Vibes

Bethlehem, House of Bread
By Annie Moses Band,
Man Alive Records.

Bethlehem, House of Bread, a Christmas album by the Annie Moses Band, contains intricate musicianship and vibrant vocals that are second to none. Lead singer Annie Wolaver’s angelic soprano is a reminder that the shepherds heard God’s celestial messengers singing when the Son of God came to Earth. The group gives its all on each song to sound the trumpet that a Savior was born. Many common Christmas carols such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” have been recomposed into ornate, rushing words of praise and adoration. The Annie Moses Band also make the season come alive with original songs such as “Bethlehem, House of Bread,” “Christmas on Cripple Creek” and “When the Christmas Baby Cries.” This CD will definitely help make your Christmas “the most wonderful time of the year!”
Jevon Bolden

MUSIC

A Timeless Christmas
By Israel & New Breed, Integrity Music.

Israel Houghton and New Breed’s A Timeless Christmas offers a vibrant collection perfect for the holiday season. The album features classic hymns with Israel & New Breed flavor such as “O Come,” “Tidings,” “Hark” and “Silent Nocturne (Silent Night),” featuring jazz greats Lalah Hathaway and Gerald Albright. The CD also includes “Christmas Worship Medley” (which has a throwback to “Alpha and Omega”) and “Everybody Knows”—both likely to become classics. They also spice up “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “We Wish You a Timeless Christmas,” featuring CeCe Winans and Marvin Winans. A Timeless Christmas has the makings of a Christmas classic to be treasured for years to come.
Twanna Powell

Celebrating Christmas
By Hillsong, Integrity Music.

Hillsong has decked the halls with their brand-new Christmas CD. Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong team have filled Celebrating Christmas with a beautiful collection of songs and styles perfect for all listeners. Maintaining the traditional beauty found in Christmas carols, Hillsong also offers a contemporary “Angels We Have Heard on High,” a soulful “O Rejoice,” and a fun, big-band style “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.” Helping to balance these songs and others are the acoustic “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and the worshipful “What Child Is This.” Once again, Hillsong helps listeners enter God’s presence, with fun tunes, traditional hymns and worshipful anthems, all successfully reminding us that our Savior Christ the King is the reason for the season.
Kristi Shores

You Are Good
By Matt Papa, Spin 360 Records.

Matt Papa’s latest release, You Are Good, offers an infectious electric sound. Papa gives full praise to God with Davidic-style lyrics and unmatched instrumentation. This 22-year-old keeps listeners eager for more of God with songs such as “Dancing Generation” and a beautiful reprise of the hymn “I Surrender All.” Though he is young, Papa’s praise is mature, and he has poured his heart into this CD with reckless abandon, delivering an energetic yet reflective offering of pure worship.
Jevon Bolden

The Shadow of Your Wings
By Fernando Ortega, Curb Records.

Feeling that our world offers little time for reflection, meditation and quiet, Fernando Ortega offers listeners a peaceful, sacred composition with The Shadow of Your Wings. He revisits the popular hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” engulfing listeners in the security of almighty God as he sings, “All I have needed Thy hand has provided.” Listeners will find solace in the quiet reflection each song allows—songs such as “Grace and Peace” and “There Is Power in the Blood.” This CD will provide rest to busy minds and spirits, and open your ears to the sweet, small voice of the Holy Spirit.
Jevon Bolden

BOOKS

Everybody Wants to Change the World
By Tony Campolo and Gordon Aeschilman,
Regal, softcover, 220 pages, $14.99.

Instead of reading through this book, many will find it more helpful to use it as a reference manual. Everybody Wants to Change the World contains dozens of ideas for employing grass-roots action to make a difference in your community—and beyond. Each chapter includes a list of ministries and nonprofit organizations that tackle problems stemming from poverty, prison reform, being disabled and being elderly. The book includes a study guide for small-group discussion, although fully exploring the issues will take longer than the six-week session suggested. The inclusion of such groups as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Amnesty International may rankle some conservative readers, but don’t let a political bias get in the way. As the authors point out, much of the world is starving or barely surviving. A church worth its salt will be striving to carry out Christ’s command to care for the hurting. This book offers practical suggestions for getting started.
Ken Walker

Downpour
By James MacDonald, Broadman & Holman,
Hardcover, 210 pages, $19.99.

