'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #15 - "THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS" BY JOHN BUNYAN

This is the oldest book on my list, and the first one I've become familiar with. I heard an excerpt when I was in children's church in 6th grade. In the 80's, I saw two movies based on the book (one live action, the latter animated) and read an article based on the portrait of a pastor from this book.

I finally read it in the '90's. I wasn't aware until then that Bunyan wrote two parts of the story. The above mentioned movies were based on the first one, and I thought it was stronger than Christiana's journey. 

In "The book of Lists" I saw in the mid '70's, "The Pilgrim's Progress" was on top of "The Most Boring Classics." At first, I thought it might be anti-Christian bias on the compilers part, but after reading it, I can see why. There are a lot of discourses in the book, and it's easy to picture a non-believer to lose interest. Still, it belongs on my "Must Read" list.

By the way, this is the second of the two books that are on both my list and the Renovare list. 

 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #14 - "MERE CHRISTIANITY" BY C.S. LEWIS

 

I mentioned at the beginning the book "25 Books Every Christian Should Read." Only two of my 25 are on that list, and Lewis' classic "Mere Christianity" is the first. (The second is tomorrow). Now, to be honest, there are classics in the book's list that I haven't taken time to read (e.g. Augustine's Confession and Calvin's Institutes).

Who knows why I didn't finish this book when I first started reading it in '84, but I finally read it more recently and studied it with my pastor at that time (Richard Walton). While I don't agree with everything Lewis says, this book definitely is an effective defense of the faith. It originally was a radio program in England during World War II where Lewis was able to define what a Christian was.

While it didn't make my list, I also read "C.S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer: Lessons for a New Century from the Most Influential Apologists of our Time" by Scott R. Burson and Jerry L. Walls. It helped me become more familiar with these authors. I found it interesting that the two authors seemed to identify more with Lewis (both did a lot of research on Lewis), but I finished the book being more of a Schaeffer fan instead.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #13 - "LOVE YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND" BY J.P. MORELAND

I was in a meeting with church leadership training, and the group leader shared the chapter of "Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Live of the Soul" that dealt with how this focus translated into the local church. That chapter hooked me, and I thus read this book. Twice.

But which of the editions did I read? Both. The second edition  (which is what the cover is for) adds material to the first chapter, and rewrites the third of four parts of the book. To be honest, while both editions are good, the original fit the purpose of the book, examining the role of the Christian mind in evangelism, apologetic reasoning, worship, and fellowship. The second edition instead gives a strategy on how to reason - again, useful, but I missed the deleted information.
 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #12 - "LIVING THE CROSS CENTERED LIFE" BY C. J. MAHANEY

This is a book I've read twice, and need to read again. My wife and I were given C.J. Mahaney's "Living the Cross Cenetered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing" by our friend Steve Sering, and it is an excellent read. 

We know we're supposed to live in the power of the resurrection (Phil. 3:10), but the context also says we're to live in the fellowship of Christ's suffering and be conformed to the likeness of His death. This book helps us learn what those latter points looks like. Not the easiest book, and not one that makes us view ourselves as the wonderful people we aren't, but that's necessary in growing in Christ.

 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #11 - "THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY" BY A.W. TOZER

 I started this series off with a review "25 Books Every Christian Should Read" by Renovare, an organization that focuses on Christian mysticism and spiritual foundation. Considering that A.W. Tozer is considered a Christian mysticism, it should be a slam dunk that this (or another) book would be included. But it isn't.

I also have mentioned the differences between Biblical and Systematic theology. This book is an example of the latter. Tozer looks at nineteen  attributes of God. 

This is a challenging read. Me and some other men went through this book recently. But this book is rightly considered a classic.

MEMORIES OF MY FATHER ON FATHER'S DAY

Dad, foreground, at a birthday party for Becky, 2017. And yes, unless he used Grecian Formula without my knowledge, that was my Dad's hair color a month from his 84th birthday.
Photo courtesy of Pam Hall

A question just popped into my mind a few minutes ago: Did any of the classic horror actors (Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Sr. or Jr., Vincent Price) ever get an Oscar nomination? And what does this question have to do with anything? I'll get to that.

I should have started with wishing you all a Happy Father's Day. And I'd like to take the opportunity to remember my Dad, who passed away September 23, 2019, at age 86.

I grew up in Fullerton, CA for the first 9 years of my life. Then, he seemed to disappear. A month later, Mom sent me to stay with his parents in Skull Valley, AZ (a lot smaller than Fullerton), who took care of foster children at that time, meaning I went from being an only child to second oldest of a half-dozen, three of those Native American. (By the way, I never knew my maternal grandparents.) 

Dad moved to Skull Valley around Easter time, and after landing a job as a radio announcer/DJ, he worked at different radio stations, mostly at KVIO in Cottonwood. He did leave that station for Needles, CA, followed by Kingman, AZ (2.5 months total between those stations) and then returned to Cottonwood. (The person who took his place at KVIO didn't stay, so Dad returned there after a 6 months absense). One memory I had was riding with him as we moved back to Cottonwood, and he told me that I had nothing to do with his and mom's divorce (which had never crossed my mind, but I might be in the minority of how most kids deal with a divorce). 

