Read as an Act of Worship

May 5, 2011 by · 12 Comments

“Read as an act of worship. Read to be elevated into the great truths of God so that you may worship the Trinity in Spirit and in truth. Be selective about what you read, however. Measure all your reading against the touchstone of Scripture. … Read more for eternity than time, more for spiritual growth than professional advancement. Think of John Trapp’s warning: “As water tastes of the soil it runs through, so does the soul taste of the authors that a man reads.”

Before picking up a book, ask yourself: Would Christ approve this book? Will it increase my love for the Word of God, help me to conquer sin, offer abiding wisdom, and prepare me for the life to come? Or could I better spend time reading another book?”

Source: Joel Beeke, Feed My Sheep (Reformation Trust Publishing, 2002)

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Book Review: The Final Summit

April 11, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I started reading Andy Andrews’ The Final Summit many times but I couldn’t just get past the feeling that something was off even as early as the first chapter. David Ponder, the character who was first introduced in Andrews’ previous book The Traveler’s Gift, had a meeting with archangel Gabriel and other prominent historical figures to find out the “two words” that will save mankind and reset it to its original course.

Now this is really tricky. When an author uses Biblical characters in their story, readers who happened to read their Bibles have some sort of expectations about those characters. And when those characters turned out differently from Biblical sources, the story is already ruined for them. Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) somehow managed to pull it off when he put Mechizedek in the path of the boy Santiago; Robin Parrish (Relentless) wasn’t so lucky with his modern day Lucifer.

I wish Andrews didn’t include Archangel Gabriel. By doing so, he only invited lots of questions he didn’t have the time to answer. I know this is fiction and this is not the time to ask for systematic theology behind the story but Andrews started it. He is the one who opened a wide, gaping hole in his narrative.

Why would God leave the fate of the entire humanity in David Ponder’s leadership? And why would the fate of the world be reduced to a mind game? We’re talking about billions of people here, not this morning paper’s crossword puzzle. In Christian context, this is not how it works simply because that job is not for humans. Saving humanity and resetting mankind to its original course is the job of Jesus Christ.

And why was Gabriel the arbiter of this ad hoc council? Why not Peter, or Pope John Paul, or anyone human?

The list of questions could go on but the point is that maybe it was better if Andrews didn’t touch the Bible. I could swallow fiction, no problem, but if you attach it to my basic Christian beliefs and twist it a little, I wouldn’t be too happy with your story. Call me unreasonable but I just don’t want to mix them up in my head.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. This review is also be posted at Amazon.com.

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FEARLESS [Max Lucado]

December 28, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

FEARLESS is one of those books that if you highlight the best parts with a colored pen, you end up coloring entire chapters. I’m not kidding.

When I read the first few chapters, I was blown away with the wisdom Max Lucado has put into the pages of this book. I got my copy from Thomas Nelson for book review back in 2009 and I honestly didn’t know what to do with it. How do you even say something not dumb when you are reviewing a book like this?

Perhaps the one strong message that I could not get off my head from FEARLESS was the story of the fifth sparrow. You remember the story when Jesus said in Matthew 10: 29 that two sparrows are sold for a penny? In Luke 12: 6, the story was repeated, only that this time, Luke said that five sparrows are sold for two pennies. The seller threw in the fifth sparrow for free.

I don’t know much about sparrows but I’m thinking this kind of bird is so insignificant that even if you sell it at such a low price, very few people would even care to actually buy. The fifth sparrow is much less insignificant being the free item that came with the bargain.

Let me quote Max Lucado’s exact words:

“Society still has its share of fifth sparrows: indistinct souls who feel dispensable, disposable, worth less than a penny. They drive carpools and work in cubicles. Some sleep beneath cardboard on the sidewalks and others beneath comforters in the suburbs. What they share is a feeling of smallness.”

I had to fight a lump in my throat when I read this. Every now and then, whenever I read my notes and get to this part, I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed at the realization that God cares about me.

Matthew and Luke agreed. Not one of these “worthless” sparrows fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father. They are never forgotten by God.

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