BOOKS

Standing With Israel
By David Brog, FrontLine,
Hardcover, 288 pages, $19.99.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on in Israel and how it relates to Christians and the Bible, Jewish author David Brog’s Standing With Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State will help provide you with an answer. He delves into the Christian Zionists, those devoted to Israel and Jewish people, as well as the roots of some Christian contributions to anti-Semitism. Brog, who is not a Messianic Jew, documents anti-Semitic violence stemming from “replacement theology,” the belief that the Christian church has replaced the Jews as God’s chosen people. He also discusses the alliance of Jewish and Christian supporters of Israel. Brog includes political analysis of the Christian Right’s advocacy of Israel and explains reasons for some Jewish people’s unease with the outpouring of Christian support.
Tracee N. Mason

The Israelis
By Donna Rosenthal, Free Press,
Softcover, 480 pages, $15.

Who are the Israelis today? Eons removed from the people Moses called the “children” of Israel, they have grown into a deeply diversified nation marked by common and conflicting ideals, says Donna Rosenthal, a writer and former reporter for The Jerusalem Post. They remain, first of all, Jews, but they are also Arabs, Palestinians, Russians, Ethiopians, Muslims, Druze and Christians. They order Big Macs in the language of the Ten Commandments and buy J-Lo CDs and gas masks in the same malls. They are the inventors of some of the world’s best computer chips, and their young people are the world’s most fervent MTV fans. Some embrace more than one sexual orientation; others maintain strict religious views of modesty. They are mostly secular yet their synagogues are 98 percent Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox. The Israelis is a rewarding guided tour into Israel—a way to see it and feel it through its greatest treasure, its people.
Jimmy Stewart

God’s Promise and the Future of Israel
By Don Finto, Regal,
Softcover, 208 pages, $12.99.

In God’s Promises and the Future of Israel, former pastor Don Finto educates readers on how God’s biblical promises and prophecies merge with current events in Israel. Finto, who established the Caleb Company to support Jewish believers and help the church become aware of its Jewish roots, answers common questions about Israel and the Jewish people. He uses the historical significance of the retaking of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967 and the re-establishing of Israel in 1948 to compellingly show the nation’s importance to God and believers worldwide. Finto calls for churches to become sensitive to Jewish believers, to become aware of Jewish customs and the biblical calendar, to cultivate God’s desire to bless the descendents of Abraham, and to make Jewish people a priority in outreach ministry.
Tracee N. Mason

Where Jesus Walked
Photographs by Ken Duncan, Integrity
Publishers, hardcover, 166 pages, $24.99.

Veteran landscape photographer Ken Duncan has published more than 30 books of his work, but this collection of scenes in Israel is by far the most striking. Lacing it with Scripture passages and quotes from famous Christians, Duncan uses the book as a doorway to a colorful and sometimes mysterious world. He takes the reader to the hillsides of Galilee, the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, Jacob’s Well in Samaria, the site of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, the Pool of Siloam and many other biblical locations. Perfect as an Easter gift, this book will enrich anyone’s study of the Bible. But the images also connect the reader to the stark, rugged beauty of the Holy Land and its people. You don’t just read this book. You linger over it with a cup of coffee and allow the images to transport you to another time and place. If you have been to the Holy Land, this book will serve as a nostalgic reminder of your pilgrimage. If you have not traveled there, Duncan’s photography will beckon you to go.
James Finch

The Adventure of Worship
By Gerrit Gustafson, Chosen Books,
softcover, 272 pages, $13.99.

Though this book is comprehensive enough to be dubbed a worship manual, no manual has ever had such style and drama. Reading Gerrit Gustafson’s new The Adventure of Worship: Discovering Your Highest Calling is an adventure in itself. After an introduction about the concept of worship, Gustafson launches into a history of it that begins with Creation and culminates with Christ’s return. He sets the stage in the form of a theatrical production, conveying through drama what teaching alone could not. The latter section describes 12 convictions of a worshiper, covering motives, styles, cautions and encouragements. For more than 20 years, Gustafson has been involved in music ministry, song writing, training seminars and various tools developed to enhance worship. This book has much to offer pastors, worship leaders and any person devoted to Christ.
Deborah L. Delk

MUSIC

A Greater Song
By Paul Baloche, Integrity Music.

For his latest album, A Greater Song, Paul Baloche, whose “Open the Eyes of My Heart” has become a worship classic, teamed with several well-known songwriters and singers, including Matt Redman, Sara Groves, Kathryn Scott and others. Baloche joins Groves on “You Have Been So Good.” He teams with Redman on “A Greater Song” and “Rising.” “What Can I Do” with Graham Kendrick is a gentle ballad of thanks and praise. The album lyrics are simple and straightforward, offering pure, sincere worship to God for who He is, His goodness and His kindness. This simplicity only enhances the collection, making it ideal for personal or corporate worship.
Anna Flynn Stewart

Song to the King
By Pocket Full of Rocks, Myrrh Records.

