Book Review: He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado

Why did Jesus Christ die on the cross? Why did he allow himself to endure the torture, the humility, and the horrendous pain? What stories are told by the thorns, the timbers, the nails, the wine and the blood? Max Lucado provides answers to these questions in his own unique style in his book He Chose the Nails, What God Did to Win Your Heart.

Max Lucado takes the biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and weaves it into answers of why and what God did on the cross to win your heart, your love. He utilizes each specific item to tell a joyous, yet heart-wrenching story of the agony Christ experiences on the cross in taking the punishment which should have been ours. He goes into exquisite detail about the stories told by the tools of torture challenging the reader to listen intently to what they are saying to all of humanity.

The message Max Lucado presents in He Chose the Nails, What God Did to Win Your Heart touches my heart deeply. It is written in a manner so anyone can readily understand this message. He closes the book with a challenge to take all of our moments, the bad, the mad, the anxious, and the final moment of life to the foot of the cross and leave them there. This statement had and still has a profound effect on me (I quote from the book):

"You know, Max, if I leave all those moments at the cross, I won't have any moments left but good ones."

If you are looking for inspiration, if you are looking for a reason to continue to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, I recommend reading He Chose the Nails, What God Did to Win Your Heart by Max Lucado highly. Slow down and let the words speak to the depths of your soul and your spirit.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Book Review: Unashamed To Bear His Name by R.T. Kendall

"For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed (Luke 9:26)."

These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ speaking about bearing the shame of him. Is there a stigma involved in following Christ? Should following Jesus cause a stigma? Are we, should we be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus Christ? The simple meaning of the word stigma is a mark of shame or discredit.

R.T. Kendall addresses the stigma of bearing the name of Jesus in his book, Unashamed To Bear His Name, Embracing the Stigma of Being A Christian. The author reaches into his personal background and experience and goes into great detail about the stigma and scandal of following after and bearing the name of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 2 of the book begins with a look at Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," diving directly into the destigmatizing of the gospel which is so evident in our day. The author steps into embracing the shame of the name in chapter 5 where he speaks of the anointing and the greater the anointing the greater the suffering for it. Chapter 7 speaks of dealing with unnecessary scandal and stigma.

Chapter 9, The Reason the Jews Missed Their Messiah is very interesting. R.T. Kendall puts forward a reason which I have never thought of before, seeking the praise which comes from men instead of God. He then follows this chapter with a chapter dealing with the stigma of no vindication. He closes out the book with a chapter dealing with being outside the camp, again offering excellent insight.

While I cannot agree with every doctrine put forward by R.T. Kendall in Unashamed To Bear His Name, Embracing the Stigma of Being A Christian, I can recommend this book as a challenge to accepting the shame, scandal, and stigma of bearing the name of Jesus.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers as a part of their reviewers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."