Review by Mark Kelly

There are certain books that come along every once-in-a-while that change you, they take the straight line that is one’s thinking and theology and bend it so it’s heading off in another direction. The Grace Outpouring is one of those books!

From the beginning of this book you realise that you are dealing with a man that is like most other believers. This is a man just trying to get on with his life, enjoying family, earning a living and loving God.  And also in some ways this is also a man trying to ignore what God is saying until the pressure of the calling is too great.

Roy Godwin (of whom this book is focused around) is a man who finds himself running a Christian retreat centre in Wales based in a place called Ffald-y-Brenin. This centre becomes a place of revival, where the presence of God is tangible and very real. Roy, through this charge, discovers that God simply wants to pour out His blessings on those who wish to receive Him. In essence this is a book of prayer; how to pray and how to bless people (and places) through prayer and see the results in action.

This is not a story of minute-by-minute, wall-to-wall miracles, but a story of reliance on God through all things and a story of trust and obedience.

Some key aspects of the book come through simple sentences or short paragraphs that tell of a change of heart and understanding. Such as realising that to bless others we first must be clean and be forgiven otherwise what ‘blessing’ would we be passing on? Also that, as miraculous as things that transpire in the story are, there is an understanding of the ebb and flow of revival and that to be ready for the next wave we can rest without guilt.

The story within this book comprises of little stories. Stories of someone’s personal encounter with the Holy Spirit, stories of those who realise they have been forgiven and can move on, stories even of those where for the moment the presence of God is so powerful they need to walk away and set-up an encounter for a later time.

This book is not a “recipe for success” (whatever that may be), but rather  a story of imperfect human beings stepping out of their comfort zones.

So my recommendation would be, read the book, enjoy it, take inspiration from it and let the story change you. Come to it without cynicism and simply rejoice in what God has done with a simple man in a remarkable place. (back to top)

When we pray ”Your Kingdom Come”, what do we mean? Local neighbourhoods everywhere are affected by global changes, including the death of a single religious vision, shifting work and family patterns, and widespread scepticism. Violence and tension are rising. There is a way forward. Churches are taking a lead in community cohesion and transformation. If we are faithful, the future is full of hope. Duncan outlines a ‘Kingdom approach’ affecting every area of community life. From housing to healthcare, from citizenship to crime prevention, ordinary Christians and local churches have a vital role to play. This is a manifesto for social transformation, peppered with examples from across the Western world.(back to top)

In The Heavenly Man you learned the story of how God took a young half-starved boy from Henan Province and enabled him to stand strong on the frontlines for Jesus Christ, braving horrific opposition and impossible odds.

Living Water: Powerful Teachings is a collection of Brother Yun’s dynamic teachings that evolved from his life experiences of persecution and revival in Chine. Brother Yun shares how the grace of God sustained him during his darkest hours and how that darkness was transformed into the infectious joy and zeal for the Lord that are a hallmark of him ministry today. This unique book teaches us that radical faith is not for a chosen few, but for every believer who dares to call Jesus Christ Lord.(back to top)

What do you say when someone raises tough objections to the Christian worldview, like:

• Why not just look out for yourself?
• Isn’t it okay to do whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone?
• Is it ever okay to lie?
• Aren’t some people born gay?
• Do people really believe miracles happen?
• Aren’t the Bible’s holy wars just like Islamic Jihad

In When God Goes to Starbucks, renowned apologetics expert Paul Copen tackles these and other vexing questions. He offers wise and relevant answers that will not only help you clarify you own beliefs but empower you to articulate those beliefs to others.(back to top)

In Axiom: Powerful Leadership proverbs, author Bill Hybels divulges the God-given convictions that have dictated him leadership strategy for more than three decades as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Orientated toward four key leadership catagories - vision and strategy, teamwork and communication, activity and assessment, and personal integrity - Axiom brokers accessible wisdom from one leader’s journey, as well as emboldens you to nail down the reasons why you lead like you lead.(back to top)

Review by Sandra Duffty

This book is truly inspirational. It will revitalise you, remove any sense of condemnation,guilt, shame or disappointment and enable you to look into the face of Jesus once again.

“Are you faced with an impossible situation today? Are you trusting the Lord for abreakthrough? I encourage you to get hold of the good news of Jesus – faith will be imparted to you as you hear more and more of Jesus. You will stop being preoccupiedwith yourself your lack and your weakness and you will be fully occupied with Jesus, His beauty, His perfection and His grace.”

We are destined to reign throughout our lives, however we often fall short for so many reasons. One reason is that we allow the accuser of the brethren to dis-empower us and lock us up in condemnation and lack.

Joseph Prince in this book masterfully turns our attention back to Jesus, our full sufficiency, and in so doing enables you to transition quickly from a place of disablement to a place of enablement.

This powerful exchange is only available to us through Grace, Grace, Grace. Law has no place. The book opens our eyes to the fact that we so often mix grace with law as did the church in Galatia, and in doing so we allow ourselves to become entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Mixture creeps in unnoticed and robs us of our full freedom in Christ.

I recommend this book to all who need a fresh understanding of the complete work of Christ, and the gospel of grace that we have been born into. It will revolutionise your thinking and refresh you.

“If you don’t preach grace radically people’s lives will never be radically blessed and radically transformed.”(back to top)

Review by Simon Walpole

What does an authentic New Testament Church look like? It’s an argument that seems to have been going on for decades, perhaps even centuries. Each varying congregational stream seems to claim at least a small degree of ‘authenticity’. It’s a conversation that has great relevancy at the moment, especially if we believe the reports that traditional ‘Sunday service’ congregation numbers are dwindling.

