Tag: Book Recommendations Page 7 of 10

The Death of My Hero

On June 16, 2015

I fell in love with Jim when I was 18.

Elisabeth introduced me to him in her books. When I would tell my friends that I planned to marry Jim Elliot, they would roll their eyes and remind me that he was not only 50 years older than me and already married, but he was, um, dead. But I was not dissuaded. The bar had been set.

I still put Shadow of the Almighty in the top 5 most influential books I’ve ever read. My life changed as I read Jim’s story–a young man who was my age and yet totally and completely sold out for God in a way I had never seen or experienced.

Elisabeth didn’t put much of herself into her books about Jim, so I didn’t start getting to know her until I ventured out into her other books. If I was in love with Jim, then soon after, I wanted to be Elisabeth.

We are given the present within which to choose whom we will serve, knowing that this moment affects the next and we are accountable for it.

Elisabeth was no-nonsense. Blunt. Witty. Very smart. Tough, but gloried in being a woman. She showed me what it meant to obey Christ. She wasn’t into emotionalism or feeling sorry for herself. Her mantra was Trust and Obey. Period. Yet she knew suffering: She waited five years to marry the man she loved, and then three years later, lost him to Indian spears. She was a widow and single mom for 10 more years, during which she went back to the remote Indian tribe that murdered her husband. Her second husband died of cancer after four years of marriage. I think she earned the right to talk about suffering.

Joy comes not in spite of, but because of, sorrow.

Her faith was unwavering. Her joy was infectious. She still is the most inspiring person I’ve ever known. She is such a part of who I am that I have to remind myself I never met her in person.

When I met Gil in 1998, not only was he full of passion and vision for the world, but he was a huge Elisabeth Elliot fan too. That was the clincher for me. I had found my Jim Elliot.

Elisabeth died yesterday, June 15, 2015, a good and faithful servant. May her death remind another generation of young people they need to be inspired by Elisabeth and her Jim.

It is nothing short of a transformed vision of reality that is able to see Christ as more real than the storm, love more real than hatred, meekness more real than pride, long-suffering more real than annoyance, holiness more real than sin.

(All quotes by Elisabeth Elliot, of course.)

Finding Truth

By Amy Medina

On May 17, 2015

In Book Recommendations, How Americans Think

Millenials Leaving Church in Droves, Study Finds. This is the big news circulating this week. In reality, it’s not that concerning since it’s really just a decline in cultural Christians, not committed followers of Christ.

However, the inability of Christians to pass on their faith to their children is a concern. Increasingly, university students are not taught critical thinking in their classes, they are indoctrinated into a religion of secularism in the name of “tolerance.” Yet our churches, and often even our Christian high schools, are simply not preparing students for the real-world onslaught of secular ideas.

The article above states: “Christianity in the United States hasn’t done a good job of engaging serious Christian reflection with young people, in ways that would be relevant to their lives.” After spending 13 years in ministry with high school and college students, I absolutely agree. True, disturbing, and yet inspiring. Let’s change that.

So I’m writing today with a plea to every Christian parent. If you want your child to take their faith past high school and college, if you want them to really be able to impact culture, if you want them to not just know and love the gospel, but have a confidence in the gospel, then you must train them in worldview analysis.

If I was talking to you right now, I would probably be getting way too loud and way too passionate, and Gil would gently remind me that I’m sitting right next to you and I can talk in a normal voice.

Oh, my friends. I have sat with so many college students in my living room, who are attending some of the best universities in America, and had long talks with them about the intellectual challenges they are facing in their classrooms. The war is on in our culture, and the pawns are our children. Yes, the gospel is what saves them. But they must have the tools–they must have the confidence–to know why it is true. Why Christianity is superior any other philosophy. Why they don’t need to be ashamed of what they believe. How they can learn to ask the right questions which will disarm any secular philosophy–even in their college classrooms.

My point today is to make a passionate plea for every Christian parent to read this book.

Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes

Nancy Pearcey is my all-time favorite author. Her first book, Total Truth, is by far the most influential book I have ever read. It’s still my favorite, but Finding Truth is shorter and more practical, so it’s a really good place to start.

