Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
-WORK TITLE: Without Rival
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Colorado Springs
STATE: CO
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://messengerinternational.org/about-us/our-founders/ * http://messengerinternational.org/blog/author/lisabevere/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born June 6, 1960; married John Bevere; children: Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and Christian motivational speaker. Cofounder of Messenger International, Palmer Lake, CO, 1990.
WRITINGS
Contributor to From Our Hearts to Yours, Charisma House, 2008.
SIDELIGHTS
Lisa Bevere is a public speaker and author whose work focuses on biblical truths with practical application. Along with her husband, John Bevere, she cofounded Messenger International, which promotes Christian-based projects throughout the world. Bevere is a prolific author of books offering advice primarily to women based on Christian beliefs.
Fight Like a Girl
In her book titled Fight Like a Girl: The Power of Being a Woman, Bevere presents her case that women should stop trying to be like men and instead embrace the strong nature inherent in their womanhood. According to Bevere, women often relinquish their power by trying to mimic men’s physical strength. Rather Bevere believes women should use a more subtle approach involving both speech and overall conduct to achieve power to change the world. “The basic premise of the book is that women have had two reactions in the great battle of the sexes: they either become passive, imagining that it is ladylike to do so … or they rebel against males, trying to become like them,” wrote Meet Jesus at Uni Web site contributor Tamie Davis.
In Fight Like a Girl, Bevere provides examples of how women are best fit to help others through the spirit. She stresses gentleness, tenderness, and spirituality, all qualities she believes women generally possess more than men. Readers “will appreciate Bevere’s authenticity as she delves deep to unmask long-held misconceptions regarding women’s uniqueness and untapped potential,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. Meet Jesus at Uni Web site contributor Davis noted: “There’s a lot … about how not to sell out to your culture, how to be empowered as a woman and what the conduct and speech of a godly woman is.”
Lioness Arising
Lioness Arising: Wake Up and Change Your World is another book by Bevere focusing on the power of women. Using the model of a lioness who fiercely protects her young and exhibits strength and prowess, Bevere draws many examples from nature and the Bible concerning how women can lend their voice to change the world through a collective roar. However, Bevere focuses primarily on the many abilities of the lioness and translates these into human qualities that fit in with God’s design for women.
Bevere’s “writing is personal, relatable, and easy to understand and apply,” wrote a 7Sisters Web site contributor. A Terribly Interesting Web site contributor noted: “From reading this book, I realized that somewhere along the way, our feminine culture has lost it’s voice.”
Girls with Swords
In Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero, Bevere focuses on how women can use the word of God to fight a spiritual enemy of modern times that seeks to disarm women on all levels. According to Bevere, women in the twenty-first century remain the targets of prejudice, sex trafficking, abuse, and gendercide. Severe writes that God intended women to be heroes and presents advice on how they becomes ones. She addresses issues such as what it means to intercede and to be discerning in judgment. Bevere also discusses why women are targets. Throughout, Bevere stresses that God needs women to be heroes.
“I love how the book opens up, with the parallel identification of some important points from a secular movie,” wrote a contributor to the A Blessed Day Web site, who went on to note the movie, The Terminator, features a female character who rises to the occasion when a hero is needed. A mayibethemoon Web site contributor remarked: “Girls With Swords is a call to women to equip themselves with the Word of God and to speak out, in love, mercy, forgiveness and against injustice. It is a reminder that we are daughters of the King, and he has entrusted each of us with a mission.”
Without Rival
Bevere once again addresses identity issues in women in her book titled Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison. Bevere discusses the limitations women place on themselves when they view other people as rivals, thus limiting theselves via comparison and competition. She writes such a viewpoint not only makes people turn on others but also on themselves. The result is increased isolation and confusion about identity. Bevere also believes it ultimately limits an individual’s understanding of his or her purpose in life. Based on readings from the Bible, Bevere provides readers with tips on how people can transform rivalries to bring out the best in themselves and to counter arguments that support the notion that women are gullible and in many ways unfit to lead.
Bevere pays special attention to dismantling gender rivalry, including those within the church. She also includes numerous examples of female role models in the Bible, including Sarah in the Old Testament. Bevere will “win more readers with her insights, effusive love for God, and candid explanations of personal challenges,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. A Life, Unleashed Web site contributor noted: Bevere “tackles the issue of our identity, and ushers a wake up call for us to remember who (and Whose) we are … and what that means for us, as we live out our daily lives.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, February 27, 2006, review of Fight Like a Girl: The Power of Being a Woman, p. 56; June 13, 2016, review of Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison. p. 93.
