Simple Book Review: Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books (2011) by Tony Reinke

I simply love this book! I underlines almost every pages saying to myself, “Correct!”; “I understand”; “This is good”; “I agree!” with my pen. “Lit” is short for literature, which is long for books. It represents many millions of books we can pick up and read. This is a helpful guide on how to better read, what to read, when to read and why we should read. I wish I had read this book sooner! There are two parts (I includes short quotation from each chapters):

Part 1: A Theology of Books and Reading

Chapter 1 Paper Pulp and Etched Granite: Laying the Cornerstone of Our Theology of Books. “If we fail to prioritize the eternal Word over temporary books, our reading will never be distinctly Christian” (pg. 28).

Chapter 2 Wide-Eyed into the Son: How Personal Sin and the Gospel Shape Our Literacy. “My reading did not make me godly… The sight of Christ’s glory permanently changed my life. And it forever changed how I read books” (pg. 35).

Chapter 3 Reading Is Believing: Savouring Books in an Eye-Candy Culture. “As a word-centred people we must learn to prize language in a visually-dominated world. If our hearts prioritize images over language, our hunger for books will erode” (pg. 47).

Chapter 4 Reading from across the Canyon: How a Biblical Worldview Equips Us to Benefit from Books. “A firm grasp of biblical worldview, learned directly from the study of Scripture, is essential for Christian book reader because distortions to the biblical worldview can be found on every shelf in the bookstore” (pg. 63).

Chapter 5 The Giver’s Voice: Seven Benefits of Reading Non-Christian Books. #1 Non-Christian literature can describe the world, how it functions, and how to subdue it; #2 It highlight common life experiences; #3 It can expose the human heart; #4 It can teach us wisdom and valuable moral lessons; #5 It can capture beauty; #6 It begs questions that can only be resolved in Christ; and #7 It can echo spiritual truth and edify the soul.

Chapter 6 The God Who Slays Dragons: The Purifying Power of Christian Imagination. “The imagination is a God-given ability to receive truth and meaning” (pg. 87).

Part 2: Some Practical Advice on Book Reading

Chapter 7 Read with Resolve: Six Priorities that Decide What Books I Read (and Don’t Read). #1 Reading Scripture; #2 Reading to know and delight in Christ; #3 Reading to kindle spiritual reflection; #4 Reading to initiate personal change; #5 Reading to pursue vocational excellence; and #6 Reading to enjoy a good story (Author’s lists of priorities).

Chapter 8 How to Read a Book: 20 Tips and Tricks for Reading Nonfiction Book. “To better read our Bibles, or any nonfiction book, we must work to improve our reading skills… by pursuing self-discipline and seeking to excel in reading books…” (pg. 118)

Chapter 9 Literature is Life: Tapping into the Benefits of Fiction Literature. #1 Fictional literature can help us explore abstract human experiences; #2 It can deepen our appreciation for concrete human experience; #3 It expands our range of experiences; and #4 It provides beauty and creativity to be enjoyed.

Chapter 10 Too Busy to Read: Six Ways to Find (and Protect) the Time You Need to Read Books. #1 Expect resistance from your heart; #2 Make time to read, not excuses for why you don’t read. We all have good excuses; #3 Cultivate a hunger for books by reading (and rereading) great books; #4 Set priorities, and let them drive your book selections; #5 Stop doing something else in order to make time to read; and #6 Try reading three (or more) books at a time and take advantage of your environments.

Chapter 11 Driven to Distraction: How Internet Habits Cripple Book Reading. “As Christians, convinced of the important of book reading, we must periodically gauge the effects of [power of distractions] the Internet and social media upon our lives” (pg. 145).

Chapter 12 Marginalia: The Fine Art of Defacing Books with Pencils, Pens and Highlighters. Quoting John Piper, “If it’s worth reading, it’s worth writing in” (pg. 153).

