You may not know this about me as I don't often post book reviews, but I am a voracious reader. Always have been. I'm usually reading 5 or 6 books at a time - a mix of fiction and non-fiction books. Generally the non-fiction books take me a little longer because I only read small chunks at a time so I can process what I've read. I probably average a couple hundred books each year.
Lately I
have been on a binge reading stories about persecuted Christians
and missionaries. I find such encouragement for my own walk with Christ
by reading how these individuals persevered in their faith in the midst
of great suffering and tragedy. Recently I finished both Hearts of Fire by The Voice of the Martyrs and Bruschko
by Bruce Olson. The former contains the testimony of 8 persecuted women
throughout the world within the last century. The latter is the story
of a 19-year-old-American who traveled to the Motilone tribe in Columbia
to share the gospel with them. I highly recommend both of these books!
When Faith is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians is another book from The Voice of the Martyrs family. Honestly, I expected the format to be similar to Hearts of Fire,
but it is actually more of a devotional than a non-fiction book. Each
day contains a Scripture passage that relates to the personal story of a
persecuted Christian somewhere in the world. The testimonies are short,
usually around 3-4 pages long. Although I would have liked to learn
more about every individual, the author, Todd Nettleton, does a good job
of detailing each Christian's struggle and perseverance. Their stories
are followed by a brief Reflection that details a lesson from the
passage. He asks questions of the reader that are bound to make you
examine your own walk with Christ more closely. I'll admit I felt both
uncomfortable and convicted with some of my answers. He also provides a
prayer and some journaling space to reflect on your answers. There's not
a lot of space to write, so if you really intend to reflect and answer,
you're probably going to need extra paper. Last of all, Nettleton
includes personal entries from his journal during these visits. However,
many times they added nothing to the story and could have easily been
left out of the book.
As with most things in life, you'll get out
of this book what you put into it. If you want to learn a little about
the lives and struggles of other Christians, there are plenty of stories
to satisfy your curiosity and you can read them quickly. But if you
want to grow deeper in your walk and know better how to fulfill the
Great Commission, this is a great guide to use as your daily devotional.
When persecution comes your way, you'll have a better understanding of
what others have gone through and how to bear up under it.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I was gifted a copy of this book from Moody Publishers in return for my honest review.
David often likes to help me read. He's actually very insistent on it!
David helping me read...
