Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been (2018) by Jackie Hill Perry, Audiobook Review

Regardless of who she is becoming or her theology may have been shifted a bit today, objectively speaking, judged by this book alone, I love it! Jackie Hill Perry writes in a very poetic way. It is not just beautiful but also truthful too. With compassion and conviction. Lots of vulnerability and yet not self-centered. As a poet and rapper, Jackie is no doubt an expert storyteller. Although a bit preachy in the end and in between, as a reader, I know her origin story as an ex-gay girl a.k.a. lesbian but above all, I know the good God that she is writing about, "To tell you about what God has done for my soul is to invite you into my worship."

Jackie grew up fatherless, a marijuana user, a pornography addict, and experienced gender confusion. The back cover states: "She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about all of the above. But was she supposed to change herself? How was she supposed to stop loving women, when homosexuality felt more natural to her than heterosexuality ever could?" This book tells her journey toward change and wholeness. I can imagine what the LGBTQ+ people might think about this book: it's a cliche. A gay girl found a good God, let go of her old lifestyle and married a man, etc. But it's more than that. For one, Jackie admits that temptation does come and go. Yet "I don’t believe it is wise or truthful to the power of the gospel to identify oneself by the sins of one’s past or the temptations of one’s present but rather to only be defined by the Christ who’s overcome both for those He calls His own." Amen!

I have a few unresolved issues about the book though: What happened to her girlfriend after she ended the relationship? After a few years of marriage with Preston, does same-sex attraction (SSA) occur again? How about non-practice SSA who wish to be celibate, any words for them? (or maybe I missed it). Overall, it is a good book to understand how one person can be changed by the good God. "Because a good God made the woman, then being a woman is a good thing." For sure, Jackie writes from the 'tradition' view, not from the 'progressive' view. Some people might disagree with her interpretations, and some will affirm her Biblical view (I'm one of them). This is a story of one person, so, don't use this book to be the standard to measure and judge all SSA or LGBTQ+ people. There is no one size fit when it comes to the sexual issue. It's messy. Continue to listen, learn and explore - and read the Scripture, that is, the Word of God, rightly.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GayGirlGoodGod #JackieHillPerry #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Why You Should Finish A Book? #LeadersAreReaders June 2022

Last month [June 2022] I only managed to finish two books. Since the relaxation of quarantine, the works of ministry are getting momentum - and then some. Most of the time, I read for references, and not enough space for leisure reading. I hope for the months to come, I can catch up with other books that I've bought during The Hills Book Fair. Before I share why once you start a book you should finish it is a wise rule, I want to confess that I sometimes break this rule myself. Quitting a book is not a sin. This is a wise rule, not a divine law. Having said that, here are FOUR (4) REASONS why you should finish a book:

1) SURPRISES. When you stop short, you risk missing something incredible. I can’t count how many books have bored me in the beginning only to later amaze me with their insights and thrills. I experienced this when I read Dan Brown's Origin (2017) and James Garvey's The Persuaders (2016). Also, when I first read the Book of Leviticus I find it very boring and irrelevant. But after I endure to the end and studied a little more on the subject, I find that is a very enriching book of truth!

2) PLEASURE. Finishing a book is like completing a mission or a race. The sense of accomplishment and a small win will motivate you to want to read more. It's like you have done something great amid never-ending challenges in the world today. I remember when I finished reading a big volume of Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (1984), I felt like a champion and filled with awe by Lord Jesus's teachings and Lloyd Jones's expositions. The intellectual pleasure makes me happy and the spiritual pleasure makes me glad.

3) DISCIPLINE. Perhaps this is not a popular word nowadays. But to start a book means you want to acquire the discipline, to begin with, and it requires discipline to finish it. What I mean is this: You need the discipline to begin and you will gain discipline when you finish it. It's like reading the Bible. As Christ believers, you know you should read the Bible but most of the time you don't feel like you want to read it. So what's the solution? After asking God to give you spiritual hunger for the Word of God, the most basic way is to JUST read it. Once you discipline yourself to start to read it and do it daily, the habit will start to form and soon or later you just can't live without it for more than a week! You'll start to love it and finish it.

4) RESPECT. "Never judge a book by its cover", right? Hmmm... sometimes I do. I think we can bring that a step further in a much more practical way: Never judge a book by some bad chapters. Yuval Noah Harari, I think, has written two very important books, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2015). I recommend both. I enjoy Harari's insights, intelligence, and train of thought. But I do not necessarily agree with some of his theories and conclusions. In fact, there are chapters and sentences that I just can't tolerate. Yet, out of respect, I need to judge his books as a whole. Never give up a book just because you disagree with some of their arguments. Trying to understand other people's opinions without compromising your values is the key. Even if you want to criticize the author, make sure you read the book to the end.

