Hitler's Cross by Erwin Lutzer

Back Cover:
"Dein Reich komme," Hitler prayed publicly--"Thy Kingdom come." But to whose kingdom was he referring?

When Germany truly needed a savior, Adolf Hitler falsely stepped in. He directed his countrymen to a cross, but he bent and hammered the true cross into a horrific substitute: a swastika.

Where was the church through all of this? With a few exceptions, the German church looked away while Hitler inflicted his final solution upon the Jews. Hitler's Cross is a chilling historical account of what happens when evil meets a silent, shrinking church, and an intriguing and convicting expose of modern America's own hidden crosses. 


My Twitter feed just happens to be a place where ministry updates and book lover thoughts collide, and when I saw several people raving about this book, I decided to review it next. I was pretty sure I would love Lutzer's style of writing, and I wasn't disappointed. Like Rescuing the Gospel, Lutzer writes with clarity and detail, yet in a conversational style.

This year I have been drawn to the history during World War 2 and have already read several historical novels of the time period. While much of the history is tragic, I enjoy the life reminders and accounts of people who were willing to stand up for what they believed despite the cost.

Hitler's Cross is a little deeper though. Many people believe the Holocaust never happened. Others shake their heads and wonder what kind of man Hitler must have been to carry out such an awful role. But despite some obviously glaring differences, Hitler was an average man. He believed himself a Christian, he was very "spiritual", and he was deeply involved with the public, even before his rise to power. He knew people and he knew politics, and he used these both (if somewhat unfairly) to place himself on the "throne" when the people needed him most. The conflict of church and state, the Treaty of Versailles, and general instability of the nation, gave Hitler the abililty to comfort the people and demonstrate his leadership. I appreciated understanding how Hitler used religion and spirituality in his life. I do not doubt that he was involved in Satanic and demonic activity, but hearing it from Lutzer clearly demonstrated that the terms "Christian" and "spirituality" mean many things to people.

Hitler didn't rely simply on his own mind and thoughts to bring a massive change to his country. There were psychologists, speakers, and authors that Hitler drew from or promoted (with or without knowing it). Men such as Karl Marx, Georg Hegel, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky profoundly shaped the thinking of Hitler.

I loved Lutzer's thread of Providence through this whole book. Despite the horrific deeds of Hitler, we see God (or as he believes "Fate") leading the events of history and being specifically involved in Hitler's life. Lutzer deals with the role of Fate and God in this book and clearly explains the terms and how each were demonstrated in history. Lutzer unpacks the anit-semitism of the time period, and tackles the topic of who was in charge: God or Hitler. This book is full of interesting history, along with the stories of Deitrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemoller (this man's testimony is so encouraging--never heard of him until this book), and quotes from various other men and women who decided to speak out for those who couldn't.  I also appreciated learning about the German Christians. They were a group who sat on the fence regarding issues much of the time. Some kept preaching but did it secretly, while others decided to go along with Hitler's demands so they wouldn't be arrested. But some, not under the label of German Christians, decided to preach the Gospel and suffer if necessary, because God had called them to defend the poor and outcasts of society.

As Lutzer says, "Suffering gives the Cross its most enduring witness." Pick up this book if you get a chance, and thank God for the churches and invidividuals who decided to live fully while preparing to die.




*I received this book free from Moody Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Others Shuddered by Jamie Janosz

Back Cover

Travel back in time to turn-of-the-century America. Skirts trailed the floor, hats were a must, and corsets were commonplace. People traveled by horse and carriage, locomotive, or ship. The first skyscrapers were built. The World's Fair arrived in Chicago.

Life was swiftly changing in the United States, but for most, it was also difficult. Men and women flooded the cities in a desperate search for work. Former slaves fled north seeking freedom and education. Crime began to rise as brothels and saloons became commonplace in American cities.

It was in this world that Fanny Crosby, Mary McLeod Bethune, Nettie McCormick, Sarah Dunn Clarke, Emma Dryer, Virginia Asher, Evangeline Booth, and Amanda Berry Smith lived and worked and served. They were ordinary women called to serve God. They followed His leading, risking their own safety and reputation. In doing so, they changed the world forever.

