THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:  JOHN, THE PSALMS, AND PROVERBS

DR. BRIAN SIMMONS

ISBN  978-1-4245-4958-0  (JOHN:  ETERNAL LOVE)

           978-1-4245-4942-0  (PROVERBS:  WISDOM FROM ABOVE)

          978-1-4245-4936-8   (PSALMS:  POETRY ON FIRE)

Holy Bible / Translation / Commentary

Broadstreet Publications

108 pages (John)

143 pages (Proverbs)

301 pages (Psalms)

$ 19.99 (U.S.) Psalms

$14.99  John, Proverbs

The reason for reviewing three different books in one post is due to the fact that the books themselves are not the focus.  Rather, I wish to expose readers to the Passion Translation Project, of which I have received the three volumes for review:  John: Eternal Love, Proverbs:  Wisdom From Above, and The Psalms:  Poetry On Fire.  Each of these volumes is an original translation from the desk of Dr. Brian Simmons.  Brian and Candice Simmons have been described as true pioneers in ministry. As a spiritual father and mother, their teaching and spiritual gifts have opened doors in many nations to take the message of authentic awakening and revival to many. For the last 40 years they have labored together to present Christ in His fullness wherever God sends them.

After a dramatic conversion to Christ in 1971 Brian answered the call of God to leave everything behind and become a missionary to the tribes. Taking his wife and three children to the jungle of Central America they pioneered church plants for many years with the Kuna people group. While serving as missionaries, Dr. Simmons planted churches and established leadership for the churches that Jesus birthed. As a linguist, Brian also was the co-translator for the Kuna New Testament.

Many people have approached the Holy Bible with the preconceived notion that, because the Bible was written over a period of 1500 years, by 40 different authors, in numerous geographical and historical / cultural settings, it must be inherently impossible to dogmatically declare “Thus saith the Lord.”  No one can ever really say what it was that God was communicating in His word, and therefore the Bible is irrelevant to my life today. It’s a best seller, it’s a wonderful book – but it has no authoritative bearing on my life, in the here and now.

Dr. Brian Simmons candidly begs to differ with that point of view, and he does so in a warmly devotional manner, firmly resting on bedrock scholarship.  His ministry has produced THE PASSION TRANSLATION, a dynamic-equivalent translation of the Holy Scriptures from the ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic into modern English.

The Passion Translation Project is a groundbreaking attempt to re-introduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader. God longs to have His Word expressed in every language in a way that would unlock the passion of His heart. The goal of this work is to trigger inside of every English speaker an overwhelming response to the truth of the Bible—unfolding the deep mysteries of the Scriptures in the language of love, the language of the heart. This translation is accurate to the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts, but passionately powerful in a contemporary form.

So why another translation? Many wonderful versions of our Bible now grace our bookshelves, bookstores, software programs, even apps on our phones. So why add one more? The reason is simple: God wants His message of love to be received in every culture, every community, and every language. So, what about the language of love? There is a language of the heart that must express the passion of this love-theology. That is the purpose of the Passion Translation.

The Passion Translation is not merely a word-for-word translation; it is a thought-for-thought expression of God’s passion. Expect to be surprised, even stunned by the depth of revelation that this translation brings to you.

5 stars for a translation burning with passion that springs from compassion

TWISTED INNOCENCE by Terri Blackstock (Book 3 of the MOONLIGHTERS SERIES)

Fasten your seat-belts . . . it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

In the third installment of the MOONLIGHTERS SERIES, Terri Blackstock reveals the truth behind all the clichés . . . “Life is no picnic,”  “We all have to grow up sometime,” and “Life is never always sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.”

Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.

Holly Cramer’s past is rapidly becoming present.  And it isn’t a pretty picture.  No one was even supposed to know about Creed Kershaw, Lily’s biological father.  She’d never even told him about the pregnancy.  So when the police show up asking questions as to his whereabouts, all Holly sees is row after row of trouble that she was going to have to work over.

Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love.  But by God’s grace, she is not going to have to go through it alone.  And when she comes out on the other side of this crucible, she and all who survived will be fit vessels for the Master’s use.

5 Stars for fast-paced Christian suspense!

TWISTED INNOCENCE

Terri Blackstock

ISBN  978-0-310-33237-4

Fiction / Christian / Suspense

Zondervan

308 pages

$ 19.99 (U.S.) (hardback w/ jacket)

BREAKER'S REEF by Terri Blackstock (Book 4 of the Cape Refuge Series)

And God wins.

