Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Book Reviews
Editorial unless noted

THE LORD IS NOT THROUGH WITH ME YET … The Story of Dr. John W. Rawlings by Kaitlyn O. Rawlings; CrossBooks, A Division of LifeWay, Bloomington, IN; 46 Chapters, 233 Pages; $28.37, Hardcover; $3.99, Kindle Edition

The late Dr. Jerry Falwell named John Rawlings “the Baptist of the Twentieth Century” and he was not far off in that evaluation. Other evangelical greats who praised Rawlings (and this biography) include Judge Paul Pressler, Drs. O. S. Hawkins, Johnny Hunt, Ken Ham, Elmer Towns (who wrote the Foreword), Keith Bassham, John Monroe, Leland Kennedy … and just about everyone else who is anybody in the evangelical world.

There was never any doubt whatsoever on the part of anyone who knew him but that John William Rawlings was sold out to God and His business. Dr. John felt it. He breathed it. He promoted it. He thought it was more important than sleep by night or food and action by day.

In my mind he was a modern example of old-time Fundamentalism. Anything that had to do with soul winning, evangelism, missions – and especially young people – he was for it. You didn’t even have to ask.

The Lord Is Not Through With Me Yet tells the major highlights of his life, from the time he built his first church in little Tyler (TX) from almost nothing to thousands through soul winning visitation, Bible preaching and gospel music, to his second miracle church in the big city Cincinnati (OH); this man was a personification of what Christ wants every man of God to be. In addition to his churches, he was a cofounder of one of America’s largest independent Baptist movements, huge radio and television ministries, and an active partner in the Rawlings Foundation reaching youth by the tens of thousands and building schools throughout the world. He stayed active in the work God gave him to do until the first day of his 100^th year when God said, “That’s it, son. Come up hither!”

While no human biography could do God’s man John W. Rawlings justice, this one by his loving great-granddaughter will do just nicely, thank you. Tears will probably come to your eyes in places, as they did in mine, but they will be happy tears.

Read this challenging, thrilling biography and become acquainted – or, perhaps, better acquainted – with one of God’s champions, my friend John W. Rawlings.

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EDGES OF TRUTH: THE MARY WEAVER STORY; by Deb Brammer with Steve Brennecke; Published by the Author, Address Not Given; 39 Chapters, 347 Pages; $12.30, Paper (Kindle, $7.95)

This, believe me, is a fascinating volume. I started reading it at about 10 in the morning and didn’t stop except for lunch and the evening meal (and perhaps a few editorial duties that were pressing) until I had read the last page. The story is that gripping. And for a reviewer who has been reviewing books for about 65 years professionally – and an editor – that it saying volumes for one book!

Mary Weaver was a young housewife and mother of two small children who was supplementing the family income by caring for a child or two in her home. One was 11-month-old Melissa Marie Mathes. Shortly after she picked her up on a Friday morning in January of 1993, brought her into the house and started feeding her some vanilla custard the mother had sent along, Melissa started vomiting. After cleaning up the mess, Mary started putting Melissa’s snowsuit on as it was time to pick up her own two children at pre-school.

She got the baby’s feet in the snowsuit without difficulty, but when she lifted the head and shoulders to finish the job, the baby girl eyes rolled back into her head, she went limp, stopped breathing and passed out. Mary started CPR and working at cleaning out mouth and nose, then called 911, all the time following the instructions being given by the 911 operator.

Directly the ambulance arrived, the baby was rushed to the hospital, and eventually flown by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. The next day the tiny girl died.

Mrs. Weaver was taken ‘downtown’ to police headquarters to give a statement and then a second time with a detective from Des Moines present. The first interview was not too bad but the second one was something else, the detective screaming at her, calling her a liar, and saying she killed Melissa. Eventually she was charged with a count each of first degree murder and child endangerment.

Mary hired a young (and inexperienced in this area) defense attorney from her church, Steve Brennecke (the coauthor of this book), and the first trial was, admittedly, a humdinger. There were five ‘experts’ from the medical field for the prosecution and three for the defense. Apparently the jury, unable to grasp some of the medical language being presented, ended up judging that 5-3 in favor of guilt must be it. At any rate, it ended in a hung jury, a couple of them seeing through the hype.

The young attorney, after interviewing eight of the jurors (all that would grant an interview) concluded it was the jargon of the medics that the jury didn’t understand. He concluded it might be better to wave a jury trial of her peers and accept a trial by a knowledgeable, fair judge. Mary agreed. Actually, it was a huge mistake and the judge kept much of the evidence beneficial to the defense out of the mix, while at the same time sustaining many of the objections of the prosecution. His refusal to allow the testimony of two of the mother’s coworkers – calling it ‘hearsay’ evidence – to whom she had made damaging testimony that might have changed the verdict, was a key part in this trial. At any rate, the judge ruled her guilty.

She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole! She maintained a high profile in prison, admired and respected by almost all inmates and prison personal. In fact, in all her years in prison she never received one demerit or bad report on her record. And with guards ready to toss the book at the slightest hint of an infraction, that is saying something!

A veteran reporter with the Des Moines Register, Frank Santiago, took an interest in the case and, after a prison interview with Mary and other key members of the trial, wrote a compelling argument that the paper devoted nearly three pages of print to cover. It resulted in three ladies who worked with the mother, Tessia, at a fast food establishment coming forward, and giving depositions as to what she had told them. Two of three claimed the mother had told them Melissa had ‘passed out’ after hitting her head on the coffee table, something the mother had never revealed to the court and making it a brand new ball game.

