Fearfully and Wonderfully - By Philip Yancey

The famed hymn writer Isaac Watts once wrote,

“Our life contains a thousand springs and dies if one be gone.
Strange! That a harp of thousand strings should keep in tune so long.” 

In Fearfully and Wonderfully, Paul Brand and Philip Yancey give us a glimpse of the sheer magnificence and beauty of the human body. In this new and updated edition, there are six sections that comprise of twenty-three chapters. The six sections are as follows: Image Bearers, One and many, Outside and inside, Proof of life, the language of pain, and the Body’s CEO. With the painstaking brilliance of a world renowned surgeon, Dr Paul Brand and the eloquent craftsmanship of Philip Yancey the reader gets a glimpse into the fascinating suppleness of the skin, the skeletal system, the dynamism and elasticity of muscles and the totality of the human body that synergistically works according the Designer’s intent even though we live in a fallen creation and experience the ravages of sin and sickness. Yet in all the intricacies, the human body points to the sheer eloquence, majesty, and artistry of a Creator who made us in His image.

Why Leaders Should be Readers by Douglas Groothuis

Why Leaders Should be Readers ?

Christian leaders need to direct and inspire through their knowledge and character. I here assume you are not reading romance novels or graphic novels. Leaders should be readers, among other things.

Why?
1. Reading deepens your awareness of life. You can see things with other eyes and expand your awareness. God's people need perspective.
2. Reading helps you not to be a sucker, to be sucked into superficial fads, bad ideas, and general stupidity.
3. Reading helps you love others better, because you have more meat to offer them.
4. You need to be an example of intellectual rectitude and studiousness.

How can this be done?
1. Limit time online. Kindle is good for some things, such as reading while traveling and for capturing text. However, the book affords its unique charms for understanding. See my chapter, "The Book, the Screen, and the Soul," in "The Soul in Cyberspace."
2. Find time alone and without distraction to read. Perhaps "a clean, well-lit place," or in messiness (as I do).
3. Ask thoughtful friends what they are reading.
4. Haunt bookstores for books. Duh.
5. Check the New York Times Book Review.

What to Read ?
1. That which deepens your calling.
2. History: for perspective on today
3. Philosophy: sharpen your critical thinking prowess and knowledge of worldviews and the history of ideas.
4. Psychology: better understand yourself and others.
5. Poetry: the kind you an understand.
6. Apologetics: learn to defend your faith wisely.
7. Ethics: for moral discernment.
8. Social commentary by smart people.
9. Everything related to the Bible.
10. Science, especially what is written from the Intelligent Design viewpoint.
11. Classic literature: Plato, Aristotle, Pascal, so much more.
12. Literature: enliven your imagination through story.
13. Spiritual writings: deepen your relationship with God.
That should keep you busy for some time, good time.

A Conversation about Martin Luther with Eric Metaxas and Chuck Swindoll

The Greek New Testament by Tyndale House Cambridge - Review

“If the Word of God is what we say we believe it is,” says Dr. Dane Ortlund, “then it is worthy of the most rigorous scholarships and efforts and care and precision down to the last detail and that conviction is what has fueled Tyndale House and their work in the last ten years in creating this new edition of the Greek New Testament ultimately for the sake of the health of the people of God.” This sums up the mission and vision behind the production of The Greek New Testament by Tyndale House, Cambridge. This new publication is available in two formats, hardback and Trutone. The hardback which I’m reviewing comes with a beautiful black case. The hardcover is 540 pages and it weighs around 25.86 ounces. Its dimensions are 5.25 inches X 7.75 inches and the text formatting is single column. It is slightly smaller than your regular pew Bible in length and width which makes it easier for you to carry to church and follow along while your pastor is preaching. I hope that they will produce a Hebrew Old Testament and make it into one volume along with this Greek New Testament in the same size (although it will be significantly thicker). 

This Greek New Testament is compact, light, and elegant in its design. The typesetting and paragraphs are well formatted so it is easier to follow the passage. The paragraph designation also follows early manuscript evidence which differs from modern paragraph designation. The paragraphs are marked by ekthesis rather than indentation which parallels to the ancient Greek practice. Believe it or not, the typesetting makes a significant difference in reading and understanding the text. The publishers chose to keep the early spellings that are documented in the early manuscripts transmitted from the 5^th century onwards. One of the main features of this publication is that they rely on the earliest manuscripts to provide a text that is anchored in the early textual history of the Greek New Testament and is faithful to the representation of the Bible as they have been passed down to us through the ages. 

As the editors Dr Dirk Jongkind and Dr Peter Williams mention in their introduction that their aim is to present an easily readable format the best approximation to the words written by the New Testament authors within the manuscript evidence that survives. I think the editors and publishers have done an exceptional job in producing this new edition. One suggestion from a lay-person’s point of view would be to have slightly better margins for those of us who like to take notes. I think wide margins should be mandatory for all Bibles in general which should motivate the readers to take notes and they internalize Scripture.

MUSLIM by Hank Hanegraaff - Review

I must begin with saying that I’m a huge fan of Hank Hanegraaff. I was 13 years old when I got saved but the church I was attending was not teaching the Bible clearly, consistently, and systematically. Needless there was no doctrine in the church. But by divine providence I stumbled on the radio one evening to the Bible Answer Man broadcast. The voice and the questions and answers resonated with me and I was hooked immediately. Night after night Hank educated me the basics and the complex doctrines of the Christian faith that no seminary ever could. The guests, scholars and leaders he has had on his show have become a bulwark of resources to benefit from. The year was 2000. There was no looking back. I have listened to Hank ever since and I am eternally grateful for his faithfulness to Scripture and the way he distills complex topics into bite size pieces in the way of alliteration, acronyms, and associations.

This resource is no different; it’s vintage Hanegraaff. I have most of his resources because you can’t go wrong with his books because Hank uses his signature acronyms to assimilate information so that you can not only retain the information that you have read but also communicate that information in a clear and meaningful manner. 

In MUSLIM: What you Need to Know About the World’s Fastest Growing Religion, Hanegraaff distills centuries of knowledge about this religion in a way you can retain for the rest of your life. That is essentially the mark of a great teacher – Someone who can explain it in a way in which even a child can understand. He uses the acronym M-U-S-L-I-M – Muhammad, Unreliable Revelations, Sharia, Levant, Islamic State, and Major Muslim Apprehensions to give you the main and plain things of this religion. I don’t think even a Islamic scholar has done this kind of service to the Islamic word what Hank has provided for us. Learning the origins and historical development of Islam in a memorable way is a treat especially when there are so many who are trying to tell it. Hank harnesses the best and most reliable sources and assimilates that information to us. You owe to yourself to read this book. One thing I guarantee is you will never be disappointed with any of Hank’s resources.

My only complaint is a minor one. The title should have been called (ISLAM: What you Need to Know About the World’s Fastest Growing Religion) because the subtitle makes sense like that. He could still have used the MUSLIM acronym for the content in his book.