Voices of the Faithful – with Beth Moore

© 2005 Integrity Publishers, Brentwood, TN

This collection of daily devotions contributed by International Mission Board, SBC, missionaries was actually compiled and edited by Kim P. Davis. Moore gets bigger billing because she’s the big name on the cover. The devotions are superb. As with any collection of this sort some are not on a par with the others, but most days are inspirational. Many tug so strongly at your heartstrings as to draw a tear or two. Often you will be inspired, and occasionally challenged to join this group of witnesses in their trek to foreign lands to share their faith.

This is also a collection that is tough on an old bird who likes to read all the words, though. I must admit that I’ve been known to even read the copyright page for all the information and disclaimers there. The problem with this volume is the transition between months written by the “big name writer.” As inspiring as the daily entries from the field are, the monthly intros by Moore are equally uninspiring. Voices of the Faithful would have done well without the “help” of Moore. The devotions would have been just as inspiring and the reader would not be plagued with the carryings on at the beginning of each month.

Also included at the end of the book are some helpful materials such as the index, and some advertisements from the IMB to help the reader discover ways to get involved personally in missions. All in all, the book is worth the money you spend on it simply for having the one-page daily devotions that will help to inspire you to missions and Kingdom building. Because of the distractions, I’d only give it four and three-quarters reading glasses of five.

—Benjamin Potter, December 31, 2007

The Christmas Child – Max Lucado

©2003 W Publishing Group of Thomas Nelson, Nashville

Max Lucado has become synonymous with feel good theology. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes bad. At Christmas when we are looking for stories that tug at our heartstrings, this is a pretty good thing.

Originally published as The Christmas Cross, this little heart-warmer tells the story of a Chicago journalist who takes an assignment in Dallas that keeps him away from his wife—after a series of angry interchanges—on Christmas Eve. From his father’s possessions he has obtained an old photo of the Clearwater Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Texas. Since this is the place of his birth—and the place where he was adopted from—the reporter takes a few extra days for the trip (it also helps him get out of range of the anger of Meg) to find out the mystery in Clearwater.

Upon his arrival he finds a handmade crèche on the lawn of the church with a story that brings him home, reuniting him with Meg before it’s too late.

While the story feels good for the holiday, it doesn’t drag the tears from you as some other holiday offerings do. The movie from Impact Pictures provides a lot of meat for the bare bones of the story. The movie also predicated the re-titling of the book (the new title is not nearly so cryptically attached to the story as the original) and stars William R. Moses and Megan Follows with a cameo by Christian recording artist Stephen Curtis Chapman.

My final opinion: The Christmas Child is good for four sets of reading glasses because it is a quick read with a nice message. For your money—rent the movie and enjoy a couple of hours of wholesome entertainment for the whole family.

—Benjamin Potter, December 26, 2007

Christmas Jars – Jason F. Wright

©2005, Shadow Mountain, Salt Lake City

Christmas books should touch your heartstrings. You know, like The Christmas Box, The Christmas Shoes, or The Christmas Wish. Here’s a little novella that won’t disappoint. But you’d better have a box or three of tissue handy. The tears start early on and increase until the end of the book.

Hope Jensen is an abandoned child who excels in all she does as a journalist after being adopted by a lonely housekeeper. Just as Hope’s career seems to be taking off, she loses Louise to cancer (just after Christmas). Upon her first Christmas without her mom, Hope returns to her apartment to find it ransacked and burglarized. And then she finds the jar of money left unheeded by the police crew doing the investigation—“It wasn’t there thirty minutes ago . . .”

She spends the bulk of the book discovering the secret behind the mysterious “Christmas Jar” (as it is marked). She finds the origin and the reasoning that started it all in an unassuming family led by the father Adam Maxwell. And then she writes the story, only to find it’s too late to make up for the lies she’s been feeding Adam and his family.

This book has everything you want in a Christmas novel—death of a loved one that makes you think about what you want to be like as a person, selfless giving that keeps on giving, and finally gives back. Don’t pass up this book this year. But don’t forget the tissues.

