"What You Need to Know About Bible Prophecy" by Max Anders

Snack of Choice:

Those mini powdered doughnuts. Not doughnut holes, just mini’s. While I don’t mind the white powdered ones, I prefer the cinnamon ones.  But beggars can’t be choosers considering I have none of them in the house right now.  But I can almost taste it – that count’s right?

Story behind the Story:
I first encountered Max, may I call him Max? Ok. Sorry. Mr. Anders. I first encountered Mr. Anders... oh, DR. Anders... [sigh]. My wife bought me a set of commentaries with this distinguished theologian as it’s editor (Holman), so when I saw his name, I figured I could go with it. Also, it was a nice complement to “Dug Down Deep” which totally avoided the “Bible Prophecy” and eschatological discussion (end times).  Thomas Nelson provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Story Line:
Sometimes when we talk about Bible prophecy, we jump to those end time debates; but Dr. Max takes his time to introduce the idea of prophecy and it’s part in the story of the Bible. It’s one book in a series of “What you need to know[s]” that deal with many key doctrines of the Bible. It is intended to be a study that is broken up into 12 lessons with application times at the end of each.  He is methodical in defining terms and ideas that are important to understanding the whole. He gives each perspective a “chance” to speak without ridicule and shame.

The Real Story:
There is a tendency when dealing with difficult subjects to give credence to every viewpoint without pointing out potential weaknesses.  I appreciate the focus on what we do agree on; but as a book written by a Biblical scholar, I’d expect to hear an opinion.  The following seems to sum up the Doctor's philosophy:  

Equally bright, well-educated, spiritually mature people hold to different views of the Millennuim.  Therefore, we must conclude that we are now not able to discern the true interpretation of Scripture and that, in God’s grace, there will often be more than one interpretation that is responsible, even if none gains the full agreement of all our brothers and sister in Christ.  As a result, while each of us holds a deep conviction concerning our own view, we should do so with grace and with respect for others who hold one of the other two positions (99).

Let me be clear, I agree with the above statement; but I’m disappointed that Dr. Anders didn’t share his deep conviction with us.

Some of the standout aspects of this books format is “Speed Bumps” with discussion questions, fill in the blanks, deeper study, and additional resources. Great, great stuff!  Helps the reader to slow down and make sure they know what they are learning. I love the way the main headings in question form are answered in a definition sort of way before details are delved into. For example, [Heading] “What is the Rapture?” [Sub heading in italics] “The Rapture is the sudden departure of all Christians to meet Christ in the air.”

All in all, I still think this is a great resource for a believer who is trying to understand Bible prophecy.  I’d recommend it in conjunction with some godly counsel and, of course, God’s Word.

Check out:
Books of Daniel and Revelation – or “Dan/Rev” as Dr. Bowman always called it.

“Plowshares & Pruning Hook” by D. Brent Sandy – it’s a good conversation about how literal is literal. Subtitled: “Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic”

Rating:
4 out of 5 fulfilled prophecies, and looking forward to the Lord taking care of the rest. 

"Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris

Snack of Choice:

It’s a classic. The original Frosted Mini-Wheats. Except take the mini out of it. I like the big bite ones. The ones I grew up with and gave me the energy to be the student that I was always supposed to be.  At least that’s what the ad agency wanted me to believe.  

Story behind the Story:
Speaking of classics – this author’s previous work is a permanent fixture in the halls of classic Christian literature.  You know the one I’m talking about.  If you went through puberty in the Christian culture in the late 90’s, you’ve kissed dating goodbye at least once, too.  So of course I wanted to see if the author had moved beyond the dating scene. And Multnomah was happy to oblige me. They provided me with a free copy of “Dug Down Deep,” and in return I provide the honest review.

Story Line:
In a world of shallow faiths, Joshua Harris sets out to explain what grounds us in ours.  It’s a self-proclaimed systematic theology book – meaning that it addresses topically issues of theology (God, Man, Sin, etc.), but unlike many of those books it is filled with personality, testimony, illustrations, and conversation. Like the back of the book says, “Readable. Relevant. Powerful.”

Strong theology is set against the backdrop of the Amish community (made more powerful by just one episode of “Breaking Amish”), his father’s faith story, and his own journey’s mistakes and breakthroughs.

The Real Story:
While reading this work, I kept forgetting he’s not still 21. Not his fault, just my own bias. And, I think, as a result, I’m blown away by his grounded words and excellent content.

Thematically, Josh Harris addresses the issues that many contemporary books are also talking about – the problems of casual Christianity.  Books and movements like “Not a Fan” and “I Am Second” are exposing our need, but my personal feeling is that this book provides the Scripture and God’s work in our lives as the primary source of that firm ground.  This book is filled with Scripture and their references.  So essential! And so lacking in much of the Christian pop books (aka, “Christian Living”) that fill the shelves of Christian bookstores. I was also glad to see a study guide tacked on to the end, great small group material.

He took some risks (and I was glad) on specifics of Christian theology that tend to put people in camps, but his heart was evident throughout his writing.  Even if you disagreed with a point of his theology, you couldn’t disregard him as a follower of Christ, because you could sense the humility and passion for the truth. It’s hard to be angry with someone like that.

Noticeably absent was any eschatological material (End Times stuff).  Maybe those camps are just too entrenched for any type of discussion among this “humble orthodoxy.”

Check out:
“Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman - While I’m not the books biggest fan, I still appreciate it in conjunction with this one.

Rating:
5 out of 5 rocks on which to build your house and life.