Where Will I Find the Time? - Sally McClung

The subtitle for this little book is Making Time Work for You. It is basically a time management study based on Biblical principles. Sally McClung, wife of Floyd McClung, takes the passage from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, which begins “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under Heaven” (NIV), and draws out guidelines and practical suggestions and hints for each area of our lives.

Her study covers topics such as marriage, family, friendship, work, leisure, and renewal, and is based upon her own life experience as a wife and mother of two children, working within an active ministry (Youth with a Mission). The book was written in the late eighties, when her children were teenagers and the family lived in the heart of the ‘red-light’ district of Amsterdam. But the teaching is relevant to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

The nine chapters each focus on one aspect of life. For example, Chapter 1, ‘A Time to Organize’ is based on Ecclesiastes 3:6 “A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away”. This is quite a difficult chapter to start the book with, as her personality type leans towards organizing in a particular way. The following chapter ‘A Time to Build’ focuses on building our relationship with God, and personally I would have preferred that chapter first. The verse order of Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes in not rigidly adhered to, but the topics covered do flow naturally and allow for progression, through to ‘A Time for Healing’.

Her question ‘Are you busy but barren?’ cautions us against the ‘tyranny of the urgent’ which will squeeze out planned time for refreshment and restoration in our body, mind and spirit, and necessary building of relationships within marriage and family, and with friends. I was relieved to reach ‘A Time for Fun’, as I was beginning to feel that I would never meet her very high standards of organization in all areas.

For me, there was nothing really new in her open and frank discussion, but it served as a timely reminder to keep vigilant about maintaining balance in all things, and being prepared to make small adjustments to constantly improve in the time-management arena. I could relate quite well to the McClung family anecdotes, which really helped to carry the book along.

Where will I find the Time? is a quick and easy read, which could also make an interesting discussion starter or group Bible study.

An Introduction to The OLD TESTAMENT TEMPLATE - Landa Cope

Landa Cope has worked with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for over 30 years, preparing young people to become missionaries: to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to disciple the nations. So it was rather a bombshell for her to discover around 10 years ago, that some of the most evangelized and Christianised nations of the world were now amongst the most corrupt, poorest, crime-ridden, war-torn, socially-deprived nations too. How could this happen? That was the question she sought to answer, and the outcome is expanded in this book, subtitled Rediscovering God’s principles for discipling all nations.

How she came to this realization and her extensive research around the globe sets the scene for the mandate revealed in Scripture that she is now passionate about all believers seeing, understanding and being part of its fulfillment. She explains how God revealed to her that “the devastation you see is the fruit of preaching salvation alone, without the rest of the biblical message.” (p19) and her quest took her to prominent church leaders, who were also coming to this realization but at the time no one had any real solutions to offer.

Landa, therefore decided to delve into Scripture to unearth the principles for herself. This has not been a ‘quick fix’ discovery, but a decade of life transforming revelation, renewing her thinking and sharing the strategies and principles she found and is still finding. She readily admits that this book is but an introduction to the topic and encourages her readers to explore for themselves, applying the principles to their own lives and searching for answers which will radically change the way we view every aspect of our lives

Her method was simple but ingenious: to colour-code passages, dealing with the eight domains of life that she discovered, starting with the Torah, or the books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible, then confirming her findings by studying what Jesus said about these domains in the New Testament. To date, she has completed the Old Testament, and found that the more she studies the Bible in this way, the more God confirms the truth that He has laid out a mandate for discipling any and every nation.

I was introduced to Landa’s message, when she came to speak at a local church in Cape Town. As a result I bought some DVD’s of her teaching YWAM students in 2000 and have recently read this book, detailing her journey up to 2006. It is compelling viewing and reading; each component complements the other, but each are complete in themselves.

This is not a book for those who are comfortable with their lives, or for those who are insecure about change. But it would provide a wealth of material for discussion starters, in almost any setting, the breadth of her findings cover every area of society. They are far reaching and provoking.