ONLINE
7Sisters, http://7sistershomeschool.com/ (February 22, 2017), review of Lioness Arising: Wake up and Change Your World.
A Blessed Day, http://ablessedday.blogspot.com/ (December 30, 2016), review of Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero.
Life, Unleashed, http://alifeunleashed.com/ (February 9, 2017), review of Without Rival.
Mayibethemoon, https://mayibethemoon.com (September 25, 2016), review of Girls With Swords.
Meet Jesus at Uni, https://meetjesusatuni.com/ (May 9, 2009), review of Fight Like a Girl
Messenger International Web site, http://messengerinternational.org/ (March 15, 2017), author profile.
Tina Truelove, http://www.tinatruelove.com/ (September 19, 2016), Tina Truelove, review of Without Rival.
Terribly Interesting, http://www.stephaniecherry.com/ (January 24, 2011), review of Lioness Arising.
Without Rival Web site, http://withoutrival.com (March 14, 2017), author profile.*
Over 30 years ago, John and Lisa Bevere met in college. John was a tennis-playing engineering student, and Lisa was a sorority girl. On their very first date, John shared the gospel with Lisa and she gave her life to Christ. Soon after, they got married, and they’ve been happily married ever since.
John and Lisa founded Messenger International in 1990. In over two decades of ministry, their God-entrusted messages have transformed millions of lives worldwide. Recognized globally for their boldness and passion for the Lord, John and Lisa have a heart to see believers not only know the Word but also walk in the fullness of its power.
The Beveres spend much of their time speaking and writing messages that will impart freedom and empower the local church. When they aren’t traveling, they love to spend time at home with their family. They live in beautiful Colorado Springs with their four sons–Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden–stunning daughter-in-law, Julianna, and three adorable G-babies: Asher, Sophia, and Lizzy.
Lisa Bevere’s authentic, passionate, and hilarious approach weaves profound biblical truths with practical application. Her books—which include Fight Like a Girl, Lioness Arising, and Girls with Swords—are in the hands of millions worldwide. Lisa and her husband, John, are best-selling authors and the founders of Messenger International. She is a grandmother and Sicilian mother of four sons.
Connect with Lisa Bevere:
Blog: http://www.lisabevere.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaBevere
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/lisabevere.page
Lisa Bevere’s authentic, passionate, and hilarious approach weaves profound biblical truths with practical application. Her books—which include Fight Like a Girl, Lioness Arising, and Girls with Swords—are in the hands of millions worldwide. Lisa and her husband, John, are best-selling authors and the founders of Messenger International. She is a grandmother and Sicilian mother of four sons.
LC control no.: n 96101250
Personal name heading:
Bevere, Lisa
Found in: Out of control and loving it! c1996: t.p. (Lisa Bevere)
The true measure of a woman, 1997: CIP t.p. (Lisa Bevere)
data sheet (b. 06-06-1960)
================================================================================
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Washington, DC 20540
Questions? Contact: ils@loc.gov
Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison
263.24 (June 13, 2016): p93.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison
Lisa Bevere. Revell, $15.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-0-8007-2724-6
Bevere (Girls with Swords), a popular speaker, cofounder of Messenger International, and cohost of The Messenger with her husband, John, this time turns her attention to a woman's identity within the teachings of Christ and her place in God's kingdom. Eschewing temptations to succumb to unhealthy comparisons and unproductive rivalries, Bevere offers a path of humility to finding comfort in words of Christ. "You are the beginning and the end of you," she writes. Bevere, never one to shrink from tough topics, addresses issues such as what to do when seen as a rival, how to love fearlessly, and how to become a "deep well" of a woman. Many will thank her for her incisive chapter "Gender Without Rival," which addresses gender prejudices still rampant in the church. Underpinning her own observations, Bevere also fills the book with quotations from Scripture and female role models who range from Sarah in the Old Testament to early Christian Photina. Bevere's many fans will find much here to love, and she is sure to win more readers with her insights, effusive love for God, and candid explanations of personal challenges. Agent: Esther Fedorkevich, Fedd Agency. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison." Publishers Weekly, 13 June 2016, p. 93. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA458871776&it=r&asid=ff76cd73fed47842ac79739821891022. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A458871776
Fight Like a Girl: The Power of Being a Woman
