Deus Misereatur

Redemption: A Street Fighter's Path to Peace by Clarke Michael My rating: 5 of 5 stars How does a punky, pugnacious kid with a prison record become a master martial artist, and live to tell about it? Michael Clarke, Kyoshi 8th dan, Okinawan Goju-ryu, and author, recounts his own journey of how this happened in his new, 256 page paperback, “Redemption: A Street Fighter’s Path to Peace.” It’s an adventurous work readable for young teenagers to veteran karateka. The redemption Clarke attained is echoed in his opening words; “An important life lesson my study of karate has taught me is this: you not only have to walk your own path through life, you have to build the path as you go” (xi). Redemption, for the author, was following bushido, taking life in hand with its defeats and disappointments, and getting back up with new resolve and renewed vigor; seven times down, eight times up (211). Clarke’s autobiography begins in Dublin, moves to the streets of Manchester then to Strangeways...

(Today, a woman wrote me a letter telling me that denominations were wrong, and that "there are no denominations in God's word." The following is my reply that I sent back to her): 15 July 2016 Dear Gxxxxxx, Thank you so much for your brief note on the dangers of denominations. I agree that denominations are, in many ways, highly problematic for Christ’s Church. And you have zeroed in on the main difficulty: “Denominations are made by men, not by God.” Many years ago I was a minister, an evangelist, in a group that claimed denominations were a sin. I preached it, taught it, proclaimed it for over 5 years. And then one day the lights slowly came on for me. That group I was in, known as the Churches of Christ, was divided and segmented into 20 to 30 different enclaves, and each assembly had no fellowship with almost any of the other Churches of Christ in their own town or city – even though they all claimed to be Churches of Christ. Each group was right, an...

In Praise of Plodders by Warren W. Wiersbe My rating: 5 of 5 stars When I first entered Christian ministry I had a truck-load of ideas and assumptions. With a head full of Seminary, a heart filled with steam, and hands fidgeting for success I dove in only to smack my noggin on rocks and ridges just under the water line. Thankfully I had a friend who had been pastoring for several years pull up beside me and begin to help me clear my thoughts and clarify my “oughts.” Warren W. Wiersbe, a Bible teacher, accomplished author, conference speaker, and pastor who has ministered in churches and conferences in Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and the United States, put together a 144 page paperback, “In Praise of Plodders” that feels like having a seasoned, experienced pastoral friend come along side fellow ministers to give sage advice. This short, sweet and simple book is perfect for hard-working preachers. The thirty three chapters range from two to five pages covering a wide ra...