BookPastor >> "Guardrails" (Alan Briggs)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Dec 19th, 2016.

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TITLE: Guardrails: Six Principles for a Multiplying Church
AUTHOR: Alan Briggs
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2016, (192 pages).

Growing churches is a desire among many Christian leaders. Whenever there is a huge increase in the number of attendees, people get excited. They rev up their engines to make Church run as efficiently as possible. They go on hyperactive mode to ensure that all the respective departments are up and running, able to meet the needs of all age groups. The moment the number drops, worry rises. Giving drops and panic rises. The focus then shifts overwhelmingly to one concern: How do we grow the Church? Here lies one of the biggest misconceptions in Church growth. Numbers do not necessarily reflect a healthy Church. The key to Church health is not numbers but discipleship. Author Alan Briggs provides four chapters on foundations and six principles to execute the way of discipleship. The key is how to start a movement and not simply a one-off project. Briggs looks at some movements in history and notes the need to avoid models in favour of principles.  We also need to avoid the three obstacles of kingdom building:

1. Tendency to build kingdoms for self
2. Tendency to build idols of security for self-preservation
3. Tendency to think only for the present moment

BookPastor >> "After the Boxes are Unpacked" (Susan Miller)

This review was first published on March 22nd, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: After the Boxes Are Unpacked
AUTHOR: Susan Miller
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2016, (272 pages).

Moving is very much a part of our lives. Whether we are children of missionaries or working adults, there are many different reasons why we move. People move when they have a new job, a new house, or a new baby. People also move when they need to be closer to their aging parents, or other concerns. Apart from the stress of having to finalize details of our new postings, jobs, or changes in a family situation, there are the logistics to contend with. There is the budget to be careful of. There is the many decisions to be made about what to pack, what to give away, and what to discard. According to the US Census Bureau, over 35.9 million people move each year, among which are 18.3 million women. The author is an experienced "mover," having relocated at least 14 times in her life, and being uprooted from her comfort zones frequently. She was married for 45 years to her husband before his passing in 2009.  Called "America's Moving Coach," Susan Miller has founded an organization called "Just Moved Ministry" to help uprooted women deal with the stresses of moving. First published in 1995, this book is into its 21st printing which speaks of the relevance and help that the book has offered to many people. In this updated edition, Miller includes many of her personal reflections about how life had been after Bill. She has a lot more future-oriented language which sums up her longing to be together with her loved ones for eternity. The three emotional phases for readers on the move are:

1. Let Go
2. Start Over
3. Move Forward 

BookPastor >> "The Most Excellent Way to Lead" (Perry Noble)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Jan 25th, 2016

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TITLE: The Most Excellent Way to Lead: Discover the Heart of Great Leadership
AUTHOR: Perry Noble
PUBLISHER: Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2016, (288 pages)

What defines good leadership? If you have attended one of the many leadership conferences, courses, or classes, you might have heard about traits such as vision, influence, confidence, courage, and other impressive characteristics that make the leader looking like some hero from the movies. While many of these leadership gurus are not necessarily wrong in highlighting these leadership features, the questions for us are: Are they the most excellent things for leaders to have? What is the heart of great leadership? Is there a more excellent way? What should be the biblical approach? What makes leadership Christlike?

Perry Noble is pastor of Newspring Church, one of America's fastest growing churches. Beginning with a group of 15 individuals with no budget, no employees, and no buildings, the Church has grown tremendously to 19 campus locations, with an average attendance of 35000 people, and a $50 million annual budget! Having experienced humble beginnings, he leads with conviction with the following principles:

1. It is not titles but voices people want to listen to that matters
2. The most excellent way is also the most difficult way
3. Leaders do not make declarations but are servants through and through
4. Leaders will do whatever it takes to turn a vision into reality.

BookPastor >> "Chronological Life Application Bible"

TITLE: Chronological Life Application Study Bible NLT
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2012, (2220 pages).

This is an impressive study Bible arranged in chronological order. Based on the New Living Translation of the Bible, it helps us address the following questions:

• What does the passage really mean?
• How does it apply to my life?
• Why does some part of the Bible seem irrelevant today?
• What do these ancient cultures go to do with now?
• I love God; but why can't I understand what God is saying to me through the Word?
• What's going on in the life of these Bible people?

In terms of "application," the Bible is showing us the following.

