Unashamed to Bear His Name by R. T. Kendall

I have appreciated the words and wisdom of R. T. Kendall since I watched him on my tiny computer screen as I caught a live transmission of a pastor's conference at the Toronto Airport Church.   He was speaking on forgiveness in a way that I know changed many lives.  When the opportunity arose to read and review his latest work Unashamed to Bear His Name Embracing the Stigma of Being a Christian, I couldn't refuse.

The publisher's page speaks of the book with these words:

In our increasingly secular society, being a Christian carries a cost. Whether through public criticism or the quiet loss of respect, it is hard--and becoming harder--to be known as a Christian. Even as believers try to follow the will of God, they are often misunderstood and left to deal with the awkward, sometimes painful results of feeling disconnected from their fellow man--or even stigmatized.

This past year the Lord has been speaking to me about "counting the cost" and choosing to stand for Him, and Kendall's words breathed confirmation into what I have been sensing.

The things we must avoid is destigmatizing the Gospel, that is taking the stigma out and still calling it the Gospel.  This I fear is what the Church at the present time, speaking generally, has done.  With the destigmatizing process has come a loss of the Church's power. I call upon every reader of these lines to be bold and uphold the pure, unembellished Gospel of Jesus Christ - precisely as it is taught in the New Testament. 

This book embraces the truth of scripture and engaged my mind and my spirit.  If you're seeking a closer walk with Christ and a life that will impact others, this book will encourage you to be both brave and bold.

If you are content with a pale and lukewarm Christian walk, these words may indeed sting, but I believe they will spur you on to higher ground!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The opinions I have shared are my own.