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

by Larry Osborne

Meet a man forced to live in a fast changing and godless society. He faced fears about the future, concern for his safety, and the discouragement of world that seemed to be falling apart at warp speed. Sound familiar? His name was Daniel, and with the power of hope, humility, and wisdom, he not only thrived, he changed an empire while he was at it. Though he lived thousands of years ago, he has a much to teach us today. 

Even in Babylon, God Is in Control 

In Thriving in Babylon, Larry Osborne explores the “adult” story of Daniel to help us not only survive – but actually thrive in an increasingly godless culture. Here Pastor Osborne looks at: -      Why panic and despair are never from God-      What true optimism looks like-      How humility disarms even our greatest of enemies-      Why respect causes even those who will have nothing to do with God to listen-      How wisdom can snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat For those who know Jesus and understand the full implications of the cross, the resurrection, and the promises of Jesus, everything changes – not only in us, but also in our world.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Cultural, Spirituality

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Josh Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last 18 months or so, I have purposely thought through many of the conspiracy theories, radical rants, and downright vitriolic messaging that I have heard from people I know. The interesting thing is that most of these people are CHRISTIANS! Much of this centered on the 2020 election but much of it also came from the COVID-19 pandemic and all things related.

I couldn't quite put my finger on why I was seeing & hearing all that I was hearing from brothers/sisters in Christ. I then recently picked up this book, published in 2015, and many of the answers I was looking for were answered. Larry Osborne does a masterful job of bringing out truth from the life of Daniel living in Babylon. The truths he brings to light spoke to MANY of the problems besetting Christians today in 2021. I'm not certain if Osborne had an inkling of what was going to get much worse five years later (bigger mouths, larger personalities, hardened hearts, coarse tongues - all of these just from Christians), but IMHO, he nailed it!

The reason this book is so important for Christians is that we primarily live in a godless society today. By and large, Christians will be working primarily with non-Christians, many of whom live wicked, hedonistic lifestyles. This is EXACTLY the scenario that Daniel and his friends found themselves in after being captured and taken to Babylon to live out the rest of their lives.

Because Daniel, a God-fearing man, lived in a godless society, his actions speak to those of us today living in the 21st century. For instance, Osborne brings out the faith that Daniel had in God even though he had been captured and taken to a wicked country. Here's the phrase the author uses: "He knew that God was in control of who was in control, even when the wicked gained the upper hand." Wonderful truth and one that many believers need to grasp and believe themselves. So often, I hear the "wailing and gnashing of teeth" from fellow believers regarding those who are in authority in our country. Personally, I despise the godlessness of many of our political leaders. However, I need to realize that God is in control of those who are in control.

Osborne's Chapter 11 especially resonated with me! The title is "Hope Killers: The Curse of Conspiracy Theories and Catastrophizing." Oh, wow! If you have been in ministry for any length of time, you have met them. You know who I am talking about. Those people who are always walking up to you with the latest conspiracy theory on their mind. And boy, do they ever want to share it. Osborne completely calls out these types of people and give solid, Biblical truth to how to deal with them (read the book to glean this helpful information).

The following are favorite excerpts from the book:

"In order to survive and thrive in our modern-day Babylon, we'll need more than good intentions, high moral standards, and a fast start. We'll need a genuine and life-changing relationship with Jesus, one that produces a harvest of righteousness." p. 74

"Daniel's suffering prepared him for Babylon. But it was his hope, humility, and wisdom that enabled him to thrive in Babylon...today the word hope has primarily come to mean either wishful thinking (I hope you had a great vacation) or the mental gymnastics of positive thinking and visualization (Don't give up hope, you can beat this). But Daniel's hope had nothing to do with wishful thinking or positive visualization...In other words, Daniel had hope in the biblical sense of the word. He had a deep-seated confidence in God's character and sovereignty. He staked his life on it. It was the lens through which he evaluated circumstances, made decisions, and determined his actions." pp.91, 93-94

"I'm convinced that any non-believer listening in on our hallway conversations and small group gatherings, or reading our emails, text messages, and social media posts would be surprised to find out how often those of us who claim to believe that Jesus is sovereign over the affairs of men and nations fail to act and talk like it.

This is not to say that our electoral, legal, cultural, and moral setbacks aren't puzzling and frustrating. They are. It's a sad day when those who live godless lifestyles are lifted up as role models, when orthodox Christian doctrines are mocked, or when biblical values are criminalized.
But it's not the end of the story. These are simply the Enemy's short-term and temporary victories on the way to his great and final defeat. Today's score isn't the final score. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and the glorious eternity he has laid out for us.

And knowing that should change everything about how we interpret and respond to the things that happen around us-even when they are tough, evil, and hard to swallow.

