Our picks and yours…

August can be an ideal month to catch up on some reading, as we enjoy a break from other commitments and the pace of life slows slightly (at least for some!). If you are looking for some reading material that beats the poolside novels currently swamping Britain’s bookshops, below you’ll find our pick of the books we have reviewed on Prophecy Today so far this year – as well as the top three most popular with our readers.

Our Picks

Walk the Emmaus Road with Lois Tverberg as she shows how a Hebraic perspective can transform our understanding of the Bible in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus, the third in a worthy series on the Jewishness of our Saviour.

Whether or not you have already embarked on this journey of discovery, we recommend David Hoffbrand’s book The Jewish Jesus, which not only provides this transformative perspective on the Messiah, but also asks how it ought to affect us practically, as members of the ‘One New Man’ community of faithful Jews and Gentiles.

For those seeking just such a practical challenge, we commend Dan Lucarini’s It’s Not About the Music, which will shake up your attitude to worship (both personal and corporate) with a resolute call for reform and a return to scriptural ideals.

Or, why not take the plunge and allow God to examine your attitude to that most basic of issues – money? In his accessible and comprehensive book Money: The Great Deception, Gottfried Hetzer brings Kingdom principles to bear on the global financial system, including plenty of practical, personal advice for Christians seeking to handle their money more biblically. In a similar vein, Randy Alcorn’s compact challenge to our giving habits in The Treasure Principle has been described by our Resources Editor as “worth its weight in gold, and more”.

For those hoping to use the summer holidays to better equip themselves on hot-button cultural issues, look no further than the sterling work being published by Wilberforce Publications, CARE and Sovereign World. Zooming out to the global level, David Cross’s What’s Wrong with Human Rights? exposes the false ideology which has helped produce our individualistic, entitled culture.

Closer to home, Walter R. Schumm takes on the gender ideology juggernaut with his scholarly review of literature on same-sex parenting and its impacts on children, Same-Sex Parenting Research, a thoroughly worthwhile investment for those wanting to arm themselves with specific details on this subject.

Finally, are you aware of the extent to which science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact? On the increasingly important subject of artificial intelligence, Professor Nigel Cameron is a leading thinker seeking to help Christians get ‘smart’ when it comes to technology. The Robots Are Coming is a ‘must read’ on today’s technological developments and what they mean for humanity and our relationship with God, while God and My Mobile presents a more personal challenge about how Christians should handle the digital revolution – ideal to read with the family in mind, as well as oneself. Both (at the time of writing) are currently being offered by CARE at a discount price.

Most Loved by You

Two of our 2019 book reviews that have been most popular with Prophecy Today readers have been secular offerings. Take former BBC journalist and executive Robin Aitken on holiday with you for a cathartic read on BBC bias in The Noble Liar, an insider’s exposé of our national broadcaster’s ingrained ideological slant.

Or enjoy a hard-hitting, in-depth modern political history of Britain and an uncompromising review of Labour’s radically Marxist leader in investigative journalist Tom Bower’s biography of Jeremy Corbyn, Dangerous Hero.

Finally, in case you somehow missed our review of ‘the most important book you’ve never heard of’, here’s your second chance to discover the Didache, the ancient instruction manual which illuminates how the early Church did discipleship.

Have a blessed and fruitful summer!

Children’s author Roald Dahl rejected for coin image because of his unsavoury views

Proof, if it were needed, that it doesn’t pay to be anti-Semitic has come with the rejection of Roald Dahl’s image for British coins.

The Royal Mint, responsible for such decisions, has ruled him out for his virulent anti-Semitism, which should be taken as some consolation at a time when British society is rife with anti-Jewish sentiment – even a Kristallnacht 80^th anniversary vigil at Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner was broken up by men shouting “Kill the Jews” in Arabic.¹

Dahl’s Dark Side

Dahl’s views on the subject were apparently not widely known in spite of the fact that the immensely successful children’s author made no secret of it.

But his dark side was brought to light with the Royal Mint’s decision against honouring his achievements by dedicating a British coin to him. As Tony Rennell put it in the Daily Mail,² the honour went instead to one William Shakespeare “whose caricature of a Jew, Shylock, in The Merchant of Venice fed anti-Semitism for centuries.”

I think that’s a little unfair as the Bard did not make a habit of such sentiment. Dahl, on the other hand, was quoted in The Independent newspaper as saying: “I’m certainly anti-Israel and I’ve become anti-Semitic.”³ And he told the New Statesman: “Even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them [the Jews] for no reason.”

