- The following is my review of the book Walls by Ryan Rush.
*All Bible verses are quoted from the NLT unless otherwise indicated.
- The premise — a Faith Breakthrough . . .
“A Faith Breakthrough is the act of overcoming a life barrier by learning to trust in, and intentionally pursue, God and what He has promised you.” (ch 1 p 6)
- The inconsistency (within Christian households struggling to live as they should) — confusion about how to fix the problem . . .
“The inconsistency is rarely a defiant act of hypocrisy, but instead a sense of confusion about how to fix the problem or an inability to see that problem at all.” (ch 1 p 7)
- The answer — Tear down the walls that are keeping you from living life as you should.
“If you were made for a breakthrough—for a ‘rich and satisfying life,’ as Jesus Himself said—then that should happen naturally. You don’t have to attain some great stature or learn some secret to enjoy it. You only need to tear down the walls that are keeping you from it.” (ch 1 p 10)
In the second chapter the author opens up with a brief discussion about the building of the Berlin Wall and its affects on the people. This prompted me to review a little history and get a better feel of what he was trying to get across. If you would like to do the same click here. However, I don’t think the pictures adequately describe the frustration that the people of East and West Germany felt while being separated from loved ones.
Perhaps the author puts it best when he states: “There were rising sentiments of shock, grief, anger, confusion, and helplessness. The presence of these unseen emotions was every bit as real as the wall dividing their city.” (p 15)
Here we address what we cannot see and understand the magnitude of such walls.
“These walls are inescapable—we can’t just close our eyes to make them go away. These are walls we must face and find a way to break through . . . or suffer the loss of freedom that will always plague us until we do.” (ch 2 p 16)
Through the story of his daughter’s illness the author explains what it was like to feel walls going up around him. How often have we found ourselves in such a state? One where we began to feel life closing in on us imprisoned by fear and confusion?
“I had been speaking on breakthroughs for several years by the time that doctor walked in, but suddenly those breakthroughs seemed as far away as the rejoicing that is supposed to come with the arrival of a child. Instead I could almost feel the walls going up around me.” (ch 2 p 19)
This is where the chapters that follow will prove of greater significance. In chapter 3 we discuss defining our walls: “A wall is an unhealthy mind-set that keeps you from living life as God intends.” (p 21) We discuss trust: “When we fail to trust what God has promised us, the situations in which we live can seem overwhelming and hopeless. Such a mind-set can bring the most optimistic of people in the world to an absolute standstill.” (p 22) We discuss faith: “Faith is believing God will do what he said he will do, regardless of timing or circumstances [. . .] the strength of your mind-set will be directly related to the strength of your faith.” (p 23)
Then, we move on to what walls are not:
“Walls are not are circumstances. ([. . .] They are not our problems themselves.)” (ch 3 p 24, paraphrase mine) The author explains on page 26 how “Paul saw his circumstances—even the negative ones—as doorways to move past walls” in Philippians 4:11-12.
I cannot imagine such a mind-set through all that Paul faced without the faith He found in His study of the Word. He further explains that we shouldn’t identify our circumstances as walls because we often have no power to change them.
I think of these walls as any area where there is a stronghold. I can hear the words of the famous song reminding me we are victorious through Jesus Christ.
“As our walls come down because our faith has increased, we have every reason to anticipate that God will do things that only He can do in our midst!” (ch 3 p 27) Yes, and amen!
“Walls are not just bad feelings. ([. . .] feelings are not the best barometers of breakthroughs.)” (ch 3 p 27)
“Our mind-sets are not the same as our feelings. A mind-set is a way of seeing life based on a set of beliefs. Feelings are ways of reacting to our surroundings based on our emotions. We can have one feeling and choose an altogether different mind-set.” (ch 3 p 28)
This speaks to our foundation of faith. His Word will never change, but our feelings and emotions do. I love this quote where he speaks of not making change: “[. . .] feelings that are based on something contrary to God’s best for us are just cop-outs.” (p 28)
But, here’s where these truths speak to an area of great confusion. “Walls are not protective boundaries.” The author goes on to tell the story of children on a fenced playground versus one that is not. He tells of how those with fenced boundaries experienced an inner security, just as we should through our own lives through the boundaries God sets for us a Christians. (1 Cor. 9:25-27, ch 3 p 30)
Perhaps the best definition in laying the groundwork for tearing down the walls in our lives is found on page 31: “Walls rob us of progress and cut us off from life. Legitimate boundaries bring clarity and structure to our lives. Boundaries add; walls take away. Boundaries ring true over time. Walls get worse each day.”
Is there a wall worse than sin? When taking a look at what the author points out regarding Mk. 2:8-9 where Jesus rebukes those who question His offering forgiveness before healing, we see just how important it is to address the unseen—the invisible before the physical—before circumstance. (ch 3 p. 36)
He goes on further to say: “Walls separate. Walls isolate. Walls intimidate. But walls are no match for God.” (ch 3 pg. 37)
One of Satan’s best tools is when he cleverly disquises truth as in the Garden of Eden. Look at what the author has to say about spiritual walls.
