Thursday, October 6, 2016

Knowing God By Name - A Review





Knowing God By Name.jpg



A Review


I have been aware of David Wilkerson since my earliest days as a believer.  His The Sword and the Switchblade, both the book and the movie, were part of my early journey into Christian reading outside of the Scriptures. As I was preparing a sermon series on The Names of God, I was excited to stumble upon this book and gladly added it to my library; expecting it to contribute to my sermon preparation over the next few weeks.


I was disappointed. Rather than being a discussion of the names of God, it serves as a platform for the author to discuss themes of interest to him. The names of God are only secondary to the primary themes developed in the book - not irrelevant, but supplementary to the concept hinted at in the book's title.


The book is well-written and interesting in its own right, but it is not the book that was expected given its title. Let me give one example - I am in the midst of preparing a message on “Immanuel”. The chapter devoted to this name is actually focused on the theme of spiritual warfare. That “God is with us” (the meaning of Immanuel) is certainly relevant to the topic, it has not become the focus of the chapter.


For the reader, church, or library, looking for a book by David Wilkerson, this book will fill the bill. If the reader is looking for an in depth examination on some of or all of the Names of God, this book misses the point.
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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

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