1. How to confidently understand God's desire for you!
2. How to increase your Christian maturity with Godly inner convictions!
3. How to make decisions according to God's specific desires for you!
4. How to live the Christian life you desire--and God wants for you!
5. Provides a clear foundational presentation of God's will.
6. "The Christian Life Model" illustrates the general will of God.
7. "The Christian Guidance Model" illustrates God's specific will for you.
Excerpt
“As we move from the general to specific, consider the imagery in Scripture of God as our heavenly Father. This is probably the most pervasive of all images we have of God. Think of what that relationship means in human terms. For example, as a father, I had desires or a general will for each of my two daughters as they grew to maturity. Included in my general desire was that they would both grow into adulthood as honest, upright Christians who marry another strong believer. In fact, even before my wife was pregnant we as a couple prayed not only for our future children’s eternal salvation but that God would be preparing His choice of a life partner for them.
“However, as a father I also had more specific wishes, desires, based largely on my children’s abilities and skills. Because they were talented in different ways, my desires were not identical for both of them. My general desires were identical, but I had specific desires for each which were based on their personalities, talents, and interests. As a father I did not reveal all my secret wishes unless and until they sought counsel from me. Do you think our heavenly Father operates differently?”
Professional Reviews
Thoughtful Reviews of Christian Books
Book Review by Terry Delaney of
Christian Book Notes
"Thoughtful Reviews of Christian Books"
April 7, 2010
Thy Will be Done on Earth
by Robert Lloyd Russell
Russell, Robert Lloyd.
Thy Will Be Done on Earth: Understanding God's Will for You.
Xulon Press, 2008. 178 pp. $14.99.
Purchase at Amazon for $11.69 or less.
Introduction
Robert Lloyd Russell is a Bible teacher and seminar leader whose purpose in writing is to help Christians develop a living theology and dynamic discipleship. He has a Master of Christian Leadership Degree from Western Seminary. You can find out more about Robert at his website.
Thy Will be Done is the first book in a series entitled Christian Concepts. There are at least two more written and I believe three more waiting for time to put pen to paper.
Summary
This book is divided into four parts (really three) and is a quick read. Part one lays a foundation from Scripture for what God's desire is. Part two looks at one of two graphic models that the author uses to show how we can discern God's will. The third part develops the second illustration showing how you can be confident that your decision-making will be in-line with God's will. The final part is one chapter that is four pages long detailing the benefits of doing your best to follow God's will for your life. The ultimate conclusion is that in order to understand God's will for your life, you must be disciplined and willing to life a life dedicated to His service.
Review
I have to admit that at first, I didn't think this book was going to be good at all. However, as I read it, I found myself marking "good" beside many sentences and paragraphs throughout the book. While Russell's diagrams are very complicated to look at, he does a fine job of explaining each component and not overwhelming the reader with information. Each chapter is from two to 5 pages long not counting the end section.
At the end of every chapter, there are "Think and Grow" questions. These are written to take you further and deeper in your study of what was just read. Because of Russell's writing style, these questions are essential to gain a better understanding of what he is saying in his chapter.
There were a couple of chapters that I thought could be better explained or at the very least more written. Nonetheless, each chapter did drive home a point and each chapter was instrumental in the reader's understanding of how this all worked.
Also, and this is a pet-peeve of mine, he misuses some passages of Scripture. Most notably is when he is sharing the gospel and he quotes Rev. 3:20 or when he reads John 3:16-18 and then gives the "put your name here" line. Personally, I think that is a misuse of Scripture though it is not heretical.
Recommendation
I must say that while I was at first skeptical of this book because of 1) it's being published by Xulon and 2) the topic being discussed, I was fairly impressed with the ease of the read and the soundness (except for what I noted above) in the doctrine and theology being expressed. Given the shortness of the chapters and the in-depth study questions following each chapter, this book makes for an excellent group study in Sunday School or home groups. While there are many, many books on discerning God's will, Thy Will be Done is a worthwhile introduction to the subject.
