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Take a moment to check out this book review on Ed Hird’s website. Click on the link above to access.
The Elisha Code
24 Saturday Feb 2024
Posted in book review
Category Archives: book review
Threaten to Undo Us
27 Saturday Jan 2024
Posted in book review
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communist dictatorship, faith, faith and family, German Army, German Lutheran, historical fiction, Poland, race-based nationalism, Soviet army, World War II
This is a very moving book. The characters are well developed and I found myself strongly identifying with them in their plight.
The story centers on a family of German Lutheran heritage living in post World War I Poland. Almost immediately, I felt linked with this family because two years prior to the outbreak of the First World War my grandparents on my mother’s side immigrated to Canada from this region of Poland.
The storyline follows the lives of a young married couple, Liesel and her husband Ernst, through the 1920s, the turbulent years of the 1930s with Hitler’s rise to power, and finally the devastation and deprivation of WWII and its aftermath.
Above all, this is a story of faith and family in the midst of extreme adversity. Ernst is conscripted into the German army and sent to fight on the Russian Front. Liesel struggles to survive on their farm with four hungry children and a baby on the way. Will the family survive? Will Ernst return home after being captured by the advancing Soviet army? Will the family be reunited?
This true account mirrors the experience of millions of German-speaking people who were expelled from their homes in Eastern Europe after World War II. Furthermore, it speaks to both the monumental folly of race-based nationalism, and communist dictatorship that still stalks our world today.
A five star work of historical fiction based on true events and the life experience of the author’s grandparents. A can’t-put-it-down read and winner of the Word Award for historical fiction.
Congratulations, Rose Seiler Scott!
A Review of The Elisha Code
06 Saturday Jan 2024
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anointed, book, David Kitz, Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, John the Baptist, revival
The title, The Elisha Code, might make one think of a book like The Da Vinci Code and its search for a secretive, hidden key that would enable a special few to decode a mystery. Or it might even cause some to think back to the early days of the Christian Church and the rise of Gnosticism with its guarded secret knowledge available only to initiates. But not this book.
For these authors—this “dynamic duo”—the “code” is there for all to see if they know where to look for it in God’s Word. What David Kitz and Ed Hird have done is to discover and reveal amazing—might I say, “uncanny”— parallels between the two Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha, and the two New Testament personages of John the Baptist and Jesus. The uncovering and displaying of these parallels, which help us see scripture with new eyes, is the heart of the book, and in themselves make it worth the read.
But one might ask, “To what end?” The authors clearly answer that question in the latter half of the book (and in the second half of the book’s title—the Coming Revival). The authors’ goal is not just cleverly to point out these complementary passages, but to bring the reader to see the conditions required for revival that will inevitably come if God’s people will meet them.
Delving deep into the lives of great men and women whom God anointed and used to bring about revivals and do transformational gospel work; and in laying out the spiritual requirements for revival, Kitz and Hird challenge us today to give ourselves fully to God so that we ourselves, living in this twenty-first century, might be his instruments in enabling the revival to come.
Neil Bramble—freelance writer and editor, longtime magazine editor, published author and book editor, and a professional member of The Word Guild.
To purchase or for a closer look at The Elisha Code and the Coming Revival visit Amazon or click here for the author’s website.
Scar Tissue by Danny Covey
24 Tuesday Oct 2023
Posted in book review
I love this book by Danny Covey. I found it to be truly inspirational. Perhaps this is so because I have my very own scar tissue from triple-valve-repair-open-heart surgery in July 2020. But what I endured is minor when I consider Danny’s suffering.
My personal copy of Scar Tissue
This is a stunning story of survival and miraculously overcoming insurmountable obstacles. The author Danny Covey endured eight bouts of lifesaving heart surgery. Born with a defective heart, from infancy, this pastor’s son experienced unimaginable suffering and learned to rise above it all in triumph, ultimately earning a black belt in jiu-jitsu.
Above all Danny is not a victim of his circumstances. He is a victor. This is a story of conquest through determined faith “believing there is purpose in your suffering,” so we too can “live each day with gratitude.”
The book is professionally written, suspenseful, and engaging throughout with plenty of thought-provoking quotes. Overall, a five-star effort with a five-star outcome. Furthermore, it’s an incredible testimony to the grace of God at work in the heart of someone who has come through life-threatening storm, after storm, after storm.
