Karl's Reading List

Published by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago: United States of America, 1981 (1979). This book is actually a commentary of the book of Judges from the Old Testament, but is a far easier read than most similar books. This is because the author uses a variety of preaching techniques, including parables and illustrations... I do wonder if this actually started out as a series of sermons... Judges is not an easy book to interpret. Firstly, it is narrative, meaning that it needs to firstly read as history, but it is also Scripture, meaning that there are lessons or spiritual truths that can be gleaned from throughout. Inrig does a good job of acknowledging both aspects - highlighting the story and looking for the life lessons, some of which are emphasised by the illustrations he chooses to include. In doing so, he is able to go beyond simply commenting on the book of Judges itself, and instead give thought provokers that the Christian reader can apply outside of that context. An exampl...

Published by RWG Publishing: Litchfield, IL, 2021. This book is written by a good friend of mine who also attends ChristFirst Church! This is the first time I've reviewed a book written by someone I know well and its an odd experience (I also know the author of The Earth Cries Out which I rated last year as one of my top 5 New Zealand-authored books , but I haven't done a full review of it yet).  Not Many Fathers  follows Kenaz, and later his son Othniel, as they take part in the wilderness wanderings and eventually the conquest of Canaan. Othniel is mentioned only occasionally in the Bible, but one thing that is known is that he becomes the first Judge (as in 'the book of Judges'). Cottle points out that as a close relative of Caleb, Othniel was one of the few men in that generation of Israelites to have a 'father figure' survive into Canaan, and suggests that this is one of the reasons why Othniel could rise to prominence, since most other men didn't have ...

Published by Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2004. This is a great book, one that I first read as part of my theological training. Bartholomew and Goheen take the Bible as a whole and divide it into six "acts", namely: 1) God Establishes His Kingdom: Creation, 2) Rebellion in the Kingdom: Fall, 3) The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated, 4) The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished, 5) Spreading the New of the King: The Mission of the Church, 6) The Return of the King: Redemption Completed. By dividing the Bible thusly, they are able to focus on the 'overarching' story of the Bible, something that is important because "If we allow the Bible to become fragmented, it is in danger of being absorbed into whatever other story is shaping our culture, and it will thus cease to shape our lives as it should."  (page 12) The Bible is really the story of God and how He connects with His chosen creation, and Drama of Scripture helps to remind us of t...

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2002 (1994). Book 2 in the 'Mark of the Lion' series: " A Voice in the Wind "; " An Echo in the Darkness "; " As Sure as the Dawn ." The second book in the Mark of the Lion series, Echo is hard to talk about without spoiling certain elements of the previous entry, A Voice in the Wind .  That earlier book has such a good ending that I would encourage people considering the book to go and read it before carrying on reading this! So... spoiler warning... Hadassah has survived being thrown to the lions thanks to the aid of the surgeon Alexander, but has been hideously scarred as a result. Keeping her features hidden from the world, she now works with Alexander as an assistant, her faith in God manifesting itself through compassion for Alexander's patients and prayers for healing. Despite her new live bringing hope to those around her, Hadassah worries what will happen if the Valer...

Published by Monarch Books: Oxford, UK & Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2009. This is the autobiography of Andrew White, a canon in the Church of England and someone who has worked for peace in both Israel/Palestine and Iraq. He is able to have influence in these areas by building relationships with key religious and political leaders from all sides of a conflict, and has been able to bring about various statements seeking peace and reconciliation from often opposing parties. I found this a challenging book to read, partially because of White's focus on peace even at the price of evangelism. It is an important role, and one that he has obviously been called to, but also one that not every individual would be able to achieve. The challenge of pastoring a church in Baghdad (which he did until 2014, after this book's release) is also highlighted, including the balance between security and sacrificial love. When White talks about a particular pastor of the church, and then explains th...

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, Illinois, 2007 (1996). Also: New International Version (Anglicised), Audio Edition, published by Biblica, Inc., 2013, narrated by David Suchet. Found online at https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/?recording=nivuk-suchet This may be the longest I have taken to read a book without leaving it for an extended period of time. At the start of the year Elise mentioned a desire to read the Bible chronologically using this version that she had purchased some time in the past. We desired to do this together, pacing ourselves by keeping roughly to the reading plan outlined within. As a Christian, I deeply value the Bible. I try to read at least a few verses most days (although realistically it is sometimes less often than this) and often I find that the different verses I read will either speak into whatever situation I am going through at the time, or come back to mind at a future time. I believe that God speaks through His ...

Published by Monarch Books: Oxford, England, 2012. This is a collection of fifteen interviews conducted by the author (as part of her The Olive Tree radio series) with Jews and Arabs living in Israel and Palestine who each have come to faith in Jesus. We hear from teachers, pastors and business owners, each with their own reason for living in the region, but each bound by a love for Christ and for reconciliation between the two people groups. Many of the testimonies highlight the growth of Christianity within Israel and Palestine since the 1970s, and challenge the Western reader to not forget that we should not let our politics could what God is doing in an area. It is not easy to live for Christ in the face of such intense political and religious divides, and this book reminds us to pray for those living in these locations. A good "taster" book that might whet some readers' appetites to find out more about what God is doing in the Middle East. Completed 29 March ...