I do not, in the least, mean for the three previous words to be flippant, sarcastic, or misconstrued in any way.  God wins!  Terri Blackstock weaves this theme throughout her Cape Refuge Series, and greatly desires that if you don’t get anything else from her works of fiction, you will come away with this message:  God wins!

When a teenage girl’s body is discovered in a boat between Tybee Island and Cape Refuge, all evidence points to a famous mystery writer who has taken up residence in the small town, Marcus Gibson.  Sheila Caruso, a newly-employed secretary for the best-selling author, discovers that a scene in one of his books perfectly mirrors the crime scene, and the author’s eccentricities lend support to the theory.

When a second dead teenager is discovered – again, paralleling a scene from one of Gibson’s novels – Police Chief Cade is pretty much convinced he has his man.  Then Sheila’s daughter, Sadie, goes missing.  In a race against time, there are many questions to be answered.  And many lessons to be learned.

Facing the challenges of stereotypes, prejudice, injustice, and the ever-present darkness of the human heart, Terri Blackstock just wants every one of her readers to know . . . God wins.

In the latest chapter of the series, BREAKER’S REEF, Terri Blackstock brings new challenges to familiar faces.  While references are made to situations in the previous books, BREAKER’S REEF is easily read on its own.  Readers new to the Cape Refuge series will be able to meet the residents of Cape Refuge, and develop a relationship with them that will instill in them a desire to “go back to the beginning.” 

5 Stars for a message for page-turning suspense!

BREAKERS’S REEF

Terri Blackstock

ISBN  978-0-310-34278-6

Fiction / Christian / Suspense

Zondervan

329 pages

$ 10.99 (U.S.)

JONAH: GOD'S SCANDALOUS MERCY in the Hearing The Message of Scripture Commentary Series

God desires to communicate with his creation.  He chose a variety of means, modes, and methods, and he spoon-fed those who chose to come to the table, because they were not able to take it all in at once.  He spoke through dreams and visions, allegory and parable, preaching and teaching.  He spoke through His Son, Jesus Christ.  And He speaks to us in His Word, the Bible. 

Still, there remain barriers to that communication.  Barriers of time, culture, language, geography, philosophy . . . all of these distort the message and drive those who desire to hear from God to distraction.

That’s why we have commentaries.  Scholars who love the Lord and have been gifted with the time and talents necessary to tear the Bible apart and put it back together again in a form that is easily readable, and yet does not compromise the message God wishes to communicate.

This latest series of commentaries is one that has been a long time coming.  Drawing on the latest scholarship, yet remaining steadfastly conservative and evangelical in their stance, the HEARING THE MESSAGE OF SCRIPTURE commentary series approaches scripture with an eye to disclosing the tools and techniques that the original authors of the various “books” of the Bible used as they strove to communicate the message that God wanted their generation to hear.  From the introduction to this commentary on Jonah, the editors speak concerning the principles that guide the writing of each commentary in the series:

“Like effective communicators in every age, biblical authors were driven by a passion to communicate a message.  So we must inquire not only what that message was, but also what strategies they used to impress their message on their hearers’ ears.”

Each commentary follows the same format:  The Date of the Book, The Author, The Main Idea, Literary Context, Translation and Exegetical Outline, Structure and Literary Form, Explanation of the Text, and the Canonical and Practical Significance are addressed.  Then the commentator will highlight what they consider to be the main theological themes of the book, and illuminate how the style and structure of the book develop those themes.

In other words, here is strong meat to go with the Bread of Life.  What a meal!  Enjoy!

5 stars for a series that is serious about feeding the Church

JONAH: GOD’S SCANDALOUS MERCY

(HEARING THE MESSAGE OF SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY SERIES)

Kevin J. Youngblood

ISBN 978-0-310-28299-0

Bible / Jonah / Commentaries

Revell Publishers

192 pages

$29.99 U.S.

TWO RENEGADE REALMS . . . PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!

As I had not read the previous novel, ONE REALM BEYOND, I had to do a little bit of research in order to get some background.  Thank you to all the people who reviewed the first book on Amazon, especially Emileigh, who gave me a first-rate introduction to the characters!

Having said that, TWO RENEGADE REALMS is easily a stand-alone novel, and the writing style – excuse me, the STORY-TELLING style of author Donita K. Paul – captures the entire person from the first page.  One does not merely read about the events that are occurring on the pages; one becomes a member of the party, and is standing alongside Cantor, and Bixby, and all the rest as they struggle to find the answer to their various quests – and questions.

