I like to read and mostly it’s kids books since I read out-loud to my kids constantly. But occasionally, in-between writing tasks, I like to read my stuff.
So, I picked up Glenn Beck’s Broke at Sam’s Club the other day and have been devouring it ever since. It’s a sobering look at where our country is heading financially due to our out of control spending and enormous debt.
If you read nothing else, I would recommend the chapter on religion. It reads like a summation of Isaiah’s Bible Study so far.
First line of Chapter Fifteen: When was the last time you trembled while thinking about God?
Here are some of my favorite highlights from the chapter:
God expects us to take care of the gifts we are given.
We are broke because we are broken.
Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for a government of any other. John Adams
A republic can only function if a specific percentage of the population is virtuous. But virtue requires morality and morality requires religion.
“Faith is more than just a belief in a specific religious doctrine; it’s something that fills us from the inside. It makes us whole. If you strip that away, something has to fill the void.” P. 252
The void is meant to be filled by God (my addition.).
This last one hit me hard. Straight from the Notes on Isaiah Lesson 7: All sinful acts find their origin in the sin of refusing to acknowledge God as the Supreme Authority in one’s life. God has created each human being with a void that must be filled by something or someone outside of himself or herself. Failure to look to God to fill that void will result in looking elsewhere.
I was a fan of Glenn Beck before but now I’m an ubber-fan. I wonder if he does BSF? Or maybe his wife?
Broke is a great book to get you inspired and remind you of our revolutionary roots. It gives me hope that I can make a difference in our backwards world. It is chalked full of history lessons I never learned and facts about the economy that no one else will tell you. It’s sobering, scary, and heart-wrenching. It’s eye-opening and informing. It’s encouraging and just plain good.
It emphasized the primacy of religion in our founders’ lives and its indispensability in the governance of our country. Remember the Pilgrims? People risked their lives to come to America just to worship the God of their choice–Yahweh. Everything comes back to God.
You are reminded of what made this country great and how it can be that once again. And God plays a big role in our survival.
Thanks for this…it is eyeopening. I will get the book…thanks for taking the time to share with all of us.
I believe Glenn Beck is a Mormon beleive it or not.
I haven’t read Beck’s book yet so I appreciate your review. Beck is highly accurate when it comes to American’s revolutionary roots and the direction of where our nation is currently heading. Keep in mind, Beck is a Mormon. If you watch his show regularly like I do, you’ll see his Mormon beliefs, especially when he talks about the Tribulation period and stock piling supplies to survive the last days/end times. Two scriptures come to mind: Matthew 6:26 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Throughout the Bible, God clearly demonstrates that He always provides for and protects His chosen people. We have God’s promise on that. Mormonism has a distored view when it comes to end times as well as the Book of Revelations. Even so, I will still watch Beck’s show and read his books as they are informative.
You are walking a very fine line with Glen Beck who is a mormon. BSF does not recommend this book. Glen Beck is insane and it all about the money with him. He does not bear the fruit of the Spirit of God.
Hey Carol,
I am NOT BSF. I am not endorsed by them. I am not paid by them. I do not represent them. And I don’t agree with everything they say if you read some of my answers to the questions. In fact, I’m trying to keep this blog unnoticed by them because I’m sure someone will think this is a horrible idea, providing answers and a forum for the discussion of God. This is a private blog, operated by a mom who has a heart for God, who has real problems, who wants to help others, and who has an independent mind from BSF. I happen to think Glenn Beck is intelligent and is propounding good ideas for this country. Spending my kids’ money is not okay. Communists in the US government is not okay. Insane growth of entitlement programs is not okay. Have you read him or watched him? I believe he has a good heart. He was made my God and I believe he believes he is doing God’s work. I don’t judge him based on his religion (we’re not supposed to judge at all, remember?). I judge him based on his ideas and he says a lot of stuff I believe in (not everything–no politician or commentator will–that’s what makes me unique). I recommend books I like and find illuminating. Glenn Beck’s book is informative and I will guarantee you will learn some history and some current history you did not know from this book. Your opinion is your opinion. So what “fine line” I am walking does not exist. I can say whatever I want and you can agree with me or not. That’s the Second Amendment, freedom at work, the greatness of this country–something Glenn Beck is intent on reminding us about.
First – what is BSF?
Second – I agree with you Carol – I am a born again Christian and was surprised to find out that Glenn was a Mormon – however, he is educating your country (I live in Canada) and mine as well as to the Christian foundation of the USA and putting forth sound principles for turning the country back to faith in God.
Third – there are three views on tribulation of Scriputre within the Christian church – pre-trib (where Christians are taken out at the very beginning), mid-trib (Christians are taken out at after 3 1/2 years), and post-trib (after the 7 years) – different beliefs are NOT unto salvation – personally I believe that when you look through the Bible, God protects His people but they go through the trials (like the Israelites in Egypt with the plagues, but they are sealed from harm but not necessarily the persecution of martyrdom) – hey, if it is pre-trib I’ll be the first to say I was incorrect in my reading of the Bible, but I’ll be going with all the rest – so we really shouldn’t get all bent out of shape cause Beck believes he is going to have to hunker down for the big battle at the end. Blessings, DebLou
DebLou,
BSF is Bible Study Fellowship, a non-denominational international bible study founded about 50 years ago that studies the Bible in depth. This year we are studying the Book of Isaiah and I post the answers the daily questions for a means of discussion. A lot of the followers of my blog attend BSF. Check in Canada. I’m sure they have a class there. I would highly recommend it. It’s intense Bible-learning at its best!
Glenn Beck is a Mormon. Michael Medved and Dennis Prager are Jews. All have a great deal of knowledge of the Bible, history and extraordinary respect for Christianity, its beliefs and that this country was founded on Christian (Biblical principles) and that without those as a foundation, we or any other nation are doomed. They all believe that this nation has been uniquely blessed by God and that God’s blessing can be withdrawn if we turn our backs on our Creator and Lord. The Bible tells us that God placed certain responsibility and authority in government. Government in it’s quest for power, has exceeded its authority and ignored its responsibility to God – in fact it denies His role and even His existence.
Whether Beck, Prager or Medved have or ever will accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, only God knows and is not for me to judge. What is clear is that God is supreme in their lives, so I believe there is value in their knowledge and perspectives. Prager is a teacher of the Torah and I have learned some things from his understanding of the original language and customs of the day that have added to my understanding of these books. One thing that resonated with me came from a debate over the Torah he had with Alan Dershowitz where he observed “Alan, it occurs to me that whenever you disagree with something in the Torah, you believe you are right and whenever I disagree with something in the Torah, I believe the problem is my lack of understanding and that the Torah is right. I wish every Christian and denomination held to Prager’s view vs. adopting Dershowitz’s.
I’m certain all of them have done well financially. However their actions and the way they live their lives clearly show that it isn’t “all about money.”
I appreciate your blog and even your questioning of BSF. BSF has great value in my faith and prayer life, but we are expected to wrestle with issues of faith and God. No one other than God has all of the answers. One of the shortcomings of BSF in my experience is the comparatively short amount of time allowed for small group vs. lecture. As a result, the allotted time is filled with just getting through the questions, with little time for actual question that arise, discussion (and sharing/fellowship). I believe this is the primary reason that you post these. If some choose to “cheat the system”, by using your answers for their assigned work, they are really cheating themselves out of that time with God and the Holy Spirit working on them in the process.
Blessings in your walk,
Ken