Recently relaunched Myrrh Records has its focus on praise and worship, and its first signing, Pocket Full of Rocks, delivers just that with its debut, Song to the King. The disc features acoustic pop-rock tunes with a tight sound, earnest vocals and heart-rending lyrics. The six-member, Texas-based group accomplishes the somewhat daunting task of creating infectious melodies that succeed on the disc and should still translate well to corporate worship settings. Like breakout worship group Casting Crowns, Pocket Full of Rocks shines brightly on rock-influenced praise tracks such as “This Is the Life” and the soaring proclamation of the title track. Song to the King is an impressive first step for the capable modern worship band.
Dewayne Hamby

Songs for Communion
By Hillsong, Integrity Music.

Hillsong Music series releases a collection of songs centrally focused on the death and resurrection of Christ. Songs for Communion, performed by Darlene Zschech and members of the Hillsong worship team, slows down the series’ normal energy for a calmer approach. Songs include a slow, orchestral version of the hymn “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” the piano ballad “Oh, the Blood,” the worship anthem “With Christ” and a slightly peppier version of Hillsong’s popular worship song “Worthy Is the Lamb.” Although the release works perfectly as background music for communion services, it will also fit nicely in devotions and prayer times.
Dewayne Hamby

The King of All of Me
By various artists, Maranatha! Music
Vineyard Records U.K.

To capture and highlight the newest worship songs, Maranatha! Music and Vineyard Records U.K. produced six tracts each of songs from evangelical and charismatic churches for an entire disc of fresh worship songs from both sides of the Atlantic. The result is The King of All of Me, a surprisingly cohesive effort that places the spotlight on new songs for corporate worship. Kevin MacDougall’s title track is a simple and solemn acoustic-pop number, while Suzanne Manning’s “All Hail Jesus” features earthy rock that builds into a passionate punch. MacDougall, along with Lyndsey Wallace and Scott Reed, deliver the mellow pop-rock of “Thirst,” and Kate Miner performs the acoustic-pop of “My Offering.”
Dewayne Hamby

New on DVD

Love’s Long Journey
Fox Home
Entertainment $19.98

The third novel in Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series comes to life on DVD. The story continues as now married Missie and Willie LaHaye venture to the West on their own. The two face many challenges, good times and bad, fears and loneliness as they build a new life together.

A Piece of My Mind
INO Records $14.98

Funny lady Chonda Pierce is back after experiencing depression resulting from total exhaustion and menopause. Pierce addresses her struggle on her new comedy DVD, A Piece of My Mind. As usual the “Queen of Clean” includes music with her humor routine, and this time she is backed by a 60-voice choir.

The Chronicles of Narnia
Walt Disney,
Walden Media
$29.99
$39.99

The blockbuster The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is now available on DVD. Follow four siblings as they encounter good and evil in the fantasy world of Narnia. The single disc DVD includes bloopers, fun facts and commentaries. The two-disc set offers additional material such as behind-the-scenes diaries, a 3-D map, profiles and more.

Pharmacists challenged for refusing to dispense ‘Plan B’ Pill
Four Illinois pharmacists have sued the U.S. drugstore chain Walgreen Co., saying they were wrongly terminated for refusing to dispense the “morning-after” contraceptive pill known as Plan B, Reuters reported. The pharmacists, represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, argue that the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act entitles them to opt out of procedures they object to on moral grounds. Walgreen spokesman Michael Polzin said the four were not fired but placed on unpaid leave and offered jobs in other states, Reuters said. Elsewhere, Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogelman said the company planned to comply with a Feb. 14 Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy ruling requiring Wal-Mart to carry the Plan B pill. Before the ruling, only Illinois stores carried the drug.

Appeals Court OKs Home Worship Service
A federal appeals court ruled in January that a Florida county’s land-use ordinance could not be used to prohibit an Orlando rabbi from holding worship services in his home. Rabbi Joseph Konikov filed suit in May 2001 and again in February 2002 after receiving code violations for holding prayer and worship meetings in his home and being charged $50 per day for continuing the meetings. Although the district court initially ruled that the Orange County ordinance was permissible, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit found the ordinance to be unconstitutionally vague and in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, said the Alliance Defense Fund, which represented Konikov.

Advocacy Groups Continue to Push for Ban on Gay Marriage
The Florida Coalition to Protect Marriage announced in February that a nearly yearlong effort to allow Florida citizens to vote on a state constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage fell short of the necessary 611,009 petitions, Baptist Press (BP) reported. The coalition said it will continue the petition effort in hopes of getting the amendment on the 2008 ballot. The petitions signed before the Feb. 1 deadline will remain valid for four years, leaving the coalition 155,000 more petitions to gather before 2008, BP said. So far, 19 states have amended their constitutions to maintain traditional marriage, and four others will be voting on similar measures this year, the news service reported.

Atheist Seeks to Remove ‘In God We Trust’ From U.S. Currency
Atheist Michael Newdow filed a lawsuit in November seeking to prevent the U.S. government from printing the phrase “In God We Trust” on future coins and paper money, arguing that it violates the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the Constitution, CNS News.com reported. Previously Newdow sought to remove the phrase “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Though his first attempt to revise the Pledge was dismissed on a technicality, he sued again, and that case is pending. Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), said Newdow’s lawsuit must be taken seriously, but the ACLJ is prepared to defend the national motto, even if it goes to the Supreme Court, CNS News.com said.

