Christian Book Notes

Hall, Robert.  Edited by Nathan A. Finn.  Help to Zion’s Travellers.  Mountain Home: BorderStone Press, LLC., 2011.  266pp.  $24.95.  Purchase at Amazon.

Introduction

Robert Hall, Sr. is primarily known today because of his son, Robert Hall, Jr.  What many fail to realize is that the famous son learned to preach from the lesser known father.  What is more, the elder Hall influenced such notable men as William Carey, Andrew Fuller, and John Ryland, Sr.  In this republication of Help to Zion’s Travellers, we discover a ground breaking work in its day dealing with the issue of hyper-Calvinism.

Summary

The book is divided into three parts but with over 50 pages of forewards, prefaces, and introductions, there really are four parts.  The first section of the book offers much in the way of historical context and the impact of this particular work down through the years.  Part one is concerned with who Christ is and the love of God as found in the doctrines of election and atonement.

The second part looks toward the sinner who is commanded to repent and put his faith in Christ even though not all will do so.  Herein is the primary issue dealt with by Hall.  Can a sinner, who is not elect, be commanded to repent of his sin and turn to Christ?  Secondly, should a believer freely proclaim the gospel to everyone knowing full well that not all can or will come to salvation in Christ?

The third part moves to the more practical element of those who are believers.  In the three chapters found in part three, the reader is treated to a chapter on the sins of believers, what it means to hate the world and finally the errors of false religions.

Review

I will admit that at first I was not all that interested in reading this work.  That is nothing against the editor of this current publication.  Rather, it was based more on my own ignorance of who Robert Hall, Sr. was and the influence he had on men I admire.  I wasn’t all that concerned, either, with another treatise against hyper-Calvinism.  What I wound up reading, however, was a sweet salve to a hurting soul.  There was more information, both doctrinally and pragmatically, written into this treatise against the heresy that is hyper-Calvinism.

Furthermore, the pastoral tone that Hall wrote with was one of great love and compassion for his readers.  Reading this work led to much rejoicing in spirit as well as worship of the author of life and salvation.  Finn has done the church a great favor in editing this work for publication to get into the hands of today’s Christian.

Hall’s treatments of such subjects as the atonement and the new birth (to name a few) offers much to the believer today.  This work will help to dispel many myths (still) running rampant in the church today concerning Calvinism.  To know that this book influenced the launching of what later came to be known as the modern missionary movement helps to underscore its value for the church today.

Recommendation

While the price may seem a bit high, I firmly believe the money will be well spent.  The title, Help to Zion’s Travellers, is very appropriate in that this work will certainly provide great help to the believer on his journey to eternal life with Christ.  You will find yourself worshiping the Lord and recommending this resource to others who are struggling in their faith walk.

Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions, Volume 2: Exploring Forty Alleged Contradictions.  Edited by Ken Ham, Bodie Hodge, and Tim Chaffey.  Green Forest:  Master Books, 2012.  174 pp.  $12.99.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

We know that person who says that the Bible cannot be true because it is full of contradictions.  When pressed, however, many are often unable to offer any real legitimate apparent (Important word here) contradiction.  When they do offer one, the believer is sometimes caught off guard.  Instead of fumbling for an answer, let them know that you will look into it and get back with them.  Where will you look?  Where can you go for a quick and ready resource that offers simple answers to some of the apparent contradictions found in Scripture.

Thankfully, Ken Ham, Bodie Hodge, and Tim Chaffey have edited a second volume to their popular Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions series.  (You can get the first volume here.)

Summary

This resource deals with 40 supposed contradictions in the Bible.  The editors have arranged them canonical order so that they are a bit easier to find.  They introduce the work with a chapter explaining that a good defense against these charges is to have a good offense.  If you can keep the skeptic off balance then you do not allow him (or her) to string together their pearls of contradictions leaving the believer feeling foolish and doubting.

Review

Fortunately, the contributors and editors do not get so dogmatic as to say that there are not apparent issues with the different accounts of the same historical events or that God seems to be one way in text and another (often completely opposite) in another text.  What they all do extremely well is work from the foundation of 2 Tim. 3:16 and give credence to the inerrancy of Scripture.  This is once again an essential discussion that has to take place in the church today.

I appreciated how they drove home the point that context is everything and that the Bible is truly the Word of God without error.  In so doing they lay the foundation of submission to Scripture and a humility in approaching the Word of God that is needed by so many today.

