August 9, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

There are two realities in the spiritual world which make the gospel glorious.  First of all, we must realize that God owes salvation to no one.  Secondly, we must be amazed at the fact that he can save anyone.  Even the worst of sinners.

            Prior to becoming a Christian, the Apostle Paul was as rotten as they come.  Writing to the young pastor Timothy, Paul said:  “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:12-13 ESV)

            It’s important to note that God didn’t need Paul, nor does he need you or me.  God could have used anyone he wanted in the first century to proclaim the gospel.  He chose freely to touch Paul’s wicked, sinful heart and transform him into a humble and faithful Christian witness.  Then he used Paul mightily to change the lives of others.

            Paul’s conversion was so astounding that many early Christians didn’t believe it could possibly be genuine.  Thinking it was simply a trick to infiltrate the church; the Apostles were to scared to associate with Paul.  But eventually other Christians came to Paul’s defense, and his actions proved his faith was genuine.  Though once filled with hate, Paul became a messenger of love…and the world has never been the same since.

            Paul’s conversion gives hope that none are beyond the reach of God’s grace.  Has your heart been transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ?  The Bible calls us to turn from our sin in repentance and place our faith in Christ as Lord.  Though we are undeserving sinners, God still chooses to show us grace.  If he is working on your heart today then prayerfully seek His face.  Repent and turn to Christ.  And begin the new life that only comes by experiencing a life-changing encounter with the God who owes salvation to no one, yet has the power to save anyone.

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July 11, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

“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 ESV)

Scripture teaches that all people are sinners and therefore deserving of God’s eternal judgment.  What a joy it is to know that forgiveness is offered through Jesus Christ to guilty sinners like you and I.  When God’s Spirit touches our heart bringing conviction, which leads to repentance from sin and faith in Christ we are granted eternal forgiveness.  It’s interesting that the Apostle John teaches that God is “faithful and just” to forgive us.  God’s faithfulness means that he always does what he says he will do.  Unlike people who may say one thing and do another; God never lies.  He never forgets.  He never falls short.  He is faithful.  Always faithful.  And in his faithfulness he promises to grant forgiveness to the repentant.

            You might think that God owes you forgiveness.  But you would be sadly mistaken.  As a sinner who has constantly shunned God’s holy standard, you (and I) deserve nothing but his wrath.  Sin requires punishment; and if God refused to punish sin he would no longer be just.  But John says he is “faithful and just.”  How can he be just when he grants eternal life to sinners?  The answer is that he still punishes their sin.  He just punishes it by pouring the punishment out on Jesus Christ instead of them.  This is what the cross was all about.  God’s justice is upheld because our sins are paid for.  He doesn’t simply wink and ignore them; he steps in and pays for them.

            Christ death on the cross paid the eternal price for those who would turn to him in repentance and faith.  If you refuse to turn to him, then you have no payment.  You will be required to spend eternity in Hell for your refusal to trust in the only mediator between God and man.  If Christ be not Lord of your life, think long and hard about whether or not you wish to spend eternity paying for your sins in Hell.  And if Christ is Lord of your life, rejoice that Hell is something that you read of in Scripture, but that you will never, ever experience….all because of God’s astonishing grace.

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June 10, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-16 NASB)

The Bible is very good at reminding us that we are not in control.  While we should work and plan for the future; we must realize that all of our plans are subject to the will of God.  In fact, it’s the will of God that we should seek before we ever choose to chart a course for ourselves.  Our entire life should be Biblically-governed, prayer-saturated steps with an ultimate goal of glorifying God.  Does that describe your life?  Or are the biggest factors in your decisions based on things like personal comforts and finances?

            Seek God first, and then plan accordingly.  Making plans apart from God is not only foolish, but according to scripture it’s arrogant. Why?  Because you might be dead tomorrow.  Then what becomes of your plans?  We are to submit to the sovereignty of God over all things, including our own lives.  We are to seek His will, knowing that he will never call us to do something contrary to his word.  Then we are to proceed with caution, knowing that our King always has the authority to change our plans.  After all, our lives belong to him, not us.  Christians have been bought by the precious blood of Christ.  Therefore we live to bring glory and honor to him above all things.