In TWO RENEGADE REALMS, the Cantor party is tasked with finding the famed realm walker Chomomountain, and free him from his imprisonment.  Instead, they find themselves joining in his predicament.  It will take all of their gifts and abilities, as well as the grace of Primen (a cognomen, in this series, for the One True God) to succeed.

I must confess to having read enough to write a review on this book, as said review is already long overdue.  How much did I read, you may ask?  Probably 10 pages, at best.  What are my intentions?  I’m going to FINISH THIS BOOK!!!  The writing style, the creativity that the author brings to this work, and the desire to bring glory to God, and God alone, are evident enough, and more than enough, to enable me to write this review in this fashion.

My most humble apologies to the author and Zondervan for the tardiness of this review.

5 stars for a fantasy that brings one closer to Him

TWO RENEGADE REALMS:  (Book Two of The Realm Walkers)

Donita K. Paul

Zondervan

ISBN 978-0-310-73581-6

JUVENILE FICTION / Religious / Christian /Fantasy

416 pages

$12.99

PILLARS OF FIRE BY LAURICE E. MOLINARI . . . DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A POSITIVE REVIEW!!!

From the back cover:  “Just because thirteen-year-old Vero Leland has discovered his true identity doesn’t mean his life has gotten any easier.  Middle school is humiliating at best, and his training in the Ether – the spiritual realm that surrounds the earth – has only intensified.  Becoming a guardian angel, the fiercest of warriors, is not for the faint of heart.”

Just because one CAN write, doesn’t necessarily mean that one SHOULD write.  Especially when one’s secular creativity intrudes upon the sacred.

While author Laurice Molinari has an impressive curriculum vitae, and while she may be writing with the best of intentions, her theology (if this is truly what she believes) stands in need of serious correction.  The bio blurb on the copy that I received for review suggests that this may truly be the case:  “Laurice lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles, the City of Angels, where her lifelong love for our heavenly guardians inspired her to write a book about them.”

Angels are NOT “born,” they do NOT “grow up,” attend middle school, and receive immunizations.  They are ageless creations of our Heavenly Father, and one cannot forget that ONE THIRD of those angelic beings rebelled, lead by Lucifer (who, may I remind you, is ALSO a created being, and was once the chiefest of them all!).  It tires me, and saddens me . . . yes, and even vexes me . . . when a creative imagination oversteps its bounds and boldly “rushes in where ANGELS fear to tread.”

The fact that this book is targeted for children in grades 4 – 6, and is published by Zonderkidz, just makes this book even more disturbing.  To think . . . hundreds, or even thousands, of our most impressionable minds could be impacted by this distorted view of angels (an earlier generation would call it heresy) ought to have caused second thoughts to arise.  In the minds of the author, and the publishers, as well.

2 STARS

PILLARS OF FIRE:  Book Two in The Ether Series

Laurice E. Molinari

Zonderkidz

ISBN 978-0-310-73556-4

JUVENILE FICTION / General

356 pages

$16.99 hardcover w/jacket

WATCH FOR THE LIGHT: SEASONAL READINGS ON A TIMELESS EVENT

We have all been impacted by the most significant event the world has ever seen . . . the Advent of Jesus Christ.  The word Advent simply means, "to come near."  To approach, and remain close.  And the First Advent of Christ . . . God himself coming near, and remaining close . . . is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery shrouded in an enigma" that the prophets of old, and the angels in heaven, have been trying to wrap their minds around since it was first proclaimed . . . in the book of Genesis:
 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."                        Genesis 3:15 

Throughout history, some of the finest minds and most brilliant intellects have struggled with this conundrum, and in this book the fruit of their labor has been collected for the rest of us to consider and to contemplate.

The title of the book is more than a means of grabbing one's attention, though.  It is an invitation to do just that.  To open the hearts and minds of seekers of truth, ranging from Aquinas, and Kierkegaard, and Lewis all the way up to Dillard, and L'Engle, and Yancey.  To drink from the cup of their thoughts, and musings, and to savor their reflections and conclusions that they have ultimately arrived at.

Accept the invitation, during this time of year, to Watch For The Light.

Watch for it.  Wait for it.  Witness it.

5 stars for a work that the world has been waiting for

WATCH FOR THE LIGHT
PLOUGH PUBLISHING HOUSE, Ed.
ISBN 978-0-87486-917-0
Religion / Spirituality / Meditations
$24.00 Hardback w/ Jacket