Shanghai Community Fellowship reaches out to the estimated 500,000 expatriates in China
In a country known for stifling its underground church movement, a nondenominational charismatic ministry in China is thriving above ground and drawing dozens to Christ.

Christians in China say the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully among the more than 500,000 foreign expatriates, also called expats, working in Shanghai. English services in the ivy-covered Gothic-style Shanghai Community Church (SCC) are bursting at the seams with 1,500 worshipers from 53 countries.

“It’s a slice of heaven,” said Karen Pierce, an aerospace engineer from Minnesota who lives in Shanghai with her husband.

“Every Sunday we experience the miracle of God,” said John Chin, a church elder from Canada.

The nondenominational, charismatic Shanghai Community Fellowship (SCF) blossomed out of two small groups of foreign passport holders meeting at the Shanghai Hilton and Ritz-Carlton hotels. It jelled in 1996 when the Chinese government stepped in, warning believers that they were gathering illegally. Through what church leaders consider a miracle, the Christians gained permission to worship in the state-sanctioned SCC.

Built in 1925 for Americans, the church operated until the 1940s and closed for a time after communist leadership took control of China in 1949. Chinese Christians also worship there, but in separate services.

Although no provision exists yet for foreigners to register legally as a church, SCF operates under the auspices of the officially approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches of China. The Chinese government bans denominations and recognizes only five religions: Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam and Taoism.

SCF is a lay-led ministry directed by seven elders from denominational backgrounds. The group operates an annual budget of about $500,000 and recently adopted a formal charter. It has distributed more than 1 million Bibles and pays medical expenses for orphans.

Shanghai is a rapidly expanding boomtown of 20 million people gorging on the fruits of China’s new economic power and affluence. Since 2003 SCF attendance has swelled from the rising influx of foreign workers. Standing-room-only crowds led to a second worship service in 2004.

The congregation is a multiethnic mix of expat believers and seekers from North America, Taiwan, Macau, Europe, Africa and Australia. Some raise their hands and speak in tongues during worship. Others stand quietly with eyes closed.

“There is no one way of worshiping God,” Pierce said. “There’s dancing in the aisles, liturgy and Spirit-led charismatic worship—without condemnation. All of the petty stuff fades away.”

“Although we are so different, the Holy Spirit has kneaded us together like a blanket with different colors,” said Mexico-native Jorge Solorzano, a plant manager with a U.S.-based auto parts firm.

“We learn to live with each other,” said Maxim Beti, a student from Cameroon. “We have the same aim in Jesus Christ.”

Although overt proselytizing is forbidden in China, people are won to Christ through one-on-one evangelism. Friends invited Constanza Leon, who is from Mexico City, to a church-sponsored Alpha course, which is an evangelism outreach. She became a born-again Christian after a few weeks, and she said her new faith helped her get through a serious personal problem. “It was Jesus in my life,” she said. “He changed my character.”

Observers say seeds of revival among Shanghai’s expat community are starting to bloom—even under China’s communist regime. Said Chin: “God is working something impossible.”
Peter K. Johnson in Shanghai, China

The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. was remembered for her work to keep her husband’s vision alive.
Four U.S. presidents, numerous preachers and members of Congress were among the 10,000 mourners who converged in suburban Atlanta for the funeral of a woman hailed as the “first lady” of the civil rights movement.

Coretta Scott King, 78, wife of the late Martin Luther King Jr., died Jan. 30 of pneumonia brought on by complications of ovarian cancer.

In 2005, King had suffered a heart attack and a stroke that left her partly paralyzed. She was diagnosed with cancer in November and sought alternative treatment at the Santa Monica Hospital in Rosario, Mexico, nearly a week before her death, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott met while attending college in Massachusetts. He was a doctoral student at the University of Boston, and she was attending New England’s Conservatory of Music. The two married in 1953.

Coretta Scott King’s commitment to nonviolent social change spanned some 50 years. She marched beside her husband during the tumultuous civil rights movement and continued to champion his cause when an assassin’s bullet claimed his life in 1968.

She went on to become the voice of his legacy, speaking out on issues such as racial equality, poverty, women’s and children’s rights, and health care. She successfully lobbied Congress to make her husband’s birthday a national holiday. In 1983 Congress passed a law making the third Monday in January Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Kings’ youngest daughter, the Rev. Bernice A. King, delivered the eulogy at her mother’s Celebration of Life funeral service held Feb. 7 at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, where she is a minister.

King told the crowd that her mother’s death had prophetic significance. “[God] said, Make no mistake that the very thing that took your mother out is the same thing that emerges across the nations,” she said. “The cancer was concentrated in the reproductive area.

“What God is saying to us through the transition of Coretta Scott King is that we … are suffering from complications of a cancer of materialism and … racism and violence. … It’s a cancer that’s eating away at the … nature of what God created humankind to be.”

Although King commanded national attention during her life, her passing made history. She became the first African-American and the first woman to lie in state at the Georgia Capitol, where 42,000 mourners viewed her body. The state response stood in sharp contrast to segregationist Gov. Lester Maddox’s refusal in 1968 to allow Martin Luther King Jr. to lie in state after his death.

Standing in the pulpit of the crowded, 10,000-seat sanctuary, President Bush expressed his condolences to the nation and to King’s adult children: Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter and Bernice.

