Thriving in Babylon: Why Hope, Humility, and Wisdom Matter in a Godless Culture

The author compares our current life situation to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. The book is comforting and gives the people of today tools to thrive in our current, challenging life.

It’s as if this book was written today in the way that it is able to not only assess the non-Christian world but to properly assess the Christian world we as Christians have created… I need to repent of. Pastor Osborne does an amazing job of expanding the scripture and appoint him to our hearts. I needed this book, this reminder badly.

I purchased this book to lead a small group. It looked to be very relevant to what we're dealing with in this world today. It appears to be that. It also looked to be a study of Daniel. It's not. It's a mention of Daniel here and there with little focus on or even instruction on reading Daniel. I'm going to have a hard time getting my group to stay in Daniel as we go through this book. I'm a bit disappointed, and I've learned my lesson here on doing more research before starting a small group study.One final question. Could the author please identify which of Daniel's dreams and visions were "from spicy shish kebabs" and which are "from the Lord"? Considering he seems to know that some scripture is inspired and some is not, I'd love to have that insight.

"In times like these, it is best to remember there have always been times like these." Someone famousLarry Osbourne does a fabulous job of reminding us that there have been times just as chaotic as ours and some even more so, but that is no need to panic. He shows how Daniel thrived in a culture far darker than our own and still remained godly.

Like many Christians, I knew a little about Daniel. What Christian doesn’t learn about Daniel and the lion’s den? I’ve also read the book of Daniel a few times and I know the importance of his prophecies in Christianity. I was not sure what to expect when reading this book but I must say that I was really impressed by what was presented and I learned a lot about Daniel. This book put his life in a new perspective for me. From his willingness to honor God when he could lose his life doing so, to the humbleness and strength involved in picking his battles and being a Godly man in a Godless society. This author really got me thinking about how my Christianity furthers God’s cause or detracts from it. I finished this book with a great deal of hope in my heart. If Daniel could thrive in Babylon, then so can we. Great read.

I am half way through the book. I hope the information presented ramps up to more practical every day wisdom.The solutions he presents are obvious. The words he writes are predictable. What I have found lacking is his inability to have a desire to fight publicly for morality in our country.To accept as a child of Christ what is happening ...and let the downfall of America simply occur. ...smacks of something I cannot describe.. As long as we are being obedient to "authority".When one of his constituents criticizes his sermons of not standing up enough to the political evil in the world (where this pastor/teacher probably had a large pulpit to educate), he instead criticizes this church goer as sinning because he is living with his girlfriend. While it is a sin to live with someone before you marry, it is also a sin to not be open to criticism about your own faults. He, so far, does not go into this. Maybe the book will get better. It , so far, leaves me feeling hopeless for current affairs, but it does leave me secure in knowing Christ will return. The problem is, so many pastors now will not stand up publicly and speak the truth of satan having his hay day in the world ......this is one reason we are in the shape we are in.

Dr. Osborne makes a great contribution at a time when it appears that the evangelical church is largely concerned with political influence and prosperity. Some would say that he short circuits holiness and responsible living. In my view, Osborne explicitly addresses these pitfalls. Moreover, the comparison with the freedom that we have in the United States compared with Daniel in ancient Babylon all the more underscores the value of scriptural hope, humility, and wisdom. If Daniel thrived under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar, how much more should we in these waning days of our freedom? And, as Dr. Osborne points out, the persecuted church in communist China is doing quite well.In short, I see this book as providing a scripturally based blueprint of principles for how the church and the individual believer will thrive in the current and growing days of exile in both the United States as well as the rest of the world. After all, as the end of the Bible states, God wins.

I came to this book looking for answers on how to carry myself as a believer in the USA in 2015 and found some good answers.It is exactly what I was looking for.Some of the things he says is very hard to digest and agree with for the Pharisee in me and probably for many other believers. But, I have examined it closely and it is consistent with the Bible and with the teaching of Jesus Christ.The whole book is about how Daniel managed to deal with things in a Godly way in Babylon even though he was surrounded by godless, wicked people. Too many Christian believers today feel that we should isolate ourselves or that we should work towards political change rather than have the attitude of Daniel of worrying much more about how you live your life as a Christian rather than what anyone else is doing that you cannot control or change.

It is hard to express how fantastic this book is. Larry Osborne has a very readable style of writing and you can almost hear him speak the words.He doesn’t pull any punches when describing the culture that Daniel and co find they’ve been dragged into. He shows how proper godly humility and wisdom are a powerful source of influence for the Kingdom of God, no matter what or who we’re faced with.Of course we see the same in Jesus as he taught to hate the sin but love the sinner. God wants all men to be saved and we are His co-workers in bringing that about - that means Christians must be willing to be like Daniel otherwise we will simply remain a judgemental holy huddle.

With amazing clarity this book sets out a navigational path through our current world and its cultures. The author takes the essentials of God’s word and His heart and makes theology a very practical option for life and godliness. Well written within the confines of both Old and New Testaments. Super!

If you're looking for a study in the book of Daniel that helps you think through how to thrive as Christians living in our post-Christian culture, then this book leaves you wanting more. While Osborne's simple message of living with Hope, Humility and Wisdom is a good message in and of itself, he leaves much of the story of Daniel on the cutting room floor in service of his main points about Chrisitan virtue and living.

I first read Osborne's devotional (free on you version Bible) and it was so hard hitting that a year later I was still thinking about it and bought the book. A timely message for Christians in North America today.

Enjoyed this book. Thought provoking.