Book Review - Title: Prayer: More Than Words by Leroy Eims

Here is a small and useful book by Leroy Eims, published by NavPress in 1982. Though quite an old book, it is a good refresher on our prayer life with the Lord.

In twelve short chapters, Leroy unpacks from his walk with the Lord and from the Word, honest and down-to-earth teaching and principles on how to have an effective life of prayer.

One note worthy chapter is chapter 11 titled "Not Just Prayer, But Prayer Plus". Leroy expands in detail what Jesus taught the disciples on what it meant to 'watch and pray'. Therefore, read the book to find out.

Other books by Leroy Eims, available in the library are:

1. What Every Christian Should Know About Growing
2. The Lost Art of Disciple-making
3. Laboring in the Harvest

Online resources by Leroy Eims on Disciple-making:
http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/leroy_eims.php

Times Of Learning

The day we stop learning is the day we start dying
Even the dying process is a learning process
We would not stop learning
Why? Even when we thought we stopped learning
We simply just learned that we stopped learning
And we learned how to stop learning

It is really like telling ourselves to stop breathing
We cannot stop breathing even though if we force it

Times of learning
The trees
The flowers
The sky
The colours
The lines
The outlines
The light
The branches like hands offering praise to God
The green
The quiet streets
The zooming of vehicles
The rain
The sunshine
The rainbow
The busyness of life
The business of life
The conversations between the created
The cells and molecules
The interaction
The faith
The unseen
The visible things
The invisible things
The invisible God
The invincible God
The indescribable God
The loving God in Jesus

Bless You Lord!

Book Review - Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Audio-CD)

Produced by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, this audio book on the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is an excellent and attractive narrative for both personal and family enjoyment. The second book in the Chronicles of Narnia book series, it depicts how four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy got themselves through a forgotten wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia, stumbling into fascinating creatures like Mr. Tumnus the fawn, Mr. And Mrs. Beaver and intriguing characters like the White Witch and Aslan the Great Lion.

As we listened to the narrative over our CD player, we were quickly drawn into the story as if we were just following behind the adventures of the four children. This was made possible and real by different casts taking the roles depicted in the story and aided by cinema-quality sound and original music. Watch out for the startle by Aslan's roar and be moved by his sacrifice on the stone tablets.

Like the children, I too stumbled upon this audio CD.

For book readers, you may check out the book titles in the Chronicles of Narnia series:
The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and his Boy
Prince Caspian (not available)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle

Times Of Waiting

On a queue.
Traffic congestion.
Waiting for another.
The patience.
The conversations.
The thoughts.
The wondering.
Oh what happening.
The questions.
Where are they.
The finding.
The seeking.
The praying.
The anxiety.
The longing.
The anguish.
The appearance.
The hallelujahs.
The welcome.
The rest.
The peace.
The heart in peace.
The thanksgiving.
The journey.
The story.
The found my way back.
The direction and U- turn.
The help and guidance.
The glory due His name.

Book Review - Title: A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

After reading Jim George's book titled God's Man of Influence, I was intrigued to find out what other books were written and found this book by Jim’s wife, titled “A Woman After God's Own Heart”. I gave it a read to see if it will be useful for my wife to read as well.

What a discovery! Elizabeth George sets the woman's heart in the following three parts:
(1) The Pursuit of God
(2) The Pursuit of God's Priorities and
(3) The Practice of God's Priorities

From about every chapter of the book, Elizabeth shares her experiences and lessons she had learned through interactions in her ministry as well as in her home. Thereafter, she also points us to biblical examples. She then ends the chapter with practical steps on how to apply the lessons learned. So be prepared to take down notes for review and application.

Elizabeth outlines the pursuit of God’s priorities through setting our hearts aright in the woman’s relationship to her husband, to her children, to her home, to herself and to her ministry. Through these areas, I have noted she somehow covered useful topics like Devotions, Prayer, Obedience, Priority Setting, Personal Development, Parenting, Motherhood, Home Improvement and especially practical steps towards Spiritual Growth.

The book also includes a helpful study guide for personal reflection and application.

Choose Between Life and Death

Each day is filled with many choices.

Some causes you to really rejoice.

Some moves you into destruction.

But one day we all see redemption.

Though some chose the good life,

But in the end they found much strife.

And some chose seemingly death,

Journeys into life's best delights. 

Between life and death, choose wisely. 

And for life's sack, choose life. 

Book Review - Title: Loving God by Charles Colson

Charles Colson seeks and shares through the life stories of people past and present whom God took hold of them to stand out as people who loved God. An unknown-of Russian doctor became a Christian in the prison camps of Soviet Russia. He shared his new found faith with one of his patient who later went on to tell the world what he had learnt there. Do you know who this patient is?

“Take up and read” were the four words that came from a voice ringing into the heart of another young man. He found his friend nearby reading the page to which the book was open – Romans 13. The word of God took hold of him and he gave his life to Christ. Do you know who this young man is?

Also Charles writes about the testimony story of several ladies who set up an apartment house near to the State prison. The intent of this initiative was to provide housing at a cheap rate for visiting families of those imprisoned.