            Have you committed your life to Christ?  Maybe you’re too busy living your life to think about spiritual matters.  Yet spiritual matters will determine where you spend eternity when this life is over.  The only way to salvation is by turning from sin in repentance and following Christ as Lord.  Maybe you’re planning on doing that later, when you’re older.  What arrogance!  You might not be allowed to get any older.  God determines your days on earth.  Will you submit to him?  Or will you continue down the road to eternal destruction?

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May 15, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

Recently John Piper invited Rick Warren to speak at the 2010 Desiring God National Conference.  I saw this decision as stunningly foolish.  The two men’s minsitries have been polar opposites over the years, and I seriously have to question Piper’s discernment in this invitation.  Below is a letter to Desiring God Ministries explaining why, at least for now, I can no longer support them. 

Dear Desiring God Ministries, 

I don’t know how much mail you all receive on a daily basis. So I don’t know if this letter will even be read.  But for the sake of my conscience, I must write it.  God has used John Piper to greatly influence my Christian life and thinking.  I am eternally grateful for his passion for God’s glory above all things.  It has molded my way of thinking, and the way I do ministry as a pastor.  It’s because of my great admiration for Dr. Piper, that it pains me so much to say that at this time, I can no longer support his ministry.             I was stunned at his recent invitation of Rick Warren to speak at the National Conference.  My wife and I have attended the last five conferences and found them to be a weekend of refreshing spiritual nourishment away from the problems and temptations of the world.  In the past I have also attended the Together For the Gospel conference and the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors.  Both events have focused on encouraging pastors to preach the real gospel without apology, rather than simply watering it down for the sake of seekers.  This is what make’s the Warren invitation so utterly baffling.  Dr. Piper seems to have devoted his life to speaking out against the type of ministry that Rick Warren is the world’s largest proponent of.  Warren’s detremintal influence of the real gospel of repentance and faith has been deeply catastrophic to the cause of Christ.  He has served as a pragmatic stumbling block to untold masses and has encouraged pastors to avoid expository preaching for the sake of entertaining.  He’s even encouraged pastors to take his sermons and copy them in the pulpit.  Such arrogance would seem to be antithetical to everything Piper believes in.           

As a lifelong Southern Baptist, I’ve been familiar with Warren since his early days.  He has always seemed to have an unhealthy desire to be cool and liked by the world.  Which has led to some ridiculous statements and moves on his part.  His best selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life” makes an absolute mockery of Biblical exegesis, and no where calls sinners to repentance.  I have to wonder whether or not Dr. Piper is familiar with the history of Warren’s ministry; or if he was simply wooed by Warren’s braggadocios statement about reading 17 volumes of Jonathan Edwards.           

I listened to Dr. Piper’s explanation for why he invited Warren, and in all honesty I was embarrassed for him.  He sounded like a giddy school girl who just got asked out by the captain of the football team.  Warren desperately wants to be liked by everyone, including Piper.  And his volunteering to Piper that he was reading Edwards was a clear attempt to brag and impress.  Sadly, Piper fell for it hook, line, and sinker.  Piper has stated that he invited Warren to the conference to “see what makes him tick.”  Could not have Piper just maybe invited Warren to lunch?  Or maybe invite him to his house for dinner?  Should he not have sought to privately visit with Warren, rather than publicly endorsing him by inviting him to speak at his conference?           