Recommendation

It is a beautiful thing to be able to pick up a book that reinforces THE BOOK.  I am grateful for New Leaf Publishing and the ministry of Ken Ham et al.  While I personally do not always agree with everything that is said or written, I have always benefited deeply from these resources.  Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Vol. 2 is certainly one of those that needs to be on the shelves of all Christians who deal with unbelievers and skeptics.  Even more, you may find that some of your own questions will be answered through reading this book.

Foster, Bill.  Meet the Skeptic: A Field Guide to Faith Conversations.  Green Forest:  Master Books, 2012.  144 pp.  $10.99.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

Bill Foster teaches Christian apologetics to believers of all ages.  He holds a B.A. in English and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from Savannah College.  He owns a brand image and design firm which gives him a unique perspective of how the popular culture perceives and is influenced by the ideas that shape our world.  He believes that understanding the worldviews underlying various objections is essential to reaching the heart of a skeptic’s thinking.  You can read more about the book at MeetTheSkeptic.com.

Summary

This resource is divided into twelve chapters though the more important divisions are found in the four skeptics Foster discusses.  The first four chapters lay the foundation for the entire book — it’s use and how to effectively engage the unbeliever.  Chapter four argues for four basic categories of skeptics upon which the rest of the book, two chapters per category, is dedicated.  The four categories of skeptics are spiritual, moral, scientific, and biblical.

Each category offers a nutshell one page description followed by a few pages of the “root idea.”  In this root idea, you will find common objections to the Christian faith as well as ways in which the believer can counter those objections.  Ultimately, Foster moves the reader to “dig up the root idea” of each spiritual problem.  Once the root idea has been understood, the reader will be taught how to effectively handle the objections without getting sidetracked by the objections.

The second chapter of each category offers red-flag words in which the believer is taught how to circumvent never ending rabbit trails.  Also, the reader is exhorted and cautioned against many other pitfalls to be aware of during the conversation(s).

Perhaps one of the best features of this resource is found on the page opposite the Table of Contents.  On this page, they have a list of pop culture references with page numbers where they are discussed in the work.  This enables the reader to quickly jump to a specific point and be prepared to readily engage the unbeliever.

Review

There is absolutely much to love about this resource.  Bill Foster offers concise and insightful conversation points.  His style of writing is perfect for the new believer just as it is perfect for the seasoned believer.  This book was written in the trenches of the war so to speak.  In other words, Bill Foster is not writing as one who engages in philosophical debates on a college campus.  Rather, he writes as one who is involved in these conversations in every day experiences.  He has obviously been trained by real to life experiences…similar to the ones you and I have each day.  It is that knowledge and experience that makes this book so invaluable to the believer.

While I do believe that the believer ought to study Scripture more than any other world view or apologetic methodology (hey, to better identify counterfeit money, one must study, intimately, the real thing), I found Foster’s work to be refreshing and very real.  It is a resource that will go a long way in equipping the readers to better engage the people we work with and see each day.  It may even prove to be extremely helpful in dealing with your unbelieving family members.   This book is properly subtitled A Field Guide to Faith Conversations.

Recommendation

Apologetics was my first academic love after becoming a Christian.  One of the road blocks, humanly speaking, to my coming to faith was the inability of believers to be able to articulate what they believed and why they believed it.  I have read and reviewed a number of apologetic works and have enjoyed and learned something new from each.  Foster’s book, Meet the Skeptic, has offered something slightly different than the rest of the books in the field of apologetics.  While there are other works of apologetics that I would recommend over Meet the Skeptic because of their specific content or intended audience, this is the first work of apologetics that I see as being a must have on every Christian’s shelf.  This field guide will prove an invaluable resource to the believer.  I highly recommend Meet the Skeptic to all believers without reservation.

Profiles in Reformed Spirituality - Venture all for God: Piety in the Writings of John Bunyan.  Edited by Roger D. Duke and Phil A. Newton.  Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2011.  196 pp.  $10.00.  Purchase at Westminster Books for less.

Introduction

I have interviewed and reviewed books by Dr. Roger Duke in the past as well as having had the pleasure of meeting him in person at a recent conference.  You can read the reviews, the interview and even a couple papers he presented here.  Phil Newton is heavily involved in the Founder’s Conference as well as the serving as the Pastor of South Woods Baptist Church.  He has written a number of helpful books of which a couple can be found here.

The Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series is personally one of my favorite series of books and Bunyan is one of those authors that has resonated with me through the years.

Summary

Divided into a life introduction followed by seven sections of sermon snippets, one could spend weeks digesting the thoughts of Bunyan from subjects such as Christ our Advocate and Him as the merciful Savior.  The third section offers much hope for the sinners while sections four through seven contain more practical (not that the gospel is not practical!!!) to living the Christian life.  In section four, the reader is exposed to what true humility looks like while section five is about Christian ethics.  The seventh section offers warnings.

I saved sections six for last because I believe it to best sum up the entire book and thus the life of John Bunyan.  Section six is aptly entitled the Gospel Applied.  Here we have the shortest of all sections in terms of only two selections, but much to chew on and guide one’s reading of the works of the great Dreamer.

Review

I enjoyed reading snippets from some of Bunyan’s lesser known works though I found the number of selections from The Jerusalem Sinner Saved to be just as appropriate.  The biographical sketch at the beginning of the book is an extremely helpful, albeit short, introduction to the life of John Bunyan.  Many know the highlights due in large part to his Pilgrim’s Progress.  Sadly, many do not know much, if anything at all, about the rest of his life, writings, and ministry.  Venture all for God will go a long way to rectify that problem.

Another helpful section in this small work is found at the end.  The two editors offer a guide to various books in print that can be purchased in order to read more of John Bunyan.

Recommendation

If you have ever read or even heard of Pilgrim’s Progress then I highly recommend that you pick up this introduction to John Bunyan and his life.  For less than $10 you can add a book to your library that you are sure to read time and again.  What is more, you will find that this book will somehow multiply the books on your shelf as you will want to begin reading more and more of John Bunyan.  You will not be sorry once you read this book.  In fact, I dare you say, the Lord would use this work to help your walk with Christ.

Comfort, Ray.  God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message.  Bellflower: Living Water Publications, 2010.  128 pp.  $8.99.  Purchase at Amazon for much less.

Introduction

Ray Comfort has, graciously, become a very familiar name here at Christian Book Notes.  We recently hosted a “Living Waters Week” featuring a few reviews and one interview with Ray.  You can read all of those and more here. This particular work, God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life is, in my estimation, a foundational work for the ministry of Living Waters.  All of Ray’s teachings revolve around the issue presented in this book.

Summary

The book is small at only 128 pages.  When you see that it is divided into eight chapters and has a forward and appendix along with endnotes and recommended resources, you quickly realize that this a very fast read.  Beginning in chapter one, Comfort shows that the problem with biblical evangelism versus many modern methods is that biblical evangelism does not lead to the phenomenal growth so many pastors and congregations deem as a successful ministry.  Chapter two and three further explore the sad realities of offering Jesus as a fix-all to our problems.  Chapter four is pivotal in that Comfort now shifts the reader’s attention to what needs to be explained to those in need of the gospel (and that is all of us).

The work concludes with chapters titled “making grace amazing” and “what did Jesus do?”  From chapter four through chapter eight the reader will be introduced to a proper understanding of biblical evangelism according to Christ.  The appendix is dedicated to those who evangelize using the Four Spiritual Laws of Campus Crusade.  Here, Comfort does critique the methodology while affirming the heart behind men like Dr. Bill Bright and others within the organization.

Review

First, this book has automatically moved to the top of my list insofar as book covers are concerned.  The title and the picture are so disturbing and thought provoking that for once, you can judge a book by the cover.  When you are called to follow Christ, you are called to die.  We seem to forget that in our evangelism.

While there have been a number of books penned recently dealing with the shallow depth of much evangelism today, I cannot recall one that has so well explained the problem while also offering a solid, biblical solution without being divisive among conservatives.  There has been much written about losing children to the world as they grow older or the dwindling numbers found in most congregations or churches that are just no longer vibrant.  I believe Ray Comfort has thrown an atomic bomb in the midst of all church goers as to why it appears that people are no longer interested in the faith.  The reality is, our churches are dying because so many “members” are unconverted.

Comfort shows from Scripture why so many methods are bankrupt of true conversions (though God does bless even the poorest evangelism as I am a testimony to).  He also shows, from the lips of Jesus Christ, the manner in which He proclaimed the Kingdom.  Why not seek to be more like Christ in our evangelism?  That is not to say that it is the only method of evangelism.  What one cannot say is that it is not biblical even if it does not bring in a record number of converts.