In the spirit of the season, I give Christmas Jars a full five reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, December 12, 2007

The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg

© 1985, Houghton Mifflin, Boston

I’ve started my Christmas reading (as you can see from the Leisure Reading section below) and kicked it off with a great book from the children’s section. This one is a Caldecott Winner and rightly so. The illustrations in this beautiful story seem to put the story itself to shame. Van Allsburg paints beautiful renderings of the city, the forest, the North Pole, and Santa.

The idea that believing in Santa allows you to hear the sleighbells is precious. This is not a book about staying a boy a la Peter Pan, but rather an encouragement for the young at heart to continue believing in Santa. It’s about Santa Claus, Christmas, Trains, and all that makes Christmas a happy time.

I had wanted to read the book for several years but not until we rented the Tom Hanks movie version did I decide to get and read the book. The details in the movie enhance the book, so I’d highly recommend watching with your kids—they’ll love it and so will you. The movie doesn’t rip tears from your eyes like most of the holiday fare is designed to do, it just pulls you into the world of Christmas and the Christmas spirit.

The book, on the other hand, while lacking in literary detail should be highly prized on your shelf for the story the illustrations tell. If you were to see the pictures in order without the words accompanying, you’d still be able to craft a wonderful Christmas bedtime story. Try it. And while you’re at it give Van Allsburg 4 ¾ yuletide reading glasses for the inspiration.

—Benjamin Potter, December 10, 2007

All the Dead Fathers – David J. Walker

© 2005, St. Martin’s Minotaur, New York

Occasionally there’s an author that makes you say, “Hey, this guy’s good. Why haven’t more people been reading his work?” They have a style that is readable and engaging without being overly pushy with their story. One such unassuming writer is David J. Walker. This isn’t to say that Walker’s not been noticed. His first Mal Foley novel, Fixed in His Folly, was nominated for the coveted Edgar award. Even so, it seems not enough people are talking about this talented ex-priest, ex-investigator, ex-lawyer (if you can ex- out of any of those careers to be a writer). Even I haven’t given any time to him here. Well, now that’s about to end.

Kirsten is an ex-cop turned private eye who loves her lawyer husband. She is the owner/operator of the Wild Onion, Ltd. private investigation firm of Chicago. Her latest case is one brought to her by her uncle, the priest. Fathers who have been listed in the paper as being accused (if not convicted) of child molestation are being brutally murdered one by one. Michael, the uncle, is on the list and that brings a lot of back-story baggage to the novel. Walker makes it work.

Kirsten hires on to provide “protection” for those left on the list (especially those who are appealing their cases to Rome and living for the duration at the Villa St. George monastery). Interspersed with chapters that focus on the killer who has a history of their own that includes priests and Kirsten, Walker weaves a story that hooks you and makes you want to read—on into the night.

All the Dead Fathers is not your run-of-the-mill, weepy-eyed, politically correct whodunit. Nor is it your normal offering of the hardboiled variety. Here you will find all the grit and gnarled justice of a hardboiled detective story mixed with the emotion of a high-powered mystery novel. No major twists and turns, just good reading. Those who are offended by hard language will be offended, but the language is not a distraction to the story itself. It’s time to give David J. Walker his due, and I give All the Dead Fathers five full sets of reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, December 7, 2007

Playing for Pizza – John Grisham

When John Grisham writes about lawyers and courtrooms he is in his element. When he writes of rural southern United States life he waxes eloquent. When he moves to other arenas he reaches touch and go status.

Playing for Pizza is different from Grisham’s last football novel The Bleachers in that the game is the point of the story. What catches your attention is that American football (football americano) is seen through the lens of Italian life. Rick Dockery, a third-string quarterback who has no future with the NFL wakes up in the hospital remembering none of his stellar downfall in Cleveland, and learning that he wants to hear nothing about it as well. His agent Arnie works diligently to get him a position on a team (any team) so that the young quarterback can continue living the dream—playing in the NFL.

He finds himself in Parma, Italy, with a contract to play for the Panthers who hope to realize their first Italian Super Bowl, and expect as much with the only NFL player in the league. What he really finds is a league which allows only three Americans on each team with teams that would often have trouble facing high school teams in the USA. Aside from the Americans, the players play for the love of the game and for the pizza and beer that follows.

