Status
Available
Call number
Publication
worthy publishing (2016)
Description
After a 17-year drought, multiple earthquakes, and uncontrollable wildfires, the state is desolate. The United States President declares the state uninhabitable and irreparable, directing California's 39 million citizens to relocate. From the air, California looks like a vast abandoned sand box, but to a few groups of people, it's their home. With less than 1% of the population remaining in California at their own risk, the holdouts encounter a clash of cultures, ethnicities, religions, and politics that pits friend against friend with the future of California at stake.
User reviews
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
A drought-stricken and desolated California is the setting of Jerry Jenkins latest novel, The Valley of The Dry Bones. This book, with a Mad Max-esque feel to it, is an interesting look at what the church faces when on mission with a moving God. To me it is less apocalyptic and more an allegory for
Zeke is an elder of a small band of believers who chose to stay in California after just about everyone else has pulled out. Declared off-limits by the US government, the holdouts minister to those who chose not to leave or didn’t really have any choice — indigenous peoples, the poor and the helpless. Facing extreme temperatures and a hostile environment, they have created a wonder of technology that not only sustains them, but provides a base to bring water and the Word to a thirsty land.
Although not as developed as I would have liked them, the varied cast of characters that Jenkins has created are flawed and very real — these are not perfect Christians. The once liked-minded group is beset by pride, arrogance and betrayal. The hostility from opponents to their mission serves to further stress those determined to live according to God’s direction. In this, the fictional group is not that much different from any church or organization. As with any group, when the focus is taken off of God, the ministry struggles and stumbles. Using an end-of-times framework, the author shows the urgency of God’s message for a thirsty land and brings it home to the reader. As one reviewer stated, this book was written for the church, a church that has become complacent in its mission and ministry. The characters spend a great deal of time in earnest prayer and in turn listening for God to speak — another great lesson! The plot of The Valley of The Dry Bones is inventive and interesting, but it is the message that will linger.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Worthy Publishing for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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God’s people. An interesting read, this one will suck you in from the opening pages.Zeke is an elder of a small band of believers who chose to stay in California after just about everyone else has pulled out. Declared off-limits by the US government, the holdouts minister to those who chose not to leave or didn’t really have any choice — indigenous peoples, the poor and the helpless. Facing extreme temperatures and a hostile environment, they have created a wonder of technology that not only sustains them, but provides a base to bring water and the Word to a thirsty land.
Although not as developed as I would have liked them, the varied cast of characters that Jenkins has created are flawed and very real — these are not perfect Christians. The once liked-minded group is beset by pride, arrogance and betrayal. The hostility from opponents to their mission serves to further stress those determined to live according to God’s direction. In this, the fictional group is not that much different from any church or organization. As with any group, when the focus is taken off of God, the ministry struggles and stumbles. Using an end-of-times framework, the author shows the urgency of God’s message for a thirsty land and brings it home to the reader. As one reviewer stated, this book was written for the church, a church that has become complacent in its mission and ministry. The characters spend a great deal of time in earnest prayer and in turn listening for God to speak — another great lesson! The plot of The Valley of The Dry Bones is inventive and interesting, but it is the message that will linger.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Worthy Publishing for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member lamb521
Title: The Valley of Dry Bones
Author: Jerry B. Jenkins
Pages: 336
Year: 2016
Publisher: Worthy
My rating is 5 stars.
The blessing of reading books is letting your imagination take you places that bring adventure, faith and entertainment! With so much junk on TV, books truly are a great source to replace
The little group lives underground and faces not only challenges of eking out daily sustenance, but also evading enemies who would love to discover their well-hidden home. The story has characters that are faithful to the calling of following Christ, some who are sure where they are with God and others who are against them because of their message about God.
The small band of people eventually must chose a new leader and God is way ahead of them on that one! Readers will enjoy seeing how Ezekiel Thorpe responds to God’s voice and directions when to him and the others he lives with it seems to make no sense and even very dangerous. The lies told by those who are against them get so blown out of proportion that the government is hunting them and plans on arresting them! How is this small group without any modern conveniences like internet, phones or anything else supposed to get the truth out?
With some internal struggles and external pressures, readers will not want to put the book down until the read the very last page. The novel reflects the courage it takes to listen and obey God no matter what anyone thinks or says. There is also learning to reach out to others in a multitude of ways that are concrete along with sharing the hope found in Jesus! While it is listed as an end times novel, I never really got that sense at all while reading the book. I came away more with how God can use those willing to open their hearts to Him, lay down their lives for Him and reach out to those God brings to you to share the message of Jesus with. What an exceptional novel Jerry Jenkins has written and one that deserves reading and sharing with those who just love a good story!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author: Jerry B. Jenkins
Pages: 336
Year: 2016
Publisher: Worthy
My rating is 5 stars.
The blessing of reading books is letting your imagination take you places that bring adventure, faith and entertainment! With so much junk on TV, books truly are a great source to replace
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the garbage with great tales from various authors and genres. Jerry Jenkins shares with us a novel that reminded me of catastrophe movies set in California, notching up the tension with people choosing to stay to bring others the gospel even when a mass exodus has occurred.The little group lives underground and faces not only challenges of eking out daily sustenance, but also evading enemies who would love to discover their well-hidden home. The story has characters that are faithful to the calling of following Christ, some who are sure where they are with God and others who are against them because of their message about God.
The small band of people eventually must chose a new leader and God is way ahead of them on that one! Readers will enjoy seeing how Ezekiel Thorpe responds to God’s voice and directions when to him and the others he lives with it seems to make no sense and even very dangerous. The lies told by those who are against them get so blown out of proportion that the government is hunting them and plans on arresting them! How is this small group without any modern conveniences like internet, phones or anything else supposed to get the truth out?
With some internal struggles and external pressures, readers will not want to put the book down until the read the very last page. The novel reflects the courage it takes to listen and obey God no matter what anyone thinks or says. There is also learning to reach out to others in a multitude of ways that are concrete along with sharing the hope found in Jesus! While it is listed as an end times novel, I never really got that sense at all while reading the book. I came away more with how God can use those willing to open their hearts to Him, lay down their lives for Him and reach out to those God brings to you to share the message of Jesus with. What an exceptional novel Jerry Jenkins has written and one that deserves reading and sharing with those who just love a good story!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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LibraryThing member Cyndecat
A group of survivors living in the forbidden wasteland that was California trying to share the gospel and survive.
LibraryThing member jfe16
In this futuristic tale, California, victim of a seventeen-year drought, wildfires, and one too many earthquakes, has been declared uninhabitable and its citizens are forced to relocate. The Holdouts are a small group of Californians who remain at their own risk, believing God calls them to
Character-driven and short on action, this semi-dystopian, end-of-times tale in the vein of the “Left Behind” stories has, at times, a tendency to fall into “preachiness,” the result of which is to pull the reader out of the narrative. Despite its Christian theme and Biblical references, readers may be disappointed with the blandness and predictability of this tale.
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minister to the stragglers. Their lives aren’t easy, but they persevere. And then, the leader of The Holdouts becomes convinced that God is speaking directly to him.Character-driven and short on action, this semi-dystopian, end-of-times tale in the vein of the “Left Behind” stories has, at times, a tendency to fall into “preachiness,” the result of which is to pull the reader out of the narrative. Despite its Christian theme and Biblical references, readers may be disappointed with the blandness and predictability of this tale.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
1617950084 / 9781617950087
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