Thursday, January 24, 2019

history Channel "Jesus-His Life" premiers Mar 25


In the weeks leading up to Easter, starting Mar 25th, History Channel has an 8 part series about the life of Jesus. Some well known and respected biblical scholars and theologians have teamed up to tell the story of Jesus and His life from the perspective of some of the people who knew him best.

About the show:
Jesus: His Life is an epic new drama-doc series revealing the enigmatic figure of Jesus as never before: through the eyes of the men and women closest to Him. Family, friends, followers, and those whose lives cross with his in dramatic ways, create a 360 portrait of Jesus – the man and the Messiah – from eight different and intimate perspectives: Joseph, John the Baptist, Mary, Caiaphas, Judas Iscariot, Peter, Pontius Pilate and Mary Magdalene. 


I'm including a link to the press release (which on my computer opens as a word document). Sounds exciting!
Press Release

Saturday, January 12, 2019

A warrior's quest for peace


Why does a warrior train the way he does?  Most of you probably would suggest that it has something to do with fighting and winning a war, but what if there really is another answer? Erwin Raphael McManus thinks there might be, and he explains why in his upcoming book The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace (Waterbrook, scheduled release date in late February 2019)

                And so Mcmanus explains the ‘Code of the Warrior’, with its multiple subsets. In the introduction he says that he was driving in Los Angeles one day when he heard something: “The warrior is not ready for battle until they have come to know peace. This is the way of the warrior.”   And from that voice, a book was born. The author bio states that McManus is known for his integration of creativity and spirituality, and that combination is certainly evident throughout this book.  HE starts by refuting the argument that the God of the Bible is a God of War.  Our God is a God of peace, it’s humanity who brought war into our story, and, McManus continues, ‘Since then, God has been fighting for us to find our way back to peace. “
                The ‘Code” consists of 8 chapters which, titled with action words, describe a warrior, and his quest for peace.  Interestingly enough, there are many ways to define or describe peace, and these 8 chapters apply to the quest for any one of them. Although the majority of the references listed are biblical in nature, McManus tends to use a lot of his own personal experiences as examples. Using the Bible, personal experiences, and the occasional favorite movie, the author is able to paint a picture of how a warrior’s training for battle, equips him to seek, and find peace. Humility and service figure into the equation, along with strength, perseverance, and truth.
                What a treat to discover, through the pages of this book, that when I’m fighting to win a battle, that I’m fighting the wrong fight, or perhaps a right fight for the wrong reasons.  Instead my battles should be geared toward finding my way back to the peace that God wants me to experience.
                I received a unedited proof of this book as a part of the publisher’s launch team. Quick disclaimer, Erwin Raphael McManus is one of my favorite authors, and he doesn’t disappoint with this book.
                5/5