• It is not mere knowledge but practical pointers to life's relevance
• It is something we can put into practice
• It shows us that what is true in ancient times is also true in contemporary times
• It comes with an explanation about the texts
• There is a bridge between the past and the present
• There is an example of application

Apart from that, the "chronological" part is something quite different from other study bibles. There is a one big story that we can follow along. On every page, there is a header that shows us:

1. BEGINNINGS: undated to 2100 BC
2. GOD's CHOSEN FAMILY: 2100 - 1800 BC
3. BIRTH OF ISRAEL: 1800 - 1406 BC
4. POSSESSING THE LAND: 1406 - 1050 BC
5. UNITED MONARCHY: 1050 - 930 BC
6. SPLINTERED NATION: 930 - 586 BC
7. EXILE: 586 - 538 BC
8. RETURN & DIASPORA: 538 - 6 BC
9. JESUS CHRIST: 6 BC - AD 30
10. THE CHURCH: AD 30 - Present

As we open up the pages, there is a color marking to show us where we are in the biblical time frame. This is extremely helpful to enable us to locate the dates when we read a particular passage. Often, especially when reading the Old Testament, it is easy to get lost in the details. 

The footnotes are very detailed, with key verses being chosen for additional exposition. Informational plates fill the Bible with lots of interesting stuff that really brings the relevance of biblical knowledge to life. There are clearly marked out maps and tables to show us the details of kingdoms, ruling empires, and comparisons. Other highlights include:

• A Christian Worker's Resource
• The Bible Book-By-Book (my favourite); that shows us the blueprint, the megathemes, and a brief overview of the book
• Dictionary and Concordance
• Personality Profiles
• Section Introductions
• Three types of timelines: 1) Master timeline; 2) Detailed era timelines; 3) Specific dates

There is a lot of information in this study bible to the point that I fear they may become distractions in itself. Thus, let me offer some tips when using this study bible.

First, use it as a supplement with an actual Bible. This ensures that we stay focused on the text first before anything else. Second, after reading the text, use this Bible to establish some contexts such as date, author, and the location of the passage within the big story. Third, let the applications prompt us toward other applications.

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BookPastor >> "Counter Culture" (David Platt)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on March 18th, 2015.

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TITLE: Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography
AUTHOR: David Platt
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015, (288 pages).

We are living in a culture where popular opinion speaks louder than truth. So says pastor and author of this new book about countering the cultural forces and principalities of today. Without guidance, many Christians are unwittingly letting their silence be a sign of weakness that they are indifferent to the major social issues of today. In fact, Platt takes to task those Christians who are lopsided in their lobbying, shouting on some issues but ignoring other equally if not more important matters. Sometimes, when Christians are being slammed by non-Christians for taking a biblical stand, the rest of the Christian community remain largely silent for fear of being slammed as well. In preferring to take a nonchalant posture, one asks where then is Christian conviction? Where is the courage to speak up? Where is the compassion to work through those victims of social injustice?

The nine issues highlighted are poverty, same-sex marriage, racism, sex slavery, immigration, persecution, abortion, orphans, and pornography. On Poverty, Platt was shocked to see the seriousness of cholera, and other debilitating diseases that the poor were unable to get treatment due to the lack of money. Contrast that with the wealthy part of the world that seems to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor. The gospel is clear. We are called to do our part to distribute and share the wealth we have with those in need, and not to hoard it for our own consumption. For God, through Jesus has been extravagant in his time and care for the poor and needy. Why are we not following Christ's example? We are then called to live simply, give sacrificially, help constructively, and invest eternally. On Abortion, we need to avoid seeing it as a political issue but a biblical one. For life is sacred. Platt calls abortion a modern holocaust where 42 million unborn babies are terminated each year. He claims that abortion is an "affront to God's sole and sovereign authority" as Creator. Who gives man the right to kill? How can we terminate the creation of God in such a manner? Who gives us the right to determine which baby to live and which to die? He tackles some popular objections like free choice, privacy, and selfish motives.

BookPastor >> "Churchless" (George Barna and David Kinnaman)

The fastest growing group in Christianity is the unchurched group, where people call themselves Christians but are not attached to any Church. This book publishes a summary of surveys and data done on the reasons why and gives some surprising suggestions. 

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

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TITLE: Churchless: Understanding Today's Unchurched and How to Connect with Them
AUTHOR: George Barna and David Kinnaman
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2014, (224 pages).