As a Pastor, I have spent years trying to wean non-thinking worldly Christians off of the drivel that Warren spews.  I’ve spent years introducing authors such as Piper and trying to encourage deep, spiritually nourishing ministry leaders.  Now, sadly, many immature Christians will warmly embrace Warren’s worldliness as being compatible with the Reformed, God-centeredness of John Piper.  In short, what Piper has done is devastating to the church.  My hope is that many will have the discernment to see that Piper let his emotions cloud his judgment on this one.  That he heard the name “Jonathan Edwards” come from Warren’s lips, and he immediately got glassy-eyed and invited him to his conference.  Occasionally I question things Piper does or says.  But nothing comes close to this one.  For the first time in my life, I sadly, broken-heartedly have to say that I can no longer support Desiring God ministries financially.  Nor will I recommend their ministry to my parishioners, nor my friends.  At least not until I can see which direction Piper plans to go with his ministry.  The last thing we need are more Rick Warren types in America today.  Whether Piper realizes it or not, much of the things he has spent decades preaching against (worldliness, man-centeredness, etc.) have been the primary focus of Warren’s ministry.           

In closing I still think highly of Dr. Piper.  I am still grateful for how he has influenced me for the glory of God.  I would still encourage anyone to read his books and learn.  But my encouragement of him, would be tempered with a warning against his occasional lapses in discernment.  I suspect Rick Warren will come to the conference and charm the socks off of everyone.  He knows what to say to every group to ingratiate himself to them.  But my hope and prayer is that Piper will study more in depth the history of Warren’s ministry and see this man for what he is.  He is no friend to Biblical Christianity.  He has caused much harm over the years; and now with Piper’s invitation he can begin to also cause damage in Reformed circles as well. 

With deep regret, I must ask that you please remove my name from the Desiring God mailing list and Philippian Fellowship list. 

Best Regards,  Shane Kastler

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May 10, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1: 19-20 NASB)

We don’t typically equate peace with bloodshed.  Yet it is often only by bloodshed that true peace can be attained.  During World War II, global peace could never have been reached without the shedding of Nazi blood.  Adolph Hitler was obsessed with the idea of world domination and it was only through the crushing and bloodshed of his army that peace was granted to the rest of the world.  What’s true of military matters is also true in spiritual matters….blood shed brings peace.

            The book of Colossians tells us that Jesus Christ brought peace between sinful man and a holy God by “the blood of His cross.”  God’s justice demanded that sin be paid for, and only the sacrificial death of the perfect Son of God was sufficient to pay for our sins.  Peace was attainted for God’s elect by the blood of God’s son.

            Today, we can rejoice that God has chosen to save sinners.  But not all sinners.  The Bible teaches that we must turn from our sin in repentance and place our faith in Christ as Lord.  When that happens, we can rest assured that Jesus’ blood paid the eternal price for our sins, and Heaven is our future home.  If we reject Christ, then our blood is on our own hands, and we must face the sobering reality of an eternity in Hell.  It might not sound pretty, but it’s the truth.  Blood doesn’t sound pretty either.  But there’s nothing more beautiful than the thought of our blessed Redeemer willingly laying down His perfect life, and shedding his innocent blood for sinners such as you and I.

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March 22, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

How often do you think of eternity? I’ve noticed that it’s not too uncommon for people to think and speak of Heaven.  Yet, oddly enough Hell is seldom ever mentioned.  It might surprise you to know that Jesus spoke frequently of Hell.  In fact, Jesus spoke of Hell as an eternal reality that many would one day face because of their rejection of Him as Lord.  Any time we here of someone’s death, we should immediately put it into an eternal perspective and realize that such a person’s soul is either in eternal Heaven or eternal Hell.

            The deciding factor in this eternal destination is Jesus Christ.  Quite simply, the Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  And as sinners we are deserving of God’s wrath in Hell.  No one deserves otherwise because no one is without guilt.  Yet God in His infinite mercy has made a way for the salvation of sinners.  By turning from sin in repentance and placing our faith in Christ as Lord, we are eternally saved.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, driving us to our knees in true, broken repentance.  The result is a changed heart which leads to a changed life.  Much more than simply making a one-time “decision” for Christ; the truly saved make a lifetime commitment to Him as Lord.  Though struggles with sin might remain, the desires of the heart have been changed, and a yearning love for Christ-like holiness exists in the Christian’s heart.