Those who knew my dad late in his life knew he showed movies at the Senior apartments he stayed in from '07 to '18. That was part of our lives. While in Fullerton, Dad and I saw movies together from those more in my interest (e.g. "Hey There, It's Yogi Bear" and "Yellow Submarine") to those more his type (such as "Fantastic  Voyage" and "The Day The Earth Stood Still." This continued through till Becky and I moved from California in '84. The radio station employees had a pass to Cottonwood's movie theater/drive-in. While he was married to my step-mom, we went to movies a lot, but he would take the older of my two younger stepsisters to John Wayne movies since she was a John Wayne fan, and he was excited when "Cinderella" came to the drive-in so he could take my youngest stepsister. (BTW, my step-mom had four daughters with a 12 year gap between the second and third, and I fit right in the middle of that gap.) One year, Dad got me a book with all the movies of Boris Karloff (and a John Wayne book for my step-sister). Since then, I've seen several movies of Boris Karloff. Which is where the question I asked came about. I did once ask him who was the better actor between Karloff, Lugosi, and Chaney Jr. (and Dad's answer was in that order).

One thing I remember is he was encouraging me to do what interested me. There was only exception: When I got home after armed-services day my senior year at high school interested in the military, Dad did his best to nip that in the bud fast. (I know my grandfather on Dad's side was too young for WWI and too old for WWII; Dad would have been the age for the Korean War, and I don't know why he wasn't drafted, unless it was an educational deferrment.)

I remember Dad telling me how the movie version of a couple of Agatha Christie Stories ("And Then There Was None" and "Witness For the Prosecution") varied from the original stories. A couple of years ago, I read her "Mousetrap and Other Plays," where the introduction said she didn't like some of the renditions of her stories because... they stayed too close to the original. In that 8 play collection, three were based on Poirot mysteries except Poroit wasn't in any of those plays. I came to the conclusion that it was Christie who changed the endings of those plays. I wish I had the chance to ask Dad about his opinion on that.
 

Don't remember the year, but I think it was in winter!

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #10 - "KILLING CALVINISM" BY GREG DUTCHER

If you think this book is written by Arminians (or other non-Calvinists) to refute "the doctrines of grace," you not only haven't read the book; you haven't even carefully read the full title of Greg Dutcher's book: "Killing Calvinism: How to Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology."

This is a book written by a Calvinist to Calvinists pointing out how Calvinists fuel the fire of the oppositon and how to prevent it. However, I'm including this because some of these errors some Calvinists fall into (all of which are practical rather than theological) are ones that other theologies can imitate and equally need to avoid.

 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #9 - "IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS" BY GLENN PENNER

 

I have previously mentioned Biblical theology when I mentioned the New Studies on Biblical Theology series. A refresher: Systematic Theology looks at all Biblical verses on a topic; Biblical theology focuses on the development on a topic in the Biblical book. 

No, "In the Shadow of the Cross: A Biblical Theology of Persecution & Discipleship" by the late Glenn Penner (former director of Voice of the Martyrs Canada) is not part of the above mentioned series, but it takes the same technique. It goes book by book into looking to see what it says about persecution.

Naturally, we avoid persecution. Yet it says "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12, emphasis added). And this book on persecution is not depressing but encouraging.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #8 - "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JESUS" BY JOHN MACARTHUR

I received the original edition of this book for my birthday, along with a copy of his then latest project "Heartland" from Christian musician Rob Frazier. Both were an impact on my life, 

I heard a speaker once say that if you don't sound like Christians can do anything they want and still be saved, they're not preaching grace. I disagree, and this book points in that direction.

MacArthur is associated with "Lordship Salvation" which many Christians have a problem because they think it's works salvation and sinless perfection to believe that Christ isn't your savior if He's not Lord. That is NOT what I've picked up. Rather, MacArthur pointed out there's time he's disobedient to His Lord. But I believe Biblically that there will be evidence in our lives if we're saved. Perfect obedience and sanctification? No, but definitely not an absence of obedience and sanctification.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #7 - "GETTING TO KNOW THE CHURCH FATHERS" BY BRYAN LITFIN

How many of you get excited by studying church history? Does it seem to be dealing with dry historical figures that don't really fit in with modern life? Here's a book that will help you appreciate the development and the individuals who influenced that development.

If you can read the small, light print on the bar above the author's name, you'll see this is the second edition. I've read both editions. The first one deals with Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Perpetua, Origen, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Augustine, and Cyril of Alexandria. The second edition adds Ephram the Syrian and St. Patrick of Ireland. 

Each chapter gives a biography of the subject and some description of what was going on at the time. This is followed by five or so questions, reading recommendations, and an excerpt of their writings. The questions make this ideal for a group study - I've used this in that setting twice.

 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #6 - "FOUR VIEWS ON ETERNAL SECURITY" EDITED BY J. MATTHEW PINSON

I've read several of Zondervan's Counterpoints series. This wasn't my first (that one was on Apologetics), but it's my favorite. I enjoyed reading the authors' talking about our great and wonderful salvation. The four views dealt with were Classical Calvinism by Michael S. Horton, Moderate Calvinism by Norman Geisler, Reformed Arminianism (yes, that exists) by Stephen M. Ashby, and Wesleyan Arminianism by J. Steven Harper. 

One of the reviewers were unhappy that the two Arminians didn't rip the two who believed in eternal security in purposes. Actually, that's a plus in the book. I shook my head when Geisler divided the views into Strong Calvinist, Moderate Calvinist, and Arminian, putting oneself in the happy medium view while aligning with Calvin and assuming Arminians can be put in one box (fellow Moderate Calvinist Ron Rhodes takes a similar approach. For me, this book convinced me of what I believed, which is that neither Calvinism nor Arminianism are without variation, as well as both are trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #5 - "50 PEOPLE EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW" BY WARREN WIERSBE

 

Warren Wiersbe wrote three sets of spiritual giants, which composed 48 individuals. This volume is the combination of those collections, plus two which the editor requested. 
These include several people that I was aware of such as Charles Spurgeon, George Whitfield, A.W. Tozer, and Matthew Henry, and others I wasn't as familiar with, such as Thomas Spurgeon (the son of Charles, and the only one in this collection whose father also made the list). 

