Radical

Looking for a good book this summer? Pick up the book, RADICAL by David Platt. "David Platt challenges Christians to wake up, trade in false values rooted in the American dream, and embrace the notion that each of us in blessed by God for a global purpose..." Here's an excerpt to wet your appetite for the book: "I [David] was in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, teaching in an Indonesian seminary. Before they graduate, the students in this seminary are required to plant a church, with at least 30 new, baptized believers, in a Muslim community. I spoke at their commencement ceremony, and as the graduate walked across the stage, I was captivated by the humble yet confident look on their faces. Everyone of them had fulfilled the church-planting requirement. The most solemn part of the day was a moment of silence for two of their classmates who had died at the hands of Muslim persecutors. It was a privilege getting to know these students and listening t their stories. One man, Raden, shared his testimony. With a fiery look in his eye and an intense tone in his voice, he said, "Before I became a Christian, I was a fighter. I learned ninja, jujitsu, and a variety of other techniques for taking people down. I nodded. I was making a mental note: Don't mess with Raden. He continued, One day I was sharing the Gospel i an unreached village with people who had never heard of Jesus. I was in one house sharing Christ with a family and the witch doctor from he village came to the house. Witch doctors and magic men are common in villages like these. They hold sway over entire communities with their curse and incantations. The witch doctor called me out. He wanted me to fight him. Raden smiled as he confessed, My first thought was to walk out there and take the witch doctor down. But wen I turned to go outside the Lord told me that I no longer need to do the fighting. God would do the fighting for me. So Raden walked outside, pulled up a chair, and sat down in front of the witch doctor. He told his challenger, "I don't do the fighting. My God does the fighting for me." Raden recounted what happened next. "As the witch doctor attempted to speak, he began to gasp for air. H was choking and couldn't breathe. People cam running to see what was wrong and within a few minutes the witch doctor had fallen over dead. "By now the entire village had crowded around the scene. Raden said, 'I had never seen anything like this, and I didn't know what to do. But then I thought, "I guess this is a good time to preach the gospel." The name of Jesus had the power to cause evil spirits to flee and to bring more hardened hearts to God. And the reality is, 2000 years later the power of Jesus' name is still great!!! RADICAL.....get it!