Dahl’s anti-Semitism might have had him arrested today.

Rennell lists several other nauseous instances of Dahl’s anti-Semitism that might have had him arrested today (he died in 1990, aged 74). And while acknowledging that he remains one of the greatest children’s storytellers of the 20^th Century, Rennell suggests that the dark side to many of Dahl’s tales is a fair commentary on his life, with much evidence of cruelty and unpleasantness. Yet not even Jewish Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, when he shot the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) film, had any idea of Dahl’s rank anti-Semitism.

What really bothers me is that there is so much that is dark and gloomy in today’s literature, especially for children, as well as in TV drama. In fact, it’s an absolute obsession, reflected by the way in which Halloween is rapidly challenging Christmas for our kids’ attention as an increasing number of homes are decorated with various aspects of occult paraphernalia.

There is surely an urgency as never before to point our children to the “light of the world” (John 8:12).

Choose Life!

Dahl’s rejection for our coins reminds me of how America’s famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh, fell spectacularly from hero to zero as soon as his Nazi sympathies were made public on a national radio broadcast.⁴ He ended his life in relative obscurity and even a star-studded movie about his magnificent flying exploits was a flop at the box office.

In other words, he brought a curse on himself. For the word of God says of Abraham’s seed: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen 12:3).

Whatever anyone may think of the Jewish people, the Bible tells us quite plainly that they are God’s chosen people, with several references to them being his “treasured possession” (see, for example, Deut 7:6).

Whatever anyone may think of the Jewish people, the Bible tells us quite plainly that they are God’s chosen people.

Anti-Semitism is thus the evil end of the dark road of rebellion against our Creator. Hitler went all the way down that path, and not only destroyed himself, but also brought his country down with him, along with much of Europe.

A massive battle for the soul of our nation continues today – between good and evil, light and darkness, God and the devil.

Jesus warned: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt 7:13f).

Choose life!

Notes

1 The vigil was specifically held in honour of Jews murdered in Arab countries around the same time as Germany’s Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938, when 7,500 Jewish businesses were destroyed along with Jewish homes, hospitals, schools and synagogues, 91 Jews murdered and 30,000 arrested and sent to concentration camps. The London vigil was forcefully broken up by a group of men shouting: “Jews, remember Khaybar; the army of Muhammad is returning.” The cry relates to a 7^th Century atrocity when Muslims massacred and expelled Jews from the town of Khaybar, located in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Jerusalem News Network, 12 November 2018, quoting INN. Thanks also to Christians United for Israel here and here, both 9 November 2018.

2 The Daily Mail, 8 November 2018.

3 Ibid.

4 See Bill Bryson’s One Summer – America 1927; also A Nation Reborn by Charles Gardner, Christian Publications International, p139.

A selection of books to see you through August.

In case you are going to be relaxing poolside this August or just enjoying some extra spare time, here are a few recommended books to keep you company. Please see the base of each review for purchasing details.

‘Praying Like the Jew, Jesus: Recovering the Ancient Roots of New Testament Prayer’ by Timothy P Jones (Lederer Books, 2005)

In this delightful book, author, professor and pastor Timothy Jones opens our eyes to the Jewish background of the prayers of Jesus. Jones, author of many textbooks, professor of biblical languages and senior pastor of a Baptist church in Oklahoma, is well-qualified to explain the customs and traditions behind our Lord’s prayers and uncover the beauty and power of his prayer life.

This is a book that will inspire you to pray but also help you understand the true nature of prayer and of God himself.

With the help of historical vignettes and careful research, we are transported back to the historical Jewish world of Jesus, so that we gain wonderful insights into that world by studying his prayers (or, in the case of the first two chapters, the prayers of others around him ahead of his birth and during his early life).

Each of the ten chapters follows a similar structural pattern so you know what to expect and so the book could easily be taken a chapter at a time. Each begins with an imaginative re-telling of an event from Jesus’ life, weaving the original context of his prayers into the biblical stories in order to help you not only study the prayers but also experience their fuller meaning.

At the end of each chapter there is a meditation for readers to apply the lessons to their own lives, considering how God hears and relates to us. The endnotes are excellent and there is a usual glossary for the reader unfamiliar with the Jewish terms Jones uses.

If prayer is like breathing, then this book is “designed to help readers ‘breathe deeply’ as they enter into prayer” (Foreword, p.vi). Do read this book – it will inspire, bless and challenge you.

Maureen Trowbridge and Paul Luckraft

‘Praying Like the Jew, Jesus’ (122pp) is available very cheaply on Amazon. Kindle version is £5.86.

