I read this book in a single day, but I'm not sure how much I would recommend it to others.
The good thing about this book is it's not irrelevant as tiI read this book in a single day, but I'm not sure how much I would recommend it to others.
The good thing about this book is it's not irrelevant as time passes. It's talking about COVID, but it's more broadly talking about the question of human suffering and the sovereignty of God. The first couple of chapters were the best, where John Piper laid out his argument for why COVID should not cause us to doubt God's goodness or his sovereignty.
The bad thing about this book is that I found the arguments were not very accessible. I don't disagree with his points, which I believe are Biblical and correct, but I felt it could have been written in a style more accessible by nonbelievers or nominal believers....more
You should know that this is almost more of a mega blog post than a book. It is a collection of 80 bullet points, organized under 10 different chapterYou should know that this is almost more of a mega blog post than a book. It is a collection of 80 bullet points, organized under 10 different chapters. And I'm not sure how long this book will remain relevant, as it was a snapshot of Jason Mandryk's thinking in a particular time. This being said, I still found it helpful because: - It laid out a broad framework for thinking through the impacts of COVID on Christian world missions, both now and in the future. - It gave a broader global perspective and insight. Jason Mandryk has access to Christian thinkers and leaders all around the world, through his work with Operation World, and I found it helpful to hear this broader perspective. Often we can't look beyond our Western thinking! ...more
This was a life-changing course, both as a Christian and as a missionary. I wouldn't recommend reading this book alone: it is intended to be read togeThis was a life-changing course, both as a Christian and as a missionary. I wouldn't recommend reading this book alone: it is intended to be read together with the study guide, in the context of a Perspectives course (which you can find near to you, or do online as I did). If you can do the course in person I would highly recommend that, though the book and study guide together can be standalone (the course adds lectures, discussions, and homework).
The course is highly academic, and requires a lot of reading, so I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone. It's also not something I would recommend to a new Christian: I saw someone who was looking to read this to learn more about the Christian faith, but this is not a primer on Christian faith -- it is a much more indepth look at missions (one aspect of Christian faith, though certainly a central one). However I would recommend this course/book to *anyone* interested in going overseas (short-term or long-term), and I would recommend it to any mature Christian who can handle to readings. It really changed my thinking regarding Christian missions, but it also had an impact on my view of the Bible and Christian living....more
This was a life-changing course, both as a Christian and as a missionary. I wouldn't recommend reading this book alone: it is intended to be read togeThis was a life-changing course, both as a Christian and as a missionary. I wouldn't recommend reading this book alone: it is intended to be read together with the study guide, in the context of a Perspectives course (which you can find near to you, or do online as I did). If you can do the course in person I would highly recommend that, though the book and study guide together can be standalone (the course adds lectures, discussions, and homework).
The course is highly academic, and requires a lot of reading, so I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone. It's also not something I would recommend to a new Christian: I saw someone who was looking to read this to learn more about the Christian faith, but this is not a primer on Christian faith -- it is a much more indepth look at missions (one aspect of Christian faith, though certainly a central one). However I would recommend this course/book to *anyone* interested in going overseas (short-term or long-term), and I would recommend it to any mature Christian who can handle to readings. It really changed my thinking regarding Christian missions, but it also had an impact on my view of the Bible and Christian living....more
I would highly recommend this book to anyone on a missions committee, or involved in missions in a church or organization. I don't agree with everythiI would highly recommend this book to anyone on a missions committee, or involved in missions in a church or organization. I don't agree with everything he says (in particular he's very strong on the local church, which misses the importance of missions organizations), but it's a very concise and helpful tool for thinking or rethinking your approach to missions, preparation of candidates, support of missions, and use of short-term teams (and more!). Nothing necessarily ground-breaking (you can find much of this in other places also), but it brings many important points together in a very small package and can start your thinking process....more
This is another review where I have procrastinated too long. There’s no question, though, that this is a five star book. Such a powerful account of GoThis is another review where I have procrastinated too long. There’s no question, though, that this is a five star book. Such a powerful account of God’s provision, protection, and faithfulness, even in the midst of terrible suffering and one of the darkest chapters of human history. Near the end I found the going a bit hard, because there’s a period where the horribleness of the concentration camps is just overwhelming and seemingly senseless and purposeless. But in the end even those moments are reclaimed by a God who promises that all things will work for the good of those who love him. This seems like a flimsy platitude (or even false) in the face of concentration camps and Nazi atrocities, but Corrie ten Boom can truly say this even after such circumstances.
