I am...Gabriel

My very first movie review!  This is certainly exciting.  So, this movie is about a mysterious little boy who comes to a depressing small town.  He is on a mission to bring hope.  With the title and cover, it is pretty obvious that the boy is a malak (angel / messenger in Hebrew).  While the "I am Gabriel" phrase is from the Bible, I would have preferred if the ellipses were taken out or the "am" was in lowercase letters.  The whole "I AM" is reminiscent of Exodus 3:14.  However, all throughout the movie, the character playing Gabriel does not take credit.  He gives all the glory to "God" and even says "I am just a messenger."  Phew!   No problem then with Colossians 2:18.  On the whole "God" topic, I was a bit annoyed when there was all this talk of "God" and "Lord" and not much mentioning of any NAME.  Sure, there were some crosses in the background and even the mentioning of "church," but I wanted to hear a NAME.  Luckily, towards the end of the movie, the Name "Jesus" and "Christ" came up.  While I personally prefer the Hebrew Yeshua, at least there was some pointing to Christianity with "Jesus" and "Christ."  Whenever people say "Lord" and "God," I think, "Who are you talking about?"  So, that was taken care of.  Also interesting was the notion of "prayer mats" in the movie.  Gabriel encourages the townsfolk to have prayer mats so they remember to talk to "God" more.  While this is all good--I am sorry--but the first thing my mind went to were Islamic prayer mats.  And Gabriel's middle-eastern-looking button down outfit did not help.  I am sure this was just coincidence, but I got a good laugh out of it.  That aside, I would say this movie is "family friendly."  There was not swearing, and there was no sexual content.  The women dressed modestly in the movie, which was a plus.  The only immodest instance was when a woman bent over to pick up something on her porch.  For a bit, the viewer was able to see down the top of her dress.  This seems to be a mistake on the costume department and not a purposeful thing.  In terms of the acting, the little boy playing Gabriel did an excellent job.  The other actors did well, too, but Gabriel outshined them all.  The scenes were also very well-made to be realistic.  You could tell the crew tried to make it lifelike...particularly with the open box of pretzels on the sheriff's desk.  I enjoyed the song at the beginning with a woman singing in the background.  For the rest of the movie, there was mostly instrumental background music.  I would have preferred more vocals in the background, but that's just a preference of mine.  Overall, this is a fun movie for all ages.  It has hope, miracles, and a great story.         

"Following Atticus" by Tom Ryan

I don't know about you, but when I see a puppy in shoes, I think it is adorable.  So, I agreed to review this book.  I know one should not judge a book by its cover, but we all do it.  However, this review will go into the detail of the book.  The story chronicles an amazing set of journeys between a man and his dog Atticus.  They climb gargantuan mountains together--sometimes even in the harsh winters.  The book even gets scary at times when the dog gets sick.  Also interesting is that the story starts out with a different dog.  Besides the human-dog bond that is expounded upon, there is some background on other human relationships, family and otherwise.  There is even some background on the author's job.  There are fun little stories throughout the book that will add humor for the reader.  In terms of belief, this book mentions God every now and then but is not religious.  The author is a pantheist (believes God is nature) and sometimes refers to his dog as a little Buddha.  While I do not hold the author's same beliefs, I must say that the book did not push the author's beliefs.  When I read the book, I never felt like his beliefs were pushed on me.  Instead, I merely felt like the author was sharing his life--dog, job, beliefs, everything--without leaving anything out.  In this book, there is also included some glossy spreads of the dog Atticus in the wilderness.  They are quite cute.

"FOOD Family Style" by Leigh Oliver Vickery

I will admit that I am not very kitchen savvy.  My cooking skills are not phenomenal, and I often make very simple food that requires little to no preparation.  When I saw "simple" on the cover of this book, I thought I'd check it out.  What surprised me was how simple the recipes really were.  Most recipes were under a page, and I could literally understand what to do.  If you know me, you will know this is a big deal.  What I also liked were how the ingredients were basic.  There were not a lot of weird exotic spices or ingredients that I'd have no idea where they'd be in the supermarket.  There is also an index and symbols for different types of dishes (vegetarian, easy to double, gluten-free, etc).  I particularly enjoyed the chapters thrown in that talk about what to keep in your kitchen and suggested ideas for dinner conversation.  Unique was a section for making food that'd be easy to include children in.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It has everything from snacks to desserts to beverages to full meals.  Everything you need is in one book.  Plus, some dishes just sound plain fun.  Cranberry salsa?  Blueberry biscuits?  Sign me up!  :)