There are more that I wanted to say but the four reasons above should be enough, right? May you find a book or two or more that can make you say what Lailah Gifty Akita wrote: "I wish I could fall asleep. But with a good book in my hands, I stay awake to finish reading.” #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #FinishABook #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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I Remember John Sung (1976) by William E. Schubert, 2nd Book Review

I read this for the fourth time because it is so inspiring and challenging book. Dr. J. Edwin Orr writes, "John Sung was one of the most colorful characters of all time, an evangelist of striking spiritual power as well as a prophet whose eccentricities matched some of those known through the Old Testament." Perhaps the last statement is putting John Sung too highly than he really was but it's not without merit. If you read this together with the other biographies and some of his sermon samples in the appendix, you can see why John Sung should be on your list of heroes of the faith.

Too often, churches and seminaries in Asia make much of the Reformation figures - yes, they are important and should be known - like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, etc. but lack excitement when it comes to Asian heroes of the faith like John Sung, Watchman Nee, Sadhu Sundar Singh, etc. People like these men (and oh, wonderful Christian women too!) must be rediscovered and highlighted because young Christians nowadays need actual heroes beyond the MCU and DCEU fictional superheroes! What's amazing is that, if you read Christian biographies, you can see how flawed women and men like John Sung can be used by God for His glory and to extend His Kingdom on earth. Their shortcomings can make you relate to them and their passion and zeal for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word can put us to shame, which if you let the Holy Spirit works in you, can become a source of challenge and inspiration.

In the closing remark, William E. Schubert says: "As we remember John Sung, we pray that God will produce another, perhaps even greater, evangelist in this century. God often calls His leaders from the ranks of Jesus' persecutors. When this man, or men, come on the scene, then China and the Far East will be aflame for God with the preaching of the irresistible Gospel." In the same way, may God raises such leaders in Sarawak, Malaysia, Asia... again! #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #JohnSung #HeroesOfFaith #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Read my previous book reviews about John Sung here:

1) I Remember John Sung, 1st Review
2) A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall
3) I also like to recommend Asian Awakening: John Sung (1988) by Timothy Tow

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The Art of the Good Life: 52 Surprising Shortcuts to Happiness, Wealth, and Success (2017) by Rolf Dobelli, Book Review

The Art of the Good Life: 52 Surprising Shortcuts to Happiness, Wealth, and Success (2017) by Rolf Dobelli

This is my second book from Dobelli. I enjoyed the first one, The Art of Thinking Clearly (2013), and since this is marketed as the follow-up book, I expected to have the same enjoyment with this one too (Here lie my many biases. Chief among them is the confirmation bias!). I do, most of the time. What the subtitle called shortcuts are actually Dobelli's "own collection of mental tools designed to build a good life" as he defines it. He derives these tools from classical antiquity to cutting-edge psychological research. As such, these are not original thoughts per se but packed briefly and simply for modern readers and aimed to be as practical as possible for the twenty-first century. The author, an economic philosopher, admits that "these fifty-two intellectual tools may not guarantee you a good life, but they'll give you a fighting chance." I like this kind of honesty.

Here are what I like about this book: 1) Each chapter consists of one main mental tool, with a clear definition or explanation and relatable examples. I think this is why Dobell is a good writer (it was originally written in the German language) because he can make complex concepts and academic journals accessible to common readers like me. Perhaps there are times when he oversimplified things and situations, but hey, these are just tools not laws; 2) I appreciate Dobelli's openness about his atheism and stoicism. This understanding helps me to see from his point of view and filtered through what I read with my own worldview; and 3) Notes at the end of this book are very useful if I want to explore each tool further. There are references and credits. By the way, I noticed that he loves to quote Warren Buffett, Charles Munger, Bertrand Russell, and Daniel Kahneman. Good thinkers.

