Book Review

BIOGRAPHICAL ENTRY

Walker III, D Min. Joseph W., Restored At The Root, Lake Mary, FL: Charisma, 2019, 200 pp.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AUTHOR

Bishop Joseph Warren Walker III is the senior pastor of the historic Mount Zion Baptist Church of Nashville, Tennessee. Walker received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern University, a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. He currently serves on the Meharry Medical College board of trustees and Citizens Savings Bank board of directors. He serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tennessee State University. He is the presiding bishop in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. Walker is the author of thirteen books. He has appeared on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and has been a guest on CNN, MSNBC, and the Roland Martin Show. His wife, Dr. Stephaine H. Walker, is a former assistant professor of pediatrics and neonatology at Vanderbilt University. Together, they are proud parents of their daughter Jovanni Willow, May 2012, and their son, Joseph warren Walker IV, February 2018.

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: Walker writes this book from experience. Walker writes to those that are caught in the crosshairs of the enemy, as well as those in the trenches ministering to and interceding for people under spiritual attack. Walker introduces a blueprint for freedom; Perception, image, integrity, and truth.

CHAPTER 1: “Mitigation: You Can’t Fix It If You Don’t Face It.” Walker introduces us to the man in the tombs in Mark 5. We must discover the source of our struggles. We discover what our struggles are when we obtain evidence of the source of the problem. Jesus is the one who transforms our life. He alone has the authority to overcome the demonic. We often refuse to engage in the long struggle for freedom and peace, instead we avoid dealing with our struggles. We cannot manage the demons in our life. Demons intend to destroy us; it’s their nature. Demons are cast out when we cry out. The church is often guilty of silencing those that are crying out.

CHAPTER 2: “Location: How did I Get Here?” We must know where we are. God test us in times of aloneness, when we are separated from people. The devil drives us into isolation to torment us and to keep us from reaching our destination. Isolation from other people has both physical and mental effects caused by the leading of Satan. We need other people to help keep us in balance. The man in Mark 5 is confined to the tombs. Jesus comes to deliver him from the demons that keep him in the tombs. Will you meet Jesus at the edge of the cemetery?

CHAPTER 3: “Interrogation: The Enemy in Me.” After the devil gets you into isolation from other people, he begins to interrogate you. Eve is alone when the serpent approached her and tempted her. The serpent worked from the inside out, beginning with her mind, pride of life, and lust of the flesh. The church often tries to solve problems by focusing on external manifestations of the problem instead of the internal source of the problem. We can drive out the attacks of the enemy by recognizing his lies, speaking the word of God, and allowing the overflowing of the Holy Spirit.

CHAPTER 4: “Situation: I tried it and It Didn’t Work.” Deliverance is possible. We must not adopt a strategy of co dependence allowing things to become a new normal or a dysfunction. We have been given authority over the enemy, and we must have confidence. There are setbacks because the unclean spirits are resistant and rebellious. The empty space left by the unclean spirit must be filled, or the demon will return to take up residence again. He will bring other spirits with him. The church has the responsibility to help bring restoration instead of incarceration to persons controlled by the demonic.

CHAPTER 5: “Manifestation: I’m Doing This to Myself.” The man in Mark 5 experiences a vacillating between the mountain top and the tombs. Elijah met the challenge of 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, but he fled to a cave when he is threatened by Jezebel. Walker describes periods in his life when he had mountaintop experiences at church, only to go home and suffer in the tombs at home. The church is often not equipped with the knowledge to help those suffering from spiritual attacks. Those under attack should pray, feed their minds with the word of God and keep company with the people of God. When manifestations of spiritual warfare take place the one under attack should have a balance of spiritual methods and clinical methods. Ultimately, it is Jesus that delivers the victim.

CHAPTER 6: “Manipulation: This Is Nonnegotiable.” Unclean spirits seek to manipulate the situation because it does not want to leave its domain. Unclean spirits wants its victim to accept their behavior as normal. The person rejects those that are trying to help them. People with unclean spirit engage in unauthentic worship. People with unclean spirit must not negotiate so as to be manipulated. The story of Jonah teaches us that we can spend valuable time trying to row with something destined to fail. The negative impact on your life results in a variety of emotions. We cut loose people and situations that we negotiate with because they are designed to destroy us.