Grisham is only half on his game in this tale of sports, travel, and romance. Characters are poorly developed and the plot runs hot and cold. High spots in the reading are the romance with an Italian opera singer whose career and life seem to mirror the hero’s flagging football career. Just as the reader gets ready to see a legitimate reason for continuing with the story, the love interest gets replaced to disappear into oblivion. With the exception of the final three chapters the football sequences are uninspired, the food descriptions flat, and the travel scenes laborious.

What saves this book is that this time Grisham promises a football book and delivers one that actually has football in it—not just the memories of former players. Should you read this book? Only if you love football, Italy, and food (not necessarily in that order). Playing for Pizza gets 2 thumbs because Grisham has much better stories to tell. If you’d like to read one, pick up A Time to Kill, or A Painted House. If you’re out for one of his lighter reads, Skipping Christmas is the way to go.

—Benjamin Potter, November 6, 2007

The Deliberate Church – Mark Dever & Paul Alexander

Mark Dever is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and the creative force behind 9Marks Ministries (based on his Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, published by Crossway originally in 2000). His co-author, Paul Alexander is the contributing editor for 9Marks Ministries. The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel is the last review book I received from Pastor Bookshelf Reviews before they took a hiatus. (Hopefully, they will be able to reinstate this program sometime.)

On the surface, The Deliberate Church looks like an aid to church polity that will bear many Scripture-based suggestions about making your church become what God wants it to be. Getting below the surface, the reader discovers more of a “here’s the way we do it” book. The authors start with separate prefaces attributing all the work of the book to the other author. Each acknowledges that Alexander has put on paper the ideas put forward by Dever.

In essence, the book can be boiled down to two major sections: (1) containing the aforementioned suggestions with appropriate scriptural emphasis, and (2) a “how-to” conduct elder meetings based on the example of Capitol Hill. Granted, when an author provides an example, the best one to use is the one he knows, in this case, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and the authors suggest that their reason for telling what is done at Capitol Hill is for suggestion purposes only—the reader should approach this model of leadership in the way that best suits his own church. The suggestion is that this is the way found to work at the church where Dever serves as Senior Pastor.

The book has some really sensible advice which can be translated into most any church desiring to be God-driven. Periodically, the text is interrupted to include study questions labeled “Think Tank.” These questions are typically those annoying type which are more nuisance than aid to the reader. However, once in awhile these pauses provide a positive suggestion for an activity that will help put the thoughts of the chapter into practice. For instance, at the end of a section about developing discipling relationships here are some suggestions: “1. Pick one person in your church whom you could start getting together with for his spiritual good. / 2. Pick a book, or even just a booklet, that you’d like to read and discuss with him.” Sadly, the majority of the “Think Tank” questions are simply regurgitation-style questions, asking only for the reader to mimic the information presented in the text.

The major drawback to the book is the assumption that Dever’s interpretation of the scripture is correct. The insistence on an elder board for church leadership comes across more as pragmatic than scriptural, although scripture is used to justify the practice. The larger portion of the book addresses this pragmatism from the viewpoint of Capitol Hill and their practice.

This is a readable, usable book that should be consulted with the understanding that it has some excellent reference material and advice (the inclusion of a new member interview form that can be adapted to any local church for example). I would recommend that most pastors—even those who disagree with Dever and the 9Marks method of doing church—read this book and use the wise counsel within it for practical adaptation in their church. The Deliberate Church earns three and one-half thumbs.

—Benjamin Potter, October 22, 2007

New Giveaway at Challies.com

Here's the scoop on the new giveaway at Challies.com: First prize is 40 copies (count 'em 40) of R.C. Sproul's The Truth of the Cross. The catch--the books are not for sale, but for the winner to use as giveaways (especially for evangelistic purposes). Suggestion: if you win you get 10 copies to give away at church, 10 to give to family members, 10 for Christmas gifts, and 10 to save for later opportunities. The winner also gets one copy of Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips.

