Review: Live Second

My review of: "Live Second"

Periodically I review books for Thomas Nelson

This is my latest book review - I hope you find this helpful.

 

Live Second –  365 Ways to Make Jesus First

Before I get specifically into the book "Live Second", I will say I love the "I Am Second" website, video clips (testimonies), and the fact that they have chapters all over the country.  I also find "I Am Second" so refreshing in a world where we are so me-centered (self-centered), as their entire premise is that Jesus must be first in our lives.

As I read through this book, "Live Second", I was somewhat disappointed. There are days where the devotions are great, others when there did not seem to be much depth in what was said.  Day 1 of each week was probably the part I liked most where you are directed to a specific video testimony on their site with a different person each week. Very inspiring! But then the questions asked on Day 1 after watching the video are the same generic questions each week for the entire book. I believe questions related to the video testimony would add so much to the book.  The "Talk with God" are good, although most were too brief, but at least they are directly related to the devotion for each day. Where as the "Live it,  How can you live more second today?" and then the "Tell it. How will you share what was learned?" is repeated in so many devotions, that after the first few devotions I feel it is not necessary to keep taking up space with these repetitive questions. The space would be better used for longer devotions or a longer section on "Talk with God."

I am only giving it 3 stars for some of the above stated improvements I feel are needed in his book. If you are part of a "I Am Second" group and/or using this book for a group discussion, although it still could be better, it definitely would be a good addition to your "I Am Second" group.  If I ran an "I am Second" group I would encourage people to use this book.

Note: Thomas Nelson gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, and these opinions are my own.

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"Are you a ROCKMAN or SANDMAN"

 

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:24-27 (It's best to read the entire chapter)

7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them NOT, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

This is an interesting passage, yet it is quite a simple passage to see Jesus' "MAIN POINT." Most of the time you hear people say we need to be founded upon the ROCK which is JESUS, which is True, but that is not the SPECIFIC principle Jesus was teaching here. Jesus was teaching what makes a person have a solid foundation or an unstable foundation or what makes one a "wise man" or a "foolish man," which comes down to ONE thing, which is whether we DO what we hear or not. Let's look at the difference between the "Wise Man" (Rock man) and "Foolish Man" (Sand man).

WISE MAN (built house on rock)	FOOLISH MAN (built house upon sand)
heareth these sayings: Doeth them rains descended floods came winds blew beat upon that house It Fell Not	heareth these sayings: Doeth them not rains descended floods came winds blew beat upon that house Great was its fall

What is the difference? As you can see, the only difference is one was a doer of what he heard and the other was not a doer of what he heard. They both heard the same thing, had the same set of circumstances, but one fell and one did not, because one was a doer of the WORD and the other was a hearer only. James 1:22 says, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

These scriptures makes it quite clear that we are deceived and in for a great (big) fall if we think hearing alone will benefit our lives. We can hear all the Bible studies, devotions, sermons, Christian conferences, Christian workshops, etc.; but if there is NO application you are not on a good foundation. I will say here that that should not be a discouragement from hearing (learning), as it is the first step to being a DOER.  I can't DO what I don't hear.  So, we need to HEAR! Then, we need to DO! I personally don't do 100% of what I hear (even though I should), but thank God I DO a lot of what I hear.  That DOING is where my foundation in Christ is established. Just for the record, I am NOT talking about "good works," but BEING DOERS OF GOD'S WORD.  There is a difference. If God's Word clearly tells us something then our goal should be to DO it.  

Do you want to establish a Firm (Solid Rock) Foundation? Then start putting God's Word to practice in your life. I promise you God who can not lie will bless your life!

I appreciate all your hunger for God's Word and hope to impart that which would make a Godly difference in your life.

The Devotional Life Is Almost Crowded Out

I love writing devotions, but when I find a devotion by someone, such as this one, that though written so many years ago (way before cell phone and computers), all I can think is how "more" true this words ring today.  I must share this with others.  May it speak to you all in this modern days of distraction, often taking us away from that which matters most - Time alone in quietness with our Lord!  - Jim (jim@biblefood.org)

Devotion by A.W. Tozer

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business… 

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without…. 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12 

We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity!

Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible, multiplying distractions and beating us down by destroying our solitude.

“Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still” is a wise and healing counsel, but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all. No spot is now safe from the world’s intrusion.

One way the civilized world destroys men is by preventing them from thinking their own thoughts. Our “vastly improved methods of communication” of which the shortsighted boast so loudly now enable a few men in strategic centers to feed into millions of minds alien thought stuff, ready-made and predigested.

Are you burning the candle at both ends...

 

 

The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today. Even the majority of Christians are so completely conformed to this present age that they, too, want things the way they are.

However, there are some of God’s children who have had enough. They want to relearn the ways of solitude and simplicity and gain the infinite riches of the interior life. They want to discover the blessedness of what has been called “spiritual aloneness”—a discipline that will go far in making us acquainted with God and our own souls!