"Earth's Catastrophic Past: Volume 1" by Andrew Snelling

Special thanks to Bro. Paul Lowe for loaning me this book!

I have long had a keen interest in the realm of the Creation/evolution controversy. As far back as I can remember, my parents were watching videos and reading books with me about the dinosaurs, the flood, Creation, and evolution. We attended several presentations and debates on the subject in my younger years.
I'm not sure why this fascination is in me.... I have a whole shelf full of books on the subject, and dozens of videos.

Anyway, so I wasn't dreading the task of reading this book - even though I knew it would be highly technical in some parts. This first of two volumes written by Andrew Snelling is a very thorough introduction to the scientific feasibility studies of Noah's Flood (more appropriately, the Genesis Flood). The first 200 pages are not terribly technical, and I believe most Christians would be greatly blessed and have their faith strengthened by reading this book (and other good books on the subject - send me a message if you would like some recommendations).

While the book is too lengthy to provide a point-by-point review, I will say that the author answered some questions about the Flood that I had never even thought about. Numerous possible critiques that could be used by skeptics are thoroughly covered here.

Let's be honest... many times as Christians we are guilty of merely blindly accepting what the Bible says... While we SHOULD believe the Bible as legitimate, accurate, and trustworthy history (even if we don't completely understand it), nowhere does God ever tell us not to try to figure out how things possibly took place. This book makes a very bold attempt in that regard.

One of the best parts of the book was the walk-through of the first few chapters of Genesis. It was like a bit of a scientific Biblical commentary - very interesting. The last 150 pages or so, however, were so technical in the geologist's language that I had no choice but to "skim" those pages for nuggets of truth. There was just no way I could comprehend all of the terminology and calculations that are peculiar to the field of geology.

I've been told that volume 2 is even better... We shall see. But don't expect that review any time soon... It took me several months to finish THIS volume!

Please visit these excellent websites for more info on this subject:
http://www.icr.org/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.equip.org/

"Firsthand" by Ryan and Josh Shook

Well, it has been quite a while since I reviewed any books! Since I've had such a long break, I'm not sure whether to write a whole bunch, or to cut to the chase....

This book is targeted to a very specific audience: the young people that evacuate the church sometime after their magic 18th birthday. (We've all heard the statistics...) The theory postulated by the authors (themselves young adults) is that the reason these young people are leaving the church is that they have only managed to procure an "inherited faith" from their parents, Sunday School teachers, etc. Therefore, they are starting on a shaky foundation. Christianity isn't real to them because it is just spoon-fed information that they assume to be true. The authors sort of diagnose this problem (using real life examples from a study survey they did... I was one of the people surveyed! Cool, huh?); then they set about to show young "disillusioned" Christians how to rectify it.

I applaud the authors for attempting to tackle an apparently large problem in the church. Their passion for seeing young people become dedicated Christ-followers is truly commendable. But to be honest, I struggled to read this book. It was downright boring and cliche. The writing style was pretty weak, but the content itself left a lot to be desired.

First and foremost, I felt that the authors failed to make the case that their theory was valid.  Sure, they had lots of testimonies from people about how they never had "their own" faith... But that doesn't prove anything. There was only a small amount of outside research referenced in the beginning of the book. This gave me the feeling that they were fabricating a PROBLEM to fit the SOLUTION they had already decided upon. (I'm not accusing them of dishonesty - I'm just saying that's the feeling I got from reading the book).

Secondly, their remedy for the problem is overly simplistic. Again, not a lot of outside sources referenced... Just a kind of made-up list of stuff from Ryan and Josh Shook that will supposedly help the disillusioned young adults.... I'm seriously not trying to mock them, but why should we take their word for it? They failed to give us any reason to trust them (other than their own experiences). Not only that, but they didn't use very many Scripture references (in my opinion). A book like this should be chock-full of Bible verses.

In spite of the fact that !!!!I myself am quoted in this book!!!! (seriously... at the end of the chapter called "Question Everything."  It says, "John from Spring Lake, North Carolina" - they used one of my survey answers!); the book didn't really speak to me at all.

I'm not trying to be a killjoy - I hope some young people read this book and it makes the difference in their lives between being a "former believer" and a committed Christian. That would be amazing. I'm just saying, the book was disappointing to me. So, I'd have to give it half a star (because they quoted me). :o)

"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.

"Soul's Gate: Well Spring, Book 1" by James Rubart

This is the third book by James Rubart that I've read, and all of them are impressive and stimulating. The man can write some great stories - and his books are some of the most spiritually challenging and uplifting that you will find.
This book revolves around a prophecy concerning four people that will do great spiritual battle. This is the beginning of a series, but it also stands nicely on its own. While I am not a believer that God gives prophecies anymore (since the completion of the perfect Word of God), the themes and topics covered in the book greatly challenged my thinking concerning the power of prayer and the power of Christ in the Christian life.
So far, all of Rubart's books I've read have a Yoda-type character. This guy is always wiser than you think he is - staying one step ahead of the game. The book is full of redemption, forgiveness, and victory.
But with all that said, there are two big negatives. The author makes use of a cuss word.... Why, WHY do these authors feel it is necessary? Now, I will give him a little slack that a demon was the character who said the word - and the word was "hell", but it was obviously a cuss word and not a reference to the place. Big no-no.
The second was that, at one point, the characters shared champagne in celebration. I am of the conviction that Christians should not drink. Ever. Period. But that's a topic for later.
The characters are real, but not terribly deep. The scenes are powerful, but sometimes predictable. And the dialogue was sometimes a little cheesy. But not a bad book. "Rooms" is still way better.
I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.