‘The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti-Semitism’ by Dave Rich (Biteback Publishing, 2016, revised 2018)

If you are looking for a highly topical book that will help you understand a central crisis in modern British politics, we highly recommend Dave Rich’s exploration of left-wing Jew-hatred. Associate Research Fellow at the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism, Birkbeck College (University of London), Rich works for the Community Security Trust, briefing MPs, civil servants and police officers about anti-Semitism. Though he is not a believer, his insights into this phenomenon are well worth reading.

Beginning with a brief history of how the Labour Party transformed from the party of the working class to a mainly middle-class party championing identity politics, Rich demonstrates how Labour totally reversed its position on Israel in the space of a decade or two, from steadfast support to outright loathing.

Subsequent chapters trace this transformation through to the present day, including more recent alliances between the left-wing and Islam (much as Melanie Phillips does in her book ‘The World Turned Upside-Down’). Rich also exposes how the ideological left has adopted a radically wrong view of the Holocaust.

His research, originally a PhD project begun in 2011, is here brought further up-to-date and made suitable for a general readership. A 2018 update is promised in September covering the many high-profile developments that have taken place since the book was first published.

If the presence of virulent anti-Semitism within a so-called ‘anti-racist’ Party has taken you by surprise, or if you are aware that Corbyn is simply a symptom of a much longer-standing problem but are unsure why, this book is for you.

Paul Luckraft and Frances Rabbitts

The 2016 version of ‘The Left’s Jewish Problem’ (352pp) is available from the publisher for £12.99 (paperback) or from Amazon Kindle for £8.54. Read an interview with the author here.

The 2018 version is available for pre-order for £12.99 (paperback) or £10 (Kindle) – to be released in early September.

‘Left to Their Own Devices: Confident Parenting in a World of Screens’ by Katharine Hill (Muddy Pearl, 2017). With Foreword by Rob Parsons OBE.

In this clever, refreshing book, lawyer, writer and present Director of Care for the Family UK Katharine Hill explores the impact of a decade of the digital world on the younger generation.

Member of the Board of the International Commission for Couples and Family Matters, Hill is married with grown-up children and is also a well-known public speaker and columnist for a local newspaper.

In 15 chapters and a poignant epilogue, she “skilfully and sensitively tackles a thorny subject with razor sharp insight and unremitting authenticity” (Dr Samantha Callum, family policy expert), aiming her writing particularly at those involved in parenting, teaching and youth work. Practical advice is given on issues like screen time, social media and consumer culture, as well as more serious issues like cyber-bullying, grooming and pornography, making this an invaluable handbook for parents who not only want to ‘cope’ with today’s digital challenges but face them confidently. Over 20 cartoons provide a gestalt complement. For those wishing to explore these ‘thorny issues’ further, a helpful index is provided.

I recommend this important, timely book without reservation, as being of exceptional value.

M. Paul Rogoff

‘Left to Their Own Devices’ (143pp, paperback) is available from the publisher for £9.99. Also available from Care for the Family and Amazon. Watch an interview with the author here.

‘The Bible’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by David Hamshire (Faithbuilders Christian Books, 2018)

This short booklet (40 pages in length) follows on from two others by the same author, whose themes are all linked to the number seven: ‘Seven Days of Creation’ and ‘Seven Feasts of the Lord’. Whilst these previous two studies are on central and accepted themes, the exploration of how the number seven relates to wisdom (using Proverbs 9:1-6) breaks new ground.

The number seven binds much of Scripture together so, on the one hand, it is likely to have significance in ways yet to be found. However, on the other hand, the concept can be forced too far and become speculative. For this reason, I approached this particular study with caution. I did, nevertheless, find it well-written and thought-provoking.

I am not yet unconvinced that it leans more towards the speculative than the authoritative, but I can nevertheless recommend it as a good stimulus for study, especially in small interactive groups.

Clifford Denton

‘The Bible’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ is available from Christian Publications International for £9 inc. P&P, where you can also find more information and an extract from the Foreword.

‘More Drops: Mystery, Mercy, Messiology’ by George Verwer (CWR, 2015)

George Verwer met the Lord in 1955 in Madison Square Gardens, New York listening to Billy Graham, and started a life dedicated to evangelism. At the Moody Bible Institute, he learned that every student has to be an evangelist - for him, first in Mexico, where he married, and then in over 90 nations.

