(Cover via Amazon)

By Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway (London & Grand Rapids: Monarch Books, 2002, 351 pages)

The incredible true story of Chinese evangelist Liu Zhenying known to his Christian friends as Brother Yun. It is his own personal testimony along with the reflections of his wife Deling who supported him in the ministry and though many trials and tribulations. The ups and downs, the joys, the victories, along with the low points, failures, and all of the warts. It is there for all to read.

The story begins with the conversion of Yun and the healing of his dying father of cancer in 1974. In the process Yun, age 16 at the time, dedicates his life to Jesus and through a series of miracles is prepared, trained, and sent out as an evangelist to establish new churches and support the very few Christian groups that were still meeting in secret at the time.

The Communist government did everything they could to destroy the Christian church in China beginning in 1949 and very little visibly remained by 1970 and during that time frame Mao’s wife Jiang Qing actually proclaimed to foreign visitors that:

“Christianity in China has been confined to the history section of the museum. It is dead and buried.”

Today it is said by many including the government that there are at least 100 million Christians in the country. If the communist authorities are admitting that number than there are probably far more than that. In fact it is growing so fast that it is impossible to come up with an accurate number. What happened? The House Church Movement happened.

The story of brother Yun gives you a small taste of how that must have happened. How the Christian church relegated to the dust bin of history meeting secretly in homes rose up out of the dust and became the force it is today. It was entirely a move of God.

It really isn’t just about Yun alone but his story demonstrates how God reached out directly to thousands of people and prepared and called forth a whole generation of leaders that worked secretly and many times independently in rising up the church to where it is today. As the government would jail one leader the Lord would raise up another to replace him and the work would go on. It reads like the book of Acts.

Yun was arrested and tortured many times by the government who attempted to get him to reveal all of the leaders that he knew. On a number of occasions he refused to identify who he was and even where he came from in order not to expose others. He told them:

“I am a Heavenly Man! My home is in heaven!”

That is how he became known as the ‘heavenly man’.

The torture and prison conditions that Brother Yun suffered through and survived is beyond comprehension. During those bleak times Yun not only kept the faith but reached out to his fellow prisoners and made life more tolerable for all. He prayed for others, bringing healing to many, and brought hundreds of fellow prisoners to Christ. Not only that, he followed the example of Paul and Silas and sang songs of praise during the worst of times and conditions.

On several occasions Brother Yun miraculously escaped from the authorities. Nothing is more storied than his incredible ‘walk away’ from a maximum security prison when his legs were crushed and crippled yet in an instant he was able to walk through the numerous gates that blocked the way and right through the midst of dozens of guards who miraculously didn’t see him. later he was able to leave China for Germany on a plane when the entire country was looking for him. An incredible story.

Later in Germany he reaches out and begins a ministry to the Western church and is amazed how weak the Christian church is in countries where the church buildings are so large and Christians are actually free to follow their faith.

He is currently raising visibility and money for the house churches back in China. Also he is supporting a long time vision of the Chinese church called the ‘Back to  Jerusalem Movement’ to raise up and train missionaries and send them through every Buddhist and Muslim nation all of the way from China to Jerusalem.

However in the process he has also unfortunately become the target of critics within the Western church. Many have a hard time believing all of the healings and miracles he testifies of here.

An incredible life changing book, one that I highly recommend. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you though this book and you will never be the same. Hereafter that comfortable pew you sit in on Sunday will never be quite so comfortable again. Beware, you could actually receive a new calling and a new vision of where the lord wants to take you.            *Top 

Christians are looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately the scriptures tells us that a world leader is going to come on the scene first and establish One World Government, economy, and religion. The scriptures indicate that he will be a pseudo messiah and will be supported by some kind of false prophet.

Muslims are also looking forward to the coming of their own Messiah referred to as The Mahdi. Along with the Mahdi they believe that Jesus- called Isa will return as his prophet and support him in establishing Muslim rule over the entire world and economy, and the establishment of Islam as the only legal world religion.

Joel Richardson compares these two end time views and shows how closely compatible they truly are. It is his conclusion that the Muslim Mahdi could end up being one and the same historical figure that Christians refer to as Antichrist and the Muslim Jesus –Isa could end up being the figure known as the False Prophet foretold in the Christian scriptures.

