I am so excited to see a new project out by Amy Shreve. We first were acquainted with her when she and her husband Gary Wixtrom ministered at a Voice of the Martyr Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana back in 2003. Becky and I had the honor of having them perform in two different churches we attended.
This blog was formally titled Faith, Facts and Fiction. The focus is on dealing with the Christian Faith in both Facts (Biblical Teaching, Apologetics) and Fiction (or in other words, the arts including music, novels, and visual arts.) Posts will include interviews and reviews.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
ALBUM REVIEW - "STORYMAN" BY AMY SHREVE
I am so excited to see a new project out by Amy Shreve. We first were acquainted with her when she and her husband Gary Wixtrom ministered at a Voice of the Martyr Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana back in 2003. Becky and I had the honor of having them perform in two different churches we attended.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "CHASING A KIDNAPPER" (DAKOTA K-9 UNIT BOOK 1) BY LAURA SCOTT
Who is vandalizing policewoman Trisha McCord's house and attempting to kidnap her six month old child? Is there a connection between these attacks and the two state gunrunning ring K-9 officer Wes Cole and the newly formed Dakota K-9 Unit are seeking to close down? And who does this abandoned ... hold on. I'm not spoiling this end-of-the-story plot twist.
This is the first installment of the Dakota K-9 Unit series. Like the continuity series of the last two years, Laura Scott has the honor of kicking it off. The characters are ones you can care about, as normal, and the plot will leave you guessing, with a couple of surprises waiting till the end.
One thing I like about this story: normally in these series, the K-9 team (both man and dog) are introduced in the chapter, already organized. In this one, you get to read about the organization of the team in about the 3rd chapter. Of course, you'll want to read the first two chapters to know why the K-9 unit is established.
At this point, I've read the first four of the series (as typical, written by different authors) and I highly recommend both this novel and the series (which will release a new story each month until November).
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
MY THOUGHTS ON THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK AND THE MEMORIAL SERVICE
Copy of Charlie Kirk's profile photo on Facebook |
On the morning of September 16, 2025 - six days following Kirk's assissination - I was at a men's prayer meeting at church, with six participants. The moderator asked us to go around and share our thoughts on Charlie Kirk; half of the attenders never heard of him before his death, including me.
At this point in time, I had a blessing - my computer went on the fritz on September 2 and we didn't get it going again until the 19th. Why is this a blessing? I wasn't inundated by posts and replies on my Facebook Feed!
I did get to hear several podcasts about Charlie Kirk and of the Memorial Service September 21, most of which were ones I regularly listen to (Al Mohler's "The Briefing," Alisa Childers, and Natasha Crain, and others I was familiar with to find out their slant ("Good Faith" with Curtis Chang and "Wretched Radio" with Todd Friel). I also had a couple of friends whose post was shared on my wall which I noticed once I got back on-line, and I looked up two other friends who I had a hunch would take a different (i.e. negative) perspective.
One last comment before I got started - this has taken me QUITE a while to write. At first, in late September, I thought of writing a blog on why I hadn't posted and following it up with one on Charlie Kirk. A day later, I thought Kirk was the hot story and was going to focus on that angle. I then went back to plan A, finishing the other blog on October 10th. And I felt a struggle getting back. Was that a hint that I shouldn't worry about it? Or was it telling me that this wrestling meant I was supposed to complete it? Well, if you're reading it, it's completed, so you can let me know your thoughts.
Allow me to start with two facts:
1. Charlie Kirk was a Christian. On Curtis Chang's "Good Faith" podcast - the most negative of those on Kirk himself - guest David French stated repeatedly that he disagreed strongly with Kirk on several issues, that Kirk was definitely a Christian.
2. EVERYBODY is not quite the person their dog - or their greatest fans - think he/she is, nor as terrible as their opponents make them out to be. With all the info I've looked at - and I could find much more - I have a mostly positive impression of Kirk with some flaws, and the same with the Memorial.
Allow me to now give a rapid fire thought on several things concerning the Memorial.
- I was saddened by a pair of Christian friends who gave a "10 Spies" report on the Memorial. One was three one-word-sentences, all words negative; no mention of Erica Kirk's speech on forgiving the killer. The other mentioned Erica, but neither mentioned that Christ was preached, or that people are going to church now after the killing. Very sad.
- About Christ being preached - Todd Friel (Wretched Radio) played all the segments from where Memorial speakers spoke about Christ. He pointed out there were things from some of the speakers he disagreed with (e.g. altar calls, Arminian theology) but said repeatedly that Christ was preached, Christ was preached, and he rejoiced. It's sad not all Christians have that mindset.
