From Pearl Harbor to Calvary

This book clearly demonstrated Paul’s belief that “the gospel is the power of God, unto salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Mitsuo Fuchida was the Lead Pilot for the Pearl Harbor attach which plunged the United States into WWII. He was fully indoctrinated in the Japanese “war catechism.” But the gospel broke through his hard heart, and 11 years after he attacked the United States, he became an evangelist. This autobiography also tells of Americans who were so filled with hatred that they just wanted to kill Japanese citizens. The gospel changed their hearts as well. They found common ground in what Christ did for them on the cross. This is a true story of redemption, and reconciliation. On the negative side. I wish that there was more biographical content to show how Mitsuo Fuchida ministered in the years since the publication of this book. I would also like to know what lasting impact Fuchida’s life had. Over all, this was an excellent book. I kept praising God for changing hate filled hearts from multiple continents.

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Resovling Everyday Conflict

Ken Sande’s new book Resolving Everyday Conflict is packed with Gospel-centered, Christ-saturated wisdom for those in conflict. This book appears to be a condensed and more accessible version of his longer book The Peacemaker. He approaches conflict in a way that deals openly and honestly with the wrong that has been committed, but also in a way that is radically forgiving just as God, in Christ forgave us. One of the most valuable parts of this book is his insistence that God be glorified in the midst of conflict and resolution. This is usually the last thing on my mind but in reality it is most important. Another valuable component of this book is the extended section on what sorrow and forgiveness mean and what they don’t mean. Often times the words “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” are just thrown around, and no one knows what they mean. This can lead to more frustration, miscommunication and back into conflict. I highly recommend this book because it relentlessly points the reader back to the cross, where the ultimate conflict was overcome. Thank you Christianaudio reviewers program! You can purchase the book here.

Worldliness

C. J. Mahaney is relentless in his attack on the heart. Underneath all of our sinful actions is a heart that desires doing wrong more than doing what is right. I keep on hoping that C. J. will just give me a bunch of rules that I can keep, because it is always easier to conform to rules than to have a transformed heart. The way he structures each chapter shows where his focus is. “My Heart, and Media…My Heart and Stuff.” What does my music say about what my heart treasures? Does my music actually cause me to enjoy God? Finally, this book concludes with how to properly love the world. It is important that the book ends with an appeal to loving and enjoying all the goodness that God has given us. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Christianaudio reviewers program!

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Slave

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV) The implications of being the slave of Christ are astounding. And the practical applications of this book are too numerous to count. This book has me wondering, “What Would a Slave Do.” John Macarthur does an excellent job showing that the Christians are not mere servant of Christ, but the slaves of Christ. I disagree with Macarthur when he says that the Church purposely covered up the word “slave” by translating doulos as “servant.” No doubt, the word “slave” conjures up ideas of the African slave trade. In the book, he tries to show that the slavery talked about here is very different than what happened in recent centuries. However, Macarthur does a good job restoring the meaning of doulos “slave.” A servant has rights, a slave does not. Tracing his argument through the two Testaments and Greco-Roman literature, Macarthur expounds on what it means to be Christ’s slave. This is what Christians mean when they confess, “Christ is Lord.” This book is balanced, as it deals in depth with the imagery that the Bible uses to describe people who have been taken as God’s “treasured possession.” Believers are both heirs and slaves. They are both free and bound. They were fatherless, now they are adopted as sons and daughters. Thank you Christian audio reviewers program.

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Living By God's Promises

This is a very valuable book. It is a good thing to get outside today’s climate and learn from Ministers who thought hard, wrestled deeply and enjoyed the God of the Bible. This is what Joel R. Beeke and James A. La Belle seek to do in their new book Living by God's Promises. The aim of this book is to learn about the promises of God from Puritan treatises. Bekee and La Belle do a good job reintroducing the reader to the writings of Andrew Gray, Edward Leigh, and William Spurstowe. Chapter seven and eight are worth the price of the book. On negative side, this is a hard book to follow when you are listening to it. It might be better to own a hard copy. Some of the argumentation is long and it is easy to forget where you have been or where the book is going. There are also some minor theological peculiarities written about in the book. Overall, it is a very good book. Thank you christianaudio reviewers program!

Living By God's Promises

In The Presence of My Enemies

In the Presence of My Enemies is the heart-wrenching story of Gracia and Martin Burnham, missionaries to the Philippines who were kidnapped by Muslim terrorist. They were held captive for over a year and at very end, her husband, Martin was shot and killed by a stray bullet. Their intense suffering, questioning and enduring demands an audience. Though at times, their faith wavered, they stand as a testament to the fact that Christ can satisfy through both pain and pleasure. I wish that the conclusion to the book were a little different. Gracia concludes that God would have liked to have rescued her husband, but he did not want to violate the free will of the terrorist. She is trying to get God off the hook of her suffering. However, the Bible never tries to get God off that hook. Still, this book is a worthwhile read, and it is very inspiring. Thank you Christian Audio Reviewers Program. www.christianaudio.com

Imaginary Jesus

I have never laughed so hard while listening to scripture being misquoted. In Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos tells a funny, semi-fictional story about his addiction to his Imaginary Jesus. On the positive side, the book seeks to drive home one serious point. We are all likely to make Jesus into our own image. We tend to emphasize Jesus’ teachings that make us feel comfortable and downplay the ones that convict or contradict our worldview. This book describes well how deep the impulse is in man to conform God to ourselves, instead of having us conform to God. Since absolute truth is out there, man must conform to it. Another positive element is his humor. Humor helps expose error because it disarms the reader. He does this very effectively. On the negative side, Mikalatos seems to trivialize many different doctrinal things. Sure there are people on the extremes that make the Bible all about their pet doctrine, but I think the reader will be left with the feeling that doctrinal differences do not matter. Also, Mikalatos raises a ton of very good questions, but does not provide a lot of answers. This is probably his intention, because if he set out “steps” to know the real Jesus, people would turn that into a new form of legalism. Overall, the book was fun, entertaining and thought provoking. Thank you Christian Audio Reviewers Program. www.christianaudio.com