In 1962, Verwer formed Operation Mobilisation (OM), one of the most impactful mission agencies of the last half-century, known for its unrelenting preaching of the Gospel and its social action in Gospel-resistant countries like India, Nepal and the UK. From the 1970s, he obtained a series of ships named Logos to bring the Gospel to millions in coastal regions of the world.

2015 celebrated 60 years of this continuing passion. ‘More Drops’ (one of nine books by Verwer) is written in an auto-biographical style and is alive with refreshing honesty and pace, always giving God the glory through many successes and failures. Verwer’s reflection that most of what we touch includes messy situations (hence his term ‘Messiology’) - including theology, church life, leadership and people (!) – is followed up with the insight that God does wonderful things through the mess.

This is a book alive with the boldness and passion of its author, who lived to share Christ with as many people as he could. Helpfully, More Drops also recommends personal reading of nearly 50 other books, all classic works of Christian living, though Verwer always advocated getting into the word of God first and foremost, and allowing the Lord to transform your life from there.

Greg Stevenson

‘More Drops’ (136pp) is available from Amazon for £6.99 (paperback) or £6.64 (Kindle). Also available is the ‘George for Real’ DVD, a fast-moving, highly personal, encouraging and challenging story of a man on fire for the Lord and his Gospel. Highly recommended.

The ‘Truth and Clarity’ series seeks to shed light on difficult issues.

This ‘Truth and Clarity’ series of short booklets on interesting topics may be of use to study groups which like to discuss issues that are often ignored or deemed controversial. As a former police detective, Michael Fryer’s aim is to present us with the evidence - not only to support his points, but to help us make our own minds up.

Study group leaders may want to supplement the information in the booklets by looking at other sources - but the booklets nevertheless provide useful starting points for a lively debate and further investigation.

The Truth about Food

The author provides a full and clear explanation of all the main biblical texts on the interesting topic of what the Bible has to say about food. Fryer’s aim is to answer the related questions of what Christians should eat and what they shouldn’t. This he achieves in an unambiguous way, steering a clear path through the equally thorny territory of how Christians should regard Torah today.

His starting point (based upon Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) is to regard the phrases ‘clean and unclean’ when referring to creatures as ‘animals which are and are not food’. There is plenty in the rest of the booklet to stimulate much discussion and, possibly, to encourage people towards a healthier and Godlier lifestyle. This is a topic we have covered on Prophecy Today before, recommending other good resources, but here is a useful starter based upon a sound exposition of Scripture.

Legalism: Whose Sabbath Laws Do We Keep?

This booklet should provoke a lot of discussion (and argument!) on the issue of the Sabbath. However, be aware that it does not cover legalism more generally - only within the context of this particular topic.

Fryer asks all the right questions regarding how Christian freedom sits alongside honouring God through his unchanging requirements concerning the Sabbath and the Feasts. However, somehow the answers never seem to fully emerge. Fryer does provide a comprehensive survey on the various laws that have been in place throughout history concerning Sunday (and Saturday), but there is not the thorough biblical investigation into what God requires today that would help us work our way through this thorny issue.

I wasn’t sure I was any further forward by the end of the booklet, and any group leader would certainly need to find other material to make the discussion more worthwhile.

Anti-Zionism: The New Anti-Semitism

He begins with a working definition of anti-Semitism (basically, Jew-hatred in its various manifestations) and then shows how it is often linked to the State of Israel in an attempt to justify anti-Semitic activities under a new guise.This booklet arose from Fryer’s concern that Christian anti-Zionism is being portrayed as an accepted and approved theology based on social justice for the Palestinian people, when in reality it is a new form of anti-Semitism.

Fryer asks how anti-Zionism is connected to anti-Semitism and concludes that they are without doubt bedfellows that cannot be cleanly separated. Further key questions include whether Christians can (or should) be anti-Zionist and how we can identify anti-Semitic trends operating among Christians today.

This is a huge topic which is also well-explored in many other writings, but once more the author has done us a service by opening up a debate that might otherwise be regarded as taboo.

The Truth about Kabbalah

The author is concerned that elements of the Kabbalah can be identified within some strands of the charismatic prophetic movement. Without naming names, he asserts that ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ have entered the Body of Christ with deceptive teachings which are largely based upon the mystical, meditative and magical teachings of the Kabbalah. These so-called paths to spiritual enlightenment are highly dangerous and will lead Christians astray.

Whatever we conclude from his arguments, the booklet provides a very useful explanation of what the Kabbalah is, what the Kabbalistic texts are like and what Kabbalists teach. It also alerts us to the need to keep our eyes open for false teaching and to make discernment a key feature of our Christian lives.

