Book Review - Sentinel: City of Destiny

One enemy.

Two brothers.

And a perilous quest in search of four mystical keys…

Keys that will unlock the gate of Sentinel, the timeless city of destiny - the place that all followers of the Light must one day find. Only true warriors of good King Deus can call it home.

Sentinel: City of Destiny, follows the journey of two brothers from their childhood home of Callow on a quest to Sentinel, the city of destiny in Bravura. Jerol and his brother Jadan are faced with the same challenges boys in our world have to deal with - learning to make good decisions, the value of hard work and enthusiasm, the dangers of covetousness and debt, temptation and desiring the approval of their peers.

Their quest to collect the four keys to Sentinel’s gate takes them on a variety of adventures through cities like Shylock, Narcissa, and Perfidy. While the Pilgrim’s Progress style allegory can seem a little heavy-handed to an adult, it’s perfect for the eight year old and up boys for whom the book is intended. And the fact that the book can hold an adult’s attention so well is a testimony to the story line. This is a book you will enjoy reading with or to your children.

Each segment of the journey contains an important lesson on manhood which is entertaining and Biblically-sourced. The story includes paraphrased verses, along with the chapter and verse references so that the reader can look up the original as well. There is also a helpful section in the back of the book which includes discussion questions and vocabulary. While Sentinel is a fun read on its own, it can also serve as father and son bible study.

You can read the first six chapters and purchase the book here. This is a very instructive and entertaining book, and I highly recommend it to any family with young sons.

Review: History Channel Multimedia Classroom

Recently I received a sample of the History Channel’s multimedia classroom for review. As a homeschooling family, we’re always on the lookout for new resources, and this one is a phenomenal tool to help get your children excited about history. The sample was for The American Revolution. This CD-ROM included nine lessons, so with a unit exam, it would cover two weeks of class time.

Installation on my computer took less than five minutes. We use Windows XP, and the installation went very smoothly. The interface is sized for a screen resolution of 800 x 600 - something they will hopefully reconsider if they re-release the software in the future since less than 15% of users these days use that screen resolution.

We started by reading the introduction and watching a video for the lesson, Seeds of Revolution. It was excellent - just what you’d expect from the History Channel. It included costumed re-enactments to draw the student into the lesson, and the narration was clear and concise. The videos are short and specific - typically less than three minutes, so students will not “zone out” or feel overwhelmed by too much information.

Taking the lesson plan in order, we followed the video with discussion questions (which are also available in a printer-friendly format) and in the course of the discussion we referenced the provided video transcript. A few vocabulary words are provided, along with an activity idea - these are more appropriate for junior high or younger children. Since my daughter is a high school junior, we simply reviewed the vocabulary and discussed the activity. Each lesson follows this basic format, although the teacher can scale the activities and questions up or down depending on the age group. For example, one set of discussion questions invites students to review a map, analyze troop movements, compare British and American reliance on sea power, and consider the strategic location of revolutionary war forts. This could become a detailed project or a research paper at the high school level.

At $849, the Multimedia Classroom is quite an investment. This is an ideal product for a homeschooling family, particularly one with several children so you can feel you’re really getting the most use of it. It’s appropriate for a wide age range - although the History Channel recommends it for middle school through junior college, in my experience homeschooled children are typically more academically advanced and some parents might consider this for kids as young as 9 or 10. The American History Series includes all of the topics below the jump. The entire Series could be completed in one school year, or you could add additional resources, including web links and the bibliography provided in the software and other A&E resources like BIOGRAPHY: John and Abigail Adams: Love And Liberty DVD to use it for two years of in-depth study.

I highly recommend this product for homeschooling families or for use as a resource in a traditional classroom.

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Book Review: Signs of the Spirit

Sam Storms’ new book, Signs of the Spirit, includes this paragraph in the preface:

I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been asked for recommended reading and have suggested Edwards (specifically the Religious Affectations), only to be greeted with a contorted face or an embarrassed evasion that goes something like this: “Well, I tried reading Edwards. I really wanted to read the Affections, but after about fifteen or twenty pages into it, I just quit. For whatever reason, I couldn’t follow him. His style was aggravating and, well, to be honest, I just couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

I was certainly in that group. I knew that reading Jonathan Edwards would be “good for me” but I simply couldn’t bring myself to take my medicine. As Storms points out, “Edwards penchant for torturously complex sentence structure, together with the abundance of theological “bunny trails” that, at least initially, don’t seem to contribute to the point he is making, have tested and all too often triumphed over the determination of even the most avid and intellectual of Christians.”

