Roaring Lion: Spiritism In Borneo Challenged by the Power of Christ (1968) by Robert Peterson, Book Review

Roaring Lion: Spiritism In Borneo Challenged by the Power of Christ (1968) by Robert Peterson

 
This is an exciting book by Robert Peterson, a missionary in Borneo (particularly in Kalimantan) who has seen the Lord at work in the lives of many Chinese and some Malays who settle there. During this time (and still is), there were many customs and practices common to the animistic tribes of the islands. Spiritism and demon worship occupied a major place in their daily lives. All this while, Satan, that adversary who prowled around like a “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), boldly manifested his unchallenged dominion over them. But that won’t be long, because when Christ’s faithful servants like Robert Peterson went there and preached the gospel of peace, darkness became light and our true King, “the Lion of Judah” (Revelations 5:5), reigned mightily. George M. Steed writes, “We believe it is not just coincidental that when the Lord’s servants commenced openly to challenge the power of darkness and, in the name of our victorious Lord, command the demons to come out of the possessed ones, the gates of hell began to yield and captives were set free.”

Of course, we must not believe there are demons under every bush, but we must not deny the existence and influence of demons in our world today either. The supernatural is natural in the spiritual realm. If you believe in God, then recognizing the reality of Satan and demons shouldn’t be a problem. But the sad fact is that so many Christians have little knowledge of spiritual warfare, or even if they do, they tend to ignore it. Based on my experiences and, more importantly, from the Scripture, we must remember that: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). As the author puts it, we must know a little better the ‘depths of Satan', and by knowing, we are able to ‘fight the good fight of faith.’

What I like about this book is that Peterson began the story by describing his failures in dealing with demon activities. After many encounters, risks, and mistakes, he started to examine the Scripture about the issue and progressively learned how to deal with it effectively through the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God. The stories he told were very interesting because they reminded me of my own experiences during church mission trips to the interior parts of Sarawak many years ago. Read this book and know that God already gives us the weapons (for example, read Ephesians 6:13–20). The chief among them is that Christ is with and in us. “Many truths in the Word of God are a source of strength in our warfare against Satan, but the realization of the indwelling Christ and a day-by-day acknowledgement, acceptance, and utilization of this truth will set us on the victory road and keep us there,” writes Peterson. “Christ has never been and can never be defeated by Satan.” Amen.

#LeadersAreReaders #RoaringLion #TheLionOfJudah #Satan #JesusChrist #IndwellingChrist #RobertPeterson #BorneoForChrist #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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I Don't Have Enough Faith the Be An Atheist (2004) by Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek, Book Review

David Limbaugh in his forward writes, "[This book] is the best single book I've seen to prepare believers to give the reasons for their faith, and for skeptics who are open to the truth. This book will serve as an indispensable evangelism tool, especially when dealing with nonbelievers with 'intellectual' obstacles to the faith. As we know, the intellectual obstacles are just an excuse for nonbelievers, but when you remove the substance of their excuse they are left naked to confront their real obstacles, their real demons." I agree with Limbaugh but with the exception that it is NOT "the best single book." There will be new 'intellectual' obstacles ahead of us (although principally "there is nothing new under the sun"), so, we have to always need new, fresh, and better books to tackle future issues with the same effectiveness as this one. Always preparing the way for the Lord and His Word to touch people's lives with the never-changing Gospel. Having said that, for me, this book is one of the best apologetic tools so far (probably next after Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Between the two authors, I'm more familiar with Frank Turek because I subscribed to his podcast and YouTube channel with the same name as this book and frequently listened to his talks and interviews. Norman Geisler, now deceased, is the giant of apologetic who wrote and co-wrote many amazing books. Together they present the essential information needed for readers either to stand firm in their faith in the God of Christianity or to make a decision to come to the God of Christianity with a reasonable faith. For believers, your faith will be strengthened; for honest seekers, your beliefs will be challenged. Some people will read this book and yet remain an atheist or skeptical but they will have no excuse that they never knew. "One beauty of God's creation is this: if you're not willing to accept Christianity, then you're free to reject it," explain Frank and Norman. "God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling." I like that. It is consistent with the character of God that I read in the Bible. No one - especially mine - can claim absolute certainty about anything. Everything requires some amount of faith. Questions such as "Is truth knowable?", "Does God exists?" and, "Is the Bible the Word of God?" even with a fair amount of evidence, in the end, require faith. Vise versa, to reject them also requires faith. But as the book argues, it takes a lot more faith to be a non-Christian than it does to be a Christian.

