{"id":8612,"date":"2014-09-30T16:47:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-30T21:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=8612"},"modified":"2014-09-30T16:47:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-30T21:47:00","slug":"book-review-the-grave-robber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=8612","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: The Grave Robber"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Grave-Robber-Jesus-Impossible-Possible\/dp\/0801015944\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1412084072&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+grave+robber\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8613\" alt=\"51p8p0WB5gL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_\" src=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/51p8p0WB5gL._SY344_BO1204203200_.jpg\" width=\"238\" height=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/51p8p0WB5gL._SY344_BO1204203200_.jpg 238w, https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/51p8p0WB5gL._SY344_BO1204203200_-206x300.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 238px) 100vw, 238px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I have become a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.markbatterson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mark Batterson<\/a> fan over the years as he has a way of writing that really connects the reader to the greatness and glory of God. \u00a0I fully believe that is his main goal in writing&#8230;to make the reader love and treasure Jesus more. \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Grave-Robber-Jesus-Impossible-Possible\/dp\/0801015944\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1412113342&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+grave+robber\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Grave Robber<\/em><\/a> is another great read as Batterson takes the reader on a journey to remember what God has done and to be inspired that God will do it again. \u00a0As he reviews the miracles from the New Testament, we are reminded of places and situations that seemed impossible until God intervened on behalf of his people. \u00a0He reminds us that, &#8220;One of the truest tests of spiritual maturity is seeing the miraculous in the monotonous.&#8221; \u00a0I highlighted several things while reading and have posted my notes below&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. \u00a0John 3:2<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes God shows up. \u00a0Sometimes God shows off.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t seek miracles. \u00a0Follow Jesus. \u00a0And if you follow Jesus long enough and far enough, you\u2019ll eventually find yourself in the middle of some miracles.<\/li>\n<li>One of the truest tests of spiritual maturity is seeing the miraculous in the monotonous.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cGrown up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. \u00a0It is possible God says every morning, \u201cDo it again\u201d to the sun; and every evening \u201cDo it again\u201d to the moon? \u00a0The repetition in nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.\u201d GK Chesterton, <em>Orthodoxy\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li>God has wired us in such a way that we\u2019re hypersensitive to new stimuli, but over time the cataracts of the customary cloud our vision. \u00a0We lose our awareness of the miraculous, and with it, the awe of God.<\/li>\n<li>We pick and choose our favorite verses while ignoring the texts we cannot comprehend or don\u2019t particularly like. \u00a0We rationalize the verses that are too radical. \u00a0We scrub down the verses that are too supernatural. \u00a0We put Scripture on the chopping block of human logic and end up with a neutered gospel. \u00a0We commit intellectual idolatry, creating God in our image. \u00a0So instead of living a life that resembles the supernatural standard set in Scripture, we follow an abridged version of the Bible that looks an awful lot like us.<\/li>\n<li>Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these. \u00a0John 14:12<\/li>\n<li>The single greatest miracle is the forgiveness of sin made possible through the crucifixion and resurrection of the sinless Son of God. \u00a0There is no close second.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhen a person\u2019s mind is stretched by a new idea, it never returns to its original dimensions.\u201d \u00a0Oliver Wendell Holmes, <em>The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Sometimes the greatest miracle is restraint: holding your tongue or resisting temptation or keeping your temper in check. \u00a0And Jesus set the standard before a kangaroo court of false accusers. \u00a0Instead of cursing His executioners, He said, \u201cFather, forgiven them, for they know not what they do.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Never underestimate the power of one well-timed compliment. \u00a0It has the power to change a person\u2019s entire perspective on life. \u00a0It has the potential to change a person\u2019s plot line for eternity. \u00a0The right word at the right time can be the catalyst for someone else\u2019s miracle.