- Pastor/Christian musician Steve Camp pointed out something interesting and without explanation: while Kirk's widow spoke, his parents and sibling didn't. Why not? No, I have no idea.
- On the theological end, there was a mixture. Alisa Childers gave five quick facts on the Memorial, and the final 3 were "There were wolves (i.e. false teachers) there, there was bad theology there, and there was good doctrine there. Dawn Hill, hostess of the podcast "The Lovesick Scribe", has focused on the first two episodes in a series on the Memorial that there was definitely false teaching there.
- Okay, more about Kirk than the memorial, but on September 26, my Release Update had three songs about Charlie Kirk. No new ones since. One especially bothered me - "Godspeed Charlie" by Patriotic refers to him as the eternal patriot. No, I don't think so. Charlie's now in God's Kingdom.
- This leads me into "Christian Nationalism." What is Christian Nationalism? Is it when one equates Christianity with their nation? Or is this a name bullies use to silence those opposed to progressive/liberal ideas on abortion, the alphabet soup group, etc.? I always cringe when Patriotism is considered a virtue; in Russia, this means praying for victory over Ukraine. If we qualify patriotism to be righteous nations, what if our nation becomes unrighteous? And yes, persecution can arise here. The assassination, the martyrdom, of Charlie Kirk shows that possiblitiy.
Friday, October 10, 2025
AND I'M BACK! HOPE YOU DIDN'T MISS ME TOO MUCH
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No, I don't know what kind of flower/tree this is, but it's at Hopewell House, Louisville, KY. Yours truly took the picture. |
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "TEXAS SMOKE SCREEN" (BOOK 3 OF QUANTICO PROFILERS) BY JESSICA PATCH.
Who is setting fires with the victims still inside, and is it to get the attention of a local newscaster? As FBI profiler Vera Gilmore helps homicide detective and former fiance Brooks Brawley solve the case, is there a chance of a different sort of fire rekindling?
Saturday, August 30, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "THE INSPIRATIONAL STUDY BIBLE: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD (NKJV)" BY MAX LUCADO
"The Inspirational Study Bible" by Max Lucado does a great job of being Inspirational. But as a study Bible? Not as much.
This book has an introduction to each book of the Bible. As you go through it, you will see on the margins a life lesson or two developed from the Scripture covered on the two pages you're looking at. This volume is strong on giving applications to God's Word.
But what do I expect in a Study Bible?
- A column containing cross references so you can see how a topic is dealt with through Scripture. This edition does not have cross references.
- Notes that deal with exegesis of the original languages, a look at the culture of the Bible time, and an explanation of difficult passages (though study Bibles and Commentaries all too often skip those tricky passages, because the author doesn't know the answer any more than you do). This edition has some applications, but not the same kind of study notes.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "GAZING INTO DARKNESS" (QUEEN CITY HEROES, BOOK 1) BY HEIDI GLICK
Why did someone try to burn down EPA CID agent Stacey Sanderson's apartment ... with her in it? Will her partner Chance McPherson ever see her as his equal? Or could there be darkness in his past that is haunting him?
Saturday, August 23, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "TRANSFORMING CULTURE WITH TRUTH" BY LEN MUNSIL, PRESIDENT OF ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Question: If individual believers in Jesus, local churches, and Christian institutions dedicated themselves to living out the Gospel unashamed, would it not also impact society?
I'm a graduate of Southwestern College in Phoenix in the early to mid '80's, when the enrollment was between 150 and 200. Southwestern is now Arizona Christian University (aka ACU), and hit an enrollment of 1400 in Fall '24, making it the ninth consecutive year of record enrollment. Let this sink in - this consecutive record streak continued DURING the COVID pandemic. How in earth could you explain this?
If you think the President of the University would be a factor, then you'll be looking at Len Munsil, an attorney who ran for Arizona Governor in 2006, and has been the President of ACU since 2010. The story is told in "Transforming Culture with Truth" (1st edition in 2015; 2nd edition, which I'm reviewing, in 2020).
In 2012, Munsil brought a set of principles, called ACU's Core Commitments, to the Board of Trustees. This book looks at each of these 9 Commitments in the 8 chapters and Conclusion of this book. His goal is to make ACU the number 1 Christian worldview college in the country.
Nobody should be surprised if those Commitments are illustrated by what's going on at ACU, but there are other anecdotes which would help a church or a Christian organization to implement the same ideas.