Enter ‘Reimagining Church’ – a passionate cry to restore authenticity to the modern church scene. Its part of a trilogy of books concerning ‘Church’ and what it means. Frank Viola looks at central aspects of what we understand to be church and looks at them from a New Testament perspective, such as the ‘Lords Supper’, unity and what our gatherings could look like. I think books such as this, and others like them are important because they provoke the reader to look at church practices and in some cases things that we consider to be Biblical, but are in fact our own congregational traditions.

He then goes to on to explore what leadership is all about from a scriptural point of view. Again it makes for interesting reading because some of his points of view challenge the view of leadership structure and the very nature of it. Whilst I accept that another book on church life and leadership could take an opposite point of view to Viola and justify it scripturally, the author in question makes compelling arguments and in many cases a lot of sense.

If you want some of your ‘holy cows’ or cherished beliefs on church challenging, I would heartily recommend it. It’s not a tame ‘pat on the back book’, but who wants to read a book like that anyway? It will provoke alternate thinking if you are open to it and lead to discussion. That said I’m not convinced there is ‘one way’ to true church as some authors would suggest, but certainly different points of view are worthwhile considering if you are up to the challenge.(back to top)

Many of us find ourselves caught somewhere between unbelieving activists and inactive believers. We can write a check to feed starving children or hold signs in the streets and feel like we’ve made a difference without ever encountering the faces of the suffering masses. In this book, Shane Claiborne describes an authentic faith rooted in belief, action, and love, inviting us into a movement of the Spirit that begins inside each of us and extends into a broken world. Shane’s faith led him to dress the wounds of lepers with Mother Teresa, visit families in Iraq amidst bombings, and dump $10,000 in coins and bills on Wall Street to redistribute wealth. Shane lives out this revolution each day in his local neighborhood, an impoverished community in North Philadelphia, by living among the homeless, helping local kids with homework, and “practicing resurrection” in the forgotten places of our world. Shane’s message will comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable…but will also invite us into an irresistible revolution. His is a vision for ordinary radicals ready to change the world with little acts of love.

See also a review on Amazon.co.uk by a guy called Jon Mason, he raises some interesting questions… but more importantly read the comments on his review afterwards. Good stuff and gives you some rounded views of this book and what Shane Claiborne is trying to do and say. CLICK HERE!

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Do you ever look at how the Christian Faith is being lived out in the new millennium and wonder if we’re not doing what we’re suppose to be doing? That we still haven’t quite “gotten it”? That we’ve missed the point regarding many important issues?

It’s understandable if we’ve relied on what we’ve been told to believe or what’s widely accepted by the Christian community. But if we truly turned a constructive critical eye toward our beliefs and vigorously questioned them and their origins, where would we find ourselves?

Authors Brian D. McLaren and Tony Campolo invite you to do just that. Join them on an adventure - one that’s about uncovering and naming faulty conclusions, suppositions, and assumptions about the Christian faith. In Adventures in Missing the Point, the authors take turns addressing crucial topics such as:

• - Salvation
• - The Bible
• - Being Postmodern
• - Worship
• - Homosexuality
• - Truth
• - and many more…

McLaren and Campolo are both sceptical and sympathetic as they describe the church in which they’ve spent their lifetimes preaching. And in the midst of bodly and lovingly describing the many areas in which the church has missed the point, the authors add fuel to the fire by commenting frankly on each other’s conclusions.

Yet in the end, Adventures in Missing the Point isn’t about pointing fingers at “them” for their mistakes. It’s not about even giving you answers. It’s about us. Professionals and lay-workers. Protestants and Catholics. Liberals and conservatives. Pentecostals and Presbyterians. All of us, stretching our thinking and discovering what lies ahead.(back to top)

Book Review by Tim Grace

Red Moon Rising: The Adventure Of Faith… The Power Of Prayer, is a book that follows the God-ordained journey of Pete Greig, in becoming a major catalyst for the revival of continuous prayer events across the world and the beginning of the 24-7 prayer movement. Pete Greig, a self-confessed limited devotee to prayer, had recently graduated from university and was travelling through Europe with a friend when during the night, at Cape St Vincent, the southern-most tip of Europe, God gave him a vision of a nameless, faceless, God-empowered army arising from Europe. God had given Pete a purpose, on which he was to act and rely on God, the genesis of the 24-7 prayer movement. Many believers were added and weaved into this complex and humanly uncontrollable prayer movement, all according to God’s divine purposes, until the 24-7 prayer movement as we now experience it was formed.

The 24-7 prayer movement was created so that members of a church or community could pray for the issues of their heart such as individuals, cities and nations, subscribing individually for a one hour prayer slot on any one day during a week of continual prayer. The basis for continual prayer movements such as 24-7 prayer is highlighted in this book through a historical prayer movement called the Moravians, who as young adults gathered for a continual 24 hour prayer event in 1722, which lasted a total of 135 years, the longest prayer meeting in history. Dividing into groups and taking turns to pray for the poor and unbelievers whilst meditating upon specific biblical passages 24 hours a day, the Moravians soon had explosive encounters with the Holy Spirit and sent missionaries into the world to act upon God’s divine revelations. The modern 24-7 prayer movement that once began in a single church has since spread around the world, in many expected and unexpected locations, leading to missionary works and an outpouring of God’s grace in our world, today.

This book confronts many issues regarding our individual prayer lives from a practical as well as biblical perspective, with account after account of answered prayer and supernatural intervention for friends to come to faith, bodily healing, seeing angels and God’s protection in extremely deadly circumstances.