253.9 (Feb. 27, 2006): p56.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2006 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Fight Like a Girl: The Power of Being a Woman. LISA BEVERE. Warner Faith, $16.99 (256) ISBN 0-446-57758-8
Bevere, an evangelical speaker and author known for tackling touchy topics with candor, wit and transparency, lays down the gauntlet again as she calls Christian women to cease trying to emulate men and embrace their feminine, strong nature. Bevere (Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry) offers women a clear alternative to society's take on the definition of true strength. Rather than relinquishing the power and influence that she believes women innately embody for the sake of mimicking men's overt physical strength, women can choose to wield their impact for good by way of subtler, more feminine speech and conduct. Bevere expounds upon the ways women fight best "as caretakers of others' hearts, by lifting another's spirit by speaking strength to their weaknesses, and wisely offering images of healthier, life-enhancing practices." She asserts that enemies often fall before influence rather than brute strength: "A gentle tongue can break a bone" (Prov. 25:15). Although some women will be put off by the book's gender-essentialist stance (e.g., women are by nature more tender and more spiritual, etc.), others will resonate with that message. All will appreciate Bevere's authenticity as she delves deep to unmask long-held misconceptions regarding women' uniqueness and untapped potential. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Fight Like a Girl: The Power of Being a Woman." Publishers Weekly, 27 Feb. 2006, p. 56+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA142873109&it=r&asid=96f49a4f17bd7702280af72e09122719. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A142873109
What if you discovered you have been entrusted with an invisible, invincible, and incorruptible weapon? Would you use it? Would you move beyond only study and begin to wield the Word of God!
If there ever was a time for women to be armed, it’s now. Worldwide, women are the targets of prejudice, sex trafficking, abuse, and even gendercide. Lisa Bevere writes that these attacks say more about who women might be in the future than who they have been in the past. In Girls with Swords she explains how the enemy is seeking to disarm women on every level. It’s time women become the heroes God created them to be and stand—courageous, discerning, forgiving, and wise.
Take up your sword and be a hero! AMAZON 5 STARS
I love how the book opens up, with the parallel identification of some important points from a secular movie. God will use things like that, and some important points were shown from it. The Terminator, and Sarah Conner and her rescuer were used to show you, that people know who you are and some know who you CAN be. Sarah's guardian is there and begins to tell her "who she is. " That he is there to protect her and help train her in what she needs to know.
That is so like God isn't it? The fact that her guardian begins to tell her what she will do is almost more than she can understand, it's overwhelming to her. . She's living a normal, not doing much kind of life and pretty much says so. Her words of, but I haven't done anything are countered by her rescuer's words of "But you will." Wow, that should explode in all of us. I like how it was pointed out that followers of Christ are targets but as women, we are even more of a target. I am now looking at Genesis 3:15 in a new light after this.
I found this book to be refreshing and fun to read. I have heard Lisa speak on short clips on YouTube and enjoyed what I heard. I was a little leary when it came to reading the book, although the title was catchy. Why was I hesitant? Because there has been a person or two who I really enjoyed listening to but in book form it felt like it fell short. The information was good but the delivery was just so-so to me. I can happily say that isn't the case here. I also like the fact that she can cause me to look at things in a new way without getting away from Bible truth.
Chapter 11 Sword of Song was interesting as was the explanation of an ancient sword called flamberge which literally means "flame blade." What imagery. The fact that many battle are won in song, which I believe is true. The shape and function of this sword gives a great picture of what happens when we use our "Sword of Song." The edges of the flamberge sword has an undulating or waved pattern. When that sword makes contact with another's sword, the flamberge's design causes vibrations to the opponents sword. That makes the opponents sword shake and tremble in their hand. This weakens their grip and the increase in friction causes an advantage to the holder of the flamberge. Jesus spoke in parallels to our natural world that we could understand. I liked that Lisa did that along with written visuals that we could "see". Some personal stories are added as well but didn't overpower the book.
For me this is a book that is a keeper. To be re-read every so often and yes, to be studied as well.
Without Rival by Lisa Bevere was sent to me by Family Christian in exchange for my honest review.
