Authors: Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
Publisher: WestBow Press
Year of Publication: 2006
Pages: 192
Reviewer: Beatrice Ani

It’s a House, abandoned in a deserted environment. Empty physically, but not truly empty, it’s demon infested, holds mysteries, presence, memories and dilemmas. In a single word, it’s haunted. Ted and Frank centre this fiction on events that occur before the crucifixion of Christ; his betrayal/denial, the fierce battle we encounter daily in our hearts/minds, the purpose of Christ’s death, His resurrection and the Devil’s defeat afterwards .

The novel begins with White, also known as tin Mask- the devil himself -analysing the aforementioned “House”, his next venue for murder. White’s basic agenda is to lure people into deserted buildings, manipulate them to play his game (mind game) to his satisfaction and then kill them by dawn. Just as every game has a rule, his are as follows:
House rules: 1. God came to my house and I killed him. 2. I will kill anyone who comes to my house as I killed God. 3. Give me one dead body, and I might let rule two slide.

Despite White’s zeal and power to kill every living Human, there are still specific kinds of humans he couldn’t kill- the sinless/innocent. His victims must be sinners. And He strongly believes that all humans are guilty (sinners), until he meets Susan, An innocent young girl who finds herself in the building. White can’t kill her because of her innocence and her great knowledge. He keeps her hostage for three days, lures other victims, four to be precise, and begins to manipulate them. He asks them to kill just one person (His third rule) in order to make the second rule slide. His chosen candidate is Susan the innocent one. When the others don’t kill the girl, White decides to do so himself; then he realises his mistake, just as the devil did after crucifying Christ. Her death actually sets the other captives free.

Two major characters in the novel, Jack and Stephanie Singleton, are led into White’s trap while on their way to a marriage counselling session. Their marriage, though troubled by differences they have been unable to deal with, is restored as they emerge from the grave dangers of the house. They are saved from White’s deadly game by Susan, whose self sacrifice gives them a new chance to live.

The novel’s allusions to the ministry of Christ and the salvation that he wrought is hard to miss. It has an interesting and attention gripping plot, and more importantly, a message of redemption that shines through it, especially at its end.

Author: Gregory Koukl
Publisher: Zondervan, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-310-57476-7

Have you ever gotten yourself in a tangle while trying to answer a skeptic’s awkward questions about your Christian faith? Or is your preferred style to simply avoid these sorts of discussions, because you think it’s not right for Christians to engage in “lengthy disputations”?
In his book, Tactics, acclaimed Christian apologist Greg Koukl lays out some of his favourite systematic and practical approaches to dealing with the apparent verbal missiles fired at our professed faith by unbelievers. And he does so in an engaging way. He recounts several examples situations in which he used these tactics to address seemingly knotty issues and problematic themes concerning Christian beliefs and non Christian perceptions of it. Greg employs military terminology in describing the ways by which objections to core tenets of the Christian faith can be deconstructed and answered.
You might get the impression that Tactics is simply “formula peddling” dressed up in the finely spun apparel of well written literature. But the author actually reminds us that our role as witnesses or apologists is not to argue people into the kingdom of God, but to eliminate the excuses they give for not surrendering to Jesus- and let God work in their hearts to bring them to salvation. The ‘skill’ of finding the flaws in arguments against Christianity and exposing them for what they are should be honed so that we become more effective in witnessing for our Lord. But it is not in our hands to change the lost from the inside. Only God can do that. The persuasiveness of our arguments, on its own, cannot.
The contentious matter of debates and Christian virtue is discussed in the book, but not extensively. Greg graciously but uncompromisingly asserts that “argument is a virtue” (when performed within the boundary of decent conduct and on issues that are pertinent, of course). According to him, reason (demonstrated in argumentation, for example) and love are means God uses to bring people to Himself because “both are consistent with His nature” (page 41). He considers the popularly held belief that 2Timothy 2:14 and 23 forbid Christians from engaging in intellectual debates as erroneous, and notes at least one biblical instance of the apostle Paul successfully “persuading” people to believe the gospel (Acts 17: 2-4)- a suggestion that “persuasion” here involved some sort of argument.
The need addressed by this book is an ever present one. Because tackling the objections of non-Christians to the faith can be a tough thing to do without an understanding of what these objections hint at, Tactics should be considered important enough to be included in any intending apologist’s library and the book collection of Christians in general.

Title: And the Shofar Blew
Author: Francine Rivers
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Reviewer: Chinwendu Emenike

And The Shofar Blew is a work of fiction that teaches humility, patience, temperance and forgiveness. It centers on a church and the community in which it is situated.
We’ll sink our teeth into this review with a look at the book’s main characters:

Eunice Hudson: Wife of Paul Hudson, mother of Timmy. A prayerful, quiet and humble wife. She helps to appease members of the church that her husband had unknowingly angered. However she almost fell into sin with

Stephen Decker. But her tenacity is admirable. Her strength of character is borne out when she, confronted with the fact that her husband was cheating with Sheila Atherton, is able to forgive him.

Paul Hudson: Pastor of Centerville Christian Church. Dedicated firebrand who loves the work of God; a good husband and father- until he is called to pastor Centerville Christian Church. He does well initially, but his pride and pursuit of material things gets the better of him. His fall comes as a result of his trying to measure up to the perceived success of his televangelist-father. His involvement in some unsavory things is portrayed as resulting from this.

Samuel Mason:  One of the first three elders of the church, he brought Paul in to pastor the church. He’s a careful man, wise, prayerful, patient, and loves his wife Abby very much. He brings to light what “old-age romance” feels like. Also a persistent intercessor.

Stephen Decker: Mason, architect, carpenter, Jack-of-all-trades, rehabilitating alcoholic, a divorcee with a runaway daughter. Gives his life to Christ while listening to one of Paul’s preachings from his early pastoral years. Falls in love with

Eunice Judson. He fights the lustful temptation, gets close to Samuel Mason, who helps him grow in the Christian faith. Falls out with Paul because of Paul’s changing values. Leaves Centerville and relocates to another town. Reunites with his daughter. Starts up a bible study, and eventually, a church.

This book has helped me understand how important it is to talk to God, and wait patiently for his still, small voice. I’ve also gotten, through this book, some good strategies of how to curb some of my excessive appetites. Like when Stephen was faced with the urge to drink, he took a jog, sang, or prayed, just to distract his mind. He also rightly acknowledged that only Jesus could save him from his addiction- strategy was a mere demonstration of a will to be free, not the solution to addiction.
Two characters in this book whose experience I would relate to are Stephen Decker and Paul Hudson. Stephen Decker, because of his ability to overcome his internal struggles, and Paul, because of his impatience and his ever present need to impress his father which he obviously did wrongly. The book’s description of Paul’s case rings out as a warning to the reader to not get caught up in pursuing so-called standards of accomplishment. What matters in the end is God’s opinion of us as individuals.
My favourite quote from the book is a statement made by Samuel to Stephen at a picnic: “Growth in numbers is a blessing as long as spiritual growth and maturity comes along with it”. Pertinent words which should inspire, but sadly indicts much of Christendom today.
This book speaks to a great number of people and the relevance of its themes makes it a good novel for church leaders, wives, mothers, fathers and people struggling with addiction, to read and learn from.