One stand out for me was Charles Simeon, who I had never heard of before reading, but has since become one of my heroes for several reasons.

There are some people you'd expect to be included that aren't there. For example, the Reformers and the Wesleys aren't mentioned, though Martin Luther's wife was the first person dealt with in this chronological volume.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #4 - "EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT" BY JOSH AND SEAN MCDOWELL

 I have been aware of this book and its author Josh McDowell since high school. During that time, I saw a film featuring McDowell - "What's Up, Josh?" which is a fictional story with Josh playing himself. 

"Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Historical Evidences For The Christian Faith" is divided into three parts: The Historicity of Scripture, the Life and Resurrection of Christ, and personal transformation. This was followed by a second volume, "More Evidence That Demands A Verdict," and "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" co-written by his son Sean.

I mentioned with the first book I recommended ("Another Gospel" by Alisa Childers). While it's already obvious not all the books are on apologetics, you'll see it a common theme for this series.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #3 - "CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD" BY J. GARY MILLAR

I've had the honor of reading several good books on prayer, including "Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church" by John Onwuchekwa. That book recommended "Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer" by J. Gary Millar, which I'm recommending as summer reading.

"Calling on the Name of the Lord" is the first book I've read of the "New Studies in Biblical Theology" series. You may be familiar with the term "Systematic Theology," which is looking at what the Bible says about a certain topic. "Biblical Theology" looks at each book of the Bible in order, and then from there concludes what the whole teaching on the topic is.

Millar's premise is that prayer is first mentioned in Genesis 4:26, which tells us that when Enosh the son of Seth was born, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Thus, praying and calling on the name of prayer were synonymous, and develops that thesis through Scripture, ending with how we can apply this to our lives.
 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #2 - "THE BENEDICT OPTION" BY ROD DREHER

I was about to write that there are few books that really inspire me, and the fact that I had no problem coming up with 25 books for this summer reading list probably means I'm easier to impress than I think (or that there are more really inspirational books than I think). Either way, "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation" by Rod Dreher is on that list.

Allow me to confess that Dreher is more Catholic/Orthodox than I am, and several of the ideas fit that line of thinking. However, I agree with his main thought that Christians need to strengthen community with fellow believers, both by forming communities and by encouraging others.

There are not as many community-building books in this summer reading list as there are apologetics (like yesterday's book). However, I remember being in a Facebook group discussing this book and Dreher's follow-up "Live Not By Lies" and reading a question about if we're reading any other books on community. At that time, I was finishing Leah Libresco's "Building the Benedict Option..." Check. I also started reading Rosaria Butterfield's "The Gospel Comes With a House Key..." Check. Then, in fiction, I was reading "Amish Werewolves of Space..." well, at first I thought "Two out of three aren't bad" until I reread the cover and read the first chapter and realized it was three of three. (Kerry Nietz' Terror in Plain Space trilogy all have strong themes on community, on our responsibilities to community, and that our community might be bigger than we think. 

You know, maybe I ought to reread this one.
 

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #1 - "ANOTHER GOSPEL" BY ALISA CHILDERS

 My list of 25 summer reading books, listed in alphabetic order by title, starts with "Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. Author Alisa Childers (former member of Zoe Girl, daughter of Love Song's Chuck Girard) tells of her experience with a Progressive Church, which left her questioning her faith, and how she was reassured of the truth of Scripture.

Progressive Christianity is like other groups in asking the same question Satan (as the serpent) asked Eve: "Yea, hath God said?" Instead of trusting the Word of God and thus the God who gave that word, they prefer having questions without answers, because if there's no answers, you can't give a wrong one. 

This is the first but not last Apologetics book in this list. 

BOOK REVIEW OF "25 BOOKS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ" SELECTED BY RENOVARE AND MY SUMMER READING LIST OF 25 BOOKS I THINK SHOULD BE READ.

This book caught my attention, so I looked to see which 25 books they recommended. Before I opened to the contents, though, I noticed the four contributors they mentioned (there were a total of 12), and the only one I was familiar with was one I'm not a fan of. 

Renovare is the ministry that put this out, which is known for focusing on Spiritual foundations. The group is ecumenical, so there are approaches I agree with and those I don't. 

That being said, they had an interesting selection of books, from church fathers Athanasius and Augustine to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and C.S. Lewis. They describe each book and include an excerpt. 

For people who want a diverse list of Christian authorship from the past 1700 years, I would recommend it. While I'm surprised in some of the omissions, such as a lack of Tozer, I think this is a fair representation of Christian classics.

But if I made a list, what would be on it?

Well, I was curious so I created a list of books that I think would benefit all Christians. There are not as many classics on my list, and there are only two that are on both my list and Renovare's. There are books I haven't read which would edge some of these off if I did (e.g. Francis Schaeffer's "The God Who Is There" and Robby Gallaty's discipleship book "Growing Up"), but I didn't include them. Also, two of my books are by one author.

I'll include the list for summer reading here, and the next five weeks I'll go through my list with more detail on each book. I've listed them in alphabetic order by title.

