"Prophecies of Pale Skin" by D.S. Phillips

A man that I highly respect named Ed Gibson recommended this book to me. Sometime today, Bro. Ed and his family will be at a funeral for their 7-year-old grandson, Stephen, who lost his battle with a cancerous brain tumor this week. Please pray for the Gibson family as their family still struggles with their loss.

Ed Gibson was a missionary in Japan for years, and now he is a promoter of all things "Missions" to churches in America. He always preaches with great passion and conviction - and he usually challenges your preconceived ideas of what God is doing in the work of Missions. With the way the world is rapidly changing, our churches cannot be content to "do missions" the way we've always done it. With voices like Bro. Ed's speaking to the next generation of missionaries and missions-minded churches, I believe we have a chance to turn things around and see a renewed focus in spreading the Gospel around the world. This book illustrates the possibilities of what can happen when we take up the cause of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

This book is incredible. The true story it tells is almost unbelievable. I can easily say - and I don't throw statements like this around lightly - that this is one of the best books you will ever read in your lifetime. Now, there were plenty of typos and grammatical problems. It wasn't the most skillfully written book. Some sentences were long and confusing, with dangling participles and such.
But the powerful story will easily make even the most OCD grammar-and-spelling advocates overlook those little issues.

The story centers around two young Christians who fall in love, get married, and then surrender their lives to take the Gospel to the most unreached people group that they can find. Their journey takes them to the most remote parts of Indonesia where they make contact with the Dao people. This tribe of people have a reputation for being fierce and murderous. What will it take for this young couple to learn the language and culture of the people so that they can preach the message of Christ to them? What will the people's response to the Gospel be?

I cannot even tell you much more, because I don't want to give away any of the miraculous things that God did to pave the way for them. Bro. Phillips and his family are missionaries in every sense of the word. I was greatly convicted by this story. If this young family could forsake all modern comforts and their own family to live in the jungle and preach the Gospel, how much more should I be willing to tell my neighbors?

I don't usually promote sales or direct my readers to other websites, but the Kindle edition of this book is only $10 on Amazon. Skip a fast-food meal and buy this book right now.

"No Easy Day" by Matt Bissonnette ("Mark Owen") and Kevin Maurer

The American way of life changed on September 11, 2001. I am not a wordsmith, so I will not attempt to offer a memorial of the lives lost on that day. Our nation mourned greatly - and still mourns - over the loss of so many of our fellow Americans.
On the 13th anniversary of those terror attacks, I thought it appropriate to write this review of the book "No Easy Day," which is a first-hand account of Operation Neptune Spear (the mission that led to the death of Osama bin Laden). Obviously, the mission itself was carried out in May of 2011 - but this mission was a significant moment in the country's response to the attacks.

Let me say up front: as a Christian, I do not believe it is right, appropriate, or Christ-like to rejoice over someone's death. Osama bin Laden is burning in hell right now, and he will be for eternity. This sobering fact will never ease the pain for those who lost loved ones on 9/11. (The sad reality is, many of the victims of 9/11 are also probably in hell right now). So, I do not cheer the death of bin Laden. It may have been necessary - and beneficial - for our country. However, if God Himself does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, then I cannot either (Ezekiel 33:11). I mourn also that bin Laden never repented of his sins and trusted in Christ as His Savior. Had he done so decades ago, it is possible that 9/11 never would have happened (although that is not to say some other terrorist wouldn't have attempted something similar). Remember, Christ's command was to "love your enemies" - Matthew 5:44. And also remember that God is not willing that ANY should perish (even the "bin Ladens" of the world) - 2 Peter 3:9. Christ died for bin Laden, too.

I won't attempt to comment much on the ethics of the operation written about in the book - nor the "War on Terror" as a whole. This is a simple book review blog, so I will review the book on its own merits as a work of non-fiction.

The large heading above the title of the book on the front cover says, "The firsthand account of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden." But we don't get to that mission until near the end of the book. The small heading under the title says, "The autobiography of a Navy SEAL." Due to the author's attempts at hiding his identity, the autobiography was pretty weak. More than once, I got the feeling that this book wasn't sure what it wanted to be... Is it an autobiography/memoir? Is it a "set-the-record-straight" bombshell? Is it an intimate peek at the Navy's elite SEAL teams and what it takes to become a SEAL? Ultimately, the book was some of all of these - but not definitively ANY of them.

If you have heard about this book at all, it is probably because of the controversy surrounding it. "Mark Owen" is a pseudonym used by the author. In fact, almost all of the names in the book are fabrications, in order to protect the identities of the operators and personnel involved in the missions and training. But very soon after the book was written, it was leaked that former SEAL Matt Bissonnette was actually the author. The military community - and the US government - overwhelmingly condemned the author for writing this book. They claim it was not properly vetted to ensure that no information contained in it would put any personnel or operations at risk. Others have said that each operator involved in the mission signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement and that Bissonnette violated that agreement (and therefore betrayed his brothers-in-arms). I am not an expert in the legalities of it all, but if this is true one has to wonder what the author's real motives for writing this book were. He pretty much admits that writing this book was one of the first things that he started after the mission was over. I couldn't help but get the feeling that he knew all along that he was going to try to turn a profit on this story - which severely weakens his claim that he wrote the book to "set the record straight" (author's own words).

