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.

Bethany Hamilton: "Soul Surfer, "I Am Second"

I have heard people saying that Christian movies are poor in quality. That is no longer true. With the recent Narnia series and movies like Fireproof, faith films are getting better in both quality and quantity. Based on a story of teenager Bethany Hamilton's story of surviving a shark attack, Soul Surfer tells about the tragedy, the recovery and her victory. Behind her amazing transformation is a quiet intentional faith in God.

This upcoming movie promises to be filled with quality actors and actresses (Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid..,;). The story is simple but is profoundly rich in inspiration and faith. You can see the trailer of SOUL SURFER here. There is also a touching clip from the movie here.



This is a movie which I'll be keeping an eye on. It's set to be released on April 8th, 2011. It has all the promises of faith-filled moments of hope and love. The genre is the touching hero-to-zero-hero-again. Will be a tear-jerker. Comprising an amazing all-star cast of familiar faces, this unabashedly movie about a teenage girl's faith in Jesus, will certainly encourage many Christians. Bethany Hamilton has a personal blog here. A flyer is available also for churches. See how Bethany describes her story here.

BETHANY HAMILTON'S FAITH
Why is Bethany saying "I am second?" It is because Jesus is first.




The information below is adapted from the soulsurferwave.com. I have made minor adjustments to make it more readable.

Book Review: "Amish Grace"

TITLE: AMISH GRACE - how forgiveness transcended tragedy
AUTHORS: Donald B Kraybill, Steven M Nolt, and David L Weaver-Zercher
PUBLISHER: San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 2007.

This is an extraordinary book that gives the world a valuable insight into the Amish community. What the world sees as impossible, the Amish demonstrates as possible. What the world views as out of this world, the Amish proves it in a matter of fact way. What the world deems as extraordinary, the Amish dishes them out effortlessly in their ordinary lives.

What the Book is About
The authors, led by an expert in Amish studies, Donald Kraybill, has given the world a precious insight into the daily lives, beliefs, practices, spirituality and background to the intentional level of forgiveness after a major tragedy. On October 2nd, 2006, the Amish community in Pennsylvania experienced their own version of 9/11. A shooting spree by a disturbed gunman, led to 5 deaths, 5 critically injured, and evoked multitudes of emotional shockwaves. What is shocking is not the shooting incident. The world is astonished by the speed, the consistency, the earnestness and the honesty of forgiveness extended to the family of the gunman, who killed himself eventually.

Regent Summer School 2011

Picture taken from Regent website

One of the reasons why Regent-College has been famous is the Summer School offerings. Like the chocolate chip cookies that made 'Famous Amos' popular, Regent's Summer School is among the best that North American theological institutions can offer.  Some of the famous names have included Alistair McGrath, Mark Noll, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, Tremper Longman, Vinoth Ramachandra, George Marsden, and others on top of the regular world class faculty. This year, there will be familiar names like Susan Philips, Marva Dawn, Chris Hall, Bernd Wannenwetsch, Bruce Waltke, Christopher Wright and many others on the Regent full-time professors.

I have attended many of these classes during Spring and Summer each year when I was a full-time student. The courses were so good that I will choose the least number of credits required just to attend as many courses as possible. For example, for a 3-credit INDS requirement for my degree program, I will try to choose three individual 1-credit INDS courses just to enrich my learning. While it is a lot more work on my part, the privilege of listening to a wider variety of professors is invaluable. What makes it even more fun is the very informal environment at the college. Just sit down at the coffee table in the atrium, and you will most likely experience a wide variety of exposure and experience of students who come from all over the world. Remarkably, at Regent's summer school, you do not need to venture outside to see the world. The world arrives at your door step. Don't forget. The weekly evening public lectures are free!

My favourite parts of the Spring/Summer school each year are:

• Huge variety of world class courses to choose from;
• More casual atmosphere to engage the world and tap the rich theological minds;
• Great sunshine and cheerfulness throughout the college;
• Opportunities to audit many courses, esp those on 1-credit;
• Lots of fun tours, exhibitions, walks;
• Getting to meet friends and working professionals who do not have time to do theology full-time;
• Coffee chats with famous professors;
• A Regent experience that brings Evergreen memories;
• Enjoying Vancouver at its best!

You may find the following links helpful:

1. AN SUMMER SCHOOL PAGE (link)
   
2. YOUTUBE VIDEO (link)
   
3. SAMPLER AUDIO PACK (link)
   
4. SUMMER PROGRAM BOOKLET (link)

conrade

A Doctrinal Earthquake - Rob Bell's controversial book: 'Love Wins'

Rob Bell asked for it. In a subtle departure from orthodox Christianity, Bell's latest book has caused a doctrinal earthquake last week. While the rest of the world are shocked at what is happening in Japan, the theological world is spooked when a famous pastor of a mega-church starts to bend traditional interpretations. Essentially, his book is subtitled, "Love Wins - a book about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived.' In the book, Bell questions several doctrines held by orthodox evangelicals.

• Is God's salvation only for the elect few?
• Is hell for the rest of the people who do not profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
• Is it really God's will for sinners to burn in hell and punishment for eternity?

In a nutshell, Rob Bell declares that the above are 'misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus's message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.' 

Book - "First Comes Love?"

TITLE: First Comes Love? - the ever changing face of marriage
AUTHOR: John C Morris
PUBLISHER: OH: Pilgrim Press, 2007.


BEWARE: This book is a veiled attempt to attack the traditional marriage between one-man-one-woman.

This book attempts to outline the history of marriage, and to highlight how marriage 'changes' its face according to the era and the contexts people are in. The constant refrain by the author is that marriage 'has changed and changed and changed again' (9). By exploring 21 different 'layers and traditions,' Morris attempts to change us, in particular, those who hold to the 'traditional marriage' of one man and one woman.

Under the guise of an objective, scientific, factual, and a rationale explanation of marriage customs and traditions throughout the ages, Morris is essentially telling us not to be too defensive about the traditional one-man-one-woman form of marriage. Here is why Morris insists that marriages are ever changing.

On Natural Disasters

TITLE: On Natural Disasters
WRITTEN BY: Conrade Yap
Date: 18 March 2011

MAIN IDEA: Must the presence of suffering necessitate the extinguishing of the existence of God? It is a sign of the peak of human arrogance that declares either God is dead, or there is no such thing as God. We should not clench our fists in anger when we do not know the answer to suffering. We should open our hands to help in spite of the mystery of suffering. It is not answers to tickle the curious mind, but how we comfort the human soul in times of disasters that means more. We are not computers needing data to fill in the information gaps. We are human beings needing love to be fulfilled as human people.

This week, the world has been horrified with images of destruction and despair from the tsunami-devastated land of Japan. Though only the North-Eastern coastline of Japan is affected, the media coverage makes it appear like the whole country has shut down. World attention is now fixated on Japan's efforts to contain the nuclear meltdown. For the past few days, it has been one bad news after another.  Psychologists are now warning people of a danger of a 'secondary trauma' that affects those who watch too much of the disaster news. With the Internet, Youtube, and live TV coverage, viewers can visually see the terrible scenes of destruction in Japan, and elsewhere. Coupled with threats of the next big one going to hit North America soon, while there are fears of a nuclear meltdown in Japan, there are fears of a huge anxiety panic all around the world. Fears such as:

• Food and oil prices will go up;
• Air travel will be expensive and even dangerous;
• Hoarding of basic amenities will increase;
• Doomsday predictions continue to rise;
• Life will never be 'normal again.' 

The question: Why do natural disasters happen? If God is in control, why does He allow natural disasters to destroy the earth?