The Great Books Reader - John Mark Reynolds

I write.  I create ideas…stories…things.  I bring life to characters and I give them a purpose…a story.  I am passionate and my characters reveal my heart.  I hide in my dungeon to escape into a story that is not my own…to discover something new.

I read.  I dive deep into Elyon’s red waters in Other Earth.  I’ve been locked in prison with a persecuted Chinese Christian.  I’ve experienced a world where humans have been stripped of every emotion except for fear.  A demon has told me his story.

I study.  I explore the mind in the study of Psychology and I study and debate Theology with other students. 

I search.  I search for truth, knowledge, and understanding.  Unfortunately, I have found that truth is often buried over time.  It is buried with the people who made it their lives to discover that truth—a truth that was too easily forgotten.  I have dreamed of debating theology with Thomas Aquinas or John Calvin, of exploring the mind of Homer to discover one man’s unique reality, of studying with Socrates, of arguing with Freud.  To be in the company of some of the most influential writers, philosophers, psychologists, and theologians of all time is something I can only imagine; but here’s a thought: we, as Christians, will one day be in the presence of some of these influential people—at least the ones who stood for a common purpose: Elyon.  We will be a part of the great debate; a great conversation.

“The Great Books Reader” gives you a taste of this anticipated conversation.  Compiled in a single book are excerpts from works of 28 different authors who have made discoveries and contributions so significant that they have earned their places on a list of people who have shaped the world that we live in today.  The book is complete with essays on each work, written by students who study these writers who are worthy of our attention, and thought-provoking introductions by John Mark Reynolds.  You will begin a journey of discovery and you will be disappointed when you have to leave the debate that forms in your imagination for each individual work.  As you read “The Great Books Reader”, you feel as if you are in a room with these influential writers and fellow students who are anxious to understand every word and debate the significance, truth, and journey of the author.  When you enter into the journey eager and ready to explore something new, and come out changed and anxious to read the complete works of all of these incredible writers, then the book has served its purpose.

“The Great Books Reader” is a great addition to any library; and I am certain that you will find yourself reading, studying and exploring the book over and over again.  It is an excellent book for someone who has a lot of time to spend lost in thought since every word grabs at your attention; but it is also perfect for someone who has very little time and needs something that can be read slowly.  As a grad student, I enjoyed the feeling of being lost in a conversation about an author and a work, but then being able to put the book down at the completion of that particular debate, only to pick it up again later for the next debate! 

*This book was provided by Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Keeper - Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Deep in the hot and dry Russian wasteland resided twin brothers who thought that the only way of life was to hide from the chaos of the world.  They had spent nearly 30 years in isolation, thinking they were safe, while other lives were being destroyed by a world that had lost all peace; but their entire world was turned upside down when a man named Talus arrived at their home to tell them that not only were they not safe, but they weren't even alive.  They have been completely unaware of the happenings of the outside of the world since they had willingly gone into isolation; and they were unaware that everything that made them human had been stripped away nearly 30 years ago--immediately following their departure--because they had been infected before they went into hiding.  This begins a journey where everything they thought they knew about life, was about to change.  They would have to be the keepers of the biggest secret that any man could carry--that every single human on earth...was dead.

To continue the story you must get Forbidden!! Pre-order your copy now! I wrote a brief review a couple months ago since I had an ARC of Forbidden so if you are interested look for it!  Make sure you get your free copy of the Keeper if you haven't already received it!  The Keeper is a short story Prequel to Forbidden.  If you want a copy of The Keeper, go to http://www.facebook.com/notes/ted-dekker/the-day-has-come-you-must-rise-from-the-dead-you-must-join-me-i-beg-you/10150282991539855.

Safely Home - Randy Alcorn

"Are we not Zhu Yesu's also?" Ming asked. "Are we not his called and chosen? Why should we not walk the way he has chosen for you? Why should you be considered worthy and not us?"

At some point you've been introduced to John 15:18-27, 2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 14:22, and many other verses that literally boast about the persecutions that we will face on the path to Heaven.  Maybe you heard it in church one day, or someone mentioned it when a friend walked out of your life because of your faith, or maybe you read through it one day and stopped to thank God that it wasn't a reality for you, and probably never would be...

Meet Ben Fielding.  He used to claim Christianity, until a bumpy road resulted in him questioning and rejecting everything he used to believe.  All Ben knows now is a lonely but wealthy life; he has the perfect job and all the money he could need, but he finds himself constantly wanting more.  He regularly reviews his goals of becoming CEO of the corporation he works for and having even more money, even though he admits to having no idea what he would use that money for.  As a man who fired his own cousin for being open about his faith at work,  Ben still is blind to persecution of any kind.  That is until he goes to China to stay with his former college roommate.  Believing that this trip will be no different than his many trips to China (with the exception that he would not be staying in a 5-star hotel), Ben is surprised as he begins to discover that the China that is being exposed to him is nothing even remotely like the horrible reality that is hidden from Americans. 

