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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Crazy Love

Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

By Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Francis Chan’s Crazy Love opens by bravely stating what is self-obvious to many Christians, but is seldom voiced: “we all know something’s wrong.”

Chan unabashedly writes this book “for those who yearn for more Jesus,” for those “bored with what American Christianity offers,” “for those who don’t want to plateau,” and for “those who would rather die before their convictions do.”

If that doesn’t stir your heart, then this book is not for you.

The first three chapters of Crazy Love, while new to some and review for others, provide a foundation designed to move us to worship God more fully and passionately.

Upon this foundation the remaining seven chapters are built, challenging us to re-examine ourselves and our lives in light of who God is.

Francis Chan’s writing runs counter to the prevalent Christian cultural and is provocative in what he advocates.

This is exemplified by the chapter titles, such as “Stop praying,” “You might not finish this chapter,” and “Serving leftovers to God.”

Along the way, Francis talks about selfish living, about succeeding at the wrong things, about Christians who play it safe, about being “lukewarm,” and about loving God and loving others.

Overall, it’s about love, God’s crazy love for us and that it’s crazy for us not to love him back, completely and unreservedly.

In chapter eight, Francis provides thirteen convicting characteristics of people who are obsessed with God. He then proceeds to share the stories of some who actually lived that way.

Francis Chan wants our lives to match our talk; he wants us to pursue Jesus; he wants us to be filled with and follow the Holy Spirit.

He leaves us thinking about what we want to be found doing when Jesus returns.

[Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski. Published by David C. Cook, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-4347-6851-3, 205 pages, $14.99]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Jesus Wants to Save Christians

A Manifesto for the Church in Exile

By Rob Bell and Don Golden (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Rob Bell’s third book, is consistent with his unique style, first unveiled in Velvet Elvis and later fine-tuned in Sex God. This installment is equally insightful and no less thought-provoking.

The subtitle, A Manifesto for the Church in Exile, provides a hint at the theme of this book, which is not readily apparent from the seemingly contradictory title. Fans of Bell’s prior work will not be disappointed—nor, most likely, will be his detractors.

Pulling four significant geographies from the Old Testament story of God’s chosen people, Bell uses them metaphorically to instruct us today: Egypt, Sinai, Jerusalem, and Babylon. In which one are you living?

The journey begins in the first introduction and gathers momentum in the second, so don’t race ahead to start at chapter one.

Those who do will miss out on evocative truth, such as Bell’s recognition “that many Christians support some of the very things that Jesus came to set people free from.”

Now we have a hint at where Bell is headed with Jesus Wants to Save Christians.

Christianity isn’t just a future-focused bliss, but also a here and now reality to which we are called. “Sometimes,” notes Bell, “it takes a little pain to get us to do the right thing.”

Soon thereafter, he points out that worship is service, and we are to do both: worship and serve.

After a six-chapter narrative provocation, Bell’s epilogue serves as a fitting call to action, noting that, “Jesus wants to save our church from the exile of irrelevance.”

Answering this call will involve risk, discomfort, criticism, and possibly rejection.

Nevertheless, it is imperative to do so in “remembrance of him”—so that the world (and we in the process) will be changed; it is a Church manifesto.

[Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto For The Christian Exile, by Rob Bell and Don Golden. Published by Zondervan, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-310-37502-2, 218 pages, $19.95]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Who Do We Compare Ourselves To?

Yesterday I posted in my Byline blog, “The Risk of Comparing Ourselves to Others.” Although my words focused on writers, the unwise practice of comparison is universal, applying to all people in all professions or pursuits.

Succinctly, when we compare ourselves to other people, we either elevate ourselves by degrading them or lessen ourselves by elevating them.

Neither pleases God. Even so, the temptation to compare is enticing.

Some days I feed my ego, looking down on those I deem to have less faith, bare little fruit, struggle more, possess less knowledge, pray or read their Bible less often, or aren’t as close with God. I become proud.

Other days I devalue myself, envying those who seem to have greater faith, produce more fruit, possess greater knowledge, struggle less, pray and read their Bible more, or enjoy greater intimacy with God. I become abased.

Pride and abasement are both sins. Neither honors our creator, who made each of us.

Instead, consider that the Bible provides a standard for us to pursue and Jesus gives an example to follow—and the Holy Spirit offers guidance as we do both.

In this world we’ll never achieve God’s standard, but we need to try—and to do so without comparing ourselves with others.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Pulse

Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel

By Rob Link (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Rob Link frequently quips, “If you have a pulse, you have issues.” This is the underlying foundation of his book Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel.

