Unshakeable Hope: A Review

Unshakable Hope-Building our lives on the Promises of God is Max Lucado’s 40^th book, which just come off the press.  I have read many of his books through the years and have enjoyed every one, even though there are things he says that I occasionally do not agree with him.  Max Lucado is America’s bestselling inspirational author with more than 130 million books in print. Currently, he serves as Senior Minister of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio.

Max Lucado is a master of putting words together to inspire the reader. In this book, he is emphasizing the promises of God:

§  For every problem in life God has given us a promise. Make it your aim to get acquainted with these promises that you can write yourself a prescription.

§  I’m feeling fearful today. Time for me to open up a bottle of Judges 6:12. “The Lord is with you.” I will lay claim to the nearness of God.

§  The world feels out of control. Time for a dose of Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good” (NKJV).

§  I see dark clouds on the horizon. What was it Jesus told me? Oh now I remember. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I like very much how Lucado shares stories in his writings about himself and others that illustrate the lessons that he is writing about.

I would like to recommend this book which reminds us to Stand on the promises of God.

You can likely find this book at your favorite bookstore. To order on line and read more about this book click here.

Principles for Christian Leaders: A Review

Principles for Christian Leaders is a wide-ranging collection of material gathered from the inspired writings of Ellen G White on many aspects of Christian Leadership. The 13 segments of this book contain principles that are applicable for every line of work in which men and women engage. As we seek for wisdom to know how to lead well, we have the assurance that God is teaching, leading, and guiding His people.

Amid the challenges that leaders deal with each day, we would do well to remember that the only safety for any of us is in walking humbly with God, going where the Master leads the way. With our eyes on Him, our confidence can be found in following His footsteps.

This book is the work product of Ellen G White, the author of more than 130 books, many which have been compiled and published posthumously from her extensive manuscript file, including this one, which was published this year 2018. Ellen G White is the world’s most translated woman author with her works appearing in more than 150 languages. Inspired by God, she exalted Jesus and continually pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the basis for faith.

Here are some of the thoughts that are given in this book.

   §  Leaders should not be unsympathetic, sharp-edged , and overbearing.

   §  Leaders should represent the kindness and love of Jesus in the great and glorious work to                   which they are called.

   §  Leaders should be under the control of the divine Ruler

   §  Men who are leaders are required in every respect to be Christian gentleman.

   §  Leaders are to be meek and lowly of heart.

   §  Leaders are to manifest; sweetness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, love and the                        strictest integrity.

   §  Leaders are to walk humbly with God.

This is just a taste of what this book teaches. Please click here for more information about this new book and to read the first chapter for free on line.

The Hidden Side: A Review

This is a fiction written by Heidi Chiavaroli and it tells both a fictionalized account from the revolutionary war with the historical figure of the Union Spy Nathan Hale as a setting for the story of Mercy Howard his fiancé.  The other story in the book is a 21^st century story of Natalie whose son shot several of his classmates at his school. Both Mercy and Natalie struggle with their own secrets and well-kept shame-and wonder how deep God’s mercy truly extends.

For more information on this book and to order on line click here.

35 Secrets for Successful & Happy Marriages: A Review

This book by Gayle and Mike Tucker has just recently been republished by Stanborough Press in England and is being distributed to bookstores by the Pacific Press in the United States in Boise, Idaho. I enjoyed this book and found it very readable and would recommend it for anyone who would like inspiring advice for improving their marriage.

The authors state that every couple should have a motto for their marriage. Here are a few of them that they share in this book:

I will Never intentionally hurt you.

                                               Our Attitude is Always One of Goodwill.

Not Only Would I Be Crazy to Leave You. But You’d Also Be Crazy to Leave Me.

                                                 I’d Marry You All Over Again.

What’s Mine Is Yours. What’s Yours is Mine. Whatever Happens We’re in This Together.

                                          I’d Rather Be Poor With You than Rich Without You.

Sometimes I Don’t Like You. But I Always Love You.

                                                               It’s Simple. Just Be Nice.

Never Stop Dating Your Spouse.

                                                       Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs.

Never Hold a Grudge.

                                         It’s More Important to Love than to Be Right.

The Tuckers tell  short stories illustrating the Secrets and Mottoes presented in this book of real life experiences  either of their own or of people they have known.

Click here for information on ordering this valuable book.

Protest and Progress-Black Seventh-day Adventist Leadership and the Push for Parity: A Review

Back in the 1930s my grandfather, David L Glenn Sr, an engineer had a job building a large hotel in Macon, Georgia. Grandpa was told “Don’t hire black people, they won’t give you a good day’s work.”

Grandpa said if you treat them the same as everyone else they will work the same as everyone else.  Grandpa hired many black men and they worked just fine.

My friend Dr. James E Johnson, who served 20 plus years in the Marines and later as an Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy, was an African American whose favorite subjects to speak on were Love and Forgiveness. One day, he was speaking to a large group and at the end of the meeting, a white gentleman went forward to shake his hand.  Dr Johnson gave him a hug which was very normal for him.

When the white gentleman got back to his office, he was all bubbly about the inspiration he received from Dr. Johnson’s speech and he excitedly told his work associate about it; he gushed about how he was so impressed with the speech, he went over and talked with Dr Johnson and they hugged each other.  The associate said, “you mean you hugged Dr. Johnson, isn’t he black?”

The gentleman said he didn’t ask him what color he was. This was meant to be a lesson to the obviously racist workmate that when a person loves with God’s love the color of one’s skin doesn’t matter.

