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Summary: Secrets of the Vine
Review: Don't Judge a Book by it Cover! This book is small but powerful. It contains a wealth of information for a successful life. Through this book the author communicates the loving God who will work within our lives if we choose to allow Him to be our source. A message that can be life changing no matter where you are in your walk with God....
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Summary: Grapevine pruning 101
Review: If you ever wondered why certain things happen in your life this little book opens a whole new understanding. Now when you go through a confusing time, a hard time or a painful time you can have the hope and faith to know your heavenly Father is at work in your life. This little book will bring all of life's little pleasures and life's hardships into perspective. You will be able to see the big picture of life and accept it as part of the process of becoming the person God intended you to be. Bruce Wilkinson explains in detail why Jesus referred to the grapevine and what the meaning of his teaching was. He illustrates the magnificent procedure of vinedressing and parallels it to our life in Christ. Whether your walk with God is brand new or you have been with Him all your life, this book is a blessing that will take you to the next level of intimacy with the Father.
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Summary: Small book, but power packed..
Review: It is about John 15, written from the perspective of a person who knows about growing grapes.He talks about discipline, pruning, and abiding (both for grapes and also the same concepts/realities occuring in people's lives). Wilkinson describes difference between all three and how you can tell which one is going on in your life at present. He explains what "abiding" is and what it is not. As a result of what I read, I started changing how I meet with G-d, what my focus is. The book was very timely for me, and I will refer to it again and again to give to friends who are confused or tired or growing cold in their love because of discouragement or misunderstanding about what G-d is doing or Who He is-- what He is about in our lives. The book would also help a new believer start out well, although it is written from the perspective of a mature believer who came to a crisis in his faith twenty years ago and who wrote the book after putting what he learned from John 15 and a vineyard into practice. The book answered some questions I have had about G-d and His ways for years now. :) It encouraged me to take the daily stresses or challenges that come and to appreciate them, seeing the larger picture, and to cooperate with G-d in what He is doing in me, rather than getting frustrated about why He is allowing them or misunderstanding His heart towards me in them. I finished the book feeling more loved and more encouraged and with more passion to press on to know Him more.. to BE more with Him as opposed to DOING more for Him. There is a reason that it is a national bestseller! See what you think! If you are not a believer in Yeshua [Jesus], I think the book would still have some helpful concepts and perspectives for the reader about life and our responses.
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Summary: Finding our purpose in life...
Review: In the first book: The Prayer of Jabez, Dr. Bruce H. Wilkinson explains how we can have an abundant life by knowing how to pray to God. In this second book of the BreakThrough Series, he takes the verses in John 15 and explores the four levels of "fruit bearing" in order to show you how God works in your life to answer your prayer. This is the message Jesus gave to his disciples on the night he was betrayed. As he was about to defeat sin, he was explaining how his followers could also defeat sin and live an abundant life. "The disciples knew grapes like an Englishman knows tea." pg. 59 So, it is no wonder the story of vines would have made complete sense to the disciples and be perhaps a bit of a secret to those of us who have never been taught how to grow grapes. Dr. Wilkinson brings the story alive as he tells of how the disciples followed Jesus to a vineyard. There he teaches them about how he is the true vine and his father is the vinedresser/husbandman (gardener). The fruit God desires of us is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When God works through you, others will see these qualities in your life and want to know who God is and perhaps become Christians themselves. When a Christian does not bear any fruit, it is often thought that perhaps they are not a Christian after all. Jesus says that if a branch does not bear fruit he takes it away. Dr. Wilkinson delves into the Greek translation to bring more understanding to the words used. He brings a new meaning to the word "airo" and explains how it could mean "take up" instead of "cut off." This was enlightening in many regards and is an explanation of this verse as I have never heard it before. You will never read John 15 in the same way again! I recommend this book for pages 34-35 alone. There are also three main secrets of the vine that are revealed in this book. The Bible has such beautiful messages for our souls and Dr. Wilkinson expands on that beauty and helps us to have a deeper understanding. I enjoyed reading this devotional even more than the first one. You will come away with a renewed sense of love for God and a deeper understanding of what your purpose is in this life. "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may might be full." John 15:11 I wish you joy and hope you will also look for The Prayer of Jabez, which is the first book in the series. I look forward to reading each book as they are published. If you enjoy reading companions to the Bible, The Complete Bible Handbook by John Bowker is one I have enjoyed reading. The New Open Bible Study Edition is also extreemly helpful if you want to study the Bible.
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Summary: A Great Book to Read During Personal Hard Times
Review: I loved this book. I found it especially useful during this particularly difficult time in my Christian walk. The single greatest benefit was helping me distinguish between discipline and pruning. Recognizing the difference helps in knowing how to respond to the hardships. It also helped me better understand the value of "abiding," in the Savior. Finally, I appreciated the illustrations from Wilkinson's own experience.
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Summary: Secrets of the Vine
Review: Having studied the John 15 passage in various Bible Studies, the analogies of the "vinedresser" Wilkinson used in this book were a blessing to me. I was able to envision Christ teaching his disciples via the grapevine on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane. How the vinedresser "lifts up" the branches that are in the dirt, cleanses them and ties them into the branch so they can grow only served to remind me that God Almighty (the ultimate "Vinedresser") saw our need. So, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to lift up those branches in the "dirt" that need His cleansing. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, He cleanses us (the dirty branches) and ties us to Himself, the ultimate Branch, so we can grow. The sap running through the vine to the branch is the Holy Spirit. So much said in so few pages.
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Summary: God's Invitation to the Abundant Life
Review: I read the prayer of Jabez and enjoyed it, but I really believe that Secrets of the Vine is even better because it has a wide application to the body of Christ. In my mind there is nothing so precious as John 15 and Wilkinson's exegesis of it is purely biblical. Many scholars have stubbed their toes on this, because they mistakenly think that Christians who "mess up" or "backslide" are cut off from eternal life. Wilkinson gives a very clear presentation of the Gospel message by interpreting this passage correctly. As this book states, Christians who are dead branches are not cast off from Heaven, but from the sweet connection to the vine: the fellowship of communion with Christ. I also like his distinction between pruning and discipline. Pruning brings us closer to the character Christ wants us to be. It's not chastening, but shaping and molding. Wilkinson beautifully brings out Jesus' invitation to the abundant life, by giving a careful background of the verticulture. After reading Secrets of the Vine, Jesus poignant example of the vine is more special to me. Read this book and get an understanding of the Christian life and the life God wants you to live. A great book. A must read. A powerful lesson
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Summary: Great secrets revealed~
Review: I learned something new in each chapter of this book. The book is short and easy to read, and will definanly be a blessing to everyone who reads it. The book shows how God cares about each of us, and wants us to succeed! If you have any doubts about God's love for you, this is the book to get!
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Summary: Another Breakthrough!
Review: SECRETS OF THE VINE is a wonderful follow-up to THE PRAYER OF JABEZ. Using Jesus' analogy of the vine from the Book of John, Wilkinson effectively explains how one can live a life of abundance for the Lord. This is a short book, like its predecessor, but packs a powerful message. Another blessing - indeed.
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Summary: A Must-Read!!
Review: My words can't do this book justice. I can't recommend it highly enough. If you liked The Prayer of Jabez, this book will knock your socks off.
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