Let me share five (5) reasons why I recommend this book (I could share more but, to misquote the Book of Hebrews, "time will not allow me"):

#1 The Logical Flow - At the outset, they outline 12 points starting from a general but crucial one "No.1 Truth about reality is knowable." What is truth? Can truth be known? Can truths about God be known? So what? Who cares about truth? Then, they progressively move to the last one "No.12 It is true that the Bible is the Word of God." Is the Bible historically reliable? Who is Jesus? If Jesus is who He said He is, what He taught about the Bible? They begin with general revelation to special revelation.

#2 Not Using the Scripture to Proof the Existence of God - In the first 5 out of 12 points, they argue about the existence of a theistic God not by using the Scripture but by science and reason. They use the Cosmological Argument (Beginning of the universe), the Teleological/ Anthropic Argument (Design of the universe, design of life), and the Moral Argument (Moral law). These arguments alone are enough for me to say that "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist"!

#3 Uses History, Philosophy, Logic, and Biblical Theology to Establish Their Arguments - For example, when they try to prove that the New Testament is reliable, they do not simply say that "The Bible tells me so" but give evidence from external and internal sources, historical and philosophical supports, logical and theological based. "We came to believe through evidence," they said, "...the fact THAT we are Christians is not the issue: WHY we are Christians is the important point."

#4 Anticipating Counter-Arguments and Answer Them Clearly - In the past, I almost lost my faith in Christianity. I figured, if Christianity is false then all religions* must be false too. I don't want to be an agnostic because I think the issue is simple: whether God exists or not. So my next best choice was to be an atheist. When I'm trying to explore the possibility of the non-existence of God, I have lots of questions. Every time I heard or read Christian's positive arguments, I always have counter-arguments or objections. Authors of this book anticipate objections as they presented their arguments. For example, take the case of the reliability of the New Testament again. They know those common objections such as "history cannot be known", "The New Testament documents contain miracles", "The New Testament writers were biased", and "Converted people are not objective" would be in the back of the reader's mind like I was. With vast experience, knowledge, and humility, they answer these common (not all) objections clearly.

#5 Provide More Than Enough Facts - To me, three reasonable facts are enough to change my opinions; five strong facts are enough to convince me to reconsider my beliefs; seven undisputed facts are enough to change my mind and make me a convert. Throughout the book every time the authors make a case they always give more than two reasons or facts. For example, in the question of "How do we know the moral law exists?" they give eight compelling reasons. In Chapter 11, they give "The Top Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth" which is also the title of the chapter.

The authors acknowledged that "evidence alone cannot convince someone to become a Christian. Some atheists and non-Christians may reject Christianity not because the evidence is inadequate but because they don't want to accept it." It seems oversimplified but in the final analysis, it's true. They continue, "Some people choose to suppress the truth rather than live by it. In fact, we humans have a fatal tendency to try to adjust the truth to fit our desires rather than adjusting our desires to fit the truth." Don't do that. This is about your eternal destiny. This book cannot answer ALL your questions. In fact, we will never have ALL the answers anyway. But this book - by God's grace - has more than enough answers to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is true. The Scripture says: "[If] you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Lord, give the reader enough faith to believe and confess! Amen.

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I Believe In The Holy Spirit (1965) by Maynard James, Book Review

 I Believe In The Holy Spirit (1965) by Maynard James

A good and sound Biblical book on the Holy Spirit is very hard to find. There are chapters on the subject in my systematic theology textbooks but it is either too technical or too Western-minded to appreciate the personality and work of the Holy Spirit in all phases of human life. And most of the popular modern-day books on the subject are very shallow and too self-centered (and sometimes heretics!) for me to take their words seriously. I agree with Norman P. Grubb in his foreword when he writes: "The range and aptness of [Maynard James'] Biblical references, the breadth and scope of his quotations from theological authors through the centuries, and the pungency of his facts and illustrations collected from all kinds of courses, grip my attention." Yes, it sure did grip my attention too! I opened my Bible as much as I turned the pages of this book as I read it.

