Audible Book Review: The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from Within by Mark Hitchcock, Jeff Kinley

These authors present a well laid out argument that we are in “tumultuous days” and experiencing false teachings in our churches.

The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from Within
By: Mark Hitchcock, Jeff Kinley
Narrated by: Paul Christy

Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
Release date: 04-11-17
Publisher: Two Words Publishing, LLC
Genre: Apologetics, Eschatology, Non Fiction, Ministry, Social Issues
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Jesus Christ is coming back. It is certainly a Christian's greatest hope during these difficult times. The Bible warns us that the last days will be tumultuous - wars and rumors of wars will spread (Matthew 24:6). In our age, the world seems to be spinning out of control, creating fear, confusion, and uncertainty. In addition to violence, pestilence, and epidemics, the Bible predicts a great "falling away" from God in the end times. Bible teachers call that "the great apostasy". Are we seeing evidence today in the church of this massive rejection of sound and wholesome teaching?
Best-selling authors Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley team up to examine the evidence from the teachers of our time. Are today's teachers allowing people to follow their own desires by telling them what they want to hear, as the Bible clearly predicts? Are major portions of the church ready to abandon sound and wholesome teaching?
Together, Mark and Jeff explore alarming trends among today's church leaders, and they are simply stunned by what they discover. The great apostasy is coming, but is it closer than we imagine? Let Mark and Jeff be your steady guides to the difficult days ahead.
©2017 Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley (P)2017 Two Words Publishing LLC

Review:
I am active in Bible studies that include Revelation and “end times”. I have also read (or listened to) other “end times” Christian works so a lot of this material is not new to me. I felt that the information was set forth in a logical fashion with sound examples. Some churches don't address the issue at all and others deny areas of lawlessness as they bend backward to be welcoming and inclusive. Being inclusive is fine as long as the behavior is not contrary to biblical teachings.

The writing is engaging rather than being just a text book format. This work re-enforces the views of an informed believer and I think it would be a good book for an uninformed believer or a non-believer.

Audio Notes: Paul Christy does a fine job of narrating this work. It isn’t overly exciting or emotional, but it is well delivered. I am glad I had this as a free audio.

Source: August 2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

First Book 2022 Audible Book Review: The Case for a Creator By: Lee Strobel

This is an informative work, full of scientific analysis.
The Case for a Creator
By: Lee Strobel
Narrated by: Lee Strobel

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 10-05-04
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Apologetics, Spiritual Growth
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Discover the astonishing evidence for intelligent design in this New York Times best-selling book by award-winning journalist Lee Strobel.
"My road to atheism was paved by science...but, ironically, so was my later journey to God," Strobel says.
During his academic years, Lee Strobel became convinced that God was obsolete, a belief that colored his journalism career. Science had made the idea of a creator irrelevant - or so Strobel thought.
But today science points in a different direction. A diverse and impressive body of research has increasingly supported the conclusion that the universe was intelligently designed. At the same time, Darwinism has faltered in the face of concrete facts and hard reason. Has science discovered God? At the very least, it's giving faith an immense boost, as new findings emerge about the incredible complexity of our universe.
Join Strobel as he reexamines the theories that once led him away from God. Through his compelling and highly readable account, you'll encounter the mind-stretching discoveries from cosmology, cellular biology, DNA research, astronomy, physics, and human consciousness that present compelling evidence in The Case for a Creator.

Review:
Lee Strobel has done a long series on “The Case for…” related to Christ and Christian faith. I am a strong believer in creation by design with God as the intelligent and creative designer. Accordingly, I was expecting to like this book, and I was glad to be impressed with the extent of science shared in support of an intelligent creator. Using the skills of a serious journalist, Strobel reaches out to experts in six scientific disciplines: Cosmology, Physics, Astrology, Biochemistry, Biological, and Consciousness. The interviews are presented in a clear fashion with the author raising challenges in each field.

This presentation might be a little dry for some readers. There is more scientific technical detail in this work than I have used in my study lessons fifteen years ago. I am curious to see if the companion study series uses the same interview format or adds more visual imagery.

I have a soft spot for Lee Strobel from my journalism days. Some part of my brain remembers when he changed from an atheist to a Christ believer. After providing solid scientific basis to support Theism, Stobel concludes with some wonderful Bible verses that show God's handiwork and declaration of creation. 

I am glad I chose this as my first book of 2022 as I learned a lot of science while reinforcing my faith. I recommend this to Christ followers who would enjoy the depth of scientific data to support their faith. I also recommend this to readers who are skeptical and are open minded to hear the scientific evidence that overcomes Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Audio Notes: Lee Strobel does a fine job narrating his own book. He brings his open-mindedness and confidence into the reading. I am glad I had the audio although I would like to have a print copy as well.

Source: May 18, 2021 Purchase at $2.99 with Whispersync. This is 2022 First Book and qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

First Book of the Year 2022.