A Bit to Much

It is very difficult for me to be critical of someone's autobiography. It's a piece of them . . . an intimate sharing of themselves. My job however, as a blogging reviewer for Kregal publishing is to honestly share my impression of each book sent to me.

I just finished reading "Rough Road to Freedom" by Neil T. Anderson. He documents his life from humble beginnings to becoming a pastor, professor and eventually pivotal part of creating Freedom in Christ ministry. In my opinion, Mr. Anderson shares way to many details of his life including word for word conversations and descriptions of members of his old congregations. I appreciated the effort he put into learning about himself and growing as a person but would feel very uncomfortable if I was a previous attender of one of his churches and was mentioned, not by name, but by obvious description.

I also felt, although it became a key factor in his life, he dove down deep into the darker side of Christianity. Now I know I have to be very careful here in my statements as it is not my intention to turn this blog into a spiritual debate and to me, there is no reason to focus on the non-salvation issues. To quote Beth Moore, "there are a lot of ribs out there but lets focus on the spine we all share." I know, because scripture talks very clearly at times, that there is a battle between good and evil going on. I personally feel, however, that when you spend a long time preaching, practicing or writing about the darker side, it gives more power to that issue. In my opinion, instead of constantly concentrating on bringing the evil out of people we should think instead about bringing the light into people. Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5 and He calls us to be examples of Him after He left;  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

In conclusion, it is not my place to judge where someone's heart is or intentions lie. I would not be so bold as to say Pastor/Professor Neil Anderson has not reached many people in many positive ways. I am saying, for me and my understanding of God's grace and mercy, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

If you would like to win this book to determine what you think for yourself, put your name in the comments section or send me an email.