Clayton Perry, founder of The Nubiano Project, an online forum which covers politics, entertainment, and cultural issues, recently reviewed preacher A.R. Bernard's new book, Happiness Is... Simple Steps to a Life of Joy for BlogCritics.org.
I'm glad Clayton brought his review to my attention as it is well written and rich with detail. I rely on reviews before making a decision about what to read or watch as my time is limited. What I like most about Clayton Perry's review is that he provides ample quotes from the book.
I've had an opportunity to listen to A.R. Bernard a few times and like what I hear, yet I'm a bit reluctant to fully embrace his sermons until I've read his book and done more research about him.
Some of the criticisms I've read online suggest he's devoted to the idea of Prosperity Gospel, but I'm going to judge his preaching for myself to see if it's Biblical sound and if the Kerygma, (the birth, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ), is the overall foundation of his teaching.
I must admit that I learned a great deal about the whole notion of General Revelation from A.R. Bernard's teaching series entitled, "Maximizing Your Value." You can read a detailed article about General Revelation at Equip.org.
General Revelation is the concept that God discloses himself to mankind through His creation (nature, the universe) as pointed out in Romans 1:18-20. And as Paul points out in Romans 1:20, because God has made Himself known in a general way through nature, man has no excuse not to be aware of the presence of God.
Further, as Scripture tells us, it is only through Jesus Christ that we have a relationship with God and therefore have salvation. Knowing about God is not enough, one must "know God," and have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus. A few key scripture passages one can read regarding the nature and role of Christ is our lives are: John 3:16, Colossians 1:15-20, Romans 10:9–13 and Dr. Charles Stanley has two good articles on Salvation and The Need for Salvation.
You can read my previous posts about A.R. Bernard from and Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, 2008.
Also, be sure to check out Clayton Perry's site The Nubiano Project. Mr. Perry has a wide variety of articles and resources one can use.
Have a blessed day by telling someone about Jesus!
Your Brother in Christ,
