Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God

A friend told me that when her copy of this book arrived, she skipped around looking for names of men she knew, then she decided it was such a well-written, intriguing book that she was going to enjoy reading it from cover to cover. My friend is an adult, and although Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders is a book for kids, the profiles of these daring men of God inspire kids of all ages (as did the earlier published companion book about women, Courageous World Changers.) One especially redeeming story is about John M. Perkins (1930-Present) who fled Mississippi as a Black teen with a burden of hate in his heart. He had endured extreme racism, being shot at, and the murder of his brother, a World War ll veteran. He said that after he met Jesus, God changed his heart radically and challenged his hatred toward others. He returned to his home state in the 1960s and became a bold civil rights activist with an agenda of love. Although he still experienced harassment, beatings and imprisonment, he returned good for evil. He persisted to establish the Voice of Calvary Ministries. Later he returned to California and established ministries there, including the Good News Bible Clubs and technology centers. The John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation continues to transform lives and communities through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Another touching story is about Joseph de Veuster (1840-1889) of Belgium who became known as Father Damien. His ministry was on the island of Molokai, home to seven hundred incurable lepers. He worked alongside the residents to tear down shacks, establish farms and schools, build a church and schools, turning a despondent, isolated community into a thriving one. He served on the island for ten years until he finally contracted the dreaded disease and died young at the age of forty-nine. This book is a keeper for the whole family to read together and to reread when you need a dose of encouragement and a reminder that for centuries and today, God enables the followers of His Son to influence and change the world.