The people of America like to be comfortable.  Not only do they not expect to be persecuted, but they don't want to hear the horrible realities that are going on all around them.  Topics such as imprisonment or execution of Christians, sex-traffiking, and other gruesome subjects are considered taboo, and shouldn't be talked about; but the reality is that it all exists, no matter how much we choose to ignore it.  What's worse, is that even the so called "Church" has become de-sensitized to taboo realities.  The "Church" wants to accept the desirable things of the Word, but skim past the parts that talk about suffering.  The "Church" wants a god who surrenders to their will. 

"Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn is a huge wake-up call for anyone who would claim to be a follower of Christ.  It has been a long time since I read a story so beautiful, that did not have a huge twist at the end.  While the story is fiction, it exposes the truth of persecution not only in China, but all over the world.  We must learn to accept this truth, while also embracing it as the path to our eternity, rather than ignoring it and pretending that the path to Heaven is a smooth ride!  We must ask ourselves what we can do for those who are already facing persecution!  Prayer is truly powerful but we must display our faith through our actions!  We must become an army for Yeshua; we must be willing to fight!  Nobody gets left behind...nobody gets forgotten...nobody gets ignored; and as an army under a single commander, for one purpose, we are all willing to die for the name of Yeshua; for we know that what the world calls dying, is actually the gateway to an eternal physical communion with our Creator and Savior!

"Demon" by Tosca Lee

As you read this book, do so knowing that it will force a decision from you--a decision that has been there all along.  Maybe you have already made this decision; or maybe you didn't know it was yours to make.

Long before the creation of man, El created the angels; but 1/3 of the angels fell, leaving El in a pit of sorrow that led to His creation of man--a being created solely of dirt.  Rather than forgiving the fallen angels and welcoming them back into communion with Him, He breathed life into this man, so beginning a war for the ages--a war that will not end until the end of life as we know it. 

Satan and his demons have held bitterness, anger, jealousy, and rage that you haven't even imagined until you begin to unfold the demon's story--only to find out that the story is your own. 

In the midst of this war, Clay, a lonely and recently divorced editor, becomes enthralled by a mysterious man--whom he knows to be a demon--and his story.  The demon first confronts Clay, revealing his identity, and tells him that he wants to tell him his story; and then Clay will publish that story.  Clay is reluctant to follow through with the demon's desires at first; but he soon discovers that everything the demon says, is trapped in his mind until he lets it out on paper.  Soon, Clay is obsessed with knowing the story's ending, and willing to turn from the voice in his head that tells him to run, just so he can know why the demon says the story is ultimately about him.

"Demon" is a masterpiece--the perfect blend of biblical truth and fiction, that engages the reader's imagination and leaves them in awe of the unconditional and unfathomable love of Elohim.  Tosca Lee beautifully exposes Elohim's love affair with man, from creation to the fall, and then to the ultimate atoning sacrifice that sealed His love for us.  Those readers who have not already believed, will be confronted with a decision--a decision that seals their true reality and eternity after this world, which will eventually only seem like a dream.  Believers who read this story, will do so tearfully, unable to fathom the depth of His love for us.  It will cause believers of all ages to long for the physical communion with our Creator so much that nothing in this world would have the attractiveness to hold them back if El were to call them home today. 

Slumber of Christianity - Ted Dekker

Writing is a journey of communication for me.  I write as a form of worship, because it is through writing that I am able to express myself to Elyon and He is able to express Himself to me.  I am also always reading.  I read because for as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of a perfect world...a world that could take me away from the nightmares of my childhood.  I started reading when I was 3, and I was instantly taken by the possibility of escaping into a story.  Although I was taught, growing up, that there was a Heaven that we would go to when we died, it wasn't something I longed for; but instead, I longed for what I could come up with because I didn't understand the perfection of Heaven.  When I was saved in college, a perfect world took on a new meaning for me.  I understood that there was a perfect Heaven that I would go to; but until recently, I only longed for Heaven during the hardest times.  I would wish I could escape and go to Heaven.  But I didn't long for Heaven all the time.  I longed for life here more.  I was seeking satisfaction here, even after I knew Christ.  I slipped into a slumber.  As a Christian adult, my tastes for story have expanded and become more complex.  I am constantly reading stories of good verses evil and other worlds.

I just finished reading Slumber of Christianity, a non-fiction book by Ted Dekker.  Ted seeks to waken the followers of Christ, to the reality and perfection of the eternity that awaits us.  I see my stories from a whole new light now.  Something that I have learned from Ted Dekker ever since I started reading his books, is that my desire for a perfect world is instilled in me by God because I was actually created for a perfect world; but the fall destroyed that perfection.  Now we still have hope because although our world has been corrupted, we know that we have that perfection awaiting us, after we offer our lives to Christ as living sacrifices.  I've discovered in Slumber of Christianity, that the stories that I read strengthen my imagination and trigger a greater desire for my future eternity.  After reading this book, I have a new desire.  I am more than ready to go to Heaven as soon as He will allow me! 

