The Necessity of an Enemy, written by Ron Carpenter Jr. and published with Waterbrook Press, is an absolute must read for all Christians.
This is basically the story of how Pastor Carpenter went through a major tough time in his ministry (not just once) and how, somewhere along the way he realized that battling enemies afforded him growth opportunities in his daily walk with Jesus.
But the book is so much more than all of that. In this book, Carpenter tells us how to recognize our true enemies (quit whining "The Devil made me do it!" and once we are able to pinpoint the opponent, how best we can handle the overtaking of the enemy's plans for us to fail.
I love his key points, standing out in bold in the chapters. My absolute favorite is "There is no way to lose in any given situation." When I read that, it reminded me of a personal battle in which my 17 year old daughter, a cancer survivor, recently told me, "I used to be scared of so many things, especially dying. But I remembered that if I die, I get to go to heaven, and hey! That isn't losing!"
The main point of the book, reinforced over and over again, is that a real enemy is anything or anyone that is trying to stop you from completing God's plans and purpose in your life. Another key point says, 'There's a Goliath, a Pharaoh, a Satan standing between you and who you are destined to become." Wow.
One other point that touched this reader's heart was the realization that the enemy of our souls, Satan, is more against who we are than what we are doing. In other words, as long as you are an example of Christ, people will see that shining through you at all times, and it doesn't matter what you're doing at all. Amazing insight.
And I love that this book is written in a down to earth style...no theological terms as long as your arm to try and muddle through. Pastor Carpenter speaks in the book with a voice as plain and simple as your best friend hanging around the house just shooting the breeze, only he's shooting a hurricane at you-- by letting you know enemies are good things because they give us opportunities to grow.
I was happy to see the small group study in the back of the book; heaven knows this book should be required reading for anyone who wants a victorious walk with Jesus. I will be gifting many of my loved ones with this great read.
And the next time I spot an enemy, I'll be glad he's there.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Blogging for Books. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This is basically the story of how Pastor Carpenter went through a major tough time in his ministry (not just once) and how, somewhere along the way he realized that battling enemies afforded him growth opportunities in his daily walk with Jesus.
But the book is so much more than all of that. In this book, Carpenter tells us how to recognize our true enemies (quit whining "The Devil made me do it!" and once we are able to pinpoint the opponent, how best we can handle the overtaking of the enemy's plans for us to fail.
I love his key points, standing out in bold in the chapters. My absolute favorite is "There is no way to lose in any given situation." When I read that, it reminded me of a personal battle in which my 17 year old daughter, a cancer survivor, recently told me, "I used to be scared of so many things, especially dying. But I remembered that if I die, I get to go to heaven, and hey! That isn't losing!"
The main point of the book, reinforced over and over again, is that a real enemy is anything or anyone that is trying to stop you from completing God's plans and purpose in your life. Another key point says, 'There's a Goliath, a Pharaoh, a Satan standing between you and who you are destined to become." Wow.
One other point that touched this reader's heart was the realization that the enemy of our souls, Satan, is more against who we are than what we are doing. In other words, as long as you are an example of Christ, people will see that shining through you at all times, and it doesn't matter what you're doing at all. Amazing insight.
And I love that this book is written in a down to earth style...no theological terms as long as your arm to try and muddle through. Pastor Carpenter speaks in the book with a voice as plain and simple as your best friend hanging around the house just shooting the breeze, only he's shooting a hurricane at you-- by letting you know enemies are good things because they give us opportunities to grow.
I was happy to see the small group study in the back of the book; heaven knows this book should be required reading for anyone who wants a victorious walk with Jesus. I will be gifting many of my loved ones with this great read.
And the next time I spot an enemy, I'll be glad he's there.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Blogging for Books. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”