Second and Third prizes are one copy of Jesus the Evangelist and admission for two to the 2008 Ligonier Ministries National Conference. Click on the button below for more details.

Communion with the Triune God – John Owen

I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I signed on for the free download from Crossway. What I discovered was daunting, enlightening, and foreboding all at the same time. I discovered an uncovered work of a seventeenth century master teacher that has been revived and revitalized for students of theology today. Editors Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor have reworked Owen’s words to make the text more readable for modern audiences but at the same time keeping the text faithful to itself.

Communion with the Triune God is in and of itself a treasure if for no other reason that it brings to light the basis for some of our evangelical beliefs today. It has merit in giving us the thought processes that form our background. On the other hand, it is heady work, written in a day when more words meant deeper thinking and greater spirituality held firm. For this reason, I am afraid that many readers will pass up the book.

Some of the greater merit of the book lies in the introductory essay offered by Kapic who gives a scholarly treatment of not only this, but also a number of Owen’s other writings as well. The editor’s treatment of Owen’s explanation of the worship of God in His unique existence is helpful for all who are trying to grasp the mystery of the Trinity. More than once we are reminded that God is God and is One. At the same time, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—all unique in their expression, but all unified in their existence.

The structure of the book includes a sea of footnotes, some used as reference notes from the original author (although scholarly work was documented differently in those days) and some to explain an archaic word for modern-day readers. The editors include an extensive outline at the beginning of the text to help navigate the massive amount of information as well as a lengthy glossary and a variety of indices to aid the reader in using this volume as a reference tool.

This work is best suited for the scholarly minister or professor, but will hold little appeal for the church at large. It is useful for study, but perhaps not so interesting as an uplifting read. Communion with a Triune God receives 3 thumbs.

—Benjamin Potter, October 8, 2007

We Have a Winner

Since there are three (count them, 3) chances to win a copy of Steven Hunt's debut novel Guardian of Light, you need not despair. However, week one is gone and with it the first of our three copies. Congratulations to Cheryl Hagedorn who commented and was entered into the drawing to win Steven's new book. Her copy will be on the way soon!

So, you're asking, "How can I get in on this? I like free books, too!" It's simple to get your name in the drawing for one of the two copies left. Simply, go to the original post containing the interview with Hunt (click on this link to get there), make a comment and you're in! Perhaps I'll draw your name this Friday or next (October 5 or 12). If you don't get drawn, you can still participate and get a signed copy for a greatly discounted price by sending me an email before October 31, 2007, and arrangements will be made for you to purchase your copy of Guardian of Light for only $10.00 plus shipping--that's a deal that you won't find anywhere else!

Again, congrats to Cheryl Hagedorn and happy reading.

Blaze – Richard Bachman

Stephen King writes in the introduction to his pseudonymous book, “This is a trunk novel . . .” In a manner of apology, this works well, because Blaze is a trunk novel. One that King found hiding among his papers, edited with some minor updates from the Bachman days, and then had published by Scribner earlier this year.

Here we have the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., the abused and abandoned child who after the “accident” becomes little more than a huge puppy who falls under the influence of other ne’er-do-wells who have more brains than brawn. Blaze tells by means of interwoven flashback the story of how the title character landed where he is, and the ultimate crime that would help him escape a life of wrong-doing. The crime: the brainstorm kidnapping of Joseph Gerard IV, infant son of Joseph Gerard III, developed by George—partner and guardian of Blaze, recently deceased.

Throughout the narrative Blaze carries on conversations with the now dead George who continues to guide and advise his less intelligent partner through the intricacies of the delicate plan. Sadly, often the advice (peppered with derogatory name-calling and berating that characterized the small man that had taken Blaze under his wing) came after the fact. Blaze unknowingly finds himself only a step or two ahead of the law.

What works in the book especially is the nostalgic reminiscences into Clayton Blaisdell, Jr.’s developmental years—spent mostly at Hetton House. As a matter of fact, it is during these flashback chapters that we find some of the gems that let us know that this might be an early work of the master wordsmith. These coupled with the tender moments showing the growing relationship between Blaze and his kidnap victim make the book worth the read. One particularly literary moment is the point at which Blaze sees little Joe as “a wonderful, terrible book where a story had been written in invisible ink.” The disappointment comes in the infrequency of these moments in the book.