Storms didn’t write Signs of the Spirit to replace Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections. He wrote it in order to make Edwards’ writing more accessible. As a teenager, I had a hard time reading The Taming of the Shrew. After I watched the Elizabeth Taylor movie, saw the action and heard the inflections in their speech, it all made a great deal more sense, and I was able to read the play with no difficulty. Signs of the Spirit does something similar for Religious Affections.

Although Storms does “put the cookies on the lower shelf” with this book, it is by no means a fast and superficial read. Each sign of “authentic affections” is presented in comprehensible English, but the concepts themselves are not “dumbed down” in any way. This book is a slow, thoughtful, prayerful read. It provokes self-examination and calls us to a higher standard.

The second part of Signs of the Spirit examines Edwards’ Personal Narrative. It describes Edwards’ own experiences, his enjoyment of God, and his frustration with the things that distracted him from God - problems we all experience today. For those who are not familiar with Jonathan Edwards, the Appendix contains a chronology of his life, ministry and writings that is extremely interesting. That chronology, together with the interpretation of Religious Affections and the commentary on his personal narrative provokes readers to learn more about a man described “by common consensus one of the most godly men who ever lived.” This book is a wonderful introduction to Jonathan Edwards, and I highly recommend it.

Author: Sam Storms
Publisher: Crossway
Title:Signs of the Spirit -An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 5 of 5

Click here to buy Signs of the Spirit.

Book Review: Be Not Deceived

Ever heard someone professing Christianity make comments like these? Ever make them yourself?

“I may be backslidden, but I’m still a Christian. You don’t know what’s in my heart.”
“All Christians sin; the bible even says we’re never going to stop sinning - so get off my back, already!”
“I know I’m saved - I said the prayer and asked Jesus to save me.”
“Who are you to criticize me? Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

If you know that Christian, or if you are that Christian, you can’t afford to not read this book. Be Not Deceived examines salvation, repentance and obedience - and the doctrine of “once-saved-always-saved.”

“The present-day doctrine of once-saved-always-saved is, in a historical context, a fairly new belief introduced approximately 50 years ago. Certainly prior to the turn of the 20th century, there was not one major denomination that preached salvation without obedience. Quite the contrary. Salvation and obedience are, and always have been, synergistic. Research denotes it wasn’t until society demanded the right to be in open spiritual rebellion that some clergy found it necessary to create a worldly interpretation of salvation, thereby meeting the needs of the growing numbers of disobedient. Since then, others have simply followed the doctrine as Gospel, even though, because it is incomplete, it is not biblically sustainable.”

Is it possible to have justification without sanctification? Can Jesus be your Savior without being your Lord? What does biblical obedience really look like, and what does it mean if you’re not doing it? Be Not Deceived challenges professing Christians to take a long hard look at what’s inside - because where you spend eternity really does depend on it.

The first few chapters of the book discuss doctrine in plain English. Too many churches these days spend all their time on application and not doctrine, and many Christians simply have no idea why they profess what they profess. Be Not Deceived tackles the doctrine of salvation in a way that you don’t need a divinity degree to understand. A particularly useful section of the book is chapter 5, the “Spiritual Guide.” It is an alphabetized topical listing of bible verses. While the lists are not comprehensive, they do make a good start - if you’re interested in learning what the bible says about hypocrisy, ingratitude, or premarital sex, for example, these lists are the beginning of some good bible studies. Finally, Be Not Deceived dispenses with today’s “cheap and easy grace” and lays out the reasons why Jesus can’t be your Savior without being your Lord. In no way does this book put Christianity on the “works” side of the equation - but it does make clear that works, including obedience, are an essential part of the equation.

God’s grace is victorious over sin and gives strength to those subordinated to His knowledge of what is best in and for their lives. False grace supposedly saves the sinner while allowing him to remain in his wretched condition. Lest we fall into Satan’s trap of having the redeemed believe the lie that everyone sins (and therefore it is spiritually acceptable), understand, in Him, we are made holy and sin no more. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosever sinneth has not seen him, neither known him. (1 John 3:6) It is sacrilege to believe the secular lie that we all sin, and the grace of God covers our willful disobedience. The grace of God is an animate blessing giving us a way out of the filth of the world. Its purpose is not to allow us to exist in, or make peace with, indecency. Nor is it necessarily just a future, supernatural blessing, but rather an integral part of the here-and-now for those who claim His name. The problem is that too many of us want to remain in our sins, or at least those sins we like. … We cannot abuse God’s grace and expect to receive salvation. Christ is either our Lord and Savior, or He is nothing at all.