The Blood Book - Ted Dekker

Two years ago, I entered into a world like no other...a world that can exist only in our imaginations...a beautiful reminder of a much more perfect world that we await after this life.  This world makes the beautiful worlds of Narnia and Middle Earth look like simplistic dreams in comparison.  This world is called Other Earth.  The year...is 4036. 

Back in 2010, we met a man named Thomas Hunter who entered into Other Earth in a dream.  Soon, he couldn't determine which world was the dream and which was reality.  When he fell asleep in one world, he woke up in another.  While Ancient Earth and the horrible reality of a disease that could kill out humanity certainly felt real when he was there, Other Earth felt more real than he could imagine.  In Other Earth, the spiritual is made physical.  Elyon is active in Other Earth as a boy, a man, a lion, and a lamb.  He plays with the people of Other Earth, and sometimes even turns the world upside down for their enjoyment.  Elyon has begun this new earth, after the great apocalypse that took place sometime between the years 2030 and 2040.  The earth holds magical fruit that heals, refreshes, and satisfies, and the most beautiful living water in the green lakes--Elyon's water.  But evil is being kept at bay in the Black Forest, and it is destined to return to destroy Other Earth when the firstborn drinks the water of Teeleh, a black bat also known as Satan.  The Shataiki bats (known as demons in our world), take over Other Earth, and the beautiful, white Roush bats (known as the messengers of God) disappear, and the spiritual is no longer as physical as the people would like; but Elyon promised to provide a solution in one fell swoop.
The horde (a physically and spiritually diseased people) have taken over parts of Other Earth and Elyon has promised to save His people when all hope seems to be lost.

So begins a story for the ages.  This story consists of 16 books going in different directions.  Ted Dekker has provided us with different sub-series of what is now known as the Books of History Chronicles, so that we can satisfy our craving to know more about Other Earth.  Recently, Ted ran a campaign called Share the Love, which allowed participants to receive a copy of the never before published, Blood Book, as well as copies of never published, Genesis and signed advanced copies of Forbidden, which will be released in September 2011.  Blood Book and Genesis are not set to ever be available to the public, but are meant to be a reward to those who participated in this campaign.  1000 copies were released and I was lucky enough to be one of the 1000.

The Blood Book allows the reader to discover the answers to many questions regarding Other Earth, including the connection between Roush and Shataiki and Teeleh's plan to destroy humanity and keep them separated from Elyon--as well as a unique look into journals of Ba'al, the shataiki queen Marsuuv, and, of course, Thomas Hunter.  The journals of Thomas Hunter gave me a whole new outlook on Other Earth and the journal of Marsuuv was a much needed and disturbing reminder of the harsh reality that religion is destroying our world and keeping us away from Elyon. 

I won't reveal much about the Blood Book, since most fans will never have the opportunity to read it, but I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to participate and I wanted to share a review of some kind!  The Blood Book exceeded my expectations and left me wanting even more!  I hope Ted will find other connections and continue the Books of History Chronicles, even though it is currently said to be over.

Forbidden (Book 1 of the Books of Mortals)

I was given the wonderful privilege of reading an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Forbidden, which will be released in September 2011! Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee have created a world like no other.  In this world, every human being is living what they believe is life--but what they don't know is that they are actually dead.  Rom Sebastian was satisfied with the way his life was going--with the exception of the fear that controlled him every day; but he was pleased with the order of the earth, where no emotion (other than fear) existed to cause chaos in what they believed was as close to earthly perfection as possible.  According to the way the legends described emotions, they were dangerous; but Rom's life is turned upside down when he receives a vial of blood with a message from a crazy old man who claims to know the truth about what happened to Rom's father.  Once Rom drinks one serving of the blood, he begins a journey that he could have never anticipated--a journey of the discovery of happiness and love...but will greed, anger, and hate stand in his way when they also erupt from the same blood? 

Is the chaos that erupts worth the love that is discovered? What does being human truly mean? Is it better to follow an old order or the new?

After reading Forbidden, there are 2 things I am sure of: 1)The Sovereign is my Master--not the sovereign that the world has to offer, but the Sovereign of the world; and 2) I am mortal; and I await the One who will one day return as "a warrior dressed in a robe of red. White, dipped in blood. His own."

Members of the Circle: Soon you will find yourselves to be mortals. Your task now is to be alive...be keepers of the hope that we carry. Forbidden is exceptional! As members of the Circle, you will be consumed by the world that Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee have created! Like Other Earth, it is a world that is difficult to even dream of and you will find yourself wanting to know more with every word. But unlike Other Earth, it is a world where love is forbidden. Discover yourself. Discover your mission. Discover love. Dive deep.