Don't get me wrong, the book was interesting enough. I finished it quickly. I enjoyed hearing an insider's perspective on the close-knit special forces community. It was thrilling to hear about the split-second decisions that had to be made in the heat of the mission. When I am presented with stories like these, a part of me is intensely thankful that our country has men brave enough and tough enough to carry out these missions. And let's face it - every man wonders at some point in his life if he would have had the "right stuff" to be one of those heroes.

On a more basic critical level, there was a pretty decent amount of vulgar language and talking about crude topics, which is not surprising. The book was never dull - no scene or chapter dragged on to the point of being boring. It was about what I expected it to be, but it did not really blow me away in any sense. In fact, it was rather anti-climactic!

Again, I will leave the finer arguments of the ethics/legality of the US military operations in the middle east for others to debate. I will also leave the theological/moral issues for Christians to be discussed by those more qualified. I am still proud and glad to be an American citizen - and I have much respect for our military.

On this anniversary of 9/11, please take a few moments to pray for those who lost loved ones that day. And pray for our men and women who are still overseas serving our country.

"The God Diagnosis" by Dr. Greg E. Viehman, M.D.

 Recently, my pastor placed this book into my hands, and simply said: "That's a great book."  Now that I've read it, I believe that statement is equivalent to looking at the Grand Canyon and saying, "That's a big hole."

This book is the story of Dr. Greg Viehman's journey to faith in Christ. I really didn't know what to expect when I started. This doctor was a stranger to me - I'd never heard of him. So, I figured it would be a typical testimony.(Doesn't that sound terrible?  How is it "typical" for ANYONE to be miraculously saved by the grace of God?)

The story starts with the description of Dr. Viehman and his restlessness in life. He had everything that life could offer - except peace. The questions in his heart about the purpose of life, and whether or not some things last forever, went unanswered for so long. He was lost, hopeless, unhappy, and frustrated. A few encounters with Christians left a fairly bad taste in his mouth - and he figured they didn't have any answers either.

Through a series of events, Dr. Viehman sets out to prove that Christians are hypocrites - to prove that the Bible is baloney.  Through careful, methodical study, he realizes instead that the Bible is incredibly true (this part of his story, which he calls The Investigation, is excellent! most Christians probably never realized how entirely reasonable it is to believe that Jesus is God, and that the Bible is God's absolutely true Word. It's not just a blind leap of faith!).

After coming to the conclusion that the Bible is true, God exists, and Jesus came to earth to die for his sins, Dr. Viehman is born again..... but there are a few surprises both before and after the fact! I can't say too much more, because I want you to read the book!

This book is perfect to give to anyone. If they are seeking answers, they might follow Dr. Viehman's journey and find them. If they are NOT seeking answers and peace and salvation, they might realize that they NEED to. And if they are already believers in Christ, they might be convicted that salvation is a miraculous work of God. - and that God is much nearer than we maybe ever thought.

Deep enough to intrigue the most skeptical mind, yet simple and understandable enough to reach anyone, this book is a powerful story. I just can't help but praise the Lord for his grace after reading such a fantastic true story of a journey to faith!  It makes me appreciate my own salvation testimony even more.

You can find more information on the book's website:  www.goddiagnosis.com

"The Road to Unafraid" by Capt. Jeff Struecker

 Captain Jeff Struecker is well-known for two reasons: #1 - Winning the Best Ranger competition in 1996, and #2 - leading part of the rescue effort in Somalia during the Black Hawk Down incident (yes, the same incident featured in the book and movie of the same name).

I believe he should be well-known for two other reasons. #1 - His outstanding Christian testimony, and #2 - his skill at writing. I previously reviewed the first novel that he co-authored with Alton Gansky (see here); and I was overwhelmingly impressed at the action, the story-line, the depth of the characters, and the Christian emphasis in that book... I'm planning on reading the next several books that this duo has written - they are on my list, but so are a couple hundred others, so it may take a while to get to them!

In this book, Capt. Struecker chronicles his early life and what led him to join the Army in the first place. He also details the personal love of pushing himself to the limits, which is the reason he became a Ranger. He pushed himself always to do his very best and to BE the very best - an ethic that stuck with him after he became a dedicated Christian. Struecker saw action in Panama, Kuwait, and of course Somalia; and he details some of the challenges and horrors of war that he faced in those situations. He writes with gut-wrenching emotion, holding nothing back. He probes the deepest parts of his own mind and spirit to give his readers the clearest picture. The result is truly captivating.

But the most captivating part of the book, at least to me, was how he faced the challenge of deciding to follow Christ. And I'm not just talking about getting saved - I'm talking about his change of lifestyle to stop smoking, drinking, swearing, and listening to rock music (while already a Ranger - imagine the pressure!). I'm also talking about his decision to go to seminary and enter the ministry (he became a chaplain). These stories are highly inspirational. I wish every man could read this book to see that being a Christ-follower is not a sign of weakness.

The book ends with a lengthy pep-talk for the reader - and a clear sign pointing to Christ as the only hope for mankind for eternity. If you want to read a book that will challenge you to push yourself to the limits for Christ, then read this one. If you have a loved one who is in the military, and is facing the questions of life and eternity, give them a copy of this book. Struecker handles these issues in a way that no one else but a combat veteran and committed Christian could present them. And most importantly, Jesus Christ shines through this story as the true Hero and Savior.