Author: Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr. with Kelly Helen Mrkvicka
Publisher: Trafford Publisher
Title: Be Not Deceived
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 5 of 5

Book Review: Jesus, Jews and Jihad

Author: Marvin Yakos, PhD
Publisher: Xulon Press
Title: Jesus, Jews and Jihad
Genre: Nonfiction

“Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”
Proverbs 27.5

Of foremost concern, this book is not intended to offend or condemn anyone, especially Arabs or Muslims.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

We strive only to present truth and are eternally grateful for the precious freedom we have in America to be able to scrutinize the ideologies that assail us. We realize that there are many Muslims who do not agree with the barbaric killing perpetrated in the name of Allah and his prophet Muhammed. We wish to acknowledge the fact that not all Muslims completely adhere to the radical fundamental dogmas of the Qur’an and Hadith, but have a wide range of beliefs. There are Muslims that do not strive to terrorize or kill anyone.

We do, however, openly rebuke and attack spiritual bondage, ignorance, arrogance, persecution, terrorism, murder and lies.

With that disclaimer, buckle your seatbelt and prepare to be shocked by Marvin Yakos’ exposure of radical Islamic ideology. Few people really know much about that ideology. Our leadership and media emphasize that “Islam is a religion of peace.” To some, perhaps. But the radical Islamists who commit acts of terror believe that they are well within the parameters of their religion, and Yakos exposes the doctrine that they are following. Jesus, Jews and Jihad covers such topics as the 12th Imam, a key part of the apocalyptic vision of many Muslims, including Ahmadinejad, the current leader of Iran who is so busily building nuclear weapons. Other key topics are the significance of a small sect called the Sufis, and the five pillars and five articles are covered in clear, easy to understand language.

Jesus, Jews and Jihad is a wonderful primer with everything that people should know about Islam. The book lists facts, and the book is actually very light on conclusions because Yakos lets the facts speak for him. Aside from the information about Islam, the book contains many topic by topic comparisons of Islam to Christianity. Yakos details key differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and the threats presented by each. While the media would have us believe that women enjoy privileged status in Islam, Yakos lists the verses in the Qur’an that are used to keep them subjugated, and compares them to Ephesians 5:25 and Colossians 3:19. He also gently, but firmly, disposes of the feel-good concept that we are all worshiping the same God.

“The major difference between the Bible and the Qu’ran is the doctrine of the Incarnation. The entire balance and conflict lie in the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Qur’an vehemently denies that Jesus is God.”

Yakos is a Christian, and while the book frequently compares the doctrines of Christianity and Islam, this is still a good book for non-Christians to read - they will likely find it as enlightening about Christianity as it is about Islam. Marvin Yakos has studied Islam for twenty years, and this book distills those studies down to a beginner/intermediate course in radical Islamic ideology. I rate this book a four out of five, and recommend it to anyone who wishes to have a better understanding of who we are fighting.

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Laura Curtis is a web developer in New Orleans.

Book Review: The Train-Of-Thought Writing Method

Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: Authorhouse
Title: The Train-Of-Thought Writing Method
Genre: Nonfiction

Many aspiring writers have no shortage of great ideas. Kathi Macias asks, “How do you effectively take those ideas and convert them to saleable manuscripts?” and tells us “what successful writing is really all about - the rewriting.”

The Train-Of-Thought writing method is free of jargon, simple and easy to follow, and the perfect way for a beginning writer to learn to hone his skills. Each of the seven chapters contains a critical concept that must be mastered in order to write effectively. Not content to just tell us what to do, Macias includes extremely helpful short exercises to show us. This book is great on its own, but it would also be a great tool for members of small writers groups to work through together.

I’ve read “how to write” books before and ended up more discouraged than when I started. They seemed to elevate writing to a high and unattainable art form that I could never master. Ms. Macias’ nearly twenty years experience at teaching creative and business writing comes through - the Train-of-Thought writing method uses train imagery to get the critical concepts across, and that imagery makes it easy to retain it and utilize the method. She not only makes it clear, she makes it enjoyable.

Kathi Macias has authored or coauthored fifteen books in various genres, and has edited, rewritten or ghostwritten more than 100 other books. She is also a popular speaker at writer’s conferences.

There is a first time for everything, and for the first time, I’m rating a book a 5 out of 5. The Train-Of-Thought Writing Method is brief (78 pages) but it perfectly achieves what it sets out to do. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to aspiring writers, and especially to any writer serious about getting published.