Overall, I like it. Although, if you haven't read any book by Dobelli, I recommend you start with The Art of Thinking Clearly. That book will make you feel - and perhaps actually - smart. You may or may not read this one as a follow-up. I bought this at a massive discount bookstore. The normal price is expensive. So, borrow or find a secondhand one ☕#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheArtOfTheGoodLife #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Seeing Jesus In All of Scripture #LeadersAreReaders May 2022

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. This is one of the many post-resurrection appearances. The Scriptures say that “God kept them from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16). Interesting. As they were walking, the two disciples talked about “the things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth” (v.19) to… Jesus. Interesting indeed. I’m not sure whether they believe everything they heard about Jesus was true or not, for sure, they heard that “Jesus is alive!” (v.23). Then, imagine this, Jesus, a stranger to them said strongly, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” (v.26). There and then, Jesus did an overview Bible Study with them. He “took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from ALL the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (v.27). read the rest of the passage. The good ending is this: “Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (v.31).

I love this sacred narrative. We can know about Jesus without really knowing Jesus. We can study the Scriptures diligently without recognizing Jesus in them (In John 5:39, Jesus said the Scriptures “point to me!”). And we can outline facts about what happened to Jesus from A to Z without really believing what we said. The two disciples were foolish and so are we if we don’t have faith to see Jesus the Messiah as He is. By God’s grace, He has opened my eyes to see and recognized Jesus in the pages of the Scriptures (This simply means I was foolish then and if I don’t see it now, I’m being foolish again). Now, this is both a supernatural and natural phenomenon. We can’t see and believe if God doesn’t open and make known to us the truth first. So we need to pray, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law [or the Scriptures]” (Psalm 119:18, bracket mine). Yet, we can’t see and believe if we don’t read and study the Scriptures. The supernatural and natural must go hand in hand. For example, in Isaiah 32 verses 1 and 3, “Look, a righteous king is coming! [So we must look]… Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth” [But God is the One who enables us to see].

I have no advice for the supernatural since it is beyond our willpower to do so except to pray and ask God the Holy Spirit with humility. But I do have advice for the natural ways to see Jesus in “ALL the Scripture.” First, read the Scriptures a.k.a. the written Word of God a.k.a. the Bible prayerfully. This is essential and all else is subordinate! Secondly, join sound teaching and Jesus-centered Bible Study (if you want to join #DugDownDeep let me know). And thirdly, read books that can supplement and instruct you deeper into the Scriptures. Good faithful pastors, preachers, teachers, and writers are God’s gifts to us for the growth of His church. Two books that I finished reading in May 2022 that are very instrumental in helping me to see and read the Scriptures with Jesus at the center anew are: 1) Finding Jesus In the Old Testament (2015, 2017) by David Limbaugh. He wrote, “Just as the Old Testament is foundational to the New, our basic understanding of the Old Testament is crucial to our comprehension of how Christ dominates its pages”; and 2) Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An Exposition (2002) by Donald A. Hagner. The Book of Hebrews doesn’t make sense without the Old Testament and the Old Testament - particularly the Law, the sacrificial ritual, the covenants, and typologies - doesn’t make sense without it all being fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah as explained very beautifully in the Book of Hebrews. Blessed!

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #JesusInAllofScripture

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Three (3) Categories of Books To Avoid #LeadersAreReaders April 2022

In his highly recommended book, Lit! A Christian Guide To Reading Books (2011), Tony S. Reinke shares three categories of books to avoid:

1) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS BECAUSE OF TIMING. "Choosing what books to read is often not a yes/no decision but a now/later decision," writes Reinke. "The same is true for young Christians who are new to the faith. Be cautious of reading literature that you are ill-equipped to read with discernment. Sometimes the proper Christian approach to literature is humble postponement." I agree. One day, a student saw me reading Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, a passionate atheist who states that it is irrational to believe in God and why religion is harmful to mankind. After he noticed that I'd written the review, he wanted to borrow the book because he was interested too. I'm all out for reading widely and books that I don't agree but he was not equipped to read this kind of book with discernment (Dawkins, although a brilliant scientist, is such a lousy layperson theologian). I know because I've observed his knowledge of the Scripture is still under development. So I refuse kindly, explained to him patiently, and encourage him to study the Scripture first. I love that he wants to read books at all but at this rate, he needs to practice "humble postponement."

2) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS THAT GLORIFY EVIL. This does not mean avoiding books that mention evil or give descriptions of evil or capture the dark realities of life. The Scripture doesn't even avoid the topic of evil explains Reinke. "The more important questions are these: How are the violence, sexual sin, and skepticism presented? Is it presented as evil? Is fornication celebrated, or are the consequences of sin made obvious? Does the book celebrate sin, or leave evil unresolved?" These are good questions to think about. This is why I'm very concerned with the rise of open occultism and the glorification of witchcraft in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Books such as The Harry Potter and the likes should be avoided. As the Scripture says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). Books that expose evil, yes; books that glorify evil, no.

3) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS FOR CONSCIENCE'S SAKE. Reinke asserts, "While there are no rigid rules for what Christians should or should not read, we must be sensitive to our own consciences and the consciences of those around us. As we establish our own understanding of what books we will and will not read ourselves, we must respect the parameters that other Christians have chosen to set for themselves and their children." For me, as an example, I have no problem reading books on Islam and from Muslim writers although I don't believe in their core teachings. I enjoy especially the writings of the liberal Muslim modern-day intellectuals. But I find myself couldn't even read a page or two of Anton S. Lavey's The Satanic Bible. Both are false religions (respectfully honest), yet, I couldn't consciously endure the other. It's a matter of conscience, a level of tolerance, and a mass amount of discernment. On this, Reinke has a good reminder: "A firm grasp of the biblical worldview learned directly from the study of Scripture is essential for a Christian book reader because distortions to the biblical worldview can be found on every shelf in the bookstore." Yes!

#ServeToLead #BooksToAvoid #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

CLICK THE LINKS to read my book reviews of #LeadersAreReaders for April 2022

1) The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, CLICK HERE
2) The Spirit-Filled Life (1895, 2019) by John MacNeil, CLICK HERE
3) The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven (1988, 2000) by Michael Green, CLICK HERE
4) Matthew: The College Press NIV Commentary (1997) by Larry Chouinard, CLICK HERE

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The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, Sort-of Book Review

The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education (2018) by Peter Hollins, Ebook

 
The title and subtitle say it all. Some books are easy to read and quick to finish simply because you already agree with the main theses of the book. And extra if you already applied most of the ideas. So, what is the benefit of reading a book that doesn't challenge me to do or think about something new? Well, for one, the feel-good effect I had due to confirmation bias. And the other, for self-reminder, that it is the right thing for me to continue to pursue. Peter Hollis, a psychologist by profession, wrote in such a way that is engaging and balances theories with practicality. He reminds me that the path - for me, not necessary for everyone - to education is through self-learning.

We all should've realized that the process of acquiring information has changed significantly over the last few decades. The author seriously joking that 30 to 40 decades ago, one of the main ways for people to look up general info was inside an encyclopedia! Today, all we have to do is just Google-ing absolutely anything and find out very specific info about any subject of interest in less than a few seconds anywhere, anywhen. What hasn’t changed, sadly, is our educational system. It is still based mostly on a traditional model, where students still learn what somebody else has decided for them to learn. Although there are exceptions and some positive sides to it, the outdated model is overall limiting and intimidating. Mr. Hollins writes, "[Motivating] someone to learn by threats or reproach isn’t just ineffective - it’s impossible. If one is feeling hurt or mistrusted, or if they’re dealing with depression, stress, difficult personal issues, or fear, they don’t have any resources left to help them learn."

Enter the keyword: autodidact (or a self-educator). It simply means a self-taught person. He or she is both a teacher and a student at the same time. Self-taught is not a new pursuit. There are famous people like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci who are autodidacts. The advantage for us today is that it is easier and faster for us to be one. “Courtesy of the Internet, the world is your oyster,” writes Mr. Hollins, “and we have the ability to learn anything we want these days.” Due to my personality and learning style, classroom-type, professor-guide, assignment- dateline like Bible seminary is not suitable for me. My process of directed personal education growth is via proactive intellectual curiosity. Thus, my motivation is not from the outside forces but from the inside a.k.a. intrinsic. Nobody can 'force' me to learn, I WANT to learn. The author puts it like this: "Rather than performing a task to gain rewards or avoid punishment from someone else, a person experiencing intrinsic motivation does an activity for how it will enrich them on an intangible level." Right!

If you are an autodidact, reading Chapter 1: Principle of Self-Learning is a good reminder for you to keep doing what you are doing (probably Chapter 1 is just enough). If you are aspired to be one, reading this book is a good starting point. You will learn the Learning Success Pyramid, the classic SQ3R Method, the Cornell Note-Taking System, Speed-Reading tactics, and more. The author is generous with his resources. I love this quote, "Anyone can be an autodidact - there aren’t any restrictions on age, gender, or background. All that’s required is the willingness to actively find new knowledge and to do so with a discerning, evaluative mind." Yes! ☕

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheScienceOfSelfLearning #AutodidactForever #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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