            Have you committed your life to Christ as Lord? Is this evidenced by your daily love and obedience to Him?  Eternity hinges on what you do with Jesus.  Follow Him today and look forward to being with Him in Heaven forever.  Or reject Him and suffer the eternal consequences in a place called Hell.

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January 28, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

This week, the Tulsa Union Public School board voted 3-1 to keep a children’s book in their library that depicts a cartoon character who has lesbian parents.  Buster’s Sugartime is based on the PBS show Arthur and tells the story of Buster the Rabbit going to Vermont where he learns how to make maple syrup.  While there he also apparently goes to sensitivity training and learns how to embrace the “diversity” of homosexual marriage.  What does this message teach our kids?  Is it about making maple syrup or is it about pushing an agenda?

            When some concerned parents raised the issue with Union school officials the school chose to reject the parents’ complaints.  Undoubtedly many people might look at the story and say the parents over reacted.  Is Buster the Rabbit really going to teach kids to be gay?  If you downplay the significance of this then chances are you may be at least partially brainwashed already.  There is a radical gay agenda in this country and they have their sights set on your children.  And though I risk getting burned at the stake for saying it, the public schools are a willing pawn in the indoctrination plan.

            Make no mistake, the pro-gay, anti-God powers in our nation aren’t going to blatantly force their agenda.  I wouldn’t’ expect to see a book “Buster Comes Out of the Closet” anytime soon because that would tip their hand.  No, they’re much more subtle than that.  They slip the perversion in.  They come through the back door by having Buster have friends whose parents are gay.  And what does this do to the average unsuspecting grade school kid who reads it?  It subtly teaches him that homosexual marriage is acceptable…even normal.  Because homosexuality itself is acceptable…even normal.  And after all if Buster is OK with it…why shouldn’t you be?

            The Union school officials have said that they have several children of gay parents in their school system and they want them to feel “accepted.”  I certainly have no problem with that.  After all the children should not be punished because of their “parents” depravity.  But on the flip side, the children also should not be taught that the depravity of homosexuality is “normal” just to keep little Johnny from having his feelings hurt.  If Johnny’s dad were an axe-murderer would we write books about being accepting of axe-murderers to help Johnny feel “accepted?”  Probably not.  The fact is that homosexuality is seen for the lunacy that it is when anyone bases their morality on the teachings of the Bible, all major world religions, simple logic, or even nature itself. 

What Buster’s Sugartime failed to teach the kids was that Buster’s friend is not the natural offspring of the lesbian parents.  Indeed he cannot be because the formation of a child (or rabbit for that matter) requires both a male and a female.  And this, I think, is what sticks in the craw of homosexuals more than anything.  Basic science itself teaches that their sexual habits are abnormal, dare we use the word….perverse.  And since science, logic, morality, and basic common sense all line up against them…they must invade the schools and control the education of the children.  It’s the only way they can gain the cultural acceptance that they crave.  But I, and many others, won’t play along with their games by letting my children be their guinea pigs.

            The public school system in America is broken.  Regardless of how “good” the local school system is, or how devout school administrators or teachers may be, they are serving in a system that is radically anti-Christian and pro-gay.  Union has always been considered one of the “good” schools.  It’s suburban and has many wealthy families.  There are even a lot of conservative, evangelical churches that reside within the district…but that doesn’t matter.  The people have no voice because the government expects them to be faithful and obedient sheep.  Don’t rock the boat.  Don’t speak your mind.  And whatever you do…..don’t DARE question the government, the public schools, or the gay-agenda.  I’m sorry, but I refuse to play this game, especially with my children.  I’m not the government’s sheep…I’m the Lord’s.  And I won’t raise my kids to be good little brainwashed liberals who BAHHHHHHH they’re way to the slaughter getting a daily dose of “diversity” during the most impressionable years of their life. 

