okay, you're okay!

Rob Bell leaves us with "continue business as usual in your Christian walk, spiritual journey or quest for godlikeness, and please don't listen to the legalistic, elitist, unconscionable religious bigots masquerading as reformers for THEY ARE WRONG...and surely you can see things as I do since we've had this conversation.....so says Rob.  All "LOVE WINS" believers...good luck with that!

The Bible leaves you with "come follow Jesus and die to yourself, God is sovereign, there is a plan and it has been revealed."

Most false arguments against the Gospel of Jesus Christ (there is no other Gospel), are because someone is "offended"!!!  Heaven help us!  Rob speaks to the "offense" in the first chapter and if you too are "offended" then you too will devour the rest of the book.  BEWARE...you are being DECEIVED!!
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Thanks Paul for the reminder that God's love for me isn't determined by me.  Doesn't depend on me being the best Christian today or what ugliness is in my past. No matter what I do, I can never be worthy of the love God has for me. And yet, he loves me anyway. What a blessing!

Paul, your delivery of this good news was, as always, on point and entertaining.  I love hearing God's word through your perspective.  Love you brother!

Brenda Favor