Another woman, depressed, prayed to God to take her home. She heard these three words in reply: “WRITE TO PRISONERS”. She wrote in obedience to a prison she knew about and her letter writing became a bountiful blessing to those inmates.

Indeed, through these stories and others found in this book, Charles Colson urges us to be active lovers of God.

The Embarrassing Claim of Christianity (An Excerpt from Coming Back To God by Patrick Morley)

It is best to call things plainly, to call them as they are. Many of the basic claims of Christianity are not only the most difficult to explain but also the most embarrassing. A Christian writer, however, has the duty to explain Christianity, not explain it away. There is one claim in particular that many Christians find terribly embarrassing: Christianity makes the remarkable claim to not only solve the problem of futility but also to cause it. Christianity teaches that the whole world has been subjected to futility (synonyms: frustration, vanity, and meaninglessness) by God. He has done this with the hope of liberating us from our bondage to decay and bringing us into the fold of God’s children. It is the Christian view that if man could find even a trace of meaning in any earthly pursuit apart from God, he would take it. In an earlier chapter we saw how Solomon pursued every conceivable earthly avenue to find meaning and happiness independent of God, and he came up empty.

Christianity teaches that God causes every system that seeks meaning and happiness apart from him to end in futility, while at the same time teaching that this futility is considered a “grace” or kindness from God. In other words, failing was for Solomon’s benefit. Christianity teaches that God makes us feel the weight of futility in every worldly pursuit—getting the big promotion, making the big bucks, living in the big house, or getting none of those things. He makes us so miserable through futility that we choose him of our own free will. He sovereignly removes any possibility of finding meaning except in him. We might put it this way: Futility is the chief tool by which God sovereignly draws us to himself of our own free will.

God will not force a man to revere him, but he will make it impossible for a man to be happy unless he does. Solomon said it this way: “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.” So even if we get exactly what we want, we will still not be happy apart from God. Apart from God, life has no meaning. That’s the deal. I am just reporting it; don’t shoot me.

Read the book Coming Back to God by Patrick Morley.

Book Review - Title: Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris

Our pastor made reference in his sermon on the group of teens who set up a website called TheRebelution.com. After making a check on the website, I looked up on the book written by the site’s teen founders Alex & Brett Harris. I found the audio book in the Public Library.

I found this book like a wake-up call to action; to Do Hard Things for the glory of God; firstly exposing the low expectations that are robbing our generations, reclaiming those in their teen years as the launching pad of life.

Alex & Brett suggest in their book the five kinds of HARD things to do:
1. How to do hard things that take you outside your comfort zone
2. How to do hard things that go beyond what’s expected or required
3. How to do hard things that are too big for you to do along
4. How to do hard things that don’t pay off immediately
5. How to do hard things that go against the crowd

John Piper, Desiring God Ministries and best-selling author of Don’t Waste Your Life wrote, “Adult expectations for youth are too low. And these twins are out to raise them. Don’t adapt to the low cultural expectations for youth. Set high ones. Youth can become examples for adults. Think that way. Dream that way.”

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship and best-selling author of How Now Shall We Live? wrote, “If you’ve got a teenager – or if you have a grandson or granddaughter – I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of Do Hard Things. It would make a great graduation present or summer reading.”
Excerpts from Praise for Do Hard Things

Book Review - Title: Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado

With Scripture after Scripture and story after story - Bible ones and daily life ones, Pastor and writer Max Lucado reminds us and rekindles us afresh on this topic of Grace. With sermonic fluency, he shares with us that grace is not only more than we deserve, it is even greater than we imagine.

This reminds me of the God pursuing and prayer encouraging verse in Ephesians 3:20 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Here is an excerpt from the cover page:
God's grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after you. It rewrites you. From insecure to God secure. From regret riddled to better-because-of-it. From afraid to die to ready to fly.

Get ready for a refresher and allow the grace filled Gospel to speak to our hearts again and again as you pick up this book.

Other titles by Max Lucado are:
1. A Gentle Thunder
2. God Came Near
3. He Chose the Nails - What God did to win your heart
4. Hermie - A Common Caterpillar
5. No Wonder They Call Him The Savior
6. On The Anvil
7. Travelling light

Book Review - Title: The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Magician’s Nephew, the first book in the seven-book series of the Chronicles of Narnia depicts the exploration of Digory who is the nephew of the magician, his Uncle Andrew. Through the experimental use of some magical rings, Digory was tasked to seek out and bring back his friend Polly who touched one of those rings and vanished in thin air. In the process of their exploration, they accidentally released the Queen who later is known as the Snow Queen in the next book of the series.

Go on an adventure together with Digory on how he meets up with Aslan, the Lion and witness His grand creations and missions for Digory and Polly. And also how he faces the temptings of the Queen and later how he eventually was bestowed with a Narnian fruit for his sickly mother. You will also discover through this book the identity of the Professor, who the lion Aslan is depicting biblically, how the wardrobe came about, how the lamp post appeared in the middle of the jungle as depicted in the next book The Lion, the Wardrobe and the Witch.

