Two great reads ..........

Hello,

I’m so sorry it's been a while. Just lots of "life and doings" happening all at once, however, it doesn’t mean we haven't been reading. We read “Choose Joy – Because Happiness Isn’t Enough” by Kay Warren between September and November 2013, and read “A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini over Christmas.

Two very different and great books; I enjoyed reading both of them!

 “Choose Joy” was very popular with every member of the group. In it, Kay teaches women the difference between Joy and happiness, what joy really is, where to find it, and how to choose it in the good times.  Choose Joy is a brilliant book about choosing to trust God in all the circumstances and situations of life. It is definitely worth reading.

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is novel (fiction). A gripping and thought-provoking read, but unfortunately not to everyone’s liking in the group. I found it both challenging and interesting.

The consensus within the group was that it had increased our understanding of the Afghan culture, if not the religion itself, as they are so intertwined and confusing, and all its tragic history and differences within the country, but mainly it really increased our empathy for Afghan women and what life is like for them, even today.

If you have read either “Choose Joy” or “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, you are welcome to share your views with us. Please leave a comment.
 
God bless.


Ope

The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi

The two hearts of Kwasi Boachi by Arthur Japin was chosen for the group to read over summer (2013).

This is a novel based on a true story of two African princes, cousins who are uprooted from their Gold Coast Ashanti village and sent to Amsterdam in 1837 to be educated.

It is a very moving and somewhat sad story that exposes the ethnic injustice, narrow-mindedness, exploitation and betrayal of the Dutch government during the Dutch colonial empire into West-Africa;

A well written book that gives a captivating insight into the journey of the lives of the two African princes.


Definitely worth reading!


Kind regards,

Ope


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Synopsis

“The first ten years of my life I was not black.” Thus begins this startlingly eloquent and beautiful tale based on the true story of Kwasi Boachi, a 19th- century African prince who was sent with his cousin, Kwame, to be raised in Holland as a guest of the royal family. Narrated by Kwasi himself, the story movingly portrays the perplexing dichotomy of the cousins' situation: black men of royal ancestry, they are subject to insidious bigotry even as they enjoy status among Europe’s highest echelons. As their lives wind down different paths–Kwame back to Africa where he enlists in the Dutch army, Kwasi to an Indonesian coffee plantation where success remains mysteriously elusive–they become aware of a terrible truth that lies at the heart of their experiences. Vivid, subtle, poignant and profound, The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi is an exquisite masterpiece of story and craft, a heartrending work that places Arthur Japin on a shelf that includes Joseph Conrad, J.M. Coetzee, Kazuo Ishiguro and Nadine Gordimer. 

Chasing the Dragon ...

Hi there,

The group just finished reading “Chasing the Dragon” by Jackie Pullinger. This book tells the true story of the author’s missionary work in Hong Kong and its infamous Walled City as a response to God’s calling.

Jackie, who was truly led by the Holy Spirit to minister to triad gangsters, drug addicts and prostitutes, made a real difference in the transformation of many people’s lives in the slums of the Walled City.

Jackie’s trust in God and love for Jesus was evident in the way she loved people. She had great compassion for the people of the Walled City and never gave up on them. Her complete faith in God's provision and protection was very outstanding. Although a very inspiring and challenging story, I felt the book got repetitive after a while. Nevertheless, I was amazed by how the name of “Jesus” and the power of the Holy Spirit simply delivered addicts from drug addiction.

Very highly recommended!



Love and blessings,

Ope


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Synopsis                       

Until it was pulled down, the Walled City was Hong Kong's most foreboding territory. It was a lawless place, dominated by the Triads, and which the police hesitated to enter. Strangers were unwelcome. Drug smuggling and heroin addiction flourished, as did prostitution and pornography, extortion and fear.

When Jackie Pullinger set sail from England in 1966 she had no idea that God was calling her to the Walled City. Yet, as she spoke of Jesus Christ, brutal Triad gangsters were converted, prostitutes quit, and Jackie discovered a new treatment for drug addiction: baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The Grace Outpouring ....

.....Once again, the group finished reading yet another fantastic book - "The Grace Outpouring" by Roy Godwin. In this detailed account of God's grace at work, Roy paints a powerful picture of the presence of God at FFald-y-Brenin Retreat Centre in Wales.

The general consensus within the group was that “The Grace Outpouring” is a good reading and discussion book worth recommending to others.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was moved by both the presence of God at Ffald-y-Brenin and the encounter with God those who visited experienced.

It really inspired and challenged me prayerfully. Without a doubt, God is using Roy and Daphne to bless people.

Definitely worth reading!

 

Love and blessings,

 Ope

Braving the Storm

Hi there,

 

 

Our group read "Braving The Storm" by Eric Gaudion over Christmas 2012 and had the opportunity to discuss it's contents a couple of weeks ago. This book is about a pastor's daily struggle with pain caused by long term ill-health.