Buy the booklets: Each of the above booklets are available from the Father’s House website, priced at £2.50 each + P&P.

About the author: Michael Fryer is a retired police detective and now a pastor in North Wales. Click here to read more about him.

Brief reviews of treasures both new and old.

Paul Luckraft sets us up for summer with a selection of mini-reviews.

A Fresh Understanding of Israel (Ed. Adam Raffell and Jacob Vince, 2017)

This slim volume, commissioned by Love Never Fails, contains seven short chapters by different writers, including David Noakes, Stephen Briggs and Alex Jacobs. Each chapter has a key question as its title and the words ‘fresh understanding’ in the overall title indicates that the approach is to counter the prevailing negative assessment of Israel within most Christian circles.

The chapters include what made the people of Israel significant in the first place, what role the Promised Land plays, and a consideration of 'Is Israel still ‘Israel’?' All the chapters are excellent summaries of the topics covered, perhaps the best being 'Did the disciples stop being ‘Jews’?'

The book ends with a full reading list both on a chapter by chapter basis and of other specific perspectives not covered in the chapters. This is an easy read and ideal to pass on to someone not yet aware of the importance of Israel.

‘A Fresh Understanding of Israel’ (70 pages) is available from CFI for £5.

The Mighty and the Almighty: How Political Leaders Do God (Ed. Nick Spencer, biteback publishing, 2017)

This is an intriguing book which explores why in a secular age so many politicians and world leaders profess a Christian faith. It also asks key questions: how sincere is this faith? Does (or did) their faith shape their politics, or does (did) their politics shape their faith? And if so, how?

The book covers 24 political figures of the past forty years, from Thatcher and Reagan, through Mandela and Clinton, to May and Trump, bringing it right up to date. Others featured include Tony Blair, George W Bush, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and David Cameron. But there are also several surprises (Vaclav Havel, Vladimir Putin) and even some relative unknowns, which creates an intriguing mix overall. Inevitably such a book can never include more than a small sample of world leaders over such a period but it is still a worthwhile project.

There are 13 contributors rather than a single author, but each chapter follows a similar structure: introduction, some biographical and background details, analysis of their faith and politics, conclusion. The book closes with a final conclusion by the editor.

Tim Farron is not one of those featured, but his recent resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats makes this a timely book. His resignation would have been too late to be included anyway, but he does get a mention at the very start of the introduction. The editor recalls a fringe meeting of the Labour Party conference at which a well-known Labour MP reacted to Farron’s election as party leader in 2015 by attacking not his policies but his fundamental religious beliefs as “an evangelical Christian who believes in the literal truth of the Bible” - the implication being that Farron would have to hide this in order to avoid embarrassment. Now read on…!

‘The Mighty and the Almighty’ (348 pages, hardback) is available from the publisher for £18.99. Also available as an e-book.

The Strange Death of Europe (Douglas Murray, Bloomsbury, 2017)

The title sums it up! Europe is dying and this strange phenomenon needs an explanation. The author contends that the whole continent is engaging in an act of collective suicide due to two simultaneous factors, namely that the mass movement of peoples into Europe is being allowed at the same time as Europe is losing faith in its beliefs, traditional values and cultural heritage. No longer internally strong enough to absorb a mass influx of peoples of different cultures, Europe has set itself on a course that will change it irrevocably.

The subtitle, ‘Immigration, Identity, Islam’, indicates the main aspects under scrutiny. It is their interaction which is creating the conditions for a successful cultural/religious transformation. The book is well-researched with plenty of evidence to support the thesis of the author who has also travelled widely across the continent to provide first-hand reports and eye-witness accounts.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Europe? Will it survive its current crisis? This may not be an overtly Christian book but it does contain an intelligent and thought-provoking analysis which if correct is deeply significant for Christians. Those with godly ears will hear what God is saying about Europe and its future.

‘The Strange Death of Europe’ (344 pages) is available from the publisher for £17.09 (paperback).

Re-discovering treasures from the past….

The Grace Outpouring (Roy Godwin and Dave Roberts, David C Cook, 2008, re-published 2012)

In this powerful and inspiring book Roy Godwin shares how he turned down a lucrative consulting job to lead the retreat centre Ffald-y-Brenin tucked away in a remote part of Pembrokeshire. His uncertainty on what would happen next was answered by God in an amazing way. People simply turned up, not always knowing why. But God did. “God gave us an answer as he sent people to us and met with them through prayers of blessing and the sheer wonder of finding themselves in his presence” (p45).

