A Review:   The River by Michael Neale

This is the story of a young man, Gabriel, and his association with the river, starting when he was a child. It’s the river that causes him great anguish and which leads to him being bound up with fear, insecurity and anger and it’s the river that shows him the way to deal with all those feelings. Their story is so interwoven that it’s hard to say which is the main character, Gabrielle or the river.

I found the story really easy reading and hard to put down. It’s one of those books that you don’t want to end. I had read reviews that said reading this book was life changing, but I just couldn’t see how. I kept thinking I’d get to that bit but then it just ended. Perhaps the author has a sequel planned as the end was rather abrupt. It really was a good read, though, and was so well written that I felt like I’d been on the river myself. I’d certainly recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. 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.”

 

Benifits of Laying down our Life

About laying down our life and taking up the cross. It’s not some nebulous spiritual exercise. When we sing “I lay down my life”, Jesus wants us to lay  down any sin we may have in our life, including things we overlook like cheating on our tax return, grudges against our neighbour, speeding, etc, and take up His cross. What does the cross represent? We often think suffering and denial, like God is some sort of spoilsport. But taking up the cross means taking up all that the cross stands for and achieved, redemption, healing, freedom, all the blessings of living in God's kingdom.

 

Friend of God

Thinking this morning how God doesn’t want us to be always grovelling and saying sorry when we meet Him (I’m not negating repentance which is very important when sin has occurred). He wants us to be His friend, to walk in all that He has achieved for us. He wants us to begin to believe in what He has made our position to be. To believe that we are His friends, heirs, seated in heavenly places, with authority, rest, and victory.

Satan is forever trying to convince us that what the bible says about our identity in Christ isn’t really true. He’s very good at making us feel like we’re not what Jesus has really made us to be. So, we live way below where we could be. So, it’s time to be a friend of God and begin to believe what the Bible says about us. We wouldn’t want a friend who is always apologising when we see them because they don’t feel like they are living up to our expectations. Well, God doesn’t either. Besides they’re mostly our expectations and the enemy’s or other people’s expectations that concern us, not God’s. He wants to be our friend.