For parents, you may consider borrowing and reading to your children.

Other books in the series are:
The Horse and his Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle
The full story of the Chronicles of Narnia in Audio CD

Fighting Back or Fall At His Feet?

John 18:11
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Deep within is the tendency and temptation to fight back; draw the sword; retaliate; revenge. Such is the tension when Jesus the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the Son of God, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God and God, commands Peter to keep the sword. Jesus was not leading a rebellion, not like how the world does it. Jesus was leading a reformation - a falling at His feet.

Matthew 26:39 notes "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”"

The Father, the God of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the Lord of the Universal and Cosmos and all, gives us the cup.

The cup.

Shall I drink the cup or shall I draw the sword?

The cup. The wine. The blood that has been poured out for me, for you and for all.

Let us drink the cup.

Book Review - Title: Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke

In the foreword by C.J. Mahaney, he wrote that Lit! is a book for non-readers. Tony Reinke wrote Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books for any Christian who wants to read books, and read them well. Tony has written the book in a manner like it is an adventure. Beginning part 1 on the theology of books and reading, he identifies with many of us in our overwhelming search for resources in the bookstore and then brings us to Mount Sinai, the story of the Ten Commandments. Where is the link? Read Lit! to find out more.

After convincing us on why we should read books in the first part, Tony added part 2 on some practical advice on book reading which I am sure will interest some of us. These advice included:
1. 6 Priorities That Decide What Books I read (and Don’t Read)
2. 20 Tips and Tricks for Reading Nonfiction Books
3. 6 Ways to Find (and Protect) the Time You Need to Read Books
4. How Internet Habits Cripple Book Reading
5. The Fine Art of Defacing Books with Pencils, Pens, and Highlighters.
6. Building Community One Book at a Time
7. How Parents and Pastors Can Ignite in Others a Love for Book Reading
8. 5 Marks of a Healthy Book Reader
and others…

Tony has given some helpful guide to know how to choose the best books, how to find time to read books, and how to find joy – not drudgery – in the pages of books and with hope that Christians, men and women would find delight in God and rediscover afresh the love for reading Scripture and commit to lifelong reading goals.

Book Review -Title: 31 Days of Prayer by Warren and Ruth Myers

I came across and used this book called '31 Days of Prayer for My Child' (Out of Print, but available in NLB and Amazon) by Susan Alexander Yates and Allison Yates Gaskins. I borrowed it from one of the Public Libraries. It helped me to know how to talk to God concerning my kids and issues related to growing kids.

Then I picked up this book called '31 Days of Prayer' by Warren & Ruth Myers. I remember using '31 Days of Praise' by Ruth Myers and it guided me on how to praise our Father who is in heaven. Now using this prayer book for the next 31 days, I was guided to pray in more specific areas.

In this prayer book ‘31 Days of Prayer’ has several parts. Discover God’s guidelines on how to pray for each of these areas as you check out this book from your local Public Library. You can also look out for other titles by Warren & Ruth Myers.
1. 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers
2. How to be Effective in Prayer
3. Praise – A Door to God’s Presence

Book Review - Title: Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione by Chuck Black

“Kendrick!” Winston shouted in despair at the ominous sight of the unknown warriors pouring through the gates.
“Make way, Winston,” Kendrick shouted back as a smile spread across his face. “They are the King’s!”
The ranks of the knights parted, and Bronwyn’s promised force of more than four hundred Silent Warriors charged straight through to engage the Shadow Warriors. The castle yard soon rang with the clash of swords from two diametrically opposed forces. Both were fighting for the souls of men and women – one to imprison them and one to free them. Bronwyn and Ra engaged in the middle of it all, and the sound of their swords seemed to resound above the rest.
Excerpt from Chap. 18, The Battle of Bel Lione, page 153

Author Chuck Black bases on people and events taken directly from Scripture and presents biblical principles allegorically. In this book, he tells the story of Sir Kendrick together with his young charge, Sir Duncan setting out on a mission to discover the identity and origin of a secretive new order known as the Vincero Knights. Their journey eventually led them to the city of Bel Lione where they will battle the minions of darkness and clash with the evil Lord Ra. It is masterfully written, describing and bringing words to life surrounding scenes of sword battles, narrow escapes as well as touching moments of kind hearts. This book is not only for children, but also for teens and adults alike. Each page just gets you excited to read further to discover how the story unfolds.

“Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione was exciting and kept us on the edges of our seats! The book was so realistic and action-packed that we felt we were part of it!”
- Hannah, age 17, and Caleb, age 14

This book, the first of a series of six books, is available in your nearest Public Library.

The Gift of Knowing You

When I see the stars at night
How my heart is drawn to You
And their light shines Your grace on me
How I long to be with You
I lift my voice in praise
I will love You with my life
For Your beauty
and Your goodness never end

Nothing compares to knowing You
You are the treasure of my life
Trusting in Jesus Christ my Lord
My richest blessing in the world

In the valleys or on high
You are with me all the time
Thank You Lord
for the gift of knowing You