Chapter 13 Reading Together: Building Community One Book at a Time. “One great way to sink details deep into our long-term memory is to read and discuss books with friends… God intended books to be read for the benefit of the community” (pg. 156)

Chapter 14 Raising Readers: How Parents and Pastors Can Ignite in Others a Love for Book Reading. Tips for parents: #1 Fill your home with books; #2 Read to your kids; #3 Don’t stop reading to your kids; #4 Read your books in front of your kids; #5 Teach young children to read; #6 Push entertainment into the background; #7 Listen to audio books in the car; #8 Hunt for the best books; #9 Anticipate new books; #10 Celebrate the classics; #11 Cultivate your child’s moral imagination; #12 Help interpret worldviews as you read to your children; #13 Read your favourite excepts to your children; #14 Invite your children to read to the family; #15 Challenge your children to improve books; and #16 Most importantly, read the Bible together as family. Tips for pastors: #1 Make opportunities to talk books; #2 Illustrate sermon points with classic literature; #3 Pepper your sermon with direct quotes from Christian living books; #4 Lead a book discussion group; #5 Start a church library or book table; #6 Maintain a list of recommended books on your church website; #7 Suggest books regularly as part of a book-of-the-month feature; #8 Recommend chapters of books; #9 Answer theological questions with pages from books; and #10 Give books as gifts.

Chapter 15 Happily Ever After: Five Marks of a Healthy Book Reader. #1 Mature readers prize wisdom; #2 They cherish old books; #3 They keep literature in its place; #4 They avoid making books into idols; and #5 They cling to the Saviour. “[Our] confidence before God can only be in Jesus – not in how smart we are, not in how many theology books we read, not in how we order our reading priorities, not in how inefficiently we use our reading time… Regardless of how many books we read, we cling to the old rugged cross” (pg. 185).

I recommend this book my wholeheartedly. There is only one reason why I type lengthy about the contents of this book – I want you (especially my friends, parents and pastors) to read books!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

My Top Book Lists (Click Title)
Books I Read Since 2015 (Click Title)

Jesus Revealed the Distant and Mysterious God

“[Jesus said] “If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him – and have seen him!’ Philip said, ‘Sir, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus replied, ‘Don’t you even yet know who I am, Philip, even after all this time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own but are from my Father who lives in me. And he does his work through me. Just believe it – that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or else believe it because of the mighty miracles you have seen me do’”
(John 14:7-11, The Living Bible)

The disciples’ response to Jesus’ statement about Himself reveals that they didn’t understand fully His divinity (I understand if the world also don’t get it yet). In this chapter 14 alone, Jesus describes three important aspects of His unique identity: 1) He and the Father share characteristics in such a way that if you has seen one has also seen the other; 2) He and the Father are united in such a way that when Jesus speaks the Father speaks; and 3) He claimed that any Christ-centred requests to God made in His Name will be answered.

To know Jesus is to know the Father. “No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him” (John 1:18). “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God” (Colossians 1:15). “God’s Son shines out with God’s glory, and all that God’s Son is and does marks him as God” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus insisted that because the disciples knew Him, they knew the Father already. It’s good to note that to the Jews, God was sovereign Creator, holy and separate from them. God loved and chose them, of course, but He was distant and mysterious (different but similar from Allah of Islam). In the Incarnation, however, God “became a human being and lived here on earth among us” (John 1:14). If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus!

I’ve been thinking and praying about this statement from Jesus: “From now on you know [the Father]” What does it mean? I think, from that time forward – the moment Jesus said it – people could know the Father personally and intimately through the Son. Jesus is “the way” to God (14:6). This is strikingly amazing! God has revealed Himself generally in nature and specifically in the Scripture. But now – in the New Testament period – God has revealed Himself perfectly in His Son. If you want to know what God is like, you need only look at Jesus.

When you struggle with doubts about God and His love for you, look at Jesus.

When you need to get your values and priories straight, look at Jesus.

When you desire hope for the future, look at Jesus.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

TUHAN, Mengapakah Engkau Menyusahkan Musa Hamba-Mu? (Bilangan 10)

