Number 5

Let's do a Rain Dance this times!!!

This:

Or this:

Or even this will do if you are not in Africa or with some friends who are American Indians:

The book that takes the Number 5 Position of my Top Ten List is.....

  
  This book was written by this man:

    His name is Brennan Manning. He was once a Catholic priest. He is a sinner. He was once an alcoholic. He makes no excuses. He has only one claim to fame. He was once sitting in a rocking chair and God spoke to him and told him how much He loved him. He has written 14 books trying to tell other about how much God loves them. He is greatly hated on the internet. A lot of people are vary skeptical about him. What is his real agenda? Why does he write so much about grace and God's deep love for us? Is he pushing Catholic ideals on us Protestants? Does he not read about the justice of God? I love this book because the answer to all of these questions are easy. I love this man/writer/Believer for all of those same reasons.

  This man is a sinner. The biggest sinner he knows is himself. Mr. Manning has a giant view of sin. He knows how just God is. He knows the price of sin; both now and in the future. And because he has such a giant view of sin, he knows that this sin needs an even Bigger Savior. This Savior was sent by God to atone all of humanity's sin. This man, Brennan Manning, knows that this Savior died on the cross for his sins: past, present, and future. He knows that that death was final in everyway except the person who died did not stay dead. He talks to him everyday. This Savior tells him how much he loves him because this love with which the Savior loves depends on nothing he does. He, Brennan, can do nothing to deserve this love or to not deserve this love. So, Brennan, is happy to crawl up into the lap of his Abba and accept His love.

    Many people hate all of this. God is just. Sin has consequences. Sin has to be paid for, atoned for. Christians have to work very hard to earn this Savior's love and respect. Christians need to earn their place within the Kingdom. The Bible says so, doesn't it. Isn't the saying goes that God loves those that help themselves? Isn't the verse in Romans clear: Sin = Death. Aren't some sins worse than others. Most think so. Brennan doesn't.

    Brennan writes to us because he knows that his sin has separated him from all that is good and all that is God. Brennan knows that John 3:16 isn't a joke. Brennan knows that when God looks upon him and all he has done in this world He (God) sees His son, Jesus, of whom He is well-pleased. That is the jist of this book. God loves you. You don't want to believe it because it doesn't seem right. It doesn't make sense. You know how truly sinful you are. Why would a perfect and good God send his perfect and good Son to die for someone like you, like me? It just isn't fair. Brennan knows these things. This Savior told him how much He loved him. He shocked his system so much that he is still writing about it. It is a message we can't hear enough. What would really happen if we all truly believed the Gospel? I am pretty sure I know. Look at the work of the lowly, twelve disciples. We are still seeing the effects and feeling the afterschocks. God loves us. God loves the biggest sinner I know: Me. I will never understand why. Read this book.

   Knowing my sin is very big and in great need of an even Greater Savior,
                                  David