“Coretta had every right to count the costs and step back from the struggle,” the president said. “But she decided that her children needed more than a safe home; they needed an America that upheld their equality and wrote their rights into law.”

Dignitaries at the service included first lady Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter and former President George H.W. Bush.

Other speakers included poet Maya Angelou, noted civil rights activist Andrew Young, Malaak Shabazz, daughter of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, and Oprah Winfrey, who spoke at a memorial held Feb. 6 at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor. More than 115,000 flocked to the historic church to pay final respects, the AP said.

News of King’s passing prompted President Bush to order federal agencies to fly flags at half-staff, and Dekalb County Schools canceled classes Feb. 7 in honor of the funeral. Many ministers crossed denominational lines to honor King’s life and her contributions to the world.

“I know I speak for The Potter’s House congregation when I say that her untiring efforts as a leader of the civil rights movement and undying commitment to protect the dignity of a people was an inspiration to us all,” said Bishop T.D. Jakes, who also spoke during the funeral. “It was truly a blessing to recognize such a strong woman, one who laid a foundation of character and integrity for the next generation of this nation’s female leaders from all cultures and creeds.”
Valerie G. Lowe

Elsie Mason, ‘First Lady of Church of God in Christ,’ Dies
Elsie Louise Washington Mason, wife of Church of God in Christ (COGIC) founder Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, died Jan. 31 in a Memphis, Tenn., hospital. She was 98. Widowed in 1961, Mason served as an evangelist, was secretary of the denomination’s missions department and helped found an orphanage in Haiti, the Commercial Appeal reported. She also served as editor of COGIC’s official newspaper, The Whole Truth, and despite failing health recently completed a history of COGIC titled The Great Cloud of Witnesses. “She was a very distinguished lady, a good wife and a dedicated church worker,” David Hall, pastor of Temple COGIC in Memphis, which was founded by C.H. Mason, told the Appeal. “She was very active in many facets of our church and she will be greatly missed.” Funeral services were held Feb. 6 at Temple of Deliverance COGIC in Memphis. She is survived by three sisters: Ceneta Qualls and Ida Jamison of Memphis, and Clara McAdams of Los Angeles.

Jordanian King Urges Cooperation among Christians, Muslims and Jews
King Abdullah of Jordan urged cooperation among Christians, Muslims and Jews at a luncheon speech during the National Prayer Breakfast events Feb. 2, the New York Times reported. The speech was the first by a Muslim head of state before a mostly Christian audience. Quoting as often from the Bible as the Quran, Abdullah told the 3,000 attendees: “Extremism is a political movement under religious cover,” the Times said. “Its adherents want nothing more than to pit us against each other, denying all that we have in common.”

End of the Spear Opens in Top 10
End of the Spear opened at No. 8 and by February had grossed more than $10 million amid criticism that it lacked an overt gospel message and that its producers should not have cast an openly gay man as the lead. The film, released Jan. 20 by Every Tribe Entertainment, is based on the true story of five missionaries who were killed by the Waodani tribe in the jungles of Ecuador 50 years ago. Though some Christians said casting gay activist Chad Allen as the lead was irresponsible, Every Tribe CEO Mart Green maintains that Allen was the best man for the part. “[Allen] raised the bar for us,” he said. The film is expected to release on video in May.

Canada’s Christian Prime minister May Put Gay Marriage Before Voters
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper, who is a member of the Christian Missionary Alliance, became Canada’s prime minister in January after promising to let Parliament vote on whether to reopen the issue of same-sex marriage, Reuters reported. Canada is one of four nations worldwide where gay marriage is legal. If Parliament were to approve the motion and a bill were introduced defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, observers question whether it would pass in the House, and they doubt it would gain approval from the Senate, which is led by the Liberal Party.

Hispanic Ministers call for immigration Reform
A newly formed coalition representing more than 20 million Hispanic evangelicals announced its opposition Feb. 3 to immigration reform proposals its members regard as anti-immigrant. Among the group’s concerns is H.R. Bill 4437, which would subject to arrest anyone assisting undocumented workers. Comprised of leaders such as the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and Dr. Jesse Miranda of AMEN ministries, the Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform outlined four major goals, including humanitarian border protection policies and an opportunity for immigrants who are already contributing to the U.S. to pursue an option to eventually become citizens. “What we are looking for is a more balanced and comprehensive approach to immigration,” said Mark Gonzalez, founder and president of the Standing for Truth Foundation, “and we believe [these proposals] accomplish that.”

World Council of Churches seeks to dialogue with Pentecostals
More than 50 Pentecostal groups were expected to participate in the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly held Feb. 14-23 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The council, whose liberal-leaning members are losing congregants to Pentecostal and charismatic churches, planned to discuss ways to begin serious dialogue with Pentecostals and similar groups, who make up 25 percent of the world’s churches. “We need a fresh look at global Christianity,” WCC head Samuel Koiba told the AP. “I will also call on Pentecostals, charismatics and others to approach us in an open mind and not with the hostility of history that has led to suspicion.” While participating in the WCC conference as “observers,” the Pentecostal and charismatic groups were to hold a separate, smaller gathering during the weeklong event, the Christian Post said. The WCC meeting—the largest since its 1998 gathering in Zimbabwe—was also expected to address rifts over same-sex unions and homosexual clergy, and discuss ways to forge closer ties between Christians and moderate Muslims, the AP said.