I was particularly struck by the idea that perhaps sometimes God allows Christians to come into such situations in order to have a Christian presence (and thus God’s presence) in those places. I especially found this interesting having just finished The Heavenly Man, another book about how Christians in prisons (this time in China) have brought salvation and change to the darkest places. The change that Corrie and her sister Betsy brought to Ravensbrück, the way that they found God’s goodness even in adversity, and the way that God taught Corrie to forgive and even serve those who harmed her and her family is an amazing testimony.
The quality of writing is excellent, and the story itself is riveting. Such personal testimonies are so powerful, because they are irrefutable even in an age where “truth” is considered relative. Some may find the content matter difficult, but I would strongly recommend this book anyways....more
An absolutely astounding testimony from Brother Yun, one of the early leaders in the Chinese house church movement. The book covers his childhood and An absolutely astounding testimony from Brother Yun, one of the early leaders in the Chinese house church movement. The book covers his childhood and conversion, his work as a house church pastor in China, the persecution he suffered, and his eventual escape with his family to the West. Truly it is an astounding testimony of faith, miracles, and the growth of the church in the face of incredible pressure and persecution. The book focuses on his experiences in prison, but this makes sense because it was during these times that he saw his faith tested, and, through testing, incredible growth. Through this he also shares quite personally about his own struggles and failings.
I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian, with the caveat that he recounts (occasionally in some detail) the torture that he underwent for his faith, so it's not an easy read and it may be more than some want to read. That being said, in spite of the sometimes difficult content, I found the book to be overwhelmingly encouraging and challenging....more
This was an excellent book. Short, easy to read, but filled with a lot of life and ministry changing content. It's ostensibly about not being too busyThis was an excellent book. Short, easy to read, but filled with a lot of life and ministry changing content. It's ostensibly about not being too busy, and is focused on people in ministry (abroad or at home), but I think the principles are more broadly applicable to any Christian. I think the most challenging realization from the book was that if we don't have margin in our lives (a gap between our load and our limit) then we'll miss the doors that God is opening and be unable to meet the needs of those around us. Definitely a challenging and worthwhile read....more
I've delayed writing a review of this book, because I wanted to go into greater detail. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do so later, but for now I wantI've delayed writing a review of this book, because I wanted to go into greater detail. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do so later, but for now I want to put at least a brief review.
I found this to be an extremely helpful book. It really opened my eyes to the psychological underpinings of disunity, and how we can subvert this subconscious process when we bring it to conscious light. It made me reevaluate the way I think about the church. And, of most interest to me, I found it very applicable to cross-cultural missions as well. Definitely a five star rating. Important information, intelligently argued and structured, but written in an engaging and understandable way. Mindset changing. And desperately needed....more
First a disclaimer, since I know that there are some people who disapprove of John Bevere. Personally I like him, and I have also read Under Cover andFirst a disclaimer, since I know that there are some people who disapprove of John Bevere. Personally I like him, and I have also read Under Cover and Thus Saith the Lord?. He's coming from a very different denominational background, but, though I have minor theological disagreements with him, I have always found his books to be very well written and very Biblically sound. I haven't necessarily listened/read a representative sample of his works (which are prolific), and I respect the right of others to have their own opinions, but what I've read has always been in line with scripture and the revelation of the Holy Spirit. And The Bait of Satan was no different. Well written, scripturally based and supported, and confirmed in my spirit through the way that God used it to speak to me in several areas.
The book is about "offense" -- holding on to unforgiveness for the way others have treated us -- and how Satan uses this to divide the church and stop Christians from producing fruit. It's an important topic in the church and in the world, and God certainly used this book to speak to both myself and Marianne.
This is a book I would recommend to any Christian, but especially to people in positions of Christian leadership....more
I found this to be a helpful book. I don't think, having read the book, that I grew up without boundaries. However I think we can all get better at seI found this to be a helpful book. I don't think, having read the book, that I grew up without boundaries. However I think we can all get better at setting and keeping boundaries, and I've found myself applying the principles in my own life since finishing the book. I particularly liked the most basic framework of boundaries (being able to say no, being able to say yes, being able to hear no, and being able to hear yes). A very simple conceptual framework, but with many out-workings. Lately I've found myself applying the principles to cross-cultural relationships as well, and it has been interesting. The book, though Biblically based, without doubt also has a very Western view of individuality, so it's interesting to try and integrate with an African, communal viewpoint.
