BookPastor >> "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" (Nabeel Qureshi)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint.

conrade

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TITLE: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity
AUTHOR: Nabeel Qureshi
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014, (304 pages).

Christians are not the only people who evangelize. Muslims do too. In many cases, Muslims are better trained in casting doubts on the Christian faith in order to influence more to believe in Islam. Sometimes, I have found Muslims to be relatively more prepared in winning any debate between the merits of Christianity vs Islam. Reading this book reminds me once again that Muslims are quite formidable in their religious heritage, in their arguments against Christianity, and in their knowledge of the New Testament. Sharing about his own religious search, Dr Nabeel Qureshi gives readers a glimpse about the inner workings of the upbringing of a Muslim child, the way Muslims are trained in their honor and authority observance, and the differences between the Eastern and Western perspective of things Islam, religion, and culture. After describing his pious upbringing and a background of devoutly seeking Allah, he reveals how he had a change of heart after being stumped on several occasions by his best friend David, who had not only defended key tenets of the Christian faith, but also exposed the fallacies of the anti-Christian arguments used by many Muslims. As his eyes become opened to the weaknesses of the "swoon theory" and the problems underlying the substitution explanation. More importantly, as he becomes open to the reality of the gospel, he soon takes on a new perspective: Finding Jesus. Qureshi turns from obstinate opponent to passionate proponent for the gospel of Christ. He notices that the arguments he had adopted, the apologetics used against Christianity were all "polemical," that is, they all started with a conclusion. He then attempted to use Western methodology with Eastern passion, and slowly discovers that Christianity is more water-tight than he had previously argued against. One by one, his walls of resistance crumbled.  He learned to see both sides of the picture. It was the Resurrection debate between the Muslim Shabir Ally against Michael Licona and Gary Habermas that tilted the balance. While Ally won the rhetoric and stage presence, Qureshi acknowledged that from the argument standpoint, Mike and Gary were far more convincing. With incredible detail of his journey from Islam to Christianity, Qureshi finds his initial resistance melts away, his doubts grow into faith, and his U-turn from skeptical disbelief to fervent faith.

BookPastor >> "A Heart for Freedom" (Chai Ling)

With the ongoing democracy protest movement going on in Hong Kong, perhaps we can learn a bit more about the Tiananmen square. Perhaps, that could help avert undesirable consequences. This review was first published on 16th September 2014 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: A Heart for Freedom: The Remarkable Journey of a Young Dissident, Her Daring Escape, and Her Quest to Free China's Daughters
AUTHOR: Chai Ling
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Publishers, 2011, (370 pages).

Mention Tiananmen Square and what comes to mind for most people? Yes. Despite the famous history and the memorable monuments there, Tiananmen Square will always be remembered infamously for the student protest movement in 1989. On June 4th of 1989, the world reeled in shock as they watched the mighty Chinese Red army tanks steamroll the entire student movement, crushing the bodies as well as hopes of many of protesters. In one day, the movement for greater democracy was dismantled. It is one thing for us to watch the pictures on TV and to listen to news reporters giving their observations. It is yet another to hear from someone who was at the heart of the movement, the heat of the crisis, and the head of the student organization leading the protests.  With high ideals and hopes for a better country, Ling and her associates are Chinese patriots who loved the people of China. They stood for Chinese ideals and share the vision of a greater and better China for all. This book gives us a bigger picture and a deeper understanding of the contexts leading to the uprising, the massacres, and the aftermaths of the whole movement. While it is a personal autobiography of Ling, it is also a lens in which outsiders can see the workings and complexities of a growing economic force.

BookPastor >> "Pilgrimage" (Lynn Austin)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on December 16th 2013. 

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TITLE: Pilgrimage: My Journey to a Deeper Faith in the Land Where Jesus Walked
AUTHOR: Lynn Austin
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2013, (240 pages).

Spiritual dryness is not something that is easily avoided. It comes in many forms. It can be boredom about the daily routines of life. It can be the staleness one feels about the weekly worship services. It can also be the increasing sense of restlessness about what the spiritual life actually mean and whether there is more than simply going through the spiritual disciplines. For many of us, a popular project is to take either a long sabbatical or a short retreat. For Lynn Austin, she decides to take a pilgrimage to and through the Holy Land where Jesus walked. Sharing many of the spiritual dryness sentiments described earlier, bestselling author Austin packed her bags to tour Jordan, Israel, various cities in the Middle East as well as the Wilderness of Zin.