Recommendation

Be careful reading this book.  You may discover and begin to question your own faith.  That is a good thing as assurance is not guaranteed though is promised to those who fight the fight of faith.  Ray Comfort’s book, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life needs to be must reading for all believers.  To that end, you can get one single copy of God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life for free.  You can also order the books in bulk for $1 each.  I highly recommend doing one or both.  This is a book you will give away over and over.  I promise.

Ray Comfort was kind enough to take time out of his schedule to answer some questions.  In reading this first part of a two part interview, you will find that Ray is a man after God’s own heart with a humorous side to him as well.

Ray is a Best-selling Author & Co-Host with Kirk Cameron of The Way of the Master television program and an itinerant evangelist who is known for his sermon Hell’s Best Kept Secret (You can find it on the home page of the ministry’s website or watch it here) and his The Way of the Master evangelism training seminars and now Basic Training Course (read review here).

Christian Book Notes (CBN):  Could you share how you came to know Christ as Lord and Savior?

Ray:  I was born in 1949, just four years after the Second World War. My Jewish mom married a Gentile (to the horror of her parents), and Mom and Dad decided to put “Methodist” on my birth certificate, because they were concerned that there may be another Nazi-type holocaust. Despite the Methodist label, in my 22 years as a non-Christian, I was left without any real instruction about God.

I started surfing at the age of 13, left school at the age of 17, and worked in a bank for three years. During that time I met and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Sue. She was made for Comfort–a very cute 4 foot 10 inches tall.

Around that time I saw a picture of a professional surfer I admired, wearing a “fringed” cowboy jacket, so I and made one for myself. Friends so liked it, they asked me to make jackets for them. There was so much interest, I left the bank, opened a combined leather gear and surf wear store, and eventually made 250 jackets.

Sue and I were married in 1970, and late in 1971, something happened that changed my life forever. After she drifted off to sleep I looked at her and thought, “I am part of the ultimate statistic. Ten out of ten die. I have everything I want in life–my own business, a car, my own house, freedom to do what I want when I want, and a beautiful wife, but death is going to tear from my hands everything I hold dear.” I sat on the edge of the bed and wept at the futility of life.

I then decided to do all I could to ensure that I lived a long healthy life. I visited my local doctor to ask him how I could remain well, and noticed that he looked deathly sick as he sat behind his desk and breathed in the burning fumes of a cigarette. He became a mortal statistic a few years later. I then looked to science for an answer to my dilemma, and noticed that they were more concerned about putting a man on the moon than they were about the fact that death awaited all of us. There seemed to be no answer to the problem of death. I resigned myself to my utter futility and hopelessness.

Six months later (April of 1972), Sue allowed me to leave her and our newborn son and go on a surfing trip with friends. Five of us traveled about 100 miles north of my home. One of them was a Christian.

On the second night, I found myself in Graham Read’s room talking about the things of God. Earlier that evening I had read the words of Jesus: “You have heard that it was said by them of old ‘You shall not commit adultery’” and had mumbled, “Good. If there’s a Heaven I will probably get there because I haven’t committed adultery.” But then I read something that cut me in two: “But I say to you, that whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.” I was shocked. I thought, “Does God see my thought-life! Has he seen what I am really like? If He is going to judge me by that standard–that lust is adultery, I’m not going to make it to Heaven. I will end up in Hell!”

I remembered one incident that happened some months earlier in my store. A young lady had wanted me to make her a leather mini-skirt, and as I measured her hips I became nervous. My fear was one of committing adultery. I was happily married, but there was something in me that I couldn’t identify, that seemed to consume my want to do good.

During a 6 ½ hour conversation I suddenly understood the cross. It had never made sense to me. I believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Like most people, I prayed at night out of habit. But once I saw that I had sinned against God, and was heading for Hell, I understood the cross. I was a criminal in His eyes. God was a Judge. I had violated His Law–the Ten Commandments, but Jesus stepped in 2,000 years ago, and paid my fine. That meant that God could freely dismiss my case. He could commute my death sentence!

