Book Review: Rest Unleashed
I feel it necessary to explain my relationship with Mr. Brian Karcher and how I became a close friend of a man whom I’ve never met. My pastor frequently asks me how I know so many people within UBF when I have not attended conferences or have been introduced, and the answer is the same: the Internet. This is where my story with Brian begins. One day last September I searched the Wikipedia page for the contact information on the UBF chapter in Brazil. I found accusations of UBF being a cult. I was stunned. A quick Google search led me to Brian’s blog priestly>nation. I realized I could never read anyone’s thoughts, but all the concrete evidence- no dating, marriage by faith, etc. were visible through my roommate. In some cruel sense of irony, my roommate has led me farther from UBF than anything Brian has ever said. With regards to UBF, I decided to would wait it out. I would see if these words of Mr. Karcher proved true. But that’s a topic for another time. This is my relationship to UBF’s most infamous detractor.
Continue reading →
Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism
Are you free from legalism? Reading and studying Galatians in 2009 set me free—28 years after becoming a Christian. This freedom and exhilarating liberation came from reading John Stott’s excellent commentary on Galatians. I read Galatians dozens of times since 1980. I knew it was about freedom. I assumed it proclaimed freedom from sin. But I was stunned to discover that the freedom Paul spoke of was freedom from legalism–the idea that you must add or do something else in addition to believing in Jesus in order to be saved and to be regarded and welcomed as a complete Christian of good standing in the church.
A Graphic Realization of Luke 22-24
I recommend 
The Third Day especially for those who like comics. This small book of 48 colorful pages contains the Bible text of Luke 22-24 (in the Holman Christian Standard Bible) with graphic drawings that illustrate the text with drama, detail, emotion and passion, which engages you and draws you into the Easter story. This picture is of Lk 23:23 showing Jesus before an angry crowd, held back by Roman soldiers, demanding his crucifixion.
Sin Is Having An Identity Other Than In God
The sin beneath the sin. A Christian lies and says, “I did not slander you or gossip about you behind your back.” We conclude that the person sinned by lying. But lying is just the surface sin. There is a deeper sin beneath the sin of lying. It may be to desire an identity as a noble and honest Christian, rather than to have an identity in Christ alone.
My identity was as a UBF man for 27 years (1980-2007). I am a Christian. I tasted the love of God through the marvelous grace of Jesus. But my identity was in my faithfulness to never miss a UBF Sun worship service, never miss any meetings, never miss writing a testimony every week, never missing any UBF conferences, having 10 1:1 Bible studies a week, etc. Continue reading →
Book Review: The Year the World Ended
I have never been too fond of book reviews; they tend to be written by people you have never met, and they frequently come accompanied with the author’s agenda that they fail to reveal up front. With this in mind I want to introduce myself and the reason I bought this book.
Captivated
Look! Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection by Thabiti Anyabwile was a series of Easter sermons. Like the Bible that implores us to take a long look at Christ (Isa 40:9; Ps 34:8; Jn 1:29; Mt 11:29), Anyabwile’s book (95 pages) compels us to stare into the meaning/mystery of the cross and resurrection. The five chapters are five incisive questions that help us behold Christ:
- Is There No Other Way?
- Why Have You Forsaken Me?
- Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?
- Why Do You Seek the Living among the Dead?
- Do You Not Know These Things? Continue reading →
Book Review: Freedom of Mind
This week I finished reading Steve Hassan’s latest book, published in 2012, entitled “Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Beliefs“. I found this book to be highly relevant and surprisingly comforting. Steve presents so many ideas and thoughts that describe what I’ve been going through before, during and after my commitment to University Bible Fellowship. I find solace in the fact that a cult expert who joined and exited a Korean-based religious group confirms that my recovery is real and on track. Steve writes in the opening pages: “In the Moonies, where Koreans are considered the master race, we sang Korean folk songs, ate kimchi [Korean pickled cabbage], and bowed or removed our shoes before entering a group center.” (pg. 28) “In the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I know a woman who was excommunicated because she sent a birthday card to a nonmember.” (pg 29) “In a legitimate church, if your mother is sick or injured, you go to the minister or pastor and say, “My mother is ill. I’m going to visit her in the hospital. Please say a prayer for her.” In a Bible cult, you are expected to humbly approach the leader or sub-leader and ask, “May I have permission to visit my mother?” (In the Moonies, when leaders didn’t want members to get emotionally involved with their families, we were told to “leave the dead to bury the dead.” All outsiders were considered spiritually dead. (pg.30)
Book review: Eyes That See
As I continue on in the current ACT3 Network cohort class, I continue to be amazed at the beauty of God. One of the pivotal books for me has been James Danaher’s book, “Eyes That See, Ears That Hear: Perceiving Jesus in a Postmodern Context“. Here are my reactions.
Aren’t We Christians All Jonahs?
My Jonah moment. I am reviewing Prophet on the Run for Cross Focused Reviews. It is a short, thorough and excellent practical commentary on Jonah by Baruch Maoz. I am enamored by it and highly recommend it. I am reminded of my first Jonah moment which occurred in the 1980s when I felt upset about two young men I was mentoring for several years. They were getting married with the blessing of our senior pastor. I thought, “These two young Christians need to prove themselves first, before enjoying matrimonial bliss!” Though I felt it was wrong to feel this way, I could not shake how I felt. I knew I was a Christian like Jonah who was unhappy when “certain people” were given grace, mercy, forgiveness and a godly wife (when I thought they needed to squirm a little more)! Continue reading →
The Shepherding Movement and UBF (Part 2)
In my last article, I shared how Allen Clare introduced the Shepherding Movement of the 1970s and connected it to John Bevere’s 2001 book “Under Cover.” The foundational teaching in both the Shepherding Movement and Bevere’s book “Under Cover,” is the idea of delegated authority. As I introduce some main points presented in chapter three of Clare’s essay, I would ask you to ponder whether this style of ministry is common in UBF, and try to give your perspective in the comments section.
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