Included in the volume that I read was a short story by King, “Memory,” which has been expanded for release as the novel promised in 2008 from Scribner. I must admit that I found little merit in the story itself and don’t really look forward to the book into which it has grown.

As for Blaze, its profuse use of rough language will turn many away. The vestiges of the master writer being too few and far between make it fall somewhat on the literary ladder. Is it worth the time to read? For King/Bachman fans, yes. For those who are looking for a good story, I’d suggest you look elsewhere. I’d rate it at two and one-half stars.

—Benjamin Potter, September 27, 2007

Guardian of Light Blook Tour

Here's the new idea: a blook tour--it combines the fun of a book tour with the international reach of a blog (blog + book tour = blook tour). [Thanks to Dawn for the new terminology.] Now, here's the scoop. My buddy, Steve Hunt came to my neck of the woods for a book signing--between the two of us, I think we sold four books. Now I have some interview material that will help you get to know him and his writing style better.

Steve's debut novel Guardian of Light was released in July by Tate Publishing. I was privileged to be one of the early reviewers (see my thoughts here). You'll find that this novel is fast-paced and engaging. The author is offering a special deal for those of you who want to order his book because you've seen about it on this blog. The book retails for $17.99. Anyone who wishes to purchase a copy for $10.00 plus shipping should contact me before October 31, 2007, and I will feed you the details. In addition, for the next three weeks, I will draw one name from those who comment here to receive an autographed copy of Guardian of Light. If you want to receive one of these free copies, just comment on this post between now and October 12, 2007. Drawings will be by 3:00 p.m. CST each Friday (Sept. 28, Oct. 5, and Oct. 12).

On to the festivities (namely, the interview):

Benj-O: You referenced several aspects of law enforcement. Tell us a little about your experience in that field.

SH: My law enforcement career started in 1985 in the U.S. Air Force, when I was classified as a law enforcement specialist. The good thing about being a cop in the Air Force was that a person did not have to settle on only one aspect of the job. During my four year enlistment, I served as a patrolman, desk sergeant, and flight chief, which is just the Air Force’s term for a shift supervisor.

After I separated from the military, I joined the Broken Arrow Police Department, Broken Arrow, OK. There I served as a patrolman, field training officer, special operations team officer, instructor, and eventually as a sergeant. I worked primarily the midnight shift and loved it. The dayshift was known for taking crime reports, the evening shift for vehicle accidents, but the midnight shift was full of in-progress crimes. The crimes included burglaries, car thefts, and shooting calls to name a few.

After eight years on the police force, I was hired in 1998 as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, but the job didn’t last long. In the training phase, I suffered heat exhaustion and had complications from an injury I had suffered while in the military. Once I couldn’t continue the training, I was released.

Due to affects of the heat exhaustion, I was unable to work for several months. When I was able to return to my career, I went to work for the first law enforcement position that I could find. During the end of 1998, I became a Probation & Parole Officer. It was a learning job, not only for the convicts I supervised, but for me also. Having worked in law enforcement for thirteen years, I had developed a negative image of persons who were convicted of crimes as many cops do. I learned that some of these convicts were not bad people, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In 1999, I was hired by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office as an investigator. I was, and still am, assigned to a unit that investigates crimes in nursing homes and homes where the developmentally disabled live. While it does not have the adrenalin rush that working in a police department has, it is a very rewarding job. Just to look into the eyes of an elderly person, see them begging for help, and knowing that I can help them places a smile on my face. Also knowing that a person who was abused or has stolen from one of these victims will not be able to do that again is rewarding. When a police officer makes an arrest, a majority of the time those offenders are back on the street the next night doing the same types of crimes. However, when I make an arrest of someone who has abused an elderly person, because of the laws I know beyond a shadow of doubt that they will not be able to be in that position again.

Benj-O: How did you start writing? Was it a whim, or what?

SH: Dating back to my high school years, I have been interested in writing. Usually it was only a short story here, or a poem there, but nothing as long as a novel.