The first words I read are important for any child of God to know:
Dearest one,
You are loved by a Father without rival, entrusted with a message and a promise beyond compare, in a time without precedent. You have been chosen for this moment that is at once great and terrible. For this very reason, you must love fearlessly . . . believe outrageously . . . and hope without measure. – Lisa Bevere
Lisa’s first chapter in Without Rival is dedicated to encouraging women to realize who we are, that we are uniquely loved by a Father who has no rival. From there, she takes us on the journey of learning who God is. We are who we are because of who God is . . . because of who Jesus is.
She goes on to encourage women not to compare themselves with others.
Women have an identity without rival because they are daughters of a King without rival.
Throughout this book, Lisa’s hope is that women will realize their worth and their calling from God and that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose for their lives.
I have to say that I disagree with Lisa’s theology in chapter 6. I agree with her belief that God does call women out for specific purposes and ministries but the scriptures do not support women preaching in churches, especially where they would have any authority over a man. Lisa avoids 1 Timothy 2 when she presents her case in chapter 6.
I understand the vision and purpose of Without Rival and I believe God has blessed Lisa’s ministry and I believe He will continue to do so. I believe God calls women into appropriate ministries and He gives them all the tools they need to do what He has called them to do, but according to scripture, He would not call a woman to preach in a church where she would have any authority over men.
A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. – 1 Timothy 2:11-12
Having given my honest opinion about the matter, Lisa offers women so much encouragement throughout Without Rival. I could tell that she poured her heart out in the pages of this book, hoping and praying that women will realize their worth in Jesus and that they can minister in confidence – that they can live their lives “without rival” in His name.
REVIEW: “Without Rival” by Lisa Bevere
02/09/2017 Jenn
“Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison” by Lisa Bevere
Lisa has a way of writing & teaching that really sparks a fire within me. She writes to empower other women to live boldly for the Kingdom of God.
In “Without Rival“, Lisa tackles the issue of our identity, and ushers a wake up call for us to remember who (and Whose) we are … and what that means for us, as we live out our daily lives.
Other topics that are touched on include: comparison, insecurity, responding to others’ judgment or insecurities, genders as equal in God’s economy, fearless living, God’s unrivaled nature and His unique love for each one of us, as well as our legacy, and the promise we have that all will be restored.
I loved this book, and underlined quite a bit. I will probably need to re-read it at some point, in order to gather even more… there’s a lot of great stuff here.
I finished reading this book this week, and I must confess I read it a bit too quickly. I intend to read it again more slowly and thoroughly in the future and I’m sure I will get a lot more from it.
I’m just starting my research for my Masters dissertation, for which I have picked the topic of Feminist Theology. As I have had a bit of a break from studying over the summer, I picked up this book to try to give myself a gentler reintroduction to academic reading, which may be why I rushed it as I was feeling guilty that I wasn’t reading something meatier…
I loved the imagery of the sword used throughout, especially the word play of God Sword/God’s Word. Most of the time it was helpful, although occasionally I lost the thread of the point Bevere was trying to make in between all of the fencing terms. I also struggled to find the practical take-aways in what she was saying, but both of these things may have been where I was rushing a bit to read it.
It did make me reflect on my reasons for writing about feminist theology. My starting point for research is that some of the traditional teaching of the church has been a factor in the oppression, or at the very least, the marginalisation of women both within the church and in wider society. We have been told that only certain types of women are pleasing to God, i.e. the silent submissive kind. This has left women open to attack in all sorts of ways, and ill-prepared to defend themselves. But there are so many examples in the Bible and in church history of women taking the lead, making a stand, teaching, preaching and bringing people closer to God. (One small criticism of the book is that Bevere mainly uses male biblical characters as examples to make her points. Though I understand why given the points she is making, and I’m happy to have male role models, I can’t help feeling that the awesome women of God in the Bible should be getting more airtime, especially from female writers).
Girls With Swords is a call to women to equip themselves with the Word of God and to speak out, in love, mercy, forgiveness and against injustice. It is a reminder that we are daughters of the King, and he has entrusted each of us with a mission. I know my rushed reading didn’t do it justice, and I intend to reread it, and also to recommend it to women everywhere who need to recognise that they are people of power too.
My favourite chapter was about the flame-bladed sword, or the sword of song. Last week a friend a church prayed that I would find a new song, and this chapter was about how when we sing praise to God it strengthens us and brings His kingdom that bit closer. One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Zephaniah 3:17, which tells us that God delights in us and sings with joy over us. The day after I read the chapter about the singing sword, I was half listening to a song on the radio when I felt suddenly sure that I needed to note the name of the band and look the song up when I got home. I don’t know if the songwriters have a faith or what the song means to them, but for me it is the song God is singing over me, and, honestly, it just makes me feel epic. It’s called Warrior Daughter and the band is Wildwood Kin, please use the link below to see the video (I’m typing this on the iPad so I’m not sure how to embed the video, sorry! I promise it is worth the click!)