Fear and pessimism make no sense when victory is guaranteed." p.103

"Today, Satan has convinced many of us to replace our passionate hope in Jesus with a passionate hope in politics or the latest ministry on steroids." p.135

"If we aren't careful, we can make the same mistake Jonah did. He not only hated the sins of the Ninevites; he hated the Ninevites...When we come to the point where we'd rather see judgment than salvation, we are no longer aligned with the heart of God." p.152

"There's a marked absence of Daniel-like honor and respect toward godless leaders and a great deal of ridicule, contempt, bitterness, and even hatred. It's no wonder we keep losing influence." p.158

"Jesus never told us to create a Christian nation, impose our standards on nonbelievers, or preserve a particular culture. He told us to win over the lost." p.162

"Our goal is to win them over, not to wipe them out." p.166

"Scaredy-cat Christians make two mistakes that Daniel never made. They add extra rules to Scripture, and they run away from anything they perceive to be spiritually contaminated." p.179

"If you haven't noticed, extrabiblical and legalistic rules are always based on the Bible. They're just not found in the Bible. That's what makes it so hard to win an argument with legalists. They have a verse for everything, even when the verses they quote have nothing to do with the rules they make." p.180

On the reason the Pharisees were so angry with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath: "Their passion for rules had drowned out their compassion for people, which always happens once legalism gets a foothold." p.180

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is a Spiritual Babylon? Daniel a Prophet of the Old Testament lived in a godless city of Babylon, where he was stripped of his identity as a Jew. How was he able to thrive and remain faithful in these times? In times of suffering, Daniel remained hopeful, lived in humility, and sought out the wisdom of God. What is biblical hope? How does that look for us today? Our hope is not found in our circumstances but in the character of God.

From God’s character we can expect God’s discipline. God’s discipline begins with those that he calls his own. Not on those that do the most evil. God’s discipline is for his children to have a Godly sorrow for sin and repentance. It starts with God’s own people; we need to look in the mirror instead of binoculars. Our testing is not for God’s benefit, but for own to know the truth of our faith. Our faith is affirmed when our weakness are revealed thru trials and sufferings.

The five qualities of surviving a spiritual Babylon are obedience, perspective, endurance, confidence and courage. As Christians, we should look at obedience as solders in the military. Our very lives depend on obedience. As Christians, our perspective may not see the bigger picture of the work of Christ. As Christians, our endurance is not giving up. That pain is gain. As Christians, our endurance produces confidence and courage that is found in Him.

Living in a godless society it is easy to be bogged down by media tactics that create a crisis for monetary gain in which can cause depression. It is advised to take a break from social media outlets and all the news that over floods our minds and grip our hearts. In other words we can lose hope.

The short study of Daniel brings new light to give us hope in God’s character which brings us humility as we live out in wisdom.

A special Thank you to David C Cook and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully encouraging dose of Biblical horse sense. Feeling discouraged? Why? No really why? Before you answer that you might want to take a closer look at the life of a man who thrived under worse circumstances than we have faced yet. Yep Daniel. This is an excellent little book to help you apply some rather serious Biblical principles just as Daniel did.
Larry Osborne does a delightful job of poking us where it hurts and making you laugh at the same time. By the way I love his sense of humor.
Now I don't agree with every point, but the vast majority are spot on. There were also a few points that require more study on my part before I can say wither way. It's so worth reading. The only thing I wish is that he had quoted the KJV instead of the NIV or ESV. Still you should read it. Especially now. It will lift your spirits. How could a book that points directly at our Savior not be encouraging? Really read it.

[David Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of a chicken is the wings. Before wings were buffaloed, and marketed as a delicacy, I declared ownership of the chicken wings at our family dinners. My family gladly let me have them. They could not understand what I saw in a pile of bones which yielded so little meat. I just believe that wing meat is the tastiest meat on the bird, and worth the effort of gnawing it off the bones.

That’s the way I feel about a lot of books, including this one. I could easily give it three stars. It’s not that good. I personally believe it is anchored more to a message the author wanted to communicate, than to the message of Daniel. Yet, there is enough good meat on its bones, that I don’t consider the time invested as wasted.

One weakness of the book (and it is a common one) is the conclusions the author draws from assumptions. Seeking “insight” from presumption, what is believed to “probably” or “might,” or “I’m sure” (though the Bible doesn’t say) to have been the case, is risky at best. Our presumptions might be wrong.

The strength of the book is that the problematic character of professing Christians that the author seeks to address exists. Where it is found, it does much harm to the cause of Christ. It has long been true that some of what we view as rejection of Christ is really a reaction towards the way Christ was represented.

That there is much good meat in this book is evident from the many 5 star reviews. I would just caution that it be read with discernment.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley to review

An amazing book that I sailed right through chomping on every bit of morsel. I applaud the author and the subject of the book. There are so many wonderful points that resounded deeply within me and reading this book I was constantly thinking about it every chance I got. The author explores living in a modern world in which not all are Christians and yet we Christians have an attitude and self-righteousness that often doesn't reach or respect these people.

Daniel of the Bible is used and expounded upon as a jump off point to illustrate and explore how did he, Daniel, live in such a perverse and ungodly world. He then proceeds to explore faith, bad things that happen to the believer to how we interact and often miss the mark in truly respecting the people around us. Modern day Christianity often seeks to prod, guilt or shout their beliefs and attitudes to the general populace who might not believe and do what we think they should be believing or doing. My least favorite subject, politics was mentioned and explored with such an unique insight and approach in which he discusses how Christian often get into thinking that we are to change the world and the political climate. He mentions that the Apostle Paul encouraged the church to respect and honor the emperor Nero who happened to be in power at the time. Nero was one of the most perverse and insane emperors ever in the history of the Roman Empire.

I constantly highlighted and bookmarked throughout the book that I might as well highlighted it all because the book is one of the best on the subject. This quote is one of my favorites in the book:

" Frankly, it's here that many of us can miss the boat. The more Babylon-like our culture becomes, the more our resentment builds, resulting in bitterness, slander, rumormongering, and harsh critiques that no one would characterize as a kind and gentle rebuke. Many excuse their words by pointing to Jesus's harsh rebukes of the Pharisees and other religious leaders of His day. But they miss the point. Jesus didn't rail on the sinners of His day. He pursued them. It was the religious hypocrites who were attempting to keep the sinners at bay that he blasted.

