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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 WHEN GOD IS SILENT by Jim Gent; The back cover says, “For Those Who Are in the Shadows Struggling with the Silence of God.” For a nutshell summary of the volume, that does it well. What about those tough times we pass through and the heavens are silent? As the author notes, it certainly doesn’t mean we have been ‘God forsaken,’ as Christ was on the cross. What it does mean is that God has lessons for us to learn that can be learned no other way. In short, the silent times are profitably essential times to our spiritual life and growth. He starts by looking at the silence of God when He offered no explanations, during dark days in the Old Testament (Job, Joseph, and Naaman’s slave girl), and His silence in the lives of New Testament saints (John the Baptist, the Church at He follows this with a chapter showing how those times of silence may be used to honor Christ (Job and Hebrews 11:36-38), noting extra-biblical cases as well (William Carey, and my friend Roger Youderian, slain with his four companions by the Auca Indians in Ecuador). He also argues against using human explanations for God’s silence, once again basing his argument on Scripture and human example (Luther Bridgers, author of “He Keeps Me Singing,” who lost his wife and three young children in a fire while visiting his in-laws). And there is a special chapter looking at ‘signs and wonders’ which also presents good outlines for the pastoral epistles, I & II Timothy and Titus. A very brief chapter ties God’s silence with His judgment and another examines the Father’s silence at We were blessed by reading this book and we think you will be, too. Since we don’t know the price, we have included the author’s mailing address above. * * * * * SEEING THINGS by Patti Hill; Broadman & Holman Publishing Group, This is a tale about an elderly lady who falls and suffers a severe leg injury, forcing her to convalesce at her son’s home. The novel is about her “seeing” Huckleberry Finn on a regular basis and conversing with him. Frankly, I was bored out of my socks, to use an old expression, and quit after a little more than six chapters, something very unusual for this reviewer. Perhaps my age (15 years the senior of the main character) aroused a subconscious fear of approaching dementia. At any rate, it was too much for me. Having revealed the theme, it is up to you. * * * * * ABIGAIL by Jill Eileen Smith; Revell, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, MI; 38 Chapters; $14.99, Paper As readers of this magazine know, I love studying the women of the Bible and have written to some extent about them. Of all the Bible women, Abigail has always been one of my favorites so I was especially glad to read this book, particularly after reading and reviewing Smith’s early work, Michal. This is the second release in the author’s “The Wives of King David” series. In this story, the publisher says, Smith not only “draws on Scripture [and] in-depth historical research,” but “her vivid imagination” to present the story. She does, indeed. In this story, Abigail is given to the wicked Nabal to wife because of a debt her father and brother owed him. Starting with his drunkenness on their wedding night, she endures much mistreatment, although Nabal wants to ‘keep’ her because of her extraordinary beauty. Another woman, Zahara, who keeps Nabal’s house, becomes a good friend to Abigail. The brother of Abagail, Daniel, as well as David’s nephews, are with him during his fugitive days. Eventually there is the encounter of David with Nabal – a highlight in the biblical story – including Nabal’s death and the invitation from the future king for her to become his wife. Sadly, he has Ahinoam with him and she must share his affection with her. Then, when King Saul dies, Michal, David’s first wife and the daughter of Saul, is returned to the harem. Just like in Scripture, Abigail learns to share her husband. In the novel, David favors Abigail and says he often wished she were his only wife (we wonder, but she does seem to be the wisest one). Throughout the book, Abigail turns to Adonai in prayer and David finds her his most encouraging wife. As in the biblical account, she and Ahinoam are captured by enemy armies – and then rescued. It is Ahinoam who bears the first son to David – Amnon – and they are all happy. Abigail struggles and finally has her own son by David, Chileab (or Daniel). She probably named him Daniel after her brother who died in one of David’s battles. Readers of biblical fiction – especially ladies – will enjoy this book. Smith is a gifted writer and we look forward to others in this series. – Reviewed by Dottie Sumner * * * * * IN THE SECRET PLACE by Jerry Rankin; B&H Books, Nashville, TN; 162 Devotions, 331 Pages; $14.99, Paper This book by Rankin, who recently retired as head of the Southern Baptist foreign missions (International Missions Board), can best be summed up by its subtitle, “A Pilgrimage Through the Psalms.” The latter, probably indisputably, is the richest devotional section of the Bible. His format is very simple. 