Category Archives: The Randleman Review

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Book Review – The Daniel Code by O. S. Hawkins

The Daniel CodeOne of my favorite periods of history is Old Testament history, especially around the time of the exile to Babylon. We know so little about this period, and the next few hundred years until the coming of Christ. It’s an intriguing period of history.

It is during this time frame that the events in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther occurred. And it is during this time frame that Daniel lived and served in Babylon. And Daniel is one of my favorite Old Testament books.

O. S. Hawkins has written a brief and easy to read overview of Daniel’s life and legacy called The Daniel Code. In this book, he looks at some of the major events recorded in the first six chapters of Daniel, and shows how they are especially relevant to our own times. The similarities are pretty overwhelming.

We live in a culture that has thrown truth out the window. Daniel lived in a very similar culture. Our biggest challenge is how to live lives of truth in such a culture. Daniel faced the same challenge, and he lived a life of integrity in the face of such challenges. He lived and served for a long time, under kings in both the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms. And he stayed faithful to God through several different extreme circumstances.

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Book Review – The Watchers In Jewish And Christian Traditions

The Watchers In Jewish And Christian TraditionsOver the past couple of years, I have developed a deeper interest in early Christian history, and even more, pre-Christian history. I have enjoyed digging into the beliefs and events surrounding the communities at Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, and other events and occurrences during the late second temple period of Jewish history.

As a result, I read the book of 1 Enoch, and other period literature, as well as some more contemporary accounts of this time period. Most recently, I finished reading The Watchers In Jewish and Christian Traditions.

I found it to be very interesting and thought provoking. The concept of the Watchers comes from a brief statement found in Genesis 6, about the sons of God and the daughters of men. This small portion of Scripture has produced volumes of historical speculation and study, including 1 Enoch.

I feel that this is based on a faulty interpretation of this passage, and that the information contained in this short excerpt from Genesis 6 has been taken to mean something that it does not. My own views notwithstanding, I have enjoyed studying what other interpretations have been over the centuries. The Watchers is a great overview of that course of study. Each chapter is written by a different scholar, and provides an overview of the concept of “watchers,” the offspring of the sons of God and daughters of men, throughout these various periods of Jewish and Christian history.

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Book Review – Photographs From The Edge by Art Wolfe

Photographs From The EdgeI enjoy photography. I especially enjoy landscape and nature photography, or other artistic expressions of imagery through the medium of the photograph. In the process of becoming more creative in this area on my own, I enjoy seeing the work of other people. I find it inspiring most of the time.

Photographs From The Edge is full of inspiration. Art Wolfe is gifted when it comes to seeing the world in different ways, and capturing it in an image. He’s been doing it for more than forty years, and his work is pretty impressive and creative.

Art Wolfe has traveled the world and captured images form all over. His work spans the categories of scenic landscapes, animals, the sky, and people of various cultures.He is truly a master at his work, and brings that to life on the pages of Photographs From The Edge.

Upon receiving this book, I have spent countless hours browsing the pages, finding something new each time I open it. I am truly fascinated of his capabilities, and his eye for seeing the world like few others do. Photographs From The Edge is a volume that you should have on your shelf or coffee table. It will inspire you, and help you see more of the world around you.

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Book Review – NKJV Word Study Bible

NKJV Word Study BibleAs a minister, one of the things I spend a lot of time with is the original languages the Bible was written in. In college, I took three years of New Testament Greek, so I know something of the basics of that language. I don’t utilize it as often as I should, and so it has become a little rusty. And, where the Old Testament is concerned, I only took one semester of Hebrew. I know so little of that language.

As a result, as I am studying for lessons or sermons, I find myself frequently using a stash of various resources to help me find the exact definition and usage of a word. This is a critical aspect of my studies, simply because our English language is so far removed from the original languages of the Bible, and meanings and definitions are important to understand. As a simplified illustration, in the English language, we have the word “love.” But in Greek, there are at least three different major terms that we translate as “love,” and even more in the Hebrew language. It’s helpful to know just what the author intended when he wrote.