Your study will be enriched when you explore different versions.
Have you ever wondered if you made the right choice when you purchased your last Bible? A few key questions will help you evaluate which Bible meets your needs.

1. How was it translated? Three basic methods of Scripture translation are used: word for word, thought for thought and paraphrasing.

Word for word is also known as “literal translation.” Bibles in this category include New American Standard Bible and King James Version.

Thought for thought is sometimes called “dynamic translation.” Bibles in this category include New Revised Standard Version, and New International Version.

Paraphrases generally are not translations but revisions of translated versions of the Bible. Some are created with careful attention to the original languages; some are not. Contemporary paraphrases include The Living Bible and The Message.

2. Who translated it? An individual? A nonprofit organization? An international team of experts? Better translations generally emerge from large, diverse groups. Also consider whether the person or group behind the paraphrase could be the reason for its popularity or unpopularity.

3. Which manuscripts were used? Many original versions were lost during the early church period. Some have since been found. Translations differ depending on the manuscripts’ source languages: Hebrew and Aramaic for Old Testament and Greek for New Testament.

Here are overviews of several popular Bibles.

BOOKS

The Azusa Street Revival
By Eddie Hyatt and Joel Kilpatrick,
Charisma House, hardcover, 192 pages, $34.99.

History comes alive in this beautifully crafted volume filled with rare photographs, original sermons and engaging commentary on the events surrounding the birth of the modern Pentecostal movement. Never before has so much Pentecostal history been assembled in one book. Hundreds of archival images of Azusa Street meetings, outdoor baptisms and tent revivals transport the reader to the early 1900s, when America was shaken by an otherworldly visitation of the Holy Spirit. Hyatt and Kilpatrick left no stone unturned in their research, including information on how the Azusa Revival gave birth to the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, Oneness denominations and other movements. And the latter half of the book captures the energy of modern charismatic revivals and revivalists, from Kathryn Kuhlman to Benny Hinn to Joel Osteen. Definitely a collector’s item, this book is much like a scrapbook­—for a very big spiritual family.
Morgan DeBose

Reviving the American Spirit
By Keith Butler, Frontline,
hardcover, 224 pages, $19.99.

In Reviving the American Spirit, Keith Butler describes his journey to a new understanding of politics and race. As a result, he not only switched his political party but also came to the conclusion that the best way he could serve his home state of Michigan, community and nation would be to run for office and replace liberal Democrat Debbie Stabenow in the U.S. Senate. Butler speaks of his concerns for community economic standards, education issues, family and community assistance programs, energy independence, immigration concerns, and the need for security from global threats. He majors on the importance of upholding and affirming traditional family and community values. This, he says, is where faith and politics ought to meet.
Jim Nelson Black

I Saw the Lord
By Anne Graham Lotz,
Zondervan, hardcover, 208 pages, $16.99.

When Isaiah experienced the Lord’s glory for the first time, his response was to cry out, “Woe is me … because I am a man of unclean lips.” It was only after he received cleansing from the Lord’s searing coal being placed upon his lips that Isaiah developed into perhaps the greatest prophet of all time. Throughout her book I Saw the Lord, Anne Graham Lotz uses the story of Isaiah to depict the great need for us all to experience personal revival. She calls on readers not just to serve the Lord but also to know Him with their hearts. The one drawback of this book is that even though it presents clear direction for obtaining personal revival, only its last section truly provides tangible instructions on how to maintain that change.
SARAH J. COBB

Rules of Engagement
By Derek Prince, Chosen, softcover,
224 pages, $12.99.

Writing with the intellectual rigor of the finest academicians, former Eton-educated and Cambridge-trained British theologian Derek Prince presents lessons on how to be prepared for the spiritual battle that all Christians face. Rules of Engagement is based on a collection of teaching letters written for his friends and ministry partners and published after his death in 2003 at age 88. It is a training manual on how to live as a soldier of Christ, remaining obedient at any cost and developing interdependence on Christ and other Christians. Prince devotes attention to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, developing supernatural fruit, and being watchful for the anti-Christ spirit and humanism. Prince’s customary emphasis on charismatic gifts and sound doctrine is a legacy that continues to influence generations.
TRACEE N. MASON

Damage Control
By Dean Merrill, Baker Books,
softcover, 176 pages, $12.99.

Whether Christians want to admit it or not, the church has not always represented itself well to the world. Dean Merrill, author of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church, hopes to improve this representation with his newest book, Damage Control: How to Stop Making Jesus Look Bad. Correcting with gentleness, Merrill gives valuable guidelines for being a positive ambassador for Christ. He reminds readers that anyone calling himself a Christian is an ambassador. Though he acknowledges that there are elements of the faith that might alienate nonbelievers, Christians should avoid giving them extra reasons for stumbling because of any un-Christlike behavior. He also helps readers think about how Christian jargon might be misunderstood and how our actions speak louder than words. Merrill concludes by saying that Christians need more than a neatly packaged message. They need the Holy Spirit to confirm it by demonstrating His power through them.
DEBORAH L. DELK

The Papa Prayer
By Larry Crabb, Integrity Publishers,
hardcover, 224 pages, $21.99.

