Where to begin?

This book has rocked my world. There are non-fiction books that you gain some new thoughts from and then there are non-fiction books that change your perspective all together.

I am always nervous when I begin a non-fiction book and I love the first chapter. Often times I find all the good stuff is in the first chapter and I am let down after that.

Not the case with this book.

Page after page I was highlighting, underlining, taking notes, praying.

Its funny, I requested this book after I requested another book so I was frustrated when I received this one first. But I have to tell you this book came at a perfect time in my life, as God knew it would. I needed to be rocked, re-awakened in my spirit, reminded of Gods awesomeness.

I could quote many things from this book, but Id rather you read it for yourself. On page 20-21 Matt writes: The more you taste and see the magnificence of God in the now, the more you wonder if you were even a Christian five years ago. Yes, that is so true. I am in such a different place than I was five years ago. I know I was a Christian then but I am in such a different place now, a better place, moved by the greatness of God.

On page 30 Matt reminds us that We never begin worship. We aim it. Wow, that one got me. We are constantly worshiping something, if not God we are worshiping something else in that moment. We choose where we aim it.

And that all is only in the first chapter, it only gets better from there.

If you dont want your world rocked then dont read this book but if you are looking for something to awaken your spirit grab this book and open your mind and heart to what the Spirit is communicating through these words.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book about worship. We all worship something or someone. Papa wants to help us understand what we are to do with our soul's quest for worship and to know where we are to aim it. He awakens our hunger, then give us a vision of God to see His glory.

He shares his own story. I got a glimpse of Glory, and I was changed.

I am impressed with this book. His discussion on idols is very enlightening and convicting. His teaching on sin clarifies that we don't try harder or do better. We change by seeing God's Glory. Papa shows how Glory is revealed in the Cross. I was surprised by his teaching on our having to adjust to the brightness of Glory, coming from the dimness of our own life and this culture. We have ADD of the soul, he says.

He has a good section on how we behold God's Glory. We must train ourself to hunger after God. It takes time and it requires effort. It is using the spiritual disciplines and the means of grace. He also has an excellent section on what it means to do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) That section alone makes the book worth reading. His section on suffering makes so much sense I wonder why I've not seen it explained that way before. He covers other topics too, like missions, what happens when we read the Bible and our motivation for doing it, prayer, and meditation.

The title of the book comes from the OT story of the serpent lifted up. (Numb. 21) Using that example, we now look upon the lifted up Savior and live.

This is a good book for worship leaders and pastors understand more why we worship. The book helps all believers rediscover the call to fervent worship.

Make your life one unflinching gaze at the glory of God, Papa writes. This is why you exist. This book will get you on that lifetime path.

Food for thought: An idol...is...anything that has replaced God as essential to your happiness.

If the gospel has not broken you, you have never really heard it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

I did not want this book.

The book blurb made it sound like a dark, heavy treatise about getting away from sin.

Yet for some reason, I still found myself requesting this for review.

And now Look and Live is one of my Top Reads of 2014. Within the first few pages- literally just the introduction- it was clear that this was gearing up to be an entirely different book than I had expected.

The next 246 pages were a delight to read- I intentionally forced myself to slow down and make it last longer.

Rather than being focused on sin, this was a book entirely about Glory- the Glory of God, the Glory that proceeds from Him.

The Glory that we must "behold" before we can ever "behave."

The Glory that we're searching for in all the dead end roads we travel. The Glory we recognize inherently, even before we can name it

The Glory captivates us when we come to Christ, that fuels our daily life as Christians, and that we will experience for all eternity.

Good stuff here, people.

He talks about the Cross- "The Blazing Center"- the event that makes the Glory personal and intimate for every human being.

He talks about Obedience-"Let my Eyes Adjust"- and makes the most concise sense out of the License/Legalism debate I've ever read.

He talks about "Scattered Beams"- experiencing Glory in the pleasurable- giving us permission to have fun.

He talks about "Glory and Suffering," wrestling with that paradox that beauty and holiness can come wit- and through- pain and loss.

In short, I'm going to be shoving this book at various people I know with a "You'll love this. Read it."

And because Matt Papa presents such a compelling vision of God, I would even give this to a not-yet-Christian seeker. What better evangelism than a glimpse of God's Glory??

"We must begin to understand that the gospel deconstructs a man before it reconstructs him. First it teaches him he is entitled to nothing, and then it give him everything." ~ Matt Papa

Thank you Bethany House for my review copy.

Look & Live by Matt Papa

What I like about this book is the Authors writing style.

He has gone thorough the journey of this book as he has gone thorough Life, with his love union with Music-extruding with passion and zeal all that is too great to hold within him.

That energy and fire, like lava pours out, as lava will-and the Author does not have focus left to see who follows-hes too engaged running out the Red Carpet for Christ.

It just happened-all that energy, all Gods magnificent joyous energy and along the way Matt Papa found notes and words to begin to translate the exhilarating ride on the curl of the wave of Gods powerful love and mercy.

We follow the pull-offs in the Christian journey, and we find quotes and stories to connect us with the signposts. We pass the pull-offs of every journey, someone does start or stop at everyone, and thats why those places are marked-with wear. You go on from here, No beginning is too small for God, Keep going, This is the way -to heal

You will feel the beat and rhythm of Matt and his Christ-sound.