This resulted in the court granting a new trial with a new judge in a new city. By that time a respected and experienced attorney had joined Steve and things went better. In fact, the new judge permitted the hearsay evidence to be presented – the law gives situations where it can be admitted – and that strengthened the case. This time Mary was found ‘not guilty’ of first degree murder and ‘not guilty’ of ‘child endangerment.’ Both charges were dropped and she became a free woman.

When Steve commented, “Too bad those ladies didn’t come forward earlier,” his attorney friend reminded him that if they had the first judge would have dismissed them as ‘hearsay’ with the other two and their testimony would never have helped. How true. God does know what He is doing and has the right timing, doesn’t he?

Like I said, it is an intriguing volume.

Here is my conclusion: the courts in Iowa are rotten to the core and prosecutors/judges seem interested only in getting guilty verdicts and adding another ‘notch’ on their guns. Or should I say another scalp on their belts? While I’m confident this is not a blanket indictment of the state of Iowa – surely there are many good judges and fair courts – I am saying this has been my experience.

Why do I say this? Not just because of the Mary Weaver case, but among her fellow inmates, one woman had been given an eight-year sentence for “leaving her children with her husband” when she knew he sometimes could be violent. Another had run into a building to escape her abusive husband, and then was sentenced for child endangerment because “she had left her kids in the car” with him.

However, another case with which I am personally very familiar leads my opinion of the Iowa judicial system. I’ll call him Mac (not his real name). This trial was also held in an Iowa City court. Mac, a relative by marriage, was charged with rape largely because he was sleeping in the same building where the victim had been sleeping and apparently fornicating with her ‘lover.’ Mary had experienced one brush with the law (a speeding ticket), but this young man had never even received a traffic ticket of any kind.

Although maintaining his innocence, Mac was found guilty and sentenced to a term of 10 years in prison. Repeatedly he was offered his release if he would admit his guilt. He adamantly refused because he was innocent. After each refusal, he was sent to a ‘tougher’ prison. He was finally released, but only because he served the full term of his sentence! He is now trying to rebuild his life after the Iowa courts temporarily ruined it.

In his case, Mac had very inferior legal representation as well and, while Mary had many fine statements at her trial by character witnesses, his lawyer did not even call one character witness in his defense (a fine Christian young man with high ideals and a good testimony, active in his local church).

Fortunately, everything will come out at the judgment Seat of Christ for every case of injustice.

But, like I said, this is a great book, one you will read with intense interest. We gladly recommend it unconditionally!

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10 LIES ABOUT GOD … And the Truths That Shatter Deception, by Erwin W. Lutzer; Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI; 10 Chapters, 238 Pages; $13.99, Paper

The author of this book is pastor of the historic Moody Church in Chicago and a popular conference speaker, radio minister and author. I’m not sure how many books he has penned, but we have reviewed ‘a passel’ of them, all favorably as far as I can remember.

This one looks at some of the popular myths some folks have come to believe about God and the Bible that Lutzer wants to set straight. He not only deals with the myths, but calls attention to some of the teachers who have been popularizing them. He has done considerable research into his thesis and there are over 40 pages of notes in the back of the book. (Alas, instead of footnotes they are “go hunt” and with that many notes the reader may spend as much time trying to get the reference as he does turning the pages of the book to read the author’s comments!)

Some of the lies/myths the author evaluates are “God Is More Tolerant Than He Used to Be” (i.e., the God of the New Testament is kinder, more loving than the God of the Old Testament); “God Is Obligated to Save Followers of Other Religions”; “God Does Not Know Our Decisions Before We Make Them”; and “God Helps those Who Help Themselves.”

While Lutzer is much more of a Calvinist than your reviewer we admit to being surprised at one comment he made. The Apostle Peter had written to the Christians scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, reminding them that they had been “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” and yet Lutzer said, “even if election were based on foreknowledge (a view I don’t accept) …” Strange, strange indeed.

We noted at the start above that we were in the habit of reviewing his books favorably – and that is why we requested a copy of this title for review. However, we were disappointed with this one (and not just because of the previous paragraph either). I did not feel it was ‘up to par’ for him.

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I SURVIVED! By Art & Deb Brammer; Published by the Authors, Address Not Given; 11 Chapters, 138 Pages; $6.26, Paper (Kindle, $3.95)

The authors of this book, a husband and wife team, are graduates of the Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny (IA) and have served as church-planting missionaries with Baptist Mid-Missions for a quarter of a century, both in Taiwan and currently in Invercargill, New Zealand. Mrs. Brammer has authored seven books, including Edges of Truth: The Mary Weaver Story, which we reviewed above.

The subtitle of this one is 5 Bible Characters Who Survived Disasters: A Ten-Week study for Personal and Group Use, and the quintet highlighted are Jeremiah, Jonah, Joseph, Paul and Job. Actually, the book is a ‘do it yourself’ book where questions are asked and you fill in the answers. There is ample Bible teaching along with the reader response.

The back cover highlights the book’s aim in helping the reader ‘think through’ these questions:

● If God is in control, why is my world a disaster?

● If God is my helper, why am I failing?

● If God hates unfairness, how should I respond to it?

● If God controls everything, why doesn’t life make more sense?

● If God wants me to heal, how can I move past unfairness?

● If God wants me to succeed, why does He make life so hard?

● If God wants me to succeed, why does He allow senseless suffering?

While it is not necessary for this study, if you have read the Mary Weaver story, it will help you with the questions and answers.

The final chapter, which is a summary about why God allows bad things to happen to His children, may be the best. While this chapter is not in question and answer format (although there are six questions for study at the end), the authors gives five biblical reasons for God allowing them.

This makes a good book for individual devotional study and for group study such as a Sunday school class or a men’s/women’s/young person’s Bible study group.