Ready?

1. "Another Gospel?" by Alisa Childers.

2. "The Benedict Option" by Rod Dreher.

3. "Calling on the Name of the Lord" by J. Gary Millar.

4. "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell.

5. "50 People Every Christian Should Know" by Warren Wiersbe.

6. "Four Views on Eternal Security" edited by J. Matthew Pinson.

7. "Getting to Know the Church Fathers" by Bryan Litfin.

8. "The Gospel According to Jesus" by John MacArthur.

9. "In the Shadow of the Cross" by Glenn Penner. 

10. "Killing Calvinism" by Greg Dutcher. 

11. "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer.

12. "Living the Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney.

13. "Love Your God With All Your Mind" by J.P. Moreland.

14. "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. 

15. "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan.

16. "Pray & Go" by Thom Rainer.

17. "A Primer on Biblical Literacy" by Cory M. Marsh.

18. "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer.

19. "Sacred Pathways" by Gary Thomas. 

20. "Simplify Your Spiritual Life" by Don Whitney.

21. "Superheroes Can't Save You" by Todd Miles.

22. "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey.

23. "Turn Neither to the Right Nor to the Left" by D. Eric Shansberg.

24. "When Faith is Forbidden" by Todd Nettleton.

25. "You're Not Enough (and That's Okay) by Allie Beth Stuckey.

Well, Monday we'll start on the list.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "TRACING A KILLER" (MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT BOOK 7) BY SHARON DUNN

Which is the biggest challenge K-9 officer Hannah Scott and her Newfoundland partner Captain faces? Outsmarting the murderer who drowned her best friend? Protecting Trevor Gage from the Rocky Mountain Killer's deadly intentions? Or convincing Gage he needs to be in a safe house instead of making himself vulnerable to his foe by protecting Hannah from her foe? Oh, did I mention they're on an island, where there is plenty of water nearby?

"Tracing a Killer" by Sharon Dunn is book 7 of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit. Dunn has done a wonderful job of keeping the tension going with not one but two villains who first struck a decade earlier but are alive and well (unlike their victims). She also does a good job in developing the protagonists as they deal with their assumed failures of the past.

The big story of this series is the Rocky Mountain Killer, who killed three young members of a rancher's society ten years ago, killed three more in the current time, and dognapped Cowgirl who was being trained to be a therapy dog, renaming her Killer. A second thread through the series is someone who sabotaged the K-9 unit's tech whiz Isla Jimenez' plans of adoption, followed by escalating threats. A lot of these multi-author K-9 Unit series are written where you don't need to read all the stories in order. Not so with this one. 

I have been enjoying the series. It isn't my favorite, but this set has great characters and nail-biting suspense. "Tracing a Killer" by Sharon Dunn is a good example of that, and I recommend this novel and the series.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "A DANGEROUS PAST" BY SUSAN GEE HEINO

 

Should Gabe Elliot respond like the hospital chaplain he is and keep a 50 year old secret shared by a patient? Or should he as the police officer he is investigate this possible murder in spite of the ghosts and skeletons he'll dig up? And should Brinna Jenson trust the man who promised to marry her but didn't to keep from stirring up accusations against her grandfather that were currently in the distant past?

"A Dangerous Past" is the first story I've had the honor of reading by Susan Gee Heino, and I have no intention of it being the last. She did an excellent job developing Gabe and Brinna, and the plot kept me guessing how it would turn out.

Would you permit me to pretend to be a literary critic here? Having read 85 Love Inspired Suspense prior to this, I'm used to having a car chase, an attempted abduction, or someone taking target practice at one of the main characters before the first chapter's halfway done. With those earned expectations, "A Dangerous Past" might seem slow-moving. My opinion? This book has more of a mystery story arc than a suspense one. If you seem to think this book might be dragging - as I did early on - don't give up on it! It is an inspiring read, and as I implied above, it's a first class mystery, with plenty of suspects and surprises.

BOOK REVIEW - "TRAIL OF THREATS" (MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT BOOK 6) BY JESSICA PATCH

Is the Elk Lake Arsonist the same person as the Rocky Mountain Killer? Why did someone burn down Sadie Owens' house... while Sadie and her 3 year old diabetic son are inside? Are K-9 officer Rocco Manelli and his accelerant sniffing chocolate Lab partner Cocoa able to identify the killer before he (or she) strikes again?

Jessica Patch's "Trail of Threats," the 6th installment of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit series, is a thrilling, exciting story with great characters. But then if I made a list of the characters in the 86 Love Inspired Suspense stories I've read that made a big impression on me, the top 5 - maybe the top 10? - were from Jessica Patch novels, and Rocco and Sadie both are in that list. 

Yes, I said this is the sixth installment of a series. I would strongly suggest reading this series in order. For those unfamiliar with Love Inspired Suspense's annual K-9 series, there are 9 volumes by 10 different authors (the final volume contains 2 short stories, and take place after the main threads of the first 8 novels have been resolved. Often, you can read the stories out of order without feeling lost or spoiling stories from the previous books that may not have been ridden. Not so in this series.

Speaking of this series, I strongly recommend it, and I also strongly recommend this story.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "SHADY GROVE" (A KATY RUSSELL MYSTERY BOOK 3) BY JACKIE ZACK

Sure, she was the town hoarder, and sure she had anything but a pleasant disposition, but who would take the step to murder her? Should reporters Katy Russell and Nick Hinchman just accept the unanimous conclusion she just tripped over her "collections" and fatally cut herself with the paring knife she always carried?