“Spiritual walls creep in slowly. They masquerade as reasonable structures. And then, while we don’t even realize it, they grow so high that they rob us of the life that God intends us to live, a life of faith in him.” Sounds like a snake to me. That’s exactly how these walls work. That’s why it’s so important to tear them down.” (ch 4 p 41)
“Before you decide that the process of getting past the wall is just too much trouble, keep this in mind: your wall will not stay the same. The truth is, it will always get worse.” (ch 4 p 45) Need more convincing? “What’s true with cancer is also true with walls.” (p 47) Think about that for a moment.
” [. . .] walls keep genuine faith from playing its rightful role in the most personal of our priorities.” This where we see a decline in church attendance. (p 47) Could you think of a better explanation?
It gets a little more personal and the path to tearing down gets closer when he states: “Our faith at home erodes as we try to balance these two selves, so we construct a set of false realities (mind-sets)that will shield us from admitting that things aren’t working.” (ch 4 p 48)
Even further, “[. . .] there is a disconnect—a wall—between what many people know of Jesus at church and the Jesus they really know at home.” (p 49) “We never know when the wall might become too exhausting or too overwhelming or simply too normal for us to care anymore.” (p 52) Is any of this resonating?
Looking further into mind-sets, consider Joshua, Caleb, and the children of Israel before entering the Promised Land. The author shows us how they each had the same promise: “But bad mind-sets have a terrible way of tearing down promises and raising up walls.” (ch 4 p 53)
Why let our fears tear down our promises directly from God?
“Why do we exaggerate the size of the enemy and and minimize our own capabilities with God as our conqueror? [. . .] Why do we let our walls lead us back to the wilderness?” (ch 4 p 56, paraphrase mine)
Here’s something to ponder directly from the questions in the back of chapter four: “There’s a difference between being content and being complacent.” (p 57)
It’s time to name our walls, and I can’t think of a better story than the one he shared about a famous quote we all know too well. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”—President Ronald Reagan (ch 5 p 64)
Just before this part of the story the writer shares how the president’s speech writer met with a German woman who originally spoke those words (a little differently) with conviction leading him to add them to the president’s speech. However, others disputed this and removed them out of fear. Without Reagen’s willingness to speak them anyway, who knows what the outcome may have been.
That’s what he shares we must do in facing our walls. Here we learn putting a name to our walls puts a target on it that we can begin battering with scripture, and it shows we are ready for a Faith Breakthrough. (ch 5 p 65) The author has even included a place where you can share your information through a virtual wall online at www.FaithBreakthroughs.com as a source of encouragement for both you and others.
“Putting a name on your wall is like sounding the battle cry. ‘This wall must come down.’” (ch 5 p 68)
Through the example of Abraham, we learn how to break through our walls. “[. . .] By using the power of God’s promises.” “He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.” (ch 6 p 75)
Then through the example of John McCain where he shares the story of how a young Vietnamese guard temporarily released McCain from his ropes and later stood silently next to Him drawing a Cross in the sand. What a great way to learn God is with you!
“In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.” (Eph. 2:12,14, ch 6 p 84)
Opening chapter seven with the following quote: “There is a tremendous difference between having knowledge of a promise and taking ownership of that promise.” (p 93) And this one: “But a promise is not discovered until it’s applied.” We learn just how important it is to attach ourselves to the Word of God—to make it “personal.” (p 94)
We learn the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus and the promises found in the Word.
“Until you take ownership of the promises, they are simply words on a page written for somebody else.” (ch 7 p 100) That’s pretty powerful statement!
Another thing that stood out to me is how there promises behind God’s commands. (ch 7 p 83) Thus, he never tells us to do something or gives us a directive without promising something in return. Though the writer shares many of these promises and how to apply them, (You can find more at the web address listed above.) I am reminded of the rainbow. Why? As my mom pointed out to me, it represents both judgment and promise. The judgment of sin that is brought through the flood and the promise to never flood the world again. In its simplicity we see the need to avoid sin and the beauty of the promise we have in him. When I think of the definition of the word promise as the ability to expect something, this further comes to mind.
On p 114 of the same chapter, the writer shares the trials he faced with his daughter, through a blog entry he had posted, where he said: “[. . .] I realized that these trials did not negate the promises, but verified them.” What a reflection. Through all that his family endured, God confirmed His Word through it. “[. . .] it’s not enough to discover a promise, we must choose it in order to break through.”
He further shares an illustration of how he rappelled before his congregation in a an effort to show them how to overcome their walls. This one being a fear of heights. He said something that makes perfect sense in approaching any such wall, fear, or even a new situation where we can have all the knowledge in the world, but none of that matters until we apply it and face what we’re dealing with.
