JESUS, RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT HIM:
Your Biggest Questions. His Honest Answers.
By Phil Moore
Lion Hudson. 123 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 0 857 216 779
This is an evangelistic book with 15 chapters, each representing a ‘tough question’ that is often asked of Christianity. The premise behind the book is that, in contrast to Michael Howard and his famous Jeremy Paxman interview of 1997, Jesus gives clear answers in his Word to the difficult questions that many non-Christians have.
The questions are for the most part the exact questions you would expect a nonbeliever to ask: ‘Hasn’t religion been the cause of appalling violence?’and ‘Aren’t Christian hypocrites?’, along with other questions on racism, homosexuality, the Bible and judgment. However, the second chapter, which asks whether there could ever be a just war, seems unnecessary and is certainly given too prominent a place in the book.
No twisting
What I enjoyed about this book is that the author was unflinching when it came to the truths about the gospel that so many others are quick to twist or water down in order to give the answer that they think people want to hear. For example, when asked ‘How can a loving God judge people?’, he points out that the real question should be, ‘How can a loving God wait so long before judging people?’ The question on the supposed immorality of the Old Testament God is answered by pointing us to our sin and the need to escape judgment.
The chapters are short, punchy and well written, and at 123 small pages it does not take long to read this book. It finishes with a challenge to those who think they’re happy in life and have no need for Jesus. I would be more than happy to give this book to a non-Christian friend who had some hard questions about Christianity.