 

In his book, Eric wrote about trusting God and not losing hope when healing doesn't come. He gave some helpful advice on coping with chronic pain and highlighted the importance of the support the church and church community can give those suffering from chronic pain.

 

The general consensus within the group was that “Braving the Storm” is a good reading and discussion book worth recommending to others.

 

If you have read this book, please share your comments and thoughts with us.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Ope

 

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Synopsis

Eric Gaudion has known ill-health for many years. Acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis almost killed him, and his life is a daily struggle with pain.

 

Once the pastor in a thriving church, he saw the ministry he dreamed of slip away. During all his trials, he learned a number of important lessons he shares here -- things that hinder and things that help those suffering as well as biblical lessons. He also has wise and compassionate advice to the church on those who are sick and have not healed.

The fall of Lucifer ...

Hello all,


Happy New Year!

First and foremost, I apologize for this late post. I got caught up in the pre-Christmas busyness.

The group read and discussed "The fall of Lucifer" by Wendy Alec in November 2012.

Wendy writes about Lucifer's fall from Heaven and how he became satan (the devil). Although purely fiction, I quite enjoyed her intriguing imagination of what might have happened in heaven during the initial time of Lucifer's fall. Despite her rather disappointing writing style, I enjoyed the story's plot and was able to focus on the messages within:


• pride and how it impacts our relationship with God.

• God's unconditional and redeeming love for all His creation.


Overall, I thought it was an interesting story however not every member of the group agreed on that. This is a book you will either like or dislike.


Please share your comments and thoughts with us if you have read this book.


Kind regards,

Ope


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Synopsis

 
In the hallowed corridors of heaven itself, the love between three angelic brothers fills the ages before time began. Lucifer, the beloved of heaven, first and greatest of the three. Worship leader of heaven. His throne second only to the Most High's. Ever has he been the Lord God's prince and favourite subject.

Michael, commander of the host of heaven, strong and wise and steadfast. And Gabriel, youngest and most idealistic, loyal and loving for eternity past. Brothers for eternity.

The shining halls of glory buzz with the news of God's new creation: a physical universe. Stars and planets and seas and creatures, all to be made not to spirit but of matter. All to provide the home for the Almighty's crowning creation, a mortal man, bearing in physical form the DNA of God Himself.

Lucifer sees his replacement as God's favourite in mankind. His envy of the race of men becomes obsessive and his unrelenting decline and subsequent rebellion gets him banished from the first heaven with a third of his renegade angelic host. He is determined to wreak revenge against the race of men by all means……

The Bible Jesus Read

Hello,

 

This summer, the group read Philip Yancey's "The Bible Jesus Read". In this book,Yancey looks at the Hebrew Scripture–what Christians call the Old Testament, which served as the "Bible Jesus read" and focuses on the books of Job, Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the books of the Prophets. He writes about different aspects of these Old Testament books and stories of God's compassionate encounters with people.

 

Philip Yanceygives readers a better understanding of God and His relationship with us and also encouragesus to consider how the Old Testament is relevant to their own lives.

 

As I read this book, it gave me a fresh understanding and appreciation of God's love for His people. Although I found some of Yancey's analysis interesting and challenging, I felt the title of the book was somewhat misleading as the book was actually an analysis of selected books of the Old Testament.

 

Nevertheless, this is a great book for everyone looking for an understanding of how the Old Testament is relevant to his or her own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

I highly recommend this book for reading.

 

Kind regards,

Ope

 

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Synopsis

The Old Testament is God's biography, the story of his passionate encounters with people and also a prequel to the story of Jesus. This book explores the sometimes shocking and cryptic writings in an effort to know God better.

In The Bible Jesus Read, Philip Yancey challenges the perception that the New Testament is all that matters and the Old Testament isn’t worth taking the time to read and understand. As he began to explore how the Old Testament related to his life today, he discovered that those seemingly irrelevant Hebrew Scriptures took on a startling immediacy, portraying a passionate relationship between God and people against the broad backdrop of human experience.

Like nothing else, the Old Testament depicts the cries, the complaints, the deep, insistent questionings of the heart, the stuff of life we all must contend with. With his candid, signature style, Yancey interacts with the Old Testament from the perspective of his own deeply personal journey.

From Moses, the amazing prince of Egypt, to the psalmists’ turbulent emotions and the prophets’ oddball rantings, Yancey paints a picture of Israel’s God--and ours--that fills in the blanks of a solely New Testament vision of the Almighty. Probing some carefully selected Old Testament books--Job, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Prophets--Yancey reveals how the Old Testament deals in astonishing depth and detail with the issues that trouble us most.

The Old Testament in fact tackles what the New Testament often only skirts. But that shouldn’t surprise us. It is, after all, the Bible Jesus read. The Bible Jesus Read will give you abundant new insights into the heart of God the Father. And as you read with a fresh eye the prayers, poems, songs, and bedtime stories that Jesus so revered, you will gain a profound new understanding of Christ. 'The more we comprehend the Old Testament,' Yancey writes, 'the more we comprehend Jesus.'