To be honest, I never knew that Guardian of Light was to be a novel. In 2005, I was studying my Bible when I read Revelation 3:15-16. Jesus was speaking to the Church in Laodicea when He said that He wished they were either cold or hot, not lukewarm. Because they are lukewarm, Jesus said that He was about to spit them out of His mouth. As a Christian, I could not think of anything worse than the Lord and Savior that I love and have witnessed for to spit me out of His mouth. I knew then that I could—and needed—to do more for Christ. I prayed for a new ministry—one that would glorify God and draw others into His fold. God gave me the ministry of writing Christian novels. Through Him, the story of Guardian of Light grew and grew until it was novel-length.

Benj-O: There is often a perceived formula in Christian fiction today. Did you follow a formula as you wrote your book?

SH: No, I didn’t have a formula that I followed. I listened to what God was telling me and prayed that He would use it as a witnessing tool.

Benj-O: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

SH: Write about something you know about. Include places that you have been and have vivid memories of. If you are writing a Christian novel, do not do it alone—ask God for guidance. He is the best co-author a writer could have.

Attending a writers conference will help. An aspiring author can mingle and pick the brains of successful authors.

If you can afford to take a writing class—such as the one put on by Jerry B. Jenkins—do it. A lot of times these classes also have a competition where the winner receives a publishing contract.

Benj-O: You often hear writers talking about how much they read in preparation for a writing project. What kinds of sources do you find helpful when researching for a book?

SH: What I read depends on the type of book I’m working on. The Internet is a valuable tool for research on just about anything imaginable. I will research places and some equipment I wish for the characters to use. If I have to purchase a new resource book, I can be sure to find the one that will help me the most on the Internet. I also use books on Old Testament, New Testament, Missions, and, of course, the Bible.

Benj-O: Spirituality also plays an important role in Guardian of Light. Is this a big part of your own life as well?

SH: It is a huge part. Christians are here to serve the Lord. If I was unable to serve the Risen Son, I would be miserable. Nothing matters in this life other than Jesus.

Benj-O: Why did you choose Michael the Archangel as the Guardian who helps people out?

SH: I wanted a character that the readers would not expect, plus a storyline that was new and fresh. I couldn’t use Jesus as the Guardian because that would be His second coming and the story was set before His returning. I see Michael as one of the strongest angels and very brave. He seemed like the perfect fit. I know I did not want an unnamed angel, but one that people could identify with.

Benj-O: Your writing style is very readable. Are there any authors that have influenced that style?

SH: I wanted to write a story that was easy to read and enjoyable. I do not enjoy a novel where I have to re-read a paragraph over and over because the words are too difficult or the text is verbose. I wanted a text that even the younger Christian readers would understand and enjoy.

I enjoy reading Ted Dekker’s novels. He is probably one of the best Christian fiction writers of this generation.

Benj-O: What’s next from Steven Hunt? What can we expect to see in the future?

SH: I’ve finishing the self-editing touches on my second novel, Identity Assault. While it is not the same characters as in Guardian of Light, it contains more action and more suspense. Identity Assault is the first of three novels that will have the same characters. After fielding many questions about whether the characters in Guardian of Light would re-appear in another novel, I thought that it may be good to continue the storyline with the Identity Assault characters in several novels. Identity Assault should be released in 2008. I have not ruled out using the Guardian of Light characters in another story sometime in the future.

As does Guardian of Light, Identity Assault also contains messages for its readers. As Jesus used parables for teaching messages, so do these books.

So, there you have it. Steven Hunt in a nutshell. If you'd like to find out more about this exciting new author of Christian suspense visit his website at http://www.stevenhuntbooks.com/.

Comeback Churches – Ed Stetzer & Mike Dodson

I bought this book in June when I had the opportunity to get it signed by the authors. It came with a bonus boomerang which was meant, I think, for advertising purposes. It's been sitting on my shelf for a few months and then . . .

I cranked through Comeback Churches in under a week because I wanted to finish it before I participated in an audio conference featuring Ed Stetzer (one of the authors) on September 18. I finished the read literally minutes before the conference started, participated and then wrote my review which is posted here.

