Only a writer of consummate skill could deliver a book like this: in part a biographic account of Preston Perry’s early life and in part a teaching book that winsomely shares biblical principles on how to speak the truth.
Perry’s childhood was blighted by drugs and violence, but this book, subtitled ‘The story of how God saved me to win hearts - not just arguments’, explores how he became an acclaimed poet, evangelist and apologist.
A key chapter details several encounters with a fellow college student who was a Jehovah’s Witness. Their debates developed into Bible proof text battles, with Perry losing the early rounds until he undertook sufficient research to fight back. Ultimately, Perry was able to demolish the unbiblical teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses and, watched by fellow students, was loud and aggressive in what he perceived as his scripture-peppered “victory”.
It was only later that his mentor gently showed him that in his defending of the hope that was in him, he had demonstrated not the gentleness and respect of the effective evangelist but the pride and Pharisaic arrogance of some of the street preachers you will find in our cities. As Perry so powerfully writes: “Too often those who claim to represent Christ engage others in a way that betrays the Jesus they claim to represent.”
In today’s Church culture where many feel unable to overcome fear and embarrassment and speak about their faith to work colleagues or friends – be they atheists or Muslims – How to Tell the Truth is a salient reminder that if we learn from scripture and seek the Holy Spirit, all of us can become effective communicators of the life-changing truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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