Customer Reviews

Gripped by the Greatness of God

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This is a fantastic book from Pastor James MacDonald. I was priveleged to hear these chapters in sermon form (available from www.walkintheword.com) and can tell you that this was an amazing trip through the end of Isaiah!

So often, our problems and difficulties overwhelm us because our view of God is so small. By seeing the Lord as He truly is, we are RESIZED and our perspective is changed.

This book goes through the text carefully, but in a way that any person can follow. It definately follows Pastor James' writing style... think A.W. Tozer meets ESPN SportsCenter.

Highly recommended!

Gripped By The Greatness Of God by Pastor James MacDonald (Harvest Bible Chapel, Rolling Meadows, Illinois) is a descriptive study of the Book of Isaiah as which is as inspirational as it is informative. Deftly analyzing the timeless teachings of these Old Testament scriptures, Gripped By The Greatness Of God offers readers a knowledgeable guidance through the truths exemplified in vivid passages of prophecy and commentary which impact upon and reflect some of Christianity's deeply rooted beliefs. Concluding with the epilogue "How to Stay Gripped by the Greatness of God", Pastor MacDonald's theological treatise is very strongly recommended reading for Christians of all denominations who are searching for an in-depth grasp of the timeless scriptures comprising the Book of Isaiah.

This is a great book to bring us back to the basics of who God is. I was in a spiritual slump, and this study really helped get my heart and attitude focused back on the Truth. I would recommend it to anyone--in fact, my mom is not a reader, but she just purchased the audio cd's of the study due to my rave comments about it! :)

Although I've enjoyed listening to James MacDonald by radio for years, this is the first of his books in my collection. I love that he writes the same way he speaks. I can almost hear his voice as I read. He preaches and teaches with power. His style is never condescending, but more like a passionate friend who wants nothing more than to encourage you to be all that you were created to be. This book is definitely a keeper and as soon as I finished it, I bought one for my friend. It was enlightening, convicting, comforting, and includes things to do to help apply the teaching to one's life...to make it personal. Don't miss this one.

Have you ever felt "gripped" by something in your life? Well, pastor and author James MacDonald has written a book that I believe is based on a mission or passion he has and that is that we as believers would become "gripped" by the greatness of God. Although I am sure the author would agree that no man nor any book could, can or ever will do full justice to putting forth in proper detail the glories and excellencies of our God and that no man will ever be fully "gripped" by God, it should be our fervent passion and desire to be as much so as is humanly possible.

Author MacDonald writes, "God is not safe, and He will not be squeezed into some neat, respectable Sunday discussion. God in a box-with a little package of hot sauce and a toy surprise. No. To know God at all is to watch Him explode any box we put Him in with His terror, majesty, and indescribable wonder." And that terror, (not a word that is commonly or sadly used in Christian circles today), that majesty and indescribable wonder is just what author MacDonald wants us to be "gripped" by as a result of reading in the book of Isaiah as well as his book.

Pastor MacDonald breaks the book down in to six chapters, each one relating in some way to the indescribable awesomeness and glory of God. For example in the first chapter he writes about being "Gripped by the Holiness of God." In chapter one of his book he relates the story of the year when King Uzziah died and Isaiah the prophet "Saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of his robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above him and one called out to another...Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." (Read Isaiah 6:1-7). The result of this sight and experience in Isaiah's life was that it totally undid him...it brought him to the lowest of lows as a man could go when he saw the Lord and he realized just how Holy he is. And theologian and author R. C. Sproul in his series on the Holiness of God states that this is the only attribute of God that is repeated three times in the Bible which makes it extremely significant. And author MacDonald writes in his book just how life altering of an experience it is when we as believers truly get "gripped" by the holiness of God. And I would thank Pastor MacDonald for making the Holiness of God the first priority of mention in his book because I strongly believe, if we as God's people are not truly and totally "gripped" by the holiness of God then we can not ever be rightly "gripped" by any of the other glorious attributes of his person. He concludes the chapter appropriately with a prayer and an action plan to make what we have read personal. I like that about this book as I do any book that I read. When a book causes me to have to stop and think and interact with it that excites me.

In Chapter 2 author MacDonald writes about being "Gripped By The Awesomeness of God," in chapter 3, "the Sovereignty of God," in Chapter 4 "The Works of God," in Chapter 5 "The Worship of God" and finally in Chapter 6 "My Identity In God." And at the end of each chapter he offers a prayer and a plan for practical application to help us apply what we have read. And how appropriate is the order he chose in writing the chapters of his book - beginning with God and His Holiness and ultimately ending up with how what we have read and learned relates to us as God's chosen people. God is exalted first in all of His holiness, and awesomeness, His Sovereignty, His Works, and Worship and then he wraps a bow around it delivers it the message of what it all means to us as man. He then concludes his book with a few thoughts on How To Stay Gripped By The Greatness of God," which is no easy task for as a mortals, but one nevertheless, that we should give our full attention and devote our full energies to as lovers of God and followers of Christ.

If you are a professing lover of God and follower of Christ and your life is lacking spiritual power and reality I suggest you take time and read this book and just maybe...just maybe you too will get "Gripped By The Greatness of God" and it will forever change your life as it did Isaiah's, Pastor MacDonald's, mine and countless numbers of believers from through the ages past as well as in the present and from all around the globe.

I received a complementary copy of this book from Walk In The Word Ministries for reviewing it.

I'm part way through this volumne. It is good as a reminder of the greatness, holiness, awesomeness, etc. of God. Read it to get in perspective and grow!

In an age where men are continually trying to recreate God in "their own image", rather than looking at what God has to say about who He is, this book is a refreshing look at who He says He is. Using chapters from the book of Isaiah, James MacDonald looks at what God says about His holiness, His awesomeness, His soveriegnty, and His works. The final two chapters look at what God has to say about the ways that He wants to be worshipped and how we are are we can find our true identity in Him!

This book helped me see and understand God in ways I didn't know before. While it is impossible to fully understand God (his ways and thoughts are much higher than ours - Isaiah 55:8,9), it gave me a greater understanding of His attributes and His love for mankind. Thank you, Pastor MacDonald for the insight and more important - Thank you, Lord for using this book to help me understand your Word better and apply it to my life.

If MacDonald is "A.W. Tozer meets ESPN SportsCenter", then he'd better hire Tozer as his coach to whip him into shape before he gets back into the writing game. MacDonald's book seemed just the thing I was looking for to help revitalize my walk with the Lord. As I've been turning my attention lately to passages in Isaiah that focus on God's holiness and sovereignty, "Gripped" appeared to be the perfect accompaniment. And what a majestic, powerful, convicting book in the Bible to tackle! But the more I read, the more I was gripped - annoyed! - by MacDonald's high-school hallway conversational writing style and pithy analogies and metaphors throughout. (Moody Press let him get away with such drivel as, "cool", "And like, ..."? Where's the editorial integrity?) The places in the book where he discusses God's holiness - and he makes a couple of very good points - are too heavy on catchphrases and too light on intelligent discussion. This book feels like he's having a casual Friday night chat at Starbucks with teenagers rather than truly plunging into the splendor and staggering awesomeness of who God is. I expected a much better effort from a pastor than this, and was greatly disappointed. "Gripped" may well inspire younger readers to dig into Isaiah, but others may wish to pass on this for a book that carries an iron grasp.