Laura Curtis is a web developer in New Orleans. This book has been reviewed for Active Christian Media.

Book Review: Before I Wake

Author: Dee Henderson
Publisher: Tyndale House Fiction
Title: Before I Wake
Genre: Fiction

Before I Wake is another good weekend read by Dee Henderson. The characters are people you’d like to meet, the story is engrossing, and while it doesn’t overtly preach the gospel, and while their faith largely goes unexamined, the Christian characters in the book are mature and admirable Christians. However, this book is not really on a par with the O’Malley series. It’s not as smooth in either the dialog or the storyline.

I’m not sure what the overall theme of the book might be - perhaps friendship, because the love triangle is subordinate to the friendship of the three characters involved in it. That’s aggravating in one sense because it is left unresolved, but also refreshing because life seldom includes such pat endings.

I rate this book a 2.5 out of 5. It’s a good weekend read. The mystery is well-paced, the characters are likeable, but at the end of the book you will not be satisfied with the ending because the romantic part of the plot is left unresolved. This may be the first of a series, where it is resolved in future books, but if so it would have been better to have an excerpt of the next book at the end. I hope Henderson revisits Justice in a future book, because I liked the characters so much that I’d like to give them another chance.
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Laura Curtis is a web developer and avid reader from New Orleans.

Book Review: How The Left Was Won

Author: Richard Mgrdechian
Publisher: Coventry Circle
Title: How The Left Was Won
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4

How The Left Was Won is, as the title would lead you to expect, an intensely partisan book. Since I requested the chance to review it, I have undergone a real change in my thinking, where my faith and politics intersect, and I’ve tried to be less partisan. However, the book, while partisan, is not inaccurate, nor is it a vicious attack. It’s a straightforward analysis of what tools are being used to make the public discourse so Orwellian. We wonder things like how it can be that Gerry Studds got a free pass for actual sex with a teenager, while Foley is driven from public life for sexual instant messages. (Noting the disparity is not approval for Foley, it’s just noting the disparity. And the fact that I even need to clarify that just begs the question, how did we get to this point?) How can it be that major newspapers see nothing wrong with printing classified information that harms the war effort, but decline to print cartoons offensive to Muslims that sparked world-wide riots and caused deaths? How was society trained to accept these things - and indeed, to denigrate anyone who questions them? How The Left Was Won has the answer.

Mrgdechian identifies the methods that have been used to steer and control how we speak about the issues of the day - and consequently how we have been trained to think about them - and gives pertinent examples of each method. In a day when critical thinking is not only not taught, but discouraged, this book is an excellent tool for anyone, but especially for teenagers.

One of these tools is “asymmetry.” As in the case of Studds and Foley, asymmetry is

“different laws, different rights, different responsibilities and different opportunities for different people. Thanks to this situation, it has now become perfectly acceptable for some groups of people to do certain things, but not acceptable for others.

[...] it’s okay to call someone a Jesus freak, but not okay to refer to a mass murderer as an Islamic terrorist. Go ahead, make fun of a Texas accent — ha, ha, ha — you’re suddenly a comedian. Make fun of a Chinese accent on the other hand, and you are immediately deemed to be a racist.”

“Implicit assumptions” are another such tool. Many folks on the left make statements that are based on implicit assumptions, and are rarely challenged to back them up with supporting arguments. For example, Mrgdechian points out that the idea that English should be America’s official language is often called racist. Why is it racist to want to improve communication within the country? Why is it racist to require that people who choose to come here adjust to our norms, instead of our adjusting to theirs? Is Mexico, with it’s harsh penalties for illegal immigration within it’s own borders, and unwelcoming attitude toward even legal immigrants into Mexico, racist? If not, why not?

After reading How The Left Was Won, you will be able to listen to politicians on both sides of the aisle discuss an issue, immediately identify the methods they’re using and respond appropriately. After reading this book, watching CNN and Fox is a whole new experience, because I can easily see exactly what the “operatives” and “strategists” are doing. I believe that most people honestly believe their leadership and the things they say. But I can’t deny that these methods and tools have been used by the leadership of the left for decades to promote divisiveness and weaken the country, and it is becoming more and more common now to see it on the right. We must expose these tools and challenge people to think critically again.

About The Author

Richard Mgrdechian is a Prometheus Award nominated social and political author and commentator. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious California Institute of Technology (Caltech), along with an MBA from Columbia University in New York. His prior careers have included positions as a NASA engineer, investment banker and high-tech CEO.

Reviewed for Active Christian Media

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Laura Curtis is a web developer and master certified computer trainer in New Orleans.

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