<\/li>\n<li>You are more than your professional identity\u2014more than a doctor, more than a coach, more than an administrative assistant. \u00a0You are an undercover prophet, strategically positioned by God to speak grace and truth. \u00a0And when you do, it sets the stage for miracles to happen. \u00a0And it may only take one word of encouragement. \u00a0Let me bring it even closer to home. \u00a0If you have children, you are more than a parent. \u00a0You are a prophet to your children. \u00a0No one knows them, loves them, or believes in them like you do. \u00a0And it\u2019s your job to call out who God has created them to be.<\/li>\n<li>God wants to give His gifts more than you want to receive them.<\/li>\n<li>If you want the starring role, you\u2019ll miss the miracle. \u00a0If you\u2019re willing to be an ordinary extra, God will do something extraordinary.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cLet us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.\u201d \u00a0Hebrews 10:24<\/li>\n<li>If you believe in a Choreographer who sequences every step, there are no coincidences. \u00a0Only providences. \u00a0No accidents. \u00a0Only divine appointments. \u00a0Every twist of fate is a part of the dance originally designed by God Himself.<\/li>\n<li>The true test of our faith is not our actions. \u00a0It\u2019s our reactions. \u00a0It\u2019s relatively easy to act like Jesus. \u00a0It\u2019s much harder to react like Him. \u00a0And forgiveness is the litmus test.<\/li>\n<li>If you live a Spirit-led life, it\u2019ll become a subplot in your life as well. \u00a0You cannot setup supernatural synchronicities. \u00a0That is God\u2019s job. \u00a0But it\u2019s your job to see them and seize them.<\/li>\n<li>Lord Latitude is His name. \u00a0Supernatural synchronicities are His game.<\/li>\n<li>Someday God is going to pull back the space-time curtain and connect the dots between our prayers and His answers.<\/li>\n<li>When we forget the faithfulness of God, we lose faith. \u00a0That\u2019s why we need to go back to the vintage miracles God has already done in our lives. \u00a0When you lose your way or lose your faith, you need to go back to the burning bushes in your life.<\/li>\n<li>If you want to repeat history, do it the way it\u2019s always been done. \u00a0If you want to change history, do it the way it\u2019s never been done before. \u00a0History makers are rule breakers. \u00a0And no one was better at it than the One who wrote the rules in the first place!<\/li>\n<li>He asked this to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. \u00a0John 6:6<\/li>\n<li>Hearing a testimony is the way I <i>borrow faith from others<\/i>. \u00a0 Sharing my testimony is the way I <i>loan my faith to others<\/i>.<\/li>\n<li>The way you steward a miracle is by believing God for even bigger and better miracles.<\/li>\n<li>Miracles don\u2019t just happen when we believe God for big things. \u00a0Miracles happen when we obey God in the little things. \u00a0When we do little things like they are big things, God will do big things like they are little things.<\/li>\n<li>Instead of allowing our circumstances to get between you and God, faith is putting God between you and your circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>It is I; don\u2019t be afraid. \u00a0John 6:20<\/li>\n<li>The logical mind can only see two options when stepping out of a boat in the middle of the lake: sink or swim. \u00a0That\u2019s why most people stay within the comfortable confines of the boat. \u00a0That\u2019s also why most people never walk on water.<\/li>\n<li>Miracles are simply peepholes into His providential care. \u00a0They are the intersections where power and compassion parade God\u2019s glory.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cGod is still sovereign no matter what. \u00a0He still knows my name. \u00a0Angels still respond to his call. \u00a0The hearts of rulers still bend at his bidding. \u00a0The death of Jesus still saves souls. \u00a0The Spirit of God still indwells saints. \u00a0Heaven is still only heartbeats away. \u00a0The grave is still temporary housing. \u00a0God is still faithful. \u00a0He is not caught off guard. \u00a0He uses everyone for his glory and my ultimate good. \u00a0He uses tragedy to accomplish his will and his will is right, holy, and perfect. \u00a0Sorry may come with the night, but joy comes with the morning.\u201d \u00a0Max Lucado, <em>You\u2019ll Get Through This<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cExperience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.\u201d \u00a0Aldous Huxley, <em>Texts and Pretexts<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cNever put a comma where God puts a period and never put a period where God puts a comma.\u201d \u00a0Dr. Charles Crabtree, \u201cGod\u2019s Grammar\u201d<\/li>\n<li>When Jesus died on the cross, Satan smiled. \u00a0But the Grave Robber go the last laugh. \u00a0He always does. \u00a0And if you give Him a chance, He\u2019ll give you a second chance. \u00a0He will give you your smile back. \u00a0He will give you your laugh back. \u00a0He will give you your life back. \u00a0Do you believe this? \u00a0If you do, He will make the impossible possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; I have become a Mark Batterson fan over the years as he has a way of writing that really connects the reader to the greatness and glory of God. \u00a0I fully believe that is his main goal in writing&#8230;to make the reader love and treasure Jesus more. \u00a0The Grave Robber is another great read [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,14,35,23,28,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-study","category-book-review","category-creative","category-generosity","category-integrity","category-leadership"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}