“All the knowledge was theory until I trusted my life to the promises.” (ch 8 p 121) He explains what a challenge it is to trust God’s promises when in the middle of a trial that led to your wall. (p 122)
“[. . .] it’s when we choose to trust—not just in the promises of God, but in the God of the promises—that amazing things can happen . . . even in the most challenging times and circumstances.” (p 123)
There are four things he shared regarding a promise chosen: A promise chosen starts with prayer, requires commitment, self-control, and having a plan. (ch 8 p 123-124)
He explains we must pray those promises to God expectantly. “Expectant prayer is more than wishing things will come true; it is boldly asking for what God is fully capable of doing and looking forward to His answer.” (ch 8 p 123)
He exhorts us that there is no turning back on our commitment. “[. . .] actions dictate feelings, not the reverse.” (ch 8 p 124)
He further exhorts to “pull in the reigns” of self-control. (ch 8 p 124)
And, he teaches us of the importance of having a plan. “The difference between goals and dreams is that goals involve assigning a timetable in which you plan to arrive there.” (ch 8 p 125)
In closing this chapter, he speaks of choices through the voice of a German lady who survived a concentration camp and—after watching a play about the Holocaust—exclaimed: “I feel it is important for everyone to see this play so they can go home and liberate themselves from their own concentration camps and to know that they have choices [. . .] Many people today feel they have no choices. But even in Auschwitz we had choices.” (ch 8 p 131)
If a woman who survived such a tragedy could find her choices, so can I. So can you. All of the above is great, but sharing the process is vital is well. (ch 9) On the last page of the chapter he speaks of this in reference to exercise and accountability. A path I will talk about in another upcoming review.
Now, on to the test. The place “[. . .] where three steps of discovering, choosing, and sharing God’s promises come together to form the weapon that finally overcomes the wall. The testing is the proving ground of the breakthrough.” (ch 10 p 154-155)
Here comes Habakkuk facing his walls and hearing what he does not want to hear. This is the place where we choose between “breakdown or breakthrough.” (Hab. 1:2, ch 10 p 156)
“[. . .] the tests that seem to be drawing you far from God are the very things God can use to bring down the walls in your life.” (Hab. 3:17-19, ch 10 p 158-159)
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” (Jo. 14:1-4, ch 11 p 169)
Followed by the three test questions though the voice of Thomas: “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (Jo. 14:5, ch 11 p 170-178)
- “Who is God?”
- “What is true?”
- “Why am I here?”
The author makes a valid point within this text on page 173 where he explains that walls accentuate what we don’t know about God and force our attention away from what we do. He continues on page 175 to say: “Tests have a tendency to bring with them incredible confusion. We think we know one thing, but the rules and reality seem to change.” Perhaps he sums this up even better through the following statements on page 176 that brings the matter home for me. “The early stages of a test tend to replace certainty with confusion. [. . .] To twist what we know to be true and call it false.”
The answers through the voice of Jesus: (ch 11 pg 185)
- “I am the way.”
- “I am the truth.”
- “I am the life.”
Where the author speaks of life he reminds us that life he reminds us: “Things that have life are things that move. [. . .] Things that aren’t moving are dying.” (ch 11 pgs 178-179) I can’t think of a better parallel than depression.
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Rom. 7:18-19, p 182) This is where we all fall. We face our walls, we asks our questions, and we find our answer in Him alone as stated above and explained through pages 183-185. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.”No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” (Mk. 2:21-22 NASB, ch 12 p 199-200)
“You can’t live on both sides of the wall any more than you can put old wine into new wine skins.” (ch 12 p 200)
What a great stepping stone in moving towards freedom in chapter 13.
“Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! . . . Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” (Ps. 126:3, 5-6, ch 13 p 206)
“Don’t worry abot anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7, ch 13 p 206)
“We are one diagnosis, or one bit of bad news, away from forgetting the good news from the past. It is imperative that you prepare for those moments before they happen.” (p 207)
In this chapter we do exactly that; we get prepared. The author explains, “[. . .] that Satan uses three primary weapons to keep us from enjoying life beyond the walls. All three can creep in subtly without our even being aware of a problem, and all three can be overcome as long as we are watching for the dangers.” (ch 13 p 208) They are unsupportive friends, unsubstantiated fears, and undeserved fondness. (p 208-219) I will skip the breakdown and move on to the latter with a quote from Red of Shawshank Redemption played by Morgan Freemon. “These walls are funny. [. . .] first you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them.” (p 216)
Through this, Moses, and the Children of Israel we see this played out and learn that, “Emotions may deceive us, but we must never forget that life wasn’t better behind the wall! And, it is never God’s will or plan for us to accommodate barriers of unhealthy mind-sets in our life.” (p 217-219)
Chapter 14 is about raising our children to be wall breakers. In it, he speaks of the marks we leave on our children and quotes Maya Angelou in reference to Cheers. “The ache for home lives in all of us,” [. . .] we ache for a safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
He speaks of how our relationships change over time and reminds us that they still want our involment in their lives and not to “take it for granted” and to “start now.” (p 229) I can speak to how important this is through the growth of my children.
He provides us four fundamentals: Teach them you love them, that grace lives at home, spiritual walls need to come down, and that God’s promises are strong enough to tear down walls. (p 230-237)
In closing chapter 15, he exhorts: “Walls cannot stand against words that offer freedom and life and movement, especially when those words are God’s unchanging, life-changing promises that can wrench open closed gates and tear down any wall. (p 244) And, finally, “God’s promises work everywhere they are applied.” (p 250)
*This review is on behalf of Tyndale House Publishers who provided a complimentary advanced readers copy of this book.