I would recommend this book to anyone involved in missions, anyone who runs a church, anyone involved in government, business or education, and anyone involved in communication, science or the arts. In fact everyone should read this, especially every Christian

Fasting - Lynne M Baab

The subtitle to Fasting is Spiritual Freedom beyond our Appetites. The book deals with many different types of fasting, not just fasting from food. Lynne Baab draws on much material by other established authors in this field, including several research projects conducted by students. She also draws on her own experiences, in an open, honest account of her struggles with fasting, particularly as someone whose weight has see-sawed and for whom dieting has been a life-time preoccupation.

Her opening metaphor for Biblical fasting is the Statue of Liberty in New York, whose face is stern and austere, compared with its smaller version in Seattle, having a soft almost fleshy face. She contrasts the two faces, drawing parallels between costly freedom and indulgent benevolence, drawing the reader to the challenges of sacrifice and commitment in a culture that has become self-absorbed and pleasure-seeking. Her claim is that in our quest for freedom we actually burden ourselves and have forgotten what lack and true liberty feel like.

Using numerous examples from biblical and church history, and testimonies from people today, her study takes the reader through current attitudes towards food and fasting; a brief history of fasting in Christian history; an excellent chapter which she calls ‘A photo album of biblical stories’; abstaining from food and an introduction to the vocabulary of fasting, including a useful table of definitions; other fasts, including TV and entertainment fasts, and fasting for those with eating disorders; and communal fasting with others.

Each chapter concludes with questions for reflection or discussion and a short prayer focus. On almost every page, quotes by other writers or succinct testimonies by people who have fasted are highlighted, breaking up the block of text. The use of an empty bowl, from the cover photo, punctuates each chapter and quotation, creating a frequent visual reminder of the book’s topic. Two short appendices are included: one, on further sources of reading about fasting, and the other, on the challenge of finding fasting in the Bible, reminding the reader that fasting was implied in many of the biblical texts referring to prayer, as it was part of Jewish culture and background.

Baab’s style is easy to read and she presents her findings in a down-to-earth way, filled with practical examples and hints to encourage the novice faster. She is not preachy or superior, readily admitting her own difficulties with fasting, but nevertheless urging the reader to explore this much misunderstood and largely ignored discipline by Christians today. Her challenge is for her readers to broaden their understanding, to see fasting as something attainable and to rediscover the spiritual benefits of fasting within a 21st century western lifestyle.

Lynne Baab's other books include Sabbath Keeping and A Renewed Spirituality. Fasting is the first book of her's that I have been introduced to. Having read it fairly quickly, I now need to reread unhurriedly, pausing at the end of each chapter for serious reflection and subsequent action. Fasting is a topic which I have read briefly about, dabbled a little with, but never really uncovered its hidden treasures.

I would recommend this book to anyone else in a similar position.

Against All Odds - Wendy Alec

Against All Odds is subtitled 'The story of GOD TV's visionary pioneers Roy and Wendy Alec'

It is the autobiographical account of GOD TV, which was Europe’s first daily Christian Television network. This is the third edition of the book, which was originally published in 1996.

I had read the first book some years ago, but recently borrowed this updated version. I re-read from the beginning, as I wanted to refresh my memory and see any additions or changes that had been made to the rewrite.

I have watched GOD TV in the past from the UK, but not in recent years, as we have lived in other countries, where either GOD TV was not broadcasting or we have not had satellite TV. So, although I had picked up various parts of their story along the way, this edition presents a complete history, up to 2006. As a rewrite there are several pages of explanation before the story unfolds, including selected prophesies given publicly to Wendy and her husband Rory.

The story of how the Alec family came from South Africa to the UK in 1991, having lost everything materially, was re-read with renewed interest, having lived in Cape Town for the past 10 months. Their vision for transforming the media has great resonance with our own, and although the circumstances were totally different, I identified with their struggles and passion to fulfill the call on their lives.

