A Martyr's Grace: 21 Moody Bible Institute Alumni Who Gave Their Lives for Christ by Marvin J. Newell, J. Paul Nyquist

A Martyr's Grace: 21 Moody Bible Institute Alumni Who Gave Their Lives for Christ
by Marvin J. Newell, J. Paul Nyquist

"Have you grace to be a martyr?" D.L. Moody was once asked.
"No," he replied, "I have not. But if God wanted me to be one, he would give me a martyr's grace."

 This book tells of the life and death of 21 Christians who were each a student of Moody Bible Institute. Each account is different but the same faith kept these men and woman strong in Christ through life and death. I was amazed as I read of these soldiers for the Lord. I was touched by their selflessness and love for Christ and others around them. This faith is what should characterize all Christians and I was convicted and longed for such a faith as this. I highly recommend everyone read such accounts because especially in America we tend to forget what it is to suffer for Christianity. We live a life of luxury and we need to be prepared for harder times and meanwhile be praying for and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted.

In criticism of this paperback book from Moody Press, the descriptions of many of these martyr's salvation experiences were a little confusing. Often, it is mentioned in these biographical sketches that the person strayed from the faith or rejected God for a time before fully surrendering their lives to Christ. It is quite obvious that the real salvation didn't happen before the rejection or wayward years but after, when they fully surrendered their hearts and lives to God!
   Also, this book is not the most well-written book I have read. It would be easy for an 8-year old to complete if one doesn't consider the fact that some of the details are a bit gruesome and violent for that age group to read. In conclusion however, this book is definitely worth reading as are all tales of those who lived and died for Christ!!!

They came from around the world. Administrators, teachers, doctors and nurses, church planters and pilots. Regular people in the prime of life.
United by their love for Christ and their studies at the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, these twenty-one men and women set out with the gospel. From the jungles of South America to the parched African plain, and from the dark cloud of communist China to the dangers of the Middle East, they displayed God through service and love.
In A Martyr’s Grace, Marvin Newell tells the individual stories of these faithful men and women who made a difference in the places they served. He also describes—in many cases for the very first time—how Jesus called them home. Their legacies live on in the rainforests, villages, churches, and cities where they died.
What is it that compels ordinary people to sacrifice their lives in this way? Only Christ. They didn’t go expecting to die. But they went—having already given their lives.