"Shady Grove" is the excellent third novel in Jackie Zack's excellent Katy Russell Mysteries. As usual, it has two leads who you care more about in each installment, plus plenty of suspects and plot twists that keep you guessing who did it.

This is book 3. Do you need to read to read books 1 and 2 first? I would say that it's better to do so, but you can still enjoy this one out of order - you won't be lost, nor will reading a later book spoil the earlier book.

I recommend this book and this series.

One last bittersweet comment. Author Jackie Zack, who wrote this 4 part series, went home to be with the Lord a couple of days before I started reading this book. Please pray for her and her friends and family. She was an encouragement to me by weekly asking us what we're reading.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "TOXIC EMPATHY: HOW THE PROGRESSIVES EXPLOIT CHRISTIAN COMPASSION" BY ALLIE BETH STUCKEY

Is empathy something that is always beneficial? Or can it become an enabler for those who desire tolerance... for themselves, not for those who disagree? Is it possible that those to the left politically are using Christians' desire to care for others to convince us that what God considers evil isn't really evil?

"Toxic Empathy: How the Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion" is the second book by Allie Beth Stuckey, who previously wrote "You're Not Enough (And That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self Love." Both are books that look at lies exalted in modern culture.

The artist in me loves the structure of these books. They both have a pastel colored cover with black and white lettering (the font style is different). Each book deals with five lies that fit the theme of the respective book. 

"Toxic Empathy" deals with these five mantras:

1. "Abortion is healthcare,"
2. "Trans Women are Women,"
3. "Love is Love,"
4. "No Human is Illegal," and 
5. "Social Justice is Justice."

Each chapter starts out with a story that appears to defend the chapter's title. Stuckey then looks more closely and analyzes the world view and what Biblical truth says on the subject. 

I recommend this book. It was well put together and short enough to be a comfortable read.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "THE POSTMODERN PILGRIM'S PROGRESS: AN ALLEGORICAL TALE" BY KYLE MANN AND JOEL BERRY

 What do you get if you combine John Bunyan's classic "The Pilgrim's Progress," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Shack," and "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," committing such a project to a couple of gentlemen (or not) known for satirizing both the church and the government? Yep, it's "The Postmodern Pilgrim's Progress" by the brains of the Babylon Bee, Kyle Mann and Joel Berry.

I am giving this book 5 stars, because of its ambition and complexity and trying to make all the parts work well together. The rating has nothing to do with whether I enjoyed the book or if I thought it effectively handled its ambitious aims. My hunch is most of the readers would say it did; I didn't think so. But that's due to my taste (or, perhaps, the lack of taste of others).

I go out of my way to give limited info on the book for the purpose of avoiding spoilers, and I'm attempting to do the same here. I can give this synopsis: Ryan attended a mega-church solely because of a promise to his dying younger brother, and gets hit on the head by a falling video monitor. What follows is a long dream that takes place in seconds of real time.

The thing that took away from my enjoying the book the most was the narrator who was from a different reality. Then again, some might love that narrator. 

One last comment. This book does a good job at pointing out where modern Christianity has drifted in certain practices, but Mann and Berry did not include political satire in this book. In my opinion, it's aimed more at Christians rather than an evangelistic tool.

BOOK REVIEW AND PERSONAL EVALUATION - "SPIRITUAL GIFTS - BIBLE STUDY BOOK: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO USE THEM" BY DANIEL DARLING

This is not the first Daniel Darling book I've read - I also have read "The Dignity Revolution." So I was excited to see his take on one of my favorite subjects. After all, I've read Spiritual Gifts books and taken spiritual gift inventories from the charismatic to the cessationist views. In fact, I've taken two inventories in the past 12 months, including the one Darling suggests in this book.

Technically, this is more of a workbook. My Bible Study group just finished going through this. It is a 6 week study, consisting of five short studies for each chapter, followed by a discussion guide. Probably, neither cessationists nor Charismatics will be completely pleased, but Darling does an excellent job of presenting this without criticizing any of the contrasting views.

I highly recommend this study. 

Allow me to add some interaction I've had, especially connected to the two inventories. I took the one Darling recommends this evening (referred to as the Lifeway test), and I took a previous one coupled with a personality test during a Guide Retreat (and hereafter called the Guide test).
There were similarities between the two. Both dealt with the same 16 gifts; Lifeway gives 5 questions per gift, while Guide gives 8. Those questions really are statements and you are answer with a number between 1 and 5 concerning your agreement. In doing the Guide test, the group leader suggested we rate each statement either 1 or 5, and if it really is somewhere in between, give it a 2 or a 4, avoiding 3s. 

What's interesting is comparing the ratings. Some of it may be due to sticking to 1s and 5s on the Guide. Some of it is how the statements are worded, whether based on experience or interest. There's one case which showed bias: One of the questions to use on the gift of encouragement was, "I usually teach topically rather than verse by verse." Is that saying those who are gifted encouragers would not be expository teachesrs? Nonsense!

Some of the common threads: On both, I'm high on teaching, knowledge, and encouragement and low on leadership, administration,  and - to my disappointment, on helps and discernment. I wasn't surprised to see the Lifeway test reflect my typical low score on evangelism compared to the aberrant 40 of 40 score on the Guide test. What did surprise me was Guide having me high on "Apostleship" (pioneer church work) and Pastor (shepherding) than Lifeway did, and that Lifeway had me very high on giving and faith which most tests - including Guide - also had me low on.