I have thought of purchasing a several copies of this book to hand out to my family. I am blessed by having quite a few Believers in my family but the belief that we as Christians have to take a political and often harsh attitude towards non-believers often alarms me. I also believe that every Christian and church would benefit from reading this wonderful and highly eye-opening book.

[Bobby-Kimberly Beason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read with a lot of wisdom and insight to take away. Short chapters that are thought- provoking and well-organized. Thriving in Babylon take a closer look at the life of Daniel, then applies his attitudes and actions to our current situation in a postmodern world that ridicules Christianity. I enjoyed the research that explained just what Daniel and his friends went through in living in the anti-God culture. Osborn also points out examples from Jesus and the early church. I appreciate that his writing always comes back to the hope and companionship we have in Chrsit despite what we may experience in our surroundings. Good and encouraging read.

[Cody Bumpus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry Osborne’s perspective offered in Thriving In Babylon could not be more timely for the period in which I read it. Half way through 2020. Amidst round 2 of Coronavirus fears, racial riots and division, political and economic unrest and culture wars being waged.

A Christian can be left wondering if we are living in the days of God’s wrath, if we brought this on ourselves and what we can do to get out of the turmoil. It can be tempting to look back on those in the hall of faith with rose colored glasses, failing to realize that the sufferings they faced weren’t chapters in the Bible, but rather were years and generations lived.

Hope, Humility and Wisdom. The three attributes Osborne attributes to Daniel and others in the hall of faith for their ability to endure the race set before them.

In an age where “suffering” abounds, so do platitudes, especially in the church. Osbourne begins his book reminding the reader that not all suffering ends in blessings, in this life at least. It can be easy to focus on being spared from the fiery furnace and attribute that to ourselves. However, in doing so it can be soul crushing when God, in his sovereignty, does NOT spare us from our fiery furnace. It can become easy to doubt His sovereignty, though it never ceases.

Osbourne retracts the reader from an unhealthy theology of blessings in this life, though they may come, and encourages the Christian to endure the race for the sake of Christ, not comfortable living, as that has never been promised.

He also does an excellent job with the approach to cultural issues and how Daniel dealt with them in Babylon, a culture much further removed from biblical principles than 21st century America.

One of the best reminders that I took away from this was the difference between personal cultural offenses that God does not address in black and white and cultural issues that God strictly addresses.

I highly recommend this book to any Christian struggling to live out a Godly worldview in a secular environment in a holy, God-fearing and gospel spreading mindset.

[Chrissie Minton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Jeremiah Gumm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very encouraging and timely book

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't miss this. From the first page to the last, Daniel clearly saw God's hand in everything that happened. It's the foundation upon which his hope, humility and wisdom rested. (p33)

And therein lies an important principle. Those who walk away from God in anger and disillusionment in the midst of their suffering never do so because their test was to hard. They do so because their faith was not genuine. (p63)

By the way, it's not our job to determine if the faith of others is genuine or fake. We're supposed to use our trials and our Bible as a mirror to see how we measure up, not as binoculars to check out how everyone else stacks up. (p63)

Morality is another common source of false confidence and spiritual deception. The absence of biblical morality is proof positive that I don't know or follow Jesus. But the presence of morality doesn't necessarily validate that I have a genuine relationship with Jesus. (p71)

It's easy to obey God when we agree with him. But that's not really obedience. We haven't learned obedience until we do what he says despite our doubts, confusion or concern that his way won't work out. (p81)

That's what the backside of hardship and suffering does. It teaches us perspective. it takes the fear out of the things that terrify others. It keeps us calm when everyone else is panicking. (p84)

It's no different in the spiritual realm. Our failures don't have to define us. It all depends on how we respond. If we curse our luck, blame others, and fail to take responsibility, we'll continue to fail. But if we face the facts, accept responsibility, and humbly get back on the right path, our failures can lay the groundwork for future success. (p87)

This is the same kind of hope that the apostle Paul refers to when he calls the return of Jesus our "blessed hope." Paul doesn't mean that we hope Jesus returns in the same way a lottery ticket purchaser hopes he hits the jackpot. He means that we are so certain that Jesus will return that it's become the organizing principle of our lives, influencing our priorities, moral standards, and even our willingness to be persecuted in his name. (p94)

When we obey the light we have, God shows up. And every time he does, our hope grows stronger. We begin to experience biblical hope - the deep seated optimism and confidence that comes from knowing that God can be trusted even when we have no idea what he's up to. (p98)

He chose to interpret his circumstances through the lens of faith. He responded in light of God's promises rather than in light of Nebuchadnezzar's successes. (p104)

The idea of Christians hunkered down while Satan batters us with the gates of hell would have been ludicrous to the people of Jesus' day. They knew what gates were for. They wouldn't have thought for a moment that the gates of hell couldn't defeat us. They would have understood that that the gates of hell can't hold us back. (p107)

If we want to experience Daniel-like courage and Paul-like peace, we need to follow their example. Instead of letting our friends, the media, and the latest crisis du jour determine our outlook, we'll need to let Scripture, our personal experiences of God's power, and his many promises determine our outlook ... Because, ultimately, it's not our circumstances that determine our outlook; it's the way we interpret our circumstances that determines our outlook. (p115)