I found Comeback Churches to rate 4 thumbs.

Cover Survey

Click on the link below if you'd like to have input on the cover of an upcoming book by Michael Landon Jr. and Tracie Peterson. The book is entitled One More Sunrise and will be published by Bethany House. (If you take the survey you'll be entered in a drawing for a book giveaway.)

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MHy2PZb91IbUYNg_2f_2fAEUvg_3d_3d

Debating Calvinism – Dave Hunt & James White

I've finished my read of the debate between Dave Hunt of http://www.thebereancall.org/ and James White of http://www.aomin.org/. Hunt espouses a severe anti-Calvinist view as developed in What Love Is This? and White is the author of the Reformed theology defense The Potter's Freedom. In Debating Calvinism, the two go toe-to-toe to defend their own point of view. You can find my full review at Pastor Bookshelf.

I found Debating Calvinism worthy of only two thumbs.

Another Chance for Free Books

If you like free books, here's another chance at getting some. This drawing will have three prizes for the month of September:

1. First prize, is all six books in this series.
2. Second prize, is any three of the books.
3. Third prize, the person drawn can choose one of the books.

The books are from a Reform point of view. I don't fully espouse this theology, but I like to read widely. If you are Reformed in your theology, or just want more commentaries for your library, click on the button below (or at the left) and you will be taken to the site to sign up for the drawing.

[HT: Our friends at Pastor Bookshelf]

I’m OK – You’re Not – John Shore

[You can see this review also at Pastor Bookshelf. That's the place where minister types can get involved in the "Review" program by reviewing a book, then signing up to receive new books to review.]


I was first introduced to this book by Kevin Bussey whose recommendation came as a result of his desire to be Jesus to friends he encounters every day (often as he sips a tall one at the local Starbucks). My attention was piqued when Paul Littleton also had it on his reading list. So, when I finally found it on a bookstore shelf, I relieved my wallet of the 13 bucks and the bookstore of its sole copy.

My take on the book may be somewhat skewed because of my disagreement with the basic premise that Shore is trying to defend. However, I’ll try to be as fair as possible in my assessment of the book and try not to get overly defensive about my own prejudicial leanings in regard to evangelism.

To a certain degree, I can agree with Shore’s assumption that many (perhaps most) evangelical Christians have so emphasized the Great Commission that they have excluded the command (what Shore and Rick Warren both refer to as the “Great Commandment”) to love your neighbor as yourself. It should be noted that Jesus indicated that the greatest commandment is to love God with all that you are and that the second is just like it—love your neighbor in the same way that you love yourself. The designations of “Great Commission” and “Great Commandment” are memory joggers placed upon these scriptural principles by the modern-day church. I also disagree with his assumption that everyone in America has heard the gospel.

In reaction to this overemphasis, Shore suggests that Christians swing to the other extreme—emphasize the Great Commandment. While he spends a great amount of time claiming that he is not against evangelism (under the right circumstances), his basic premise leads the reader to believe that Christians should love to the exclusion of witness. I believe that he would argue “let your love be your witness.” Sadly, this approach leads to an “either/or” thinking that has caused the problem warranting the publication of the book in the first place. I would suggest that our direct command from Christ isn’t to either love or witness, but to both witness and love—witness with love, if you please.

The book has several distractions making it difficult to work through. Shore has a fondness for capitalization, capitalizing words and phrases ad infinitum whenever he wants to emphasize it as something in particular. This is distracting to the reader especially when what is offered as a proper noun is in actuality just part of the sentence. He also has a proclivity for the words “amongst” and “whilst” which are overused to state his case. Another blatant distraction is Shore’s use of humor. In taking on this most serious of topics, he attempts to make his ideas more readable by including humor. I have no great problem with including a humorous anecdote or line occasionally to lighten an otherwise heavy topic; however, Shore’s levity swims on every page, if not in every paragraph, if not in every sentence. Littleton makes this observation about the use of humor in the text:

On a literary level I hardly liked this book at all. According to the back
cover, "John Shore is a humorist...." But his humor just doesn't work for me.
I'm a fan of humor, by the way. I believe it is a powerful tool in both written
and oral communication, especially if you want to disarm your audience and get
people to relax with you and your topic. I just find the humor in this book to
be a little trite. It is an easy-to-read book, but I was highly unmotivated to
finish it because it's just not my style.

