"You're Only Human" (Kelly M. Kapic)

TITLE: You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News
AUTHOR: Kelly M. Kapic
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022, (272 pages).
 

We live in a world that is increasingly used to things that are "unconditional" and "unlimited." They say the sky's the limit. So many people have prime preferences for unlimited cell-phone data plans, unlimited parking privileges, unlimited food on the buffet table, unlimited use of the gyms, unlimited downloads, unlimited streaming of movies, unlimited access to facilities, and so on. The truth is, nothing is unlimited. There are real limits to what we can consume. For one, time is limited to a maximum of 24 hours per day. Lifespan is limited. Earth's resources are incredibly limited. So, the word "unlimited" is more about what we can handle at best. We don't like limitations, but we are not only mortal, we are essentially human. Recognizing our limits honestly will help us live more meaningfully. Not only that, limitations are a gift from God, and they help us discover who we are instead of who we are not. This is the key thesis of this down to earth book about humanity. Learning to live with finite disappointment does not necessarily mean we cannot have infinite hope. The more we can realize our mortality and finitude, the better we can appreciate God's blessings and promises on what He could do for us, instead of us struggling vainly using our own wisdom and strength. Only God is sovereign and in full control. We are not and we are definitely not God. 

In this remarkable book about human limitations, we learn that to be human is not something that should weigh us down. Instead, it should help us be thankful and free. Free from unhealthy expectations, vain activism, and especially self-inflicted violence on one's soul. Not only that, unhealthy emotional selves could also inflict inner stresses on our physiological makeup and mental health. Limitations bless us in ways we are often oblivious toward. Kelly Kapic helps us look at these questions in a remarkably positive manner. Questions like:

"Praying with the Enemy" (Steven T. Collis)

TITLE: Praying with the Enemy
AUTHOR: Steven T. Collis
PUBLISHER: Salt Lake City, UT: Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2022, (384 pages).
 

Flying over North Korea with Napalm explosives. Near-death encounters with Chinese snipers and North Korean soldiers. Staying alive in terrible pits as a Prisoner of War. Missing in Action. Escaping. Challenge of faith in the midst of the horrors of war. Conflicting philosophies. Deceit. Military strategies, and more. Three countries involved in a devastating war that has divided families across the Korean Peninsula. Three different men from each country. These and many more form a pulsating action-packed novel filled with multiple twists and turns. The three protagonists in this novel are Captain Ward Millar (aka Ward), Kim Jae Pil (aka Jae Pil), and to a lesser extent, Lieutenant Kang. All of them are able to speak and communicate in English! The chapters begin by alternating their stories, beginning with Ward as a pilot flying over North Korea during the Korean War in 1951. When his plane crashed landed on enemy territory, though he managed to survive, he broke his ankles making it difficult to even escape. 

Jae Pil's story begins with him being drafted to serve in the Communist Army. His family were Christians. The communist party's ideals were constantly at odds with what he and his family believed. His family mission was to build a church and to enable people to worship properly without fear. Unfortunately, living in a land with a godless ideology makes their mission difficult. These constant struggles present Jae Pil with a dilemma to choose between his country or his faith; the Communist Party or God. Eventually, at great risks to his own life, he decides to do what he could to escape from the communists. That begins a gripping journey from a place he felt enslaved to his desired place of freedom. Alas! Even the land of South Korea is not kind to a defector from North Korea. 

"Cultural Counterfeits" (Jen Oshman)

TITLE: Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More
AUTHOR: Jen Oshman
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (208 pages).

Since the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, the human race has been living with emptiness in their hearts. Cain was deemed to become a restless wanderer. People become vulnerable to all kinds of temptations. The biggest weapon used by the evil one: Idolatry. As long as people could be led away from the Truth of Jesus, idols are pretty effective ways to stumble all people, especially believers.

The author begins by showing us how our modern culture has shaped our perceptions of feminism, liberal sex, free choice, and negative images of Christianity and the Church. Sadly, mainstream media has coloured people's general perception of the Christian faith. "The Handmaid's Tale" TV series caricatures Christianity as some fundamentalist cult that degrades women into mere child-bearing slaves. The "Da Vinci Code" makes people question the Church about hidden "secrets" of the past. For all the well-intentioned beginnings, parts of modern feminism have degenerated into detrimental movements that promoted the Sexual Revolution, of free love, including illicit sex. On the #MeToo movement, Oshman is convinced that this movement would never have happened "without millennia of influence from the Bible."  In this book, author Jen Oshman highlights five of the idols that pose extreme dangers to our spiritual lives. With women as her key audience, the author describes the five empty promises of the following idols:

"Professional Christian" (Sarah Bereza)

TITLE: Professional Christian: Being Fully Yourself in the Spotlight of Public Ministry
AUTHOR: Sarah Bereza
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2022, (198 pages).