In addition, we imagine facing the things we dread with the spiritual strength we currently have. We forget that even if everything we're worried about happens, we won't have to face it with the spiritual strength we currently have. We'll face it in the strength God provides the day it actually happens. (p122)

Whereas the lens of the cross brings his love and goodness into focus, it's the lens of the empty tomb that brings his power into sharp relief. Once we fully grasp the implications of Jesus' absolute victory over death, we no longer question his ability to bring good work out of the worst of circumstances and justice out of the greatest of injustices. (p128)

Practicing the discipline of gratitude doesn't mean we're supposed to artificially find the good in everything. Some things are bad. Some things are evil. Only a fool calls evil good. But in every situation, no matter how bad or evil it might be, there are things in the past and in the future to give thanks for. And it's in the remembering these blessings that we find the courage to endure our present hardships and the evils we face. (p130)

Jesus' promise to build his church is still in play. So is his promise that the gates of hell can't hold us back. But we'll have to change our game plan. The methods of the flesh and the methods of this world will have to be set aside, exchanged for the methods of the Spirit: prayer, obedient living, loving our enemies, and faithfully proclaiming the gospel. (p137)

Finally, biblical humility doesn't mean we never tell anyone about our success or accomplishments or that we refuse to take joy in them. I remember talking to a friend whose dad was set on raising humble children. He thought it was boastful to speak publicly of their successes. So he never did. Even when someone else brought it up, he quickly deflected the conversation to something else. Sadly, the result was not humility. It was four sons with a "father wound." To this day they grapple with a gnawing sense of insecurity. They know their dad loved them. But they still aren't sure if he was ever pleased with them. (p148)

Biblical humility is willing to be overlooked. It doesn't insist on public honor or acknowledgment. It doesn't trumpet status or accomplishments in an unseemly manner. But that's not the same as hiding or artificially downplaying our success. (p149)

If we want to significantly influence our modern-day Babylon, we'll have to change our tactics. Instead of avoiding or attacking the godless leaders of our day, we'll need to begin to engage them in the same way Daniel did, humbly serving whomever God chooses to temporarily place into positions of authority. (p151)

Daniel's humble respect was tied to his firm belief that God is in control of who is in control. It wasn't merely a theological axiom. It was a reality he lived by. (p156)

The warfare model focuses on the wrong enemy. Non-Christians are not the enemy. They're victims of the Enemy. Victims need to be rescued, not wiped out. The apostle Paul spelled out the response we're supposed to have toward those who live like hell and actively advance the cause of the Enemy. it's not what many would expect. "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" (2 Timothy 2: 24-26). Notice that these are people who are doing the will of the Devil. They're not just in his parade. They're leading the parade. Yet the goal of our interactions is not to see God pour out his judgment upon them. It's to see him pour out his grace and mercy. (p162)

Daniel also had the wisdom to understand that godless people live godless lives. He never forced his righteous lifestyle on others. Even as he rose to positions of power, he didn't try to impose his walk with God on those who didn't know God. (p173)

"(when talking about how he responded to the immorality of godless co-workers) My problem was a lack of perspective. I thought their biggest issue was their garbage mouth and godless lifestyle. But their biggest issue was not knowing Jesus. By trying to enforce my Christian values and sensibilities upon them, I lost the chance to introduce them to the only One who could clean up their act and forgive their sins. (p174)

Scaredy-cat Christians forget that Satan is a liar, the father of lies, and deception is his native tongue. They believe his boasts. He can boast all he wants. The fact is, he can't touch us without the Lord's permission. He's only powerful when we believe his lies. He has no power otherwise. (p179)

He doesn't gain a foothold when we participate in, hang around, or touch something that was once his. He gains a foothold when we sin. Evil is not some sort of contagious disease. It's a conscious choice. We don't have to worry about being accidentally contaminated. Scaredy-cat Christians make two mistakes that Daniel never made. They add extra rules to Scripture, and they run away from anything they perceive to be spiritually contaminated. Unfortunately, both of these behaviors sabotage our ability to infiltrate and influence the world we live in. They make a Daniel-like impact impossible. (p179)

This is something that fear-based Christianity misses. It tends to see God as an angry god looking for reasons to nail us. It forgets that Jesus was nailed to the cross for our benefit. He's not looking for reasons to punish us. He's looking for reasons to bless us. He values mercy over sacrifice. (p186)

[Sandra Devault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Osborne’s book, Thriving in Babylon, is a book that is easy to follow and a fairly quick read. The language and illustrations used allow the reader to follow the author’s train of thought without much distraction from the message he delivers. As a reader I did find it helpful that the author chose to provide scripture references where he thought it would be helpful.

There were a few distractions I encountered as I read through the book. I will make every effort to be brief as I share just a few concerns.

– The book of Daniel is one book of the major prophets detailing what was to come and detailing the sovereignty of God in the affairs of man not to offer “us a model for not only surviving but actually thriving in the midst of a godless culture.”

– Though the author acknowledges the sovereignty of God, he then uses the phrase “then God showed up” in several places, as if God’s plan was not working out so well and He had to show up to fix things – the book of Daniel clearly shows that God ordained all that would take place according to His will.

– The book is supposed to be about how to thrive in Babylon but the author draws principles from biblical characters not related to the Babylonian captivity making it seem as though he had these principles in mind before deciding to use Daniel as the basis for his book.

