Customer Reviews

Seizing Your Divine Moment: Dare to Live a Life of Adventure

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There's a lot to chew on in this book. After the chewing, I find myself freshly inspired to take the gifts and opportunities God gives me and do something that matters. McManus offers a helpful perspective on the decisions we make and the situations we encounter each day. His ideas make sense, are validated by dozens of stories from his own experiences, and are consistent with what we see happening in the Bible.

Here's an example. McManus was in a room with a man recently let out of prison. There was nobody else around. The other man pulled a knife which he had already used on someone else's throat (remember, this is not fiction). Seems to me like a good time to run. But McManus shocked both men in the room by saying, "William, that knife is going to send you to hell!" Though the tension was rising, it was now startled and derailed. This doesn't mean YOU shouldn't run if someone pulls a knife on YOU. I think the point is that we all have moments when we can either slink away and miss a chance to do something good, or we can stand firm and work with God as he works to penetrate the globs of darkness we bump into every day.

Throughout this book, McManus weaves a Bible story about Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of Israel's first king, King Saul. At one point, King Saul's army was wildly outnumbered and likely to be destroyed by the Philistines. Jonathan decided that God was on Israel's side, so he acted on that faith, seized his divine moment, and triggered a rout of the Philistine army. While not all of our experiences will match the dramatics of Jonathan's, the principle holds true. We can succumb to fear, take the course of least resistance, and accomplish little. Or, we can recognize that, as Henry Blackaby wrote, "God is always at work around you" and "invites you to become involved with Him in His work."

Thoreau wrote that most men lead lives of quiet desperation. I don't want to be one of those men. McManus gives me Bible-based ammunition to fight boldly, moment by moment, against a drab, irrelevant existence. If this resonates with you at all, then I recommend a slow and thoughtful reading of this book.

This is a wonderful book. I have recently started living a little like McManus recommends and it is very risky but worth it. I read this book on vacation and wondered--how can I apply this book now? But I did. I opened my mouth about God and met a pastor who has just opened a rehab center.

McManus draws you into the books and challenges you to live the way he does.

Do not read this book if you are fully satisfied with your Christian walk. But, if you are like me, and sure that you still have plenty of room to grow read Seizing your divine moment. It will challenge you to take your faith to a whole new level. As other reviewers have noted, this book can be dangerous because it will make you take a very hard look at how you are living for the Kingdom of God.

Weaving the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer attacking the Philistine army, Erwin McManus will challenge you to do the same. Not only does he suggest that you take the battle to the enemy, but he thinks that you should lead the charge. If you do God will move with you, others will follow, and those Christians who have fled for the hills may come to your aid. Wow - that is a pretty big challenge to think about.

Personally, this book has caused me to do some focused thinking about my role in God's Kingdom. If it will get you to do the same, it is worth the read. I highly recommend this book to all Christians who can hear God calling them to a higher place, but are not quite sure how to get there. If you are a happy Christian comfortable in the safe place where you are - do not read this book. It may just cause you to pick up the sword and start your own battle.

Reading this book helped me to redefine my Christian walk from one that was reactive to the world around me into one that is more proactive -- from just believing in God to looking for opportunities to apply what I believe.

Continually, I found myself agreeing with McManus even as he challenged me to change my personal Christian paradigm, and I enjoyed hearing his ministry stories as well. I especially appreciated his stories of personal failure, and the humility which allowed that to be shared.

In parts I did find this book a little longwinded, but all of his points are gems, and will help you to recognize and seize your divine moments as well. Not the same old stuff - intellectually interesting and spiritually challenging.

This book would be great even if I knew nothing about McManus' life and ministry. But, after hearing him speak and watching his work, this man literally "practices what he preaches." It is easy to challenge people to do something (which this book does wonderfully), but when the challenger lives out the challenge so boldly, it only makes it that much more powerful. Now, I need to go live it out too!

Thoughts alone are great, but Erwin gives you a challenge to live your life for God and not hold back. I have heard Erwin speak publically twice. Once at Leadership Network and more recently at Promise Keepers in Phoenix, AZ. They should have let him speak longer and more than once at PK. He was one of the highlights of the whole deal. This would be an excellent book to take on a personal renewal retreat. I love his insight and boldness. A must read for any serious believer. A very must read for any Christian leader.
Thanks Erwin for a great challenge.

Pastor McManus does a stunning job illustrating the way we should live our lives in Christ by using King Saul and his son, Jonathon. Through a single chapter in the Old Testament, he draws a wealth of wisdom and shares it with us. For Christians passionate about their faith, this will serve to bring a new light on the way we view each moment of our lives. Our complacent perspectives are challenged, and McManus brings to light some of the errors of our ways in trusting God. Every page was so full of eye opening revelation that I had to reread sections two or three times to fully grasp the weight of what was just read! I plan on reading it again since there is simply so much in the book that is useful for a fruitful life in Christ.

This is a wonderful book for anyone grappling with the complexities and ambiguities of finding God's will for their individual life. Without the undertones of oversimplification often found in books on this topic, McManus delicately and insightfully dicusses many of the difficult areas of the decision making process; "How can I be sure of what God wants me to do?" "Risk Taking & the fear of failure", Facing the inevitability of uncertainty, "The relationship between the 'Vision' and the need for financial provision",etc. McMannus carefully avoids the two frequently visited extremes of 1. Never make a decision without a clear supernatural sign from God & 2. God doesn't care about who you marry or where you work, he's only concerned about your character. One of my favorite qoutes from the book is "When you are passionate about God, you can trust your passions". The Chapter on "Uncetainty" was liberating.In the manner of Aslan, McMannus contends that our life path in Christ is good but not safe. Seizing your Divine Moment shows how to find peace and direction in an untamed adventure with a God whose hope and future for us is good.
This book is beautifully written, highly entertaining, motivational and practical. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Seizing Your Divine Moment is a dangerous book to read for anyone whose heart is being stirred by God! You can not read this book and remain where you are, you must follow God's leading -- no matter what the cost. Erwin McManus is calling the church of Jesus Christ to a higher standard than what we're used to. Unbelievably, it is the same standard that Jesus Himself has called us to -- to advance God's Kingdom. Read this book...and then begin asking God to reveal your divine moments to be seized.

Seizing Your Divine Moment is a dangerous book to read for anyone whose heart is being stirred by God! You can not read this book and remain where you are, you must follow God's leading -- no matter what the cost. Erwin McManus is calling the church of Jesus Christ to a higher standard than what we're used to. Unbelievably, it is the same standard that Jesus Himself has called us to -- to advance God's Kingdom. Read this book...and then begin asking God to reveal your divine moments to be seized.