There are three important questions that you need to ask yourself before and after you have read this book:

1. Have you ever felt that your prayers were ordinary and uninspired?
2. Do you often feel that God is not answering your prayers?
3. Do you often feel that you are too insignificant to make a difference in this world?

I would hope that your answers to these questions will be significantly and positively altered after reading this book and that this book will change your perspective of your own prayer life and God’s power at work in you. If you don’t believe that God has a powerful and divine purpose for your life then you had better think again… Or otherwise just ask me to pray for you!!! (back to top)

Review by Tom Williams

Don’t let the title put you off! This book is by far the best I have read in a long time. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, engaged or been married for 20 years this book has the capacity to make you think outside of the box, and leave you thinking “Wow, I never thought of it like that”. The author is a guy called Rob Bell who many of you will know for his short videos NOOMA which has been taking the Christian world by storm. He is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, and has become famous for his more contemporary ways of looking at things (he’s basically like marmite - you either love him or you don’t!)

This book looks at the links between spirituality and sexuality. It strips back to the roots of marriage, and also our relationships with each other and with God. It looks at what we are called to be as humans on this earth and what role sex should play in our lives. Considering sex is probably one of the most avoided subjects within the church, this book is a bold and refreshing look at things that we may be scared to talk about. The importance of how we act and behave around our lovers, how the building up of a relationship is such a unique and special place to be that it needs to be built with great care and attention. Bell seriously makes you think about your own life from page one to the last page. He ties everything with strong biblical links, and the book finishes with some great endnotes if you want to go and delve even deeper. The book looks at what it means to be vulnerable in the face of God and with a partner. It looks at the fact that we are not bought on this earth to be angels, nor are we here to be animals. We as humans are exempt to either of those, because although we are animals, we are created in God’s image; and Bell has written a chapter which looks at what that means in our relationships as man and woman.

The book is not an easy read. I suggest if you decide to go for it make some notes while you’re reading it; there is an awful lot of information but some of it really is sensational! So, if you feel called to learn a little bit more about this topic and how it relates to our everyday lives, take the plunge. I hope and pray you will take something really life-changing out of it. I can honestly say I really have.(back to top)

Review by Sandra Duffty

This book, both inspiring and challenging, is a must read for all ministries, pastors, elders, children’s workers and parents.

The day in which we live, being a day for revival and harvest, open heaven and heightened spiritual awareness, requires that we ensure we serve the full body of Christ, equipping all the saints for the work of the ministry.

This book will challenge you to the core on how you see and train the young amongst your community. Not only will it challenge you but you will be inspired to reach for more and raise the bar on your expectations. Clear practical guidance and testimonies of children walking in a fuller revelation of the ways of God are all outlined.

Allow me to share some excerpts from the book with you to whet your appetite:

“Our children need to be trained to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit at young ages.”

“It should be common to hear that a church has a children’s prayer team, a children’s evangelism team, a children’s prophetic ministry, a children’s worship team, and a children’s healing team.”

“Have the children ever been taught about the glory of God, been taken into the holy of holies through worship, learned about the power of the blood of Jesus and been taught how to hear the voice of the shepherd?”

“We leaders in the church world at large have been excellent about telling our children about the acts of God but terrible about teaching them His ways.”

“Our children are spiritually anemic for lack of real spiritual food. It is better for our children to know God than to merely know about him.”

“Our children’s ministries must become clinics of functioning Christianity where children become active participants in Kingdom activities.”

“I am just radical enough to believe we need to give our kids the best – the best preachers, teachers, prophets, evangelists, apostles, musicians etc.”

“We have to stop giving our kids the second string in every area.”

“We have to become fanatically obsessed with equipping them with the best of everything.”

“What an army for God we would have if we could catch a vision for raising our children from the womb to serve their master all the days of their lives.”

The above quotes really do not do the book justice; you have to read it to catch the full extent of the heart and the vision. The writing has an easy flow making the book easy to read and digest. Do not miss this opportunity to have your heart enlarged and your ministry broadened, read this book and see how you can equip the young people with you to serve the living God more ably.(back to top)

The Ultimate Treasure Hunt leads believers into a supernatural lifestyle of Kingdom building. Author Kevin Dedmon captures the heart of witnessing and personal evangelism through his taking-it-to-the-streets ministry where healing, miracles, and deliverance are regular occurrences.

Based on biblical principles and personal testimonies, you will learn how the simplicity of hearing a word of knowledge from God leads you to clues for the treasure hunt.

“…Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every living creature.” - Mark 16:15

Witnessing the love and saving grace of Jesus does not need to be invasive or argumentative; rather, it is a supernatural encounter when God reveals Himself in a specific way.

The fun begins when you read the step-by-step guidelines for embarking on a successful, fulfilling “treasure hunt.”(back to top)

Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the Kingdom of God here on earth. It is the art od “practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.” He often stated that it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our soul. We must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence.

As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned an important lesson through each daily chore: The time he spent in communion with the Lord should be the same, whether he was bustling around the kitchen - with several people asking questions at the same time - or on him knees in prayer. he learned to cultivate the deep presence of God so thoroughly in his own heart the he was able to joyfully exclaim, “I am doing now what I will be doing for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart.”