The stories of these eight historic, faithful women will change your life as well as you see what God can do through the willing hearts of ordinary women.


This book was an encouraging read. Though I read it on and off through a busy work season, it was refreshing to come back to stories of some of the women of history who stood fast "when others shuddered". I had never heard about Jamie Janosz but I was entrigued by the life overviews of women who lived during an ever-changing society.

Stories such as Fanny Crosby's and Emma Dryer's demonstrated the unwavering faith in God despite personal loss. Sarah Clarke and Evangeline Booth showed their unfailing trust in their Savior as He provided for their financial needs. And I loved learned about the lives of Amanda Smith and Virginia Asher--names not commonly heard throughout history. Janosz also includes short chapters about education, missions, and politics as they affected and related to women in these challenging times.

Unlike others around them, despite personal, financial, material, or relational loss, these women refused to give up. While each women has only three chapters written about her, I appreciate how Janosz focuses on personal and spiritual growth in each of their lives. You don't get all the tiny details of the womens' lives, but you see enough to understand how women of different social, spiritual, and financial backgrounds can all relate and build faith in the same God. These women played important parts in history, and many of them were the encouragers of the evangelists and future "great men" of church history. They weren't faultless, and in some cases I would disagree with their choices of lifestyles, but they did have a Savior in common and they followed His leading no matter what those around them said. They were willing to give up personal comfort for the sake of winning others to Jesus. Very glad I requested this book. :)




*I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

20 Things We'd Tell Our Twenty-something Selves by Kelli and Peter Worrall

From Amazon:
Foster good habits. Press into pain. Never, never get another perm. 

Despite what many think, our twenties aren't that dead space between youth and real life. Done right, they can be among our most important years. 

In 20 Things We'd Tell Our Twentysomething Selves, Peter and Kelli Worrall look back on it all--the good, the bad, and the miserable--to give you the best of what they've learned. With humility, warmth, and brilliant storytelling, they invite you not only into their wisdom but into their lives, sharing about marriage, faith, drawn-out adoptions, dark nights of the soul, and the God who's in it all.

This is one of those books you could use as a devotional or just as a book to keep you company. The Worralls write as if they were seated across from you on the couch--and I wish they were. ;) They make you laugh with stories, but yet challenge you to think deeper and produce actions consistent with biblical living.

I requested this book for review after a friend reviewed it, and I'm quite pleased to add it to my library. Kelli and Peter Worrall discuss major topics that most 20somethings will end up thinking about. Things like habits, doubts, self-care, sin in yourself and family and others around you, grace, healing, and an eternal perspective. Each chapter begins with a short introduction based on the chapter title. I haven't seen another book do that before, and I enjoyed it very much. Just knowing the topics and the outcome from each chapter even before I started reading it was refreshing.

The Worralls give kind advice, not shirking from calling out sin, but yet providing grace instead of judgment and condemnation. Every chapter includes "actions to consider", "questions for reflection and discussion", and "other things to read" at the end of it. I very much appreciated the practicality of their suggestions, and the reflection questions were excellent. Perhaps one day I will go through and use the book as a devotional and journal my answers. The reading suggestions were also interesting to me, as I'm always on the lookout for reading material.

I love how the Worralls are parents with children, and yet they can write a book specifically for 20somethings. I think many older people are so far from their 20s, that they've forgotten what it's like. And the teenagers are just a little below the 20s, so they aren't able to process it all either. But this couple sounds like they're living in it, and take joy in it. I'm sure it comes from daily counseling and teaching teenagers and 20somethings.

My favorite chapters would be #15 (Embrace Grace) and #16 (Seek Healing) [but it's hard to pick favorites--most of the chapters would have to be "my favorites" :P]. I appreciated the honesty that the Worralls share with their readers--not hiding the messy parts of their lives, but sharing them as they went and giving us insight into how they sought grace and healing for their struggles and challenges. And because of those challenges, they were equipped to teach and counsel others, not because they necessarily have the exact experience, but because they know themselves how God can heal. As they have received grace, so they have given to others throughout this book.

This book blessed me in many ways. I highly recommend it.



*I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.