I have heard it said that this particular book is "life changing."
Initially, I thought this book was rather harmless in its approach. A family suffers a severe tragedy. While each tragedy is certainly hard to deal with when it's happening to you, it's not a unique occurrence. Not at all. Tragedy happens all the time to folks around the world.
This particular sort of tragedy is something my wife and I have dreaded during the early lives of our children. Now that they are older, our dread has lessened a bit, but now it's replaced by concern over their ongoing lives.
I digress...
I was okay with this book up until late in the chapter called "A Piece of (Pi)," that had the symbol rather than the letters. William Young lost me at that point His description of Jesus being unable to heal people without God's intervention is troubling. We all know that Jesus came to earth as a human. However, it is my belief that He was still God. Wholly God. If he was "just human," like you and me, in order to heal the sick and raise the dead, I believe Jesus would have had to pray prior to the healing and have the prayer answered. I believe that Jesus was God in human form without human limitations. He could have called legions of angels...
I'm a little further in the book now, and while nothing else has jumped out at me as of yet, I'm still stuck on Jesus and the completely human spot he occupies in this book. It's really making me not like this book.
What I'd like, if anyone DOES read this AND has SCRIPTURAL reference that outline his total humanity and lack of personal power, I'm open to being educated. However, at this point, don't read this book. I believe it's teaching (even though it's fictional) false doctrine. NONE of what I've read with respect to the interrelationship between the Trinity matches AT ALL how it's described in the book.
Almost done...I'm still concerned about the aspects of Jesus and His humanity as listed in the book compared to what's in the Bible. You know, I know most of this story takes place in a dream for Mack, but even so, I just can't deal with some of the aforementioned aspects of the story. Also, there's a part where Jesus is talking about folks loving Him from every system (Mormon, Buddhists, Muslims, etc)., and that He has no desire to make them Christians. The author is splitting hairs in that Christ doesn't want to "make" anyone a Christian. Nevertheless, there is only one True God, one True Savior, and one True Holy Ghost. These other religions do not pursue Christ without all the other baggage they have...we don't exist in a "Christ PLUS" world...
Finally finished...
Well, the story line is great: God's ability to lift us from our despair, despondency, etc. The actual story, however, leaves me wanting. I don't like the way the Trinity is portrayed. I especially don't like the way Jesus is "man-ified." Christ was wholly man and wholly God. His miracles were His; God didn't intervene on His behalf.
I just hope and pray that this book doesn't lead folks astray. If you have questions, the Bible is your absolute best reference... Remember, man is fallible and can get it wrong...VERY WRONG.
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Books Read in 2013
- 1 and 2 Kings 978-0-8308-4209-4
- 1 Chronicles 978-0-8308-4210-0
- Calvin for Armchair Theologians 978-0-664-22303-8
- Creating Life in the Lab 978-0-8010-7209-3
- Deep Mentoring 978-0-8308-3789-2
- If God is Good 978-1-60142-132-6
- Next Generation Leader 978-1-59052-539-5
Books Read in 2012
- 1 and 2 Samuel 978-0-8308-4208-7
- A Public Faith 978-1-58743-298-9
- A Spirituality of the Road 1-57910-795-8
- A Time to Betray 978-1-4391-8903-0
- Adam 978-1-59554-611-1
- American Lion 978-1-4000-6325-3
- Anthropological Insights for Missionaries 801042917
- Big Questions, Worthy Dreams 978-0-470-90379-2
- Board Member Orientation 978-1-456304911
- Charlemagne 978-0-385-51670-9
- Christ the One and Only 1-84227-344-2
- Churches, Cultures & Leadership 978-0-8308-3926-1
- Conflict Mediation across Cultures 978-0-664-25609-8
- Created to Learn 978-080544727-9
- Cross-Cultural Conflict 978-0-8308-1657-6
- December 1941 978-1-5955-5457-4
- Decision Points 978-0-307-59061-9
- Deuternomy 978-0-8308-4281-0
- Equipping for Missions 1-92-122-20-9
- Erasing Hell 978-0-7814-0725-0
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God 978-0-8308-3412-9