One concluding thought - we need to remember that the gifts of the Spirit often have accompanying roles in the Christian life. Some have gifts of evangelism, giving, mercy, discernment, faith, and helps, but we're all called to be witnesses, generous, merciful, discerning, full of faith, and helpful to those in need. 

 

BOOK REVIEW - "MONTANA ABDUCTION RESCUE" (MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT BOOK 5) BY JODIE BAILEY

Why are two people believed to be dead trying to kill Ian Carpenter? What's the cause of teenagers disappearing from the small Montana town? Can U.S. Marshall Meadow Ames and her Visla K-9 partner escape two (or more) professional killers, a tunnel full of spiders, and working with a witness she was supposed to protect?

"Montana Abduction Rescue," book 5 of Love Inspired Suspense's Mountain Country K-9 Unit is, in my opinion, the best book of the series to this point (there are three more full novels and a pair of novellas to go that I haven't read yet). The author, Jodie Bailey, did a great job of navigating us down a plot full of twists and turns and giving us two main characters that are easy to care about and great supporting characters like Grace the Visla K-9 and fellow officer Rocco (who is a scene stealer, and when the spotlight's on him ... oops, I'm getting close to giving you a spoiler!

When dealing with a multipart novel series, the question is if you need to read the books in order or if you can jump around and not feel lost in the story or have the previous stories spoiled by details of the previous stories. Typically, I would say that these collections usually are enjoyable even if you don't read in order, but this series is an exception - I think it's best to read this series as it's written.

This is the 14th Jodie Bailey novel I've read, and she's definitely one of my favorite authors. Thus, I recommend this novel for your reading.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "RHATS FREE" (MUTO CHRONICLES BOOK 3) BY KERRY NIETZ.

 

Can Frohic, as active captain of the Presage, direct the Presage safely home, with:

1. Shikastra (ugly lizardlike creatures with personalities uglier than they look) on the ship with a bracelet to shock implants that Frohic, ship's captain Abs, and another member were installed  with?
2. Three members of the crew (including captain Abs) missing in action, though more likely dead?
3. Giant space squids that feed on energy outside the ship?

"Rhats Free" by Kerry Nietz is the third in the Takamo Universe's Muto Chronicles, following "Rhats" and "Rhats Too," and the series gets better with each installment. (A muto or rhat is a human size rat.) I love adventure stories with two friends working together (in this series, Frohic and Abs). The twists keep coming, as well as excellent character development.

Besides outerspace action and a tongue implanted firmly in cheek, this series looks at issue. For example, in this book is the query on what freedom - if it truly exists - looks like. But then, what would you expect from the author of "Amish Vampires in Space?"

So far, this is my favorite novel I've read this year, and I highly recommend it.

Allow me to add one comment. When Becky saw the cover of this book (the Best cover of this series, in my opinion), she commented about the pictured characters,  "They look harmless. Except for the guns."

PASSOVER, EASTER, CRUCIFIXION DATE, AND OTHER CONTROVERSERIES

If you look carefully near where Joseph's hiding behind a post, you'll note the Easter Bunny joining in the nativity scene. Nah, it's a normal rabbit allowed out of its cage as the keeper cleaned up near this nativity scene at Cincinnati Zoo.

Unfortunately, Christmas and Easter and Passover become points of contention among believers. Allow me to share three issues and my response.

1. Do Christians ignore the Passover? No. Now, I did attend a couple of Seders put on by a Messianic Synagogue here in Indy. I also have heard one person say all Christians should keep Passover, based on 1 Corinthians 5:8. My response? Christians have freedom, but technically, Gentile Christians should not consider that holiday theirs, because when that day was instituted, God stated that a foreigner cannot participate unless circumcised (Exodus 12:43-49).
2. Should Christians celebrate Easter? Some point out that Easter is a pagan celebration, with fertility symbols like rabbits, ages, and chicks. Does that make it a pagan holiday? My response? 'Romans 14:5-6 states that holiday celebration is up to the believer. We need to remember it's not idols but the Lord who created rabbits and chicks.
3. Are the majority of Christians ignoring the Bible when they celebrate Good Friday on Friday and Easter on Sunday? There are two different references to the third day. Jesus said in Matthew 12:40 the Son of Man (Jesus) will be in the depths of the earth three days and three nights, which is longer than the traditional calendar, and fits with the length of time Jews considered the deceased as definitely dead. But there are references to the third day as being the day after tomorrow (e.g. Leviticus 7:17-18; 19:6-7). My response? I agree that Christ was crucified on Wednesday, but I know fellow believers hold to the traditional view. In putting all the words of the four gospels in a harmony, author Johnston M. Cheney, while holding to atypical views (e.g. Christ's ministry being 4 years, and Peter denying Christ 6 times) believes Christ was crucified on Friday. Thus, I don't think this issue is important enough to divide over.

It always discourages me when I see Christians look for something to divide over that doesn't change the fact that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture and was raised from the grave according to Scripture, and that we're saved by grace through faith and not of works.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "JOYFUL OUTSIDERS: SIX WAYS TO LIVE LIKE JESUS IN A DISORIENTING CULTURE" BY PATRICK MILLER & KEITH SIMON

Just after the 2024 election, I learned of the Podcast "Truth Over Tribe" by Patrick Miller and Keith Simon (they also wrote a book by the same title), and listened to a few episodes. In the first, they were talking about their new book to be released early '25 titled "Joyful Outsiders: Six Ways to Live Like Jesus in a Disorienting Culture." When they mentioned the "six ways," my curiosity kicked in, and I looked forward to reading this book.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 (chapters 1-4) is titled "Outsiders," dealing with the fact that Christians are currently... well, outsiders in contemporary, secular society. They give a couple of stories that point to this fact, and point out some typical but not helpful ways to respond: namely, by being Conformist, Combative, Cloistered, Nostalgic, or Conflict-Avoidant Outsiders. The authors state that we're in Babylon, a society that does not share our worldviews, an environment we don't fit in.