In my observation, there is a good steady development in the interest of honoring the most neglected person in the Trinity, namely, the Holy Spirit today - even this year. For example, in October 2021, The Reformed Seminary of Latin America have organized a 6-day virtual conference The Person & Ministry of the Holy Spirit (I've watched most of the sermons on YouTube). Also, there was a 2-day Holy Spirit: Mantles conference held on January 2021 organized by Project ETV by well-known Charismatic preachers. Again, since last year, a popular pastor, Philip Mantofa, has made "Holy Spirit, My Best Friend" tagline known in both Indonesian and Malaysian churches through his book, song, and sermon series. For all of this exposure to bring awareness to God the Spirit (although we must acknowledge there are weird and false teachings out there), we should be deeply thankful. But overall, to the church worldwide, the reality of the person of the Holy Spirit remains neglected down the centuries until today. This is, as the author would call it, "The sin of neglect." I'm guilty of this sin too.

"It has been pointed out that the Holy Spirit is directly mentioned not less than 86 times in the Old Testament and at least 261 times in the New Testament," explained Maynard. "Some Christians would be quite surprised if told that 25 different names or titles are given to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures." Here are just ten names: The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4), The Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), The Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2), The Spirit of Truth (John 14:1, 17), The Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29), The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15), The Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4), The Comforter (John 14:26), and The Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14). Needless to say, the Holy Spirit is a prominent character in the Scriptures and just because He is called the Third Person of the Trinity, it doesn't mean that He is the third in terms of importance. The Holy Spirit is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son. Maynard has done a good job explaining in each chapter the matchless operations of the Holy Spirit in the creation, the written Word, the incarnate Word, and the human experience. He also discusses the sanctifying power, the gracious regeneration miracle, the three baptisms*, the emblems or symbols, and the gifts of the Spirit. I find that anecdotes that he used to illustrate his points are very helpful and not as annoying as some books that always make themselves the heroes of the story!

I can sense that the author was trying his best to be as balanced in his judgment and theology as possible. But a book on this subject - often gets the critical treatments by the Reformed, often misrepresented by the Charismatic, often treated mystically by the Catholic - will always arouse internal debate among the well-meaning Christians. For sure, I have some disagreements with the author who (but not mentioned directly) comes from the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement background and is thus biased especially in his assessments involving the gifts of the Spirit and his understanding of Spirit baptism(s). I believe in both but differ from some of his interpretations. Let's say, I have my own biases. Other than that, I'm very pleased and edified by the book. Surely, both of us would agree with Charles H. Spurgeon: “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.” Amen!

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Romans 1:28-32 The Breakdown of Human Society (#LetterToTheRomans)

As I observe the current world events and study the Word of God, especially Romans 1, I see the inevitable breakdown of human society. As we move further away from God, we move nearer to our self-destruction. More than ever, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (see Romans 1:18). The question is, WHY? And is there any hope amidst all of this?

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Romans 1:21-25 The Origin of Idolatry (#LetterToTheRomans)

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:22-23). There are three stages involve from suppressing the truth about God to idolatry. What are they? ⛔ #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheOriginOfIdolatry

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The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering The Heart of Christian Belief (1998) by James R. White, Book Review

 The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering The Heart of Christian Belief (1998) by James R. White

I’m a Triunetheist or Trinitarian. I believe in the doctrine of Trinity because it is clearly taught in the Scripture. Like the existence of God, in the past, in my fallen humanity, I don’t like to believe that God exists (I’ve considered becoming an atheist) - but He does. Or, like the life, the death, and the resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ, I used to wish that it wasn’t true or that He is a myth but the vast evidence in history and Biblical accounts - and my conviction - just can’t erase the truth from my heart and mind. Or, like the mystery of the Holy Spirit, I was lost in trying to understanding who He really is (the old translation “Holy Ghost” doesn’t help at all. For once, I thought He was a ghost! Scary!) but when I dive deeper into the Scripture and through personal experiences, truly, the Holy Spirit is a fully divine person. Some may think that these are very subjective approaches but one must understand that the truth is both subjective and objective (even fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes and Patrick Jane make guesses and theories all the time). There is no living creature who is purely objective. If you want to understand the concept of trinity, I suggest, you need to search the Scriptures, examine the historical accounts, apply reason, challenge your preconceived ideas, and be open with the supernatural experience. The Triune God can be known, if it’s true; and yet not fully known or comprehend, if He is God. 