The use of humor in the book almost leads one to believe that Shore is not serious about the topic (although the tone of the work suggests that he is).

Also, in a work about loving our neighbor, one would think that the object is to model love. Shore manages to alienate both his audience and his subject. He spends a great amount of time belittling the practices of believers in the form of a rant. Then he decides that name-calling is better than labeling and suggests that we no longer designate un-believers as “lost” but call them “Normies” instead. In effect, he has succeeded in angering both the Christian community and the world at large in one fell swoop.

I don’t want you to believe that this book is a waste of time or money though. There are several things about Shore’s topic that need to be said, need to be heard, and need to be addressed by the Christian community. The fact that we have too long lived in a lopsided world that disregards the necessity to love our neighbor as we share with him the gospel removes our voice among non-Christians. To use Paul’s words, “if I have not love, I am nothing.” Shore also gives a long-overdue look into the perception that the community outside the church has of Christians—especially those who live to witness. Under the heading of “Ouch” at the end of each chapter, Shore quotes non-Christians who responded to an on-line message board he set up as part of his research.

If you read this book and are a typical evangelical Christian, be prepared to be mad. But don’t let your anger get in the way of the lesson that we must hear: love must permeate our lives if we are to be credible among those who haven’t heard the message of Christ.





I'm OK -- You're Not receives 3 thumbs.





—Benjamin Potter, August 28, 2007

Skin – Ted Dekker

There is a problem with a book that only ends well. It never gets read. When I taught literature, I convinced many of my students to explore the possibility of reading. I never expected them to truly enjoy those things that I made them read—I didn’t even expect the majority of them to read those books I told them to read. However, I wanted them to give reading a chance. My answer: give a book two to three chapters before saying, “This one’s just boring,” and giving up. I figure that most of the time, even the slow starters will show enough sign of promise to keep the reader reading.

Skin is a book that ends well. It ends really well. So well in fact that I can’t give much information without invoking a double spoiler alert. I stuck with the book to get through the interesting parts, not because I wanted to (really), but because I was determined to give a plausible review here. (Something that can’t be done if you stop after chapter three.) Why was this important? Because Dekker is such a talented wordsmith. Perhaps the struggle with Skin lies in the pressure for talented, rising-star authors to crank out at least one book a year forces occasional mediocrity.

The story follows the adventures of a group of young adults thrust together by circumstance. During the course of their lives together, these six people are thrust back and forth between the town of Summerville (devastated by a massive tornado and the terror created by a ruthless murderer) and a vast desert which replaces the town from time to time leaving only the structures of the town library and the house of the doctor who had the library built. This jumping back and forth leaves the reader trying to decide whether or not he is reading a fantasy (played out in the desert) or a police procedural-type mystery.

From time to time there are glimpses of Dekker’s writing talent, usually embodied in the setting of the town without the advent of the desert. Often the writing seems disjointed. So how long should the reader give this selection in order to make it worthwhile reading? My estimation is about 40 to 45 chapters. Die-hard Dekker fans will want to read this book. Those who enjoyed House and Showdown will like portions, but will find the writing not up to Dekker’s normal par. If you must read everything that Dekker writes, I would advise you to rush to the last 125 or 150 pages. As I said, the book ends really well. Because of the good ending I give Skin 1 ½ thumbs. Sorry I can’t give the first two-thirds of the book even a thumb to stand on .

—Benjamin Potter, August 27, 2007

Chazown – Craig Groeschel

My review of Chazown by Craig Groeschel has been posted over at Pastor Bookshelf. If you're looking for a book to help you bring focus to your Christian walk, this one is pretty good. It's not without its distractions, but the interactive style is enough to make any Christ-follower say, "I can do this." Don't pick this book up if you don't want to be responsible for focusing your life, though.

I gave Chazown four and a half thumbs.