For nearly 300 years this unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day.(back to top)

Review (II) by Tim Grace

The Gospel Of The Kingdom, written by George Eldon Ladd, endeavours to reveal the biblical basis of the definition and nature of the kingdom of God, for application in our lives as believers, today. The Gospel Of The Kingdom highlights a definitive message of what the kingdom of God is, how it is abundant in today and tomorrows world, how God has partially concealed His Kingdom as a mystery, whilst also including the life, righteousness and demands of kingdom living. There are also brief investigations into the relationship between the new testament church and Israel, as well as the return of Christ, from a kingdom perspective.

In The Gospel Of The Kingdom, the kingdom of God is described primarily as God’s reign, or rule over our lives, which can be experienced in partiality until the return of Christ, when God’s kingdom or reign shall be ultimately and wholly present on Earth. The resurrection of Christ has conquered the totalitarian power of Satan, allowing believers of Jesus to partially receive God’s reign until His return, where we shall be made whole and completely subject to God’s rule. The mysterious and pre-emptive action of God revealing insights into His Kingdom before the finality of Christ’s return, through His Holy Spirit bestowed in us, has created a stumbling block for Israel, God’s holy nation, whose old testament scripture and prophetic words emphasised a singular and final act of glory. Since Israel has rejected God’s unexpected and predominantly unpopular kingdom message, gentiles have been grafted into the Kingdom of God, as illustrated by the example of the olive tree, although it is prophesied that many Jews will pledge their allegiance to Christ in the end days. Interestingly, the Gospel Of The Kingdom details biblical evidence that the complete manifestation of God’s Kingdom will be comprised of three resurrection processes. Initially there was the resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of those who belong to Christ will follow, and then Satan will be bound for a period of one thousand years, with the final destruction of death and sin occurring in one final act of glory, as Israel foretold. At this point, the earth shall be restored, to its previously intended glory with Satan cast into the burning lake of fire and God’s ultimate reign once again ruling over the Earth.

The Kingdom of God has given us life through the Holy Spirit, as a guarantee that His works in defeating Satan, sin and death will be achieved, so that we may experience God’s Kingdom in this age and eagerly await the fullness of His Kingdom in the age to come. The demand of the Kingdom of God is that we simply decide whether or not to submit our lives to God’s reign, whilst in acceptance of his reign, strive to live righteously through the power of God’s spirit and not subject to the evil, yet conquered, powers of this world. Ultimately, Christ will return when God ordains, although we are biblically compelled to go out into the entire world, to pour out God’s spirit on all flesh, proclaiming the gospel of Christ and the kingdom of God. As this evil age draws to a close and the followers of Christ meet with increased persecution, the kingdom message is clear, Satan has been conquered.

This book cannot be viewed solely as a source for biblical insight or theological discussion but as an evidential pathway of God’s intentions for our lives as His children, a path illuminated by applicable examples of kingdom living in our modern day. This book should encourage and facilitate incisive thought, change our perspectives and undeniably illustrate God’s kingdom and reign in our lives as we go out into the entire world and proclaim The Gospel Of The Kingdom.(back to top)

What do the life and teaching of Jesus have to say about the most critical global problems in our world today?

Acclaimed author and emergent church leader Brian McLaren states, ‘More and more Christian leaders are beginning to realise that for the millions of young adults who have recently dropped out of church, Christianity is a failed religion. Why? Because it has specialised in dealing with ‘spiritual needs’ to the exclusion of physical and social needs. It has focused on ‘me’ and ‘my eternal destiny,’ but it has failed to address the dominant societal and global realities of their lifetime: systemic injustice, poverty and dysfunction.’

McLaren asks, ‘Shouldn’t a message purporting to be the best news in the world be doing better than this?’ What he sets forth in this provocative, unsettling work is a ‘form of Christian faith that is holistic, integral, balanced, that offers good news for both the living and the dying, that speaks of God’s grace at work both in this life and the life to come, both to individuals and to societies and the planet as a whole.’(back to top)

Churches have tried all kinds of ways to attract new and younger members – revised vision statements, hipper worship, contemporary music, livelier sermons, bigger and better auditoriums. But there are still so many people who aren’t being reached, who don’t want to come to church. And the truth is that attendance at church on Sundays does not necessarily transform lives; God’s presence in our hearts is what changes us. Leaders and laypeople everywhere are realising that they need new and more powerful ways to help them spread God’s Word.

According to international church starter and pastor, Neil Cole, if we want to connect with young people and those who are not coming to church, we must go where people congregate. Cole shows readers how to plant the seeds of the Kingdom of God in the places where life happens and where culture is formed – restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, parks, locker rooms, and neighbourhoods. ‘Organic Church’ offers a hands-on guide for demystifying this new model of church and shows the practical aspects of implementing it.

While it may seem revolutionary, this model of church – bringing God’s message where people are rather than expecting them to show up at church – is in keeping with the message of Jesus, who lived among the people of His time. ‘Organic Church’ shows how we can return to those ancient roots by letting the church be alive, organic, growing, spreading in the most likely and unlikely places.(back to top)

Review by Mark Kelly

All too often we interpret God’s plans and purposes with an attitude and orientation that is man-centred. While there may be a real concern for understanding Biblical truths, approaching them from a finite, self centred, location tends to restrict our ability to grasp the fullness and wonders of these facts. What is needed is an examination of God’s purposes and intentions using Him as the centre. Modern day scholars have a term for such a radical change of thinking. It is known as a paradigm shift. Any other approach to God leaves one centred in self, and short of understanding God’s “ultimate” intentions. Using a myriad of helpful illustrations, DeVern Fromke masterfully addresses this issue.

