Tea with Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis - REVIEW AND GIVE AWAY

MY THOUGHTS:

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Ted Dekker is crying peace and safety rather boldly in his latest book, Tea With Hezbollah. Sometime in the last couple of years Dekker has gotten hung up on the fact that people label one another, and to him, the label Christian has become a thing he really doesn’t like. Therefore, he has decided to go sit at the table with his enemies – and they really aren’t his enemies, but just races and religions he has not completely explored or understood – and ask them some “People magazine style” questions. It is his intention to prove that the Muslims, Jews, Christians and any other religious group he can dredge up just need to love one another like the Good Samaritan did in one of Jesus’ parables and things will work out alright.

He states from the outset that the book is not religious, political or in any way serious, it is simply he and a well-connected friend enjoying the freedom of their wealth and traveling all over the world asking questions like: “What makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What are your hobbies? What do you think about the parable of the Good Samaritan?” Ooh-kay….that’s real coherent thinking. No one has ever doubted that the Muslim/Arab world isn’t made up of human beings who laugh, who cry, who hurt, who rejoice. No one has ever said that loving your enemies wasn’t a command Christ gave in the Bible. But to decide that all Americans hate the Arab world or vice versa is as fictional as anything Dekker has ever written.

But Dekker, and his buddy Mediaris just want to know why we can’t get along and love one another. Without Christ – not Muhammad, not Buddha, not Tom Dick or Harry, but Jesus Christ – loving anyone is impossible. As a matter of fact, loving Christ, following Christ and living your life as His child through the shed blood of Christ upon the Cross comes with a price… John 15:19 tells us that: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” Yes, we are to love our enemies as ourselves just as Christ also commanded. But our love will be met with hate. He said that too.

Most importantly of all, Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” That is why we should love our enemies enough to tell them the truth.

Dekker has written a book about the oldest debate on earth. Bottom line, you either believe what Jesus said is true and that His death on the cross atones for sin, or you don’t. You can explore the humanity of man all you want to, and you will NEVER find the answer you’re seeking. You want the answer to loving your enemy? Try the Bible.

I do have an extra copy of this book to give away, and because I have committed to do so, I will. I'll mail you a copy if you leave a comment on this post. Myself, I am now completely disenchanted with this man.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Is it really possible to love one’s enemies?

That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major religions: Jerusalem.Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.


Ted Dekker is the author of many nationally bestselling novels, including Bone Man’s Daughters, The Circle Trilogy, Thr3e, and House, which was coauthored by Frank Peretti. His unique style of storytelling has captured the attention of millions worldwide. Visit him at TedDekker.com.


Carl Medearis is the founder and president of International Initiatives, LLC, an organization that promotes cultural, educational, and commercial exchange between the East and the West. He is an advisor on Arab affairs to the members of the U.S. Congress and leaders in international business.