Now, let's go to James White’s The Forgotten Trinity. Not only Mr. White is an accomplished and excellent Christian apologist, but he is also a very articulate author. I’ve read many theology textbooks on the Trinity. The excellent ones are by Wayne Grudem, Millard Erickson, and Charles Hodge. But what makes The Forgotten Trinity the best so far is, in my opinion, that it is precise, concise, and non-technical (except the Greeks!). This is a lay-person-friendly book. It is written with specific goals: to outline proofs that the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly taught in the Scriptures, to lead Christian readers to a knowledge of God’s truth & to invoke love and worship toward the Triune God or as Mr. White says, “I desire that you will join with me in being able to say, ‘I love the Trinity.’” What is the Trinity? He defines it as: Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three foundations of the Trinity that Mr. White sets at the beginning of this book are very important too that I’m afraid most anti- or non-trinitarian often missed and misunderstood: Foundation #1 Monotheism: There Is Only One God; Foundation #2 There Are Three Divine Persons; and Foundation #3 The Persons Are Coequal and Coeternal. “Every error and heresy on this doctrine will find its origin in a denial of one or more of these truths.” Currently, I’m reading a book on Christian heresies, sects, and cults - so, I very much agree!

The book is divided into 14 chapters and progressively builds up from what is the Trinity, who God is, the nature and person of Christ, the truth about the Holy Spirit, brief church history, and finally, on Christian devotion, the Gospel and the Trinity. Usually, I try to read one book a week but this book took me about two weeks to finished, not because it is long but because I take time to savor, think, pray and examine (almost) every Bible passages that are quoted. I’m a Trinitarian like Mr. White, so I’m on his side. But it never crossed my mind that he or any theologian or preacher or apologist (or me, as a matter of fact) is 100% right. Only the Word of God is inerrant, infallible, and inspired - everything else is commentary. I’ve listened to almost a hundred debates on Christianity, Islam, atheism, other religions, cults, and social issues. I’m fully aware of alternative views, different interpretations, and refutes out there about the Trinity. But I’ve made up my mind that the Trinity is fundamental to the Christian faith. No Trinity, no real Christianity. Period. Let me end this somewhat review with a Christian hymn: “Holy, Holy. Holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!”

Here are some of my recommendations of James White’s debates on the Trinity:

1) With Michael Brown vs. Anthony Buzzard & Joseph Good, Unitarians https://youtu.be/kYhaH0ftujI The Best!
2) Vs. Roger Perkins, Oneness (or, Unitarian) https://youtu.be/U-KMGuXCs-c 
3) Vs. Adnan Rashid, Muslim https://youtu.be/Y6G3AIqmB3I 
4) Vs. Shabir Ally, Muslim https://youtu.be/NKeMsW2b71U 
5) Vs. Dan Baker, Atheist https://youtu.be/UNZh-4pDio0 

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheTrinity #DoctrineAndTheology #JamesWhite #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Repentance: What It Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So by J.C. Ryle, Audiobook Review

 Repentance: What It Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So 

(First Edition, 1878; Updated Edition, 2021) by John Charles Ryle

In the past, although I always said that Charles H. Spurgeon’s books influence my Christian believes (besides the Bible) the most but in terms of number, I read J.C. Ryle’s books the most. Ryle (1816-1900) was the Bishop of Liverpool, England, and had gained a reputation for straightforward preaching, passionate evangelism, and Gospel-centered writings. His books, in my opinion, are easy to understand and very rich in theology and practical applications. I take C.S. Lewis's advice on the reading of old books like this one: “If [one] must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old.” Lewis recommended reading one old book for every contemporary book or two. I do read old books especially Christian classics from time to time because I know the value and importance of it (but I don’t come close to his recommended ratio). If you haven’t read one old book yet or if it’s been a while, I recommend you to read this book ���

The book opens and closes with this verse: “Except you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). For sure this is a warning verse. It might sound harsh and forceful or “stern and severe” but as J.C. Ryle explains: “From whose lips did these words come, though? They came from the lips of One who loves us with a love that passes knowledge. They came from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They were spoken by One who loved us so much that He left heaven for our sake. He came down to earth for our sake. He lived a poor, humble life on earth for thirty-three years for our sake. He went to the cross for us, went to the grave for us, and died for our sins. The words that come from lips like these must surely be words of love.” Indeed, this verse is ultimately a plea from One who loves us so much and desires to deliver us from the fire of hell (“perish”). So important is repentance that when Lord Jesus began His early ministry, He preached, “Repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Peter’s sermon at Pentecost began with, “Repent, and be baptized…” and ended with, “Repent you, and be converted” (Acts 2:38; 3:19). When Paul defended himself, he told his audiences that he had taught all people that they should “repent, and do works fit for repentance” (Acts 26:20). "Repent!" is the call to all of us.

J.C. Ryle knows how urgent this call is. As a preacher-teacher, he wants to makes the call clear and unadulterated. So, he skillfully outlines this book into three (3) sections:

1)The Nature of Repentance: What Is It?
2)The Necessity of Repentance: Why Is Repentance Needful?
3)The Encouragements to Repentance: What Is There to Lead People to Repent?

These three sections and the conclusion are packed with biblical truths. The five marks of repentance that J.C. Ryle highlights are very crucial for us to differentiate between true or false repentance, namely: “True repentance begins with 1)KNOWLEDGE of sin. It goes on to work 2) SORROW for sin. It leads to 3) CONFESSION of sin before God. It shows itself before a person by a thorough 4) BREAKING OFF from sin. It results in producing a 5) DEEP HATRED for all sin.” If you have experienced all the marks, then, as Ryle would say, you are a truly repentant person! ��� #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #GrowingLeaders #SpiritualLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #BiblicalRepentance #BishopJCRyle #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Prayer Is Putting Myself In a Position Where God Can Control Me

A parable is told of two men who planted olive trees in their fields. Afterward, the one prayed, "Dear Lord, my trees need water. Please sent rain." The showers came! He then prayed again, "They need sunshine," and God bathed them with sunlight! Later he prayed again, "Father, my trees need something to make them hardy. Please send a frost tonight." It came but killed them all.

Traveling over to the other man's grove, he found his olive trees flourishing, "How can this be?" he asked. The reply came, "When I prayed, I didn't ask for rain, sunshine, or frost; I just said, 'Lord, you made these trees. You know what they need. Just send what is best!'" ��������� #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #ThePrayingLeader #SpiritualGrowth

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You Are HERE to Know God

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV) #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #KnowingGod

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DOCUMENTARY REVIEW The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010) presented by Michael Mosley

The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion (2010)
by BBC presented by Michael Mosley

When I was in secondary school, I was always fascinated with science. I remember during recess time I went to the library, took books about the planets with pictures and devoured my reading. Reading wasn't my hobby back then but my interest in science superseded it. I don't remember I want to be a scientist back then but I do want to be the most knowledgeable man in the universe! (Both didn't happen, btw). I love The Story of Science documentary because it tries (yes, tried) to answer these six (6) fundamental questions of the humankind:

#1 What Is Out There?

#2 What is the World Made of?

#3 How Did We Get Here?

#4 Can We Have Unlimited Power?

#5 What Is the Secret of Life?

#6 Who Are We?

For about three thousand years, we – as humankind – have struggled to answer the great questions like the above. I do because I'm fascinated (using this word again) by these questions especially How Did We Get Here? and What Is the Secret of Life? Michael Mosley, an award-winning journalist, is very good at narrating this insightful and entertaining series. He is funny and serious at the same time. From the Cosmos to the Earth to the Mind to the Body to the world of Ideas. This series "reveals how the political upheavals of history combine with iconic inventions and discoveries, along with the ideas of great thinkers (such as Galileo, Newton, Einstein and Darwin), to create the advances that have transformed our lives." The more I try to understand the world around and within me – the what, the where, the how and the why – the more I'm in awe with the beauty and the wisdom of God, the Creator. I believe in God but I also appreciate the effort, the contribution and the power of science to explain these questions. I love science!