Part one, with its lone chapter, “Fine,” delves into this. People ask how we are and we reply with the socially acceptable response of “I’m fine.”

The reality is that often we are not fine. As a result of being alive, we do have issues—and we’ve learned to hide them.

Rob Link then talks about the healing process in part two, which contains six chapters. It was his process and it can be ours. “Present passions are windows,” Rob relates.

They are windows to wounds from our past. Within these wounds are contained lies, but it is the truth that can transform us.

In part three of Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel, Rob relates a dozen examples that help us move through our issues into freedom.

He starts with our junk drawer and progressively moves us towards praise. Along the way, he shares with us the importance of listening to God.

He also encourages us to get naked (figuratively, of course), to pursue regular times of solitude, to focus on others, and to recognize and confess our sins.

Throughout Pulse Rob frequently and transparently shares his own issues, most effectively illustrating his points.

Many are funny—often at his expense—while a few are heavy, or potentially so, if not for the healing freedom that can be found through Jesus and aided by pursuing him with a like-minded community.

Each chapter ends with a prayer that relates to its theme. We can adopt this prayer as our own or adapt it as needed. Also there are a series of ‘go deeper” questions, which are great for personal introspection or group discussion.

We do have a pulse, therefore we do have issues, but we can be healed from them, allowing us to live freely and fully in Jesus. That’s what Pulse is all about.

[Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel, by Rob Link. Published by Reformed Church Press, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-916466-02-2; 102 pages.]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Sit, Walk, Stand

Sit, Walk, Stand

By Watchman Nee (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Sit, Walk, Stand, by Watchman Nee is a compilation of messages given by Nee, centering on the book of Ephesians.

It was first published in India in 1957 (five years after his false imprisonment), with the American version following two decades later in 1977 (five years after Nee’s death).

Like many of the epistles, Watchman Nee notes that Ephesians is presented to two parts: the doctrinal (Ephesians 1 through 3) and the practical (Ephesians 4 through 6).

He further subdivides the second section into two components, the first addressing life in the world (Ephesians 4:1 to 6:9), with the latter focusing on conflict with the devil (Ephesians 6:10 to 6:24).

The result is a trio of teachings that cover “our position in Christ,” “our life in the world,” and “our attitude toward the enemy.” Nee’s succinct one-word prescription for each—forming the title of his treatise—is that we are to “sit,” “walk,” and “stand.”

As expected, each of the book’s three chapters addresses one element of the title.

First, Nee notes that we receive the gifts we are given by God “not by walking, but by sitting,” “not by doing, but by resting in the Lord.” He then proceeds to offer a cogent illustration illuminating what it means to be in Christ.

Second is the verb walk. Nee teaches that this suggests “conduct or behavior,” as well as denoting forward “progress.”

He proceeds to instruct on the importance of offering our first fruits to God, then he swiftly segues into a lesson from Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins.

Last, Nee admonishes that “Every Christian must learn also to stand,” to “be prepared for conflict,” that is “wrestling with evil spirits.” He instructs that the phrase “stand against” can best be understood as to “hold your ground.”

The weapons for this warfare are purely defensive, adding that “in Christ we are already conquerors.”

Nee wraps up chapter three with “four essential features of a work to which God can fully commit himself,” and concludes by sharing an inspiring personal story, appropriately titled, “The God of Elijah.”

While Sit, Walk, Stand is built on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, it is not a verse by verse commentary, but rather a springboard, teaching on the book’s main themes. Although it is a short book (78 pages), it is not a quick read.

This is likely due to it being separated from us by both time and distance. Nevertheless, it is worth wading through for the truths it contains.

[Sit, Walk, Stand, by Watchman Nee. Published by Tyndale house Publishers, Inc, 1977, ISBN: 0-8423-5893-5, 78 pages.]

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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: King of Rascals

By Rob Link (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Rob Link’s, King of Rascals, is essentially a book about Jesus—and about us. We are rascals and he, our king. As rascals, we have issues, but as our king, he loves us anyway.

In part one of King of Rascals, eight chapters reveal who Jesus is and our relationship to him—or perhaps more correctly his relationship to us.

He is not the misguided Jesus often represented in movies, the hate filled sovereign portrayed by the media, or the fictional Jesus created by a culture intent on re-inventing him for their own purposes, but the Jesus who is revealed in the Bible and readily accessible to all who seek him.