That night I repented and put my trust in Jesus Christ and passed from death to life. I remember thinking, “This is what I have been looking for! Thank you dear Lord–You heard my cry and saved me from death. You didn’t leave me in the dark and hopeless shadow of death. I am so grateful. Words can’t express my gratitude. What do you want me to do?” I called Sue and said, “Are you lonely?” She said “Yes I am,” so I responded, “Well don’t worry. God is with you.”

I was a new person. Brand new. I was no longer drowning in the sea of my own lusts. My feet were established on the rock of the fear of the Lord. Now I had a reason to flee from temptation–because I feared God. When temptation came, I could say with Joseph, “How could I do this thing and sin against God!”

It was radical when I was born the first time. I didn’t exist, then suddenly I did. This new birth was just as radical. I couldn’t help thinking about God, when for the previous 22 years I hadn’t given Him one moment’s serious thought. The Bible suddenly came alive. I had found everlasting life, and there are no words that can express how grateful I am for the fact that God saved me from death and Hell.

(CBN):  You have written a number of books (view reviews of resources by Ray Comfort here). Which book has been your most memorable thus far personally?

Ray:  It is a book that is called, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life. The cover is a picture of Stephen being stoned to death. It’s about how the Church has strayed from biblical evangelism by telling people that Jesus will fix all your problems—that the Christian life is a bed of roses, and they forget to tell you about all the thorns. This false gospel has filled the contemporary Church with millions of false converts.

(CBN):  Aside from the Bible, what authors or books have been most influential in your walk with Christ and in your ministry?

Ray:  Charles Spurgeon’s great work, Lectures to My Students has probably been the most influential.  

(CBN):  You and Kirk Cameron team up for street evangelization and have since written and taught an evangelism Basic Training course entitled Way of the Master. How difficult was it to write and teach that course given all of the misconceptions of what evangelism is today?

Ray:  It really wasn’t too difficult for me, because I have shared a teaching called “Hell’s best kept Secret” 834 times (you can find this message on this page here). The entire Seasons 1-3 of our television program is made up of different teachings I’ve been doing for years. When you have gone over a biblical teaching that many times it becomes second nature. Kirk has a very sharp mind and a great deal of experience and with his helpful tweaking we were able to make it work for television.

(CBN):  What is it like to work with Kirk Cameron?

Ray:  I have loved working with Kirk. He is a genuinely nice guy–and with my humility and good looks and his ability to teach, we make a great team .

(CBN):  You also have a school of evangelism available through Living Waters Ministry. How is that different than the Basic Training Course and what would one expect throughout that school?

Ray:  The School is a very comprehensive written course, while the Basic Training Course is more visual using the cream of our television program.

(CBN):  What do you believe the state of evangelism to be today in the evangelical church at large? Why do you think this is the case and, if necessary, what can we do about it as believers?

Ray:  With the help of God we can see the Church of the 21st century become like the Church of the 1st Century. I believe the key to seeing that is in the book, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life.

(CBN):  Late in 2011, you released 180 The Movie (Read my article on this ground breaking documentary here), what led you to produce that movie?

Ray:  “180” wasn’t the video I meant to produce. I wrote a book called Hitler, God and the Bible and asked my publishers if they would like a free video to go with the book. They said they would, so I took the cream of the book’s manuscript, created a script, and obtained footage from the holocaust museum. But after a solid month of editing, we felt overwhelmed because we had too much material. So I decided to forget the script and go out to the streets with a camera and find out what people believed about Hitler. I could hardly believe what I found–14 people—mainly university students, who had no idea of the identity of Adolf Hitler. There were more who didn’t know who he was, but they were embarrassed to appear ignorant on camera.

Then we were able to film some very colorful footage of myself being heckled, on two different occasions, by two very nasty neo-Nazis. We also obtained gripping footage of a Russian Jew who lost loved ones to Nazis…all this while out on the street, with nothing pre-arranged. But the most amazing thing came from a mistake I made. When researching the book I wept my way through the Holocaust. One horrific incident happened in Germany when Nazi’s shot hundreds of Jews, and buried them with a bulldozer. What broke my heart was that some of them were still alive when they buried them. So I had an idea.

When I interviewed a very colorful university student, I put him into a moral dilemma. I said “It’s 1943. A German officer has a gun pointed at you. He wants you to get in to a bulldozer and drive it forward. In front of the bulldozer is a pit in which there are 300 Jews who have just been shot. Some of them are still alive. He wants you to bury them alive! If you don’t do what he says, he is going to kill you and do it himself. If you do what he says, he will let you live. Would you drive it forward?” He immediately said that he would never kill someone, because he was a compassionate person, so I off-handedly said, “So, how then do you feel about abortion?” His demeanor changed and he said he was for it.