As churches in the West continue to shrink, one begins to wonder which group then is growing? Answer: The unchurched person. For every one person who stops attending any church, it adds one more to the growing pool of people called the "unchurched" or according to Barna and Kinnaman, the "churchless." Simply put, a churchless person is one who is not connected at all to any church. The statistics are grim. Out of people who call themselves Christians, only 47% are actively a part of a Church, which means they go to Church on a regular basis on the minimal. A whopping 53% are the unchurched, of which about 35% are de-churched; 12% purely unchurched; and 8% minimally churched. If we analyze the terms closer, the mood is depressing.

• "Actively churched" are those attending church at least once a month
• "minimally churched" are those attending church several times a year
• "de-churched" are those currently taking a break from going to church
• "purely unchurched" are those who have never gone for a church service.

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.

"How Now Shall We Live?" (Charles Colson)

TITLE: How Now Shall We Live?
AUTHOR: Charles Colson (with Nancy Pearcey)
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999, (580 pages).

In remembrance of Charles Colson (1931-2012), who died yesterday, I will reflect on one of Colson's bestselling book.

Based on his central conviction that Christianity must go beyond being simply a private and personal religion, Colson argues powerfully that Christians ought to contend for the faith in every walk of life. They are called to expose false worldviews for its errors, enable one another to live enriched lives for God, share Christ through understanding how non-believers think, and to learn to build society based on biblical principles. Colson is quite hard on the Church at large.

"The church's singular failure in recent decades haw been the failure to see Christianity as a life system, or worldview, that governs every area of existence. This failure has been crippling in many ways. For one thing, we cannot answer the questions our children bring home from school, so we are incapable of preparing them to answer the challenges they face. For ourselves, we cannot explain to our friends and neighbors why we believe, and we often cannot defend our faith. And we do not know how to organize our lives correctly, allowing our choices to be shaped by the world around us. What's more, by failing to see Christian truth in every aspect of life, we miss great depths of beauty and meaning: the thrill of seeing God's splendor in the intricacies of nature or hearing his voice in the performance of a great symphony or detecting his character in the harmony of a well-ordered community." (xii)

He then proposes the following central questions for any worldview to answer.

1. Creation - Where did we come from, and who are we?
2. Fall - What has gone wrong with the world?
3. Redemption - What can we do to fix it?

The large 580-pages volume comprises of 5 parts that attempt to make sense of this central questions from a Christian point of view. 

Part One talks about why worldviews matter. Colson begins with a leader of the Prison Fellowship in Ecuador called Dr Jorges Crespo de Toral, who like him had left a career in politics to serve God in the prison ministry. Being a new creation of Christ means one needs to help live out this reality by helping to create a whole new world for others. Christianity as a worldview, by default, is in conflict with every other worldviews. Rather than believing Samuel Huntington's tri-cultural clash (Islamic, Western, Eastern), Colson insists that it is only 2: Christianity and every other system. Using the oyster analogy, Colson says that it is the spiritual order (the oyster) that forms the material order (the shell).

Part Two tries to tackle the question of Creation. He takes aim at Darwin, whose evolution theory presumes that God is not necessary. He makes a strong case that only Christianity is able to justify the basis of human dignity, and adequately explain the world as it is.

Part Three explains the human dilemma, of pain and suffering, of disease and death, and how to explain the meaning of evil. He raises the many aspects of evil happening in the world, and how inadequate other views are. Finally, he zooms in to the love of God, in which while people are still sinning and failing away, God comes in love to redeem the world.

Part Four talks about redemption. Like a mini-modern version of Ecclesiastes, Colson goes through the various ways the world tries to bring about meaning, through scientific advancement, through searching for meaning, through good intentions and good works, sexual liberation, pleasure, and the futility of it all. He then tells us what true redemption is:

1. Christianity accurately DIAGNOSES the human condition.
2. Christianity provides the best ANSWER to the problem of in.
3. Christianity's offer of SALVATION is based on historical truth.

Part Five is the application of the whole framework. If the first four parts are the theories, this part is the practical. In it are the answers to the question posed by the title of the book. Christians are called to be transformed people who transform culture. Transformed people are called to:

• Go beyond religious duties and to engage culture at large
• Engage by applying truth for one's own family first
• Engage through ethical standards and moral assertions
• Engage the neighbourhood
• Help create a good society
• Learn to proclaim God's truth everywhere God shows us.

Colson's conviction electrifies the entire book.  The tone of his conviction will certainly ruffle many feathers, even Christians. In a world in which many cities elevate pluralism above any one ism, equal rights above any one truth, and ensuring that Christians stay within the four walls of their own church buildings, it is easy to take potshots at Colson by asking him to mind his own business.

