Two Wings of a Nightingale

Two Wings of a Nightingale

by Jill Worrall

Exisle Publishing Limited 2011

ISBN 978-1-921497-84-1

264 pp RRP $35

What is your perception of Iran? I bet it doesn’t tie in with the view of experienced New Zealand travel writer, Jill Worrall, as presented here.

Worrall has a deep love for the middle-eastern countries of which we know so little. In Two Wings of a Nightingale, she and expert local guide, Reza Mirkhalaf, set out across Iran to follow the ancient route of the Silk Road, staying where possible in the old caravanserais which were used by the original travelers.

Reza’s knowledge of Iran’s history, culture and religion gives color and depth to the story. The places they visit and people they meet along the away are brought to life. Reza B. their driver provides insight with his perceptive comments.

Jill’s lively writing informs and entertains. We learn of the people and culture of Iran, without political overtones. We share tales of customs and frustrations, find joy and delight in ordinary every day events.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it opened my eyes to daily life in this fascinating country.

Steppe by Step by Hugh Kemp

Steppe By Step

Hugh Kemp (OMF Publishing)

Monarch Books 2000

ISBN 1 85424 484 1

543 pp

For those who think missionary work in Mongolia has happened only recently, this book by Hugh Kemp will delight and enlighten.

Kemp has a strong background in missions, having grown up in India and worked in Mongolia in church planting and Theological Education by Extension. He and his family went to Mongolia in 1992 with Interserve, and have done several repeat visits.

A skilled researcher, Kemp would like us to know the true history of God’s work in Mongolia. He takes us on a sweeping ride through the centuries, through wars and conquests, boundary realignments and major social changes. He highlights the role of many of the Christian wives and concubines of Mongolia’s rulers who exerted subtle influence on the policies of their times. In an easy to read narrative, Kemp tells us of mission work done by the Moravians, London Missionary Society, Catholic Mission, and various evangelism efforts in the twentieth century.

The work of western missionaries in more recent years has often been hard going. Seldom did they have good news stories of conversions to send back home, and at times they feared their intercessors would weary of praying. But step by step and with persistence and prayer, the forces of darkness are being replaced with the light of the Gospel. Today in the capital city, Ulaanbataar, Christian churches have been planted strategically throughout the city.

The information is easy to follow, being well served by liberal quotes from various sources with end notes and a comprehensive Bibliography. In his forward Tony Lambert writes: ‘Hugh Kemp has unearthed many significant facts which are not easily obtained elsewhere. First-class research is presented in an enjoyable form.’

Hugh Kemp was urged by Mongolian Christians to write their story. Anyone interested in knowing what God is doing in the world today will enjoy this fascinating account of Mongolian Christians from ancient roots to vibrant young church.

Who's Your Father by Robert Bernecker

Who’s Your Father?

Robert Bernecker

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

North Charleston, South Carolina. 2013

227 pp RRP $2.86 Kindle edition

Is your God really GOD? Or is he a god made in your own image, a tame god who jumps to do your bidding?

These and other questions are posed in Robert Bernecker’s book, Who’s Your Father.

Bernecker freely admits he is a non-theological lay-person dealing with weighty topics. As such, however, he relates well to the common person and every point he makes is backed up by Scripture, with the pages littered with Scripture references, and extensive quotes from eminent Christian scholars.

Much of the teaching in the church today is shown to be false by the clear teaching of Scripture. There are many ways in which we attempt to bring God down to our own size or make him in our own image.

 Bernecker opens his discussion with the illustration of the sparrows that Jesus used (Matthew 10:29). Here he challenges us to a right view of God’s sovereignty and his minute involvement in our lives.

If God had all power but did not love us, or loved us but did not have all power, what confidence could we have in him? ‘Jesus, however, showed us that our God gives to us the perfect combination of unlimited love and unbounded sovereignty,’ he writes. ‘We can, therefore, have a real and living faith.’

 Following chapters discuss the erroneous concept of a ‘Gentleman God’ and the role of faith because with our finite minds we CANNOT understand God’s ways. Is God unfair? Are we puppets or robots? Does God override our free will?

The book would be easier to read if it had shorter chapters and paragraphs and less unnecessary repetition. At times I struggled, but these are deep truths and it takes concentration to grasp the message. Prayer and an open Bible to check out the Scripture passages are vital.

Bernecker’s goal is to draw us closer to our God who is with us not only in our past and future, but also in each moment of the present.

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice. (Psalm 97:1) Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. (Psalm 135:6)

This is our God, the God who wants an intimate relationship with us and in whom we can have total confidence.

