Month: October 2015

When I wrote the initial draft of The Methuselah Project in 2009, several friends commented, “That reminds me of the Mel Gibson movie, Forever Young.” Now that my story has finally been published, a number of reviewers surprised me by declaring it reminds them of Captain America.

When I noticed a book review site called “The Minister’s Wife” had posted a review comparing the two heroes, I requested permission to repost it here. Lois (evidently the minister’s wife) agreed, even though it was her husband who actually penned the review. (I’ve never met or communicated with either of them before.) Here is his objective assessment:

 

A Fantastic Novel ~ The Methuselah Project

“Before I opened this book, I turned it over and glanced at the description of its contents. Roger Greene, an American soldier presumed dead in a plane crash during World War II, actually survives and, as a result of a secret scientific project designed to maximize human potential, returns many years later to our modern world. His amazing abilities leave him a man out of his own time: he must cope with technology and culture unfamiliar to him, while facing enemies with roots in Naziism.

“So, before opening this book, I reacted to its back cover. This sounds like a Captain America rip-off!

“I learned that the old adage is true. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

“This isn’t a superhero story. Roger Greene is a basically decent guy, as was Steve [Captain America] Rogers, and a dedicated soldier. But his physical transformation occurs after his plane is shot down over Germany and he is captured and used as a subject of a Nazi program to radically lengthen the human lifespan. When he escapes, circumstance do not make him a colorfully costumed crusader. Instead, he must go on the run from both his enemies and the authorities.

“Barry does not surprise the reader with gratuitous violence or high-stakes drama – in other words, this isn’t paced or plotted like a comic book. He does present characters and situations which make sense, placing his unusual hero in a very believable world. Some of the Nazi characters are surprisingly “human” instead of being shallow representations of unmitigated evil.

“I found the sequences which take place in Indiana especially enjoyable, because I have visited some of the places described in this book and could tell that the author [who lives in Indianapolis] has experienced first-hand the settings he deftly describes. But the scenes set in Atlanta, Georgia, seemed very convincing as well, and while I’ve not been there, they seemed every bit as real as the “local Italian eatery . . . along Highway 31 in Kokomo” where I’ve actually dined.

“After the opening chapter there is not much action in the first two-thirds of the book, but I found that the slow pace did not become boring. I was also surprised at how certain Nazi characters were presented as misguided but reasonable, rather than shallow monsters. [another contrast with the tales of Captain America].

“One trait shared by Roger Greene and Steve Rogers is a basic old-fashioned morality. Greene’s values are presented in an unapologetic way that make his stereotypically “boy scout” displays of virtue, perseverance and loyalty seem at the same simultaneously outdated and laudable.

“Read this book. With all the similarities to the adventures of one of my favorite comic book characters, this is no rip-off. It is a well-written story, and I finished hoping that the future holds more tales of its hero.

“By the way, if you’re a die-hard superhero fan who remembers the 1990 Captain America film, there’s a moment on page 219 that will surprise and delight you.”

Find the original posting of this review at…

http://theministerswifestampsandsaves.blogspot.com/2015/10/a-fantastic-novel-methuselah-project.html

For 11 years I worked as Assistant to Georgi Vins. He was a the internationally known Russian evangelist who spent 8 years in Russian prisons and labor camps before being exiled to America in a dramatic 1979 exchange. (The U.S. swapped 2 captured Soviet spies for 5 well-known prisoners in the Soviet gulag—4 human rights activists and Vins, a Christian preacher.)

During those years of laboring alongside Georgi Vins, I often interpreted his Russian to English at church services and Christian conferences. He was always a popular speaker, who spoke out about the then-persecuted church in the USSR. During Q & A sessions, there was never a shortage of hands. I well recall how one man, after learning details of the persecution, asked, “Isn’t there a way for believers to live peaceful lives and avoid the oppression and harassment?”
After a pause, Georgi Vins replied, “If a Christian stayed home instead of going to church; if he didn’t pray openly; if he didn’t let others know about his faith in Christ; then yes, he could probably avoid persecution. But that’s not the Christian life.”

Mr. Vins died in 1998, but over the years, that answer has often resurfaced in my thoughts. In western nations, the ridicule and harassment Christians sometimes experience may not be as hard-hitting as it was in the USSR, yet certain forces in society try to suppress our outward expressions of faith. They attempt to quash our Bible-based convictions. Some believers might be tempted to decide, “Enough already. I’ll still be a Christian, but just a silent one.” In other words, to avoid mockery or making waves, they try to be “secret agents” of faith. But that’s not the Christian life.

Jesus was crucified. His apostles endured arrests, chains, prisons, sentences of death. How did they respond? They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s name. In Philippians 1, the Apostle Paul writes from prison to gladness that other Christians were emboldened by his example: “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (v. 14).

If you’re ever tempted to go undercover with your faith, tempted to dim the source of light in your life so as to not “offend” someone, my encouragement to you is this: Don’t. Jesus Himself says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). A dark, burned-out light bulb may still be a light bulb, but it’s useless. Don’t try to be a “secret agent” for God. Let your light shine!

If you read the Bible, you often see the word grace. A quick definition is “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.” But it’s hard to be thankful for a dictionary’s dry explanation. What does grace look like in people’s lives?

The apostle Peter is a fantastic example. Brash and impetuous, Peter said and did things others wouldn’t. He was confident in himself. He boasted he would go to prison and even to death for Jesus. Yet, when an armed crowd of men arrested Jesus, Peter fled. Worse, he repeatedly denied he’d ever even heard of Jesus. Christ turned and looked Peter in the eyes on that third denial, which caused Peter to hurry away and weep bitterly (Luke 22:61-62).

By God’s grace, the story doesn’t end there. After Peter’s self-confidence had been purged to the roots, the resurrected Christ returned to him, forgave him, and restored him to ministry with the words “Follow me” (John 21). What undeserved favor!

The apostle Paul gives another example of grace. Also brash and zealous, Paul hated the faith of early Christians. He relished “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” This guy made it his private mission to locate and imprison Christians (Acts 9:1-2). Yet, in His grace, the Lord appeared to Paul and gave him new life and a new purpose. So, was Paul faultless from that moment onward? No. In Romans 7:15 even the admirable apostle confessed that sometimes he did not do the things that he knew he should, and other times he did the things he hated and knew he shouldn’t.

But, praise God, He is merciful to those who repent of their sins. As John recorded, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Friend, probably—like me—you can totally relate to Paul, who even as a Christian found himself not doing things he should, yet indulging in things he shouldn’t. (We don’t know what those things were, but they pricked his conscious enough that he called himself “wretched” [Romans 7:24]) God doesn’t wink at sin. He definitely calls us out of it. And with grace He forgives, restores, and puts away our sin.

“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12). What fantastic grace!

A preacher once observed that the Devil likes to remind people of their past sins. Listening to Satan recite lists of our past failures is a sure way to feel defeated and useless for the rest of our lives. Based on God’s grace and forgiveness, that preacher advised his listeners to take past sins that have been repented of, lock them behind a solid door, then hang a “No trespassing” sign on it. That’s good advice.

If you know God, thank Him anew for His grace. Apart from it, who knows where you or I would be this very moment?