The second part (chapters 5-11) is focused on the same ways. They start with a situation where there was tension between two Christians who had different approaches to deal with our culture. The book then looks into six ways the sub-title mentions. In each case, they define the way, give both a Biblical and a biographical example, and the weaknesses (called the Shadow Side) of each way. These ways are: 

1. The Trainer, changing Babylon by Changing Habits (such as developing spiritual disciplines, illustrated by Ezra and Dietrich Bonhoeffer),
2. The Advisor, changing Babylon by influencing leaders (getting in a position to get the ear of leaders, illustrated by Daniel and Billy Graham),
3. The Artist, changing Babylon by making beauty (illustrated by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah and former missionary/artist Vincent Van Gough),
4. The Ambassador, changing Babylon by Winning Hearts (illustrated by Paul and Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright), 
5. The Protestor, changing Babylon by Challenging injustice (illustrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and by Fannie Lou Hamer), and 
6. The Builder, changing Babylon by building institutions (illustrated by Nehemiah and business man Peter Ochs).

At the end, he has six sets of 18 questions each to help you find which of the approaches fit you. I expected to score highest in the Artist category, which I did (67 points on a possible 90). I did not expect to do as well on builder, and was surprised to see that I scored 65 on. There was little surprise I was lowest on Advisor and Protestor. 

The book concludes with a description of each of the six ways and suggested reading.

This book made good points and gave a lot to think about. For this reason, it earned 5 stars on my review. However, there were caveats that tempted me to drop it down to 4 stars. Mainly, this book seemed to take the ideas of the authors and then make Scripture fit them rather than it being Biblically based. For example, I would not consider the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to be the best examples of Artist or the three Hebrew children as being protestors. Likewise, evangelism seems to be presented as one way rather than being the answer.

Thus, I would say this is a book that deserves to be read, but I'm not as quick to endorse it as I am with other books.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "A YEAR OF PRAYER: APPROACHING GOD WITH AN OPEN HEART WEEK AFTER WEEK" BY JOHN MACARTHUR

I will confess: I have not finished reading John MacArthur's "A Year of Prayer: Approaching God With an Open Heart Week After Week" yet. In fact, I'm not even a sixth of the way through it (I'm at week 8 of 52 at the time of writing). But this is a kind of book that you can make a fair assumption what the book is like early on and whether it's one to recommend or not.

I highly recommend this book. My wife and I are going through a section a week. It consists of a passage of Scripture (not just a verse as many devotionals do) followed by a Biblically based prayer for you to pray. 

There are books designed for a whole year that I treat as if it is for a period of days. This one can fall into that category, and finish it in 52 days, because the sections are short. But my wife and I don't want to rush through this volume and give it time to make an impact.

BOOK REVIEW - "FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT: REGAINING BIBLICAL CLARITY IN A SECULAR CULTURE" BY NATASHA CRAIN

 

Pressures to conform. Some give in so they can be part of the in-club. Some give in so they won't be part of the out-club. Such pressure is not new: Remember when Israel asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king so they can be like other nations? Or that a lot of people in Jesus' time believed in Him but not publicly for fear they would be kicked out of the synagogue?

"Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture" by apologist and podcast hostess Natasha Crain points out that there is nothing wrong in being different if not fitting in is based in the truth.

In the first three chapters, Crain points out that a Christian world-view is now a minority view. She adds that secularism isn't just not being non-religious, but that this world-view is anything but neutral, pushing others to either join their lemming parade or keep quiet, at the risk of being demonized. And that pressure is affecting contemporary Christianity as well, where "compassion" is redefined as accepting what society claims is okay.

The remainder of the book encourages us to have our beliefs (Chapters 4-6), our thinking (Chapters 7-9), and our living (Chapters 10-12) to be faithful to the principles and doctrines of Scripture and resisting elements of secularism such as nationalism, individualism, virtue signaling, and "cancel culture." 

I recommend this book. 

BOOK REVIEW - "LIFE OF JESUS IN 30 DAYS" BY TREVIN WAX.

 

Definitely the best liturgical book written by a Southern Baptist I've read.

"Life of Jesus in 30 Days" is a devotional book compiled by Trevin Wax, Vice President of Research and Resource Development of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. He also has followed a similar format with book on Psalms and the Letters of Paul.

Each day is divided into three readings: morning, midday, and evening. The middle section is shorter, and Wax says it could be combined with the evening reading if your schedule does not allow the middle reading, though the midday is the shortest of the three. Each reading is highlighted by a passage from the Gospels (not in order nor exhaustive), but also has other thoughts from Scripture, creeds (the Apostle's Creed is there at least three times), and readings from the Common Prayer Book. Each of the 90 readings also includes the Gloria Patra and the Lord's Prayer.

This is a little more liturgical/high church than I'm used to. But this book and the other two I mentioned are good at helping you have a developed devotional time. I do recommend this collection.