With her keen sense of observation and her grasp of the Old and New Testament, she interleaves her sights and experiences of her travels with insights and perceptions of the ancient biblical times. Having done that, she then puts together lessons that touch her and reinvigorated her life and her faith. As she hikes through the wilderness of Zin, she experiences first hand the elements that the Israelites felt when they were struggling through their 40 years of wilderness. She becomes more sympathetic of the real struggles the people felt at that time. It reminds me of our tendency to become armchair critics of the Israelites without actually empathizing with their conditions. The call to faith is actually more challenging than we often think. Even the sight of shepherds leading sheep to graze on dry terrain and rough paths is a reality check against any simplistic picture of shepherds in the ancient times having large green pastures for sheep. Austin also relates the Israelites' crossing of an "unimpressive" looking Jordan River as a milestone to mark the end of their wanderings. It can also be a milestone for our Christian beginnings. Interestingly, despite the sight of the heavily armed security personnel and the sight of weapons, the paranoia and vigilance actually made the visitors feel safer.

Austin spends quite a bit of reflection on Jerusalem, a most important city among the three major religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Observing the nature of the walls that keep enemies out, Austin sees how futile it is to depend on the wall for security as history had shown that it is God, not the walls who has the power to save the city. Even her tour through the Pool of Siloam provides her lots of fodder for spiritual thoughts, about abundant water of life, about free flowing spring waters of life, and its spiritual implications. Of special significance is the Holy Week trek where Austin's tour group traces the days and places Jesus walked, leading up to the crucifixion. She closes her reflections with the Sabbath keeping, learning directly from the people there what it means to live leisurely and more humanly.

So What?

For many believers, it is not a question of whether there will be such lethargy but WHEN the spiritual dryness will occur. When that happens, how then does one deal with it? The popular biblical fiction writer has written a non-fiction book that traces her own spiritual pilgrimage and has given readers a window into her thoughts and her spiritual experiences. Just following her journey is like a mini-tour of the Holy Land without having to leave our homes. For those of us who are unable to journey to the Holy Land, this book is a good glimpse through the eyes of Austin. For those of us who experience spiritual dryness, we can visualize that the ancient pilgrims and Old Testament people are in a more challenging positions. For those of us needing a re-invigoration of spiritual vitality, this book brings us back to visualizing the ancient times and to imagining how we would have responded if we can transport ourselves back in time. The pilgrimage has given Austin a breath of spiritual freshness, and to excite her to start a new journey in her spiritual pilgrimage outside the Holy Land. There are three reasons why I like this book.

Firstly, it is a mini-tour guide of the Holy Land. It works like a literary video camera that traces the various landmarks and biblical places. For one who has never stepped foot on Israel, I appreciate the descriptions of the various sites that I have grown so familiar through reading the Bible, but have not seen the place for myself. It gives me a better appreciation of the Bible. For instance, when she was describing her tour of Jerusalem, I find myself grasping on her descriptions to try to paint a picture of what it actually looks like.

Secondly, I appreciate the way Austin links the places she saw with the biblical parallel of what had happened many years ago in the same place. It is one thing to read about the wall. It is yet another to be reminded how the wall had meant to the biblical characters of old.

Thirdly, the spiritual lessons Austin had learnt are powerfully conveyed in the book. Whether it is hunger or thirst; rough terrains or tough territories; towers, walls, or temples, Austin is able to reflect upon the most ordinary things with some extraordinary applications. For example, she reflects on the engineering wonders and the impressive projects King Herod had commissioned during his reign, and how his once prosperous city now had disappeared into the ruins of today. Earthquakes and the natural elements had devastated these symbols of human arrogance.

If you are able to, nothing beats the experience of seeing the Holy Land firsthand. If not, reading this book may very well be a helpful alternative.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor > "All is Grace" (Brennan Manning)

In remembrance of Brennan Manning who passed away on April 12th, 2013, this week's book recommendation will be his personal memoir. The review was previously published at Panorama of a Book Saint on June 23rd, 2012. 

One of the most memorable quotes of Manning is this: "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

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TITLE: All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir
AUTHOR: Brennan Manning
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2011.

This book is the most intimate, painful, honest, and personal autobiography to come from the influential spiritual leader and communicator. Intimate because of the tender details with regards to his childhood, his vocational discernment, and married lives. Painful because of the  traumatic childhood, the difficult bouts of alcoholism, divorce, and the ins and outs of the Church ministry. Honest in terms of the highlights of his achievements and the low moments of his career. He calls himself a "ragamuffin," which he aptly describes in a prayer, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." He is like a crooked stick which God uses to draw straight lines. He has been a priest and an ex-priest, a married and then divorced, a highly sought after speaker and a suddenly shunned indivisual. At various parts of the book, he shares openly with readers about his constant discerning process.