This book is not an easy read, but it is utterly fascinating. Nancy Pearcey has an amazing way of taking complex topics and bringing them down to a level that even a non-academic person can understand. Worldview and philosophy are not light subjects. However, understanding them is absolutely essential to giving our kids teeth to their faith and giving them the chance to really impact our culture.

This is not an apologetics book for Christianity. This is a book that trains the reader how to think–how to analyze any concept, take it back to its origins, and determine its truthfulness.

If you do not start with God, you must start somewhere else. You must propose something else as the ultimate, eternal, uncreated reality that is the cause and source of everything else. The important question is not which starting points are religious or secular, but which claims stand up to testing. (Nancy Pearcey)

I would love for every young person to read and digest this book before college. But if that’s just not going to happen, then every parent needs to read it and teach these things to their kids. The concepts in this book, once learned, apply to everyday life–movies, books, newspaper headlines, cultural trends. The possibilities are endless for teaching kids to learn to think both philosophically and biblically–which really go hand-in-hand.

Will you join with me in this quest? Read it and tell me what you think!

Setting Out in the Dark

By Amy Medina

On February 15, 2015

In Other

Even though they are both amazing stories, I wish someone had warned me that it was a bad idea to read Unbroken and Blood Brothers back-to-back.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Unbroken, since it’s a best seller and now a movie. It is most definitely as mind-blowing and incredible and redemptive as everyone says it is, but you have to get through years of torture and abuse and starvation to get there.

So picking up Blood Brothers right after was probably not the best choice. This book was a best seller in Germany, but only recently translated to English. It was written by an MK I knew in Liberia, who grew up on the same compound as me. I loved the descriptions of a childhood that paralleled my own, but when it got into the Liberian civil war, with its depictions of cannibalism and unfettered rape and children’s heads indiscriminately smashed against walls, I was just about undone. These things happened on streets that I had walked, to people I had known.

In the middle of this, I read an article on Auschwitz, where 1 million people were murdered. How is that even possible, that one million people could be murdered in one facility over a period of just a few years? And then I read another articletitled “ISIS militants are using mentally challenged children as suicide bombers and crucifying others.”

All week, my world was grey. I felt like I needed my own PTSD counseling. How can I go about making the bed and watersliding with the kids and dicing up mangoes when such evil exists? “We have to watch The Office,” I told Gil. “I can’t sleep with this stuff in my head.”

I can’t, I can’t, I can’t deal with this reality, of what one man is capable of doing to another man, to a pregnant woman, to a baby. And I can’t deal with the reality that the same depravity lies in my own heart, because we’re not talking about isolated incidents of psychopaths. We’re talking about the realities on every continent, in every generation. We can watch The Office all we want, but this is not going away.

And then another book cleared the grey.

I’m reading C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair to the kids. There’s a scene where the evil queen is trying to convince Puddleglum and the children that her black, ugly, hopeless Underworld is the only reality there is, and using her dark magic, she almost succeeds. At the very last moment, Puddleglum snaps them out of their stupor by announcing:

Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things–trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only one world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia….We’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.

Yes. We put up our heads and we set out in the dark.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own…They were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11)

Louie, Michael, and Ben–the main characters in Unbroken and Blood Brothers–they put their bets on Aslan. Me too.

Soul Earthquake

By Amy Medina

On November 15, 2014

In Book Recommendations

I love my life, and that’s why I’m terrified to write this.

I really have a great life. I live in a beautiful country; I have a great husband and kids; I have a regular paycheck and money in the bank. I have health insurance that will fly me to any place in the world in an emergency. I love my job; it is fulfilling and exciting.

Sure, you know, there’s ticks and mosquitoes and electricity problems (it’s off as I write this) and I miss my mom and blah blah blah. But really? Are those things really that big of a deal? Have I sacrificed anything for the kingdom of God? Because actually, I really like my life. For the most part, I am safe; I am comfortable; I am happy.

The level of terror I feel at the thought of giving it up is the indication of how tightly I am holding onto it all.

“[A Russian pastor] hugged each one of us [his children]. Then he said: ‘All around the country, the authorities are rounding up followers of Jesus and demanding that they deny their faith. Sometimes, when they refuse, the authorities will line up whole families and hang them by the neck until they are dead. I don’t want that to happen to our family, so I am praying that once they put me in prison, they will leave you and your mother alone. However,‘ and here he paused and made eye contact with us, ‘If I am in prison and I hear that my wife and my children have been hung to death rather than deny Jesus, I will be the most proud man in that prison!’”

