A brief, heartfelt work but one that’s certainly heterodox and controversial.
A debut book about claiming the power of Pentecost for the church of today.
Newton challenges fellow Christians to use the power of the Holy Spirit, gifted to the church at Pentecost, in order to prepare for “spiritual battle”; at the same time, he warns the church against errors of complacency and worldliness. The author begins by explaining the background leading up to the story of Pentecost—the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, as found in the book of Acts. He also discusses the immediate ramifications of the Pentecost experience: an empowerment of the apostolic church to go forth and begin a widespread conversion effort. Newton then asserts that there are three principles of Pentecost: obedience, sanctification, and becoming of one accord. He notes that all three must be “working simultaneously together, to achieve the Pentecostal effect.” He elaborates by saying that “The general idea of Pentecost is to summon the presence and power of God.” The author speaks from the vantage point of a Pentecostalist tradition (specifically, the Assemblies of God), but many other Christians may find the concept of summoning God’s power to be difficult to accept. They may find it easier, however, to accept Newton’s view that obedience, sanctity, and harmony give the Holy Spirit a better outlet to work through the lives of believers. The author rightly notes that, in too many cases, these principles aren’t found in modern churches. “The church is supposed to be a watering hole for the saints,” he says, “but instead it is a breeding ground for devils and demons.” However, the author also asserts that humanity is definitively witnessing the signs of the end times, pointing to the rapid change in views on homosexuality and “the prevalence of the works of the flesh.” Socially progressive readers will be taken aback by Newton’s treatment of homosexuality in particular (“Homophobia is a word created by Satan himself to deceive the world into accepting homosexual behavior”).
A brief, heartfelt work but one that’s certainly heterodox and controversial.Pub Date: June 24, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5175-1469-3
Page Count: 98
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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