– Living in light of the gospel is how the believer survives and thrives today. But, the gospel is mentioned and discussed only sparingly.

Readers should know that there are some important challenges to our modern thinking that are important for us to read contained in Osborne’s book. One challenge as well as reminder is the timeless truth that faithfulness does not guarantee an easy life. Many faithful Christians will endure suffering and hardships in their life as they encounter difficulties common to believers around the world. I recommend reading the book of Daniel at least twice before reading this book so that you have a firm foundation to build upon.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Many thanks to the Litfuse Chicks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

[Virginia Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever wonder how we can possibly hope to live godly lives in a godless culture? I know I do! Larry Osborne has as well and he’s written an excellent book telling us how it can be done.

Thriving in Babylon, Why Hope, Humility, and wisdom matter in a godless culture by Larry Osborne is a very good read. He uses the book (and character) of Daniel as his backdrop.

So much of what he writes resonates with me and is, in fact, things I had been thinking. I underlined, marked, wrote in the margins, shared on twitter, Instagram, and facebook the wisdom I gleaned.

For example, “Don’t we claim to know how the game of life ends? And if we do, shouldn’t that affect the way we interpret and respond to the enemy’s short-term victories and temporary advances? If our sins are forgiven and our destiny assured, if we are joint-heirs with Jesus, and certain He’s coming back to set all wrongs right, then despair and panic over the latest court decision, or even the steady erosion of morality in our culture, hardly seem like appropriate responses.” (page 102)

In short I really, really liked this book. I wanted so badly to love it and aside from a few instances I did. But those instances were huge.

For example, The United States of America is a Republic, not a democracy as he states in the book.

The Bible does not say God will not give us more than we can handle. He promises not to give us temptations that no one else has experienced, promises a way of escape and not to tempt us beyond what we can bear.

And finally, Solomon’s sacrifice in Gibeon, God didn’t “look the other way because He knew His heart was right”, He didn’t accept the sacrifice and answer Solomon’s prayer because “Solomon meant well when he sacrificed on the High places.” Solomon sacrificed in Gibeon because that is where the tabernacle was, the ark wasn’t there, but the altar was.

I believe those were oversights, and I believe the author accomplished his goal of sharing with us how we can live godly lives in our culture. I give this book 4 out of 5 turning pages.

I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse and the publisher for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

[Cathryn Johansson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not what I hoped for. Perhaps if I had read it ten years ago it I found this book just a disappointing twist of living in Babylon. But I have seen the underbelly of the beast, and I don’t think it should be dealt with the way the author proposes. Yes, I absolutely agree that the way to live in and have influence in culture is love our enemies, live humbly and with respect to sinners (ie, there’s no place for yelling, name calling or slander especially online).

The first part of the book was good, with an easy to read and witty writing style. The middle I had a mild rejection of. Yet I emphatically disagree with the last section of the book. First, he assumes all sorts of feelings, motives and experiences of Daniel that just flat out are not in the Bible. Sure, we can guess what Daniel felt, but when you use it as a defense for certain beliefs of how we should live in our culture, you’ve gone too far. I don’t think it’s “wisdom” to shrug our shoulders at occult or godless content taught at schools or having to sit through diversity training (pg 173). I don’t think its biblical “tolerance” to “overlook things things that were offensive or demeaning” (pg 176). And there are too many references to glossing over compromise to quote.

[Steve Penner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly quick read on the life (more than the book of Daniel). As we move into a more Babylon-like cultural moment, it is good to review Daniel's life in Babylon. Osborne does so under the rubric of hope, humility and wisdom, things we need more of. Surely many Christians who still believe either that we still live in the 1950's or that we can recreated them, will find much to be appalled at in this treatment. But the truth is the truth. We don't live in Christian America, but a multi-cultural, pluralistic stew that confounds us at every turn. We don't understand the overt hostility of the culture. Many cry out, "We want our country back!" But unless God does something incredibly miraculous that ain't happening. So maybe we better learn how to live in Babylon. The eternal Jerusalem will show up eventually. Until then we need a lot more hope, humility and wisdom.

[Charity Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think of Daniel, do you think of an old Sunday School story? A flannel board presentation? In his latest book, Larry Osborne digs a little deeper and shows how having a Daniel Attitude is a lot more important than a Daniel Diet (he didn't say that! I did. haha).

With comparisons to life in Daniel's time to life now, this book is full of truths. We would all like to think we would be strong in the face of trial, but when it's crunch time, we often find ourselves trying to blend in with the crowd. How could he stand up to so much testing? God was his peace and hope.

A great mix of theology, history and what it looks like to love God with all your heart!

Thanks, Litfuse, for this great read! As always, this is my honest opinion. Here's to many more!!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Larry Osborne is wise, thought-provoking, funny and deeply Biblical as he uses the story of Daniel to take a sharp look at the way followers of Christ interact with the culture around them.

My pastor is fond of saying that "preaching against culture is like preaching against someone's house - it's where they live." Larry agrees and does a splendid job of highlighting the myriad ways in which Christians focus on fixing culture rather than on increasing their influence in the middle of that culture.

Highly recommended

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were to read only one book this year, I would suggest this one be it. I really liked the insights Osborne took from the biblical story of Daniel. Rather than thinking we will escape difficulty, Osborne shows how we can thrive in an adverse culture. This book is very timely and I highly recommend it.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1RFl0t7.
I received a complimentary digital galley of this book through Lit fuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, and so relevant to today, even though it was written in 2015. Highly recommended.

