Does God Embrace Peace...or Violence?
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Danny Wright, an itinerant preacher, notices something "off" about the new passenger on the bus. For one thing, he's talking to his hand. The next second, the odd passenger produces a gun and starts shooting. Danny survives, only because he holds a Bible to his head in prayer.

Although his physical injuries are minor, his psychic injuries are much greater as he struggles to understand why God allowed such a thing to happen. Slowly he begins to conclude that the people on the bus were somehow deserving of their fates. If those people deserved to die, do the hundreds of sinners Danny encounters every day deserve less?

This is a short story that keeps readers guessing. Danny is a delightfully unreliable narrator. As the plot progresses, readers - not to mention Danny himself - become less sure of Danny's perceptions and actions.

This is also a story that doesn't flinch from hard questions. As Danny himself reflects, an omnipotent God should be able to stop unacceptable behavior. Does that mean God tacitly approves of the acts of terrorists? If so, is Danny's own gospel of peace the wrong one?

Sole Survivor is a short story, taking only 25 electronic pages, but it will stay in your head long after you shut off your Kindle. It's well worth the purchase price.
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Oh how we all want calm and peace in this world today.....I happened across Danas Peace of Heaven posting on Facebook and now believe I did not just happen across it, I believe God led me there!
Now I am thrilled to hold this beautiful book in my hands and it is wonderful!
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I have been interested in near death experiences since the 80's.  Nothing has given me more peace and confidence.  I believe love and a personal relationship with God are the keys to living a good life.  I was brought up and educated in the religion of my birth family but I never enjoyed true peace until I started reading about NDR's experiences.
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I've been trying to grow in my relationship with God for some time now.  For me, the difficult part has been letting go of my dualism of labeling one group of people as good and another as bad with the judgement that always follows.  Church has always seemed to give answers that contradict and cloud the issue.  Somehow it seemed the social justice teaching of Christ was lost.  This book answered many of the questions I've had about religion and why it seems world peace is unobtainable.  A lot of 'the religious' will not accept and understand the message that pastor Selmanovic is trying to convey.  Some 'nonreligious' will say it doesn't go far enough.  This book does go far to answer who God really is and to discern what is of God and what is of us.  World peace is only possible if we try to understand God's unconditional love and not our delusion of power, justification and judgement.  The book is graced with meditative points emphasized in italic and reading it feels like prayer.  It flows like music.  Well done!  A must have for those who want to understand who God really is.
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(...) Beating children is akin to a shepherd beating his sheep into obedience. This does not lead to a loving relationship with one's mother or father. This book displays wanton violence by recommending hitting bare skin and using belts to hit infants and young children in order to rule with fear rather than guide with love.
Is this your relationship with God? Do you want your child to love God or fear you? Your child can learn to love God without violence. This book basically advocates physical, psychological and emotional abuse of God's children.
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A very intelligent, non threatening book told from such a personal perspective.
I will share this book with many friends and family struggling for peace and clarity on this very divisive issue. God loves all of His children...
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The timeless relevance of patience and tolerance as antidotes to anger and hatred resonates in the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  One's awareness of the confusion of these emotions is heightened to the degree that the mind calms in clarity.
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Dr. Paul's illuminating new book, DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP ME TO BE LOVED BY GOD? looks at the disconnection we feel within and with others as a result of (in the broadest sense) "spiritual abuse" that we have suffered.  As Dr.  Paul says, "Giving children anything other than love and compassion is  spiritual abuse because all unloving behavior toward children creates an  ongoing problem in their relationship with God.  Any behavior that teaches  children that they must be different (smarter, more polite, more obedient)  IN ORDER TO BE LOVED [emphasis mine] by God -- or by their parents -- is  spiritual abuse.  Any behavior by an adult which disconnects a child from  God is spiritual abuse.  And any behavior that undermines a child's belief  in God as an infinite source of love and compassion and wisdom that is  always available to that child is spiritual abuse"  (p. 18).  I  particularly liked learning more about the false beliefs we have about God  and our relationship with whatever term we each use to name our Higher  Power.  The Inner Bonding definition of loving intrigues me: Loving  behavior is that which contributes to our own and others' spiritual and  emotional growth.  Often, what looks loving is just codependent, and in our  addictive society,  much confusion results when we act out the belief that  if others really loved us, they would do what we want.  If you read this  book, you will learn about a new way of looking at behavior -- not in terms  of judgment (a major controlling device of many religions) -- but in terms  of the good reasons that parts of us have for our behavior.  Life,  according to Dr. Paul, is a journey about learning and loving for everyone,  not about hellfire and damnation and the chosen.  I know that just  about every person on a journey thinks that s/he has just the right tools  and resources for healing and personal empowerment, but in my experience  there are few, if any,  approaches and processes that are as encompassing,  simple yet profound, practical, and portable as the Inner Bonding process.  DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP ME TO BE LOVED BY GOD? builds on Dr. Paul's other 6  books that have so much to teach about one's relationship with self,  others, and Spirit.  Yes, there are many books and people and therapies  and techniques out there promising us love, success, happiness, etc., but  my whole world -- self, family,  friends, career, spirituality -- is  different because one of Dr. Paul's books literally dropped in my path 8  years ago.  We live in times that are often filled with much conflict and  pain,  but also have so much potential for soul growth with new ways of  learning to bring the best of ourselves to ourselves, to others, to the  planet.  Margaret Paul's work is a powerful tool for transformation.  You  owe it to yourself to read this book!
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It's hard to believe that the human spirit is capable of such cruelty or of such courage.  Every day we read about horrendous acts of violence in the name of God. We still read about slavery, and acts of violence against women and children.  It is upon each of us to commit ourselves to action that will make this a more beautiful and peacefully world.
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What I love about Violent Love: My Intimate Moments With God is that its REAL.This book takes what I have on the inside and puts it into words. I have felt desperate, hopeless, insecure and defeated like the characters in the poems. Every time I read, and re-read this book I come away with a new perspective of God and how much He FOR REAL loves me. The book shows me God loves me enough not to leave me in my own mess. Amy Binkerd's book, Violent Love, empowers me to walk in the identity Christ has given me. I am not alone. I have hope. I don't have to live defeated. This book is an amazing reminder of Gods grace.
 **Disclaimer** This applies to all of them accept the civil war one! Ha, you will know the one when you read it!! It's still a funny poem
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Os Guinness has done us all a great service in writing The Case for Civility: And Why Our Future Depends on It. Always an articulate and sane voice, Guinness attempts to bring reason to the conversations / arguments that rage in America and beyond today. He notes, "Unquestionably, religion can be divisive, violent and evil. But also, unquestionably, secularism can be oppressive, murderous, and evil, too." He addresses issues like: What role does faith play in the public square? What role should it not play? Is secularism the answer? Moving beyond simplistic versions of the "new tolerance" where every view point is seen as "equally valid," Guinness helps us think about disagreements and how to disagree; yet in a way that affords dignity and respect--A truly important and timely work.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Welcome-to-College-A-Christ-Follower-s-Guide-for-the-Journey/dp/0825433541/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey</a>
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This book gives us wonderful insights in having the peace God promises. Two girls from opposite sides of town have two things in common, their love of music and their love of God. As their friendship grows, problems arise that they learn they must leave in God's hands and in doing so gain peace with their situations and see God work in his mysterious and wonderful ways.
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If you want Peace in your life Read this book! I have been recommending and buying it for other people. There is no need to worry about anything, Christ is the Prince of Peace!
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Love him or hate him or try to minimize him, he writes the truth. Look around you, research Beck's points and you will see that Islam is indeed NOT a religion of peace. It is a religion of war. Simple.
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Jagger Baird has lost his faith in God. He lost his arm when his best friend and his friend's family were killed by a drunk driver. Trying to recover from the trauma, Jagger moves his family, Beth and Tyler, to St. Catherine's monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the ten commandments and the Israelites turned to the worship of the golden calf. Jagger thinks, with Beth's love, he may be finding his way back, but then strange and violent things happen.

