The Rescue by Jim Cymbala

   I am always drawn to the Cross during the Easter season.  It is an ugly scene where the Son of God hung dying between two criminals.  But in the blood that ran from His body that day, we find a transforming power that can take the very worst of sinners and transform them into the greatest of saints.
   That is the story of The Rescue by Jim Cymbala.  It is not a theological book.  It's not a deep reading book.  It's simple.  It's the story of seven people who found the transforming power of Jesus at the foot of the Cross.
   This is a beautiful book to read.  The stories will make you cry with heartbreak to realize the awfulness of sin.  And yet these stories will make you cry tears of joy when you read about the wonderful love and forgiveness that Jesus offers.
   I would recommend this book to every pastor, just simply as an encouragement to keep preaching the transforming message of the Gospel.  I would recommend it to every Christian as an encouragement to never give up on anyone.  God is still in the soul-saving business. 
   Lastly, I would recommend this book to everyone who has never met Jesus and experienced His love firsthand.  One of the most awesome things that I found about this book is that it didn't just end when the stories were over.  Pastor Cymbala very clearly laid out the plan of salvation so that anyone can understand it and find this redeeming power in their own life.  He gave scriptures and advice to help the new Christian as they start off on their Christian journey, along with encouragement to find a good church in which to grow and thrive in.
   Overall, this is an amazing book.  As a pastor, it's one of the most encouraging I've read in a long time.  We live in a world full of discouraging news, but this book is encouraging from start to finish.  So in my honest review, I give this one a 5 out of 5.  Thank you Handlebar for allowing me to review this awesome book.

God Bless,

Marcus