"Desperate for Hope" by Bruce W. Martin

This book is all about finding hope in the difficult situations life throws at us.  However, what I like is that this is not a cookie-cutter book.  It does not say that suffering will disappear if we are just more "good" or "holy."  This book actually follows the story of Job primarily (along with other small Bible stories on suffering).  It chronicles how the righteous in Yeshua (recall, it is only by Yeshua that we are righteous--not of our own works) will suffer in this world.  There is not even a hint of the prosperity gospel or the health & wealth gospel that plagues America.  Martin makes the point that Yeshua suffered, and so must we.  Heartbreaking is the fact that Martin parallels this book with his own personal struggles.  Family accounts of rape and misfortune, coupled with his own person infertility and adoption woes, fill the pages.  When you finish reading this book, you won't have some twelve-step plan for overcoming suffering.  What you will have, though, is hope.  Hope that Yeshua will fulfill every promise He made and that He is with you...even to the end of the age.  ;)

"Cruel Harvest" by Fran Grubb

Man, is this a sad book.  As the pages turned, there were times my jaw literally dropped open and tears spilled from my eyes.  The incredibly difficult life Grubb lived will leap off the pages and make you want to console her.  Throughout the memoir, readers will learn of abuse and molestation and shattered self-esteem.  Worst of all is that most of the story is told through the eyes of a child--Grubb in her youth.  Also fascinating is Grubb's faith in the book.  There is no specific account of why she believed in Yeshua.  We just know she did and never gave up.  I suppose when you've got nothing left and no one to help you, you can only turn to the Creator of the Universe.  Also fascinating is the fact that Grubb managed to marry later in life after all the abuse she suffered.  The bulk of the book's details revolve around the bad events, and there is not much explanation for the good events.  This book will remind readers that they don't "have it that bad."  They will be encouraged by Grubb.  If she could survive years of abuse and molestation from her father, then readers can get through their rough patches.  There is hope for us all, and Grubb's story is inspirational.  Most fascinating of all is that she forgave her father and even referred to him as "Daddy" all throughout the book.  Reminds me of when Yeshua called Judas "friend" even as he betrayed Him.

"When Bad Christians Happen to Good People" by Dave Burchett

Every now and then I come across a book that just looks like a fun read.  And this is one of those books.  I mean, the title should make you cackle with laughter or at least chuckle softly if you are a more reserved person.  Anyway, as the title suggests, the book covers the various hypocrisies in the modern Church.  I say modern because it does not dive too deep into Old Testament prophet books that go into the hypocrisy.  But the book does quote heavily from the New Testament and the words of Yeshua.  I personally liked the part where it talked about modern-day Christians not knowing enough theology.  Because--let's face it--if you can't explain what you believe or if you don't even know what you believe, that's a recipe for disaster.  While this book has some fun humor in it, it can be a bit slow at times.  But, for some people, they really need to read it.  This book has tough love.  It will be hard to read at times, but it delivers Truth.  Trust in Yeshua and take the plank out of your eye.  I'm still working on that. ;)   

"The Searchers" by Joseph Loconte

This is going to be a hard review to write.  This book is "Christian."  It has some Bible in it and talks about the importance of Jesus.  That's all great and lovely.  The reason why I am not giving this book a great review is because--I'm sorry to say this--I found it boring.  Now, that's not to say everyone will find it boring.  For the philosophical reading type people who adore literature, this will make an excellent coffee-shop book.  I don't even like coffee.  Jokes aside, I felt like this book was a collection of essays.  It is not a story but rather a bunch of ideas from history and literature (even quoting pagan literature; oh my!) that talk about man's quest for the divine.  The Road to Emmaus story is the backbone to make connections.  I'm sure someone will love this book.  However, for me, it just didn't cut it in terms of being a page-turner.