When I likened his attitude to the thinking of the Nazis, he became angry and we crossed swords for about five minutes. He finally stormed off, and as I filmed him walking away I looked down and my camera said “Off.” I was in direct sunlight and had inadvertently switched the camera off at the beginning of the interview! It was such a compelling interview, and  I was so heart-broken that I determined to put more people into that same scenario and see if the same thing happened. But the next time I did so, I went one step further and asked “the” question, and was amazed at how people did a complete 180. They changed from being adamantly pro-abortion, to being pro-life, in seconds.

(CBN):  What has been the response to such a polarizing issue?

Ray:  The response has been amazing. Millions have now seen it, and we have many testimonies of how people has changed their minds and become pro-life after watching it.

(CBN):  How can we be praying for you and your ministry?

Ray:  Please pray that God uses 180 to stop the horror of abortion—worldwide. Pray that people watch it, and if they are as excited as we are, we are asking that they link to 180Movie.com as many people as possible. The 180Movie.com website tells how to best do that. They could also purchase copies of the actual DVD and give them away. They only cost $1 each, and who is going to refuse a free DVD, especially in today’s economy? Finally, perhaps one of the best things anyone could do would be to train your church or group to speak to others about the subject of abortion (as shown on “180”) by getting “The 180 Course”. It’s very low cost ($10), and it contains the “180” DVD (includes additional training from Kirk Cameron and myself), a 64-page Study Guide—with thought provoking discussion questions and a wealth of added information, by myself, Kay Arthur, and Randy Alcorn, a pack of 100 “180”tracts and a copy of Randy Alcorn’s book Why Prolife? You can find details on 180Movie.com.

Comfort, Ray.  Hitler, God, and the Bible. Washington, D.C.:  WND Books, 2012.  174 pp.  $25.95.  Purchase at Amazon for much less.

Introduction

Ray Comfort is quickly becoming a regular here at Christian Book Notes and I for one am grateful for that.  His ministry, Living Waters, has been a major influence on my life and ministry and I pray that if you have never checked it out, you will do so immediately.  As for this particular resource, Comfort seeks to dispel many myths concerning Adolf Hitler as well as draw a comparison with Hitler’s evil and the current evils we are facing today.

This book is the first in a proposed series of “concise and hopefully insightful exposes on the intersection of icons and faith” (p. vi).

Summary

Divided into two parts with seven chapters, Ray Comfort lays the foundation for what would become Hitler’s political ideology.  Chapter one offers a history of Hitler before entering politics while chapter two touches on how and when Hitler got into politics.  Chapters three and four explain the rise of Nazi-ism and how a nation was carried away by smooth rhetoric and massive propaganda.

The second part looks specifically at the religions elements of Hitler’s Nazi-ism.  Chapter five attempts to explain how Hitler ultimately became the most dangerous anti-Semite ever.  In chapter six, Comfort answers the question “Was Hitler a Christian?” and does so with biblical authority.  The last chapter looks, quite frankly, at the problem of evil.

Review

I honestly learned a lot from reading this work.  I am admittedly not a war buff or anything like that, but I thought I knew a few things about Hitler.  Turns out, I was dead wrong.  I knew very little as the information relayed in Hitler, God, and the Bible quickly showed me.  Often in America we look to Abraham Lincoln who failed numerous times only to later succeed and become President of the United States.  Hitler also failed numerous times only to later become the ruler of Germany.

Furthermore, an extremely frightening parallel was noticed to me (and I do not say this lightly).  While Comfort ultimately did tie the Holocaust in Nazi Germany to the Holocaust in the United States (see, abortion), something else I realized is that much of the political rhetoric that Hitler used can be heard over our airwaves today.  So, too, many of the “open doors” provided by the liberal “Christian” churches to spread the doctrine of Nazi-ism Germany during WWII is strikingly similar to what can be heard today.  I will leave the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Ultimately, this work was well-researched and documented.  It proved to be a very enlightening read and revealed much information about someone I thought I knew a little bit about.  Here is a quote that stood out to me as I was reading, “[Hitler] never felt responsible, only entitled–a theme that would have devastating repercussions in the Nazi regime.”  How often has this generation (my generation) been called the “Entitlement generation”?  Let us be careful that we do not see history repeat itself.

