Book Review - Look What God is Doing!

Look What God is Doing by Dick Eastman
Chosen Books, 2009
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee

Often in missions, the stories told tend to begin such as, “Look what I’ve done...” Dick Eastman, author of the famed The Hour that Changed the World has published a new book through Chosen Books (division of Baker Publishing Group) that changes the beginning of the story to Look what God is Doing! Eastman begins and ends with God’s miraculous interventions throughout his organization Every Home for Christ.

The book reads like many Christian hagiographies, a lot of drummed up suspense yet with very little conflict. Each inspiring story functions almost as an apologetic for Every Home for Christ. Yet despite these two criticisms of the book itself, Eastman has found some pretty incredible stories that God has done miraculously through Every Home for Christ missionaries.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the continuous acknowledgement of foreign missionaries in participation with God. Nearly every person highlighted was not a Western missionary coming in to evangelize, while there were a few, it was highly overshadowed by the global collaboration in missons and evangelism today. It is inspiring to read of the prolific work by many indigenous workers of Every Home for Christ.

Eastman likes to talk about the prolific. Each story has a miraculous account of God and Eastman takes great care to show that these stories of God’s hand are not coincidental acts. Eastman is a numbers guy, frequently quoting the effectiveness of Every Home for Christ’s ministry by the quantitative growth. As one who come from a more incarnational strand of missions, I was looking for stories of recovery of serious community change, etc. These stories were lacking, but they did remind me that God can be glorified also in the numbers.

I cringed at the lack of relationships involved in the ministries of Every Home for Christ. As a missionary influenced by the “missional church” discussion and post-modernity, relationships tend to be everything to me. But God uses more than that and Eastman does a great job in pointing this out. God can even use the flat, two-dimensional words on a Gospel track that has been thrown en mass out of a train window in China. The book’s title says it all, it is about what God is doing, not about what we are doing.

There is no doubt that the conversion stories that Eastman highlights have a profound relationship with God based on the Gospel. These are truly miraculous stories. While the book takes all of its examples from Every Home for Christ, it can be very encouraging for those who engage in similar evangelistic efforts.

The tenacity alone of the indigenous workers is inspiring to me. While I still cringe about the lack of relationship in ministry, I am quite amazed about how the faithful in little – such as printed Gospel messages that were printed for under a penny – get to participate in the grand work of God.

Still though, I want to know how communities are changed by the thousands who have come to accept Christ. I wonder why entire countries are not affected by the dramatic increase in Christian converts. Aside from the many indigenous workers highlighted, why are there not chains of stories on how entire communities became lights in entire countries.

I think it a great thought to take Eastman’s advice and Look at What God is Doing! God is doing amazing things and can use even the simplest of methods. As a missionary, I need to remember that God can use a passing glance. I would not say that this book is recommendable, but it’s simple delivery and enlivening stories would be a decent addition to any church library. There is little for an academic exploration of missions, but could serve as a very positive and quick read to those going out into mission or those whose work has plateaued.

God is an active God and he uses us, not the other way around, to spread his message. It takes a little humility for me to recognize that he can use pieces of paper or a blanket radio statement as much as he can use my deep relationship investment. Strategically, I would still err on relationship, but it reminds me to be more intentional with the seemingly trivial efforts of evangelism. God is in action. Look at what God is doing!