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.