God Came Near (1986)

Pure poetry. This is how I can best summarize "God Came Near". Lucado is a master craftsman of the written word. Able to bring new insight and perspective to God's word with language that is beautiful and creative. Emotion is drawn out and deep thoughts are invoked. This is by far the best Lucado book I've read and quite possibly his signature work. If you feel God is some distant cosmic force, then please read "God Came Near" where you will see, hear, and touch God in a very personal way as if He is right before your very eyes. Some of my favorite chapters include: 6) Twenty Five Questions for Mary, 10) Women of Winter, 14) No Accident, and 21) Light of the Storage Closet. And, some of my favorite quotes include:

Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian service, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see His majesty and to imitate him... that is the sum of Christianity.

The best way to deal with our past is to hitch up our pants, roll up our sleeves, and face it head on. No more buck-passing or scapegoating. No more glossing over or covering up. No more games. We need a confrontation with our Master.

When our sins catch up with us we can do one of two things: run or wrestle.

Jesus' death was not the result of a panicking, cosmological engineer. The cross wasn't a tragic surprise. Calvary was not a knee-jerk response to a world plummeting towards destruction. It wasn't a patch-job or a stop-gap measure. The death of the Son of God was anything but an unexpected peril.

No, it was part of a plan. It was a calculated choice. "It was the LORD's will to crush him." The cross was drawn into the original blueprint. It was written into the script. The moment the forbidden fruit touched the lips of Eve, the shadow of a cross appeared on the horizon. And between that moment and the moment the man with the mallet placed the spike against the wrist of God, a master plan was fulfilled.

To limit God's revelation to a cold list of do's and don'ts is as tragic as looking at a Colorado road map and saying that you'd seen the Rockies.

If there was hesitation on the part of his (Jesus) humanity, it was overcome by the compassion of his divinity.

His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. ( )

God Came Near : Chronicles of the Christ by Max Lucado (?)

After carting this book around for nearly five years and through three moves, I finally read it. Max Lucado always brings me to tears. A lovely book to read during Lent. (March 2009) ( )

Absolutely loved this book! ( )

Publisher description: Majesty in the midst of the Mundane. He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. He is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well being. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager, and in the presence of a mere carpenter. God had come near!Travel back in time and relive Christ the Son of God becoming man. In this stunning work, Max Lucado views the Savior who walked among us through a distinctly human lens. He speaks plainly to those of us who prefer to keep Jesus otherworldly, distant, and predictable: "Don't do it. For heaven's sake, don't. Let Him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out." Through vivid word pictures, come with Max as he brings to life the most important event in history . . . when God Came Near.