[Jerry Hillyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a book just sort of 'shows up' and it has immediate relevance to my life or ministry. Such was the case with Thriving in Babylon. I was searching through the David C Cook offerings on NetGalley and this book just appeared...I'm fairly certain I heard the sound of 'ahhh' sung by angels as a halo of gold surround the book. Needless to say I was happy to see the book, a book, any book focused on the Book of Daniel.

I have been engaged in serious study of the book of Daniel since sometime in 2014 as I prepared myself to teach an undergraduate level course on the book at a small Bible College located near my home in the Fall of 2015. I mean it must be providence because this is the fourth book on Daniel I have managed to get for review from publishers in the last year (and in fact, I just received a fifth one in the mail today from another publisher). All of the books have had unique perspectives on the Book of Daniel and have lent their insight to me as I sought to understand Daniel.

It does make me wonder though why there is currently so much popular and scholarly level interest in the Book of Daniel--so much interest that one noted author even published a lifestyle book based on something he read in Daniel. It's curious how it seems that perhaps people are slowly beginning to realize that all our American dreams are not quite the stuff that being a disciple of Jesus is made of. Or maybe what people are seeing is that the time is ripe, the axe is at the root, the signs are converging and coalescing, and maybe we imagine we hear just the faintest hint of a trumpet blast being carried by the wind.

This book started out strong with a heavy focus on the Book of Daniel and I was rolling along with Osborne nicely. He is correct: Daniel is neither an adventure story nor a prophecy manual. Where he kind of lost me is when he stated what he does think the main point of Daniel's book is: "When it comes to the book of Daniel, his incredible example of how to live and thrive in the most godless of environments is the main lesson we don't want to miss. It's a template that's particularly relevant today" (Location 128). Unfortunately, this kind of made me yawn a bit because I started sensing where the book was going--a mere manual for living, something the church does not need. Fact is, if we read the Book of Daniel as a book of mere examples for living, however incredible, encouraging, and faithful they may be, then we may as well read it as an adventure story and we probably miss the bigger story he is telling us about ultimate redemption of the world, of His saints, of his Son, and of a victory that even death cannot prevent.

A deeper look at Daniel reveals a deeply theological story, one that is entirely focused on the sovereignty of God over the nations and of how, despite the terribly negative outward appearance of things in this world, God will rescue and redeem his exiles from Babylon, establish his Messianic Kingdom by uprooting, supplanting, subverting, and at times destroying the kingdoms of earth, and establish his Son and People as the rightful heirs and rulers of the kingdoms of earth.

Somewhere in this, yes, we are called to live and thrive. Clearly the prophet Jeremiah, one of the books Daniel read, told the exiles that they should settle down, build houses, raise families, live, and seek the welfare of the city where they were confined, but I doubt Jeremiah did so without first giving those people a picture of the great God who led them there in the first place. I doubt that living and thriving are the main focus of the book--or of any book of the Bible for that matter. I'm not saying they are absent; I am saying they are the trees we see when we take our eyes off the forest.

I absolutely agree that we live in a world of chaos. I agree that for all intents and purposes our times are no different than those of Daniel and that Christians are, by and large, living in the shadow and confines of Babylon. I disagree that we are going to change this world simply by displaying hope, humility, and wisdom--the three ideas explored in the book. To me, however, this sounds like a convenient outline--kind of preacherly (if that's a word). Needless to say, however well he may find these ideas in the Book of Daniel, I was fairly disappointed that this was the route he chose to go. It's not that anything he says in the book is wrong or that it cannot be found in the book of Daniel. It's just that this is not the point of Daniel's book and, therefore, I think Thriving in Babylon was wanting for something more.

So let me wrap up by noting a couple of things that did resonate with me and ultimately were good constructs--even if I think the foundation upon which they were built was a bit beyond the blueprint. First, I agree that '[F]rom the first page to the last, Daniel clearly saw God's hand in everything that happened' (Location 203). I agree. This is laid out for the readers in Daniel chapter 1 and it carries all through the book. He goes on to note that 'God is in control of who is in control' (Location 222). Here I think Osborne nails it and, to this point, he is correct: upon this understanding of God we can indeed thrive in Babylon. I only wish he had explored his point a little more with respect to how Christians respond to the the kings of this world. Daniel is a decidedly political book and I think it needed to be explored, and could have been even at this popular level.

Second, he brings out some import and valid points about suffering in this world and our response to it. Key among his points is this: 'Those who walk away from God in anger and disillusionment in the midst of their suffering never do so because their test was too hard. They do so because their faith was not genuine' (Location 541). Whatever else I may have written, I want to be clear that Osborne has written a good book with much worth lauding. His points about our suffering as Christians in the midst of the Babylonian shadow are important and timely. We do well to listen. Yet we also do well to remember that there is no resurrection needed for those who remain alive. The saints of God will suffer at the hands of kings. Perhaps this timely message needed to be explored a little more.

