Book Review:They Say We are Infidels by Belz

This book was incredible! It gives a detailed account of the life of Iraqis, especially Christians in Iraq during the rise of terrorism. The book looked at the development of Iraq, the time of Saddam Hussein and beyond. It ended with accounts of Iraq in 2015.

This journalist wrote down the accounts of those she encountered who were persecuted and displaced. She made friends along the way and found herself in some potentially dangerous situations. Her dedication to getting a true and honest story of the persecution of Christians is brilliant.

I knew the evil of terrorism but this book made it feel more personal for some reason. Maybe because the author writes her accounts in such a way that makes you feel like you are part of them. My heart was stirred in prayer and desire to help those Christians in Iraq. I was inspired by how brave they were to stay in their own country. My mind was blown by all the endured for the sake of the gospel.

This is a great read. It is worth the time.
You can get a copy of this title at amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Video Game Review: The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance

 Parents, if your kid has ever wanted a video game, this is the one for you. Go get it here.

When I was asked to review a video game I was not really sure if it was something I wanted to do because I am a book reviewer and have never reviewed a video game before. However, I am really glad I did.

This game is brilliant. It is for anyone but the target age is tweens. Having a tween of my own I thought it would be good to check out. My tween plays Minecraft and Lord of the Rings. So as I spent hours testing it out I had her by my side helping me and playing. She has also given it the stamp of approval and says, "This is a clever game that I enjoy playing."

It is a little like a mix between the two games I mentioned above because you craft things but you also follow along in the adventures. You are given tasks to complete that you must think through. It is a problem-solving game in this way which we both like.

There is also a good cooperative benefit of playing this game. It is nice to have players fight the battles together making it easier to defeat the enemy, just like real life. There is also a section of open chat. There are some filters here and parents have the ability to allow or not allow their child to have chat. I was testing the features and if you say something that is not okay they are monitoring and will mute the player who takes advantage of this setting. The benefit of this open chat is the enhancement of cooperative play. I was able to defeat a harder section because a couple of players agreed to fight alongside me.

The best part of this game is that it has an element of mystery that points to the Scarlet Man. It is pointing to Jesus in allegory. There are tasks that are done that relate to the unfolding Biblical story. I am very curious to see how all of this unfolds in time. The game only has episode one available at this time but episode two is coming soon. There is a book and pages you collect in game that starts unfolding this story and compares it to Scriptures. It is really clever.

The game also emails the parent and encourages the parent to discuss certain things with your child. This is really unique and different from other video games as well. It is a spring board for deeper discussion so instead of mindless game time it is video gaming with a purpose.

The game is free to play up to a point, then it is $9.99 for all of episode one. There are new tasks added all the time. It is a very reasonably priced game.

The graphics are really good. You benefit in the game by helping. It is a parent's dream for a video game.

I encountered a small problem with my character and the tech team was super friendly and quick to resolve the issue. All around I am impressed and look forward to where this game goes.

Parents, if your kid is allowed to play video games, get this one. You will not regret it.

I did receive episode one of this game free of charge for the purpose of an honest review.

Book Review: Pentecostal Outpourings by Smart, Haykin, and Clary

This was an interesting book on past historical revivals. I found this book to be balanced because it focused on the truly Christ centered revivals. It discussed the time period and happenings that may have influenced these movements and even cautioned false revivals.

The book took a long look at revivals from Europe to America. If you are a history buff, this book will be very interesting for you to read. I learned a lot about historical events that I just heard portions of information about previously. It was a great book to help fill in those gaps of what I had previously learned.

You can get a copy of this book from amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Book Review: None Like Him by Wilkin

This book is the best book I have ever read on the attributes of God. This author is a skilled writer who makes it easy on the reader to digest depth with simplicity. This is a book that I could read over and over again and still be moved by it. The reason being is that this book continually points you to God in a way that spurns your heart to worship Him.

A great thing about this book is it also looks at what we are not meant to be because only God is meant to be that certain way. I have encountered misguided Christians who are striving to be God in ways that they cannot and will not ever be. This book helps satisfy that confusion by keeping humans in their proper place with God elevated to His. It was helpful in identifying potential idol worship.

The book was very practical in the way it compared Scripture and God in all His splendor to everyday living. I applaud the author for this. There are many books written on a theological level of God and His attributes but not many that also connect the practical theology of everyday living to His attributes. This is why this book would be a beneficial read for all Christians.

You will be better off and stronger in your walk for reading this. You won't be disappointed if you get it.

You can get a copy of this book from amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

Book Review: Guys Slimline Bible, NLT

This is a good looking Bible. My son is a young guy who loves this Bible. It is appropriate for his very first Bible because it is in an easy to read translation. Though my young son will get a lot out of this Bible, older guys will as well. It is a typical slim Bible. No real frills. Just simply the word of God.

In the back it includes a dictionary/concordance which is helpful. Also there are a few color maps.

A feature I really like is the ribbon bookmark so the reader can keep track of what page he is on.

Now when this first arrived at the house, my daughter also wanted it because she liked the look and feel of this Bible. Though it is labeled as a guy's Bible, a girl could enjoy it too.

If you would like a copy of this Bible you can get one at Amazon.com here.

I received a copy of this book at no charge from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.