1) A psalm or a passage (not always a full psalm); 2) A key verse or verses; 3) A summary of the teaching of that passage; 4) A prayer; 5) There is also a block in the middle of each one with a special thought from Rankin (like in Psalm 104, “Everything in the world was intentionally created by God for a purpose; every detail attests to His splendor and majesty”). The devotionals are each two pages in length. While there are themes Rankin could write on that we wouldn’t endorse, this book is a very sweet, moving, helpful volume. * * * * * WILD MEN, WILD ALASKA II by Rocky McElveen; Big Mac Publishers, Riverside, CA; 11 Chapters, 219 Pages; $15.25, Paper The subtitle whets the outdoorsman’s interest: “Survival of the Fittest, or Action Adventure, Outdoor Life. Young Men & Women Adventures in the Quest to Survive. Coming of Age in the Alaskan Wilderness.” Whew! That is too much for an old man to experience, but it is exciting reading. How shall we describe it? You’ve read the beast, now read the best. (No, that won’t do.) How about: you’ve read the old man, now read the kid. (No, that probably won’t do, either.) Maybe this one: read these tales by author, guide and confidante to President George H. W. Bush 41; USC All-American, Oakland Raiders All-Pro Don Mosebar; Major League Baseball’s Miracle Pitcher, Dave Dravecky; World Vision president, Bob Seiple; Dr. Chuck Swindoll; and Evangelist Franklin Graham. No, we couldn’t call him a confidante to President Bush although the Introduction explains, “A guide is just a psychologist with a bigger office.” Anyway, we have reviewed and highly recommended several titles by Floyd C. McElveen and printed an occasional sermon of his – and Rocky is his son who operates a resort in the Alaskan wilds. The author says about this release: “These stories are not mere accounts of awesome encounters in the wild. That is only the setting, the framework, a stage from which lives have been changed. No, they are much more. They are tales of discovery and enlightenment, pain and fear, success and failure.” They are that and more. Some are sad; some are funny. Don’t expect a spiritual book, but it does rival the many books and Saturday Evening Post stories of Jack London, including his far north story for boys (The Call of the Wild) of your childhood – except A note of humor: it was in the chapter dealing with his youthful foibles (of which I assume he is not proud) where he referenced my hero/mentor, John R. Rice. He said, speaking of his father, “One of Dad’s favorite quotes was from the late John R. Rice, and he said it often.” That was at a page break and I almost ripped the paper trying to turn the page and find what it was. Alas, I lifted the sheet and read, “Do right even if the stars fall!” one of Bob Jones, Sr.’s favorite and most quoted sayings. Oh, well; Rice did say it, but never without giving his dear friend full credit. Since this is “Wild II,” it is only fair to say we have not seen #I. * * * * * PROBABILITY’S NATURE AND NATURE’S PROBABIITY LITE by Donald E. Johnson; Big Mac Publishers, Riverside, CA; 9 Chapters, 121 Pages; Price not given, Paper Here is another sequel, this one for The Non-Scientist and a Clarion Call to Scientific Integrity, and we are told on the back cover, “This book may be used as a cross-reference to Dr. Johnson’s original book, Probability’s Nature and Nature’s Probability: A call to Scientific Integrity, which was written for scientists. Alas, that is another book we have not seen. Johnson, who has doctorates in Computer & Information Sciences from the His secular education formed him into an evolutionary clone, but over time doubts about his position began to grow and he eventually had to admit “he had been duped into believing concepts that were scientifically unfounded.” In this book the author reviews “many of the prevalent scenarios that are widely accepted but need closer examination of their scientific validity.” Its main goal, of course, is to prove Intelligent Design. You will probably be impressed, as was the reviewer, at the amount of research Johnson has done. Johnson notes that true Darwinianism does not lead its followers to true