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BOOK REVIEW The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists (2008) by Ravi Zacharias

The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists (2008) by Ravi Zacharias

In 2004 & 2006, Sam Harris, an atheist scientist, wrote two anti-religious books entitled, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason and Letter to a Christian Nation. Before and after that there were other books also published such as Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great, Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell, and more (Harris, Dawkins, late Hitchens, and Dennett are called the Four Horsemen, main spokespersons of the New Atheism Movement, I think Lawrence Klaus should be the 5th Horse. These are fascinated read except for Dennett's, his books are too philosophical).

So in this book, Ravi Zacharias, a well-known Christian apologist, the founder, and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministry (RZIM), response to Harris' utterly bankrupt worldview and hatred toward anything religious and faith-based. Ravi in this short book (only 128 pages) eloquently - with his over 30 years of experience in the apologetic, vast amount of knowledge in Christian doctrines, world philosophies, and religions - explain the true nature of evil, the foundation of morality, the meaning of life, the important of hope and love, the necessity for God, the Creator, and more.

The strength of The End of Reason, in my opinion, lies not only in Ravi’s debunking of Harris’ core arguments, but in uncovering the path down which new atheism leads its followers. Ravi exposes the reality that the atheist worldview is inescapably bleak, with no basis for love, hope, morality or the value of human life – that “the emperor has no clothes, and through his verbal magic Harris is trying hard to cover him up.”

My favorite quote from this book: “The worldview of the Christian faith is simple enough. God has put enough into this world to make faith in him a most reasonable thing. But he has left enough out to make it impossible to live by sheer reason alone.” Amen!

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Book Review - Walking the Bible: A Journey Through the Five Books of Moses (2001) by Bruce Feiler

Walking the Bible: A Journey By Land Through the Five Books of Moses (2001)
by Bruce Feiler

This is not a theological book, not by a theologian or Christian pastor, not a textbook for seminary students. This is an adventure by a seeker, a quest for truth (or the remaining of the truths), a personal pilgrim that may or may not lead to the divine. This is not a spiritual quest… at first.

"In the Middle East," writes Feiler, an award-winning journalist, and writer, "I realized, the Bible is not some abstraction, nor some book gathering dust. It's a living, breathing entity unencumbered by the sterilization of time. If anything, it's an ongoing narrative: stories that begin in the sand, get entrenched in stone, pass down through families, and play themselves out in the lives of residents and visitors who traverse its lines nearly 5,000 years after they were first etched into memory. That was the Bible I wanted to know, and almost immediately I realized that the only way to find it was to walk along those lines myself. I would take this ancient book, the embodiment of old-fashioned knowledge, and approach it with contemporary methods of learning – traveling, talking, experiencing. In other words, I would enter the Bible as if it were any other world and seek to become a part of it. Once inside, I would walk in its footsteps, live in its canyons, meet its characters, and ask its questions in an effort to understand why its stories had become so timeless and, despite years of neglect, once again so vitally important to me."

From there, Bruce Feiler writes this 435-pages book with immersion journalism and a style that makes it flow without bogging the reader down in minutia. It is easy and fun to read (for me). It was like reading a novel but with real characters, real places and historical events. I hope potential readers will not be turned off to this book from its title. It is not written from a religious perspective but from a (fairly) objective perspective. Even though Feiler himself is Jewish and grew up in a Jewish household, he didn't attach himself to the Jewish Bible.  When visiting Jerusalem, he was shocked by being able to see the physical locations where so many stories from the Bible take place. That experience inspired him to take the journey through the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Together with Avner Goren, his guide, Feiler travels through Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and other lands of the Near East. They visit as many confirmed biblical locations as possible and some suspected sites. Along the way, they will read aloud the passages of the Bible applicable to that place. Slowly, Feiler's faith grows stronger and comes to find an appreciation for the biblical places. Feiler's talent for detail and imagery made this book worth reading (although I wish he can trim down the volume). I felt like I was in the desert on a camel with him. I could see myself walking deeper and deeper into the pyramids of Egypt especially (wow!). His description of Petra almost convinced me to see it for myself before I die. The characters of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses are told in the most interesting way. And throughout the book, my faith in the Old Testament is ever increasing. Even though that wasn't his intention at first, I thank God the Father for this book because it rekindles my trust in His Word. By the way, I also enjoy the science, archaeology, history, and traditions behind this book. Reading a book about the Bible without religious lingos is very helpful and refreshing for me.

