Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs - a review.

When I staggered back from the book shop with a backpack filled with books I could ahrdly have guessed the result of reading these books.

This book is filled with stories of people who have suffered or died for thier unmovable faith in Jesus Christ. It forms a companion work to the album by dc Talk with the same title (Jesus Freaks).

It is clearly the most beautiful looking of the books with a double fold out cover adorned with artwork as a background for title pages and the like and all printed on a thick paper that feels like a high quality product.

When I started reading it was as someone who had enjoied the tital track from the album and wondered what the book was about.

Then it was that same morbid curiosity that causes us to stand and watch a traffic accident or tune into a disaster report.

As I read on the book seemed to change but it was not changing - I was.

Account ofter account of people who gave up thier lives of Christ. In among this were stories of earthly hope. The tale of the change a little girl made when she slipped her daddy a pen. The tale of the hardened soldier weeping like a baby when he was told of the death of the man who had preached the sermon on the mount but dancing for joy when he was told of Jesus return from death.

At almost 400 pages this book is no leaflet and yet I could not stop reading until on the second day I had read it all.

My perspective has forever shifted.

What is important and what is not is slightly different to before.

One shocking thought is that access to the Bible written in English was paid for in blood. That I can read the message of God for myself cost many thier lives. The man burnt to death for his part in translation of the Bible (this lifes work would be extended to form the "King James Version" largely unchanged). Owning a copy of the New Testiment (in English) carried at times in the United Kingdom of Great Britain the penalty of death.

This book should be required reading.

I don't yet know who I will giving this copy to. see this for more information on giving away books.

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Notes

My copy has the ISBN of 0-86347-388-1 and a RRP UK£9.99 (which is about US$20).

It is also available in a less ornate imprint the price of which I am unaware of. The book was published in 1999 (7 years ago). It is, therefore, advisable that the information at the back concerning areas (of the world) of oppression be varified on the The Voice of the Martyrs website www.persecution.com.

also tagged: martyr, books, Jesus Freaks