evolution – and most The possibility of an Intelligent Designer goes back well over a century, as far as Johnson could find, to F. Schiller of Oxford writing in Contemporary Review (June 1897), “Darwinism and Design Argument,” when he opined “it will not be possible to rule out the supposition that the process of Evolution may be guided by an intelligent design.” Note that this intelligent design was attributed only to the process of theistic evolution. In Johnson’s mind, if ID had been accepted back then, it would have solved virtually all the problems since that time. It has not been our position to argue against ID, just to note that it does not go far enough. As an evangelist, I am concerned that if all the evolutionists in the world saw the light of ID, they would still go to Hell. A designer is not a Savior. While much of this book will be over the average layman’s head, the author suggests reading chapter 8, “Going where the data leads,” before the earlier chapters. * * * * * POWERS by John B. Olson; B&H Publishing Group, The back cover tells us Olson is “the award winning author of five previous novels.” The front cover quotes Publishers Weekly as saying he is “a must read for those who enjoy Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti” (which should have tipped me off!). In between the covers are nearly 400 pages of occult nonsense and mumbo jumbo fit for the witchcraft jungles of If I recommended this book I’d have to apologize to Harry Potter. The setting is the Louisiana swamps and it has a lineup of Mariutza (Mari), Purodad (grandfather, killed in the book’s opening, but that doesn’t get rid of him), Jaazaniah (Jazz), Miss Carlee (good for opening and closing), Daniel Groves, Sabazios Vladu, Hollis, Madison, Hailey, Melchi and Marie Paris Glapion who are some of the characters weaving in and out of the plot. Even Jesus is mentioned at the end. You’ll meet The Badness, The Standing, shimulo, the Holy One, and the dikh sight as part of the tale and even a guitar, a board, a shovel, Gypsies, helicopters overhead, racing police cars and all the rest play their part. There are those who have ‘the gift’ and those who don’t. Even a verse in the Book of Ruth is a key, but it has to be read from a particular Bible. I felt the time I spent reading this book was wasted. If you want to waste yours, that is up to you. On a scale of one to ten, I’d give this a minus four. Does that mean I didn’t like it? You decide. * * * * * THE POWER OF POSITIVE PRAYER by John S. Olsen; Since we panned the previous book by an Olson so badly, here is a turn around (slight difference in name spelling). This one, although the title sounds like Norm Peale or Bob Schuller, really comes from a deacon at First Baptist, Hammond, during the Jack Hyles’ reign of rule or ruin. He also served, calling it the “most notable of three careers,” as Assistant to the President/Campus Host at We like the subtitle much better than the title: Miraculous Answers to Prayer. They are that, indeed. In fact, Olsen gives 17 remarkable answers from his own personal experiences; in short, he knows they are true. While it may or may not impress most readers, the book has a seal on the cover that its contents are “Certified AV 1611 Compliant,” whatever that is supposed to mean. Perhaps it is to show that he uses the textually discredited I John 5:7 in his Preface (to which we do not object). He closes his prayer illustrations with a chapter on how to be saved, using the checklist from the little gospel tract, “Am I Going to Heaven?” and an appeal from Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just As I Am” (he and Billy have the same two great-grandchildren, since Olsen’s granddaughter Donna Reber and Billy’s grandson Roy Graham met (at Liberty University, I believe) and married. Epilogue. At the end of the book, in a brief section with this title, he tells of having lunch with John R. Rice, who ordered a Reuben sandwich and when the waitress served it he took knife and fork, quickly quartered it and gobbled it down without any word of thanks. I have dined many, many times with Dr. Rice and have never known him to do anything like that. I don’t add this to dispute Olsen’s word – he could be very forgetful at times because of the load he carried – but to dispose of the idea that such was his normal practice, which some reader might mistakenly assume. * * * * * HOPE FOR A NEW DAY by Todd & Susan Cook; Published by the Authors, The authors say this devotional book “is designed for those who have gone through traumatic experiences and suffered lingering effects,” and victims of rape and abuse are especially targeted. It is also