After I graduated in '86 from Southwestern, I moved gradually east till I arrived in Indianapolis in '95, so I have not been following the transition of the school. However, after reading this book and hearing Munsil interviewed on the Natasha Crain podcast, I'm excited to be a Southwestern College/ACU graduate.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "UNDERCOVER COLORADO CONSPIRACY" BY JODIE BAILEY
Saturday, August 16, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "ASK. SEEK. KNOCK.: A DEVOTIONAL OF REST AND MOVEMENT" BY JOSH STONE.
The past several weeks, I've been blessed by reading "Ask. Seek, Knock," a Devotional by Josh Stone. This volume comprises of 48 devotionals and 4 poems, allowing you to either make it a weekly reading for the next year or be like me and spend seven weeks reading it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "CASE FILES VOL. 1: MURDER AND MEANING," BY J. WARNER WALLACE & JIMMY WALLACE
What connection is there between 25 year veteran detective Michael "Murph" Murphy and the serial killer who bashes his victims' heads in and then brands them? Is there a method to the murderer's madness, or is it better put "a message to his madness?" And since he does it the same day of the week, can Murph and his "A-Team" find out who it is and stop him before he strikes again?
"Case Files Vol. 1: Murder and Meaning" is a graphic novel written by Homicide Detective/Christian apologist/Author J. Warner Wallace and his son Jimmy Wallace (also in law enforcement), with great illustrations by Steve Crespo and Dario Formisani. The plot follows seasoned detective Murph, easy going Pete Leota, hard-working young mother Ashley Perez, and self-proclaimed hot shot Marco Russo as they try to catch a serial killer who keeps calling to talk to Murph.
This story gives me a realistic view of what police-work is like. For example, Leota asked Murph if they used chalk like on TV in the old days, and the fact that the members of a team may have other cases to work on besides the main one. I'll admit that it wasn't the most joyful and enjoyable novel I've read, but the writers did a great job with the plotting and with the character development. And since this is Volume 1 and having read the ending, I'm sure there will at least be a volume 2. And I'm looking forward to it.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - MOUNTAIN COUNTRY K-9 UNIT (2024)
- "Baby Protection Mission" by Laura Scott.
- "Her Duty Bound Defender" by Sharee Stover.
- "Chasing Justice" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Crime Scene Secrets" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Montana Abduction Rescue" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Trail of Threats" by Jessica Patch.
- "Tracing a Killer" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Search and Detect" by Terri Reed.
- "Christmas K-9 Guardians" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.
- What is the difference between Mountain Country and Rocky Mountain? Both are separate series with no overlaps, but it is the same geography, with one story in New Mexico but mostly staying north. By the way, the two series ends with the respective K-9 units becoming permanent, though via different roads (Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit earned it in spite of sabotage by overcoming the various battles; permanence was not a goal of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit, but they received it by being successful in their main purpose.)
- While this series has three good covers ("Crime Scene Secrets," "Montana Abduction Rescue," "Search and Detect," the infant on the cover of "Baby Protection Mission" doesn't look realistic to me. By the way, neutral rather than negative, Laura Scott starting this series with the threat of kidnapping is not the first series she kicked things off with that plot - she did the same with Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit's "Shielding the Baby", the immediately previous series - nor the last - she's launching the next series, Dakota K-9 Unit, with "Chasing a Kidnapper. How long a streak will this be?
- Some of the individual stories had twists that I didn't care for. I never care for stalker stories, where the victim has to play along to keep alive, as in the climax of "Trail of Threats" (otherwise one of my favorites). Then in "Search and Detect," Chief Chase Ralston three or four times made a good case on why he felt one of the two main suspects was the killer. Surprise, surprise, he guessed wrong. Sorry, but I thought that could have been done better.
- The top reason I was disappointed in Mountain Country K-9 Unit was what I sensed as a greater than normal dose of sadness mixed in with the happy endings. The rookie ended her story on desk duty after shooting the villain (who survived that shooting). One male lead started the story handcuffed being transported to where he'd face trial, and he was temporarily in custody at the end until they officially recognized his innocence. The cousin of another female lead's cousin found out the woman he loved and was going to marry was a serial killer and a thief. And one of the other heroines learned that her brother was the RMK and hade to deal with that.
Friday, August 8, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - PACIFIC NORTHWEST K-9 UNIT (2023)
- "Shielding the Baby" by Laura Scott.
- "Scent of Truth" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Explosive Trail" by Terri Reed.
