Rainbows Of Faith

Raised Right By Alisa Harris

rainbowsoffaith — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:22:05 +0000

Raised Right is about Alisa growing up in a family who took her to pro-life rallies at a very young age. Even though she didn’t fully understand why they were standing in front of a building holding signs she knew it was to help save the lives of babies. Alisa was homeschooled and her world seemed all in.a neat order. When Alisa got older she loved to debate other homeschoolers on the greatness of her favorite president, President Ronald Regan. Alisa enjoyed helping alongside her family with political campaigns.

When Alisa went off to college she discovered that the world outside her family life wasn’t always so black and white. College life exposed her to typical young adult activities like smoking and drinking. Alisa became a journalist and instead of being behind the picket line protesting gays, abortion clinics, etc she was in the swirl of it all to get the scoop from the other side of the barricade. Witnessing the other side of the barricade changed Alisa’s view of politics. Rather than yelling for justice, Alisa wondered if all the yelling was truly changing the world vs actually helping people, like the homeless for instance.

This short book I was hoping would be similar to Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans, but sadly it wasn’t. Maybe because I am not into politics to begin with I wasn’t as into Alisa’s story as I hoped I’d be. If you like politics and want to see how someone enmeshed in them was able to separate her faith from her political stance I might recommend reading this book. If you don’t like politics, but do have faith I’m not sure I’d recommend this title. It’s a bit on the dry side. Not that Alisa is dry personality wise, but it just wasn’t one that stirred my heart strings.

I received my copy of Raised Right by Alisa Harris via Waterbrook Press’s Blogging for Books program free of charge in exchange for this book review that is strictly mine.

The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers

rainbowsoffaith — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:35:19 +0000

The book Perfect Love is a great book that explores the ways in which God loves us. Ruth talks about the different ways in which God loves us through sharing stories from her life that show how God stepped in and was there for her; whether it was dealing with being a missionary overseas, dealing with her first husband getting sick, or struggling with her faith in Him Ruth talks honestly. The way Ruth writes is like she wrote her book just for you. Her style is warm, comforting and yet her words can bring conviction when necessary. I wasn’t able to fully read this whole devotional, but what I read of it spoke to me.

If you are looking for a devotional that is written in an easy to understand manner, has examples from life that aren’t cliché and digs deep into God’s word then I highly recommend this book. It will bless you in its raw honesty and let you know that you aren’t alone, that God does love you no matter what you are facing in life at the moment.

I received my free eBook copy of Perfect Love by Ruth Myers from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for the strict purposes of posting a review. This is via their Blogging for Books program and my review is solely mine.

Stop By….

rainbowsoffaith — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:59:42 +0000

www.brokenathisfeet.wordpress.com

Hell, Rob Bell And What Happens When People Die by Bobby Conway

rainbowsoffaith — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:11:25 +0000

I didn’t fully understand why well-known Christians were so venomous towards Rob Bell, but after reading Conway’s book I understand why the reaction was so negative. I must admit that with my first only reading through of Love Wins I liked the book. At the time I was going through a time when I was looking at the idea of Universal Salvation and wondering if the few who hold that belief were onto something. I thought I understood Bell’s point of view, but after reading Conway’s book I think I’m seeing the other side of the story, the side that is screaming: FALSE!

I grew up learning about God, Jesus, being a sinner saved by Grace, the cross, the resurrection and about the fruits of the spirit. Hell was mentioned, but I don’t think I ever recall hearing a truly classic hellfire and brimstone sermon ever. I grew up Presbyterian, so maybe that has something to do with it. It sort of reminds me of when in high school being told that you don’t want to end up like so and so, rather than being told the true reason why I should be saving myself for marriage. My church I grew up in focused on grace, which is great and important, but it’s like being given a light overview of what else could possibly happen if I didn’t believe in Jesus as my Savior.

Conway takes the different points of Bell’s book and explains where he feels Bell is going off course when it comes to being in line with scripture or not. I couldn’t see while reading the book why other believers were so sickened by Bell’s book. I thought Bell might be on to something, that maybe, just maybe God would save every single person whether they chose to believe in Him or not via their own personal free will. Reading how Bell is not in line with scripture through a lot of his book makes me pause. For awhile I hopped that Universal Salvation was a possible outcome, a possible hope that everyone would get a second chance after death to realize their love for Christ, but then in a way that theory makes me think of Buddhism and how some believe we keep being reborn to live a better life each time. Maybe my head has been in the clouds through all my years of church. If I had been raised on a good dose of Hell sermons growing up I might have been able to read Bell’s book with a more discerning eye then just gobbling up what sounds good to my own ears.

I think I would have to reread Love Wins to fully grasp where Conway sees the missteps in Bell’s book. I think society is sick of the negative sounds of being told they will go to Hell if they don’t believe exactly X, Y, Z. It’s not pleasant to be told you’ll be in agony without relief nonstop for forever. That kind of thing sounds sadistic and when people are told that God is love, how can love consider torturing people as it being justice, but then that depends on if someone believes that people have free will to choose if they believe in Christ is God or not. If people have free will to choose then it’s by their own choice to reject God/Christ/the Holy Spirit.