This book is an opportunity for the author to put across his point of view that God’s ultimate purpose was not for Him to create man, for man to sin and then for God to redeem man. What Fromke says in this book was that man was never meant to sin, but God knew that man would and He put in place a plan to redeem humanity. For many of us, however, we think that this is it, redemption was the ultimate purpose. The author goes beyond this and at times stresses his disappointment that the church of today is stuck in this redemptive process and is not actually looking for what God had in store for mankind.

Fromke tries very hard, and succeeds in, reminding us that God’s ultimate purpose was not to have man fall and then use the rest of time redeeming him, rather God has had a purpose for man planned out before the beginning of time and the fall was something man chose when he turned from God.

“How shall we make it clear that there is an eternal purpose hidden in the Father which has never been involved in time? This is clearly set forth by Paul in Ephesians 1:4, ‘According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world…’” – chapter 1, page 23

The author backs up his theology by the use of ‘blackboards’ as visual aids. These are placed periodically throughout the book and I personally found them to be a tremendously useful aid in helping to understand what Fromke was trying to put across.

Fromke tries to get us to see things from God’s point of view. He looks at creation from the moment God created it and not from the time of Adam’s fall, which is a viewpoint that some in the church are guilty of looking from. This book challenges us not to fall into the ‘get’ way of life. It talks about us wanting God for our own selfish desires rather than wanting God for His own glory.

“Therefore it is imperative that we direct every believer to develop a truly God-centred philosophy of life – this means we must see all things as properly related to God and His ultimate intention.”

Chapter 1, page 15

The writing within this book flows with each chapter a self-contained lesson which works really well. Together with the aforementioned ‘blackboards’ the lessons are clear and precise even though the topics he is touching upon are very deep and theological. Fromke manages to work his way through the many different subjects surrounding redemption and finally the mysteries of God’s ultimate purpose with an uncomplicated grace.

I really like the the thinking within this book which so matches my thoughts and I will be making sure that this book is re-read in future. Fromke has an excellent writing style which makes it easy for us that are not so academically minded to understand.(back to top)

Review by Mark Kelly 

This is a book of one hundred and forty three pages of fluctuating opinions, ideas and hypotheses concerning the ‘Kingdom of God.’ George Eldon Ladd runs the gauntlet of being very judgemental and workmanlike concerning The Kingdom to being quite spiritual.

That this book was written in 1959 does not help with the way it is written. It is very hard at times to clearly grasp what the author is trying to say in his chapters, particularly the first three. In these Ladd writes with an assumption that the reader knows more about The Kingdom than the average layman. He must be forgiven for this however, as in the introduction it does state, “…this book will be studied by ministers, students, and Christian workers everywhere…” – Oswald J. Smith. For me a slight re-wording of certain passages would not go amiss as to bring it up-to-date with modern styles of writing. I feel that I am backed up in saying this by Ladd himself, as he supports these chapters with at least three illustrations. There are no other illustrations in any of the other chapters.

Yet enough of this seemingly negative overview, because if you stick with it and get used to his style you are rewarded in subsequent chapters of what feels like an easier read, yet has enough meat of content for you to leisurely chew as you progress.

So what is the book about? Initially you feel it is all about definitions, in particular: What do we mean by the phrase ‘Kingdom of God?’ Ladd goes some way to help answer this, and I must stress although hard to read, he answers it intelligently and with clarity. It is a very important definition to obtain as the rest of the book somewhat relies on this and this is what probably helps you get to grips with what the author is saying past chapter three. He helpfully gives us ideas of several peoples interpretations of The Kingdom and then he goes on to confuse the issue further by giving us seemingly apparent different biblical definitions! We can all breath a sigh of relief though, as Ladd swiftly counters all these various explanations with the skill of a veteran swordsman, cutting them up and then sticking them back together in a shape that fits.

What else is going on then between these two thin covers? The author goes on to help us with the mystery, life, righteousness and demand of The Kingdom. As well as mentioning how Israel fits into all this and when is The Kingdom going to come? So as not to give you a chapter-by-chapter account of what happens in the book I will generally discuss some of the issues that I have just mentioned.

One of these is righteousness. This was by far my favourite issue within the book as I feel Ladd gives a wonderful explanation of just what righteousness is. It always seems an impossibility to be so Christ-like that sometimes this must be a reason why so many people decide to walk away from God. Using scripture from the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ The author makes us realise that far from being an impossible level to attain, and he gives a great (and humorous) example of Jewish rabbinic law to show the impossible, it is actually something that is within our grasp. I would recommend reading the Sermon on the Mount and then this book as Ladd refers to many different scriptures throughout to help us grasp what he is trying to say.

Another issue tackled with in ‘The Gospel of The Kingdom’ is that of the mystery (as he calls the chapter which this issue is in) of the parables. He deals with them quite succinctly and efficiently. He clearly explains what we mean by parables and what the difference is to allegorical stories and he also intelligently gives the parables meanings and what their roles are. The problem being, and Ladd is like this with a number of other issues within the book, is that he does not leave any window of other opinion open. he quite firmly closes the book, so to speak, on any other explanation other than his own, which he is entitled to do so as it is his book. You do get the feeling however that certain passages of scripture are taken quite specifically from certain translations of the Bible to give his arguments weight. He almost casually flings off any other peoples thoughts on the parable (or subject) that he’s writing about. Although to be fair to Ladd, at least he does give these people mention, however brief.

There is a chapter concerning evangelising in which he manages to mention Israel and the role it played and is playing today. He goes onto write within this chapter a lot about grafting and cutting off the proverbial branches as regards to gentiles and the Jewish community.