ALBUM REVIEW - "MODERN PSALMS II" BY DAVID PATACONI

Photo borrowed from David Pataconi

Last year, I took the 20 day challenge of posting covers of albums/CDs that influenced me. Not the first time: I did it before in 2020, and was surprised that the selected ones didn't change. One exception, though: TheoTerran's self-titled album made my list, the only recent album that had that honor.

Now if you're wondering what TheoTerran has to do with a review of "Modern Psalms II" by David Pataconi, then you aren't aware that Pataconi is half of TheoTerran. While there are differences in sound, both are heavily electronic projects. 

Included on this album is "My Path To Walk," a single that was released last year (2024), and was my favorite song of that year. There are a lot of other excellent songs on this project. My favorites included "Holy," "Psalm 18 (You Are My Light)," "Psalm 56 (My Shield)," Psalm 121 (Lift My Eyes Up)," "At Your Feet," and the fantastic closing instrumental "Hope in the Void."

My favorite song from '23 was TheoTerran's "WarCry." As mentioned above, my '24 favorite was Pataconi's "My Path to Walk." Even though this is only mid-March when I'm writing this, I would not be a bit surprised if my favorite song for '25 is from "Modern Psalms II."

 

BOOK REVIEW - "YOUNG, RESTLESS, REFORMED: A JOURNALIST'S JOURNEY WITH THE NEW CALVINISTS" BY COLLIN HANSEN

 

I first heard of this book on Trevin Wax's Reconstructing Faith podcast, and soon read about it in another book I recently read ("Killing Calvinism" by Greg Dutcher). So I checked this book out.

In "Young, Restless, Reformed," journalist Collin Hansen investigates the modern resurgence of Calvinism. When Emerging Christianity seemed to be the fad of the day, Hansen went to various places where he found traditional Calvinism was alive and strong.

Hansen goes to various locations, such as the Passion Conference, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota where John Piper is the pastor, and The Southern Theological Seminary which saw a revival in Biblical inerrancy as well as Calvinism.

My opinion? This book is more of a journal of Calvinism's rebirth, interviewing not just the big names but young people who were influenced as well. It reviews people getting into Calvinism not as one trying to convince the unconvinced but a reporter telling what influenced his interviewees' lives.

I recommend this book.

BLOG UPDATE!!!

 

Sunset at our apartment complex, 2/28/25, before DST makes it later.

A quick update on this blog. I plan on cutting down posts to 2 a week, except for special occassions. Posting days will be Tuesday and Saturday - if you prefer it being Friday instead of Saturday, let me know.

Thank you for reading.

BOOK REVIEW - "CRIME SCENE SECRETS" (MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT BOOK 4) BY MAGGIE BLACK

 

Who is the John Doe killed during a wedding rehearsal? Was it the Rocky Mountain Killer - the deceased had a clip with RMK on it - or is it a copy cat killer with the same M.O.? Can FBI agent Kyle West, his K-9 partner, and  Crime Scene Investigator Ophelia solve these mysteries so the wedding can happen, but not another murder?

"Crime Scene Secrets" by Maggie K. Black is the fourth installment of Love Inspired Suspense's Mountain Country K-9 Unit series. As typical of this Harlequin imprint, this story has exciting, edge of the seat action and great characters who somehow find out how to fall in love with each other.

Yes, this is the fourth part of a nine part series, with ten different authors. Does it need to be read in order? On one hand, this story does not spoil anything if you haven't read the previous story, nor do you feel lost if you have missed a book. However, I feel it's more enjoyable with this series to read them in order. In other words, while it has it's place in the series, it also works as a stand alone.

For those who haven't read any of the series, besides the main story, the Mountain Country K-9 Unit is searching for the Rocky Mountain Killer, who killed three young men from a rancher's club a decade ago and three more in the present day. This murderer is also suspected of stealing a dog that was going to be trained to be a therapy dog. Plus, the crime tech, hoping to become a foster parent, has that process derailed because of a false accusation.

I recommend this book, the author (I've read several of her books and enjoyed them) and this series.

BOOK REVIEW - "KINGDOM POLITICS: GOVERNMENT FROM GOD'S PERSPECTI VE" BY TONY EVANS

 "Now, wait a minute!" some of you may say. "Didn't you post a review of this book less than a month ago?" 

No. Just over three weeks ago, I posted a book review on "Kingdom Politics: Returning God to Government." This post is on "Kingdom Politics: Government from God's Perspective." Let me explore the similarities and differences in this review of the latter.

"Kingdom Politics: Government from God's Perspective" by Dr. Tony Evans is the study book for a six part study based on his book "Kingdom Politics: Returning God to Government." Each of the six weekly studies are designed with an introduction section called "Hitting The Streets," and two Bible studies. Also, the book includes a code so you can log in and view a video for each of the sections.

While there is a lot of overlap, there are differences (beside this one having a dark cover and "Returning God to Government" has a white cover). "Returning God to Government" has 12 chapters divided into a trio of four chapter divisions; "Government from God's Perspective" has 6 lessons, and they don't fit perfectly with the other book.

In this age of political division, one important thing to a lot of people is if this book leans left/Democrat or right/Republican. Evans encourages we instead be "Kingdom Independents," seeking Scripture to see how God views issues. Evans believes it's possible for one person to take that approach and side with Democrats on the matter of justice while another ends up standing with Republicans for the sanctity of life. 

This is supposed to be a six week study. We managed to cram those six weeks into eighteen, spending three weeks in each chapter, going through the "Hitting the Streets" and two studies one week each. But maybe your group might move quicker.

I recommend this study.