Build the Altar - A Review

Build the Altar
A Personal Worship Retreat

by

Paula Wiseman

A Review

Paula Wiseman has become one of my favorite Christian fiction writers.  She is now, slowly, building a reputation for none fiction works as well.  I earlier purchased a copy of her 56 Tips To Help You Get the Most Out of Every Book in the Bible and appreciated her insights and thoughts. Her latest book at 42 pages uses the various altars found in scripture as tools for teaching about worship.

Ms. Wiseman uses five altars built by men and women from both the Old Testament to help the believer understand the purpose and role of worship in his and her life. Noah, David, Elijah, Hannah, and Mary, provide are the individuals used to build her argument.  Each chapter is divided into two sections: “Consider the Context” and “Connecting to Christ”. The first section focuses on the story of the character and the altar he or she builds. The discussion is both exegetical and practical - questions are used throughout to make the discussion personal for the reader. The second section builds parallels between the history discussed in the first section and life of a 21st-century believer. The two sections provide sufficient depth to be of interest to both the new believer and a mature believer looking for something to help renew their faith.

This book/booklet could serve as a guide to personal devotions for as short as a week or a month or longer. Another way I might find this guide useful would be to spend the first day of the week using this guide as a tool in a personal retreat setting (park, zoo, mall, etc.) and then use the remainder of the week using the insights found during that alone time to guide the reader's personal devotions for the next week. Finally, the book could serve as the foundation for a six-week study for a small group - the small group covering the material in the book, while encouraging the members to use the material to guide their devotions in the time between meetings.

However the book is used and whoever uses the book, it is likely to be a blessing to the reader.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the author for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

NIV Lifehacks Bible - A Review

NIV Lifehacks
Bible

by

Notes by
Joe Carter

A Review

Though not attractive, this Bible is a useful. Fitting someplace between a Study Bible (given its own description) and a Devotional Bible (given its contents), this Bible focuses on the spiritual disciplines that will move the reader closer to God. It does not contain study or devotional noted keyed to the texts where a passage is found. Rather, it provides a wide range of tools that can be used by both the new believer and the established Christian to draw near to our Lord and Savior. Here are five very random selections from the 365 entries included in the book:

1. 4 Tips for Reading Prophesy
2. 5 Skills for Sharing God’s Word
3. When You’ve Made a Vow to God
4. Pray with ACTS
5. What Is Biblical Faith?

An alphabetical list of all these short essays can be found at the beginning of the book. Also included in the front pages is a plan for reading through the entire Bible in a year.   

What adds additional value to this edition is the inclusion of two indexes. The first is typical “Subject Index” which points the reader to key scripture references dealing with important topics. The second index points the readers to the included articles which highlight the various spiritual disciplines discussed.

My biggest concern is the lack of any color in the body of the book. If the editor had found time to add some color to the pages (e.g. Each essay could have a different font or background color depending on the spiritual discipline it addresses) the book would be more attractive. With exception of the cover, the entire book is black and white. Even the addition of a color dot (or square, like is seen on the front cover) to indicate the note’s theme would be of help.

The Bible would be a welcome addition to a pastor’s or layman’s library. This Bible would also be a suitable graduation gift for the high school, college, or seminary, graduate. I could also see giving this as a Father’s Day gift. Or add it to your own library as an encouragement for your own spiritual growth.

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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.