Book Review: Fight Like a Girl
By Tamie Davis on 9 May 2009 • ( 2 Comments )
fLAGFight like a Girl is the second offering from Lisa Bevere on the topic of gender, following Kissed the girls and made them cry and preceding Nurture. Lisa is an American woman, popular on the women’s speaking circuit and perhaps best known in Australia for her appearances at Hillsong’s women’s conference, ‘Colour’. I’ve been wanting to read some of her stuff for a while, not least because my observation has been that, while in some evangelical circles, discussion of gender differences is only just getting going again, the mainline pentes have been doing it for some time.
Summary
The basic premise of the book is that women have had two reactions in the great battle of the sexes: they either become passive, imagining that it is ladylike to do so (p.2) or they rebel against males, trying to become like them. One is refusing to fight; the other fights, but like a man, not like a woman. Bevere’s call is to fight like a girl. What are women to fight for? Good gender relationships, as God intended them to be. Bevere believes strongly that men and women are different, that this is a good thing and that it ought to be lived out:
Gender has always been. Gender was one of God’s creative ways of expressing diversity within unity… Because gender issues have repeatedly been a source of unjury, we have mistakenly attempted to bring about healing by blending the man and the woman. The theory was that if the differences brought wounding, perhaps their minimization would effect a cure. If somehow androgyny in the strengths resident in both sexes could be achieved, then gender would be rendered meaningless and thereby categorized as harmless. The hope was good, but the answer was inadequate. We will never find the cure we seek in this hybrid… we need something separate but one. P.25
She rightly sees that in Jesus, the restoration of creation is won and so she calls women to “find yourself released to be all you were created to be” (p.7). The rest of the book is an explanation of what that looks like: wisdom, authenticity, tenderness. She calls for women to recognise their strength and influence and to wield it for the glory of their husbands. There is lots of advice on both the theoretical and the practical level.
Evaluation
One of the things that I appreciated about this book was the empowerment it calls for. Lisa does a wonderful job of highlighting the strength and influence a woman has. And as she calls for her to wield these for the glory of her husband, it feels like she’s encouraging me to do something that only I can do for him; a special role, God-ordained for me! She’s not condescending and I feel empowered for the task, for she’s very careful to highlight what an essential part of the creation women are, that it was not good for the man to be alone. She does speak of a ‘helper’ role but of being an essential counterpart, working with and alongside one’s husband. She sells the vision of being a biblical wife as something that we need to step up to. She presents it as a beautiful and unique challenge that we need to grasp hold of, own and, yes, fight for!
One of my frustrations in reading other literature about gender roles has been that authors give their theological framework but then stop short of applying it and wrestling with what it looks like in practice. Not so with Fight Like a Girl. It deals on both the theoretical and the practical level with lots of anecdotes and illustrations, from Lisa’s own life and others’. This is a great strength of the book. However, I think it errs on the other side of the equation. Let me explain.
While Bevere makes a good attempt at unpacking Genesis 1-3 as a framework for thinking about gender, she largely uses the rest of the Bible to proof-text her theories of gender. For example, she takes on 1 Cor. 11, saying that the woman being the glory of man is akin to saying that she brings him favour from God and quotes Prov. 18:22 to support this. The problem is that the latter passage is about a man and his relationship with his wife while her argument about 1 Cor. 11 seems to be made more generally about men and women. What’s the problem? I think that in doing so, Lisa specifically ties marriage (and in other places, motherhood) to womanhood and femininity. It is telling that the majority of her practical advice is about how to relate in marriage and there is almost nothing directed at single women, widows, single mums, etc. It’s as if you’re not fully female until you’re married. At one level, I can see what’s happened here. After all, most of the Bible speaks about women and wives interchangeably. However, if the concept of biblical femininity is to be applied into our culture, where gender roles are no longer confined solely to marriage, we need a larger framework to make sense of them. I think the Bible offers that but it takes a bigger picture than Fight Like a Girl offers.
