A Christian Martyr Speaks to You by Jim Elliot
This review was written by the books editor, Robert Lloyd Russell:
This book contains Jim Elliot’s own words in four messages which he spoke before going to the mission field. Jim was one of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador in 1956. The work of these five missionaries and their deaths have had a tremendous impact on thousands of Christians. Since their deaths over twenty books have been written about these men, their deaths, and the follow-up events. The editor of this book is a friend of the Elliot family and knew Jim personally. This book makes Jim Elliot’s own words available to everyone.
The first two messages were given to seventh and eighth-grade students and concern Christian living, including the effect of sin in the life of a Christian. Another message, based on 1 Peter 1:3, examines the life of the Apostle Peter. The message “God’s Prophet” traces the history of God’s prophets through the Old Testament and ends with God’s ultimate prophet—His own Son Jesus Christ.
All of these thought-provoking messages are particularly appropriate for anyone interested in missions, missions history, or victorious Christian living. My favorite portion of the book is the clear explanation of our need for a desire for God and the effects of sin on the life of an individual.
This book is quite different in that the messages were transcribed from old wire recordings (which predated magnetic tape). Jim Elliot had a passion for God and a fervency which was rare in his era, and perhaps even more rare today. He was a true student of the Word of God and that really comes through in his spoken messages.
In summary, this book provides great insight into the thinking of Jim Elliot and also provides a lot of quotable material. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is interested in a more fulfilling Christian life. In my opinion, it should be on the reading list of any Christian who seeks a closer relationship with Jesus Christ—especially those in junior high through age 40. It will positively impact their lives!
The Rabbit and The Elephant
I was recently asked if I would be interested in reading a book titled, “The Rabbit and the Elephant” as part of a virtual book tour. Here on the Christian Book Club we are always happy to review new books when we can.
I started the book with a little skepticism, because I pastor what the book might call a “legacy church”. However, as I dug into the book, the author’s (Tony and Felicity Dale) painted a picture of what “simple church” looked like and I felt as though it opened up a lot of new avenues for me to ponder. I don’t personally see the “simple church” idea as a complete replacement for “legacy churches”, but I can see a lot of potential for them to work side by side in the harvest field.
Chapter 13 provides a great discussion on Luke 10 principles. When Luke 10 is looked at in light if the “simple church” process it seems to really fit well. I also enjoyed reading the chapter called “Stories From the Harvest”. The story about the “Church at Table Number Two” reminded me of some of my own missionary/church planting experiences. We had started churches that met in funny places and we gave them names to match. One of them was called “Light Bulb Church” because we started that church by stringing an electric cord with a light bulb in the center of it between two apartment buildings that were about fifteen feet apart. We had another church we started we called “Garage Church” because they met in a garage.
One of the biggest advantages I found in reading the book was the challenge to not get stuck in our definitions of what a church “is”. I have gotten used to starting small groups and home groups and affinity groups in my area with the idea of gradually assimilating the people gathered into our existing church. I am now thinking that the goal doesn’t need to include those people ever stepping foot in our church building. The goal is just to meet people where they are and get them o step into the Kingdom.
“The Rabbit and The Elephant” by Tony and Felicity Dale is a worthwhile addition to your reading list. It is a quick read and flows well. It also includes some interesting statistics from George Barna. One of the statistics that jumped out at me was that “the average Protestant church probably sees no converts in any given year”. That really shocked me! I hope you will read the book and I would be interested in having you comment about your thoughts as well. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you can use the link below.
By Tony Dale, Felicity Dale & George Barna / Tyndale House