Francis Chan "Erasing Hell" sort of review

So there was a lot of hype around Rob Bell's book Love Wins. I have not read that book so I will not speak to it at this time. However I know there was a lot of media attention about Rob's assertion that a loving God wouldn't punish people to a place like hell.

Enter Francis Chan. I have to say that I've been a big fan to Francis' books. He writes very plainly and often just says things that we're thinking but no one wants to actually say. He read the Bible and tells us what it says. Challenges us with what it says. If this is true...then this is true.

This book is very different from the first two books that Chan wrote, "Crazy Love" and "Forgotten God". I found both of those books challenging on a day to day, personal growth of my relationship with God sort of way. This book was much more intellectual and studious.

Basically Chan and his co-writer Preston Sprinkle do what Rob Bell usually does. They break down the context of what was going on at the time of the writings about hell in the Bible. What was the culture? What was the prevailing thought of the time? What did Jesus say? What did his followers think?

They also go at Rob Bell a bit. A few times Chan says that Rob missed the boat and shows you how he did it. So while I haven't read Rob's book, I get a sense of what his book is about.

Here what I liked most about this book: They impress upon you that hell is real, and because it is, it HAS to change the way we interact with everyone. It has to change the way we live our Christian lives. It has to change the way we talk to unbelievers.

At one point he's writing from a Starbucks. He is describing all the people around him. He says that it's silly that he's writing a book about hell in this place knowing full well that within 25 feet of him there are people that probably will be going there. He is hurt. As should we. We should be pained by the idea that that's a very real possibility for those around us. Those we know and those we don't.

I liked this book because it was within terms that everyone can handle....but really challenged my brain a bit. I liked having to dive in to it a bit. It's definitely a reader!

Book Review: Red Letters by Tom Davis

If you're a follower of my blog, you'll know I've been slowly working my way through Tom Davis' book "Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds". It's been slow going because I'm a slacker, I've been sick.....and this book kicked my butt and broke my heart again and again. There were days where I was almost afraid to pick it up because I knew I'd end up crying.....but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's start with the title. In a lot of Bible's they have the words that Jesus actually spoke, in a red type instead of the regular black. Tom points out several places where out of Jesus mouth came clear instructions for things He wanted us to do. That really is the center of the book.

The heart of the book is HIV/AIDS. What are we doing about this pandemic? Why aren't we doing anything or why aren't we doing more? He goes beyond this one issue and talks about the widow and the orphan, the poor, the homeless, etc., but he comes back to the HIV/AIDS crisis again and again.

Most of you reading this know my heart is still in Africa. Even after adopting twice, God hasn't changed my heavy heart for the continent of Africa. Because of that I think I read this book from tinted glasses. I tried hard to be as unbiased as possible, but he just spoke to my heart....and I can't be unbiased about that. I think though that Tom makes a lot of the same points again and again throughout the book, but takes different slants each time and uses some different scripture and stories so it stays pretty fresh.

By the end of the book Tom wants to see you do something. He doesn't lead you to exactly what that is, he allows you to figure that out for yourself. He has a giant list of resources that you can start with. He makes suggestions. He plugs his own programs (and you can't totally blame him for that right?), but he is clear to say that you need to do SOMETHING.

One of the things that Tom plugs and goes into detail explaining is his Five for 50 program, which I've linked to before. As a website, it's not very detailed. In the book he explains it much better.
-Basically commit to praying 5 minutes a day for people affected by HIV/AIDS as well as poverty and hopelessness.
-You spend 5 hours a week fasting about it.
-You give 5 dollars a month. (He suggests his five for 50 fund, but also just encourages you to give to ANY organization committed to fight poverty, AIDS, etc. that you choose).
-You spend 5 days a year traveling to countries affected by poverty and suffering to make a difference. He goes one step further to say that if traveling is not an option that you spend those 5 days locally impacting those in your community.
-The last step is the one I love the most. He suggests getting 5 people to join you on this big journey.

This book challenged me in a lot of ways. I tell my students that with knowledge comes responsibility. If you know something to be true, then you are also at least partially responsible for doing something about it. That being said, I'm not sure what I do with the information from this book. I've been trying to figure that out anyway, and this book didn't help me come to clear conclusions. It really only added to my broken heart.

Let me say this. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book. It's challenging. I finished it last week and it's still bouncing around in my brain. I can guarantee that this will not be the last you hear on this matter from me. Go buy this book.....oh and remember that in buying it, you feed a child for a month!