I do have some criticisms of the book. For one thing, they fall into the old trap -- "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" -- and attempt to apply boundaries to every situation and issue, including some which could be better solved from a different viewpoint. This is particularly apparent in the first and last chapter of the book (a "life before boundaries" and "life after boundaries" of a fictional character) which tries to show how boundaries solve all of life's problems, and can really rub the wrong way. This also makes the book overly long and repetitive, because they try to have a chapter on boundaries in each type of relationship, and then the last two or three chapters are a sort of mishmash of all of the things they couldn't fit under convenient chapter headings. That being said, I found the opening, foundational chapters to be very good and concise; and categorizing by relationship can help you navigate to the relevant portion of the book if you're struggling in a particular area. Personally I found the chapters on boundaries with children and in the work place to be the most interesting.
A more germane criticism is that there is a fine line between healthy boundary setting and using boundaries to disengage from the problems of others (allowing the pendulum to swing the other way) or as a passive aggressive method for getting your way in your relationships with others (abusive or manipulative boundary setting). To their credit they do, briefly, address these two issues, but they don't spend much time on these dangers. And, more troubling, a few of their examples of "healthy" boundary setting seem to me to be crossing those fine lines.
Still, I found the book to be helpful. I find myself using the principles. And I would recommend the book to others, though perhaps I would suggest reading the relevant sections rather than cover to cover!...more
I found this to be an excellent book on the issue of anger, especially from a Christian perspective. I wouldn't say I have "an anger problem," but I sI found this to be an excellent book on the issue of anger, especially from a Christian perspective. I wouldn't say I have "an anger problem," but I suspect it's fair to say that everyone deals with anger from time to time (if not more so) and this book provides an excellent frame work to think through and deal with those times.
The book is extremely well written, surprisingly concise, and generally conversational in style -- and thus much more approachable than many technical books while still being more useful than many pop-psychology books. It provides a clear and helpful framework for thinking about anger and the different ways we can respond to it, and is filled with helpful examples and stories. And it is well argued and backed up from both a Biblical and a professional perspective.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand their (or someone else's) anger. It's fine to read on your own, and has questions and activities at the end of each chapter, but I would also recommend this book for counselors or people in counseling relationships. Definitely a good book!...more
This book is very well rated on goodreads, and is widely well regarded in Christian circles, but I'm afraid that I was disappointed by it. It was my fThis book is very well rated on goodreads, and is widely well regarded in Christian circles, but I'm afraid that I was disappointed by it. It was my first Philip Yancy book, so I'm not really sure what I was expecting. And I certainly don't disagree with the main premise: that grace is central to the gospel, something that the world desires and only the church can offer, and something we desperately need to get better at. Probably at least some of my disappointment is from high expectations. And another part of my disappointment probably comes from the fact that he's preaching to the choir, and so I didn't find that he had anything particularly new for me. I'm sure the book would have more power for someone not yet personally acquainted with grace. However I just didn't find that the book held together very well.
I didn't find that he had a very good direction for his book. It felt disjointed at times, which undermined the power of his narrative and his stories. And I often found that when he did have a clear point he was trying to make he failed to finish with it before moving on to something else. It sounded more like a collection of writings than a coherent book, which is unfortunate. I also found the final section, which centres on Christians in 1990's American politics, to be largely irrelevant to anyone outside of the US and also dated by the passage of time.
It's not a bad book. And there are certainly many people who would benefit from reading it -- both Christians who have missed grace, and non-Christians who have had run-ins with grace-less Christians and churches. But I personally felt disappointed by the lack of cohesiveness and the narrow application to American politics....more
I've only just started reading books about leadership and Christian leadership, so perhaps this isn't saying much, but this is one of the best books II've only just started reading books about leadership and Christian leadership, so perhaps this isn't saying much, but this is one of the best books I've read on Christian leadership. It wasn't originally formulated as a book (it was a series of talks given to OMF conferences), so it doesn't really have an overall integrity and progression, but it contains a lot of excellent wisdom about Christian leadership and it spoke very much into my current situation.
I'm still struggling a bit with the idea of curses -- especially the idea that "to be cursed not only means God withholds His favour, it means He actiI'm still struggling a bit with the idea of curses -- especially the idea that "to be cursed not only means God withholds His favour, it means He actively fights against you." It's not a comfortable thought, especially in our Western mind-set. But I agree with Pastor John's assertion that we need to deal with Biblical realities and the realities of the world around us, rather than our own idea of what God and the world should be like.
I enjoyed this book, and it made me pray and think critically about my own past and patterns. I'm still working through the implications of that, but I would say that this book has already had a positive impact on my life and faith....more
This book had its up's and down's. I really liked the introductory section, and I liked his seven principles. He introduced some interesting ideas on This book had its up's and down's. I really liked the introductory section, and I liked his seven principles. He introduced some interesting ideas on how to understand servant leadership from a Christian perspective. However when he started writing two chapters on each principle I found that some of the sections were quite long without really elucidating anything more about the principle. In particular I was disappointed that he didn't draw more from the Biblical story of washing the disciples' feet (since this is his core Biblical example).