For my part, when I was a child, my family lived in Puget Sound, Washington state. We had a small countryside church and different Adventist pastors from various churches would come to preach at our church. It was special when Pastor Lawrence from the Spruce street Church in Seattle came to speak at our church. Spruce Street was the main Black Adventist church in Seattle at that time.

Unfortunately, however, race relations are not as simple as the stories that I have mentioned above. Dr Rock in Protest and Progress gives some history of the development of race relations within the membership of the Adventist church and as the title of the book suggests, the book deals with both protest and progress.

WhileI knew bits and pieces of much of the history chronicled in this new book, the book brought the stories together in a readable way and in a manner that shows how progress has been made but there is still more progress that is needed.

Dr. Douglas Morgan from Washington Adventist University says that this is “The most important book published on race relations in the Adventist Church.”

I like the fact that Dr Rock very bluntly and factually tells of the problems, the progress and his views on the situation. Dr Rock has been a leader in the Adventist Church for more than 60 years, so he has first-hand knowledge of much of this history.

I would recommend reading this book for anyone in leadership, and we are all are leaders one way or another.  You likely can purchase a copy at your Adventist book store. Call 1-800-765-6955.

Or if they do not have a copy left in stock it is also available from the publisher Andrews University Press phone 269-471-6134.or online here

They Knew Him: A Review

I enjoyed this new book by Anita Marshall in which she tells the stories of 7 Biblical Characters who knew Jesus personally and 16 “later followers” who also knew Jesus personally. She skillfully tells the stories of each of these people and shows how knowing Jesus made a world of a difference in their lives.

Biblical characters whose story are told are, John the Baptist. Lazarus, Peter, Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus and Martha. In addition to these, the author gives brief summaries of several others whom the Bible tells very little.

I especially enjoyed her telling the stories of several “later followers” as the author mentions on some of the later followers more specific details about their lives are known. Let me mention a few to inspire you to wish to read this book.

James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey-Missionary for Christ and “Father of African Education.” He said “You could play a melody of sorts with just the black keys on a piano; you could do the same with the white keys. But for full and perfect harmony you need both.”

H. G. Spafford composer of the song “It is well with my soul.”  Horatio Spafford was born in 1828. He went into business in the Chicago area and after the great Chicago fire he sent his wife and two daughters to Europe for a vacation. The plan was that he would join them however he had to finish up some business before he could join them. The ship had a collision with another ship and many lives were lost including his two daughters. In spite of these trials and losses, he was able to still believe. “It is well with my soul.”

                When peace like a river attendeth my way,
                
                When sorrows like sea-billows roll

              Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Gertude ‘Biddy’ Chambers was the wife of Oswald Chambers. Oswald was a great preacher and is perhaps best known for his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. He died in 1917. At that point there were no books published by him. However Gertrude had  taken careful notes on his sermons and put his sermons together in book form which has extended the influence of his preaching for scores of years.
All of these stories can inspire the reader to know Jesus better.

For more information about this book and for ordering on line click here.

Meet the Cast (Lesser-known characters of the Old testament): A Review

Meet the Cast (Lesser-known characters of the Old Testament) by author Ray Markham is a collection of stories of many of the people in the Old Testament that are not the high-profile characters like David or Moses most people know.

One of the features in this author’s writings is he asks a question of the reader to help them apply the lessons from the life of the character from the Bible to their own life.

The author uses stories both of the upright and those who were more the scoundrel type. He brings to us details of the customs of the times when these people lived to help us to understand what is happening in the stories that he tells.

Here are a few of the Biblical characters whose stories are told in this book:

Lot-He made a poor choice as to where to live.

Caleb-He was a “Man with a Different Spirit.” Caleb and Joshua were two of the twelve spies that Moses sent to check out Canaan. The two came back with a very positive assessment of the land and encouraged the Israelites to go up and possess the land which God wanted them to possess.

Unfortunately the people sided with the ten spies who did not believe that they could possess the land so all the adults had to die off before the people could go in. Only Caleb and Joshua of the older generation got to enter Canaan.

God singled out Caleb for special honor among the Israelites: ‘But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it’

Caleb was commended by God for his right attitude of mind. There was a ‘different spirit’ about him in the way he reacted to situations and to people. Caleb seems to have been one of those people who always said or did the right thing. And that was probably because his faith and trust in God were so complete, that he always appeared to see things from God’s perspective, to have God’s vision, and to know God’s mind.

Joash, the 7-year old king of Israel. He did well so long as Jehoida lived to guide him in his decisions.

However, it seems that Joash had not learned how to make his own decisions and after Jehoida died things went very bad.

I would encourage you to check this book out and read it if possible.

You can get more information about it here.

Flee the Captor: A Review

This is the true story of the Dutch-Paris underground and its compassionate leader, John Henry Weidner. The author is Herbert Ford.

From 1940-1944 John Henry Weidner was instrumental in saving the lives of 800 Jews and more than 100 Allied aviators and many others who fled the nightmare of Nazism. Others with less moral fortitude may have closed their eyes to the brutality about them, but Weidner refused to be cowed and so braved imprisonment and torture for his humanitarian efforts.

This extremely fascinating and historical story of Seventh-day Adventist John Henry Weidner reveals John’s faith and God’s protection for him as he organized untold numbers of rescue missions to save the lives of Jews and others during the 2^nd world war.

Over and over John escaped from unbearable situations.

If you would like to be inspired how someone can make a difference in this world – read Flee the Captor.

Click here for more information.