A Christian most of his life, author and counselor Larry Crabb confesses that he has had a dull prayer life. In The PAPA Prayer: The Prayer You’ve Never Prayed, he admits to feeling as if he’s in the first grade, but in doing so encourages other Christians to join him in learning to pray the biblical way. Rather than applying yet another how-to-talk-to-God formula, Crabb upholds the value of relational prayer, noting that the Lord’s prayer begins with “Our Father.” Using the acronym “PAPA,” signifying the Father-child relationship into which God invites every person, Crabb shows how the Christian “Presents” himself without pretense, “Attends” to how he is thinking of God, “Purges” himself of anything blocking the relationship, and “Approaches” God as his most valuable treasure. Praying this way helps believers rest in relationship with God, then they can petition Him confidently instead of pounding Him with requests for things that are often more valued than the relationship. Crabb’s practical teaching and humble example will assist readers who want to seek God Himself more than His blessings.
CHRISTINE D. JOHNSON

Uncloudy Days
By Bil Carpenter, Backbeat Books,
softcover, 515 pages, $24.95.

Music journalist Bil Carpenter became a fan of gospel music in the 1980s, shortly after he committed his life to Christ at age 17. But instead of gravitating toward the contemporary sounds of groups such as Commissioned, Carpenter preferred “old-time” gospel music performed by artists who were near his grandparents’ age. That appreciation for gospel’s past, coupled with his bachelor’s degree in history and background as a music publicist, led him to create the first gospel music encyclopedia. Uncloudy Days is a 500-page volume covering the highs and lows of legendary and lesser-known gospel artists from Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland to CeCe Winans and Mary Mary. Its companion CD takes listeners on a musical journey through classic songs such as “Changed” by the Hawkins Family and “I’ll Be Thinking of You” by Andraé Crouch to original cuts such as “This Could Be the Day” by Ann McCrary and “Still, My Father” by Bryan Wilson. The book gives a rare glimpse into the lives of gospel music’s hit makers, and the CD offers a bit of nostalgia. Both underscore gospel music’s underlying theme—that hope and redemption can be found in Christ.
Adrienne S. Gaines

MUSIC

No Limits
By Martha Munizzi, Integrity Music.

Stepping away from her frequent collaborator Israel Houghton, Martha Munizzi taps Noel Hall, notable musician and former musical director for Fred Hammond, for her first album with Integrity Music, No Limits. This album mixes high-energy praise—some with an urban vibe—and intimate worship, with Munizzi sprinkling in bits of testimony and biblical truths. Most of the 22 tracks were written or co-written by Munizzi. “Always Welcome” was written by Martha’s twin sister, Mary Alessi, and songwriter Cindy Cruse Ratcliff. No Limits was recorded live at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, La., just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina made its life-changing impact on the Gulf Coast. “While You Worship” had an unknowingly prophetic message with the lyrics: “You can make it through the storm / You can make it through the rain.”
RHONDA SHOLAR

In the Company of Angels II
By Caedmon’s Call, Essential Records.

Following its ambitious world music project Share the Well, Caedmon’s Call returns to its own style of worship with In the Company of Angels II: The World Will Sing, the band’s second collection of praise songs. Employing its signature acoustic pop-rock, the group creates a joyful and passionate worship experience. The rollicking “Sing His Love” is infectious, drawing listeners into a memorable sing-a-long praise tune. The tender “Rest Upon Us” is a personal prayer for direction. “Great and Mighty,” the modern pop opener, is one of the disc’s highlights, a tune destined for frequent rotation on radio and in church worship services. Listeners can always count on Caedmon’s Call to deliver songs that inspire, engage and entertain. The World Will Sing is no exception.
DEWAYNE HAMBY

A Grateful People
By Watermark, Rocketown Records.

Nathan and Christy Nockels’ final album, A Grateful People, takes listeners on a musical journey that both hits the high points of their music career and creates some new ones worth hearing. Watermark is ending so the husband-wife duo can devote more time to their children and other music-related interests. Instead of releasing a greatest-hits album, Watermark recorded a live concert at their home church in Franklin, Tenn., that comprises a collection of favorite original songs with guest appearances by their friends Point of Grace, Ed Cash, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and Shane & Shane. The result is a fresh listening experience of 12 tracks. Standouts include “Who Am I” featuring Point of Grace, the worship ballad “Knees to the Earth” which shows off Christy’s signature voice backed by piano, and the new, driving “Light of the World,” which is destined for radio airplay and would do well in church worship services. A Grateful People is a strong last chapter to Watermark and reminds us just how uplifting the Nockels’ music is.
Matt Fehrmann

History the Charismatic Century
By Jack Hayford and David Moore,
Warner Faith, hardcover, 256 pages, $19.99.

While commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival, Jack Hayford’s newest book explores the 1906 revival’s significance and gives readers reason to celebrate the phenomenal growth of Pentecostal faith. William J. Seymour is honored as the humble leader who would have never taken credit for the sovereign work of God in that place or imagined the significance of his ministry. Yet, Hayford also wants Christians to have a firm understanding of the past failures as they launch into the future. In reviewing history and the key players of the movement, the author does not hide skeletons in the closet. In doing so, Hayford includes both cautions and encouragements for those who come after.
Deborah L. Delk

Fire on the Earth
By Eddie Hyatt, Creation House,
softcover, 192 pages, $9.99.