- Exodus 9-780830-842025
- Foundational Issues in Christian Education 978-0-8010-3593-7
- How do you kill 11 Million People? 978-0-8499-4835-0
- In the Garden of Beasts 978-0-307-40884-6
- Jesus Calling 978-1-5914-5188-4
- Joshua 978-0-8308-4206-3
- Judges and Ruth 978-0-8308-4207-0
- Leading Across Cultures 978-0-8308-2578-3
- Leading Change 978-0-87584-747-4
- Leading Cross-Culturally 978-0-8010-3605-7
- Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach 978-0-7879-5967-8
- Leviticus 978-0-8308-4203-2
- Liberty Defined 978-1-4555-0144-1
- Many Colors 978-0-8024-5048-7
- Micro 978-0-06-087302-8
- New Birth or Rebirth 978-1-60142-319-1
- Not a fan 978-0-310-33193-3
- Numbers 978-0-8308-4204-9
- Obsessed 978-1-59554-078-2
- Of the Imitation of Christ 0-919649-14-9
- Organizational Culture and Leadership
- Polk 978-1-4000-6560-8
- Preparing to Serve 0-87808-260-3
- Rise to Rebellion 0-345-42753-X
- Seizing Your Divine Moment 0-7852-6430-2
- Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God 0-88368-415-2
- Taking Learning to Task 978-0-7879-5227-3
- The Brief Against Obama 978-1-4555-1630-8
- The Civil War - Ft. Sumter to Perryville 0-307-29042-5
- The Complete Christian Guide to Homosexuality 978-0-7369-2507-5
- The Fear 978-0-316-05173-6
- The Good and Beautiful Community 978-0-8308-3533-1
- The Potters Rib 1-57383-267-7
- The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask - 978-1-4143-1591-1
- The Tehran Initiative 978-1-4143-1935-3
- The Victory of Reason 0-8129-7233-3
- Three 978-1-59995-314-4
- Unbroken 978-1-4000-6416-8
- When Homosexuality Hits Home 978-0-7369-1201-3
Books Read in 2011
- 20 Things You Should Read 978-1-4143-0595-0
- A little exercise for young Theologians 978-0-8028-1198-1
- A Matter of Days 1-57683-375-5
- A Spirituality of Fundraising 978-0-8358-1044-9
- Against All Gods 978-0-8308-3738-0
- American Assassin 978-1-4165-9518-2
- April 1865 978-0-06-089968-4
- Be The People 978-0-8499-4828-2
- Bonhoeffer 978-1-5955-5138-2
- Christ and Culture 970-0-06-130003-5
- Church History in Plain Language 978-0-7180-2553-3
- Concise History of the Crusades 978-0-7425-3823-8
- Damned Women – Puritan New 978-0-8014-8611-1
- God Wins 978-1-4143-6666-1
- God's Battalions 978-0-06-158261-5
- Has Christianity Failed You? 978-0-310-36955-7
- Hearing God 978-0-8308-2226-3
- Heaven's Wager 849942411
- Hungry for God 978-0-310-33207-7
- Invitation to World Missions 978-0-8254-3883-7
- John Calvin and Evangelical Theology 978-0-664-23346-4
- King Leopold's Ghost 978-0-618-00190-3
- Knowing God 978-0-8308-1650-7
- Love Wins 978-0-06-204964-3
- Love Your God with all Your Heart 1-57683-016-0
- Luther the Reformer 978-0-8006-3597-8
- Mastermind 978-1-59523-072-0
- Nearing Home 978-0-8499-4832-9
- New Testament Textual Criticism 0-8010-1074-8
- No Less than Victory 978-0-345-49793-2
- Origins of Life 1-57683-344-5
- Perspectives on the Doctrine of God 978-080543060-8
- Poems - A. M. Klein
- Poems with a Purpose C. H. Lightbourn
- Practicing His Presence 978-0940232013
- Prophetic Untimeliness 0-8010-1260-0
- Rare Earth 0-387-98701-0
- Revolutions in Generosity 978-0-8024-6753-9
- Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger 0-8499-4530-5
- Sabbath 978-0-8499-4604-2
- Sailing the Wine Dark Sea 0-385-49554-4
- Saint Thomas Aquinas 978-1450516358
- Salem Possessed 978-0-674-78526-7
- Scouting the Divine 978-0-310-29122-0
- The Final Storm 978-0-345-49794-9
- The Global God 0-8010-2163-4
- The Grace of God 978-0-8499-4814-5
- The Grand Weaver 978-0-310-32495-9
- The Lost World of Genesis One 978-0-8308-3704-5
- The Next Christendom 978-0-19-976746-5
- The Poems of Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
- The Practice of the Presence of God 1602665702
- The Prophet's Song - Dennis Tenney
- The Reason for God 978-1-59448-349-3
- The Rise of Christianity 978-0-06-067701-5
- The Search for Christian America 0-93944315-5
- The Sower 0-9799907-9-3
- The Steel Wave 978-0-345-46142
- The Twelfth Imam 978-1-4143-1163-0
- Thunder of Heaven 978-0849945175
- Tim Tebow – Through my Eyes 978-0-06-200728-5
- War in the Bible and Terrorism in the 21st Century 978-1-57508-803-9
- When Christians act like Christians 978-0-9717722-2-9
- When Heaven Weeps 084994516X
- Word Pictures 978-0-8308-3709-0
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