Book Reviews

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An article in Renewal Journal 19: Church:
Renewal Journal 19: Church – PDF

Jesus, Author & Finisher: Timeless Principles of Christianity

Brian Mulheran (Synergy, 2002)

Review by Outreach Magazine, Brisbane.

Brian Mulheran’s 200-page book, Jesus, Author & Finisher: Timeless Principles of Christianity, which includes a study guide, is designed to help new Christians, older Christians and pastors desiring to establish people in the faith.

Through his book, Brian hopes to further awaken people to their fullest potential in God. “Every Christian has great potential in their life to do something powerful for God,” says Brian. “They know that on the inside, but to see that come to pass, they need to really grab hold of the truths of God’s word.”

Having been a COC pastor for more than 15 years, Brian has seen thousands of people “come to the altar to have their faith authored, but many of them sadly didn’t finish the race”. “I see a lot of them struggle, trying to fix things up in their life in order for God to use them, but they end up just going round and round. This book gives them keys on how to release their potential.”

“Any ordinary person can look at the negatives of life in order not to succeed. Any ordinary person can read passages of scripture that seem to tell them what they need to do or not do in order to ‘keep themselves in God’. Any ordinary person will try to hold their life in God in order to make it to heaven. Any ordinary person can live a respectable life in God. Any ordinary person can pray enough and read their Bible enough in order to appear godly. But the Bible is full of extraordinary truths for ordinary people like you and me to allow our extraordinary God to do extraordinary things through us.”

Now working on a second book about the Holy Spirit, Brian believes many Christians are too pre-occupied with their own issues to focus on God. He says:

What could God do through a person who was not focused on whether or not they would commit any more sins but were totally preoccupied with fulfilling His call?

What could God do through a person who knew they were totally righteous and could stand before God at all times?

What could God do through a person who knew that He could not fail to do anything He said?

What could God do through a person who knew that they had the unlimited resources of heaven at their disposal?

What could God do through a person who knew that He was totally for them?

It is Brian’s desire that, through discovering these truths, readers would look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith, to lay a foundation from which to fulfil the call that God has placed upon their life.

South Pacific Revivals: Community and Ecological Transformation

By Geoff Waugh (3rd edition 2012)

An Amazon review:

Useful insight into Revivals in the South Pacific region

The cover’s the immediate attraction with this book – beautiful Pacific Island image …… Nice large format size book, too.

Geoff Waugh has been fascinated with Christian revivals since he was a young man, so it’s no big surprise that he should conduct some research into these fascinating phenomena ‘down under’ in the South Pacific area, as he has travelled and worked in many of these islands over several decades. His other recent book, Looking to Jesus: A Journey Into Renewal & Revival is another book worth checking out, being essentially an auto-biography of the author.

South Pacific Revivals gives some very illuminating information about numerous little-known revivals in the region, as well as a number of charismatic movements, one or two of which I personally wouldn’t necessarily term ‘revivals’, but many will find to be of much interest nonetheless, because of the phenomena exhibited and the passion aroused, etc. [The 3rd edition, 2012, has a comprehensive Preface of the history of revivals in the South Pacific.] A surprising number of movements are provided – including islands and places I had never before heard of! A number of remarkable personal testimonies are included, and some black and white photos are dotted throughout the book. Some useful appendices are included, such as ‘Characteristics of Revivals from Acts 2′ and ‘Examples of Repentance and Revival’.

If you’re interested in revivals, this is a book you’re going to want to get. (Blue Yonder, Amazon)