Yes, Scar Tissue by Danny Covet is available on Amazon. It’s well worth reading, and an ideal therapy for those who experienced a life-altering trauma.
Finding Shelter: A Child’s Memoir of WWII
25 Saturday Jun 2022
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I’m a history buff, or some may call me an armchair historian. I have read dozens of books on the
Second World War, but none of them have been written from a child’s perspective. That’s why I found “Finding Shelter” by Angelina Fast-Vlaar so fascinating.
Fast-Vlaar takes us back to her rural, childhood home in the Netherlands. This was a happy home. But soon the carefree joy of childhood was tainted by war. The invading German army cast a dark shadow over the family and community. The German occupation brought many restrictions and hardships—hardships that were felt even by young school-age children.
We see all the events of the war through the eyes of a child. There is a growing darkness as this story develops. Eventually, the war begins to go badly for the Germans, and the oppression worsens. After D-Day the school Angelina attends is closed and used by the occupying army. Food is scarce. Hungry people arrive at their door. Day and night bombers fly overhead. Soon with deadly force the war arrives at their doorstep, as Canadian soldiers battle to drive out the Nazis.
Above all this is a story of faith, courage, and perseverance. It’s a unique unseen perspective that I appreciate. Thank you Angelina Fast-Vlaar for your childhood memoir of WWII. It had me enthralled.
The Ripple Effect: God’s Invitation to a Pastor’s Wife to Heal Her Pain & Shame
23 Saturday Apr 2022
Posted in book review
Some books surprise you. This book did just that. As a male pastor, I thought I would have difficulty relating to the experiences of a pastor’s wife. But just the opposite was true. On many points I found myself identifying with author, Danielle Presseault’s lived experiences.
At its core this is a book about inner healing, spiritual warfare, and deliverance. But don’t expect a lengthy
biblical treatise on these topics. That’s not the author’s writing style. Instead, Danielle uses a chatty conversational style to tell in story format her need for spiritual and physical healing, her struggles along the way, and her ultimate emergence in victory. This is a narrative that I believe many will be able to identify with, or perhaps long for.
Like many Christians in leadership, Danielle had become adept at portraying an overcoming victorious lifestyle, though she was broken and wounded inside. Eventually that inner brokenness began to manifest in serious health issues. The Ripple Effect chronicles her journey from flat out denial to inner healing, and eventually to her own ministry of bringing spiritual health to others. Of course, there are setbacks and challenges along the way, but in all of it, God and his Word are honored.
I gave this book a five-star rating because I believe it touches on genuine needs within the Christian community and society in general. Our deepest needs are spiritual and Danielle’s forthright telling of her story can help many on their own journey to wholeness. We need to see what inner healing and spiritual warfare look like as a practical lived experience. The Ripple Effect does just that.
An Interview with Author David Kitz
29 Saturday Jan 2022
Posted in book review, Books by David Kitz, Psalms
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By Hilda Young of the Ottawa Christian Writers’ Fellowship
- I am reading again your book “Psalms alive! Connecting Heaven and Earth.” You are fascinated with the drama in the Psalms!
Yes, that’s true. I also love the poetry and imagery in the Psalms. - What gave you the idea of writing a three-volume book about the Psalms?
Psalms 365 did not begin like most of my other books. It began as a blog. I attended a Write! Canada workshop at the 2013 Word Guild Conference. The workshop presenter urged all of us to begin blogging. At first, I resisted the idea. But after I returned home, I relented and decided to give it a try. But what should my topic be? After trying a few things, I settled on blogging my way through all the Psalms. - Why did you decide to divide it up in three parts? How did you decide on the divisions?
The publisher decided to breakup the manuscript because in its original form it would have resulted in a book of nearly 800 pages. The divisions fell very conveniently at the end of Psalm 51 and Psalm 104. - Are all the three books about the same length?
All three books are about 265 pages in length. The print is quite large for easy reading. - How long did it take to write and research?
From start to finish the raw manuscript took about two years to complete. Typically, I would write one devotion each workday of the of the week. Polishing the manuscript and finding a royalty paying publisher took much longer than the actual writing. - Have you been asked to do any presentations about the Bible study aspect of the book series?