      

Realising a Vision Through Faith - book review

Realising a Vision Through Faith

by Colleen Redit with Peggy Loh

Published by Christian Ministries Charitable Trust, Chennai, India. 2013

In 1964 a keen young girl left New Zealand shores and sailed to India. Colleen Redit is still there, but much has changed. This autobiography tells the story of Colleen’s life and Ministry in Chennai in the intervening years.

I found this book inspirational. I have long known of Colleen and attended some of her meetings when on furlough in New Zealand. But the scope of the story in this book is much greater than I knew before.

From early beginnings in a small garage when she was finding her way in a foreign culture, through much social change, to a multi-faceted ministry today, Colleen’s faith remains strong. Her reason for being there is the same – to bring glory to her Lord and Master through helping the poor and outcasts and bringing people to faith in Christ.

Today Christian Ministries Charitable Trust has 25 ministries with over 400 staff. Over 3000 people are helped daily with various needs. Ministries include an orphanage, schools, handicraft workshops, medical work, and soup kitchens.

A faith ministry, trusting God to meet their needs each day, miracles are seen every day. Many lives have been transformed through CMCT, transformed by God himself, and through the faithfulness of Colleen and her workers.

I recommend this book to everyone to give a marvelous insight into what God is doing in a small corner of India.

Heaven is for Real

Heaven is for Real

by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent 2010

Thomas Nelson

“There are no old people in heaven, Dad, and no one wears glasses,” said Colton Burpo when shown a photo of his grandfather, known as Pop. This photo of an old man had no relevance to the Pop Colton said he had met in heaven.

Heaven is for Real tells the story of Colton Burpo’s experiences while he was under anaesthetic during a shocking medical event which almost took his life. Happening just before his fourth birthday, Colton revealed snippets to his parents, Todd and Sonja Burpo, over the next few months. Related very matter-of-factly, surprising details emerged of what he had seen and heard.

His parents were astonished when he told them things there was no earthly way he could have known. He talked about his two sisters.

“But you have only one sister, Cassie” his mother replied.

Heaven is for Real

by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent 2010

Thomas Nelson

“There are no old people in heaven, Dad, and no one wears glasses,” said Colton Burpo when shown a photo of his grandfather, known as Pop. This photo of an old man had no relevance to the Pop Colton said he had met in heaven.

Heaven is for Real tells the story of Colton Burpo’s experiences while he was under anaesthetic during a shocking medical event which almost took his life. Happening just before his fourth birthday, Colton revealed snippets to his parents, Todd and Sonja Burpo, over the next few months. Related very matter-of-factly, surprising details emerged of what he had seen and heard.

His parents were astonished when he told them things there was no earthly way he could have known. He talked about his two sisters.

“But you have only one sister, Cassie” his mother replied.

“No, no,” he said. “I met my other sister in heaven.”

“What is her name?” His mother was testing him.

“She has no name,” he replied. “She said you didn’t give her one.”

Sonja was astounded. She had never told Colton about her miscarriage. And it was true they hadn’t named the baby; they had not known her gender.

Todd and Sonja Burpo were wary at first of sharing Colton’s remarkable story, but eventually they were persuaded to go public. This book was published when Colton was about 10 years old, and it has proved an inspiration to many people.

I know there is an explosion of stories and books about visits to heaven and near death experiences. There is also discussion on whether they are real or not. God knows, but for me this story rings true and is a real page-turner. It excited and thrilled me and made me feel so much closer to heaven.

To find out the rest of story about Colton’s Pop you will have to read the book. Thank you Todd for sharing your family’s story.

“No, no,” he said. “I met my other sister in heaven.”

“What is her name?” His mother was testing him.

“She has no name,” he replied. “She said you didn’t give her one.”

Sonja was astounded. She had never told Colton about her miscarriage. And it was true they hadn’t named the baby; they had not known her gender.

Todd and Sonja Burpo were wary at first of sharing Colton’s remarkable story, but eventually they were persuaded to go public. This book was published when Colton was about 10 years old, and it has proved an inspiration to many people.

I know there is an explosion of stories and books about visits to heaven and near death experiences. There is also discussion on whether they are real or not. God knows, but for me this story rings true and is a real page-turner. It excited and thrilled me and made me feel so much closer to heaven.

To find out the rest of story about Colton’s Pop you will have to read the book. Thank you Todd for sharing your family’s story.

God in the ICU

God in the ICU

by Dr. Dave Walker

Kindle Edition

These stories of God in the ICU excite, amaze, and stir the emotions in unexpected ways.  Be prepared to have your faith increased and have renewed gratitude for His involvement in every aspect of your life.

Dr. Dave Walker tells a very personal story of his journey to find a God who is real, and his growth into maturity and a deep relationship with a God who loves him intensely.

Gently he shares painful insights into losing his wife of 40 years to cancer, and God’s comfort to him in his time of grief.