- "Olympic Mountain Pursuit" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Threat Detection" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Cold Case Revenge" by Jessica Patch.
- "Undercover Operation" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Snowbound Escape" by Dana Mentink.
- "K-9 National Park Defenders" by Katy Lee and Sharee Stover.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ROCKY MOUNTAIN K-9 UNIT (2022)
- "Detection Detail" by Terri Reed.
- "Ready to Protect" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Hiding in Montana" by Laura Scott.
- "Undercover Assignment" by Dana Mentink.
- "Defending From Danger" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Tracking a Killer" by Elizabeth Goddard.
- "Explosive Revenge" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Rescue Mission" by Lynette Eason.
- "Christmas K-9 Unit Heroes" by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - ALASKA K-9 UNIT (2021)
The series includes:
- "Alaskan Rescue" by Terri Reed.
- "Wilderness Defender" by Maggie K. Black.
- "Undercover Mission" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Tracking Stolen Secrets" by Laura Scott.
- "Deadly Cargo" by Jodie Bailey.
- "Arctic Witness" by Heather Woodhaven.
- "Yukon Justice" by Dana Mentink.
- "Blizzard Showdown" by Shirlee McCoy.
- "K-9 Christmas Protectors" by Maggie K. Black and Lenora Worth.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK SERIES CRITIQUE - TRUE BLUE K-9 UNIT BROOKLYN (2020)
- "Copycat Killer" by Laura Scott.
- "Chasing Secrets" by Heather Woodhaven.*
- "Deadly Connection" by Lenora Worth.
- "Explosive Situation" by Terri Reed.
- "Tracking a Kidnapper" by Valerie Hansen.
- "Scene of the Crime" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Cold Case Pursuit" by Dana Mentink.
- "Delayed Justice" by Shirley McCoy.
- "Brooklyn Christmas" by Laura Scott and Maggie K. Black.*
Needless to say, there are two killers. Penelope McGregor solves the case where her parents were killed twenty years earlier in "Cold Case Pursuit", and "Delayed Justice" reveals who the modern day killer is, with an exciting rescue of the heroine.
Monday, August 4, 2025
SERIES ON LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE K-9 UNIT SERIES CRITIQUES
- "Shield of Protection" by Dana Mentink.
- "Justice Mission" by Lynette Eason.
- "Act of Valor" by Dana Mentink.
- "Blind Trust" by Laura Scott.
- "Deep Undercover" by Lenora Worth.
- "Seeking the Truth" by Terri Reed.
- "Trail of Danger" by Valarie Hansen.
- "Courage Under Fire" by Sharon Dunn.
- "Sworn to Protect" by Shirlee McCoy.
- "True Blue K-9 Unit Christmas" by Laura Scott and Maggie K. Black.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "ANSWERING THE PSALMIST'S PERPLEXITY:NEW COVENANT NEWNESS IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY) BY JAMES HELY HUTCHINSON
It seems that one book of the Bible that has interesting theories are based on Psalms. I heard one person suggest that Psalms 90-100 belong to Moses' blessing on the 12 tribes in Deuteronomy 32-33. Another taught that if you stick "19" in front of the number of the first 99 Psalms is a prophecy of what would happen in relatively recent history (e.g., Psalm 38 tells events that happened in 1938, or that, since "He is coming" is mentioned twice in chapter '96 and once in Psalm 98, it implies the rapture would take place in 1997. Okay, at least one of these above is off.
A similar but much more likely theory is proposed by James Hely Hutchinson in "Answering the Psalmist's Perplexity: New Covenant Newness in the Book of Psalms." His thesis is that the Psalmist in Psalm 89 was struggling between the unconditional covenant with David and the fact that Judah was in exile with the Davidic throne empty. As a result, Psalms develops an answer, which is in the New Testament with Christ.
In the first chapter, Hutchison defends his method including using a single book to deal with a 66 book issue and an Old Testament book to establish New Testament teaching. This is followed up with looking at seven views of how the Old and New Testaments interact from the Westminster Confession model to dispensationalism.
He launches into his theory in chapter 3. First, he deals with how Books 1-3 of Psalms (respectively Psalms 1-41, 42-72, and 73-89) sets the scene for "the Psalmist's Perplexity." Next, he looks at how the Book 4 (90-106) provides the building blocks for the answer. The outworking of the answer is covered in Chapter 5 through Book 5 (Psalms 107-150), before he focuses on the Law and the New-Covenant Believer's ethical life. He concludes by reviewing the spectrum of beliefs covered in chapter 2 and - surprise, surprise - he favors the one in the middle, though he is quick to point out this is not even close to being a salvation issue.
