We get a lot of feedback about our books here at the ministry. Many of the comments are great to read, and they make writing those books well worth the effort.
Thumbs Up
Here are a few letters people have written to us that were good to receive:
“I just wanted to share my excitement this morning as I presented each family in our church with a copy of The Last Ride. I first distributed copies to my Sunday school class and then to others following morning worship. Everyone was excited and thankful to receive a copy! Last Wednesday, my wife and I also gave a copy to my son’s first-grade teacher. She told us the next day that she couldn’t put it down! I have used The Last Ride to bring many folks joy this Christmas season.” Richard
“I love these books!! They are chock full of ways to talk to the lost. I highly recommend them!! These books are easy reads, contain great stories, and challenge you to step out in faith to tell others about Christ. They have truly inspired and equipped me to be able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.” Yvette
“Mark! I ordered two boxes of your books a few months back. I read One Heartbeat Away, The Watchmen, and Ten Questions from The King. Life changers! I have to say that these three books helped to “turn me on the path of obedience to God in sharing my faith. The Spirit really worked on my heart and mind through these books. I just wanted to stop and thank you for your time and effort in writing these books. The Lord is leading me to New York City; I can’t wait to stomp those streets and tell people about the only Way, the Truth, the Life! What a calling. Endless possibilities to share. What a gift! Reid
“I just wanted to thank you for all of the books and the disc you sent me. They have been a blessing to me. I have finished reading Reunion. I liked it very much. God has given you a great talent for writing. Whenever I read one of your books, I just can’t put it down. The suspense in them is so great that I just have to know what is going to happen next. Once again, thank you very much for the gifts. Keep doing what you are doing. Your boldness is so inspiring. You have obviously abided in His words and are very knowledgeable in the Scriptures.” Steven
“You are the greatest author since the English language has been invented!” Mom
“I’ve just finished reading The Last Ride. It fascinated me the way you used the characters, from beginning to end, to show how great God’s love is for us and that we are running out of time to reach the lost. We, as Christians, need to be bold and share God’s love and that He has sent His Son to be the atonement for our sins. We should be sharing the love of Christ every minute of the day and not fear what others may say about us. We should take up our cross and follow Jesus, and love each other as He loves us. This novel is, by far, the best you have ever written!” Deborah
“Thanks so much for what you do! As a senior in high school, I have been a believer for seven years already. At my grandparent’s house, I read your book Paradise. It was amazing how you built tension as you shared evidence for the Bible. The book was sobering and motivational for me to evangelize, since I return home and start school again in the fall. I think God provided this book at just the right time in my life. Even in my evangelism encounters, I ask people the million dollar question: “If you were to die tonight and God were to ask you why should I let you into Heaven, what would you say? However, I never actually thought about a person who only has 24 hours to live. Because we don’t know the number of our days, for all we know, everyone could have only 24 hours or less to live. Paradise really brings all of these ideas together into one compelling story. Thanks again for such a wonderful book. Daniel
“I am so glad I birthed you! Mom
“I read The Watchmen, and it set me in motion to share [the gospel] wherever I go” Kelly
“I’ve been a Christian for over 20 years, I came to Christ out of Judaism in my 40s. The book [One Heartbeat Away] has left me more prepared to speak to those who might be searching. Everything you stated, every question you posed, every scripture you cited right on the money” Jeff
“A friend gave me a copy of One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven for Christmas several years ago. What a blessing! If this book doesn’t light the Holy Spirit on fire in you, then I don’t know what will. Thank you, Mark, for the call to action and to share the gospel with a sense of urgency. We don’t know the day or the hour. Don
____________
I received a phone call last week from a guy who just loved my book The Watchmen. As Kevin and I talked, he told me he read only two pages of it!! I always tell people to read page 3 because it is so much better than page 2! He stated that he read it in prison, but as the conversation continued, he revealed that he couldn’t read. He could only make out some of the words. But he remembered the book, and when he got out of jail, he googled me and gave me a call. We had a nice chat. Nice man. So, we sent him our DVDs and Audiobooks, so he could listen instead of read
Thumbs Down
But I received another comment from someone the other day that really got me thinking:
Dear Mr. Cahill
I am reading your very interesting book and have just reached Chap. 8 and saw some quotations of persons endorsing the Bible as a venerable book and one that should be read and emulated.
Some of the persons quoted are questionable:
1. Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and George Washington were slave owners.
2. Robert Lee was a Confederate General, and so, by association, defended chattel slavery.
3. Abraham believed in the abolition of slavery but not in the equality of black and white people.
Surely you could have referenced men of God who practiced the Word of God in their everyday life.
Yours respectfully, Arthur
So one thing that intrigues me in life is what people say about someone else. Do they tell you something positive about that person or something negative? Now, warning others about false teachers is a good thing, but just looking at a snapshot or moment in time of someone’s life may not give you the whole picture.
Can people not change? Can people not be given a second chance if they have done something wrong? Can people not finish their life differently than how they started it?
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
We are Flawed
Part of my response to Arthur was: “Yes, there are some flawed characters throughout history. I have even heard there are a few flawed characters in the Bible as well!”
Adam blamed the lovely woman God gave him.
Cain decided, no more brother for me!
Noah imbibed one too many times.
Abraham was not the best at protecting his wife.
Moses sure seemed to have some temper issues.
Eli probably did not win any Father-of-the-Year awards.
Saul was one angry guy a lot of the time.
David had an interesting way of covering up his adultery.
Solomon was so wise that he slept with 1,000 women.
And the list goes on and on and on.
Actually, I think this is one of the proofs of the accuracy of the Bible. If someone were writing a book and wanted the reader to believe its central tenets, they surely wouldn’t include indiscretions and flawed characters in it. Those would be inconvenient truths that the author would glance over and hide. But not with God. Those mistakes are right out in the open. You couldn’t miss the flaws in the lives of these men if you tried.
2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Samuel 24:14
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
Luke 6:36
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Psalm 145:8,9
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Mark 6:34
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
We are Forgiven
We need to daily thank God for His grace, mercy, and compassion.
I would also have to guess that Arthur doesn’t know much about the author of The Watchmen either.
And, by the way, my mom can tell you some good stories about me! I made her sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), and I will never let her interview me if she ever decides to write a book! But, she sure likes how I have turned out.
We are flawed, but not forgotten. And, as believers, we are flawed, but totally forgiven.
Until the nets are full,
P.S. Remember that we always teach QEQE: Question Everything and Question Everybody.
How does this young man have so much already figured out, but some of us older folks do not?