I could go on further and talk about various other subjects and matters of which Eldon writes, but as this is an overview I shall resist the urge. So to sum up and conclude…

Within the covers of this book Eldon tries very hard to take some quite difficult things to grasp and explains them carefully and thoughtfully. He not only gives an explanation as to what things meant in the biblical days, but he also tries to show how these things can be applied the world of today. In fact Eldon tries to cram so much into each chapter that a few times there are footnotes which say such things as “…critical problems which cannot here be discussed…”

His knowledge of Scripture in undeniable, but it is somewhat scholarly and, because of this, his writing can lack an emotional edge. Maybe not so black and white in George Ladd’s world as more a few - very few - shades of grey. He must have also had a vast library of his own as once again through the book we are given titles of names of other authors to which he invites us to expand upon the above mentioned “…problems which cannot here be discussed…”

From this book your understanding of The Kingdom will become a lot clearer, it’s meaning you will realise impacts your Christian life, but be wary of putting everything in one Eldon ‘basket’ and just keep an open mind to other views.

All in all The Gospel of the Kingdom is a good, but very stretching read.(back to top)

Review by Mark Kelly 

This book was published in 1996 and is a ‘light’ version of a book published by the same author in 1994 known as God’s Empowering Presence. As Fee puts it, “…this original book was a massive tome, full of necessary detail and careful augmentation…”

God’s Empowering Presence was a book targeted at scholars and pastors. What Paul, the Spirit and the People of God is, is an attempt to condense this previous weighty tome and not only that, but re-represent it in a manner that the more ordinary lay person might understand while still keeping the essence of the fore runner within its pages. Paul, the Spirit and the People of God is GEP without so much of the exegesis.

In this thought provoking book, Fee deals primarily with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the individual life of the believer and in the ‘church’. He redefines the terms of the discussion of the Holy Spirit in a fresh and passionate way, and gives us an invitation to read the words of Paul in the New Testament anew. He examines the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and shows how God dwelt amongst His people and how the presence departed and was renewed again, and shows us how to experience the presence of God in our lives. He shows that for Paul, the Holy Spirit is the key to the whole Christian life. This Third Person of the Trinity is not to be marginalized by giving Him lip service in our creeds and then trying to live our lives in the flesh. Instead, the Spirit is the sovereign Lord of the Christian’s “spiritual life.” This is a given for Paul, a presupposition upon which the rest of his Gospel depends.

“…all too often our orthodoxy has been either diluted by an unholy alliance with a given political agenda, or diminished by legalistic or relativistic ethics quite unrelated to the character of God, or rendered ineffective by a pervasive rationalism in an increasingly non-rationalistic world.”

So from the beginning he is telling us in no uncertain terms that the ‘church’ of today has fallen short of what is stated clearly in Pauline theology. We have forgotten how to recognize and act with the Holy Spirit in our modern day gatherings. We still recognise Him as part of the trinity, but fail, in general, to use the gifts that are readily available to us.

Fee talks about how although we are “Trinitarian” in creed; some Christians are actually “binitarian” in practice. The Holy Spirit has truly been avoided and ignored in the life of the ‘church’ today. Fee has emphasis on the church as the People of God living between the times, and on Paul’s view of the “already/not yet” eschatology.

“…for Paul, therefore, the salvation in Christ is a fundamentally eschatological reality…”

Fee also touches upon the ‘fruits’ and the ‘gifts’ of the Spirit. He goes into the modern theology of our day which for a lot of people means the ‘fruits’ are working in the background of life. While the ‘gifts’ are something that was mostly lost after the apostolic time of the gospels being finished. Over the years, Fee explains, the Spirit has broken into to the church through times of refreshing etc.… only to be thought of as something else.

So to the other focus of the book which I’ve already touched upon - Paul. Or the theology of Paul to be more precise which is known as being ‘Pauline.’ Fee believes that by studying the writings of Paul we can gain a better understanding of the Holy Spirit and how He can work in our lives and more importantly the life of our Christian community.

The task of drawing on all Paul’s apostolic wisdom throughout the scriptures is not an easy one, yet Fee does well gathering together numerous verses and backing up what he is saying by listing them within his paragraphs. One of Fee’s difficulties is, as he is trying to help us better understand the Spirit, we have to realise that in Paul’s time all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are normal and expected in the meetings of the early church, “He (Paul) does not tell us how to do that because such a dynamic life in the Spirit was presumed by him (Paul).” So Fee at times has a difficult time in pointing things out that are not being said by Paul.

So Fee stresses that life ‘in the Spirit’ for Paul was an everyday experience embracing both the fruits and the gifts. The Holy Spirit was key in the early church with a total understanding that He was part of the Trinity and never referred too Him as an ‘it.’ This is a point that Fee tries hard to make us see and he has to do this with presumption of Paul as this is something not directly dealt with in the Pauline texts.

“That is, the Spirit appears both as the one who initiates our faith and as the one who is received by the same faith…”

People are born into a body when they become a Christian and too much, through our secular society, are we concerned with the individual even when this choice has been made. The body is something that Fee talks about in connection with the Holy Spirit. As Christians we regard ourselves as having an ‘intimate’ relationship with God and while this is true we forget the ‘born into the body’ part as mentioned above. Fee points out that the fruits of the Spirit are to do with life in the community. Pauline ethics in general have a corporate rather than individualistic flavour. So the Spirit is key in the conversion process as the fruits we enjoy of the Spirit are better played out in helping and providing for one another.