I found this book interesting, but not the strongest in the series. "Answering The Psalmist's Perplexity" is the 62nd in what is currently a 62 book series, and none have been out in the past year and a half (it was published in January, 2024). Additionally, D.A. Carson is listed as the series editor, except in this one, he shares billing with Benjamin L. Gladd. So I'm curious what the future is of the New Studies in Biblical Theology.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - "LOST HARBOR" (A KATY RUSSELL MYSTERY BOOK 4) BY JACKIE ZACK
Why do reporters Katy Russell and Nick Hinchman keep encountering unexplained deaths (besides the fact that this is part of the Katy Russell Mystery series)? Is it a coincidence that they're on an island with no phone, no internet, no ferry to take them off the island, and people getting sick? And will Katy and Nick realize they're in love with each other before someone makes Lost Harbor Island their final destination a one way trip?
"Lost Harbor" by Jackie Zack is the fourth of the Katy Russell Mystery series. All of these are well written mysteries, keeping you guessing until the end, and "Lost Harbor" is a prime example.
By the way, you want a novel for a week-end? Each of these are around 150 pages. Should they be considered novellas? Good question, though each are full, well written stories.
However, these stories should be read in order, from "Ice Lake" to "Big Bluff" to "Shady Grove" before hopping on the "Lost Harbor" ferry. You may feel lost if you don't read them in order, as well as spoiling some of the surprises should you read the latter books before the first ones.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and recommend each one.
Saturday, July 26, 2025
BLESSED IN HIS SIGHT IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS - A TRIBUTE TO JOHN MACARTHUR
Becky and I have been talking about going out west sometime and visit friends in California and Arizona, and one thing Becky wanted to do was to hear John MacArthur preach at Grace Community Church. That plan got scrapped when MacArthur was called to his heavenly home, July 14, 2025, at age 86 (the same age my Dad was when he passed in 2019).
My first introduction to him was at Bible College. In '79, Professor David Nicholas gave the Charismatic movement as a term paper subject in Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation) class, but said that anyone who did that subject (I did) needed to get MacArthur's book "The Charismatics" (I did). At that same time, a series based on the book was published in Moody Monthly.
Even though I moved back to Southern California after that for a short period time, I didn't follow him much, but when I pastored a church in Nebraska, a friend mentioned his tape ministry. Then, when I moved to Nashville, TN a year later, I listened to him occasionally on radio.
In '90, I got a copy of "The Gospel According To Jesus" from a friend. I didn't start reading it till four years later, but that book impacted my life. So did "Ashamed of the Gospel," which focused on pragmatism in the church.
As you may know, MacArthur didn't shy away from controversy, but one underlying thing is he stood solidly on the authority of Scripture and on expository preaching, and these items had a connection to his stand on those disputes. Two of those debates have been alluded to above. I had a friend at church who said he had a problem with MacArthur, because of their differing stands on the Charismatic movement. The funny thing is when I gave a quote from the MacArthur Study Bible (which I referred to as the Big Mac - if you saw a copy, you could see why), that friend usually admitted he agreed with MacArthur on that point. The other was with "The Gospel According To Jesus," which basically said that if a person is born again, there will be changes in his life.
Two recent things that MacArthur did which I agree. One was how he handled COVID. Some of the church felt the Biblical command to assemble together (Hebrews 10:24-25) was more important than keeping California Governor Newsom's lockdown. The church was fined by the government, but MacArthur was ready to go to court about it, and asked the state to give proof the lockdown measures worked. The state dropped the case, agreeing to drop the fines, pay the court fees and to not file any subsequent charges. The other was his support of the Legacy Standard Bible, which was consistent in transliterating Yahweh instead of using "The Lord" or "God" in all caps.
After his death a couple of weeks ago, I've read some posts and a couple of videos about his death. All of which were mostly positive, pointing out his solid stand on the Bible and expository preaching though one of the videos brought out the differences between MacArthur and his friend/fellow minister John Piper in a way that was definitely unnecessarily overdramatic. The article from Daniel Silliman in Christianity did balance the positive with some questions on the issues mentioned above and his views on women in the church (particularly Beth Moore). I did find it interesting it seemed to overlook the COVID issue.
Like J. Vernon McGee, MacArthur is in heaven but will continue to minister on earth. Grace to You has stated they will continue airing MacArthur's sermons. I'm glad.