"The Brave" by Hayley & Michael DiMarco

This book is geared towards young people, but I feel the underlying messages apply to all.  It is about being brave not by sheer strength but rather by trust and faith in a God more powerful than anything in the world.  There are not that many chapters, and the fun light blue font is exciting on the pages.  I've read work by Hayley DiMarco before and have enjoyed it.  While this book flowed well, there were times when you could tell where she was writing and parts where her husband was writing.  I am tempted to criticize this.  However, I will not since a male perspective may benefit male readers.  But I digress.  In terms of Scripture, it is quoted and referenced where appropriate.  The tone is simple enough so that new Christians who may not have read the Bible will still understand what is going on.  Also, the tone is advanced enough so that mature Christians will not be totally bored.  Overall, the book was nice.  What I did not necessarily like was a comment on how people get divorced because they are disobedient.  While I think the authors had good intentions, I doubt they thought of scenarios where a spouse is obeying God but is forced to get divorced when their spouse either cheats on them or is abusing/endangering them physically with violence.  Overall, this book ain't bad.

"Mary Magdalene" by Diana Wallis Taylor

Having absolutely loved Taylor's "Journey to the Well," I was very excited to read this book.  It follows the story of Mary Magdalene, the woman whom Yeshua Christ exorcised seven demons.  While the story was indeed comepelling, I must say the book was not as good as her other book.  Let me explain why.  In "Journey to the Well," the story was about the woman whom Yeshua met at a well and talked to briefly (her face-time in the Bible--so to speak--is very short).  So, there was more literary freedom to write about the woman and "make stuff up," horrible as that sounds.  However, I feel like for a character such as Mary Magdalene, there are things that one can not just make up.  While they make the story interesting, they are just that--literarily made up.  Also, in terms of adequately representing Jews in the time of Yeshua, there left much to be desired.  In Christ's day, no one would have called Him Jesus.  They would have used His Hebrew Name.  Also, while some of the Gospel was written with Mary in the scene, I was disappointed when blood and water was not reported as flooding out of Yeshua's side on the Cross.  Taylor didn't even mention the resurrection of the dead believers with tombs opening that happened at Calvary.  Overall, this book is interesting and a good beach read, but, if I were you, I'd go straight to the Gospels for a more accurate tale.  

"Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn't Enough" by Kay Warren

When I first got this book, I was excited to learn about joy because--to be honest--I wasn't having that great of a week.  When I read the author bio on the back inside cover, I was very impressed to learn that Kay Warren co-founded a church and co-authored a systematic theology course.  It was a humbling moment to see her grand religious achievements that would make any Bible scholar blush.  However, when I got into the meat of the book, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed.  I'm not saying the book was bad because it wasn't.  It was a good book.  But that's it.  Just good--not great.  The few Bible verses quoted weren't making any huge theological connections to make me say "wow, I've never thought about joy like that before."  The Bible verses were fine, but Bible verses did not permeate this book as expected from such a professed theologian.  Also, I was surprised that the author quoted The Message as her choice of translation.  I'm not saying this is bad.  I'm just surprised is all.  While Warren's advice was good, the book overall is  not that Scripturally deep.  The main idea is that we must choose joy (wrapped up into 200+ pages).  You can read this book and even buy the DVD if you'd like.  However, read the Bible on your own and see how much Yah truly loves you.  This will give you real joy.  Quick fixes for joy don't work--whether they be personal relationships, purchases, or even self-help Christian books.  Go to the source--the fountain of living water that is Christ Yeshua.

"Wait No More" by Kelly and John Rosati

This book is excellent for those either thinking of adoption or just those that want to learn more about the process.  What I love about this book is that it is brutally honest.  Seeing the "Focus on the Family" logo posted on the book, one would think this book would just be some sugarcoated tale of fairy-tale adoption to make other Christians want to adopt children...because that's what "good" Christians are supposed to do.  However, this book has no such forceful demeanor and does not embellish details to make adoption seem like some Hollywood movie.  Kelly narrates the story as she shares the struggles of adopting.  She discusses financial issues, as well as coping with the side-effects present in children whose parents were abusive (either physically, emotionally, mentally, or just in the sense that they took drugs before, during, or after pregnancy).  Sprinkled throughout the book, Kelly mentions how this is what God wanted her family to do.  She says that she knows adoption is not for everyone but that everyone should support adopting families without judging them.  I could go on and on about this book.  The writing flows very well, and it is a clear picture of the struggles of adoption.  What makes this book different is that the author is a lobbyist.  With her knowledge of law, she clearly discusses issues of adoption that other families may not have been able to convey.  Great book.  There is even an insert with family photos in the middle of the book.      

