January & February Books

I haven't read as many books so far this year, but I have read a few. I am in the process of reading others, but have completed these in January and February. Just wanted to mention them to varying degrees so I'll have record of what I read.

Around the first of the year, I finished Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen. It's a book I ordered off Amazon.com a couple months ago. The story took place in an unnamed Muslim country and told how Muslim background believers (MBBs) were faring there. Several things stood out to me including Brother Andrew's words about what became his life call. From Revelation 3:2, "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die!" Also he shows where the Spirit is saying to the churches and by this, Brother Andrew believes the Spirit of God is speaking to the Church (body of Christ) today as He did in previous generations. Andrew challenges us: "You must listen. What is the Spirit saying to the church in your country?" (pg. 21)

On page 59 MBB, Yusef, told Andrew the only "hope for the church to have any impact on the Muslim community" was "Love. After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. Christians need a new filling of the Holy Spirit to love those who disagree with them. And the greatest expression of love is to share with them the most precious thing a Christian has, which is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ."

I enjoyed the discussion on page 73 when the Arab men were discussing shame in their culture and what humbling themselves according to Jesus in Philippians 2 would mean to them.

Page 137 discussed how walking with Jesus means talking with Him and learning from Him all the time. You follow Jesus; you do not automatically arrive at your eternal destination. Abide in that relationship with Christ.

"Don't curse the darkness but light a candle. . . . the bigger the darkness, the easier it is to spot your little light. And if each one of you lights another candle, the light will grow and the light of Jesus will shine even brighter." (pg. 143)

I enjoyed when Butros realized the worst that could happen to him would be his wife and children or himself being killed -- which meant they would be with Christ. He got much peace from this and decided to go back to serve His people in spite of the persecution he was facing in his country. (pg. 197)

After the story, the authors included a second part and issued challenges to the church. One provoking question was "When you see pictures of large Muslim crowds protesting cartoons of Muhammad in London or Lahore, do you see them as a threat? Or do you see them as a mission field?" (pg. 229) ------- Wow! Good question!

And a verse that came up several times throughout the book, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain" (John 12:24).

"Jesus said we are to love our enemies. To our minds that just doesn't make sense. How can we love someone we hate? But that's the brilliance of this command, for if I decide to love someone, that person cannot remain my enemy. Often I have said that the best way to disarm a terrorist with a gun is to go up and hug him." (pg. 230) -- This reminds me of the quote I read last year about the best way to get rid of an enemy is by making him your friend. What a lofty goal!

Page 236 discusses how we can forgive if no one asks to be forgiven. Of course our best example is Christ on the cross. NO one was asking Him for forgiveness, yet as He hung there, He prayed for God to forgive them for they did not know what they were doing. This page also discusses how "the process of forgiveness requires more than words."

I greatly enjoyed the last challenge from page 249. It was suggested that visitors from the West should come, but "we need to keep the mission heart here ... [and] we need understanding of real partnership. We need people with maturity. This is not a field for beginners or people who want spectacular results. We need people who will come and serve the church. Their agenda must be the kingdom of God. Don't bring Hollywood; bring Christ. Don't bring power. Don't bring just your money. Bring love. Bring the kingdom."

And finally, we are told, "Until we are willing to give up all we consider important in this life--our comfort, our cars, our homes, our families, our careers, our entertainment, our savings, and retirement accounts, whatever Christ requires of us to be His disciples and accomplish His work -- the world will not take the church seriously." (pg. 251)

Things to remember: Jesus told us to GO. He never said we would come back. But what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

Are souls worth it? One hundred years from now .... will all that earthly stuff be as important as people's souls?


Wow! I wrote the review above about 7 weeks ago and just rereading it now has been challenging. I really should read it every week to keep that message alive in my heart. It's so easy to get distracted and lose sight of the most important things -- the ones that last for eternity.

Fiction book alert: As the jacket says, in Man of the Hour, Peter Blauner "uncovers the real heart of the modern city, where people with wildly different backgrounds live side by side, where what is good for some is evil for others --and one man's hero is another's assassin." Without going into detail or even mentioning the plot, but so I can remember the characters, this book is about teacher David Fitzgerald, a young Palestinian Nasser and his sister Elizabeth and a variety of students, news reporters, family members and police and FBI agents. I read this because it dealt a bit with Arabs and my brother said he read it a few years ago. Plus it was one I could read while using my elliptical.