I led a Zoom Bible study of Psalm 51 just this morning. - Have COVID restrictions made an impact on your ability to promote the books?
Yes, restrictions on travel and church gatherings have made promotion much more challenging. Fortunately, many obstacles can be overcome through online events and social media activities, but I miss the in-person gatherings. - Do you have a favorite Psalm?
David Kitz
I have many favorites, but at the top of the list is Psalm 103. It gives me a full, all-encompassing view of God and calls me to a higher level of worship.
- Is the photo on the cover of the book from the Holy Land?
The three cover photos are scenes from present day Israel. They have a timeless quality about them. I am very pleased with the Elk Lake Publishing team. They did a great job on all aspects of the book series. - I notice on your blog that you feature a different Psalm everyday with a photo and commentary. Does the cross pollination of the blog and the books help increase book sales?
I admit not every regular blog reader is going to want a hard copy of my book, but some do. Also, some purchase the book(s) as gifts for loved ones. The blog also gives the book a broad international reach. On a typical day my blog has 120 views with about twenty of those views coming from in Canada. The rest of the readership comes from fifteen or more countries scattered around the globe.
Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and for those who love God’s word, it’s an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.
God’s Fire Starters
23 Sunday Jan 2022
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This compact, 137-page volume delivers a powerful punch.
“God’s Firestarters” is about ordinary people who were ignited with passion for the Lord, and in turn, they set scores—and in some cases millions of others—on fire with the love and power of the gospel message.
The book is a compilation of twenty short biographies of Christian leaders who had an extraordinary impact on their generation and the world. Each chapter is about five pages long, and covers the highs, lows, and transformative moments of these world-changing pastors, leaders and thinkers.
The book is chronologically organized as it moves through history beginning with Katharina Luther (1499-1552) and ending with the theologian J.I. Packer (1926-2020). Between those dates we find the stories of eighteen other remarkable men and women who overcame enormous obstacles as they lived lives that powerfully impacted the church and the world.
Authors Ed and Janice Hird have done their homework. Each biography is well-written and thoroughly researched with dozens of endnotes.
These are stories that will build your faith and stoke your courage. I highly recommend this book. It’s a real fire-starter in the best way imaginable.
Loved Like Never Before by Ken Symington
01 Saturday Jan 2022
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A Book Review
The subtitle of this book by Ken Symington is “Discovering the Father Heart of God”. Really, that’s what
this book is all about. Sadly, all too often our earthly fathers are a poor reflection of our heavenly Father’s care and love.
Symington approaches this topic with a great deal of care and sensitivity. The abused or neglected child can find comfort in these pages. The sad truth is our picture of God is often distorted by our relationship with our earthly father. We transfer our father’s shortcomings onto our concept and understanding of God the Father. Chapter by chapter Symington works to correct these distortions so we can see our Father God in a new light—the true light of Scripture.
I found his description of Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son and the father’s love particularly insightful.
This book changed my perspective on the first person of the Trinity—God the Father. For that reason I give it a five star rating.
Book Review: The Third Man—Churchill, Roosevelt, Mackenzie King and the Untold Friendships that Won WWII
20 Sunday Jun 2021
Posted in book review
In many respects, this is a rather remarkable book, as it highlights the pivotal role Mackenzie King played in the
relationship between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. As Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister, King was able to act as a bridge between these two strong-willed leaders. This was particularly crucial when Britain was facing Hitler, largely alone, before America’s entry into the war. King played a crucial role in establishing the links that resulted in the Lend Lease Program, a vital life line during this darkest hour.
King’s role is often overlooked along with Canada’s major contribution to the war effort.
Author Neville Thompson draws extensively from King’s personal diaries. In many respects the diaries give us an intimate look into the lives of these three wartime leaders. Their friendship was strong, genuine and abiding despite some marked differences in policy.
This book is ideal for those who value a close-up look at history, and how it unfolds at the upper echelons of political power, or those who have a keen interest in these WWII leaders. In many respects, the book is deserving of a five star rating, but it lacks the polish and top level editing needed for that score. Yet for those who treasure Second World War history, it is well worth reading.
I love the Psalms 