"Heaven is Now" by Andrew Farley

My feelings about this book are mixed.  1 Thes 5:21.  There are some excellent aspects of this book.  However, there are other parts that are quite questionable.  I liked how the author spoke about being new in Christ and living in the freedom of grace.  I like he spoke about Christ's sacrifice being a once-and-for-all-time deal.  The parts that I did not like were small things here and there.  Speaking about how a will comes into affect after someone dies was fine.  However, I did not like how much hand-waving Farley did with some verses.  Some things Yeshua said were dismissed as "not counting"  because they were said when Yeshua was alive and that the New Covenant didn't start until Yeshua died.  This is dangerous territory when we start putting down the Words of Yah.  Also, some verses were said to "not count" due to context.  For the notion of us confessing our sins in 1 John, Farley insists this is for unbelievers because with Christ, there is no more forgiveness necessary.  While Christ's sacrifice is done, I do think it is fine to say "I'm sorry" to Yah when we mess up.  However, if Farley wants to presume that certain verses aren't for us due to "context," we might as well say that the Great Commission was only for the apostles Yeshua was speaking to at that moment in time.  Additionally, while we are dead to the law, I do not like how the author says we do not need to keep the law.  Must we revisit John 14:15 and Luke 6:46?  When the author claims Sabbaths aren't necessary, I am appalled.  The author claims that the only "law" we need to fulfill is the law of love.  He even goes so far as to say that Jer 31:33 talks about the law of love and not the OT being written on our hearts.  Talk abut turning the words of the living God upside down!  Jer 23:36.  The author says we should not "sin" and that "sin" can control us if we let "it," but he does not talk much about what constitutes sin.  If one seeks to follow just the law of "love," are we to say homosexuality is okay?  Questions like these can arise when Farley speaks the way he does.  Also annoying is when Farley says we won't be rewarded in heaven.  He says we won't have stones with our name on them.  However, Revelation 2 says we will.  For the lukewarm Christian, this book will be very encouraging.  However, for the seasoned believer, this book is an excellent tool for discernment and 1 Thes 5:21.

"Heroes and Monsters" by Josh James Riebock

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While I know it's not good to judge a book by its cover, when I saw this book, I immediately wanted to read it.  The pictures were okay, but they weren't the main selling points for why I wanted to read this book (I am not very fond of snakes).  What really got my interest piqued was the subtitle beneath the "Heroes and Monsters" line that read "An Honest Look at the Struggle Within All of Us."  As a book reviewer that specializes in Christian literature, I've had my fill of self-help books, devotionals, and theology books.  Don't get me wrong; those are wonderful books.  However, I rarely get a book that is published by a Christian publisher that is a literary story.  Sure, you've got your Amish romances every now and then (to roll one's eyes or not to roll one's eyes, that is the question) and books like that.  Yet, rarely is there a well-crafted story with imagery and symbolism...and the protagonist / author being a guy.  This story follows a young man's journey through life.  We read of his tough family situation, his broken relationships, his marriage, his jobs, and so much more.  To sum up what happens in the book with a "plot summary" would bludgeon any attempt at a book review for this work.  There are sad situations, honest introspection, and fun drawings every now and then.  The parallel with Jesus as a man named Jack is quite clever.  However, I wish the author would have clearly spelled out the Gospel and Named the Name.  As a Christian reading a book from BakerBooks publishing, I can see the link to Jesus.  However, I can not guarantee others will.  Perhaps the biggest clues are words like "church" and "baptism" that may clue readers in.  People can say what they may.  At the end of the day, this book is a look inside the soul of a man.  I love how the author put his face on the back cover because he looks like a nice, normal young man.  It goes to show you that even the most clean-cut people are oftentimes dying in the inside.  Call Him Jack or call Him Jesus, we need the Savior.  HalleluYAH.      

"Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for your Family" by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, & Bonnie Garcia

This cookbook is great for those new to cooking.  It gives helpful tips right from the get-to, with everything from organizing shopping trips to getting warehouse discounts to purchasing sale items to stocking up on cooking "staples."  Additionally, for those visual learners out there, there are pictures throughout the book that correlate to different types of meals.  The book has recipes for small appetizers, regular meals, desserts, and more.  What I like is that it differentiates between foods that need to be baked versus grilled.  There is even a pasta and crock-pot section, which mixes things up.  There are little to no diagrams of the actual food, and the book is in black and white.  However, this is good because, once you're done cooking, you don't feel bad for not making your food look as nice as some cookbook's...because there is no photo!  Also worth noting is that the book discusses nutritional information of each meal, which most cookbooks overlook.  Most amusing is the little catchphrase beneath each title / meal.  These meals are so easy they barely take up one to two pages apiece.  One recipe I particularly like is the apricot glazed salmon.  While there were a lot of ingredients, the steps were very easy and only took 45 minutes to make.  This is a great cookbook.

"Love Does" by Bob Goff

You know what?  I really liked this book.  It was a fun compilation of whimsical and fascinating stories by a man who is saved by the grace of Yeshua.  The way this man sees life and walks through it is remarkable.  From stories of proposals, purchases, children, slavery, prisons, guns, Disneyland, and other seemingly unconnected places, the overall theme of love prevails.  Goff is not incredibly theological and doesn't really even quote Scripture that much (he more often talks about what Yeshua did while not referencing specific verses).  I love (no pun intended) the theme of a love that goes out and actually does stuff.  At times, one could feel insignificant when compared to a man who goes around pursuing justice for children in Uganda--a man who frees child prisoners and sets up schools in poor places.  However, what I like best about this book is that Goff never comes off as ostentatious or a braggart.  Will we all be social activists who live their life like Goff?  Of course not.  But what one does learn from this book is that everyone can DO something, no matter how small; and that Yahweh loves us all the same.  It doesn't matter if someone DOES more than someone else.  What matters is that we all DO something.  Also, all proceeds of this book go to charity.  Since each chapter is a separate life story, one can leave this book for a while and come back to it later...not missing a beat.

"I Blame Eve" by Susanna Foth Aughmon

This book focuses on the notion of how one of the curses associated with the Fall was women's desire to control. Aughmon combats the destructive ideas that women have to be perfect and have to have everything "under control." She also talks a bit about spiritual warfare (although not in blatant terms) about women believing lies of society that are only deceptions in the mud. The notion of not being satisfied in life, living in denial, being at "rock bottom," selfishness, depression, and more are discussed. Humorously, even the notion of a painful child-birthing process is discussed. The book is fairly spiritual but not very verse-heavy. While the writing is witty, I do not think it is as humorous as other reviews have remarked. Is it funny? Sure. Is it the funniest thing I've ever read? No. It has its serious moments, as well, that will really make women stop and look at themselves in the mirror, wondering what this monster is that they've become.

"Angels are for Real" by Judith Macnutt

I was excited when I got this book. The topic of angels is fun. However, I knew I should stay on my toes when it comes to discernment because the topic of angels can be good or bad, depending on how it is presented. As the book started, it was fine and informative. Scripture was even quoted. However, as the book progressed, it got worse.

On page 35, we are told angels carry prayers to God. While they may have that capability (Rev 8:3), Yah is powerful enough and omnipotent to hear us when we pray to Him. He is our ONLY mediator (1 Tim 2:5); Christ is enough. On page 40, we are told that Michael the archangel will destroy Satan. Excuse me, I think it's Christ who destroys evil! On page 41, we are told Jesus means "God saves" in Hebrew. This is wrong. His Name means "Yah saves" or "Yahweh is Salvation." God is a general term (elohim in Hebrew) that can refer to any deity. On page 86, we are told that we need heaven's help (in the form of angels) to access Yah's love. Come on! This is balderdash. All we need is Christ. Also, there is a story of an "angel" helping women lift a huge marble stone that will later be used for a statue of Mary. We know from the Scriptures (read Deuteronomy) that Yah does not even like statues, let alone unnecessary attention given to others in the form of veneration.

Furthermore, Macnutt does not address how the Angel of Yahweh is Yahweh is physical form but rather assumes the "angel of the LORD" is some other angel. In one instance, Macnutt greviously implies that an angel calmed the storm that Scripture said Jesus calmed (as if Christ would need help!). This was most insulting. Macnutt also claims to have a great knowledge of angels and demons but is lacking in research. Towards the end of the book, Jude is quoted with how evil angels were thrown into chains of darkness. There is no theological exposition going to Gen 6:4 or any discussion of Nephilim with how the demonic come about.