Whose Promised Land by Colin Chapman ... The author discusses many things pertaining to the land of Palestine/Israel including chapters on understanding the history, interpreting the Bible and appreciating the issues today. I made note of some pages, but won't type out the notes at this point. Just wanted to note that this is a great read and I wish Christian Zionists would consider the things Mr. Chapman brings to attention in his book.


(For me..noted pgs. 56, 68, 102, 117, 125, 132, 161, 181, 184, 208-210, 263 & 264)

An Arab Christian, Nabeel Jabbour, recommended this book. I respect Nabeel's views after reading two of his books last year and "talking" to him by e-mail in 2008.


More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell ... The author discusses what makes Jesus so different, scientific proof, are the Biblical records reliable, the transformation of Saul/Paul, who would die for a lie and talks of how Jesus changed his life. I read this book in the airport on the way to Damascus.

February

Rocket Boys by Homer H.Hickman, Jr. inspired the film October Sky, a movie I have actually seen (that's something!) and bought for Andrew years ago. (That's really something!) This book showed me how hard work and determination is so important. I enjoyed reading about the small WV coal-mining town of Coalwood and how the people there thought and worked together and lived. I felt like I was taken back to life there and enjoyed my visit quite well. I loved how the town rallied around the rocket boys and how so many people had parts in the success of the rockets. I enjoyed how Homer and his friends were so determined, worked hard and reached their goal. And, taught themselves higher mathematics ... impressive! In a day when our country seems so divided and often we don't even know the folks who live next door, this book was a great example of how things used to be when folks actually worked together to accomplish goals.

Terrorists or a Mission Field?

"When you see pictures of large Muslim crowds protesting cartoons of Muhammad in London or Lahore, do you see them as a threat? Or do you see them as a mission field?" (pg. 229)



"Jesus said we are to love our enemies. To our minds that just doesn't make sense. How can we love someone we hate? But that's the brilliance of this command, for if I decide to love someone, that person cannot remain my enemy. Often I have said that the best way to disarm a terrorist with a gun is to go up and hug him." (pg. 230)


Yusef, told Andrew the only "hope for the church to have any impact on the Muslim community" was "Love. After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. Christians need a new filling of the Holy Spirit to love those who disagree with them. And the greatest expression of love is to share with them the most precious thing a Christian has, which is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ."

From Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen

S&S Not Required

"They teach us that sophistication and security are not God's requirements to share the good news of our personal Savior with others."

~ from my most recent The Voice of the Martyrs publication.

"They" meaning "our brothers and sisters who suffer far worse than we do for carrying the cross of Christ."

Reminds me of Secret Believers which I read early this year. Here is one thing from my notes back then.

And finally, we are told, "Until we are willing to give up all we consider important in this life--our comfort, our cars, our homes, our families, our careers, our entertainment, our savings, and retirement accounts, whatever Christ requires of us to be His disciples and accomplish His work -- the world will not take the church seriously." (pg. 251)

Things to remember: Jesus told us to GO. He never said we would come back. But what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

Are souls worth it? One hundred years from now .... will all that earthly stuff be as important as people's souls?


"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain" (John 12:24).

Christmas Cards in November & Ordering Books

So yesterday I finally ordered the guidebook that I was wanting. Since I couldn't find it at the local bookstores, I ordered it at Amazon.com. It was several dollars cheaper anyway so I'm glad it wasn't available at Barnes & Noble or Books A Million. The "bad" part is that since I was ordering the guidebook, I went ahead and found other books from my "to read" list and ended up ordering 8 books all total. One was for Andrew ... some Navy SEAL wrote it. I am excited to receive my new books in the coming days. It will be exciting going to the mailbox and finding them there. :-)

Speaking of mailbox, I got a picture Christmas card from Robert Sharpe again this year. I do not know this man, yet he sent us a picture this year and last year of his family. The envelope says he is a Graham attorney, but WHY send us a picture of his family for Christmas? And even though it's not even December, his was not our first Christmas card. Ha, ha. We got a Christmas postcard from Andrew's friend Scott and his wife Heather who are with Youth Compass in Germany. I really love getting cards and good mail so this time of the year is especially fun for me!

Back to books, I had to find room for my new books so I cleared space on my bookshelf today. I need a bigger one, but don't really have space for it. Does that mean I need a bigger house? I used to only read library books or books I borrowed from friends, but ever since Family Christian Bookstore opened in town, I have bought a few books every now and then. And of course last night I went wild buying books on Amazon.com!


Here are the books I purchased.