Over the years God has drawn thousands of seekers to this converted hill-farm where his healing and power is tangible and life-transforming. This book relates many fascinating stories of God’s work on a remote Welsh hillside as well as inspiring insights into how God can work in readers’ own communities. Highly commended.

‘The Grace Outpouring’ (185 pages) is available from Ffald-y-Brenind-y-Brenin for £8.99, where you can also purchase a newer book by Roy Godwin called 'The Way of Blessing'. Find out more about Ffald-y-Brenin on their website.

Jesus is the Question (Martin Copenhaver, Abingdon Press, 2014)

It is well known that asking questions was central to Jesus’ teaching, but not many of us will have studied them in detail or given enough thought to how powerful they are. This book is an excellent way to remedy this.

The book contends that Jesus is not so much the Answer Man as the Great Questioner. In the Gospels Jesus asks many more questions than he answers. To be precise, we are told that Jesus asks 307 questions, while he is asked 183 of which he only answers eight of them directly (some have argued only three). You can do your own count, but there is a useful chapter which focuses on these eight.

The book is well written, containing solid Biblical teaching illustrated by many examples from the author’s pastoral ministry. The final chapter contains a digest of about half of Jesus’ questions and suggestions for how these could be studied as a group. There is also an appendix containing a chapter-by-chapter readers’ guide, which of course consists of more questions for us to consider!

How well do we know Jesus? We will know him much better once we hear him question us. “Whatever else it means to follow Jesus, it certainly means letting Jesus’ questions guide our lives, rather than our own questions. Following Jesus is living the questions that Jesus asks” (p130). Highly commended.

‘Jesus is the Question’ (160 pages) is available from Amazon for £5.65.

Great Britain has fallen! (2002) and Awake! Great Britain (2005), both by Wale Babatunde

These two books by Wale Babatunde remain very relevant for our nation today and are worth picking up second hand.

When ‘Great Britain has fallen!’ first appeared Clifford Hill wrote the following endorsement:

“Wale Babatunde has produced an eminently worthwhile book, timely, well researched and with a prophetic ring of truth. From bishops to lay preachers, all who preach the Word of God in British churches should read this book. Through the eyes of an African Christian it brings a godly perspective on our ungodly land, but does so with grace and humility, as well as with hope for the future. I warmly commend it.”

Available from Amazon very cheaply.

The House that God Built: 100 years of God’s Working in the Congo (David Womersley, CAM International, 2015) – review by Maureen Trowbridge.

Throughout this book we learn about the marvellous way in which ‘God built His house’ in the Congo. It is a wonderful example of God’s amazing grace working through his people in the great pioneer African mission work Congo Evangelistic Mission (now CAM International). At its height they were responsible for 5,000 churches and fellowships. In spite of external pressures, civil war, diseases, persecution and even martyrdom, God won the lives of multitudes of men, women, boys and girls to follow Christ in a wonderful way.

David Womersley writes in a most moving and enthralling way about the everyday lives of his parents and other pioneer missionaries, up to the present day. It is very inspiring and exciting to read some of the events that occurred in the lives of those missionaries, of the people who became Christians and worked with them for the Lord, of the many miracles that happened and the schools and a Bible College which were founded.

I could not put this book down because I wanted to know what transpired next – so many things were happening as the chapters unfolded, some joyful, others sad – all moving! It is also full of good illustrations and photographs.

A compelling read - I would certainly recommend it.

‘The House That God Built’ is available from CAM International for £5 plus £1.50 P&P. Order by getting in touch with the office, or through the ‘Donate now’ button on this page.

Paul Luckraft interviews Manoj Raithatha, co-founder and owner of Instant Apostle, a publishing house with a difference.

It is always interesting and inspiring to learn how God births a new work, especially when under unusual circumstances within a familiar field - in this case the world of publishing.

Instant Apostle is relatively new to the Christian book market but is already making a significant impression. Talking to Manoj gave me a real sense of its purpose and potential.

Initial Vision

Manoj's early career was in the property business but when converted from a Hindu background in 2008, he began to question what it really meant to be a Christian in business. How could he make a real difference for the Kingdom? Was it just about making money or was it possible to create something that promotes the values of God's Kingdom in the world?

The initial vision for Instant Apostle came from elsewhere. Bridget Adams was a Church of England priest with a difference - her parish was the business world. With a background in science research, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a heart for Christians in business, she was instrumental in hearing from God that a new publishing house could serve His needs well in the current spiritual climate in this country.