Worst of all, and I mean WORST OF ALL, is how Macnutt talks of countless angels as beings of light that shine (even the stories from others in the book ditto this) but does not quote 2 Cor 11:14-15: But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve."

If anyone wants to learn more about angels and demons, check out http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=270651172993767 and note "Who is the Angel of Yahweh?" and the categories "Angels," "Spiritual Warfare and the Demonic," and "Creation / Free Will."

"When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy

A friend of mine who likes to pride herself in being a relationship guru would always tell me about this book called "When God Writes Your Love Story." So, when I got the opportunity to review the book--the expanded edition, nonetheless--I jumped at the opportunity. The book is almost 300 pages but read very quickly. The book is divided into sections, and each chapter has some Bible verses and discussion questions, with anecdotes and sappy stories thrown in every now and then. I will not spoil all the details of this book, but it will not surprise anybody that this book is about giving up the details of your love life to your Creator. This means waiting on His timing and staying pure for your future spouse. While sex is discussed, there are no graphic details, so I would even recommend this book to junior-high-schoolers if they so desire. I suppose I would have liked a different title that at least named the Christ. After all, who is God? Ask several religions, and you'll get several answers. What was interesting was that I read some reviews posted on Barnes and Nobles for this review. Most were overwhelmingly positive, but one was very negative and had a very low rating. Reading further due to my curiosity, I realized the reader gave a very low rating because the book was apparently all "fluff" and did not tell readers how to get to know Jesus better, but instead the book just said to get to know Jesus better and draw close to Him as you surrender your [love] life to Him. After careful consideration, I must say that is true. However, with the title and cover of this book, I can not say I was expecting any super deep theological or prophetic writing in the book. Still, after much thought, while this book is nice, I would say that people should get "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" instead if they are going to spend money on a Christian relationship book. Search my reviews for a review on this book.

"As One Devil To Another" by Richard Platt

When I first saw this book, the cover kind of put me off. However, upon reading the summary / synopsis, my interest was piqued. This was to be an adaptation of C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." It was to be written in a similar fashion by one who is a biographer of Lewis himself and ought to have much knowledge about the deceased author's style. While the writing was a bit circumlocutious and roundabout, as most of Lewis' work tends to be (this is just due to the writing style in that error; people talked differently), I was hoping for a more modern writing style that is easier to comprehend than most of Lewis' former work. However, that aside, there were some interesting points about spiritual warfare--you know, with the whole notion of demons wanting to destroy humans' relationship with Christ and suck humans down to Hell. At times, the notion of how Yahweh operates (called "the Adversary") and several theological points are made. While I could tell these were just shoved in to teach the reader some "good stuff" with the demonic aside, I must say it was slid in in a conspicuous manner that at least makes me appreciate the effort. There were parts where the topic of homosexuality and transubstantiation came up, with questionable remarks on the subject. What I did not like at all was the end. The "client" whom the demons are trying to trick / tempt / deceive eventually comes to Christ and learns Grace...from her dead aunt whom she communicates with. Necromancy is forbidden in the Bible (Lev 20:27, 19:31, Is 8:18, etc). We are not to communicate with spirits of the dead, and we do surely NOT achieve Grace thru departed spirits. We come to know the Grace of Yahweh from Yah Himself.

"Spirit Wars" by Kris Vallotton

This is an excellent book, if I must say so myself. I find there are not many books written on the topic of spiritual warfare. Or, the few out there discuss the demonic as emotions instead of real entities. In this book, the author shares personal experiences of his own spiritual warfare and spiritual warfare in the lives of others. What was remarkable was the notion that fear is a spirit that can be cast out. I knew demons could be cast out, but I never thought of casting out spirits. That was new. I will not lie, some of Vallotton's stories of exorcism are a bit out there, but that does not discredit him. I feel as though there is spiritual warfare happening all over, but it is just that not many people are comfortable talking about it. What I also enjoyed was how Scripture was quoted and dissected when appropriate to really learn spiritual warfare. Also, there were word studies of the original words, which I liked. Overall, this book flows well and will teach Christians about a topic that is rarely discussed in church. While this book is by no means a final resource (it does not go into how angels fell, where the demonic come in, Rephaim, Nephilim, etc), it is a good stepping stone for those interested in spiritual warfare. I liked how the author noted how evil is out to get everyone and is an "equal opportunity" enemy.