BookOpinion

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: It feels like years that I have been eagerly awaiting the second in this fascinating series by Wendy Alec. And Book 2 is every bit as intriguing, inspiring and fascinating as the first. I literally could not put it down. For those of you not familiar with Book 1, the story revolves around the suggestion that Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel were originally angelic brothers and covers the agony of the break away into his own realm by Lucifer.

“Messiah - The First Judgment” picks up where Book 1 left off…namely, after the fall of Lucifer and the approaching birth of the Jewish Messiah. We travel through the early years of Jesus while Lucifer, being fully aware that his adversary, the Nazarene, is the only one capable of undoing his evil machinations. Confrontation of brothers is followed by repeated confrontations serving merely to enhance the rebellious attitude of the fallen one into an uncontrolled fury.

One of the more moving scenes illustrated so beautifully by Wendy Alec is the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Lucifer asserts his rights by deed that Jesus is to be driven into the barren lands for forty days without food or drink…thus He is weak, faint from hunger and exhaustion. But the encounter between the two does not quite meet the evil expectations of the tempter. Enraged and defeated, Lucifer is thrown violently into the desert and the Nazarene is ministered to by Michael and legions of angels who, with bated breath, have witnessed the entire event.

And if you have never completely understood the significance of the willingness of Jesus to die on the Cross, you will after reading the chapter revealing the mystery and divine will of God regarding this event that changed history forever. In the words of Jether the Just, imperial angelic monarch and ruler of the twenty-four ancient kings of Yehovah, “He takes the place of the murderers, paeodophiles, adulterers, all that enact the darkened deeds of the Race of Men…that those of the Race of Men who would accept His sacrifice may go free.”

Several of the descriptions by Ms. Alec are incredibly horrific…one in particular caught my attention immediately. The following is an excerpt:

“Moloch’s barbarous satanic vandals wrenched Jesus of Nazareth’s spirit from the bruised and battered body on the cross. Instantly it took on the same form as the body it had inhabited, though it was of a different, more ethereal substance. Otherwise, it was identical. Moloch’s fallen host manacled Jesus’ wrists and ankles with heavy iron fetters that ripped cruelly into His tortured flesh. ‘Your sorceries are spent, Nazarene!’ Moloch leered. ‘Bind His mouth!’ he commanded. The butchers bound Jesus’ mouth with filthy cloth soaked in deadly nightshade, then brutishly hauled Him onto their shoulders, seizing Him in a vice-like grip. Moloch raised his whip. Instantly, they were sucked violently downward as though by some ferocious centrifugal force. Downwards..downwards, thousands of miles downward, towards the molten core of the Earth, the party of the damned descended. Down through the mouths of seething volcanoes. Through boiling seas of molten lava, until they emerged into the strange, churning violent world of floating continents and upside-down mountains that raged at 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The blast furnace that was the outskirts of hell.”

What follows is a scenario that many of us are already familiar with. However, “Messiah - The First Judgment” loses nothing in the telling and this fictionalized account of the fall of angels and redemption of men is nothing short of beautiful. I cannot recommend highly enough this engaging sequel by Wendy Alec to anyone who is interested in this genre of literature.

– Elizabeth Channery

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: “Eat This Not That” is definitely not one of those “can’t put it down, sit up til midnight with mainstay chocolate” type of books. It’s more of a manual of how to eat sensibly not only just when dining out but also during the holidays (when we all tend to pack on the pounds). David Zinczenko also covers how to shop at the supermarket, what beverages to avoid like the plague, what foods are “mood” foods for stress, fatigue, etc. and even how to guide your children through the endless maze of unhealthy fast foods.

This little book (small enough to pack inside a moderate sized handbag for easy access) is loaded with great tips that are targeted to help you lose belly fat and reshape your body. You can learn to cut empty calories and take advantage of foods that are high in nutrition but also taste good. Yes, even at fast food restaurants.

“Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More!” begins with giving you 10 Top Swaps. For example, if you order McDonald’s Big Mac rather than Burger King Whopper with cheese, you save 220 calories and 18 grams of fat. Or if you choose the Panera Chicken Caesar Salad as opposed to Chili’s Chicken Caesar Salad, you save 450 calories and 42 grams of fat! That is a huge difference!

You will discover the eight foods you should eat every day (and substitutions just in case the recommended food is repugnant to you), the twenty worst foods in America (avoid like the plague) and how to eat at your favorite restaurants without packing on the pounds. There is a great little chapter called “The Menu Decoder” that you won’t want to miss that covers everything from seafood to pretzels.

What to eat (and not touch) at the ballpark, preferable snacks for the movies and what to choose from vending machines are also covered in some detail. And you may definitely want to keep “Eat This Not That” handy when shopping for groceries. Eliminating unhealthy choices is a snap when you have all this information right at your fingertips.

The credentials of Davide Zinczenko and Matt Goulding are impressive as well. David, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine has also authored The Abs Diet and The Abs Diet for Women. He has appeared on Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and Primetime Live. And Matt is the food and nutrition editor of Men’s Health. It would appear that these guys know what they are talking about.

This book is not a diet book…just intelligently presented information in a format that makes choosing delicious and healthy food simple. I highly recommend this little, easy to digest, book to anyone interested in dropping a few pounds and especially recommend it to parents who want to present their children with better choices not only when eating out but when dining in as well.

– Elizabeth Channery