War Cry - March 17, 2012 Page 5

THE WAR CRY/MARCH 17, 2012

BOOK NOTES ...

"Q: Why did Moses
wander in the wilder-
ness for 40 years? A: Because even back
then you couldn't get a man to stop and
ask directions! That's not a bad joke, but
it's not quite accurate. Moses did ask direc-
tions��from God! But the people would
not accept the guidance that Moses passed
on to them. Guidance can come from
many sources. We do not make decisions
in a vacuum. We base our decisions on
what we believe is true. But how do we
know what is true?

Take Tokyo, for example. Most of us

would agree that there is such a place.
When asked how one knows that Tokyo
exists, the answer is usually something like,
"I learned it in school," or "I know some-
body who went there." In other words, we
are willing to take someone else's word
that there is a real city called Tokyo.

Almost everything we know, or think

we know, depends on taking somebody's
word for it. Just to be sure, we may ask
several school teachers and world travelers
to tell us about Tokyo. We are putting our
trust in the reliability of our eyes and ears
to tell us the truth.

The Bible is different. We are convinced

that it is a reliable authority simply
because the Author is reliable. He made
us, and in this context we can think of the
Bible as a sort of owner's manual. God
has chosen the Scriptures as a primary
way of revealing Himself to people. This
means we can get to know God through
the Bible. But if we do not know God, we
cannot really understand the Bible.

I have a friend who is rather antagonis-

tic about Christianity. He has read the
whole Bible, but not in order to know
God. He set out reading it to find as may
errors and contradictions as he could.
What he did not find was God. He was not
looking for God, And because he did not
want to find God he was not able to
understand the Bible.

Jim Garrington in

Equipped for Battle,

USA Central Territory

The number of days
Paul fasted after
being blinded on the
road to Damascus

(Acts 9:9)

ESSENCE

Resources

No Longer Missing:

Compelling True Stories from the

Salvation Army's Missing Persons Ministry--The Sal-
vation Army has been finding thousands of missing
persons all over the world for more than a century.

This book introduces people who have been

reunited with family members, often after decades of
separation. They have been estranged due to divorce,
war, illness, poverty, drug abuse, and a number of
other reasons.

These stories reveal a deep gratitude for the gift of wholeness made

possible through the grace of this remarkable ministry. They demon-
strate how love can bring healing and redeem lost time. They also
remind us that human relationships are holy, second only to our rela-
tionship to God.

To order call your nearest Salvation Army Supplies and Purchasing department: Des Plaines,
IL 800�937�8896; West Nyack, NY 888�488�4882; Atlanta, GA 800�786�7372; Long Beach, CA
800�937�8896 or visit www.shop.salvationarmy.org.

The Invisible:

What the Church Can Do to Find and

Serve the Least of These--The poor are always
with you, you just can't see them. They are the hun-
gry. They are the thirsty. They are those within our
own churches who would never acknowledge their
need for clothing. How can we begin to serve the
invisible in our midst?

In this powerful book, Arloa Sutter will give you

vision. Through her own compelling stories and those of many oth-
ers, she sensitively examines the hard issues of poverty through real-
life examples, theological and philosophical models, and practical
direction. With wisdom and first-hand knowledge from her own
established ministry to the poor, Sutter will open your eyes to what is
happening around your very own neighborhood.

Look and see the invisible like you've never seen them before. And

then capture your own vision for helping those whom the world con-
siders "the least of these," but whom Jesus called His "brothers"
(Matt. 25:40).

To order call Wesleyan Publishing House at 800�493�7539 or visit: www.wesleyan.org/wph.
Suggested retail price $14.99 ea.

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