The events are retold in a dramatic style, which at times make it hard to believe. I wondered if there was exaggeration as each story seemed to be set at a slightly higher level than the one before. However, by the end of the book I realised that the drama is part of the telling. There are many miraculous accounts of provision, which do deserve being dramatically told. Equally, there are many desperate situations which help to place the miracles in context. As such the reader feels like they are on a roller coaster, being part of the scary ride with them.

As the GOD TV ministry expands and grows, steadily at first and then expotentially as they move the broadcasting headquarters to Jerusalem, the pace of this roller coaster story increases. At times, the book was hard to put down, and Wendy’s deeply personal style of writing draws you into their marriage and family. You cannot help but feel similar emotions to those she is describing.

The part where they moved to USA to launch GOD TV was very moving. I didn't know any of the story previously. I admired them for responding to the call to move back to UK, and felt excited for my own nation when I read the prophesies about the UK at the end of the book.

But, I also found the book rather preachy, as Wendy uses their personal experience to speak to people going through similar circumstances. I can understand her motives, but I felt those parts of the book didn’t work so well. Rather than letting the message speak for itself, she interprets it for others, whose circumstances cannot be the same as theirs.

Fans of GOD TV will love this book. Those who hate the idea of televangelists, or even of so-called, Christian television, should read it, just to understand where GOD TV fits on that scale and draw their own conclusions. Whatever your viewpoint, Against All Odds is a compelling read.

Revolution in World Missions - K.P.Yohannan

This book is a challenge to Western Christians to rethink their missionary strategies, particularly in relation to giving towards the work of mission in the ‘two-thirds world’, a term related to population density rather than land mass, and previously known a the ‘third world’.

Dr. Yohannan tells his own story of how his mother’s prayer “O God, let one of my boys preach” looked to be unanswered, as each of her six sons chose alternative life paths. However, the youngest, who despite showing no leadership skills and being rather shy, responded to a visiting Gospel team from Operation Mobilization, in their home in South India. Their presentation of the desperate need for missionaries in the north of India, to give their lives to tell others about Jesus Christ in the face of severe hardship and persecution, tugged at K.P.’s heart. So, in 1966 at age 16, his mother handed him enough money for his train ticket and he set off on his life-time adventure.

For the next seven years he travelled with mobile evangelistic teams all over North India, climbing a very steep learning curve as he ventured to share the Gospel, using few resources and living a peasant life-style. His eyes were opened to the poverty and entrapment to false religions and he began to grasp the reality of the spiritual battle he was in.

Then, he was invited for two years of study in the United States and even more culture shock ensued, as he struggled to understand the overwhelming abundance and wealth of the North American church, compared with the stark deprivation of his Asian brothers. He became convinced that the Western plan for sending missionaries, incurring great expense and bearing little fruit, could be transformed into the Western church providing the finance for native missionary evangelists in Asia.

The remainder of the book then tells the story of Gospel for Asia, the organization he founded in 1980 with the idea of encouraging people to put aside $1 a day for native missionary work. This is the amount that most native missionaries have to live on and providing that amount, from the Western economy, would double their income and enable many more to respond to the call to go to their countrymen. Today Dr Yohannan still continues to administer the funds. He has carried out a great deal of research, presenting this in an interesting way; interweaving true life stories and statistical evidence together to demonstrate his conviction that sponsoring native missionaries is the only viable option open in the 21st century.

He communicates his case very well, explaining the difficulties and successes he has experienced, and devoting a whole chapter to answering the most frequently asked questions of people about his ministry.

A few statistics taken from the book are that, up to 2004, Gospel for Asia has more than 14,000 national missionaries in the heart of the 10/40 Window (This is a geographical area bordered by the line of latitude, 10 degrees north, and the line of longitude, 40 degrees west. Researchers have identified that this area contains the most un-reached people groups for the Gospel, throughout the world). Gospel for Asia operates 54 Bible colleges with more than 8,000 students and heads up a church-planting movement that pioneers an average of 12 new fellowships every day. (www.gfa.org)

Christian Vision’s ‘Impact a Nation’ project uses slightly different methods, but the end goal is the same, to train up nationals to take over the church-planting and discipling in the nations of Mozambique, Angola, East Timor and Zambia. (www.christianvision.org)

I found Revolution in World Missions interesting, informative and very thought provoking, and I would recommend it for those who have a heart for world missions.