aimed “to get you into the habit of looking to God and His Word every day.” Both are noble endeavors and compliment Todd’s previous work, Hope for the Brokenhearted. He has been a pastor for about twenty-one years and a crisis counselor for about a decade following graduation from the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, founded by my friend, Dr. William Rice. The devotionals are very brief, averaging about 2½ to a page. They consist of one or more verses of Scripture and a brief paragraph about its teaching. The index in the back is topical (from Abuse to Wrath), which makes it more helpful. We are glad to recommend it. * * * * * WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? By C. Marvin Pate; Baker Books, Pate, who chairs Christian theology at Unfortunately, he also starts with the erroneous claim that a bivocational Baptist pastor in However, after those blunders he goes on to establish pretty good history. In fact, he devotes a chapter each to summarizing the “four broad historical periods: the Church Fathers (premillennial), the He also looks at the rapture from the pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib and pre-wrath positions. Tate seems to favor the “post” position, with the church preserved from the wrath. He has a number of good, helpful charts scattered around the volume. We, of course, hold to premillennialism and pretribulation as the biblical positions. We like Pate’s emphasis on evangelism. As he notes: “In response to the imminent return of Christ, the early church became heavily engaged in evangelism (author’s emphasis). The two ideas – the second coming of Christ and evangelism – are complementary; after all, one of the signs of the times of Christ’s return is his promise that ‘the gospel must first be preached to all nations’ (Mark 13:10; see also Matt. 24:14; Luke 21:12-15).” As the author notes in closing, “… biblical prophecy can be misused in a number of ways. Some treat it like a game, playing with prophetic symbols and numbers. Others use prophecy as if it were a weapon, fighting anyone who does not see future things quite the way they do. According to Paul, however, the purpose of biblical prophecy is to comfort and encourage believers. We are confident that Christ will come again to right all the injustices we see in the world and to take us home to be with him forever. We cannot know the exact time of Christ’s return, but we must live as if it could happen at any moment. It is this message that empowers Christians to live in the light of the second coming every day of their lives. And it is this message that makes sense of the end of the world as we know it.” Amen and amen! Without agreeing with everything, this is an informative book that every and any prophecy buff would do well to examine. * * * * * ANGEL’S DEN by Jamie Carie; B&H Fiction, Nashville, TN; 33 Chapters, 332 Pages; $14.99, Paper The Prologue opens with a murder and the killer identified (so much for suspense in this item) and then the first chapter opens with a St. Louis (circa 1808) “wedding of the year,” complete with the most handsome groom imaginable (reputation had it he “was the most handsome man west of the Appalachians”) and a lovely, excited (although a tad clumsy) bride. The rest of the book describes the latter’s budding love for a man not her husband and his love for this other man’s wife. The “hero” is Luke Bowen, hired to be a cartographer for a new “Lewis & Clark style” expedition to the Other prominent members of the cast include Judge Littleton – who Luke, Emma and Eric witness get “poisoned” while dining as a guest of the Montclaires on their riverboat. Then there is Maggie Sumner, Eric’s mistress, and her father John, a carpenter who makes fancy things – and ends up playing a key part in the murder trials of Luke and Emma. What seems to be a Carie signature, the hero and heroine sleep in each other’s arms (hey, there was only one bed at the river ‘post’ they found and they were both ‘beat’; nothing happened, of course) and again, with Carie, there is more than one wedding at the end of the book. Whether man-hating Emma is one of them you’ll have to read the book to discover. The novel gets its title from a remark Emma makes to Luke after he suggests hope from the biblical story of Daniel and the lions’ den, at a time when Eric’s false testimony at their trial seems to be so strongly accepted by the jury and others, swaying public opinion against them. Saying she had been wrong to take hope from Daniel, she opined, “It’s not a lion’s den. It’s an angel’s den. He looks like an angel to them.” The author is gifted writer and