My main disappointment with this book is that I don't think Osborne handled the Book of Daniel very well. Frankly, it was a huge disappointment. At times, it was like he utterly forgot he was even taking us through the book at all. Besides this, as noted above, I think he failed to get to the heart of what Daniel is teaching us. I get that the book is not designed to be a thorough exposition of Daniel and in this Osborne succeeds. The book of Daniel is a complex book and the character of Daniel--one of only two characters who 'survive' the entire book from start to finished--is a complex character. He has good days and bad days. He spends a lot of time sick due to the visions he has. He has to make difficult choices at times and seems at times to be all about his own self-preservation. Sometimes he doesn't tell the whole truth when interpreting visions and dreams. At times he us utterly brilliant and at other times he seems confounded. Sometimes he appears to compromise a bit and other times he is utterly bold and forthright. It is, therefore, difficult to make Daniel the sort of hero I think Osborne wants him to be.

Daniel is complex and I wish that complexity had been explored with a little more nuance than Osborne did. Again, it's not that anything Osborne said was wrong or out of place. It's just that Daniel is not so black and white as he leads us to believe.

It's a good read for the most part and I didn't disagree with all that much. He says a lot of important and timely things. There are some surprisingly fresh anecdotes and I like that he doesn't fall back on the the so-called standard sermon illustrations--oh thank God for that! I found the book to be honest and readable; accessible and, at times, challenging. It has plenty of Scripture references quoted and/or alluded to (notes are at the end of each chapter.) I also found the book a bit unbalanced. Chapters 1-4 talk about 'Daniel's Story'; Chapters 5-7** discuss 'Prepared for Battle'. He discuss all these things before diving into his thoughts about hope, humility, and wisdom. Chapters 8-13 are 'Hope'; 14-16, 'Humility'; 17-20', 'Wisdom'. It's slightly unbalanced as you can see, it's a small thing to be sure, but it bothered me.

One last thing. Daniel's book warns us over and over again of putting our hope in the kings who derive their position and authority 'out of the earth' or 'out of the sea' (see Daniel 7). Christians in America are particularly susceptible to this scheme of the devil--the one where he tries to convince us that our hope is found in the next great ministry or the next great up and coming politician. We are continually told about how important it is to vote for a particular political party or a particular political candidate. Sometimes we are even told that Daniel himself is a fine example of why Christians ought to be involved in the political process. At one point Osborne makes an utterly brilliant point when addressing this scheme: "[Satan] is still at it. Today, he's convinced many of us to replace our passionate hope in Jesus with a passionate hope in politics or the latest ministry on steroids. It's taken our eyes off Jesus and put our hope in that which can't deliver" (location 1334). Here I think he nails it because it is here, at this point, that I think the point of the Book of Daniel is clearly in view.

What the church needs is a formidable and robust picture of a great God who will wreck the systems born in this world, born of this world, born from this world, and who will set up his own kingdom which is 'not of this world' (Daniel 2; cf. John 18). Daniel gives us this vision--as a prophet should. I find that looking at mere examples of mere humanity is not enough to strengthen us in our current need. This is why, for example, when John the Revelator was writing to the seven churches in province of Asia who were muddled in persecution and complacency, he began not with a robust picture of an exemplary human being but with a picture of the cosmic Jesus who is the Alpha and the Omega. In short, I think the focus on Daniel as a person is misplaced.

So I'm a little disappointed with this book, but not entirely. There are times when Osborne gets Daniel brilliantly and other times when he falls down. It's a preacher thing to narrow down a book to a set of memorable ideas. In this case, hope, humility, and wisdom are the memorable ideas he wants us to remember. I think we would have been better served if he had asked us to remember that it is God's faithfulness to his people, to his own plans for this world, not his people's mere example, that is why and how and for what we thrive and survive and ultimately own this world and how he ultimately conquers Babylon.

4/5 Stars

**I would make one correction to the book. In chapter 7, he begins with an illustration of living near Camp Pendleton, a US Marine Corps recruit depot in San Diego, California. In paragraph 2, he refers to those who train recruits as 'drill sergeants.' This would be fine if he were talking about Army recruits, but those who train Marines are called Drill Instructors. Trust me when I say this is a big deal to Marines. It should be addressed in future editions of the book.
Important Book & Author Things

Where to purchase Thriving in Babylon (Amazon: Kindle $9.28 ) Christian Book Distributors (Paperback $9.99) David C Cook (Trade-Paperback $15.99)
Author: Larry Osborne
Larry Osborn on Twitter
Academic Webpage:
Editor:
Publisher: David C Cook
Pages: 224
Year: 2015
Audience: Mostly Christians, but others too (maybe)
Reading Level: High School
Disclaimer: I was provided an advance reader's copy courtesy of David C Cook via NetGalley.

**All page locations are relative at this point because I'm using an uncorrected proof. Pages should be checked against the final publication for accuracy.

[Jonathan Brooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that offers some basic wisdom for how to be a follower of God in a cultural context that is opposed to Him. Osborne uses the biblical stories of Daniel that are found towards the beginning of his namesake book to paint a picture of how Daniel navigated the treacherous waters of thriving in Babylon. These form a picture of what we can learn to do as well.

There were some unfortunate moments of attempted humor and levity at times in the book that just hit a little odd, and at least one time that it felt borderline insensitive. And I also would've actually appreciated if the book would have unpackaged for the reader what this hope, humility, and wisdom might look like in our modern contexts with a bit more specificity and examples.

