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anskusa's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
mmc6661's review against another edition
5.0
an important true story to read ! Reminds us how blessed we are to be able to worship freely and maybe we take that for granted. Brings new understanding to life as a muslim. Very well written and reads more like a novel than a nonfiction. A good book.
leahegood's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing, challenging book!
Open this book and meet Christians who are courageous in the face of persecution. Butros, a Christian man with a heart for the church. Ahmed, Mustafa and Hassan, devout Muslims until their hearts are changed by the Truth of Scripture. They flee their hometowns but soon become passionate about sharing the gospel. Salima, a rich young woman loses everything when she falls in love with Jesus. How can Christianity flourish the the face of Sharia law? How can Christ's love win Muslims? What price will these believers pay for their faith?
This book is riveting. I like it because it sheds light on the church in Muslim countries. The persecution believers(especially Muslim converts) face is incredible and these Christians are so courageous. They are better at witnessing than most of us in the West are and they face much worse consequences. I love books that give me a better understanding of God and His work and challenge me in some way and this book totally did that.
Note: This book is not for young readers. The stories of what some Christians suffer are better suited for teens and adults.
Open this book and meet Christians who are courageous in the face of persecution. Butros, a Christian man with a heart for the church. Ahmed, Mustafa and Hassan, devout Muslims until their hearts are changed by the Truth of Scripture. They flee their hometowns but soon become passionate about sharing the gospel. Salima, a rich young woman loses everything when she falls in love with Jesus. How can Christianity flourish the the face of Sharia law? How can Christ's love win Muslims? What price will these believers pay for their faith?
This book is riveting. I like it because it sheds light on the church in Muslim countries. The persecution believers(especially Muslim converts) face is incredible and these Christians are so courageous. They are better at witnessing than most of us in the West are and they face much worse consequences. I love books that give me a better understanding of God and His work and challenge me in some way and this book totally did that.
Note: This book is not for young readers. The stories of what some Christians suffer are better suited for teens and adults.
holtfan's review against another edition
4.0
Inspiring, refreshing, and motivating. Secret Believers tells the story of secret Christians in the Middle East. The majority of the book narrates the stories of several different Muslims and what brought them all to Christ. The last quarter is more of a reflection on how Western Christians view Muslims and how we can pray and love them more.
It is a simple, yet eye-opening read. Despite a few "dated" references, I think this book is even more applicable today than when it was published. It is a reminder of our brothers and sisters and the persecution they experience. It is also a call to love. That is one reminder I always need.
I very much recommend this one.
It is a simple, yet eye-opening read. Despite a few "dated" references, I think this book is even more applicable today than when it was published. It is a reminder of our brothers and sisters and the persecution they experience. It is also a call to love. That is one reminder I always need.
I very much recommend this one.
beejai's review
4.0
The theme of the book can probably be summed up with this quote:
"Duty before self-preservation—that is a very important principle in Scripture. Do you remember when David confronted Goliath? He said that when a lion or bear attacked his father’s sheep, he went after it and killed it and rescued the sheep. Duty before self-preservation. Both father and son expected that David would do his duty to save the sheep. The heavenly Father had the same attitude toward Jesus."
The story follows the lives of a few different converts from Islam into Christianity in a country where such a conversion equals death. Brother Andrew, the head of Voice of the Martyrs knows many such real-life individuals, but to tell their stories is not safe for them or their ministries. So instead he has written a fictionalized story based on their real-life experiences and dilemmas. In this, the story is excellent and should be read by all. From my own experiences and acquaintances, I was putting names of people I know too many of these characters because there are so many similarities. Brother Andrew clearly knows what he is talking about when he writes.
What keeps this from being five stars, however, is that BA simply does not write fiction. I applaud the effort, but it is not his strength. In addition to that, those times where he inserts himself into the narrative seemed a wee bit self-promoting at times. I don't think that was the intention at all, and I do not know him to be a proud man, but it did come across that way to me in the book.
Both these flaws seem minor compared to the major truth of what is happening in many parts of our world held under the thumb of oppression called Islam. Even in so-called free democratic Muslim states (like my home, Turkiye), it is very often not free or safe to be a vocal Christian. How much more so is the situation in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran? Through VotM and this book, BA is doing a very worthy job of keeping the situation of what is happening on our Western, free, radar. Another great tidbit from the end of his book we all need to remember...
"How long will this conflict with Islam and terrorism last?” My usual reply is, “It will last until we Christians have found the answer to the question, 'Who is God?' and are able to verbalize it and prove by our actions that God is not the God of revenge but a God who forgives.”
"Duty before self-preservation—that is a very important principle in Scripture. Do you remember when David confronted Goliath? He said that when a lion or bear attacked his father’s sheep, he went after it and killed it and rescued the sheep. Duty before self-preservation. Both father and son expected that David would do his duty to save the sheep. The heavenly Father had the same attitude toward Jesus."
The story follows the lives of a few different converts from Islam into Christianity in a country where such a conversion equals death. Brother Andrew, the head of Voice of the Martyrs knows many such real-life individuals, but to tell their stories is not safe for them or their ministries. So instead he has written a fictionalized story based on their real-life experiences and dilemmas. In this, the story is excellent and should be read by all. From my own experiences and acquaintances, I was putting names of people I know too many of these characters because there are so many similarities. Brother Andrew clearly knows what he is talking about when he writes.
What keeps this from being five stars, however, is that BA simply does not write fiction. I applaud the effort, but it is not his strength. In addition to that, those times where he inserts himself into the narrative seemed a wee bit self-promoting at times. I don't think that was the intention at all, and I do not know him to be a proud man, but it did come across that way to me in the book.
Both these flaws seem minor compared to the major truth of what is happening in many parts of our world held under the thumb of oppression called Islam. Even in so-called free democratic Muslim states (like my home, Turkiye), it is very often not free or safe to be a vocal Christian. How much more so is the situation in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran? Through VotM and this book, BA is doing a very worthy job of keeping the situation of what is happening on our Western, free, radar. Another great tidbit from the end of his book we all need to remember...
"How long will this conflict with Islam and terrorism last?” My usual reply is, “It will last until we Christians have found the answer to the question, 'Who is God?' and are able to verbalize it and prove by our actions that God is not the God of revenge but a God who forgives.”
sarahjoko's review
5.0
Great book! I’ve enjoyed reading stories of suffering believers in the majority world lately. It somehow puts life into perspective and it makes me grasp the worthiness of Christ in a new way. I don’t believe I’ve read a book about Muslim converts in the Middle East before, so this was new to read the story in its entirety. Highly recommend to any Christian. May we remember our suffering brothers and sisters as if we are in chains with them.
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