James MacDonald’s book Downpour: An Encounter With God That Will Soak You With Joy is not for wimps. It contains no fluffy prose or cutesy stories. What it does have is a passionate and challenging plea from MacDonald for Christians to “return to the Lord” through personal revival. He clearly outlines his five-point plan for anyone wanting to restore a close relationship with God—God on the Throne, Sin in the Mirror, Self in the Dirt, Christ on the Cross and Spirit in Control—and walks the reader through immediate, interactive steps that can be taken to apply his points. One-page profiles of people who have experienced personal revival are scattered through the book as encouragement. MacDonald asks his readers to invest the time to truly absorb the concepts of each chapter. If they do, he believes they will soon feel the refreshing raindrops of God’s love and grace beginning to fall.
Jeff Friend

Lucifer Exposed
By Derek Prince, Whitaker House,
Softcover, 240 pages, $12.99.

The premise of Lucifer Exposed: The Devil’s Plan to Destroy Your Life by the late Derek Prince is very simple: Lucifer is real, he is out to destroy every soul, and Christians need to be aware of his plans and tactics. Prince begins by giving background information on Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven and then explains the structure of his current kingdom. In detailing Lucifer’s attack plans, Prince examines the multiple facets of witchcraft, many of which Lucifer tries to stir up within the church, such as pride, legalism, and illegitimate authority and theology. But Prince does not leave his readers feeling gloomy or hopeless. He devotes the second half of the book to outlining how we can overcome Lucifer and his many schemes and emphasizes that God already has secured our victory through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Jeff Friend

Dream Language
By James W. and Michal Ann Goll,
Destiny Image, softcover, 244 pages, $14.99.

James and Michal Ann Goll bring to light the gift of dreams given by the Holy Spirit in Dream Language: The Prophetic Power of Dreams, Revelations, and the Spirit of Wisdom. The Golls provide accounts from the entire Bible that show how God used dreams to speak to His people as well as to those who did not follow Him. They cover in depth the types of dreams God uses, such as dreams of correction or direction, and dreams to intercede for a situation, an individual or a nation. The Golls provide lists of symbols and meanings, though they emphasize repeatedly the need to seek God first about a dream before interpreting it or acting on it. They explain the importance of journaling and provide techniques for doing so. They also emphasize discernment and relying on the Word of God for wisdom and divine direction. This book is ideal for anyone wanting to learn more about how God manifests His love and direction to us through dreams.
Heidi Ippolito

More
By Marilyn N. Anderes, Chosen,
Softcover, 208 pages, $12.99.

Marilyn Anderes invites readers to a deeper level of intimacy with the Savior in More: The Four Dimensions of Intimacy With God. She explains the invitation of Christ to taste and see His goodness, telling readers that He will meet them as they throw off their hindrances to being with Him. Anderes assures readers that through Christ they can come to a point of sacrifice, from which they can dive deep into the living waters and become immersed in the limitless love of God. Whether they are held back by pride, fear, an issue of control, or hurts from past or current relationships, readers can lay all these things aside, accept Christ’s invitation for greater intimacy and bask in a life rich with His blessing.
Heidi Ippolito

New On DVD

Read ‘n’ See DVD Bible
Integrity Publishers
$19.99

The Read ‘n’ See DVD Bible brings Bible stories to life on screen and in the illustrated storybook. Children will learn about Noah, Adam and Eve, Jesus, and many others. Well-known musicians and authors, including Max Lucado, Rebecca St. James, Roy Clark and Twila Paris, provide the narration. Kids will also learn Bible verses with each story and enjoy the 40 sing-along songs.

Gideon: Tuba Warrior
Big Idea Inc.
$14.99

Larry the Cucumber is back as Gideon. God chooses him to fight 30,000 hairy pickles. But this tuba player is more familiar with a marching band than with marching orders. This is a story of learning to trust what God says. The DVD includes several behind-the-scenes bonus features, video trivia, an interactive storybook, games and much more.

To Share or Nut to Share
Tommy Nelson
$14.99

The Garden Talent Show and Tell leaves the bugs scrambling for the only nut left to show. Will the former friends learn how important it is to share? Bonus features include a tribute to the late Don Knotts (this is his last voice appearance as Wormie for the Hermie & Friends series) and the cartoon short Win, Lose or Honey.