In between the autobiography, the work is sandwiched by multiple endorsements from Max Lucado, Michael Card, Larry Crabb, and many others, and encouraging letters of affirmation and gratitude from personal friends. Manning has also generously provided personal photographs to share with readers his life, as well as people from the "Notorious Sinners" recovery group.  I like the way he ends his book with a poem, with a title similar to the book's title.

Now there’s no more crowds and no more lights, still all is grace.
Now my eyes are wrapped in endless night, still all is grace.
Now I pace the dark and sleep the day yet I still can hear my Father say— “all is grace.”
It was easy as a younger man To squander in the far off land
Where sin was sin, like black is black.
But older brother sin is white, this doubt that creeps me up at night
— “does Jesus love me still?”
Now I take my meds and hear the game, still all is grace.
Now old friends drop in and bless my name, still all is grace.
Now a prodigal I’ll always be yet still my Father runs to me.
All is grace.

This book is Manning's version of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, with him as the main protagonist.

My Thoughts

A book like this is not easy to write, given the deeply personal contents. Not many people are courageous enough to be open about their down times. Indeed, it takes a person with a certain level of inner security to be open with both the highs and the lows of one's life. The details offered to readers ensure that the sharing is specific, that the words are incarnated with real openness about his weaknesses and strengths. Reading through Manning's struggles with alcoholism teaches us that no one is immune from addictions. It reminds me again that often, the peaks of success are immediately threatened by the valleys of disappointment and distress. What I particularly appreciate is how Manning shares with readers his discernment of God's calling for his life. There are many points of learning. He remembers and reflects actively about how he has been affirmed about his gift of writing, of communicating, of teaching, and of spiritual guidance. Through his failures, he learns about the power of grace. Through his successes, he gains insights about the temptations that lurk behind each high. Above all, he learns about the true power of friendship, and of learning to grow and to recover within the confines of a loving and open community of faith.

If you read this book, be prepared for your heart to be moved.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by David C. Cook Publishers and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor >> "There's More to Life Than Making a Living"

This book review was first published here on March 10th, 2010.

conrade

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Title: There's More to Life Than Making a Living
Author: Jack C McDowell
Published: NY: FaithWords, 2009.

Life is more than simply making a living. Many people will agree with it. Some people simply talk about it. Few however, go beyond just doing something about it. Jack McDowell lets his life speaks for itself through 6 principles honed from his experiences. They are:

THE SIX PRINCIPLES

1. First find your calling;
2. Second, always be learning from your experiences;
3. Acquire Habits that build character;
4. Discover the joy of generosity;
5. Build relationships for life;
6. Do not retire.

For McDowell, he begins at a tender young age of 13, with a prayer to God:

"Help me, dear Father in heaven, to find a significant purpose for my life." (xii)

Reflecting back, he was able to say:

"I believe many people find a purpose for their lives without finding significance. They master certain skills, apply them effectively, and perhaps reap a harvest of success. But in moments of quiet honesty, they have a nagging feeling of emptiness. Something is missing." (xvii)

McDowell first discovered his gift of fund-raising when he single handedly raised money for a small town, small club facility. From one opportunity to another, he was given bigger and bigger roles to raise funds for various causes. One of the biggest beneficiaries is the Salvation Army, where McDowell raises millions of dollars for the charity.

The First Three Foundational Principles
All of them have to do with self-identity, character formation and life long habits. One's calling is connected in 2 ways. Firstly, to discover one's unique gifts. Secondly, to use the gifts for the benefit of others. The second principle deals with the hard knocks of life. It is not all smooth sailing for McDowell. Yet, he possesses a special ability to learn from his mistakes and the bad news that comes upon him. With hard work and humility, he even has to re-set the 165 posts that were mistakenly placed. He learns stewardship as one of the byproducts of success. He learns even from unlikely sources, even from his boyhood 'antagonists.' He is able to learn from his mistakes because of his focus on building character rather than expecting comfort.

The Last Three Essentials
These final principles deal more with relationships and sustaining the process of partnering with others and sharing. True relationships are build when people partner and give to one another's needs. A generous heart is important. So is an ability to share successes. Never stop making friends and building each other up. Never retire.

My Comments
This is a book that tries to achieve multiple goals. It is a book about calling, about the importance of learning to discover one's own identity in God. It is a book about leadership, how leaders need to maintain a life of character and integrity. It is a book about looking out for others, and to care and share one's possessions with people around us. It is a book that urges readers not to retire from such work. A calling is never terminated when one leaves his or her job. It is always present. One finds his calling when talents and passions match opportunities to serve others. One's entire life is thus geared to fulfill this purpose. Jack McDowell has found his calling to help people through fund-raising, through sharing of his life experiences and through teaching and mentoring.