1 "Shadow Warriors: The Untold Story of Traitors, Saboteurs, and the Party of Surrender"
Kenneth R. Timmerman

2 "Rethinking Holy Land: A Study in Salvation Geography"
Marlin Jeschke

3 "Lonely Planet Syria & Lebanon (Lonely Planet Syria and Lebanon) (Multi Country Guide)"
Lara Dunston; Terry Carter

4 "Unleashing the Warrior Within: Using the 7 Principles of Combat to Achieve Your Goals"
Richard J. Machowicz

5 "Mission Al-Jazeera: Build a Bridge, Seek the Truth, Change the World"
Josh Rushing

6 "Whose Promised Land?"
Colin Chapman

7 "God & Government"
Charles W. Colson

8 "Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ"
Brother Andrew


Can you tell which one Andrew wanted? Four of them are from Amazon and the others are from private sellers. Also I ordered 3 books for Andrew a couple weeks ago from Focus on the Family. One of those was about Pistol Pete, but I can't recall the others at this time. I told Andrew we will give each other books this Christmas!

Speaking of which, I need to decorate for Christmas soon. I did change my outside flags today so they reflect the Christmas season. Now for hauling the decorations and tree out of the attic. It seems like we just did this!

"Yawning Angels"

Here are a few thoughts from chapter 1 in Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.

Mark is convinced "many, if not most, Christians are bored with their faith." (pg. 8)

Mark claims "Jesus didn't die on the cross to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous." (pg. 6)

Marks asks when have we prayed for God to make us dangerous? Then he says when he prays the benediction at the end of each church service, "I would like to think . . . I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the Enemy."


This leads me to list the six cages Mark believes most of us are in. Later chapters discuss these in more detail. They are the cages of responsibility, routine, assumption, guilt, failure and fear.

The "fear" cage reminds me of Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ which I read earlier this year. Brother Andrew reminded us that Jesus told us to go. He never said we would come back. And Mark said this challenging thing: "We need to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Instead we need to start playing offense with our lives. The world needs more daring people with daring plans. Why not you?" (pg. 13) Love that!!! Yes, why not be daring! C'mon, Susanne!

I am tired of being bored and am ready for the adventure of chasing the Wild Goose! Oh, in case you were wondering about this Wild Goose, let me explain. The Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit "An Geadh-Glas, or ' the Wild Goose.' . . . The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him. . . . I wonder if we [institutional Christianity] have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less -- much less -- than what God originally intended for us" (pg. 1).

Isn't that good? I'll end this post with this quote which spoke to me so strongly as I read it last night. Remember I started this book just as I'd been complaining about my purposeless life.

"[W]e have a primal longing to be uncaged." (pg. 6)

Notes on Quran - Sura 38

Sura 38 - Sad

This sura was another reminder of what awaits believers and unbelievers. It defends Muhammad from those who claim he has invented lies and reminds us of David, Solomon, Job, and others mentioned previously. The rebellion of Iblis in not bowing to man is mentioned again as well.

The story of David here includes talk of 99 ewes and a mentioning of lust. See here.

23. This man here is my brother. He has ninety and nine ewes while I have only one. He demands that I should give him my ewe, and wants to get the better of me in argument." 24. (David) said: "He is unjust in demanding your ewe to add to his (many) ewes. Many partners are surely -- unjust to one another, except those who believe and do the right; but there are only a few of them." It occurred to David that he was being tried by Us, and he begged his Lord to forgive him, and fell down in homage and repented. 25. So We forgave him. He has surely a high rank with Us and an excellent place of return. 26. "O David, We have made you trustee on the earth. So judge between men equitably, and do not follow your lust lest it should lead you astray from the way of God. Surely for those who go astray from the way of God, is severe punishment, for having forgotten the Day of Reckoning.



This reminded me of the Bible when David's lust took over, he committed adultery and then when the woman informed David that she was pregnant, he conspired to kill the woman's husband. That explains the "lust" part, but where does the ewe come into play? I never thought you'd ask! :)

II Samuel 12 reports:

¹ The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³ but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

⁴ "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

⁵ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

¹¹ "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "

¹³ Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."

Concerning Solomon, the Quran records his love of horses.

32. He said: "The love of horses is worthy of desire to me for the remembrance of my Lord;" and when they were out of sight, (he said): 33. "Bring them back to me," and he began to rub and stroke their shanks and necks.

The king was not allowed to acquire great numbers of horses according to the Mosaic Law. See this from Deuteronomy 17

¹⁶ The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again."

Yet

I Kings 4

²⁶ Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.

²⁷ The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ²⁸ They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

I liked reading a bit of Job's story in this sura though it lacks much of the details of the biblical book with Job's name.

I enjoy reading the quranic chapters that mention people familiar to me since I know some of their stories already!