Cover Image: Moments 'til Midnight

Moments 'til Midnight

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This book was a solid read. A little different then I expected but very good once you got into it.. I later recommended it to several friends to read

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Let me just say this, what a masterful job of using Scripture and imagination to catch a glimpse of what Paul's last few hours could have been like here on earth. I love anything about apostle Paul, and when you bring in 2 Timothy into this, it is a win. I love this book and I love how Brent captured his thoughts into this book.

I love moments when I am able to get inside of the thoughts of characters in Scripture because they are no different than us and they faced the same challenges as we do and show us how to look to and trust in Jesus. Paul knows that he is coming to the end of his life and yet, it is as if he wants to give God glory as he moves into the next life. If you want to learn more about Scripture and the flow of Paul's life, this book def will not disappoint you at all. It has been one of my favorite reads for awhile.

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Moments ‘Til Midnight by Brent Crowe is a fictitious account of what this author thinks the last 12 hours of Paul’s reflective life would have been. Insights from Scripture were woven into the themes in each chapter. I felt that even though this was fiction, the author had a wonderful grasp of Paul’s heart for people, for believers in the church. I would recommend this book to individuals who are looking to expound on the Scriptures that Paul has written in an entertaining and count-down fashion of the last hours of his life.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

***Also posted on B&N and CBD

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First of all, I loved the idea behind this book. Each chapter is a countdown to midnight, when Paul will face his execution. Each chapter gives the reader a closer look at Paul, his life, and his final hours. The author was so, so good at making Moments 'til Midnight relatable, easy to understand and enjoyable. I really did love this book.

My only disappointment was...and this is only because I'm a total nerd...I was hoping it would have a bit more of a study "feel" to it. To me, it leaned a bit more towards the devotional side. Which is great! And worked incredibly well in this case. It just wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, in that respect. However, the book itself is brilliantly done and I highly recommend.

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Moments 'til Midnight
The Final Thoughts of a Wandering Pilgrim
by Brent Crowe

B&H Publishing Group (B&H Books, Holman Bibles, B&H Español, and B&H Kids)

B&H Books
Christian
Pub Date 01 Sep 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Moments till Midnight through B &H Books and netgalley:


In 2 Timothy, Paul’s letter reflected on the passing of his life, saying it was like a vapor. Paul was a Pilgrim passing from this life to the next.


In this book author Brent Crowe retells the last twelve hours of Paul’s life, from the perspective of Paul, using his imagination.


In this book the readers will be encouraged to live with purpose, to redeem the rinse and to embrace the reality we are on a sacred journey.


I give Moments till Midnight five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

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First, I have to say the advertising blurb (above) is misleading. Saying this is a retelling of the last hours of Paul's life leads you (or at least led me) to expect a narrative in first person. That is not what this book is all about. If you are looking for a narrative work you will be disappointed.

The content of the book, however, is not disappointing. Written specifically for young people, but also applicable for adults - particularly those new to a walk of faith - the author takes us on an exploration of some of the most significant themes of Paul's writings. These themes are what author Crowe believes that Paul must have been reflecting on in his final moments of life.

The writing style is somewhat light and very easy to read. The author applies a conversational tone rather than an academic tone to the work. There is a good balance of comparison and contrast. For example, the author talks about potential and why it is important and then he goes on to talk about purpose and why that is more significant than potential. I appreciate Crowe's ability to say, here is something you should know, but also know that it isn't the main thing you need to know.

People who have been journeying with Christ for many seasons of life might not find anything particularly new or compelling about this book, but it is very well suited for its target audience.

P.S. I think the artwork on the cover is stunning!


I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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In MOMENTS 'TIL MIDNIGHT BRENT CROWE gives an interesting teaching on the life and writings of the apostle Paul. The author imagines Paul, in the countdown to his execution, going over his life's work. There are lessons for us to learn as the author adds stories that underscore the message that he is putting across. All in all he is encouraging us to live a life that is sold out to Jesus, the life of a pilgrim.
I was given a free copy of the book by B&H Publishing Group from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own

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The picture and the description led me to believe this book was going to be a series of first person thoughts from Paul's perspective. Instead, the book uses Paul's final hours before his execution as a frame for telling the reader modern day anecdotes and feelings-based theology. Frankly, it's nothing I haven't already read or heard and there isn't really any meat on the bones. I thought there would be more historical research and insight, but it's really just a few sermons on grace, living with purpose, the value and role of friendship, pilgrim mentality, virtuous living, unity with the family (body) of Christ, and more. It didn't grab me.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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I will be honest, I really liked the cover of this book. What a beautiful picture! The description was promising: "In the biblical letter of 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul reflected on his passing life. It was but a vapor. He was a pilgrim, passing through this life and into the next. Moments 'til Midnight creatively peels back the curtain of Paul's final hours." I thought there would be more about the times of the apostle, his culture, language, settings, but every chapter had a tiny piece from the epistles and a lot about some random stories from the author's life, someone's families, girlfriends, health.. I know, they are supposed to be teaching us something, but I wanted to learn more about Paul.

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This book is a Christ-focused Christian living book. The author used the premise of what Paul might have thought about in his last hours as a way to tie the varied topics of the various chapters together. He started with some historical information about Paul's life and some speculation about his last hours in prison before his execution.

The rest of the chapters were about things that Paul talked about in his letters or might have thought about in those last hours. Each chapter had modern stories that tied into the topic and also quoted Scripture (usually Paul) about the topic. The writing was easy to follow. The chapters talked about: grace, living with a purpose, the value and role of friendship, having a heavenly mindset (pilgrim mentality), clothing ourselves in virtues (based on Colossians 3:12-14), our family in Christ and unity, how God empowers us, communicating clearly, living life to God's standard of excellence, overcoming failure and regrets, leaving a legacy, and dying well.

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The author begins by stating what a pilgrimage is, and the reasons why all true believers are pilgrims. Some of the reasons are: because we are temporarily on earth, Heaven is our real home, our treasures should be in Heaven, pilgrims can change the world (Moses), and things such as death and tears, exist on earth, but not in Heaven!
In our day, Paul is known as an apostle, a master theologian and preacher - but in his day he was seen as a fugitive, a man who propagated an illegal religion in an era of emperor worship.
Paul was a persecutor of Christians, so much so that the author calls him a “monster” , in his past life, but after he met Yeshua “Jesus”, he proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues, he himself was under a death sentence!
The author mentions how much God’s grace was with Paul, and how much we all need God’s grace, we cannot work our way to Heaven, we continuously need to ask for forgiveness and believe that only God can save us and be with us until the end of our journey.
Since this book attempts to show the reader Paul reminiscing about his life, the author shows us how valuable Paul’s friendships were - from Timothy who was as a son to him, to the men who shared the hardships of ministry with him for 40 years, to Luke, who may have been with him in Rome and shared his letters with the churches he wrote to. You will be inspired to consider your friendships and how they have affected your life, and how you can be a better friend to others.
This book is like finding a treasure trove, you will have to dig through the material layer by layer to appreciate the value of the treasure!

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This is the extraordinary story about the incredible life of the apostle Paul, his impact on the world then and now and in particular the last 12 hours of his life. This is a great book. I enjoyed it tremendously.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

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