she’ll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I guess I’m forced to recommend Den. After all, Carie makes the Sumners (Maggie and John) heroes at the end of the book. * * * * * THE PAINFUL SIDE OF LEADERSHIP by Jeff Iorg; B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN; 15 Chapters, 273 Pages; $14.99, Paper The subtitle is “Moving Forward Even When It Hurts,” with the cover showing a man with a target covering his head, and it is written by the president of the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in The heart of the book, preceded by an Introduction of two chapters and followed by a one chapter Conclusion, deals with Painful Circumstances, Painful Relationships and Painful Choices – each with four chapters. He is not afraid to inject a little humor, such as, “People will disappoint you. One Christian leader jokingly told me, ‘I am a one point Calvinist. I believe in the absolute, total, abject depravity of man. That’s one absolute I’m sure of.’” And you need to heed his advice, “Don’t shoot a mosquito with a howitzer!” He deals with multiple conflicts. In fact, it is good to know not all the conflicts discussed were his, since he describes more than a dog has fleas. Enough were his, however, that, like Paul, he has the scars to prove it. This book is loaded with practical advice. I do not think anyone in a position of leadership could fail to benefit from it. I know I did. To sum up the book in a sentence or so, my reaction to Painful … Leadership was to recall the famous saying of another educational leader, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., “Do right! Do right if the stars fall.” That is a leader’s best protection. Apparently, this book is intended as a sequel to the author’s previous The Character of Leadership (highly reviewed here, July-August, 2007). We also reviewed favorably Iorg’s Is God Calling Me? (May-June, 2008). * * * * * THE LORD’S DAY by A. B. Brown; We apparently have had this small book for some time and can’t say why we haven’t reviewed it before. It might be that neither the publisher nor the author sent it to us, but a friend and it got put in a place other than “books to review.” Anyway, we apologize because it is a message needed for today. It opens matter-of-factly – but right on the money – by insisting: “An individual’s, a church’s, or a society’s dedication to Jesus can largely be measured by their Sunday activities. If Jesus is crowded out of their Sundays, He is also crowded out of their Mondays. If the Lord is not honored and worshipped on the Lord’s Day, He is not honored and worshipped on any day. How one regards the Lord’s Day is indicative of how he regards the Lord of that day. That individual who has little time for Jesus on Sunday has even less time for Him on Monday. If Jesus is not Lord of one’s Sundays, He certainly is not Lord of his Mondays. To the extent the Lord’s Day is paganized, to that extent an individual, a church, or a society is paganized.” Obviously, Brown is not out to win friends, influence people, or win popularity contests. Sunday is not the Sabbath. However, that a day of rest is part of the plan of God for His people goes all the way back, not to Sinai, but to creation (Genesis 2:1-3). From the very first in the Book of Acts, which describes the New Testament Church, it met on the first day of the week. There is no evidence Jesus ever honored the Sabbath following His resurrection (which was on the first day of the week), always meeting with His disciples on the first day of the week, a day we call Sunday. Man, in his effort to displace God and the Bible, has almost completely blotted out God’s plan for a day set aside to Himself. Brown argues the Lord’s Day is a day of worship, a holy day, a day of rest and a day of assembly. By the way, “a day of rest” doesn’t mean a Sunday afternoon nap (although we don’t object to it for others), but a cessation of the normal week’s working activities. Some will read this book and toss it aside, saying, “That is legalism, Old Testament sabbatical stuff.” If that is your conclusion I would suggest you read it again. That is not, even remotely, the position of the author; he is arguing from a biblical principle and he is right on target. His point of view is based on two biblical truths: 1) man needs a special day and 2) the observing of the Lord’s Day is that time for the church. We are glad to recommend this book that can be read, probably, in less than an hour. Because we don’t know the price and the average reader will have no idea how to order it, we have included an address in the review’s heading. * * * * |
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