One thing that Fight Like a Girl pushed me to thinking about more was the question of where humanity is headed. Not sure that I’ve come to any conclusions here so I’d love to hear comments. The thing is, that I think the general thrust of the Bible is forward, not back. It’s about renewal not reversal. We’re not heading towards a garden but towards a city. So we’re to be people of new creation, living out and hoping for the world to come. But what does it mean to live this out with regard to gender? After all, some think there’ll be gender in heaven, others don’t. (What’s does it mean to be ‘like the angels’ anyway?!) Most think there won’t be marriage in Heaven. Some would say that this is what Paul is getting at in 1 Cor. 7 when he talks about not marrying. I think Ephesians 5 gives us more to go on – that marriage now is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and his church. But is there more to it than that?
Recommendation
So, would I recommend this book? Well, it depends. I would not recommend it to a single woman. It is too heavily focused on femininity in marriage. I’m not sure it would help them practically or pastorally. I would not recommend it to a married woman who hasn’t thought through a framework for thinking about femininity or approaching the Bible in general. It doesn’t provide a holistic model of either.
But there’s no doubt that there’s lots of gold here. For women who are married or girls going out with someone, considering marriage, there’s lots of food for thought about what it will mean to be a strong helper. In fact, there’s a lot as well about how not to sell out to your culture, how to be empowered as a woman and what the conduct and speech of a godly woman is. I enjoyed it. I thought it was helpful. Though the use of the Bible was inadequate I appreciated the practical advice for life and marriage.There’s plenty of stuff here for all women to hear but the application is so limited to the married woman that it lacks broad appeal. A more robust theological framework would serve both the argument and its readership.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere
"The people rise up like a lioness;
like a majestic lion they stand."
Numbers 23:24
In Lioness Arising, Lisa Bevere shares a dream she had about a powerful lioness. This dream propelled her to find her voice and study the power and the prowess of the lioness. Her hope is that we too would rise up in power and become the women God has created us to be.
I thought the study of the lioness was fascinating. It is interesting to see the habits and lifestyles of the animals of scripture. I was amazed to see how the lioness was such a huge support to the lion and how the females in a pride were the ones who held it together. They hunted. They stalked. They protected the young. When a male lion wanted to take over a pride, he would try to kill their children because a female will not mate while she is raising cubs. When three lionesses roar together, they can scare off a murderous male lion. From reading this book, I realized that somewhere along the way, our feminine culture has lost it's voice. It is time we reclaim it. It is time we unite to bring honor and to fight for the Lion over us.
"I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar." -Winston Churchhill
Awaken. Awaken. Awaken.
Some Side Notes: There was a small portion where the book seemed to lag to me, but it was resolved quickly. She addressed women speaking in church in a different way that has given me much to ponder in order to determine what I agree with. When I first saw that Joyce Meyer and Victoria Olsteen were backing this book, I was hesitant. I did not want to read any word of faith doctrine or find out how I could have my best life now. It seems that she and her husband are not proponents of this movement. I am not reviewing their doctrinal philosophy. I am simply reviewing this book.
This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Press.
©stephaniecherry.com
Last year, Vicki loaned me a copy of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now I am teaching it to my church’s Ladies Bible Study on Wednesday nights, and we are ALL thoroughly enjoying it.
In Lioness Arising, Lisa Bevere shares information about the magnificent abilities of the lioness, and shows how these qualities point us to great cooperation with God in His plans to reach a lost and broken world.
The 11-chapter hardcover book explains the vision God gave to Lisa for “awakening” women who are disciples of Jesus Christ, spurring them on to greater understanding of and obedience to His plans for their lives. Her writing is personal, relatable, and easy to understand and apply.
For our Bible Study group we are also using Lisa’s DVD series of teachings that accompany the chapters in the book, as well as personal application questions from the paperback “Safari Guide.” All of these resources are available on the Messenger International website. Lisa is an engaging speaker, and the production quality of the DVD’s makes them pleasant to watch and really sets up our group for great discussion of the material each week. There are too many questions in each lesson of the Safari Guide to fit into our meeting time, but I select a few that lend themselves to group discussion and we focus on those.
Lioness Arising will make you uncomfortable. It will point out the many areas of weakness that we simply allow and excuse in our own lives and in the churches where we gather. But it will not condemn. Lisa’s message is one of empowering for obedience to the battle-cry of God; her message makes me eager to reach out in service to those who are need my help, to offer my voice on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, to minister to the widow, the orphan, the outcast and the desperate.