Often, it’s easy to look around us at our organized sidewalks and our life insurance policies and our carpeted church buildings and Christian radio stations and assume that this life is the norm for Christians. Because for us, it is normal.

“We haven’t made books and movies out of these stories [of persecution] that you have been hearing. For us, persecution is like the sun coming up in the east. It happens all the time. It’s the way things are. There is nothing unusual or unexpected about it.” (from Russia)

Our comfortable life is not normal for most Christians in most parts of the world. It wasn’t normal during the time of the New Testament. In fact, looking at history, we have to say that both the religious freedom and material comfort of America are actually quite unprecedented.

“After we were out of earshot of that young house-church leader, my host leaned toward me and whispered, ‘He’s going to be someone God can use in a powerful way someday. But you cannot trust what he says now; he hasn’t been to prison yet.” (from China)

Sometimes I think, “Surely God wouldn’t let that happen to us. American Christians aren’t really going to ever be under threat of prison. Churches aren’t really going to have their buildings confiscated. We couldn’t possibly ever really lose our jobs because of our faith in Christ.”

Right?

God wouldn’t let that happen.

And if we can’t trust God to keep that from happening to us, then surely we can trust America itself–the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Right?

“Perhaps the question should not be, ‘Why are others persecuted?’ Perhaps the better question is ‘Why are we not?'”

And yet, it is coming, isn’t it?

For centuries, American Christians have enjoyed the reputation of being honest, moral, good people. Maybe a little backward, but good people. We’re losing that, aren’t we? Bigoted, hateful, narrow-minded–that’s becoming our reputation now. Granted, some of that is our own fault! But mostly, it’s because of the gospel.

What about when it gets worse? What about when people can’t get a job, or lose their jobs, because of their beliefs? (It’s already starting!) What about when churches lose their tax exempt status? And we can’t afford our church buildings? Or our pastors? Just this year, Christian groups were kicked off of all 23 University of California campuses. And the ideas that start in the universities always trickle down to the rest of life.

“Every morning one of the guards would take some of his own human waste and spread it on the piece of toast that he brought to my father to breakfast.”

It’s not a matter of if anymore, it’s a matter of when. Will we see imprisonments in America in our lifetime? In our kids’ lifetime? I don’t know. I don’t want to be an alarmist.

But when we read Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (II Tim. 3:12), shouldn’t that be our expectation? Shouldn’t we realize that this brief respite of religious freedom in American history has been unusual?

No matter how far it goes in our lifetime, it is certainly worth pondering.

How much am I willing to give up for Christ’s sake?

My reputation? My career? My education? My house? My children?

We are so used to having our cake and eating it too, that we are in danger of not being willing to sacrifice anything for the kingdom of God.

And let me assure you again: I am terrified. I love my life.

Then I read things like this:

“Looking back now, I understand that one of the most accurate ways to detect and measure the activity of God is to note the amount of opposition that is present. The stronger the persecution, the more significant the spiritual vitality of the believers.”

Are we ready?

Am I ready? To sacrifice, to let go, to truly love?

I read this book last week. One of the endorsers said, “This is not a book. This is a soul earthquake.”

All of the quotes in this post came from this book. Yes, an earthquake went through my soul.

I was terrified and furious and indignant.

But I was also energized and triumphant. I wanted to shout and pump my fists in the air. If our God is with us, then what can stand against us?

Bring it on!

Bring it on!

“One of the house-church leaders actually asked me, ‘Do you know what prison is for us? It is how we get our theological education. Prison in China is for us like seminary is for training church leaders in your country.'”

He is worth it!

Jesus is worth it!

“If we spend our lives so afraid of suffering, so averse to sacrifice, that we avoid even the risk of persecution…then we might never discover the true wonder, joy and power of a resurrection faith.”

I grit my teeth and set my sights on things above. I love my life, but I love Jesus more.

Worthy Reads

By Amy Medina

On September 11, 2014

In Other

Now that learning Kiswahili is my focus, I won’t have as much time for reading these days. But here are some great books I’ve read from the past few months.