Filled with eyewitness reports, this book takes readers back 100 years and gives them a front-row seat at the Azusa Street Revival. Hyatt uses excerpts from Apostolic Faith, a newspaper published by the Azusa Mission. Distributed to more than 40,000 people in the early 1900s, the paper was the primary vehicle used to spread the Pentecostal fervor that erupted on Azusa Street. Hyatt, a seasoned historian, adds helpful insights about revival in his introductory comments.
Morgan DeBose

Kingsway International Christian Centre sits on 9.5 acres of land to be developed for the 2012 Olympics
A prominent London megachurch is fighting attempts by local authorities to seize its 9.5-acre site for development plans related to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Matthew Ashimolowo, pastor of 12,000-member Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in Hackney, said his church offered to build a $57 million basketball arena and allow it to be used for free if the complex and the land would be returned at the close of the Olympics.

Officials with the London Development Agency (LDA), which is overseeing land seizures for the Olympic Park, have neither accepted nor rejected KICC’s offer, but they have said the church would receive the market value for its land.

“We continue to be in dialogue with the church regarding its move as we are trying to be as helpful as possible to them,” an LDA spokesman said. “It isn’t just because of the Olympics that KICC [has] to move. … The church would have to move anyway as they do not have planning permission for the current building. We are, however, in discussions with the church about relocation. We want to be helpful and have been trying to assist them.”

KICC spokeswoman Charlotte Coker said the church has been trying for several years to get permission to continue religious activities on the site and to build offices, a hotel and a sports arena. Their request was denied in 2003, and that decision was upheld on appeal in 2004. At that time Hackney Council officials gave KICC until November 2006 to relocate.

Ashimolowo said KICC is facing “spiritual warfare in the extreme.”

“Christians around the world need to snap out of the thought that Europe is a Christian continent,” Ashimolowo said. “It is now post-Christian, and persecution is happening in ever-increasing frequency. Britain carries the same spirit.”

Ashimolowo said the current dispute is part of an ongoing attempt to hinder KICC’s work. “The local authority has now deliberately canceled the bus route in front of our church so people will struggle to get to church on a Sunday,” he said.

“They are also now wheel-clamping cars of people attending our three Sunday services in the surrounding roads to KICC on Sundays, which they didn’t do previously. Mosques not far from us are not experiencing the same thing, so we know what this is all about.”

Ashimolowo said has KICC cooperated with the LDA in trying to find an alternative home. But he said the four sites the church was shown were inappropriate or would not be available in time. The church researched another 21 locations to no avail. Since then, Ashimolowo said, the LDA has been dragging its feet, and he will not allow his congregation to be left homeless.

Ashimolowo believes KICC could help London offset a reported $1.7 billion funding gap between committed funds for the Olympics and its real cost.

“Apart from Los Angeles, every place that has hosted the Olympics has been in deficit,” Ashimolowo said. “We want to help ensure that doesn’t happen here in London. All we have asked is to be part of the Olympic legacy by building a basketball stadium, which is needed for the Olympics. The reaction we are getting does not make sense, but we know the reasoning behind it. As our church grows there is a reaction in the spiritual.”

Ashimolowo, a former Muslim from Nigeria, founded KICC in 1992 with 200 adults and 100 children. Today the predominantly black congregation is considered the fastest-growing church in Europe and oversees a network of 22 churches around England, plus two independent branches in Africa. For the last 14 years, the church has hosted an International Gathering of Champions conference that has included speakers such as T.D. Jakes, Eddie Long and Joyce Meyer, and has drawn thousands of attendees from around the globe.

KICC leads community development work including outreaches to prostitutes, drug addicts and the homeless; after-school programs; literacy classes and food distribution. Ashimolowo hopes his church can be at the center of outreach to the athletes, officials, media and spectators who visit London for the Games.

KICC is one of roughly 300 landowners and businesses whose properties the LDA has earmarked for the Olympic Park. Commercial property experts estimate that industrial land is currently worth between $2.4 million and $2.6 million per acre, making the church’s site worth up to $23.5 million.

KICC leaders said the church is not anticipating a legal battle or an appeal to European authorities. Ashimolowo said the Olympic basketball stadium project is under official consideration, and he is hopeful that there will be an amicable resolution.

“We continue to use every method possible to lobby,” Ashimolowo said. “KICC has a rapidly developing set of strategies for dealing with various possible ‘next steps’ and outcomes, and at present these strategies are predominantly positive and related to achieving a new permanent home without having to move out of Hackney.

“We are also building an international network of friends who can advise and help KICC to achieve our goals,” he added. “We are soliciting the prayers of the body of Christ. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:19 that ‘when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.’ Let’s hope against all hope for a solution.”
Janet Sebastian in London

More than 80 Christian leaders issued a statement in February announcing their support for a major initiative to fight global warming and calling on the government to pass a law requiring a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

“Many of us have required considerable convincing before becoming persuaded that climate change is a real problem and that it ought to matter to us as Christians,” the statement said. “But now we have seen and heard enough.”

