Category: Non-Fiction

Liberating the Nations: Can a Nation Ever Truly by Free?

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Liberating the Nations: Biblical Principles of Government, Education, Economics, & Politics by Stephen K. McDowell & Mark A. Beliles

“To the degree that nations have applied the principles of the Bible, is the degree to which those nations have prospered, been free, and acted justly.”

“Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.”

With all that has been happening in our country and local communities in 2020, one of the questions being asked is: which is of greater value to us as a society – freedom or safety/security? Can we have both, or must one be sacrificed for the sake of the other? One of my favorite books for youth that I’ve written about is The Giver by Lois Lowy, a book that explores this dilemma.

Liberating the Nations is another book that I believe is relevant and helpful in today’s climate. The questions explored and discussed in this book are essentially:

  1. Is it possible for a nation to be really free?
  2. What is a Christian Nation?
  3. Can such a thing ever exist, and if so, how is one to be built?
Continue reading “Liberating the Nations: Can a Nation Ever Truly by Free?” →

Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace: Prayer

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Prayer by John Bunyan

“Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

“Prayer is an ordinance of God, that must continue with a soul so long as it is on this side of Glory. “

This one little volume actually contains two works by John Bunyan on prayer. The first exposition on the subject, originally entitled A Discourse Touching Prayer, looks at what true prayer is, who should pray, what kinds of prayers are acceptable to God, and what we should pray for. He begins with making this statement about prayer:

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.

Followed by this definition of prayer:

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.

Continue reading “Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace: Prayer” →

Crazy Love: Fire for the Lukewarm Christian

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Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

“The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is…we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way.”


Many of us know what it is or has been like to be crazy in love with someone – to love someone so much that there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for them. Hopefully if you’re married you feel this way at least to some degree about your spouse. Maybe you can say you’re crazy about your kids, at least when they’re not driving you crazy! Have you ever characterized your love for God as being crazy? Consider God’s unconditional love toward sinners: a love for those who were His enemies, who hated Him and would have nothing to do with Him, a love that would cause Him to deliver His own Son to suffer the wrath and punishment that they deserved in order to redeem them for Himself (Romans 5:8). Now that’s crazy! In response to God’s “relentless” love for us undeserving sinners, doesn’t it seem natural that we in return would be utterly lovestruck for God and completely devoted to Him? Francis Chan wrote his book Crazy Love out of a concern that so many who profess to be Christians only seem to have a half-hearted love for Him and are content to live complacent, comfortable lives for God, as long as it’s convenient and doesn’t require too much effort or sacrifice on their part. Instead of feeling like they “have enough God” as Chan puts it, he desires for his readers to want more of God, and such is his stated purpose for this book. Continue reading “Crazy Love: Fire for the Lukewarm Christian” →

A New Year’s Resolution for the Soul

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Well, it’s that time of year again when a lot of people think about what changes they want to make in their life. Lots of people make resolutions related to their physical health, like losing weight, starting an exercise program, or quitting smoking. Some set educational or career goals, say, to go back to school and finish a degree, earn a certification, or get a new job or promotion. Maybe you want to improve yourself as a person — quit a bad habit, learn a new skill or hobby, or travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. But have you thought about making a resolution that will profit your soul or help you to grow spiritually? Continue reading “A New Year’s Resolution for the Soul” →

Comfort in the Arms of an All-Sovereign God: Who’s Your Father?

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With Father’s Day upon us once again, my thoughts went to a friend who recently lost her dad, whom she loved very much. I lost my own dad over 25 years ago and miss him being in my life all of those years. But not everyone has close ties with and fond memories of their father. Some people grow up never even knowing or having much of a relationship with their dad, which is heartbreaking. Regardless of what your relationship to your own dad has been like, we can all agree that no father is perfect; every earthly dad has his flaws and makes his share of mistakes, albeit some more than others.

However God is a perfect, holy, loving Father to His children, and He has promised to be a Father to the fatherless. The question is – who are His children? Is every person in fact a child of God? No matter who are you are – He is your God and He is your Creator, whether you acknowledge Him as such or not. Many like to think of God as being their Father without really knowing much about Him or spending time with Him. God is not whatever you want or think Him to be. He is who He has declared Himself to be, and He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Bible, and through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let me to ask you to consider: Who is your Father? Seems like a fitting time to reshare some thoughts on the book by this same title that I reviewed a few years ago.

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Who’s Your Father?: Returning to the Love of the Biblical God by Robert Bernecker

WhosYourFather“What is neglected by most Christians today is the comforting, awe-inspiring truth of our God’s sovereignty, his great love for each of us, and the eminent trustworthiness of his eternal purpose, which includes each of us in infinite detail. This negligence robs us of our real joy and comfort in our Father who loves us, chooses us, redeems us, and perfects us.”
 
“A ‘god’ whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits naught but contempt.” (A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God)


Last year I was contacted by the author of Who’s Your Father?Robert Bernecker, who asked me if I’d read and review his book, which he had recently published. He was…

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To Die is Gain: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

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Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

A History of the Lives, Suffering and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christian and the Protestant Martyrs

“This is a book that will never die, so long as men love and serve our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
 
“After the Bible itself, no book so profoundly influenced early Protestant sentiment as the Book of Martyrs.”


Ever since the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (see Acts chapter 7), followers of Christ have been persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith. My last post shared the story of Brother Andrew, who has dedicated his life to helping Christians living in oppressive, atheistic countries. Organizations like Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs provide support and help to many Christians around the world who are not free to worship and express their beliefs openly.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, as it came to be called, is a collection of stories of Christian martyrs through the centuries recorded by John Foxe, who was born in England in 1517, the same year that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg. Continue reading “To Die is Gain: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” →