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05/22/2012
Holidays and national days of remembrance give Christians strategic opportunities to give away Christian literature that might be read at this time of the year but not another.
Case in point--Some folks will read literature at Christmas and Easter about the Incarnation of our Lord and the death and resurrection of our Lord that would not be interested in reading Christian literature at other times.
Thinking Christians should use national holidays and days of remembrance to spark people's thinking and bring the gospel to them.
Next Monday is Memorial Day--the day we as a nation remember those who sacrificed their lives in defense of the nation and liberty. From the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812, to the Mexican War, the Civil War, ("War Between the States" if you are a Southerner), the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and since 2001, officially, the war with militant Islam. My purpose is not to defend the biblical basis of these wars nor the moraL rectitude of each person who fought in each war. What I am saying is that this is a good time of the year to give literature to men and women who serve our country in the military and who might well read good Christian literature given to them as a bit of gratitude.
BOOK I RECOMMEND FOR MEMORIAL DAY GIFTS:
Don Stephens, WAR AND GRACE (Short Biographies
From the World Wars); Evangelical Press--short
readable chapters on men like Mitsuo Fuchida,
the Japanese pilot who led the raid on Pearl
Harbor, Jacob DeShazer, the American pilot who
led General Jimmy Doolittle's raid made famous
in 30 SECOND OVER TOKYO. Thirteen chapters
of engrossing stories about Christian faith and
the horrors and fog of war.
Laura Hillenbrand, UNBROKEN (A World War II
Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption);
Random House--one of the greatest stories to
emerge from World War II is just now getting
its due. This great biography of Louis Zamperini,
who went from the "mean streets" of East
Los Angeles, to Olympic glory to Air Corp service
in World War II, to crashing and adrift for weeks,
to capture by the Japanese, to a horrible POW
camp. to surviving the war, to returning home
to marry his sweetheart only to succumb to the
ravages of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (as
they now call it), to finding Jesus Christ and
becoming a new man. What a full and amazing
life God has given this man--who took up skate-
boarding at age 80!
In three weeks is Father's Day. Our nation will briefly acknowledge the importance of fathers and pay homage to good, faithful fathers. Men who are not great readers or who do not see themselves as great readers will read good literature that scratches where they itch!
Kenneth Wingate, A FATHER'S GIFT; Banner of
Truth--a wonderful book showing how fathers
can lead their families through the Book of
Proverbs and teach them God's wisdom for life.
R. Kent Hughes, DISCIPLINES OF A GODLY MAN;
Crossway--pastor/author Kent Hughes shows us
that a man who accomplishes anything must be
a man who disciplines himself in the various
aspects of life. As Proverbs says, "A man without
discipline is like a city without walls"--easy
plunder for the enemy!
Sinclair Ferguson, GROW IN GRACE: Banner of
Truth--shows us how to grow in the grace of
God and uses the lives of some famous Bible
men to illustrate various ways, good and bad,
of growing.
These books, given with love and prayer and a few strategic words, can go a long way to help a man or woman in the service or a father to become a Christian
or grow in grace.
Your Book Servant,
Pastor Steve Martin
Posted: 03:47:28 PM :: permalink :: discuss ::