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 Ainon Baptist Church is committed to a child protection policy and a code of conduct for working with vulnerable adults. For information please contact Nicola Hendry.

Flower Rota

Maureen Jennings/ A.N.Other

Continuing the series where each month someone at Ainon church briefly reviews a Christian book they have read, sharing with us what they found to be helpful in the particular book of their choice.

This month it is the turn of Kirsten Phillips

This book traces the life of probably one of the best-loved & well-known characters in the Bible, Joseph ( the one with the multi-coloured coat! ). His story is told in Genesis chapters 37 – 50, the longest of the Old Testament stories and, take it from me, no matter how well you think you know it, how many times you have read it, taught it in Sunday School or indeed preached on it, this story never ceases to teach and amaze the recipient.

The story of Joseph and his transformation from an impetuous and lazy teenager, who blatantly misused the gifts God had given him, to him being the Governor of Egypt, second only to the great Pharoah, spans a period of about twenty-two years and beyond. Joseph’s complete reconciliation with his brothers, as an example of total forgiveness, can be used as an effective case study for the modern Christian in the world we live in today.

In addition to this, R.T. Kendall outlines a very detailed and practical guide on how to totally forgive in a step-by-step format. He goes further by giving pointers that will enable us know if we have totally forgiven using Joseph and Jesus as the examples. In doing this, he makes interesting comparisons between them, making many important links between the old and the new testaments, showing how the story of Joseph was a shadow of things to come with Jesus.

To achieve the principal theme of total forgiveness, the author concentrates on five themes ie;

1. The principle of vindication.

2. Preparation for service.

3. Learning to love.

4. Seeing how much God loves us (guilt).

5. Outline of the gospels.

Overall, I found this to be a really challenging and thought-provoking book that was gripping from beginning to end. It astounded me how relevant the story of Joseph was today and was to me, on a daily basis. Anyone who heard R.T. Kendall speak on Joseph last year at Gorsley will know how excellent and inspiring he was so read his book! It is obviously more detailed than his sermons and would be a great encouragement, especially for those who want to see where God is during times of trial and difficulty. If you didn’t hear God’s word through him last year, you missed a treat, but all is not lost, just give yourself some proper stimulation this summer, forget “Big Brother” and read this exciting book that teaches the real meaning of what it is to love, forgive and serve. Multi-coloured coats not required!!

Kirsten Phillips

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