If you’ve heard the hype about Love Wins and you’ve read Love Wins I’d recommend reading Conway’s book. Whether you are pro or con regarding Love Wins I would still recommend Conway’s book since it gives you the other view-point. Part of me still thinks that Bell is a Universalist even though he’s said he’s not. Universal Salvation is what first came to mind when reading Love Wins. I think my brain is a bit on overload after reading Conway’s book. I want to thank Conway for being gracious and not slamming Bell as a person, but reviewing Love Wins in an honest manner.

I received my free eBook copy of Hell, Rob Bell And What Happens When People Die by Bobby Conway from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for the strict purposes of posting a review. This is via their Blogging for Books program and my review is solely mine.

Gotta Love Quizes

rainbowsoffaith — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 04:19:16 +0000

On Go To Quiz I got:

You are 57% Fundamentalist Christian!

You are, without a doubt, a Christian. You seem to know the Bible marginally well — which is all that is required by the church… we don’t want you getting TOO educated about the Bible — but you should pay more attention to your pastor and cling to his unerring word.

On SelectSmart.com I got this answer:

(100%) Church of Christ/Campbellite

(98%) Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic)

(98%) Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.)

(96%) Congregational/United Church of Christ

(94%) Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist

(94%) Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene

(82%) Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God

(76%) Eastern Orthodox

(75%) Lutheran

(75%) Seventh-Day Adventist

(73%) Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England

(66%) Presbyterian/Reformed

(61%) Roman Catholic

Go To Quiz:

What kind of Christian are you? Your Result: You Are An Evangelical You believe that salvation is by grace through faith. That each element is indispensible in bringing a man/woman to salvation. You tend to interpet the bible as it was written and do not seek to add to or take away from its meaning based on your own theology
You Are A Pentacostal
You Are A Catholic
You Are A Protestant

A Bleepity Day

rainbowsoffaith — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:42:34 +0000

Some days you just want to re-wake up and start your day all over. Today I’m having one of those days. It’s been a plain bleepity day to put it in nice terms. When I start to bleep in my head I know I’m struggling with a bad attitude. I hate being in a grouchy, pissy, bitchy, mean, leave me the BLEEP alone mood. I feel bad. My poor husband is trying to have a nice day with me and I’ve not been the best of company at all. I traded in a bunch of my own books to try to lessen how much I own and he was able to find a book (YAY), but then of course I didn’t which is a rare occurrence for me. I tried to feed my Bible fetish, but he was good in telling me to put it back. “One is enough.” Yep he’s got that right. Then I was getting a glass of water and ended up dropping the glass. Hopefully I got all the tiny clear shards that weren’t blue picked up. One glass down, a few more left to break. I’ve changed the bed sheets in my grumpy mood, mopped our bathroom and now the kitchen to sweep up any remaining shards and have gotten started on finishing up laundry, so I am being productive in my foul mood. Why can’t I be all happy and great company today? It’s probably my lingering girlie visit that won’t go away. Sometimes being a woman SUCKS! Here’s to trying to improve the rest of my day so my husband doesn’t feel cheated out of his day off to spend it with grump old me.

Jim And Casper Go To Church by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper

rainbowsoffaith — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:54:42 +0000

What would it be like to take an Atheist to church and get their full take on the church experience? For Jim Henderson, an expastor, he decides to find out what someone outside the church box thinks. Jim takes along Matt Aka Casper. They both agree to be fully honest in their reactions to the different churches they visit. At each stop they bust out their laptops to take notes. Some of the well known churches they visit are: Saddleback, The Potter’s House (T.D. Jake’s church), Lakewood (Joel Olsteen’s church), Mosaic (Erwin McManus’ church) and some small unknown churches.

Reading Casper’s reaction is at times eye opening and at others I felt like shouting, “Amen,” to his keen observations. Even Jim agrees with some of Casper’s reactions. Hearing about said mega churches made me sad. It showed that for all the glitz, glamour and show like quality it didn’t make Casper want to return neccessarily. Casper saw through the fancy cover and wondered where the meat and potatoes are. The fluffy churches felt fake where as the small churches felt more authentic. Casper wasn’t rude in his reactions. He was honest and I have to agree with Casper that most of the churches they visited felt forced in their presentation.

If you want to see what a nonbeliever sees pick up a copy of this book. It challenges the church to stop acting perfect and to be honest with themselves and visitors. Sadly only a few times were Jim and Casper greeted by non regulated greeters at the churches they visited. We’ve become a religious social club that is weary of the visitors who just might challenge our comfort zone. It is time to meet that with open arms and love.

Murder By Family by Kent Whitaker

rainbowsoffaith — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:46:00 +0000

I bought this slim little book at the 99 cent store. Who can pass up paying 99 cents for a hardback book? The cover shows a family photo where every one is dressed up in crisp white shirts with jeans and they all look happy. Also, on the cover is a picture of a gun that’s a bit blurry, that’s on top of a news article that has been faded. The cover of this book doesn’t give the inside of it justice.