One of the biggest questions that Feiler explores is this: "If these places existed, does that make the Bible true? If they didn't exist, does that mean the Bible is lies?" The analogy used is from "an archaeologist I met in Jerusalem who said to me, ‘You know, Americans seem to think if you can prove that two screws existed, you prove the entire machine existed.'" It's black or white, no grey in between. Feiler feels this pull of (false) reasoning a few times through his journey. At the end of the day, something in the Bible can be proven, something is not, said Feiler. Not everything will or can be proven with science! For this, I respect Feiler for leaving some questions open, without answers. Maybe that's why I like this book – its honesty and integrity. I don't agree with everything that Feiler writes. That's okay. A good book (I said it over and over again before) will make you think, challenge your beliefs or assumptions, and spark your imagination. This book has done all three! Superb!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Book Review: The Grand Design (2010) by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

The Grand Design (2010) by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

“We each exist for but a short time, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe. But humans are a curious species. We wonder, we seek answers. Living in this vast world that is by turns kind and cruel, and gazing at the immense heavens above, people have always asked a multitude of questions: How can we understand the world in which we find ourselves? How does the universe behave? What is the nature of reality? Where did all this come from? Did the universe need a creator? Most of us do not spend most of our time worrying about these questions, but almost all of us worry about them some of the time.”

Good introduction, and fair questions. The last book I read by Hawking is A Brief History of Time which primarily deals with how did the universe begin and what made its start possible, does time always flow forward, is the universe unending or are there boundaries, are there other dimensions in space, and what will happen when it all ends. In The Grand Design, Hawking (and Mlodinow) writes a sequel that tries to explore deeper questions such as the above quotation. Both authors explain why, according to quantum theory, “the cosmos does not have just a single existence, or history, but rather that every possible history of the universe exists simultaneously.”

They question the conventional concept of reality, posing instead a "model-dependent" theory of reality (which I’m not so clear about). “We discuss how the laws of our particular universe are extraordinarily finely tuned so as to allow for our existence and show why quantum theory predicts the multiverse – the idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature,” explained Hawking. “And we assess M-Theory, an explanation of the laws governing the multiverse, and the only viable candidate for a complete ‘theory of everything’” (the unified theory that Albert Einstein was looking for even on his deathbed).

I think one particularly controversial claim that both authors wrote in this book is the idea that the universe can be explained without God. “Why is there something rather than nothing? Why do we exist? Why this particular set of laws and not some other? Some would claim the answer to these questions is that there is a God who chose to create the universe that way. It is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. In this view, it is accepted that some entity exists that needs no creator, and that entity is called God. This is known as the first-cause argument for the existence of God. We claim, however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.”

I say that the fact that M-theory, the Theory of Everything, the unified theory Einstein was hoping to find, cannot be found until today or ever will be, is because to understand the universe, we cannot depend on physical evidence and observable experiments alone. The grand design comes from the Great Designer, the Living God. My interest in science and theoretical physics especially, does not need me to ignore the existence of God, but rather, because God is the grandiose Designer, I want to understand the world (and remain curious) both in physical and spiritual perspectives.

[This book is for general readers, but some terms and theories are so hard for me to understand. So I need help. I watched Lawrence Krauss - Physics Made Easy on YouTube and Discovery Channel Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design: Documentary. And to detox my mind from the ‘denial’ of God, I listened and watched John Lennox, scientist, and apologist, a counter-argument in God and Stephen Hawking on YouTube]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.