Are Christian ministers more "play-actors," mere "professionals," or "authentic persons?" With sky-high expectations from the public, the temptation is to become something less of ourselves. As the famous Shakespeare phrase says, "All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players." With a keen understanding of the human psyche, Shakespeare's comedy, "As You Like It," reminds us of the way we all tend to behave in front of other people. Like the professionals in a commercial on TV, people get paid to put on a facade by exaggerating the quality of a particular product or service. In fact, anyone in a public-facing environment would be tempted toward becoming something that they are not. Those of us in public ministries are not exempted from such temptations. We prefer praises rather than criticisms. If acting a little bit unlike ourselves would win more applause, many would. If doing something authentic invites vicious criticism, most dare not. This book casts a spotlight on situations where ministry personnel become professionals to look good in front of people rather than humble servants faithful to God's calling in Jesus. The thesis of this book is that the more we are in Christ, the more ourselves we become which in turn improves our authenticity in ministry. What does it mean to be fully ourselves? This is the key question that the author, Sarah Bereza will address. She adds that the closer we are to God's glorious light, the truer our colours will shine. Before one could deal with authentic ministering in love, there are seven barriers to overcome. These are:

"40 Questions About Arminianism" (J. Matthew Pinson)

TITLE: 40 Questions About Arminianism
AUTHOR: J. Matthew Pinson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2022, (400 pages).

For many years, people have argued over the virtues of Arminianism and Calvinism. Based on the theological convictions of Jacob's Arminius and John Calvin, these two men in turn have relied on their reactions to the teachings of Theodore Beza and Augustine respectively. As Calvinists proclaimed their five points of Calvinism (TULIP), Arminians responded with the Five Articles of Remonstrance. Famous Arminians include John Wesley, Charles Finney, Dwight Moody, Billy Graham, Rick Warren, etc. Famous Calvinists include John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, Charles Hodge, Francis Schaeffer, Tim Keller, etc. Other than these differences, what else can we learn? This is where this book comes in. With an understanding of both views, author-professor Matthew Pinson gives us a resource that comprises forty questions to help us appreciate the nuances of Arminianism. Calling himself a "Reformed Arminian," he aims to build bridges between the two traditional camps. The questions have a certain flow. In Part One, readers get a gist of the historical background of Arminianism. He looks at the life of Jacobus Arminius and how he reacted against some of the strong convictions of Calvinism. He shows us how theological convictions could degenerate into malicious labeling and name-calling. The key issue: Predestination. Readers get to learn more about the basic doctrines of both Arminianism and Calvinism. We learn about famous adherents of Arminianism, in particular, the Wesley brothers. Over time, more people came to nuance their understanding of predestination, while trying to find common ground in the search for truth. While traditionally one might claim Arminius was against the Articles of Calvinism, Pinson wonders if he was actually more Reformed than we might think. 

"Signals" (Cherilyn Orr)

TITLE: Signals: How Brain Science and the Bible Help Parents Raise Resilient Children
AUTHOR: Cherilyn Orr
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2022, (224 pages).
 

What is the connection between brain science and child development?  Can this help us in parenting our children? If so, how much? How does stress affect children's behaviour? Based on her learning from "The Spotlight Approach" ministry, author Cherilyn Orr shares powerful insights about how brain science can help us in our parenting. Using the Red, Yellow, and Green colour method, we learn about what it takes to move from an aggressive and chaotic red to a calm green. This has benefits not only for the individual parent or child but also for the whole family. Recognizing signals from the brain is a big step up toward greater understanding. At the same time, being aware of a brain's neuroplasticity helps in reminding us about acceptance and healthy tolerance. Orr describes the different parts of the brain and their functions to give us an overview of their operations. She then goes on to describe the different colour signals used. Red Brain means there's anger and overwhelmed state of emotion which requires parents to stay calm and gentle. Yellow Brain means the child is in a state of irritability and parents should then slow down and focus on connecting with them, to make them feel valued. Green Brain signals readiness to learn. By becoming effective brain detectives, parents will then be able to adjust their parenting strategies and emotions accordingly. Following that, readers will get to dig deeper into the purposes, the processes, and the parenting strategies associated with each of these signals.