“Can you Drink the Cup?” Henri Nouwen

/0 Comments/in , , , /by
Can You Drink the Cup

Photo courtesy of HenriNouwen.org

There’s something very soothing about Nouwen’s writing. His humility, wisdom and love for God are always reflected in his words. This small book is no exception.

Even though it’s easy to read, it’s important to allow his words and the messages he brings to percolate in your heart, so don’t rush this one.

The book reflects on the question Jesus asked James and John who perhaps answered a little too quickly in the affirmative. They were grappling for prominent positions within the disciples ranks and wanted to demonstrate their willingness to do anything Jesus asked.

Nouwen explores the question and the significance of the Cup using the three stages of drinking something: holding the cup, lifting it and, finally, drinking from it. It is a symbol of life that comes full of joys and sorrows.

In using examples from his own life caring for the disabled, Nouwen provides a wonderful outline to what drinking the Cup means and how to go about fully experiencing it.

Highly recommended.

“The Book of Acts, A Commentary,” C.Peter Wagner

/0 Comments/in , , /by
9780830745951-2T

Photo courtesy of ArsenalBooks.com

At the time Wagner wrote this commentary by his records there were already 1,398 commentaries on this magnificent book of the Bible. So he approached his version by way of emphasising two key elements of the book:

1. Power ministries, that is, supernatural acts of healing, prophecy, etc, and
2. Missiological issues involved in the cross-cultural expansion of Christianity.

Therefore, it’s not a verse-by-verse commentary and in fact skips through some major sections of Acts particularly the final third. However, Wagner has clearly studied many of those other commentaries and there is repeated reference to a number of key ones almost on every page. Hence, this is a very comprehensive study when taking into account it’s two primary focuses.

Wagner’s study gives us a powerful picture of the worldliness of the major cities in that time: Athens idolatry, Corinth’s immorality, Ephesus’ emphasis on magic and Rome’s dominant political persuasions. In particular, the study in chapter 19 when Paul was in Ephesus was enthralling especially when one reads his epistle on Ephesians and emphasis on spiritual warfare. I now plan to study Ephesians and incorporate Wagner’s insights.

As far as commentaries go this reads easily in layman’s terms. It is a long study and requires plenty of deliberation and meditation but is an enlightening reference tool.

“Living in Christ’s Presence,” Dallas Willard

/0 Comments/in , , /by
3584

Image courtesy of InterVarsity Press

I find it difficult to fully express my appreciation for this wonderful book. It’s a summary of a series of talks that Willard gave in his final conference before his death in 2013 and features a number of conversations with John Ortberg who participated in that particular conference.

Willard (and Ortberg) always leave the reader with much to stew on. Ortberg describes Willard’s way of communicating the Gospel so aptly when he writes: “… every word is used with a precision that most of us don’t have.”

The authors cover a number of different topics about how to live experiencing the Kingdom including: the power of the Trinity, the importance of knowledge and how spiritual disciplines equip us with power. I particularly enjoyed the discussion around spiritual disciplines. They outlined the difference between “training” and “trying” re: adopting spiritual disciplines in our lives. Many of us think we “try” to incorporate them when we should more think it’s about “training” in running the race of life. We need to train so we gain the power to live well in the Kingdom.

This relatively small book left me wanting more of Willard’s teaching. I doubt it will be long before I start another one of his much loved books.

Highly recommended.

“Hacker (Outlaw Chronicles),” Ted Dekker

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by
izm3eg-td-hacker-frontsmall_03y06403y064000000

Image courtesy of Worthy Publishing

“My name is Nyah and I’m a hacker. I know things most people would never believe. Things that shouldn’t exist, but do.” 

Seventeen year old Nyah Parks is a genius hacker whose world is unraveling. Desperate and with no other choice, Nyah turns her programming skills to cracking the firewalls of the world’s largest corporations. She exposes their weaknesses, and then offers her services to secure their systems from hackers.

But when the most dangerous job of her life backfires and forces her to go on the run, she encounters an impossible reality that shouldn’t exist, but does.

A hack unlike any other. A hack that will take her beyond the firewall of the human brain itself. A hack, which may be the only way to save her mother now.

What if there was a way to tap into the unseen reality that surrounds us all? Would you hack in? How far would you go to find the answers to your deepest questions? The answer lies deep beyond the firewall.

As part of the FirstLook Blog Tour Worthy Publishing provided a Q&A with Ted Dekker which adds good background to the above teaser.

Read more

Q&A with Ted Dekker – Blog Tour for “Hacker” (Outlaw Chronicles)

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by
izm3eg-td-hacker-frontsmall_03y06403y064000000

Image Courtesy of Worthy Publishing

I was given the opportunity to participate in Worthy Publishing’s First Look blog tour for Ted Dekker’s latest novel: “Hacker”.

Hacker is the third installment of the “Outlaw Chronicles” which Dekker describes as follows:

“THE OUTLAW CHRONICLES consist of EYES WIDE OPEN, WATER WALKER and HACKER. Although related through one common character, Stephen, they can be read in any order.

Written in the vein of Ted’s thrillers like Thr3e and Blink, these are transformational stories that take the reader on an intense ride full of twists that unravel the deep mystery or reality in ways rarely seen.

To discover the profound origin story of how Stephen came to live out of the law of darkness, read Ted’s novel by the same name: Outlaw.”

Read more

“Soul Keeping,” John Ortberg

/0 Comments/in , , /by
9780310275961r1

Image courtesy of JohnOrtberg.com

I believe we reflect less on the soul these days, however, as Ortberg outlines, the Bible talks a lot about it.

This beautifully written book helps the reader to understand the soul’s significance and how to care for it. It starts with an important and revealing analogy, one I’ve heard a few times, The Keeper of the Stream. It is with this backdrop that Ortberg soon jumps to the core of the book: “Your soul is what integrates your will (your intentions), your mind (your thoughts, feelings, etc) and your body (your face, body language, and actions) into a single life” and hence, “It’s the most important thing about you. It is your life.”

The book is split into three sections:

1. What the Soul is
2. What the Soul Needs
3. The Soul Restored

I found greatest benefit in the first two sections and particularly appreciated the sections that dealt with sin and how it wages war against the soul: “Sin fractures and shatters the soul.” It is in our fallen natures that our soul’s are needy, needy for God, but often we seek other alternatives which constitutes idolatry.

Ortberg shares his own struggles with keeping his soul set on God and provides some pointers through his own daily experience of how he has developed the habit of walking through his day interacting with God. Dallas Willard has played a pivotal role in Ortberg’s life and understanding of how to care for one’s soul. Throughout the book we are given the opportunity to share in many of their conversations on the topic which I enjoyed immensely.

Ortberg has a very readable style, however, this is a book that challenges and provokes the reader to draw closer to the Lord as it is only “with God” that we can find true contentment.

Highly recommended.