Heroes of the Faith - Eric Liddell, by Ellen Caughey

The story of Eric Liddell is well known, especially since the wonderful 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, which focuses on the events surrounding his triumph in the 1924 Olympic Games, held in Paris. However, in this little book, which is part of the Heroes of the Faith series, only one chapter is devoted to this episode in his life. The other fourteen chapters retell the rest of his life, both before and after those exciting days which made him famous.

I was familiar with some of the story, but didn’t know the details of his life in China. Eric Henry Liddell was born to Scottish missionary parents, in Tiensin, China, in 1902 and died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, in Weihsien, China, in 1945. Of his 43 years on this earth, he spent 27 of them in China, the remainder, at school, university and missionary college, in Britain. His death, from what was thought to be a brain tumor, was tragic, especially for his young family, who were sent to Canada, when his third child was expected, in 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbour and subsequent invasion of China. He only saw this youngest daughter in photographs and his wife knew about his death only two months after the event.

His was a life lived with great purpose: his passion to return to China had dominated his thoughts and been his motivation throughout all the athletic training and meets. Even when he won Scotland’s first Olympic Gold Medal in the 400m race he did not seek or accept personal glory and accolade, but used his prominence to preach the Gospel to thousands of men and boys, urging them onto a higher goal. He left the fame of England for the obscurity of China in 1925, to fulfill his life’s calling to teach and train a generation of boys, who would impact their nation for God. He died persuing that dream, determined to stay with the other missionaries who had given their all trying to transform a nation.

Although Eric is largely known for swapping his track shoes for hiking boots, he continued to both race and train other runners in China. His physical fitness was one of his hallmarks, enabling him to cycle great distances, encouraging local pastors.

Told largely chronologically, but starting with a race meeting in 1923, I liked the way the author included several extracts from letters and journals written by Eric, which provided more insight into him as a person. I found the background history of China, especially as it concerned the Liddell family, most helpful for setting it in the context of the great missionary thrust of the last century and then, of the Japanese invasion of China. The story is told sensitively and with great detail, building a picture of each family member, his wife and several friends who were significant throughout his life and who were greatly impacted through his friendship and example.

Smaller than A5 in size, this tiny book was useful for taking about, to read in spare moments.

A great quick read and highly recommended.

Don't Waste Your Life - John Piper

I guess I must have heard of John Piper, but I hadn't read any of his books - until now. From the attention-grabbing title and dedication to Louie Giglio (whose DVD's called Indescribable and How Great is our God, have enthralled us recently), to the final chapter, which is a prayer, Don't Waste Your Life was a book that I could hardly put down.

This is his personal quest to discover and challenge a generation, preoccupied with living a life of comfort and pleasure, not to get caught up in living a life that counts for nothing. His challenge is not to live so that we are "made much of, but to make much of him (Jesus) in every part of our lives". To live with a single passion: the glory of God in all things, is presented in a style and format that draws the reader away from their own selfish ambition to consider the time when we will all one day stand before Christ and give an account of our life.

Through personal anecdotes and stories gathered from history John Piper presents the case of those who have demonstrated, like the Apostle Paul, that "for me to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21) and those who have wasted the one opportunity we have to live life with a passion for God.

He is the master of the superlative in describing the potential of our lives. The purpose of every chapter is to confront our cozy lifestyles and make us stand up and be counted among those heroes of the faith, those martyrs of yesterday and increasingly of today. Titles like 'Boasting Only in the Cross, The Blazing Center of the Glory of God' and 'Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5' show that what we think and dream and plan and work can all be encompassed in that single passion.

His plea to not waste you life is presented in a balanced practical way. He is not cavalier, on the contrary, he exudes humility and fervour, but his obsession is to joyfully display God's "supreme excellence in all the spheres of life".

I would strongly recommend this book to everyone. You will either love it or hate it, but you shouldn't ignore it.