I thought this book was excellent. It's filled with violence and high-tech weaponry, but underlying the fast moving story are many of the essential questions of Christianity. What does it mean that grace is given to us by God and cannot be earned by good works? A very difficult question. The book doesn't answer it, but it does give an interesting illumination.

I particularly liked this book because it wasn't all action and violence, although those scenes were very well done and some may want to read the book for the action. The book also portrays two different ways of dealing with God's promises. Is he the vengeful God portrayed in some chapters of the Old Testament, or is he the loving God of the New Testament, or some amalgam of the two? The book doesn't answer the question, but it makes you think.

If you like high-tech adventure and violence, this is an excellent book. It can also be read for the author's understanding of our relation to God. I highly recommend it.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.
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"God gave humanity dominion and he also gave them free will (freedom to choose). This means God is good all the time and cannot be credited with the bad things that happen in our lives." ~ Pastor Tafara Butayi

Someone recently asked me where God was when something terrible happened to her when she was a child. My response was to read this book. This book is however not just about why bad things happen but also covers topics like prosperity gospel and faith healings. The author says we have more power over our lives than we realize. One prayer to God could actually heal you or keep you out of danger.

What this book taught me is to speak life instead of death. The words that come out of our mouths are very important for our future happiness. I do however think the people who told this pastor that they were in a car accident so God could get their attention might have been right - that has happened to me.

So while God does not wish evil on anyone he does seem to allow things to happen to us for our spiritual growth. God can take the trials in our lives and turn them into good results in the future.

~The Rebecca Review

I borrowed this book from the Kindle Unlimited program.
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I bought this for someone as a gift. So I'm not sure if there was violence, etc. I've read many of Sharon Sala's books and have loved them all!! So I'm sure this book is a great read also!!