Escape from North Korea by Melanie Kirkpatrick

Riveting account of the prison that calls itself a country, those who manage to escape, and those that help them get out. Don’t read this book if you want to stay comfortable with your life.

The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

Probably the best marriage book I’ve read, and I’ve read many. “We are always, always the last to see our self-absorption. Our hurts and wounds can make our self-centeredness even more intractable. When you point out selfish behavior to a wounded person, he or she will say, ‘Well, maybe so, but you don’t understand what it is like.’ The wounds justify the behavior.”

“Longitudinal studies reveal that two-thirds of unhappy marriages will become happy within five years if people stay married and do not get divorced.”

“Marriage by its very nature has the ‘power of truth’–the power to show you the truth about who you are.”

Good stuff, that. I could fill this whole post with amazing quotes from this book. A must-read for singles especially, but really, pretty much any God-fearing person will celebrate this book.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Brilliant, insightful read. Though it’s a work of fiction, it’s told from the perspective of an autistic teenager. Fascinating glimpse into the way these unique individuals see life.

Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan

The subtitle reads: A gay son’s journey to God. A broken mother’s search for hope. This is a beautiful memoir, full of honesty, hope, and so, so much grace.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

If you told your teenagers that you wanted to discuss nihilistic and post-modern philosophy with them, their eyes would probably roll back in their heads and drool would start coming from their mouths. But if you handed them this book (if they haven’t already bought it themselves, since it’s a teen best-seller), they might be much more interested.

This book is essentially nihilistic philosophy packaged in a funny, witty, engaging novel. I know…it doesn’t sound possible, but that’s really what it is! The main characters (who are teenagers) even quote philosophy to each other. Seriously, this would be an amazing book to discuss with your teenager. But don’t hand it to her unless you are ready to read it along with her.

Jesus or Nothing by Dan DeWitt

So after you’ve read The Fault in Our Stars, next read this one with your teen. This is a short, to-the-point, apologetic for Christianity versus, well, everything else, but especially nihilism. It speaks the language of college students and would be a great gift for those students living in the trenches.

“If the entire show is the result of blind chance, then there really is no reason to trust our mental faculties–which are just one small part of the show. If our brain is itself an accident, then any argument we develop to the contrary can only be considered just another accident.”

“I often hear statements like, ‘I’ll only accept what I can prove scientifically.’ This is, of course, a philosophical statement. It cannot itself be proved scientifically. You cannot see truth through a telescope. Is it thus false based on its own logic? It is certainly begging the question.”

How the West Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity by Rodney Stark

Okay, so I probably bit off more than I could chew with this book. This is a looong book (though not as long as it first seems because half of it is end notes). And I am only a minor history buff and not a major one. Thus, I skimmed large sections that did not interest me.

However, I still am highly recommending it because parts were utterly fascinating to me. Stark re-examines the way we view history and brings out the biases that pervade how it is taught. I especially loved the parts on slavery, the Arab world, the so-called Scientific Revolution, and the founding of the New World. Totally different perspective to what I was taught, and yet very well researched and cited.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim’s Journey to Christby Nabeel Qureshi

I’ve read many books over the years on Islam. Hands down, this is the very best one. Qureshi knows what he is talking about since he grew up Muslim, and he shares the basics of Islam and how it compares to Christianity while telling his own inspiring, incredible story of coming to know Jesus. If you have a Muslim friend, you must read this book.

Things Fall Apartby Chinua Achebe

This is a classic. How did I live in Africa for so long and not read this book? This is the heart-wrenching story of a tribe in Nigeria, before and after the coming of colonialists and missionaries. So insightful into the worldview and culture of Africans. Very, very thought-provoking for us as missionaries.

And since we so desperately don’t want to make the same mistakes as those who went before us, Gil and I are reading multiple books on culture and worldview. This is the best one so far:

Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer

Definitely a must-read for anyone involved in missions or cross-cultural ministry. Convicting, insightful, and life-changing.

“Ask me what is the first precept of the Christian religion, I will answer first, second, and third, Humility.”

“People usually don’t act randomly or stupidly. Those from other cultures may think it random or stupid, but from the local person’s perspective, they’re thinking or acting out of a larger framework that makes sense to them….Too often we assume others are foolish or illogical simply because their reasoning is not self-evident to us.”