For the busy person, this book is a welcome read with its concise message and easy to understand applications. Filled with stories from McDowell's life, the book contains many practical tips on leadership. It encourages young readers to start living a life of significance now. Don't wait.

A simple and elegant book, with short chapters but long in applications. Great read from a humble man of faith.

This book is available at your favourite bookstores.

A FaithWords publisher Reviewer.

conrade

My Book of the Year 2010 (Eric Metaxas's "Bonhoeffer")

TITLE: BONHOEFFER - Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
AUTHOR: Eric Metaxas
PUBLISHED: Thomas-Nelson, 2010, (591pp)

While others are fighting for their survival, he is fighting for the gospel. While others takes flight toward safer pastures and positions, he brings light and hope to the weak and the persecuted. This is the kind of life that Dietrich Bonhoeffer epitomizes.

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

A) What the Book is About
This is the second best-selling biography by Eric Metaxas, whose earlier work on William Wilberforce (Amazing Grace) has garnered many favourable reviews. Based on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Metaxas traces his family origins and childhood beginnings, to show readers how much this man is shaped by his growing up years, and his family discipline. His family links gives him the political and ecclesiastical connections needed at crucial moments of his struggle. His household discipline develops in him a keen and sharp mind for academic brilliance. Most importantly, it is the faith inculcated from young, that makes him this century's Christian hero.

With 31 chapters and more than 500 pages of pulsating narrative, Metaxas reveals the tender moments of Bonhoeffer's inner thoughts, without diminishing his explosive moments of anger and frustration at the tactics and deceptions of the Third Reich. Using actual dates and places, the reader is ushered into a chronological adventure of this young man's short but outstanding life.

In 40 short years, Bonhoeffer serves faithfully as a pastor, a seminarian, a crusader for the purity of the faith, a prophetic voice against the evils of Hitler's regime. He masquerades as a spy for the Confessing Church and utilizes his unique connections both inside and outside of Germany to defend the innocent and to expose the treacherous. He died on April 8th, 1939, a martyr fully burnt out for God.

B) My Comments
This is definitely my book of the year (2010). In fact, this book is a unique combination of history, theology, biography, and story all rolled into one. Eric Metaxas has given the literary world a Christmas present, one that is wrapped with the precious testimonies of faith. After reading this book, my respect for Bonhoeffer has been raised many levels. My hope and faith has been encouraged. Applause to Metaxas.

For those who curse Germany then for producing a villain in Hitler, they ought to praise God for the war heroes like Hilderbrandt (a German Jew), Niemueller, and many others who fought for the Confessing Church.

Metaxas writes in a manner that honours this fiery preacher and earnest teacher. Most of all, he shows us that spiritual warfare is still very real. Spiritual downfall begins with apathy, that leads to helplessness. From helplessness, it soon turns into liberal interpretations and twisted theologies which ultimately fueled Hitler's evil causes. Bonhoeffer sees through the evils of Hitler. He speaks up against the twisted theologies trumpeted by the "German Christians" and the established but lame German Church then. What he fails to do inside Germany, he continues overseas. For Bonhoeffer, discipleship is costly grace, that must be accompanied by seeing with eyes of faith, and moving with acts of courage.

"To see that it was against God's will to persecute the Jews, one must choose to open one's eyes. And then one would face another uncomfortable choice: whether to act as God required." (p278-279)

From reading the book, I feel energized that it is our calling to obey Christ, even if it means to die. Like Bonhoeffer's words:

"When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." (Cost of Discipleship)

This biography sheds light on Bonhoeffer's best works, like "Life Together," "Cost of Discipleship," "Ethics," "Letters and Papers from Prison," and many others. Metaxas has written a valuable book for students interested in Bonhoeffer's life, faith and theology. More importantly, this is a precious testimony of one who practices true discipleship.

I hope that the next edition of the book will have a handy chronological timeline to help readers recall and refer easily to the highs and lows of Bonhoeffer. This book deserves to be read in its entirety. It builds one's faith and hope for the gospel, that spiritual warfare is not fought using guns and bullets, but through sheer faith and willingness to die. Hitler dies tragically by taking his own life. Bonhoeffer dies heroically by surrendering his final breath. If you are intending to buy a good book to keep and be encouraged, buy this. If you are thinking of a Christmas gift for anyone who loves books, this is it. It is worth it.

Here's a video preview of the book.



conrade

"Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller. "