CHAPTER 7: “Confrontation: This Has to Happen.” Just as Jesus confronted the demons in the man in Mark 5, we must confront the demons that keep us from reaching our God-given destiny. Confrontation requires that you have convictions. Confronting persons with unclean spirits is not a confrontation with other people, it is warfare with spirits. Be prepared to confront unclean spirits by praying for yourself and the things that you need to confront the enemy. Your spiritual authority is developed through your convictions, character, and commitment. We must know the name of the demon that we confront, and the demon must know your name. We must learn to differentiate between a sickness that will call for only clinical assistance and a sickness that is a result of a demonic attack.

CHAPTER 8: “Revelation: Root Work.” The most important question that Jesus asks the man in Mark 5 is, “What is your name?” The name Legion refers to a military operation of soldiers (demons) that function together to control your life. We must begin the work of excavation of the entirety of our lives in order to get to the root, the causes of our problems. Jesus is the archaeologist who will excavate the land of your soul to understand what issues in your past are causing the damaging effects in your present. Demons not totally excavated may lie dormant until needed. Dr. Walker is an advocate for churches to address mental health issues that contribute to spiritual problems. Dr. Walker uses Moses and himself as examples of persons in need of both prayer and counseling.

CHAPTER 9: “Enumeration: What Is It Worth to You?” Enumeration is a listing of things. It cost a lot to be completely free. The demons in the man in Mark 5 are assigned to a region. Dr. Walker mentions communities, school systems, availability of unhealthy foods, and the availability of drug stores as area that demons control. Dr. Walker gives us a systematic plan to escape temptation. We must give up relationships that allow demonic spirits to be active in our lives. After deliverance from evil spirits we must take time to go through a recovery phase.

CHAPTER 10:”Restoration: The Rest of You will be the Best of You.” The people that see us bound need to also see us delivered. The man becomes a witness to the power of Jesus to deliver. Dr Walker gives us four stages of restoration for the man in the tombs: rest, reconstruction, restitution, and reset. Restoration includes being clothed to cover our nakedness, and we are in our right mind. When you are restored at the root there is no residue of what occurred in your life. Instead God has prepared you for a greater future.

CONCLUSION: Dr. Walker encourages those that have been restored at the root to be a testimony to others that they too can be restored at the root. Those restored should go back home to their communities and families and church. Do not hide in shame. Allow the Holy Spirit to use you. God is in control, and He has a purpose for your life.

CRITICAL EVALUATION

Dr. Walker uses the account in Mark 5 of the man in the tombs as the guiding story for this book. As Dr Walker guides us through the process of being restored at the root he utilizes different phases of Jesus’ encounter this man that is possessed by a legion of demons. Dr. Walker points out that the church is dealing with the symptoms of the person’s struggles, that which they can see. What we see is not the source of the struggle. The source of the struggle is inside and excavation must be done to expose the various layers of one’s life in order to expose the issues so that one can be set free from their struggles. For too long the church has been ill equipped to deal with mental illness, mainly because the church believes that only prayer and bible study are needed. Dr. Walker shares personal experiences to show us that both spiritual ministry and psychological counseling working together is more effective.

Reading this book caused me to reflect on my own life. I have been able to see and understand demons in my own life as well as demons in the life of my family members. I found myself praying to God asking Him to forgive me of my shortcomings and sins. I will continue to excavate the layers in my life to expose those issues and experiences that have hindered me from achieving desired goals in my life. I believe that God is going to reveal to me a purpose for my life that I cannot yet see. Then, I will be able to help others with their struggles and bring glory to God.

I recommend this work to all people that feel the weight and pressure that they experience in their life. I believe that reading this book will cause us as individuals and church community to make needed adjustments in how we do ministry to ourselves and to other people.