It is a valuable book whether or not you accept his conclusions or not. Richardson goes into detail quoting the Quran and other authoritative Muslim writings concerning their view of the end times. I found it helpful in understanding what is happening on the world scene today with the rise of radical Islam as a threat to Western civilization and the entire world.

Is the ‘prosperity gospel’ hindering revival? Pastor Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Ga. believes so.

Pastor Catt makes a number of observations about revival in his new book:  “The Power of Surrender: Breaking Through to Revival”

Here’s what he has to say about Revival and the Prosperity Gospel:

“Sometimes the prosperity gospel and the feel-good gospel tell people what they want to hear, But] when you lay that by the side of Jesus’ teaching [to] take up the cross – the only reason for the cross in the first century is to die – and to die daily, to crucify your flesh then you have to think how does this fit?”

“I can’t go to a guy that only has a towel around his waist and lives in a dung hut and tell him the good news you’ll get a Mercedes and you’ll go from dung to stucco because it probably won’t happen. But the power of the life changing Gospel can happen.”

The actual focus of the book is on sacrifice and revival and eliminating everything in the church that stands in the way of a new revival coming to America:

“If we’re hungry and thirsty after God, if there is a desire for more, if there is a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are, believing that surely God died for more than what we are seeing in our typical church today…”

In the book pastor Catt talks about how God is moving in his own congregation doing a sovereign work bringing many closer to God:

“We are now seeing people walk through the baptismal waters. People are being saved. Members are inviting their lost friends and unchurched neighbors. Attendance shot up. Why? Revival produces evangelism.”

Sherwood Baptist is famous for producing such movies as “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.”                *Top

A scholarly examination of the last events in the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ by two able New Testament scholars. Evans and Wright take a look at all of the current historical and archeological evidence and theories pertaining to the trial, crucifixion, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus.

This is an excellent apologetical source with new and solid reasons to accept the Gospel accounts of the events rather than all of the theories which have been floated to discount the historicity of the N.T. documents. While this is primarily a scholarly work rather than a book written for popular or general readers, it should be readable and valuable study for most Bible students.        *Top

New Testament scholar Dr. Ben Witherington gives an incredible detailed analysis of Bart Ehrman’s New book: “Jesus Interrupted”—in a 6 part series:

Bart Interrupted— A detailed Analysis of ‘Jesus Interrupted’ Part One

Bart Interrupted— A detailed Analysis of ‘Jesus Interrupted’ Part Two

Bart Interrupted— A detailed Analysis of ‘Jesus Interrupted’ Part Three

Bart Interrupted: Part Four

Bart Interrupted— A detailed Analysis of ‘Jesus Interrupted’ Part Five

Bart Interrupted— A detailed Analysis of ‘Jesus Interrupted’— Coda

Response: This series is not to be missed by any serious new Testament student. Dr. Witherington does us all a great service in tackling Dr. Ehrman’s latest.

All of Ehrman’s books are popular and he usually hits the TV and radio circuit to support his new works so you should be hearing soon from some of your secular friends about how the NT can not be trusted. Fortunately armed with this series you will be able to tell them that it is Dr. Ehrman’s conclusions that should be questioned.          *Top

A great devotional book based upon John 3:16. This is Max Lucado at his insprirational best. Each chapter is short enough to be read in the morning to start the day right or finish the day at night on a high note. Full of great stories and illustrations all related to the message of hope found in 3:16 and Christ centered.

At the end of the book is 40 short devotionals all about Jesus: “40 Days with the Son”, an unexpected bonus that makes this book even more of a delight. Great stuff!              *Top

  This is the 5th and final book in the series which began with The Last Jihad and continued with The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, and The Copper Scroll.

The book revolves around Jon Bennett, Former Advisor to the President, and his wife Erin McCoy Bennett, a former CIA agent. We pick up their continuing story and find that they have dropped out of their ‘important’ roles in the MacPherson administration and are doing volunteer work with the UN.

Finally, the newly married Bennett’s have some time together while they are serving folks at a refugee camp in Jordan. Suddenly Erin is violently sick and things go down hill fast from there. The world gets a whole lot more dangerous in the matter of hours. Including a missile attack upon the USA and the death of President MacPherson. This time, Jon and Erin are not around to save the day, in fact soon all of the Christians are gone.