Finally, it should be noted that it was this book that was the genesis of the 180 the Movie movement that is turning heads and changing minds today.

Recommendation

While the actual price ($25.95) may be a bit steep, you can get the Kindle version for $7.96.  If you are going to do any study on Hitler at all, then you need to pick up a copy of Hitler, God, and the Bible to understand, from a biblical perspective, what took place.  This book will make a great resource for school curriculum’s when discussing World War II.  Any student of history will enjoy it as well.  Suffice it to say that his goal of being “concise and insightful” was met.  I highly recommend this resource to all.

Introduction

Many are familiar with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron thanks in large part to their television show, The Way of the Master.  You can find out when and where the show is aired here.   Many are also familiar with Ray Comfort’s books as well.  Today’s review is not going to be over a book per se.  Rather, we are going to look into the Basic Training Course offered by Living Waters Ministries.

Contents

For $99, you will receive

• 8 lessons on 4 DVDs
• 4-CD Kit containing the audio portion of the teaching
• 1 – 120-page Study Guide
• 1 – Quick Reference Card to help you remember what to say (you can order more of these to give away to students)
• 300 – “Icebreakers” (tracts) to get you started in witnessing conversations (3 sets of 100)
• Advertising materials for your church
• Printable Certificate of Achievement for those who complete the Basic Training Course

The DVD lessons are to be used for the 8-week course and are based on the television show in addition to teaching points and commentary by both Comfort and Cameron.  The Audio CDs are perfect for a refresher course or for the one who wants to attend your church’s course but is unable.  To my knowledge these are not to be duplicated without written consent but can be purchased separately.

The Study Guide doubles as the leaders guide as well as the student’s guide.  Each lesson offers a step by step guide to the nightly lesson.  Throughout each evening you will share your experiences and have a “point to ponder” where you will be challenged to think critically.  Next, you will watch the video in segments mixed in with some application of the principles being taught.  The work is not finished when you leave the church, however.

When you get home, you will have some preparation work that will lead into the real world application.  The week’s lesson will conclude with a deeper study where the student will engage Scripture on matters of evangelism and the like.  Furthermore, the student will be challenged to live out what is being taught…especially as the teachings grow into

convictions and then into a lifestyle.

Perhaps the funnest part of the course is the use of the different tracts.  Included in the Basic Training kit are the IQ Test, the Million Dollar Bill and the red and blue optical illusion tracts.  You can purchase the various tracts for a very inexpensive price though they do vary.  Check out their expansive selection here.

Review

How do you review an evangelism training course?  By the Bible, of course!  I have gone through a couple evangelism courses since becoming a Christian and most, if not all of them, left me feeling like an Am-way Sales man with a Gospel tract.  It is my estimation that The Way of the Master Basic Training Course (I took this 6 years ago) made evangelism more of a life style than a program.  The beauty of this particular course is that while you do have a “script” so to speak, you are not tied to it.  You will learn basic Biblical principles and general questioning that will lead you directly into a solid gospel presentation.

Furthermore, the gospel tracts are such that you can freely give them away and people will take them because of their novelty.  Personally, I tend to leave the Ticket to Heaven at the gas pump whenever I get gas.  I also like to leave the million and billion dollar bills whenever I leave a decent tip at the restaurant.  Also, you will find that these gospel tracts are biblical in their approach of sharing the gospel in a short and succinct manner.  Basically, you have transgressed the Law of the Holy God who is your Judge and the only way to be saved from His judgement is to repent and ask for forgiveness and put your trust in Christ alone.  You share the gospel (the means by which the elect are saved) and the Holy Spirit convicts of sin.  Christ then draws to Himself those who repent.

Recommendation

If you are looking for a training course for you home or small group, your Sunday School class or your church, you would do well to consider The Way of the Master Basic Training Course.  This is not your run of the mill evangelism program training course.  Rather, taking this course and applying the principles learned will make evangelism a life style.    Furthermore, evangelism is no longer a salesman approach.  For those who are homschooling, this would also make for an excellent course for your older students–it could, I think, slot into a social studies course or something as well.  I cannot think of another short evangelism training course that I would want to lead others through.  I highly recommend using The Way of the Master Basic Training Course.

