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.

Too Many to Jail: The Story of Iran's New Christians by Mark Bradley

Too Many to Jail: The Story of Iran's New Christians

by Mark Bradley

    I was impressed by the quality and depth of this book called ''Too Many to Jail''! 

I have been interested in not only mission work around the world but especially missions in Islamic countries so this book was a must-read for me! Having read many books and articles on this topic,  I am always overwhelmed by God's mercy when I read accounts of Muslims coming to faith in Christ. Furthermore, I am deeply moved when I read about the strength and depth of the faith of these converts.  To us here in the ease and comfort of the West, it is unbelievable what many of the Christians in the middle east and beyond suffer. All for the name of Christ. In ''Too many to Jail'' there are many, many true-life stories of former Muslim Christians who suffer for the true God. Not only that, this book is a in-depth introduction and study of the Islamic faith, particularly in Iran. The political history of Iran, in the early chapters of the book I found quite interesting to read since it impactful to the lives of the thousands of Iranian Christians. Although some foreign politics can be quite dull, in this book it is not the case. Every chapter was interesting to read.
Some portions further on in the book were rather descriptive and graphic but important in the journey to realisation of what our brothers and sisters in foreign lands endure for the name of Christ! 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Documents the remarkable rise of the Iranian church, despite fierce persecution, as Iranians grow disillusioned with Islam

In 1979, there were fewer than 500 known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. Today there are at least 100,000 new believers. Church leaders believe that millions can be added to the church in the next few years--such is the spiritual hunger that exists. The religious violence that accompanied the reign of President Ahmadinejad drained its perpetrators of political and religious legitimacy, and has opened the door to other faiths.

Church Behind the Wire: A Story of Faith in the Killing Fields by Barnabas Mam

Church Behind the Wire: A Story of Faith in the Killing Fields by Barnabas Mam with Kitty Murray

  One cannot survive the genocide of one's own people and not know something is terribly wrong with all of humanity. Barnabas Mam ''Church Behind the Wire pg. 28

  One cannot read this book and be unchanged. Although I have read dozens of books about wars, massacres and genocides, every one I read affects me as if it were the first time I realized how sinful man's heart is. This book is another testimony to God's faithfulness through times where sin is especially rampant. Chapter after chapter, I was overwhelmed by the struggles the author and fellow Cambodians experienced under the terror of the Communist Khmer Rouge regime. Most of all, I was amazed by the faith God granted his people during this horrible time. Although it sounds contradictory, considering what a hard topic this book covered, I loved reading this book. 
  To critique the way the book was presented: I assure you it is not overly graphic. I find that survivors of genocides and such are more discreet in their explanations and descriptions than other authors who have never experienced the heartache. Still, the stories are enough to bring tears. 
   Secondly, I found the format a little confusing since Barnabas Mam goes back and forth in his biography instead of just telling it from ''A-Z''. However, if you pay close attention you will not get lost as I did at one portion. 
   Thirdly, there is a lot of political history in this book which may get tedious for those who, like me, don't know much at all about Asia during those tumultuous years. I encourage you to be patient and read through those portions; you will not be disappointed!

I close with some quotes from the book: 
No political liberator, no cultural Messiah, no social savior can rescue us from the jungle we all live in. 

It is human nature to think we must have deliverance from something, when usually our souls truly need deliverance in that something (author is thinking of situations such as the genocide he lived through). page 30

...context for the believer has another dimension. Christians stand with one foot in this world and one foot in another. And that other world is our real home. Sometimes the contrast between these two worlds is especially jarring. This world is full of hate and revenge and insecurity. That other world is full of love and redemption and stability. This world hurts us. That world saves us. This world makes no sense. That world gives us perspective. But one is no less real than the other.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

More about the book: 
From the oppression and terror of the killing fields in Cambodia, this is the story of how one man's conversion led to a rebirth of faith that brought hope to a nation. Commissioned by Communists to spy on a Christian evangelistic crusade, Barnabas Mam instead discovered Jesus and came to faith in Him. After spending four years in prison camps at the hands of the Khmer Rouge Barnabas emerged as one of only 200 surviving Christians in all of Cambodia. God raised him up to became the foremost evangelist and church planter in a land broken by genocide. An inspiring story on a personal, church, and national level, this is more than a narrative--it's a blueprint for success for church growth of the most powerful kind.