That is why I love the NKJV Word Study Bible. Although this is not an exhaustive resource with everything you’d need for your studies, it does contain 1700 different key words that can give the reader a much deeper understanding of their meaning and intent.

The text is laid out in an easy to read, two column format. I wish it was printed all in black, but headings and chapter notations are printed in a slate blue color. The word study text boxes are also printed in this color, helping to differentiate them from the main text of Scripture.

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Book Review – When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks

When Death Draws NearMost of the time, I read material that is challenging to me in some area of my life, or historical material and biographies. Over the past few years, I have found this to be increasingly the case. However, once in a while, I still enjoy a good fictional novel. And Carrie Stuart Parks has provided a great story in the most recent novel I have read.

When Death Draws Near is the story of Gwen Marcey, a forensic artist. When her help is requested in rural Kentucky, she is drawn into a web full of multiple deaths, a radical variant of a faith she struggles with, and her own failures and worries. Full of suspense and intrigue, Parks weaves a tale that draws the reader into the life of Marcey, and creates a world that is hard to let go of until the last page is turned.

This is the first time I have read anything by Parks, and I am impressed. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. Although she does not reach the level of some of my favorite authors, she has considerable talent and the ability to create a world that the reader is drawn into easily. Her characters are interesting and she develops them well. My only negative about this novel is that sometimes it was too fast paced. More than once, significant events occurred in the story line with little preparation for them. I was left wondering where that came from.

Many times a plot twist will create the same kind of tension, but in a better way. In Parks’ case, a bit more development between such significant events would help to smooth this a bit.

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Book Review – Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

Understanding ExposureI love photography. Some of my favorite feeds on Instagram are photographers, especially nature and landscape photographers. In fact, that is one of my lifelong hobbies, landscape photography.

And although I may not have the following that many of the “pros” have, I rather enjoy many of the images I take. Recently, I have decided to make this more of a source of income, and have launched a photography business in our community. I would rather specialize in nature photos, but that is a pretty small niche. And so I must include people.

My goal is to capture those moments in the lives of people and families that carry significant meaning, and provide a photographic record of them that will inspire memories for years to come.

In order to do that, I need to know my equipment as well as I can. I need to understand the concepts of what makes a great photo, rather than just a mediocre photo. And one of the key elements of that is exposure.

I recently received a copy of Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Since I am a reader by nature, and learn best in that fashion, I have several books on photography and exposure. This one is, by far, the best one I have.

Peterson covers the basics, aperture, shutter speed and light, just like the rest do. But he defines and explains things in a way that is more understandable, more graspable. That really helps me when I’m out in the field with my camera in my hand. The information is there in my head, and I am able to think through it as I snap the shots.

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Book Review – The Pug List by Alison Hodgson

The Pug ListWe have a pug. Her name is Molly Mollypop. She is almost nine years old, and she is a clown.

When we got Molly, we had no idea just how crazy our life would become. She is nuts, and has completely changed our lives. So when I saw The Pug List, by Alison Hodgson, I decided that it might be an interesting read, simply because of the common interest in pugs.

I was not wrong. The Pug List is an incredible story of hope and joy after extremely difficult circumstances. The premise of the book is tragic. The Hodgson family suffered an intentional house fire set by a completely random individual. They lost everything. In the midst of that recovery, they adopted a pug named Oliver. Oliver is the glue that held this family together in more ways than one as they regained their sense of balance as a family.

Oliver decided upon adoption that Eden, the youngest of the three Hodgson children, was her owner. We can relate to that. Molly has attached herself permanently to our oldest daughter. Make no mistake; Molly is her dog, and her dog alone. She only tolerates the rest of us, and usually only if my daughter is gone. It’s pretty funny.

Don’t get me wrong, she loves the rest of the family, but she belongs to one person. Eden experienced this same thing with Oliver. He was her dog, and everyone knew it. And Oliver is the healing package that God sent for Eden as she struggled to regain her balance after her world was destroyed. If not for Oliver, who know how well Eden would have recovered, or how long it might have taken.