“Musa mendengar ratapan umat itu, semua orang daripada kaum masing-masing menangis di depan pintu khemah mereka. Maka menyalalah murka TUHAN yang besar, tetapi Musa berasa tidak senang. Lalu kata Musa kepada TUHAN, “Mengapakah Engkau menyusahkan hamba-Mu ini? Mengapakah tidak ada rahmat bagi hamba di mata-Mu, sehingga beban seluruh bangsa ini Kautanggungkan kepadaku? Adakah hamba yang mengandung seluruh bangsa ini? Adakah hamba yang menjadikan mereka sehingga Engkau berfirman kepada hamba, ‘Bawalah mereka dalam dakapanmu seperti seorang pengasuh menggendong anak yang sedang menyusu,’ ke tanah yang Kaujanjikan dengan bersumpah kepada nenek moyang mereka? Dari manakah hamba dapat memperoleh daging untuk diberikan kepada seluruh bangsa ini? Mereka menangis di depan hamba sambil berkata, ‘Berilah kami daging untuk dimakan.’ Hamba tidak dapat menanggung beban seluruh bangsa ini seorang diri, kerana hal itu terlalu berat bagi hamba…”

(Bilangan 11:10-14, Alkitab Versi Borneo)

Setelah apa yang TUHAN sudah lakukan kepada mereka, orang Israel beranggapan bahawa Tuhan itu seorang yang kedekut dan pelupa kerana tidak menjaga keperluan dan makan minum mereka. Seperti mereka sudah lupa bahawa Tuhan sudah menyediakan mereka makananan “manna”, mereka menginginkan makanan yang mereka makan ketika mereka menjadi hamba di Mesir. Mereka sentiasa merungut dan tidak berpuas hati.

Musa sudah mula jemu dan letih dengan karenah mereka. Dia sangat pasrah dengan rungutan orang Israel. Oleh itu, dia meluahkan hati dia kepada Tuhan. “Mengapakah Engkau menyusahkan hamba-Mu ini?” dia ingin tahu. Musa sekarang bersikap pesimis. Dia juga sudah menjadi seorang yang pandai merungut (apabila kita selalu bersama dengan orang yang suka merungut, lambat laun kita juga akan menjadi begitu). Tetapi apa yang baik yang saya belajar dari Musa ialah dia seringkali membawa beban dan masalah (dan rungutan) dia kepada Tuhan dengan jujur. Musa banyak mempersoalkan Tuhan tetapi dalam kata-katanya ada iman dan percaya hanya Tuhan sahaja yang boleh menyelesaikan masalah itu. Musa tidak menyorok daripada Tuhan, atau berpura-pura untuk berfikiran positif dan menyelesaikan masalah itu tanpa pertolongan Tuhan. Dia seolah-olah berkata: “Tuhan, mereka ini ialah umat-Mu, lakukanlah sesuatu.”

TUHAN hanya boleh bekerja dalam kehidupan kita sekiranya kita jujur dihadapan-Nya. Bila kita berdoa, “Tuhan, saya sangat kecewa dan marah dengan apa yang berlaku sekarang. Saya memerlukan mukjizat daripada Engkau,” Dia akan melakukan sesuatu. Bila Yakub mengakui bahawa dia seorang yang penipu, Allah bukan sahaja menukar namanya menjadi Israel (Kejadian 32:22-32), tetapi dia diubah oleh Dia dari hari ke hari. Bawalah segala yang baik, buruk dan teruk kepada Tuhan dengan penuh kejujuran… Dia akan melakukan perkara yang hebat!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Exclusive Claim is the Evident of Grace

“[Jesus said] ‘You know where I am going and how to get there.’ ‘No, we don’t,’ Thomas said. ‘We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him – and have seen him!’”
(John 14:4-7, The Living Bible)

I like this, Thomas verbalised what all the disciples must have been thinking but reluctant to ask (One day, one of my student said ‘Amen’ to my Scripture background sharing, so I asked him, ‘Can you repeat what I had just said?’ He don’t know). The disciples couldn’t understand Jesus’ words about “going to prepare” a place for them (v.2). Jesus answered by identifying Himself as the very means for them to see the Father. He claimed to be the unique and ultimate resource when He said: “I am the Way… no one can get to the Father except by means of me.” Jesus’ response also showed that the destination is not a physical place but a Person (the Father) and that the way to that destination is another Person (the Son, Himself).

Jesus provides all we can know and need to know about God. He is “THE WAY” – our path, bridge, transport not just an example or road sign pointing the way. Jesus is the WAY. He is also “THE TRUTH” – our source of wisdom, intimate knowledge of the Father and the reality of all God promised. Jesus is THE TRUTH. He is “THE LIFE” now and forever – our only source of eternal life (Remember, eternal life in the Bible is mainly refers to knowing God intimately, the fullness of life not merely the length of life). He is THE LIFE.

