Book Review 2025

As we near the end of 2025, we felt it appropriate to comment on a couple of the Christian books we have read this past twelve months. There have been quite a few across our path this year; some gifted to us, some just looked interesting, a few were searched out, and two or three that we feel to say were Divinely put before us. Some of these volumes are yet to be read, so perhaps we shall revisit this in twelve months time...

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FOUR DAYS: The Lazarus Principle
Finding God’s Love When You Don’t Understand Him
by Brenda Wyatt 
Trafford Publishing 2013

Gill found this gem of a book through an Instagram connection with the author herself. I have found this a most helpful exposition of the story of Lazarus in JOHN 11, divided into four sections representing the four days. Each day reveals spiritual truth clearly, and takes the reader back to those days when Jesus walked among us. It shows the pattern revealed in the Bible and we thus see The Father’s Heart laid before us. 

​Here is an excerpt from Chapter 20, ‘Weeping in the Presence of Evil’…

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​'He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. He chafed in spirit and sighed and was disturbed. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' JOHN 11:33b.

When you say to Him, come and see what has happened to me; when you take Him to the place where you laid down your greatest tragedy; where you did all you knew to do and still lost something dear, He is no respecter of persons. He is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow--

The response of Jesus to the mourners present in Bethany— is the shortest verse in the Bible.

'Jesus wept'. JOHN 11:3
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In the Greek New Testament the sentence has a subject (Jesus) and a verb (wept). Here is something very interesting — the Greek verb ‘edakrusen' has one occurrence. Only once in all of Scripture this verb was used.

‘Edakrusen’ is in the 'third person' yet singular and indicative of an active verb in the Greek, the word 'dakruw' means 'to shed tears, to weep silently'.
Now, I am not an English scholar, but this is remarkable! John recorded
'Jesus wept'; the shortest verse in the Bible which has one remarkable word; ‘Edakrusen’. That word expresses the humanity and diety of One who is touched by our infirmities. The most unique Person who will ever live on earth — wept. He shed actual tears. He wept silently.

​This expression— edakrusen—by Jesus, was not a wail, it was not a loud sob, it was not an overt outward display of emotion. He did not wail like the hired mourners who had come for Lazarus. Jesus was quietly giving way to His emotions, tears spilled from Divine Tear Ducts and rolled down His wonderful Face.

What prompted this emotional display? He asked them that all important question, ‘Where have you laid him?' They said 'Lord, come and see’; the ever important answer; to show Him what had happened. As He was walking toward the tomb we are told two short words — ‘Jesus wept’. ‘He silently gave way to tears’ …

What has this to do with The Lazarus Principle’? It is an expression of personal loss.

Personal loss is what The Lazarus Principle is all about — ‘Edrakrusen’ has everything to do with it! If you know Jesus, then you are not alone in your losses, you have a friend who cares more about your circumstances than anyone you will ever know. If you will accept His friendship, in the midst of your difficulties; it will be a great comfort to you

This extract shows a good example of each chapter. An aspect of the Lazarus story is shown to us and the spiritual truth of the word revealed. However, this is not just a straightforward this-is-what-it-means exposition, for other facets of the diamond are studied, the word returned to again and again to give us more and more of the Holy Spirit depths of God’s word. His Spirit speaking to ours.

I was blessed every time I read a chapter and often had to pause and reflect, allowing my mind to dwell on what I had just read. This book is my choice for 2025.

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GOD IS FAITHFUL
A Daily Invitation into the Father Heart of God
​by David Wilkerson
with an introduction by Gary Wilkerson
Chosen, an imprint of Baker Publishing Group

2025 is the second time I have used this book as my daily devotional and I was struck this time - not just by David Wilkerson’s perception and Holy Spirit gifting to bring a truth from God's Word - but by the way it felt that the Holy Spirit was bringing me a word that spoke to where I was emotionally each day.

Now this is obviously The Lord dealing with me spiritually and He could do that via a telephone directory if that was His way to get to me, but I loved that the book was divided into sections with titles revealing different aspects of Father God's way with us. Examples are 'God's Hand of Goodness', 'God's Healing Hand', 'God Has Everything Under Control'. These have sub-headings, which in those quoted here are 'He Delights In Blessing Us', 'He Delights In Restoring Us', 'He Delights In Planning Our Future'.

Ultimately, a good devotional lives or fades in the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the writer, and David Wilkerson is believed by many to have had a mighty anointing indeed. His leading to form Times Square Church in New York has grown from a small local following to having a weekly worldwide online prayer meeting involving believers in over 200 countries and territories, where participants can send prayer requests in real-time.

Of course, David Wilkerson is best known as the author of 'The Cross and The Switchblade', and has written other volumes, but this volume, I believe, will come to stand alongside Oswald Chamber's 'My Utmost For His Highest', or Charles Haddon Spurgeon's 'Morning and Evening'.

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OTHER RECOMMENDED CHRISTIAN BOOKS 2025

• 'THE SHADOW OF AN AGONY' - Oswald Chambers
• 'THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE' - Watchman Nee
• 'WALKING THROUGH LIFE'S HURTS' - Ruth Hawkey
  
• 'THE LORD'S PRAYER' - R T Kendall
• 'THE KING JAMES BIBLE: Readings and Documentaries from BBC Radio 4' - James Naughtie

by George John Stewart 

HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE: Acapeldridge

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A CLOSING WORD from... CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

"Visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

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