Reformation Commentary on Scripture – Old Testament XII – Ezekiel, Daniel.  Edited by Carl L. Beckwith.  General Editor, Timothy George.  Downers Grove:  IVP Academic, 2012.  $50.00.  Purchase for much less at Amazon.

Introduction

This volume on Ezekiel and Daniel in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series is the second of a proposed twenty-eight volume commentary.  The “commentators” are adapted from the sermons and writings of 16th century preachers, scholars, and reformers.

The editors seek to introduce readers to the depth and richness of the minds of the Reformation era.  The four goals are, 1) enrichment of contemporary biblical interpretation through exposure to Reformation-era biblical exegesis, 2) a renewal of contemporary preaching and 3) a renewal of biblical interpretation through exposure to Reformation-era exegesis, and finally 4) a deeper understanding of the Reformation itself.

Summary

In essence, this is a commentary on the Books of Ezekiel and Daniel found in the Old Testament as understood in the 16th century. From the back of the book, we find which Reformers “contributed” to this volume.

This volume collects the comments of the monumental figures like Luther, Calvin and Melancthon, alongside many lesser known and read thinkers, such as Heinrich Bullinger, Hans Denck, Giovanni Diodati, Johann Gerhard, John Mayer, Matthew Mead, Johann Oecolampadius, Jakob Raupius, Johann Wigand and Andrew Willet. Several beloved English Puritans are included as well: Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Thomas Manton and John Owen.

The work is like any other commentary in that it follows the basic pericopes of the books while offering the voices of the Reformers independent of one another. I.e., they are not having a “discussion” so to speak.

Review

I would first caution against purchasing this series for the sole purpose of Scripture study and sermon preparation.  Instead, the value of this series, in my estimation, is going to be found in the fourth goal of the editors: that the modern reader will attain a deeper understanding of the Reformation itself.  Just because their thoughts are older and perhaps deeper than much of ours today, does not set them apart as infallible.  We must always search the Scriptures and allow the Bible to interpret itself first.

That being said, I do believe that having the thoughts of some great men who disagreed during the time of the Reformation…arguably, the most important event since the inception of the church in the first century…is invaluable.  It is nice to have the various thoughts side by side and to see where they not only disagreed but also to see where they agreed.  What is more, it is interesting to read how far they took some of their thoughts in reaction to the Catholic Church as well.

Oddly enough, this commentary can be read cover to cover or as a resource.  Either way, the reader will be enlightened and challenged to further plumb the depths of God’s Word.

Recommendation

At $50 per book, yes, you can get them cheaper at Amazon, the price may be a bit steep for some.  If, however, you enjoy church history and want to peer behind the curtain of some of the formative minds of Protestantism as the movement was taking place, then this series will be an excellent one-stop shop for all your needs.  I do recommend it though I caution that not everyone will want to get this set.  I also caution against taking the thoughts of these men and letting them be the end all explanation to the Scriptures today.  There are quite a few places where you will disagree and that is alright.

Rager, Erin.  Little Flower.  Illustrated by D. Ellen Kay.  Mountain Home:  Borderstone Press, LLC, 2011.  42 pp.  $9.95.  Purchase at Amazon.

Note: My 7 year old son had to write a book review for one of his school lessons.  The majority of this review will be his thoughts while mine will be obvious to the reader.

Austin’s Review

There was a flower in some weeds.  Then a storm came and ripped her petals off.  Then the gardener came out and helped her.  The next day she found another little flower and another and another.

I liked the storm because the Gardener was watching Little Flower.  That reminds me when in the Bible the writer of Hebrews wrote, “And no creature is hidden from His sight.”  I would recommend other kids read this book because it tells you that God is always watching you.

Introduction

Erin Rager is a nurse and a mom who enjoys cake decorating, scuba diving, and playing the clarinet in her church orchestra.  Little Flower originated on her bucket list but became almost a necessity when she began to face quite a few trials in her own life.  D. Ellen Kay has a degree in graphic design as well as a passion for coffee.

Summary/Review/Recommendation

Little Flower is in the midst of nothing but weeds.   After strong storms come, Little Flower fears that he is all alone only to learn that the Gardener was there the entire time.  Little Flower will teach the reader, in parable, the truth of persevering faith.

This little book will be a great resource not just to be read to children (or grand children), but to adults as well.  The truths, so masterfully told in this little story will be a sweet balm to a hurting soul.