The second and final part of King of Rascals contains an additional four chapters that add a pleasant twist to the rascal reality.

While we are indeed rascals, Jesus transforms us into royalty, revealing a new—and higher—understanding of our connection with him and purpose in life.

The King of Rascals is a book about the real Jesus. It is a quick read that presents profound spiritual truth in a most accessible manner.

It is for those who don’t know Jesus, those who think they know Jesus, and even those who do know Jesus.

Regardless of perspective, King of Rascals will better inform our understanding of Jesus—transforming us in the process.

[King of Rascals, by Rob Link. Published by Reformed Church Press, 2011, ISBN: 0-916466-12-4, 124 pages.]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Christian Living

Be True to Our Calling

I just returned from a writers conference. It was a rewarding and informative time in learning about the art—and business—of writing well.

In the closing presentation, our speaker astutely noted that some of us write fiction and some non-fiction; some write for the Christian market and some for the general market—and that’s okay.

As writers, we need to be content with the area and genre that God has provided for us, not wishing to be writing something different and not pining for the success of others or the opportunities afforded them.

The same is true with our spiritual journeys. We are each on our own path and it is unwise to wish for be like someone else instead of who God has called us to be.

We may not pray as much as someone else or comprehend biblical truth like our best friend.

Others may be better at telling others about Jesus or more confident in reaching out to those who are hurting, but if that is not who God created us to be, it is foolish to falsely pursue those things—and disrespectful to God and the person he made us to be.

Whether it is writing or our faith journey, it is not wrong to want to improve and to grow; in fact, it is admirable and advisable.

However, to compare ourselves with others, diminishing who we are or what we do in the process, is little more than dismissing God’s provision and missing his plan for us.

We need to be content with where we are and stay true to our calling.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Christian Living

Just Because it’s Spiritual Doesn’t Mean it’s Good

I think that all things are spiritual, but I am quick to assert that not everything that is spiritual is good.

Sometimes it is abundantly clear when something is spiritual but bad; other times it is not so obvious, while occasionally it can be quite confusing.

As a foundation of understanding, I use the Bible as a reference point in discerning good spirituality from bad spirituality.

In doing so, I endeavor to comprehend the Bible as narrative, not as rulebook or legal document, but as story about God and the people he created—all people.

That is why this blog is about biblical spirituality, distinguishing it from an anything spirituality.

For more about the Bible, check out A Bible A Day.

Here are some specific resources from A Bible A Day:

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: The Prayer of Jabez

Breaking Through to the Blessed Life

By Bruce Wilkinson (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, is a short work and a compelling read. It is based on a brief, two-verse Biblical account of an obscure ancient man, named Jabez.

All that is known of Jabez is recorded in these two verses, which provides a short bio, a brief prayer, and a concise pronouncement of the outcome.

The book greatly expands on the aforementioned two verses, informing readers of the man, his life, and his character, before delving into his concise prayer to God. 

Only five lines long, Jabez’s succinct entreaty carries with it great meaning and significant applications for us living several thousands of years later.

Throughout the book, Dr. Wilkerson shares his own thirty-year journey with the prayer of Jabez, educating and inspiring us in the process. 

Although he lived a long time ago, Jabez and his prayer is still relevant today, being insightful and instructive to all who will consider it’s deeper meaning and applications.

[The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, by Bruce Wilkinson. Published by Multnomah Books, 2005; ISBN: 978-1590524756; 96 pages.]

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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

Book Review: Mere Christianity

By C. S. Lewis

Reviewed by Peter DeHaan

C.S. Lewis’s book, Mere Christianity, is based on a series of BBC radio broadcasts in the early 1940s.

Initially, published as three separate volumes Broadcast Talks (1942), Christian Behaviour (1943), and Beyond Personality (1944), the works were combined in 1952 to result in Mere Christianity, that is to say, merely expounding on Christianity.

Mere Christianity is divided into four sections:

1. The first is “Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe,”  which aptly serves as a strong foundation on which the rest of the book—and Christianity—is built.

2. The second section, “What Christians Believe,” shows that we have free will to love God or deny Him, but Satan, our enemy, wants us to think we can be like God (which explains all of history). 

God sent Jesus into the world; his death puts us right with God, yet it evokes a response: change. 

3. “Christian Behavior” is the title for part three, which covers practical behavior issues. 

4. Doctrine is addressed in the book’s final section.

Lewis concludes with the encouragement to “look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in,” a fitting conclusion to this intellectual treatise on what is merely Christianity.

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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