She shared this vision with Manoj who was initially reluctant and declined any personal involvement. Or at least, that was his position until one decisive day when, simply sitting in a café with Bridget and not even discussing the venture, God intervened. Manoj describes it as a "clear moment from God when the Spirit hit and said, Do it!" From then on he knew – it was time to get to work!

Instant Apostle is relatively new to the Christian book market but is already making a significant impression.

Reliance on PrayerManoj's autobiography, published 2015.

From that point it was only a few short months before Instant Apostle was launched in April 2012. But how to get manuscripts to turn into books?

Prayer has proved to be the key; indeed, it was an important component from the beginning when the name Instant Apostle was given to Bridget in prayer. The first manuscripts simply arrived, there was no need to go searching for them. Since then, whenever the next publishing deadline approaches, Manoj simply prays and God provides. Three times a year, five new titles are required, and so far there has never been a shortfall. God is looking after this business!

Finance has also never been a problem. Starting with just £5,000 as seed money to set up the business, it has since been self-supporting simply through selling books (mainly via Amazon, Eden and Christian bookshops). Instant Apostle is also a publishing partner of Lion Hudson.

Whenever the next publishing deadline approaches, Manoj simply prays and God provides.

Instant Apostle is always looking for new writers, especially those who are passionate about addressing diverse social issues from a Kingdom perspective. A further aim is to publish titles that can also cross over into the secular marketplace. Books that can speak into 'the now' are particularly welcome, prophetic voices that will change the way readers understand God's Kingdom and see the world. If you have a book in you, then here is one channel to explore – not all manuscripts are accepted, of course; quality is important!

Here is a pioneer publishing house that the originator Bridget Adams described as "a download from God". Sadly, since its launch Bridget went to be with the Lord, but as part of her legacy, Instant Apostle lives on and, though it is likely to remain small within the publishing world as a whole, its future influence seems assured.

Find out more about Instant Apostle on their website, instantapostle.com. Read more about Manoj's conversion experience in his autobiography Filthy Rich (2015, Monarch Books, available on Amazon), which also shares about the Instant Apostle venture.

We reviewed one of Instant Apostle's books, The Returning King by Claire Lambert, earlier this year.

Going on holiday and searching for the perfect book to accompany you on your travels? Look no further than the books we've reviewed on Prophecy Today so far this year.

Journey into the riches of the Bible with Keller's My Rock, My Refuge (on the Psalms), or Whitworth's The Way of Wisdom. If you are keen to learn more about Israel's place in the plan of God, past, present and future, you may like Joel Richardson's provocatively-entitled When a Jew Rules the World.

For meatier explorations of anti-Semitism in the Church, try The Jews: Why Have Christians Hated Them? by Gordon Pettie, or Merrill Bolender's When the Cross Became a Sword. Alternatively, for exciting and encouraging stories about the love of Jesus transforming both Arabs and Jews in Israel today, read Julia Fisher's recent book, What is God Doing in Israel?

If your preferred subjects are politics and the state of the nation, you might like Melanie Phillip's The World Turned Upside-Down. Or, if your passion is seeing the Church recover its Hebraic roots and get back to biblical basics, why not try Heidler's Messianic Church Arising or Stephanie Cottam's Ready or Not - He is Coming, or start a journey with Steve Maltz? We have reviewed several of his books including his trilogy on the Western Church: How the Church Lost The Way, How the Church Lost The Truth, and To Life, as well as his 'God' trilogy: God's Signature, God's Blueprint and God's Tapestry.

Just click on the links above to read our reviews and for purchasing information.

Happy reading!

As we draw our series on Christianity's relationship with Israel and the Jews to a close, here is a roundup of the sources which have been featured in its articles.

All the books listed here come recommended as resources for study - whether for reference or for reading in full. Sources that have been used more extensively in the series are highlighted in bold.

To help consolidate the series, we have also compiled a select timeline of historic events and trends which, in one way or another, affected relationships between Christians and Jews. Please feel free to use this as a resource for personal or group study.