Yet, I believe Osborne did a good job of accurately assessing what Daniel brought to the table that helped him thrive in Babylon. Whereas some other authors seem to pick personal favorite characteristics and then very loosely tie them into the story, Osborne kept it well tied in to the actual story he was teaching from, which I much appreciated!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, really enjoyed to comparisons Larry draws between Daniel in a Babylonian context and modern day believers. Well done, inspiring for me. Favorite quotes: "Jesus never told us to create a Christian nation, impose our standards on non believers, or preserve a particular culture." "Rightly understood, tolerance is a trait we should all excel in. If tolerance means granting people the right to be wrong, we of all people ought to be known for our tolerance. Unfortunately, that’s not what tolerance means today. The word has been redefined. It no longer means granting others the right to be wrong. It now means that nobody is wrong. Those who dare to claim that some behaviors are actually morally wrong are written off as intolerant bigots. And ironically, they become the one group nobody is tolerant of."

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts out really well and has a lot of insight into living a faithful and holy life set apart to God amidst a godless culture. However, towards the middle and through the ending it devolves further and further into a passive, ignore/stay silent mentality when it comes to the occult, depravity, and other major arenas where evil is running rampant. The author presumes to know Daniel’s motivations and infers far too much about his decisions while touting it as biblical fact. I can’t agree with much of his conclusion on how we should respond (i.e. with passivity) to evil in our world in the hopes of “keeping an open door for future conversation.” Evil will not stop itself, it must be stopped. If you want a good introduction and thought provoking discussion, just read the first half of the book - there’s a good portion of quality content there.

[Jacob Sabin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Osborne does not come across as a compassionate pastor in this. I do not think I have read any of his other works and frankly, based on this I don't think I would. The book has some wisdom in this, it is not completely irredeemable, but he often comes across arrogant and boastful. One can sense he is trying to make claims he has some special revelation into the book of Daniel. Not only does he talk about Daniel comparatively little to what I thought he would (other books do a vastly better job) but his "insights" were often things I read else where: except he gives little to no credit about any source material he may have used. Selling my copy to thriftbooks. At least it was a quick read, I just wish it was an enjoyable one.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a group of women from my church, and we all agreed it was an excellent book that both encourages and challenges a person to grow in their spiritual walk. Using Daniel as a role model, Larry Osborne helps you to understand the Christian concepts such as hope, faith, and humility in an easy to understand way, and then teaches you how to can develop these character traits and apply them in your own life, while living in a society that often disrespect Christian values. Whether you are a new Christian, a long time Christian, or an interested observer of culture, this is a must read.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found some parts of this book to have useful insights, other parts to be overly simplistic, and then there were the problematic parts I distinctly disagreed with (for the record, I'm okay with disagreeing with authors on some points, as long as there aren't glaring errors in key doctrinal areas). The book was definitely an improvement over the video series that went with it (which was pretty bad; don't waste your time watching it), and I feel like the author pointed out some things I wouldn't necessarily have thought about otherwise, so I'm glad I read it, even if there are a lot of other resources on Christian living that I would recommend over this one.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book on discipleship in a hostile culture, and I really appreciated many of the thoughts, probably because they chimed with my own thinking on the topic. Larry Osborne also has a way with words, and there are a lot of great one-liners and quotations in the book ("After all, it takes a mess to have a miracle."; "We’re supposed to weep with those who weep. We’re not supposed to smother them with banal truisms, out-of-context Bible verses, shallow advice, and links to our favorite podcasts.")

So the book was very helpful, and very readable: it is divided into short chapters and written in a very accessible way.

Why do I only give it a three-star rating? Despite being very readable and helpful, it doesn't really live up to its billing of looking at the life of Daniel and applying it to living in our modern-day Babylon. The writer does touch off from the life of Daniel in most chapters, but then jumps off all over the Bible to make his case, sometimes barely mentioning Daniel. As I'd bought it to help me in preparing a preaching series on Daniel, that was a slight disappointment.

I wouldn't, however, want that to prevent anyone from buying or reading the book: it is a great read, and a helpful book for anyone thinking about discipleship in our current-day world.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can please God

Outstanding practical help for pleasing God and loving others. Just like Daniel, we can make a difference. "Don’t buy the lie that you don’t matter. You do. Don’t buy the lie that your response to the evil in your workplace, community, family, and our nation doesn’t matter. It does. We just have to push the right buttons. They’re called hope, humility, and wisdom. It’s what Daniel did thousands of years ago. It’s what God asks us to do today. It’s how he thrived in his Babylon. And it’s how we can thrive in our own modern-day Babylon."

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent read, but I wasn't a fan of the author's voice throughout it. There were good truths in this book, but there were also these parts that worried more. There seemed to be too much fluff and not enough digging into Scripture. Verses were in the footnotes, but rarely were they quoted in his writing and fully explained; it was a lot of paraphrasing. Verses like 1 Cor. 10:13 and Matt. 18:20 were used and taken out of context, which bothered me in regards to reading the book as a whole.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an important book for every Christian to read, AND live by.

I also recommend this book for non-Christians. How shall I put this....this book is an excellent weapon against "Christians" who feel they have sway over your life and the way you live because of their beliefs. Especially the second half of the book (so if you start it and wonder what I'm talking about, it's the second half that really gets into how Christians should be living their lives in times that challenge their beliefs).

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

If you’re bored and have nothing else to do, I’d Recommend reading this book. About chapter 16 or 17 I started to lose respect for the author. We are in a new season that requires a deep, well grounded faith. To tell people they don’t even take a stand or just need to get along with those around them rather than speak truth with me feeling like I can’t get behind this book. He had some good one liners, but at the end there was not much meat or substance to what he offered.