This book is the true story of Kent Whitaker’s life and the event on Dec. 10, 2003 that changed his world forever. Kent’s story is beyond gut wrenching. As a believer I know we are told to forgive our enemies, but what if the enemy is your own flesh and blood? What if your own son plots to kill you and just about succeeds? What if it’s not merely your life that is almost snuffed out, but your spouse along with your other adult son? Kent writes his account of events in honest, heart wrenching detail. He doesn’t candy coat his process of forgiving his son, but shows how in the worst case scenario it is possible to forgive with God’s help.

I just finished this book a few moments ago and part of me wants to bawl my eyes out nonstop. To think this father can forgive such a dark act and betrayal is mind-blowing. After reading this book I know I have a long way to go when it comes to learning to truly forgive. This book was written beautifully and it is a great testament to how faith can go through a literal type of Hell and emerge on the other side.

Primal by Mark Batterson

rainbowsoffaith — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:08:38 +0000

Primal is a book about getting to the deepest part of Christianity. Pastor Mark of National Community Church in the DC area has written Primal with a thinking outside the box mentality. He challenges his readers to not settle for the same old way of expressing their faith. An example he gives is extending your giving to a cause you have a heart for and planning your finances around your giving rather than your giving being mere leftovers that are an after thought. A cause example he gave is sponsoring a child in a third world country. Another idea he gave is to discover God ideas, which are ideas God puts on your heart that you think seem impossible, but as we know nothing is impossible with God. Mr. Batterson also talks about how the coming reformation needs to be stepping outside the usual way of being a Christian. His church for instance meets in a theater and their welcome packet looks like a bucket of popcorn. There are other ideas and points he makes regarding us returning to our primal form of Christianity.

This book is very slim, but it packs a lot of wonderful insight. Mr. Batterson’s church might be hip and modern, but there is even more meat to his ministry. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. I was not in the mood for a Christian fluff book. Thankfully it turned out not to be fluff. I received my free copy of Primal by Mark Batterson from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for the strict purposes of posting a review. This is via their Blogging for Books program and my review is solely mine.

Happy Blog Birthday!

rainbowsoffaith — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 02:35:56 +0000

Today my blog Rainbows Of Faith is one year old. This past year has brought many adventures. I started out with one purpose for this blog and it has morphed into something quite a bit different. I don’t always stay on topic and my themes can be random.

I want to say thank you to my readers who stop by to read or comment. Through blogging I have discovered a few other wonderful bloggers who inspire me and have become friends. If you are new to Rainbows Of Faith I want to give out a hearty welcome. May my words be worth your time and comment.
Love you all!

Here is to another year filled with wonder, growth and more adventure in my Christian walk. Its not going to be easy, but with my blog by my side I know I’m going to record an awesome year.


		Assembly of God, Foursquare Church, other pentecostals

		Jesus Is Lord Church, other born again christians
		Kenneth Copeland Ministries, other Faith/Prosperity preachers
		Paula White Ministries, other lady preachers
		Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch), Inc.
		Roman Catholic Church
		Seventh Day Adventist Church, other Sabbath keepers
		Ariel Ministries
		El Shaddai
		Fundamental Baptist Church, other Baptist Churches
		Joel Osteen Ministries
		Members Church of God International (Ang Dating Daan)
		United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Lutherans, Methodists
		Assembly of Yahweh, messianic believers
		Church of Christ
		The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
		The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name
		United Pentecostal Church, other oneness pentecostals
		Jesus Miracle Crusade
		King James Baptist Church
		Iglesia ni Kristo
		Judaism
		Islam
		Jehovah’s Witnesses
		Restoration Fellowship, Unitarians, Christadelphians

Which Christian denomination do you belong to? Your Result: Baptist As a Baptist, you believe that the saved are commanded to be baptised as a public display of their faith. You are strongly opposed to the whole idea of infant baptism. After all, it’s not recored in the Bible, and it is impossible for a child, still innocent in the eyes of God, to accept Christ with all its heart, and be forgiven for future sins. Baptists share many views with mainstream reformed churches regarding matters such as infallable scripture, evangelism, the Trinity, and the Second Coming of Christ. However, Baptists also place a huge emphasis on religious freedom, believing strongly in the autonomy of local churches, and more generally the separation of church and state.
Puritan
Calvinist
Methodist
Pentecostal
Lutheran
Restorationist
Episcopalian
Catholic

What Christian Denomination are you? Your Result: Presbyterian/Calvinist Local congregations are governed by Sessions made up of representatives of the congregation, a conciliar approach which is found at other levels of decision-making (Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly). Theoretically, there are no bishops in Presbyterianism; however, some groups in Eastern Europe, and in ecumenical groups, do have bishops. The office of elder is another distinctive mark of Presbyterianism: these are specially commissioned non-clergy who take part in local pastoral care and decision-making at all levels. The roots of Presbyterianism lie in the European Reformation of the 16th century, with the example of John Calvin’s Geneva being particularly influential. Most Reformed churches who trace their history back to Scotland are either Presbyterian or Congregationalist in government.
Lutheran
Baptist
Mennonite/Amish/Anabaptist
Methodist/Wesleyan
Episcopalian/Anglican
Orthodox
Catholic