These points above are just a sample of what Fee offers in his book. This was a book, that although, hard to get into initially, after a few chapters you begin to think like Fee (and hopefully Paul!) Fee makes it easy for you to see where he is going and what he is trying to get at. Even the way he labels each chapter and then gives a brief summary of what he has just said at the end helps the ‘lay’ person grasp the enormity of what’s being said within the pages.

It is challenging, but at the same time the way he writes is not ‘out there’ and although I would imagine I would have a hard time coping with GEP (mentioned above) this book gives it to me straight with a only a smattering of exegesis, Greek or Hebrew, which makes me feel a little bit more learned in the language department!

Overall, if this book has only done one thing for me then that is to give me a passion to re-read the Pauline texts with a better understanding and has given me the initiative and confidence to look ‘beyond’ the words. With the help of the Holy Spirit I believe a fresh revelation will come.(back to top)

Review by Mark Kelly

I’m not going to blind you with theology in this review and I will keep it short and to the point – this is ‘Simple Church’ in a nutshell!

From the off this book reveals itself as a not a ‘new model’ of church, to quote the first few sentences:

“Relax. This book is not about another church model. If you are a church leader, you have been exposed to plenty of models. Most of them are on your shelf”

From this quote we can also see that the 2 authors have set about to give us a glimpse at not a new way ‘to do church’, but rather a way to simplify, focus and bring some clarity to whatever kind of ‘church’ you are a part of. The quote also identifies that this book is aimed at church leaders, although as you read through the book you realise that a lot of what is presented can be applied to anyone in whatever walk of life one may find themselves in.

It is written in a very easy manner and it becomes almost identifiable as to which sections each author has written. It is very structured and does not ‘waffle-on’. Scripture is quoted to back-up certain thinking that they bring, but this is not done enough in my view. The amount of Scripture lessens as the chapter numbers get higher. The book becomes more of a practical ‘doing’, rather than a deep theological read. This is something that excites me as I am a very pragmatic person, but I am also a continuous student of the Word (as we should all be) and would have liked to have seen more.

So what is the meat and drink that ‘Simple Church’ is bringing to the table?

Essentially this book is an end product of extensive research into 2 classes of ‘church’. Growing and vibrant churches and non-growing and struggling churches. The authors devised a survey / questionnaire together with a team of seasoned church leaders: Pastors, Church planters, Denominational leaders, Seminary professors, and Church consultants (whatever these are!). After identifying 400 to 500 congregations that were seen as a mixture of both growing and vibrant and non-growing and struggling they then presented the survey / questionnaire to these ‘churches’. The results of which is the culmination of this book and it makes for an extremely interesting read. Now don’t read me wrong here, this is not just a book of statistics and figures. The information is brought to you in a practical and interesting way, sure there are a few bar charts and such, but these enhance the conclusions and do not make the book tiresome in anyway.

So the first half of the book is given to back up the authors idea that ‘Simple’ works and brings you the proof through the survey. The second half is the practical outworking of this as I mentioned earlier. This IS NOT a ‘how to’ book. It merely presents the ideas and strategies and encourages leaders to colour in the picture in whatever way works with the ‘model’ of ‘church’ that one is working with. There is an underlying bias one senses throughout that the authors favour the small group / house church / cell group format. For me this is not a problem as this is my heart also, but don’t let that put you off thinking that you couldn’t apply the information from this book to your present way of ‘doing church’.

Above all this book has helped me enormously and puts what some may describe as conceptual into a real world environment situation.

In the second half of the book every chapter begins with the words:

Clarity > Movement > Alignment > Focus

As you read the book, one begins to realise the simple, yet powerful message that lies behind these words. I will not give an explanation here as that would be an injustice to the meaning of this word-flow, rather one wishes to intrigue you with them so you will read ‘Simple Church’ and discover it for yourself.

An excellent book that has been well researched and certainly a relevant message for our present time.(back to top)

One of the opening quotes of the book is… “It is unnatural for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible.” This book is testimony to how walking in the power of the supernatural should be natural! A normal everyday occurance to see the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see and the dead raised. It is full of real life miracles, occuring now! The main basis being God’s kingdom coming here on earth, a familiar prayer that we have all prayed, but Bill Johnson is showing us we really can have God’s Kingdom here on earth through revelation of God and a transformed mind, with God’s power and authority. It all sounds very simple! But Bill is honest about how even though he has personally seen so many miracles it is still easy to fall back into the “natural” mindset and part of the battle is to keep renewing your mind constantly, never get complacent! A very easy read and I am keen to read his others now and get started with accessing the life of miracles!(back to top)

Review by Gareth Duffty

WOW! What a read! Get ready, hold on to your hats for a roller coaster ride, get ready to be shaken and challenged in your thinking. This is the one for you!

I am a firm believer that over the last 35 years or more the church has become more accustomed to teachings and understandings of the Kingdom of God and Covenant and Restoration to the point that today weighty writings influenced by this thinking are now emerging in our bookstores. These new books have been well thought through and considered theologically. We are in an era of establishing a thinking that is so different from our Historic Dispensational roots which has, and still is in some settings, so hindered the church in its advancement, understanding and purpose. This book is one that will deeply challenge your dispensational thoughts.

It is well argued and thought through and even addresses within itself the weaknesses of the author’s own argument. It’s not in any way an argumentative book, so don’t come to it to defend, but read its journey as it works its pathway through some real tough stuff.

Dealing with the Love of God, Justice, Punishment, Hell, the Nature of God, the devil and may other topics, I have found it a comprehensive read and an honest dealing with issues. Although the author admits to being a convinced Universalist, just as William Barclay has become a Universalist, the author does not present a defensive or siege stance and therefore it is a fresh appeal.