The story of his professional life is told with compassion and humour as he deals with drama and trauma on a daily basis. Along the way he grows in faith and intimacy with God. Just enough medical detail is told for us to understand, without getting bogged down in unnecessary information.

Stories of miracles and healings made my heart sing. Although not every drama has a positive outcome, lessons are learned of God’s deep love shown in EVERY situation.

This book is beautifully written and easy to read, keeping me racing through to see what happens next. It is an exciting journey as Dave Walker finds a God who is real and present in his life.

Thank you, Dave, for sharing your story with us.

www.godintheicu.wordpress.com

http://ebooks.faithwriters.com/index.php  

http://www.amazon.com/God-in-the-ICU-ebook

Caricatures and Comic Strips

I love humor and enjoy a good joke. Religious topics are a great source of material for comedians, and for the most part I don’t mind that. But there is a danger if we take the jokes too seriously and allow them to define our faith and perception of the truth. Truth is true, whether we like it or not.

Satan portrays himself as an angel of light to mimic Jesus who is the Light of the World. The Devil is a master at imitation and likes to bend our minds by subtly altering the truth to destroy our faith in God.

Two examples of this are found in Noah’s (or God’s) Ark, and in the perennial jokes about St. Peter and the Pearly Gates.

Noah’s Ark

We all know the comical pictures in children’s picture books. A wooden plank boat teeters at an awkward angle with oversize animals on the deck, giraffes stretch their necks out the windows, animals intertwine and Noah stands by looking puzzled. Or animals neatly line up two by two by the ramp ready to board, with a clear impression that they won’t all fit.       

They might be fun pictures, but it is a dangerous thing to mix a little truth with a heap of imagination and pass it off as reality.

So, what is wrong with this imagery? The main problem is the false impression it gives to people who don’t know the true story or understand the dimensions of the ark and its meaning.

Ha, they say. The flood story must be a myth because there is no way all those animals could fit on that little boat.

So how big was the ark?  The Bible says it was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high (140 meters long, 23 meters wide and 13.5 meters high). It was three stories high with lower, middle and upper decks. It had room for all the animals and birds, a huge food store, and a half meter opening between the roof and the sides for light and ventilation. It didn’t need pointed ends as it wasn’t going to sail anywhere, it just needed to float.

Only eight people went on the ark, Noah and his wife, their three sons and the wives of their three sons. Many more could have fitted on, but chose not to believe Noah.

We are told that while Noah was building the ark, which took about one hundred years, he was preaching to the people around him to tell them of impending judgment and urging them to join him on the ark. Did they listen to him? No, they mocked and scorned, and when the flood came they perished.

Ark model in modern setting on rugby field to show scale:

Model and photo by Dean Farrow

 

Today, as then, the world is in a mess and judgment is coming. But God has made a way of escape, and no one needs to perish. Jesus is our Ark, our refuge, our way of escape. Jesus says “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by me.”

God doesn’t want us to perish. His son Jesus Christ died in our place to bring salvation and provide our escape from judgment. Don’t let the caricature cloud your perception but read the Bible to find the whole story. Accept Jesus and live.

 

St. Peter and the Pearly Gates.

Where did this image come from? Nowhere in the Bible are we told that Peter is standing at the gates of heaven deciding who should come in and who should be rejected.

The common theme of St. Peter jokes is that the criteria for entry into heaven is the good things we have done. If we have done right we’ll get in, but if we’ve done bad things we won’t. It is all by works.

What a coincidence that this is a common theme of most religions. But the Bible says that our entry to heaven is not by works, but by the grace and mercy of God.

God’s heaven is a sinless place. Nothing impure can enter in. And that means you and me in our natural state because we can’t cleanse ourselves to God’s standard.

That is why Jesus came – to be the sacrifice for our sins. He took our sin on himself, and exchanged it for his purity.  He makes us clean and spotless and fit for his presence.

Jesus said “I am the door.” He is the only way to heaven, and it is nothing to do with Peter or the pearly gates.

Laugh at St. Peter jokes if you want, some of them are really funny. But don’t take them seriously or believe that our good works are the way to heaven.

Heaven

Here is another misconception – that in heaven we sit around on fluffy clouds playing harps all day and it is totally boring. Where did that image come from?

We are not told a lot about heaven, and some of what we are told is in figurative language. The main thing about heaven is that it is the dwelling place of God. Remember the saying – it’s the people who make a place? We travel through this life and if we choose to follow God, when we die we go to be WITH God, which is heaven. If we reject God, we go to eternity WITHOUT God, which is hell.

It is our choice. God has provided the way to heaven – his son Jesus Christ. Don’t blame God for ratifying your choice if you find yourself in hell.