The Northwest Book Reviewer
Christian News Northwest, May 2009
The Northwest Book Reviewer - Gail Welborn
Thy Will Be Done On Earth,
Understanding God's Will for You,
by Robert Lloyd Russell,
Xulon Press, 2008,
192 Pages,
ISBN-13: 978-1606474303,
$14.99
Christians are told to trust God with their decisions. Some Christians say they discern God's will with what is called "open and closed doors." However, Scripture clearly demonstrates the disciples' lives were not without problems, yet they obeyed God even when the "door" appeared closed.
With a Masters Degree in Christian Leadership from Western Seminary and years of experience teaching adult Sunday school classes and seminars, Russell developed two molecular models to visually demonstrate traditional Christian truth from a new perspective. Thy Will Be Done, first of six books in the Christian Concept Series, presents these materials for the first time outside the classroom.
The first part describes three aspects of God's will, His sovereign, general, and specific will that provide the foundation for the rest of the book. The Christian Life Model in Part 2 diagrams God's general will for Christians, while The Christian Guidance Model in Part 3 illustrates how to make correct decisions.
Designed for individual or group study, the 26 short chapters build on material from preceding chapters. "Think and Grow," a practical application section with reflective questions, end each chapter with space for readers to journal their thoughts. This timely book equips Christians to find tangible answers to difficult questions in one of the most trying times of our nation's history. It would make an excellent Bible study.
The Cypress Times Book Review
Book Review The Cypress Times
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH
Published 04/16/2009 - 6:00 a.m. CST
This timely book equips Christians to find tangible answers to difficult questions in one of the most trying times of our nation's history. It would make an excellent Bible study.
Thy Will Be Done On Earth, Understanding God's Will for You, by Robert Lloyd Russell, Xulon Press, 2008, 192 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-1606474303, $14.99
Christians are told to trust God with their decisions, even when those decisions are life-altering and certain to change their circumstances. How can we gain confidence that our decisions are God's will for us? Some Christians say they discern God's will with what is called "open and closed doors." In other words, if everything seems favorable, it must be God's will. Or, if only problems arise, they decide the plan must not be God's will. However, Scripture repeatedly clearly demonstrates the disciples lives were not without problems, yet they obeyed God even when the "door" appeared closed. Russell believes Christians can be misdirected because they're not in what he calls, the "right lane of life's freeway" to discern God's will. He devised a graphic, molecular model to teach Christians how to determine God's will.
With a Masters Degree in Christian Leadership from Western Seminary, years of teaching adult Sunday school classes and seminars, and life experiences, Russell, believes there is a better way to find God's will. He developed two molecular models to visually demonstrate traditional Christian truth from a new perspective, and then expanded the models with targeted acronyms for ease of understanding. Thy Will Be Done, first of six books planned in the Christian Concept Series, presents these materials for the first time outside the classroom.
The first part describes three aspects of God's will, His sovereign, general, and specific will that provide the foundation for the rest of the book. For instance, God's Sovereign will is His absolute, unlimited will, better described as "that which happens." God's general will is "God's desire for mankind." God's specific will is "God's desire for you." His specific will never contradicts his general will, but may include more than His general will. And God's specific will is unique to each individual.
The Christian Life Model in part two diagrams God's general will for Christians, while The Christian Guidance Model in part three illustrates how to make correct decisions.
Designed for individual or group study, the 26 short chapters build on material from preceding chapters. The author recommends reading through the book once for an overview before re-reading at a more reflective pace. "Think and Grow," a practical application section with reflective questions end each chapter with space for readers to journal their thoughts. The book is well-organized and easy to navigate. Well-balanced and supported by Scripture, the author's thoughts, rooted in God's Word, "direct, encourage and entertain." This timely book equips Christians to find tangible answers to difficult questions in one of the most trying times of our nation's history. It would make an excellent Bible study.
Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
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