The author lists with in the books closure the catalogue of early fathers, Catholic thinkers and Evangelical theologians that have also become Universalist due to their exploration and experience of the Nature of God.

The writer, we are told, writes under a pseudonym as they wish us to “…focus on the debate, on the issues raised and not on him/her…” I believe this is commendable and helpful to all.

I would encourage you to read this book as a Restorationist and one who seeks to see the Kingdom of God in our world, read it with an open mind, it will help in our journey. I have found it a must to adopt the attitude of a learner in challenging our normal thinking, rather than being too ready to dismiss all.

Let me conclude with a paragraph to ask a question of you, taken from the book itself.

“…let me ask you to hold in your mind traditional Christian vision of the future, in which many, perhaps the majority of humanity, are excluded from salvation forever. Alongside that hold the Universalist vision, in which God achieves his loving purpose of redeeming the whole of creation.

Which vision has the strongest view of divine love?

Which story has the most powerful narrative of God’s victory over evil?

Which picture lifts the atoning efficacy of the cross of Christ to greatest heights?

Which perspective best emphasizes the triumph of grace over sin?

Which view most inspires worship and love of God bringing him honour and glory?

Which has the most satisfactory understanding of divine wrath?

Which narrative inspires hope in the human spirit?

To my mind the answer to all these questions is clear, and that is why I am a Christian Universalist…”

My appeal to you is to read this book and be open to God as we explore the hour in which we live, with the ever unfolding progressive nature of God as he makes it known more and more.

Is this book one of the vessels adopted to unfold the scripture more perfectly? I leave that to you to decide.

I do believe that this book will serve to open the debate on hell, universalism, annihilation and eternal damnation and in the years to come it will become one of the living discoveries of the age we now live in!

Review by Sandra Duffty

I want to highly recommend this book, “Miracle Workers, Reformers and The New Mystics” by John Crowder, published by Destiny Image in 2006. In this book you will learn How to become part of The Supernatural Generation.

In it you will discover the lives of William Branham, William Seymour, Aimee Semple McPherson, George Whitfield, Sundar Singh, Brother Lawrence, Charles Finney and so many more…

If you are hungry for more of God, for a depth of seeing, touching and handling the things of the Kingdom, for your passion to be fuelled and your desire to see the Kingdom come with power and signs in our day, then do not miss this.

John Crowder unfolds the workings of God in mankind throughout history, highlighting men and women who chose not to be settlers but those who embraced their sonship with all its challenges and lived a life of sign and wonder and abundance.   

He charts the working of the spirit through the generations, and in so doing stirs up a faith for today, as we, together with those who have gone on before, pick up our baton and finish our race, that together we might all receive the prize.

Many radicals are highlighted. Today God is looking for radicals, those who are so in love with the Christ and are ready to pursue the Kingdom with all they have within them.

I leave you with a number of quotes to whet your appetite…

“He is not looking for perfection he is looking for relationship.”

“Sometimes our greatest sin is settling for a mundane life…and not stepping out into the unknown. God is looking for courageous pioneers. He would rather us step out in faith than sit on the sidelines, afraid of operating in presumption.”

“An active and living faith will always be marked by paradigm shifts, in which our existing framework of faith is constantly challenged. No true progress can be attained without opposition – we have to swim against streams. Only living fish swim against the current…”

“Keith Green said… he always liked it when his picture of God was turned upside down. That is the only way our vision can grow. Unless the idol of our tiny perspective of Jesus is laid on the altar, there is never room for the real Jesus to enter the room.”

“Anyone who is called to pursue a life of abandoned devotion to God must be prepared to have their understanding of Him totally wrecked.”

“Our perception and the way we experience God can become a thing of idolatry at times, and He has to break our shadowy concepts and inner experience of Him in order to take us to a higher level.”  

“It is almost guaranteed that while we are being broken, we will not be able to see or comprehend the new level of glory to which we are being taken, until we get there.”

I trust this is enough to make you hungry…(back to top)

Review by George Jarvis

It came at a time when, along with a number of colleagues, I was looking afresh at the role of women in the church, particularly in the matter of church leadership. I had come to a point in my spirit where I felt that there was virtually no limitation to the part a woman could play within the church community. This in itself was an about turn for me as for many years of enjoying the ministry of women, I stopped short of believing they could occupy primary leadership roles. I was now searching for a solid Biblical basis for my ‘newly forming’ belief.

I had read a number of books and essays which drew heavily on experience and culture on this subject. Well they would say, “That was in those days”. Or the fact that there are a number of examples of anointed women engaging successfully in church leadership, such arguments didn’t impress me. Maybe it was my church background, but I wanted a good scriptural basis for my new position.

Then my friend Hugh Thompson recommended this book, which incidentally is not new to the market.

Bilezikian explores the subject of the role of women right through the scriptures, starting with a detailed study of the early chapters of Genesis to determine God’s creation design. This study was done, as with the rest of the book, in a clear open fashion and enables the reader to fully understand his reasoning. For me this all fell into place. He then goes through a study of the woman in what he calls the ‘Old Covenant Compromise’, highlights the position a woman finds herself in as the New Creation in Christ, and finally in the New Community, the church.

A particularly valuable section of the book for me was the Appendix in which Bilezikian critically examines Wayne Grudem’s treatment of the Greek word Kephale, translated in English as ‘head’, in Ancient Greek texts. He concludes that there are no instances in Greek where Kephale means ‘head’ in the often used English sense of having overall authority.(back to top)