BOOK REVIEW: Street God

Old-time evangelist Billy Sunday used to say, based on Hebrews 7:25, that God could save "to the guttermost"--meaning that no matter how deeply entrenched in sin you are, Jesus can and will meet you there and save you. Dimas Salaberrios, in his book, Street God, tells us how Jesus did that for him.

A major drug dealer on the streets of New York while still a teenager, Salaberrios envisioned a future as a "street god"--a player so powerful and unrivaled that he would get all the glory. However, after several stints in jail (including the infamous Rikers Island), he lost some of his traction and began using the drugs he sold. One night, during a frightening descent into drug-induced madness, three elderly women prayed over his soul for three hours; prayers that resulted in deliverance from demonic possession and unto salvation.

Now pastor of Infinity Bible Church in New York, Salaberrios now goes after drug dealers and users to win them to Jesus. Desiring now that God get all the glory in his life, he lives as a surrendered servant to the very community he used to rule in intimidation and violence.

I got chills reading about Salaberrios' deliverance and his immediate, on-fire, Spirit-filling for the kingdom of God. To see God's true purposes in his life as he grew in his knowledge of the Bible and searched for a church home was exciting.

If you would like to learn more about this book, go here. Visit Salaberrios' site here.

I received this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

BOOK REVIEW: 'Til We Meet Again

What a beautiful love story!

Set against the backdrop of European combat during World War II, this simple but riveting account of Ray and Betty Whipps' life stories is precious. Unexpectedly finding himself on the ground with the U.S. Army instead of in the air with the Navy Air Corps, Ray meets Betty--who had unexpectedly found herself an Army nurse instead of a Navy one--during a 30 day stay in the hospital for a combat injury. Their nearly instant attraction to each other became a proposal of marriage before Ray headed back to the battlefield...where he was promptly captured by the Germans. Thank goodness we know from the outset that this couple has now been married for nearly 70 years!

I enjoyed most about this book the reminder that truly, though man plans in his heart, the Lord directs his steps. Both Ray and Betty had plans for their lives that the Lord changed, much to their initial disappointment. After finding each other, both realized that had He not interrupted their ideas of what was best, they would never have experienced what He had to give them, which was ultimately so much better.

I was inspired by the faith of these young people, holding onto their faith through the incredible proving ground of a world war. Neither wavered; both prayed.

If you are looking for a sweet, page-turning love story, this is it!

I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for a fair review.

If you'd like to know more about the book and see an interview clip of Ray and Betty, go here.

BOOK REVIEW: Called For Life

We all watched the headlines as the Ebola epidemic hit West Africa last year. For the first time, we had an Ebola patient leave Africa and step out of an ambulance onto American soil: one of our own. The now-iconic photo of the man in the protective suit is of Dr. Kent Brantly, medical missionary to Liberia. In "Called for Life," Dr. Brantly describes his experience as a victim of the deadly virus.


Dr Brantly and his wife Amber, a nurse, moved to Liberia in 2012 with their children to serve God as medical missionaries with Samaritan's Purse. Loving the people and serving them as best possible given limited medical supplies and equipment, they were front and center when the worst outbreak of Ebola hit in the summer of 2014. Serving in a supportive role alongside her husband and the rest of the team, Amber and flew back to the United States, with the kids, for a planned vacation just three days before Kent woke feeling "just not right."

When Kent's positive Ebola result came a few days later, he faced it with courage and steadiness. Even at his sickest, he did not question God but, rather, leaned on the prayers of family and friends. His teammates at the Liberian hospital took care of him while the decision was made to not only use an experimental medication on him (one never used on humans), but also to fly him back to the United States for treatment.



If you followed the headlines, you know that Dr Brantly survived the Ebola virus. This book, however, tells you what it was like to suffer from the disease as family, friends and the world watched.

I enjoyed reading the book because, like most of us, I was curious about what it was like to have gone through this virus. It truly is a terrible disease, yet hopefully, because of Kent's positive reaction to the experimental medication--and the likewise positive reaction of Nancy Writebol, Kent's coworker and fellow Ebola patient in the hospital in Atlanta--progress will be made so that people can be protected from its high fatality rate. Dr. Brantly tells his story with the professionalism of a medical doctor yet tempered by the very real human viewpoint of a husband, father and friend.

I was particularly struck by the commitment of his coworkers in Liberia and the medical team at Emory University, caring respectfully and compassionately for him despite the very real possibility that they too could become infected.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an impartial review. If you would like more information about the Brantlys and "Called for Life," go here.