Another fast paced thriller with a numbing end scenario that could dovetail rather well into the Tim Lahaye’s first Left Behind story. It is a shocking end to a great series of books—a series which many times read like the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper.            *Top

The main stream Western press has bent over backwards to present Islam in the best ‘politically correct’ light possible as the: ‘Religion of Peace’.  Even President Bush refers to Islam with this label. In recent books, documentaries, and movies, the media and the left continue to present serious Christians in an unfavorable light while the threat to Western civilization coming from radical Islam is discounted.

Even in the midst of overwhelming evidence that a large portion of Islam is at least sympathetic to Islamic terrorists, many in the Western world look upon Christianity as being at least as dangerous to World peace as the Jihadists.

Even more incredible, the thousands of Islamic terrorists and their sympathizers, which run into the hundreds of millions including thousands of clerics, are presented as not really representing ‘true’ Islam; while a few individuals acting on their own, like Timothy McVeigh and one or two abortion clinic bombers, are said to represent Christianity, even though they never claimed to be and have no support in the Christian community for their actions.

Robert Spencer has written a book which documents the threat that normative Islam poses for the world. He also debunks the myth of equivalence between Islam and Christianity. He presents evidence from the teachings and leaders of both religions which demonstrates that the real ‘Religion of Peace’ is Christianity rather than Islam.

Spencer documents a number of historical events, including the crusades, where history has been rewritten in the last few years in order to cast modern Islam in a better light. He asks quite poignantly- where are all the Christian terrorists and name the Christian leaders who support violence? The answer of coarse is none. One by one he presents historical facts and current events which lead to only one conclusion: Christianity is the real religion of peace.           *Top

The final book in the "Left Behind Series" covering the Millennium, the Final Judgment, and the creation of a new earth in Revelation 20 and 21. The book deals mostly with life during the 1000 years reign of Jesus in Jerusalem.

According to the story of this book, which is based upon scripture, those who come back with Jesus have a ‘glorified’ body and no longer have children. However, those believers who were alive when Jesus came back to establish his Kingdom still continue to have children. Their children must accept Christ on their own or die at one hundred years of age if they are still unbelievers.

A group rises up during the millennium that actually begins to worship Satan and passes on their traditions until the 1000 years are over and the Devil is released to wage war once more upon Jesus and the believers. It is a very short war and then the end comes and a new earth.

The main story of the book deals with how there could possibly be ‘unbelievers’ on the earth when Jesus is actually on the earth and reining in idylic conditions for a thousand years. Where do all the folks that end up following Satan at the end come from?

The book starts off slow as compared to the previous offerings in this series. However, it does end up with an interesting story and offers plausible answers to some of the perplexing questions that many ask about the Millennium. If you have read the other books in the series, you pretty much have to read this one also. It isn’t as much an action/adventure story like the previous ones, but well worth your time and money.             *Top

The book is written by Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois. Pastor Hybels suggests that you use those things in your life which bring you the most ‘discontent’ to motivate you into taking action.

He gives several examples of people who have really made a difference and how some injustice or dissatisfaction with the status quo lead them to take action to make things better. Some started ministries, some started non-profit organizations, or went on missions.

He talks about how folks will have a ‘Popeye’ moment and then take action. The cartoon character would put up with alot until there came the proverbial straw that put him into action with his spinach. He would finally get to the point when he would say: "That’s all I can Stands!", then look out. Popeye became the most powerful man in the world.

Pastor Bill cites Moses as an example. Moses finally got to the point where he saw his people suffering and he no longer wanted to live it up in Pharaohs palace. He talks about Martin Luther King who responded to the racial oppression of his people by marching across the bridge and eating in that ‘all white’ diner, proclaiming that enough was enough. He responded to a dream that things could be different not only for his people, but for the entire country. He also writes about the story of Mother Teresa who could not bear to watch all the sick and dying in India with nowhere to go but lie in the gutter and die. Then there is the story of ‘Promiseland’ in Detroit, Michigan. A ministry to the poor, started by a mother who reacted to the dogs and fire hoses being directed toward those who were seeking a better life.

In Part II, Pastor Hybels suggests a number of ways to respond to those very things that are troubling to us and how to use those moments and situations to propel us into action. Then in the last section (Part III) of the book, Pastor Bill talks about how to keep the vision alive and how to keep on keeping on.

This is an excellent motivational book, better that that, it is inspirational and actually lets God speak personally to you about your own discontents and your own calling to actually do something to make the world a better place. *Top