Jesus’ exclusive claim is unmistakable. His self-description invalidates other ‘alternative plans’ of salvation – Jesus is THE ONLY WAY (“No one can get to the Father except by means of me”). Some say – maybe you now – that a single way is too restrictive, too narrow. But we must understand that the human condition is desperate. We are totally deprave and sinful. We are totally lost without Jesus. Think about this – Yes, think! – that God provide A WAY at all is the greatest evidence of God’s grace, love and hope! Hey, knowing that Jesus is the only way should encourage us to live boldly for Him, to share this Good News to others, and to continue living in gratitude, gladness and thanksgiving to God because Jesus came to our lives.  

Knowing Jesus should affect how we view our eternal future
and how we live our life here on earth.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Apa Yang Lebih Baik daripada Tiang Awan dan Api Untuk Mendahului Kita? (Bilangan 9)

“Pada hari Khemah Suci didirikan, awan melitupi Khemah Suci itu, khemah kesaksian. Pada waktu maghrib sehingga pagi hari esoknya, di atas Khemah Suci ada sesuatu yang kelihatan seperti api. Demikianlah selalu terjadi: Awan meliputi Khemah itu, dan pada malam hari ada sesuatu yang kelihatan seperti api. Apabila awan itu terangkat dari atas khemah, maka orang Israel pun berangkat, dan di mana sahaja awan itu berhenti, di situ pulalah orang Israel berkhemah. Maka orang Israel berangkat berpandukan firman TUHAN dan mereka juga berkhemah berpandukan firman TUHAN. Selama awan itu tetap berada di atas Khemah Suci, selama itulah mereka terus berkhemah… Berpandukan firman TUHAN mereka berkhemah dan berpandukan firman TUHAN jugalah mereka berangkat. Mereka menunaikan kewajipan mereka terhadap TUHAN berpandukan firman TUHAN dengan perantaraan Musa”
(Bilangan 9:15-18, 23, Alkitab Versi Borneo)

Ketika Musa memimpin orang Israel keluar dari tanah Mesir, mereka pergi dengan tergesa-gesa. 400 tahun perhambaan menyebabkan mereka begitu. Tanah Perjanjian seperti sangat dekat bagi mereka… sebenarnya tidak begitu. Berminggu-minggu berlalu, kemudian berbulan-bulan berlalu, kemudian bertahun-tahun berlalu. Pakaian mereka tidak menjadi lusuh dan kasut mereka tidak menjadi usang (baca Ulangan 29:5) dan mereka berharap suatu hari nanti sampai ke tanah yang berlimpah-limpah dengan susu dan madu (Keluaran 33:3). Tetapi buat masa sekarang – Bilangan 9 – orang Israel harus mendirikan khemah dimana awan berhenti dan berpindah dimana awan itu pergi mendahului mereka. “Berpandukan firman TUHAN mereka berkhemah dan berpandukan firman TUHAN jugalah mereka berangkat.”

Sukar bagi kita untuk mengikut TUHAN kerana Dia tidak kelihatan. Sekarang kita tidak dipimpin oleh mukjizat yang nyata pada pandangan mata seperti tiang awan dan api untuk menunjukan kita kehendak-Nya dalam hidup kita. Pada waktu malam, kita tidak melihat tiang api memimpin kita ketika kita bersendirian dan tidak tahu arah dihadapan kita. Tetapi kawan-kawan, kita tidak perlu mukjizat seperti itu kerana kita memiliki mukjizat yang teragung dalam sejarah manusia iaitu: Alkitab, Firman Allah. Jika kita hilang arah tujuan, kita ada Firman-Nya. Jika kita ingin pimpinan Allah, kita ada Firman-Nya. Jika kita ingin mendengar Dia berbicara, kita ada Firman-Nya. Apa yang lebih baik dari tiang awan dan api mendahului kita? Bila Tuhan Yesus dan Firman-Nya ada dalam hati kita. Hiduplah “berpandukan firman TUHAN.” Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Mari ikut bersama-sama menyiasat Firman Allah dari buku ke buku, bab ke bab, ayat ke ayat. Sila hubungi saya di Facebook Inbox atau FB Messenger untuk pertanyaan yang lanjut.