Colson is not easily dissuaded. He knows in his heart what God stands for. He wants to be a part of the redemption party of doing everything he can, not the relaxation party of doing nothing. He wants to share the good news in every area of life, instead of being hemmed into one area only called religion. He wants to give leadership and guidance, because he is deeply concerned that doing nothing is one of the worst positions any Christian can take.

The Christian world has lost a great voice. We do not have many people of such convictions nowadays. While Christians are largely divided over his tough views about being involved in every part of society, most of them acknowledge one thing: Colson is a leader with a powerful voice.

If only there are more people like him, people who argue with passion, love with compassion, and live with conviction. We will miss Colson. Thankfully, he has given all of us a gift through his writings and speaking ministry, Breakpoint.org. This book is one of them.

conrade

Book Giveaway: "Healing Your Church Hurt"

Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers, I am able to offer the book, "Healing Your Church Hurt" by Stephen Mansfield, as a giveaway prize. You can read the synopsis of the book below. Here are the instructions.

(A) What You Need to Know

• In order to participate and enter the draw, just make a comment on this post with your name and email address. (Alternatively, you can email me your name and contact at yapdates @ aim.com) 
• Your address will only be used for the purpose of this book giveaway.
• The draw will be held on 16 March 2012, 6pm Pacific time.
• This offer is valid only to addresses in Canada and the continental United States. 
• If selected, I will email you a confirmation.
• All decision made will be final.

This book giveaway has been made possible by Tyndale House Publishers.

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(B) Book Synopsis:

"If you’ve been part of a church, you have probably suffered a 'church hurt'—or know someone who has. Maybe the pastor had an affair or the congregation fought over money or the leaders were disguising gossip as 'prayer.' Stephen Mansfield knows how it feels. Though he is now a New York Times bestselling author, he was a pastor for more than 20 years, and he loved it—until he learned how much a church can hurt. Yet he also learned how to dig out of that hurt, break through the bitterness and anger, stop making excuses, and get back to where he ought to be with God and his people. If you’re ready to choose the tough path to healing, Mansfield will walk you through it with brotherly love, showing you how you can be better than ever on the other side of this mess—if you’re willing to start Healing Your Church Hurt. Previously published as ReChurch."

(C) Book Resources

• Book Media Website.
• Free 1st chapter download here.

Thanks for reading my blog.

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Book: "The Blessing of Adversity"

TITLE: The Blessing of Adversity: Finding Your God-given Purpose in Life's Troubles
AUTHOR: Barry C. Black
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011, (256 pages).

This book is gentle, encouraging, and a pleasure to read. What strikes me is the steadfastly persuasive way in which the author overcomes trials and tribulations; pain and suffering. Backed by more than 27 years as a military chaplain, and the current chaplain of the US Senate, Black serves up dish after dish of encouragement. Using brilliant stories to illustrate his points, Black's style is like a devotional. It is also inviting, not forceful. Firm and not fiery.

The thrust of the book is easy to follow. This book is not about positive thinking. It is about keeping our focus on God despite the negativity. The Blessing of Adversity does not mean constantly needing to stay positive in a journey peppered with one adversity after another. Far from that. It prepares one for adversity. It equips one before adversity. It encourages one during adversity.

There are three key audiences Black wants to address. The first audience is for those currently going through adversity. He helps them to see hopeful possibilities in the midst of impossible hopeless situations. For example, he says that there are benefits when one learns from suffering and brokenness. Similarly, suffering should not be 'wasted.'  Secondly, he writes to those yet to encounter adversity. By 'Avoiding the Sources of Trouble' one can avoid piling unnecessary hot coals upon one's own head. Thirdly, he addresses to those who are able to turn things around, to turn adversity into advantage. This last part is possible when one learns to 'supersize' one's faith and to build a 'storm-proofed' life.

My Comments
I appreciate the way Black harnesses his own life struggles to illustrate faith, hope and lessons for the purpose of teaching others to endure and to learn from adversity. This reflects an authenticity that modern readers deeply appreciate. He supports his points strongly with his wide repertoire of Old and New Testament examples from the Bible. He points a way out for those who seems lost and discouraged.

I like the structure of this book. Beginning with a big idea, the author explains the reason for the need to cling on to God. At the end of every chapter, he summarizes his main points with a 'action plan.' The chapters are short, and easy enough for anyone to finish a chapter in between meetings in the office, during lunch breaks, or pockets of spare time throughout the day. If adversity is your struggle right now, along with the Bible, the Blessing of Adversity can accompany your daily bread.


conrade

Disclaimer: Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. This review is freely offered without any obligation to give a positive reply.