Among the signatories are Bishop Charles Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and Bishop James Leggett, head of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, as well as Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, and the Rev. Jim Ball, executive director of the Evangelical Environmental Network.

“This is not a partisan issue, this is a biblical, Christ-centered approach to the global warming problem,” Ball said. “Our signatories are proud to be pro-life, and addressing global warming is a pro-life issue.”

The statement, titled Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action, makes four claims: that climate change is real, that its consequences will have the greatest impact on the poor, that Christian moral conviction requires a response, and that the government, businesses and individuals all are part of the solution.

However, the Rev. Lou Sheldon, head of the Traditional Values Coalition, argues that restricting carbon dioxide emissions is not the compassionate course. “The poor are just as affected if you do away with the combustion engine,” he told Charisma, adding that 1.3 million jobs would be lost in the next six years if a restriction were enacted.

Sheldon, Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson, Cornerstone Church pastor John Hagee and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson are among 22 influential leaders who issued a letter in January asking the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) not to take a position on global warming because the research is still “inconclusive.”

Although the NAE opted not to take an official position on the issue, the group’s president, Ted Haggard, told the New York Times he had “no doubt” climate change was occurring. He said he declined to sign the statement because it would have been interpreted as an endorsement by the NAE.

Ball said evangelical leaders have been discussing the claims made in Climate Change since a conference in 2004 and that the NAE was never asked to endorse a statement on global warming. “We asked people to sign on as individuals, not as representatives of their organizations,” he said.

The statement is the first phase of an Evangelical Climate Initiative that includes TV and radio spots, informational campaigns in churches and educational events at Christian colleges, the Times said.
Jomili Noble

Wade Burleson says Southern Baptists should not bar missionaries from service over a ‘nonessential’ doctrine
On the heels of recent controversial policy changes, trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) International Mission Board (IMB) have moved to oust a fellow trustee who publicly opposed new enactments—specifically one prohibiting missionaries from practicing a “private prayer language,” or speaking in tongues, in their devotions.

In a statement issued Jan. 11, IMB Board Chairman Tom Hatley called for the removal of Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., who was elected to a four-year term as an IMB trustee in 2005.

“In taking this action, trustees addressed issues involving broken trust and resistance to accountability,” Hatley said in the statement, adding that the action was “absolutely necessary for the board to move forward in its duties as prescribed by the SBC.”

Hatley told Charisma the issue involved “relationship,” though he would not elaborate.

Following the November policy changes, Burleson began keeping a Web log, or blog, where he strongly opposed the changes. “We may not interpret the Bible the same, but we will not allow good men and women to be crucified by the sword of legalistic conformity,” wrote Burleson, who himself does not practice speaking in tongues.

Though Burleson’s blog “may be” related to the request for his removal, his personal opinions did not encourage the decision, Hatley said.

After the board requested his removal, Burleson issued a statement on his blog. In a post titled “Heartbroken,” he wrote that “a growing problem within our convention is the removal from leadership and service of those who do not conform to specific interpretations of the Bible.”

The bigger issue, Burleson said, is that “the new policy changes violate many historic Baptist principles.”

“They go beyond our confession of faith. … They exclude conservative Southern Baptists who would normally be qualified to serve, they replace old policies that were excellent and staff initiated, they demand conformity on nonessential doctrines in order to ‘represent’ the Southern Baptist Convention,” Burleson said.

The SBC has always prohibited missionaries from speaking in tongues publicly, but since the new policy is not retroactive, only new applicants will be prohibited from practicing the same prayer language that IMB President Jerry Rankin has admittedly practiced privately for more than 30 years.

The new shift in policy creates a climate that is unsupportive of its own president, said charismatic SBC pastor Ron Phillips, whose Fresh Oil church network includes Southern Baptist congregations. “A Spirit-filled man who has given his life to missions, Dr. Jerry Rankin, has been more or less told that what you believe, we don’t agree with.”

Rankin was unavailable for comment.

Southern Baptists who have embraced “private prayer language” are already feeling the backlash of the new policies. Southern Baptist Scott Camp adopted the practice 15 years before he was appointed dean of students at Criswell College in Dallas.

But a year into his post, the renewal of his contract was denied following the IMB policy changes. Camp says the decision is “directly related” to IMB’s policy change regarding speaking in tongues.

“They had full knowledge that that was my position when they hired me,” Camp said of the college. “What’s happened is the political climate has changed in the last six months, and the IMB’s decision to not allow this practice had a direct impact on the president’s decision to not renew my contract.”

Criswell President Jerry Johnson declined comment.

Hatley said the IMB stands behind its new policies. “The main intent of the new policy regarding tongues is to be sure that our churches and our church-planting movements across the land are solidly Baptist,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is protect our work on the field from theological damage from outside movements.”

The final vote to remove Burleson as a trustee will be held June 13-14 in Greensboro, N.C., though Hatley said the board hoped to revisit the issue in a March meeting. “I have very high hopes that we’re going to be able to do something to avoid asking the convention to have him removed,” Hatley said. “Let’s keep our eyes on the mission field. We’re going to get our family business taken care of.”
Suzy Richardson