Jesus, I Will Anchor My Trust in You (Because You Promise First)

“Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in me. There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly”
(John 14:-3, The Living Bible)

After shocking hearing what Lord Jesus said about Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s future denial, and His own imminent death, the disciples must have been confused and troubled (read John 13:28). So Jesus told them to anchor their trust in Him. Jesus said that He and the Father would prepare a place for the disciples while He was gone and that – He would return for them.

Jesus knew He would be taken forcefully from them, falsely accused, tortured and crucified. He knew the disciples would scatter and hide, their faith will be strongly tested. So He encouraged them to anchor on to their trust in God and to trust in Him. Later, Jesus told the disciples why He had given them glimpses of the future: “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you’ll believe in me” (John 14:29). When Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial happened, they would believe that Jesus was who He said He was. After all, He had predicted those very events. Thus the disciples could be confident that everything (all!) that Jesus had predicted and promised would come true.

Jesus had said that He would “prepare” homes for them (for us) – in His Father’s house – and He reaffirmed that promise over and over again, adding that eventually they would “always be with [Jesus]”, reunited forever with the Father in heaven.

Jesus’ promises to the disciples really encourage me personally and I hope to you too. Throughout His time with His followers, Jesus had warned them about opposition ahead of them. He had always told them the truth, even the predictions of pain, separation, rejection and persecution. And everything happened just as He said! So we can believe His words about the future too. What a glorious future that will be! Together with Jesus forever! In the meantime, during our struggles and sorrows, we anchor our trust in Him. When we feel lonely and abandoned, we anchor in Him. When we don’t know what to do or which way to turn, we anchor in Him. Remember, Jesus is preparing a place, our place now. “If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn (Get Your FREE BOOK Here!)

“Difficulties come to you at the right time to help you grow and move forward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, the only real tragedy come when we suffer without learning the lesson”
(Emmet Fox)

If you’re going to lose – and you are because everyone does – then why not turn it into a gain? How do you do that? By learning from it. A loss isn’t totally a loss if you learn something as a result of it. Your loses can come to define you if you let them. If you stay where a loss leaves you, then eventually you can get stuck there. But know this: Your choices will begin to declare you. You can choose to change, grow, and learn from your losses.

That, of course, is not necessarily easy. In a favourite Peanuts comic strip Charlie Brown walks away from Lucy after a baseball game, head down, totally dejected. “Another ball game lost! Good grief!” Charlie moans. “I get tired of losing. Everything I do, I lose!” “Look at it this way, Charlie Brown,” Lucy replies. “We learn more from losing than we do from winning.” “That makes me the smartest person in the world!” replies Charlie.

It’s a good thought, but not everyone learns from his losses. A loss doesn’t turn into a lesson unless we work hard to make it so. Losing gives us an opportunity to learn, but many people do not seize it. And when they don’t, losing really hurts.

Learning is not easy during down times because it requires us to do things that are not natural. It is hard to smile when we are not happy. It is difficult to positively respond when numb with defeat. It takes discipline to do the right thing when everything is wrong. How can we be emotionally strong when we are emotionally exhausted? How will we face others when we are humiliated? How do we get back up when we are continually knocked down?

In his book Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn (2013), John C. Maxwell wants to help you to answer these and others questions about learning from losses. John believes you can do that using this road maps:

Humility: The Spirit of Learning

Reality: The Foundation of Learning

Responsibility: The First Step of Learning

Improvement: The Focus of Learning

Hope: The Motivation of Learning

Teachability: The Pathway of Learning

Adversity: The Catalyst for Learning

Problems: Opportunities for Learning

Bad Experiences: The Perspective for Learning

Change: The Price of Learning

Maturity: The Value of Learning

I want to give you a FREE COPY of this book – hardcover with large print – if you can answer (comment on my blog post below) these three simple questions: #1 What is your personal motto or favourite quote on failure? #2) Who or what is your main inspiration to move forward in life? And 3) Why you got to have a copy of this book? There are only THREE (3) COPIES AVAILABLE, get your copy now! [Malaysian readers only]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.