Bibliography

Bacchiocchi, S, 1977. From Sabbath to Sunday, Pontifical Gregorian University Press Rome.
Berkhof, L, 1984. Systematic Theology, Banner of Truth.
Berman, J, 1985. Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living, World Conference on Jewish Origins.
Booker, R, 2002. No Longer Strangers, Sound of the Trumpet.
Bullinger, E W, 1968. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, Baker.
Carroll, J, 1993. Humanism: The Wreck of Western Culture, Fontana.
Comfort, P W (Ed), 1992. The Origin of the Bible, Tyndale House.
Danby, H, 1933. Mishnah, Oxford.
Davies, W D, 1980. Paul and Rabbinic Judaism, Fortress.
Davies, W D, 1984. Jewish and Pauline Studies, Augsburg.
Dodd, C H, 1936. Apostolic Preaching, Harper.
Dowley, T, 1999. Life in Bible Times, Candle Books.
Eban, A, 1984. Heritage: Civilisation of the Jews, Wedenfeld & Nicolson.
Edersheim, A, 1994. Sketches of Jewish Social Life, Hendrickson.
Encyclopedia Judaica, (17 volumes plus yearbooks. Also available on DVD), Keter.
Feinberg, M, undated. Daily Life in the Time of Jesus, Palphot.
Flannery, E H, 1985. The Anguish of the Jews, Paulist Press.
Flusser, D, 1988. Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, Magnes Press.
Flusser, D, 1989. Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, MOD Books.
Garr, J D, 1989. Restoring Our Lost Legacy, Golden Key Books.
Gower, R, 1987. New Manners and Customs of Bible Times, Moody.
Holtz, B W, 1984. Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts, Simon & Schuster.
Jagersma, H, 1985. History of Israel to Bar Kochba, SCM.
Jocz, J, 1979. The Jewish People and Jesus Christ, Baker.
Kjer-Hansen, K, 1996. Jewish Identity and Faith in Jesus, Caspari Center.
Kopciowski, E, 1988. Praying With the Jewish Tradition, Eeerdmans.
Lull, F (Ed), 1989. Luther's Basic Theological Writings, Fortress.
Mansoor, M, 1984. Biblical Hebrew Volume 1, Baker.
Martin, V, 1995. A House Divided: The Parting of the Ways between Synagogue and Church, Paulist Press.
Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol 1, Eerdmans, 1993.
Origen, Against Celsus, The Anti-Nicene Fathers Vol 4, Eerdmans 1993.
Stern, D, 1988. Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel, Jewish New Testament Publications.
Stern, D, 1991. Messianic Jewish Manifesto, Jewish New Testament Publications.
Suetonias, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Wordsworth Classic, 1997.
Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome, Penguin, 1956.
Warfield, B B, 1956. Calvin and Augustine, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
Whiston, W, undated. Josephus: Wars of the Jews, Nimmo, Haig and Mitchell.
Wilson, M R, 1991. Our Father Abraham, Eerdmans.

See also www.tishrei.org for articles from various authors.

Today, Prophecy Today publishes its 30^th review since the magazine went live in April. What will you be reading over Christmas?

Our goal has been to review books and resources that will be of interest to the discerning Christian. As Christmas approaches, why not look back through our reviews - and perhaps even let them inspire you to make some purchases? To encourage you in your reading endeavours, here is a brief note from the editor of St Andrew's Christian Bookshop.

A Note from St Andrew's Bookshop

Over the last year I have discovered some alarming facts; not only is the number of Christian books being sold still in decline, but when a Christian bookshop closes very little of its sales are picked up by nearby bookshops – possibly up to 95% is lost. A recent Evangelical Alliance survey on Bible reading reported that people under 44 years old read the Bible on average 40% less than people over 44 years old (I would suspect a survey on the reading of Christian books would be even more telling!). And when discussing all this with the Right Revd. John Pritchard, the former Bishop of Oxford, he stated that he believes many Christians are now 'religiously illiterate'! If the church is not reading Christian books it is missing out on a rich vein of spiritual knowledge and information to help us understand what we believe and why.

So what does this all mean for us in our bookshop ministry?

For me it has been both releasing and exciting that the decline of the Christian bookshop is not inevitable.

Yes, the market has changed. Many of us have to accept the collapse of sales from Sunday School prize-giving, the decline of church hymnbook sales as churches move to the big screen, and the gradual end of many regular church bookstalls.

The challenge ahead for all of us in Christian retailing is to help the church to rediscover the value of Christian books. We want to dispel the myth that it is always cheaper and quicker to buy book on-line rather than from your Christian bookshop (we can often give a quicker and better service). We are also working to encourage church leaders to regularly recommend books when they preach, and to consider having suggested books to read with each teaching series I believe that people are hungry to be fed but don't know what to read. When books are recommended, people buy them, read them and lives are changed.

Be encouraged – the end is NOT inevitable. BOOKS DO CHANGE LIVES!

So when you're making choices about what gifts will most bless your loved ones this Christmas, why not reject the socks and the bubble bath, and choose something to encourage, inspire, challenge, grow...Choose a Christian book!

St Andrew's Bookshop

Re-printed with kind permission.