"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 Spiritual Leader" by Paul Chappell



From Pastor Paul Chappell comes a very heart-felt book about some of the nuts-and-bolts of ministry. While he is writing as a pastor - and mainly TO pastors - he touches on very broad philosophies and management principles that would be applicable to a wide range of ministry leaders.

 

The chapters are very short and manageable. I read the entire book by reading one chapter each night before I went to sleep. Everything from the ministry team, to the minister's family, to the minister's time management is covered here. And I believe that these lessons come from a man who has tried to humbly and passionately serve the Lord.

 

Pastor Chappell saturates his writing with Scripture, which is crucially important. I remember recently watching a webinar (or something like that) with two pastors of large Baptist churches in Florida. For about an hour I listened to each of them talking about "leadership" principles and church management. They never quoted a Scripture. They never talked about the power of the Word of God, or the necessity of being a Spirit-filled pastor. It was quite discouraging to see how the wisdom of men creeps into the church and drowns out the voice of the Word of God. Pastor Chappell makes no such omissions.

 

The Biblical advice in this book should encourage any pastor, and give them some solid ideas, principles, and guidelines for a healthy, God-centered, and Spirit-led ministry.

 

(This book is available from Striving Together Publications - www.strivingtogether.com)

"Wounds" by Alton Gansky

"Wounds" is a very emotional book. The story centers around Dr. Ellis Poe, a professor at a small seminary in southern California. Poe is tormented by a memory that he hasn't been able to escape since the event happened almost 30 years ago: witnessing the murder of a high school classmate. Poe was too scared to go to the police. But the fear was quickly replaced by crushing guilt - guilt that he has worn like an enormous burden for nearly three decades.
Meanwhile, homicide detective Carmen Rainmondi is on the trail of a serial killer. The murders have all been bizarre and brutal, with no obvious connections and no useful evidence. Each victim is ruthlessly tortured before death. What's more, the killer appears to be taunting the homicide team. Can Dr. Poe finally put his conscience to rest, and will Detective Rainmondi catch the killer before his grand finale?

I have the utmost respect for our law enforcement officers and investigators. Sure, there are dirty cops just like there are corrupt politicians and hypocrite pastors. But these men and women behind the badge do a tremendous service for our society. (Can you imagine what our nation would be like without them?) Alton Gansky did a great job of painting the law enforcement community as a tight-knit family (not without internal conflict) with a high regard for justice. He also took me inside the tormented mind of the homicide detective: a person who sees the worst crimes but looks beyond the gruesome to find the killers. These behind-the-scenes heroes are often overlooked and under-appreciated.

The main characters were well-developed and fairly realistic, but at times the book took on an almost "dark sitcom" feel. There may have been a tad bit too many lame jokes between cops. (But then again, I'm not a cop. Perhaps they need to have a macabre sense of dry humor in order to keep their sanity intact while viewing mutilated bodies day in and day out... If I ever meet one, I'll ask them.)

It was a very engrossing novel. I could feel the evil emanating from the pages when I was reading about the murders and the killer. My heart ached for the families that learned of their losses. I wanted to give Dr. Poe a hug and tell him that God had forgiven him. These are the kind of emotions and feelings that only great authors can elicit from us. And I believe Alton Gansky is a great author.

I have no major criticisms of this book. The story was over a little too fast (the good ones always are), and I would have liked a little more resolution and closure. However, without the resolution I am left with "tastes" of the book in my mind long after I am finished reading it - instead of merely closing the book, saying "that was good," and promptly forgetting about it. Perhaps that was one of Gansky's objectives? If so, well done, sir. I am still pondering it even though I finished it two days ago.....

"The Witness" by Josh McDowell

Josh McDowell has a remarkable testimony. The books that he has written are powerful tools for the Christian who needs answers for skeptics.
I've had the privilege to hear Josh McDowell speak in person, and his winsomeness and speaking ability make it easy to see why his ministry has blossomed so much. He truly has impacted many people around the world for the sake of God's truth.

This is the first fiction book I've read by Josh McDowell (I'm not even sure if he has any others). And, I must say that he did a very good job putting together an enjoyable story.

The main character is Marwan Accad, owner of a Middle-Eastern security company that caters to the ultra-wealthy. When one of Marwan's clients is assassinated, Marwan is framed for the hit. He must find a way to clear his name while keeping one step ahead of those who are now trying to kill him.

Along the way, he is confronted with questions about death, God, and eternity. The answers to these questions remain elusive - until God brings a few unlikely people into his path (as you can probably tell from the silhouette on the cover, he falls in love with one of them).

I enjoyed the story. It was fast-paced and had a lot of action. There was also a very good Gospel message throughout the book, which I love. Even the graphic scenes (and there was some violence and death, as well as some drug usage and immoral encounters) were written very discreetly and tastefully. It is hard for a Christian author to write realistically about the sins of those without Christ and to remain tasteful and gracious, but the author managed to do so.

However, while Josh McDowell certainly is a skilled story-teller, this book was not quite as polished as some of my other favorite thrillers. Sometimes the conversations were a little forced. Sometimes the scene descriptions were over-the-top, and sometimes they were lacking. But all in all, the book was a good read. I would have no trouble recommending it. And the ending may or may not be satisfying to you. (I, personally, was a little bummed at the ending...)

I finished the book in a couple of sittings, so if you are looking for a quick, enjoyable, and Christian thriller - try this one out.

"The Road Ahead" by Paul Chappell

Earlier this year, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the Spiritual Leadership Conference at Lancaster Baptist Church in California. I had heard a few of Pastor Paul Chappell's recorded sermons, and I had even read one or two of his books. West Coast Baptist College was one of the institutions I had considered attending when I graduated high school.

But to be there at the church was quite an experience. It is very clear that the church has a lot of energy and passion for evangelism and for ministering to their community. The conference was excellent in so many ways! While I was there, I picked up this book (and a few dozen more...).

One thing I've learned about Paul Chappell is that he has an extremely fresh and soundly biblical perspective on ministry. He lies somewhere between old-school fundamentalism and the new breed of independent Baptist churches (such as some of the newer BBF churches - at least, from what I've seen in our neck of the woods). He is very hard to label without strictly defining (or RE-defining) the labels you are trying to stick on him. So, some of what he says in this book may catch you off-guard.

This book is a challenge to - and an honest evaluation of - the independent Baptist movement. He challenges us to shed some of our long-held (but grossly unbiblical, and border-line sinful) ideas about ministry, pastoring, and our relationships to other churches and Christians. It is no secret that the word "fundamentalist" gives us an automatic black-eye in the eyes of some in our culture. How are we to evangelize in such an environment? How can we present the love and grace in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ while so many see the name "Baptist" as indicative of intolerance, bigotry, and hypocrisy? There have been too many preachers filled with anger and pride, and too many moral failures have been covered up and mishandled.

With a strong plea to rally around the unchanging Word of God, Pastor Chappell gives some very helpful advice for independent Baptist pastors as we look to the future of our movement. He also includes some very interesting information on the history of the independent Baptists - some of which I'd read before, but some of it was new to me.

Paul Chappell writes with sincerity, Godly wisdom, and a love for the truth. He also has a passion for the men and women in ministry. This book was encouraging and convicting, stirring and sobering.

If you are (or if you have a friend or loved one who is) a young independent Baptist preacher, who perhaps is wrestling with the idea of being "branded" as one of "those Indie-Fundies", and is considering leaving the movement or dropping "Baptist" in their church's name - this book is a must read. There is hope.

I thank God for men like Paul Chappell who look beyond the idols of personalities and the petty conflicts regarding methodology. Let's get back to the real heart of ministry. Fantastic book.