Still it definitely had some new thoughts, and it's an easy read (which some leadership books are not). It's a good place to start, as well, and since it has a lot of references it's also good for providing suggestions for what to read next....more
The author argues that we should model our missions work on the incarnational ministry of Jesus (who was the "200% man" -- fully man and fully God). HThe author argues that we should model our missions work on the incarnational ministry of Jesus (who was the "200% man" -- fully man and fully God). He argues that we are unable to achieve this level of integration into a host culture, but we should seek to be "150% men," sacrificing some of our own culture and adapting to the host culture.
He argues that without the redemptive power of Christ, all cultures naturally lead us to judge, exclude, and reject and are a prison which we must break free of by recognizing our own cultural influences (our own personal cultural heritage, our broader enculturation and social feedback, and our acceptance and rejection of these various forces). He argues that cultural differences will often actually drive us to reject those Christ is sending us to serve. We need to accept that others have a viewpoint which is as worthy of consideration as our own, and that we must create inclusive and embracing communities, in contrast to judging, excluding, and rejecting.
In order to asses and understand cultural differences he makes use of Marvin Meyer's model of basic cultural values: Time Orientation versus Event Orientation; Task Orientation versus Person Orientation; Dichotomistic Thinking versus Holistic Thinking; Status Focus versus Achievement Focus; Crises Orientation versus Non-crises Orientation; and Concealment of Vulnerability versus Willingness to Expose Vulnerability.
I enjoyed the book: it was short, it was well written, it contained good anecdotes and examples, and it was a good for refreshing and reinforcing what I have already learned. However I gave the book only two stars because I didn't find the book held any ground-breaking insights or was the definitive book on cross cultural missions. It was good, and I certainly didn't find anything that I disagreed with, but it probably isn't the book I would recommend to someone looking to dive into learning about culture and cross cultural ministry....more
An interesting book, with a rather unique title -- I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been on sale. I'm not completely sure what to think ofAn interesting book, with a rather unique title -- I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been on sale. I'm not completely sure what to think of some of the ideas in the book, but I certainly agree with the main premise: that men do themselves a disservice when they try to solve all their problems by themselves in secrecy, and that there is a need in the church for honest and authentic relationships (particularly among men, but more generally as well)....more
**spoiler alert** Again I enjoyed the book on the whole, but again there were definitely elements that I disliked.
On the positive side, it brings all **spoiler alert** Again I enjoyed the book on the whole, but again there were definitely elements that I disliked.
On the positive side, it brings all of the main characters' plot lines to a satisfying ending (and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a sucker for the "boy gets girl" ending). And while many of the characters come across as stereotypes, Hadassah remains a strong enough character to hold the book together. The combination of a few strong characters that I really cared about, with the sense of catharsis which comes from neatly tied off plot lines, was enough for me to enjoy the novel as I read through it.
On the negative side, however, there were again several things that rubbed me the wrong way. My main complaint about the book is the ending, which felt like the author waved a magic wand in order to give a happy ending to everyone. God-given miracles are one thing, but for me a book has to "earn" it's happy ending, through foreshadowing or building plot lines, rather than remaining completely intractable until the last chapter when everything miraculously works out. This just felt forced and unrealistic.
My other main complaint about the book is a little harder to explain. It's not exactly the complaint I've read and heard from many others -- that the book is too preachy -- because personally I wasn't bothered by the fact that the religious content was *there*. What did bother me, though, was the fact that the religious content seemed overly *simplistic*. Christianity is (generally speaking) very simple (most of the Biblical and Gospel truths are very clear and straight forward), but Christian life is complicated. So I don't have a problem with the fact that the book clearly and simply laid out Christian truth (we're sinners, Jesus died for us, we simply need to trust in him, etc...), but I did have trouble with the fact that too often the lives of the characters were cut and dried. Julia died of a venereal disease because she lived a loose lifestyle. The mother had a stroke in order to have time to pray for her children, and was miraculously healed as soon as it was no longer required for her to do so... Too cut and dried for me.
I don't want to give the impression that I didn't enjoy the book, because I really did enjoy the book. My problem is that I'm not able to turn off my brain when I'm reading a book. Based on feelings, I enjoyed the plot and characters. But the thinking side of me can't help but poke and prod at the things that bothered me....more
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