The Bible teaches that the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Did you heart that?  Not just heart, soul, and strength….but heart, soul, MIND, and strength.  We must teach our children to love God with their brains.  To see all aspects of education as relating back to the God who created the world and all things in it.  God must be paramount in all aspects of their life, including their education.  No let me ask you….how can that happen in an atheistic government school where GOD IS BANNED!  Answer?  It can’t.  I’m sorry, I know that angers a lot of people, but it’s true nonetheless.  Too many Christians today are focused on pleasing the world.  They’re focused on Johnny being a football star and Susie being a cheerleader.  And all too often they’re willing to sacrifice a God-centered education to see those vain dreams pursued.  But what happens when Johnny and Susie subtly accept the liberal dogma?  What happens when they see that their textbook is at odds with what Scripture teaches, and they’re parent’s claim to believe?  What happens when Johnny and Susie exchange their soul for the American dream, with their parent’s blessing?  What happens then?

            What happens then is another generation rises up and goes along with the system.  Another generation submits to the government schools so as not to be viewed as extremist.  Another generation plods along, ushering in America’s moral destruction.  But things COULD be different.

            I wonder what would happen if every Christian in the Union Public School system marched to the school, withdrew their children and said they weren’t taking it anymore.  What would happen if Union officials found themselves with ten kids at school on Monday because the rest of the parents are sick and tired of the agenda being force fed down their kid’s throats?  Would anything change?  We’ll probably never know because most people simply refuse to rock the boat.  They go along and get along.

            But America was founded by boat-rockers.  It wasn’t founded by British sheep who simply went along with the program.  America needs more boat-rockers today.  It needs more people willing to suffer some inconvenience for the sake of right and wrong and the sake of their children.  And make no mistake, if you rock the boat in this venue, you will suffer.  As a homeschooling parent I’ve heard it all.  I’ve been maligned and criticized.  I’ve been called an extremist and a fanatic.  I’ve been ridiculed, often by Christians (in fact usually by Christians), for not going along with the system.  But Jesus doesn’t call me (or you) to follow and embrace the world system.  He calls us to reach the world…by being different than the world.  He calls us to raise our children to love and fear Him.  Not to hand them over to an atheistic, secular, pro-homosexual entity to indoctrinate them to reject everything the Bible espouses.  I can’t do that.  I won’t do that.

            So what about Christian public school teachers? How should we view them?  Perhaps as missionaries, serving in a dark and Godless field.  Undoubtedly they need our prayers and support…but their mission field does not need our children to be added to the list of government sheep. You see, ultimately it’s the system that is broken.  It’s the system that is blatantly anti-Christian.  It is the system that disciples and it is the children who will pay.

            Don’t kid yourself.  If Union Public Schools is willing to stiff-arm concerned parents to further a gay agenda…you’re school will too.  In truth, they haven’t got a choice.  The deck is stacked against you and the Devil is the dealer.  He beckons you to come to his table and play a couple of hands with him.  He beckons you’re children to come and don’t rock the boat.  He teaches them that gay is good…God is bad and no one should ever question his dogma.  And if you don’t believe him, then go and read the children’s books in the school library.  Go and read Buster the Rabbit.  Surely you trust him don’t you?  He has friends that are gay.  Gay is good….God is bad.  Buster wouldn’t lie to you…….would he?

………

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19 ESV)

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January 27, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

It’s not always easy to write a compelling 700 page biography of a man who is viewed negatively by most people today and many in his own day.  But William C. Davis managed to do it in Jefferson Davis: The Man & His Hour.

            The author Davis, a longtime historian, takes up the subject of Confederate president Davis (no relation) in an extremely well-researched and readable narrative that covers Davis’ life from birth to death.  As the author points out, the main reason that Davis is known today was because of his role in the American Civil War, and therefore much of the book is dedicated to that enthralling four-year period from 1861-1865.  But Davis’s life involved much more than that period alone.

            The youngest child in a large family, Jefferson Finis Davis was born in 1808 to parents who aptly named their child, hoping (rightly so) that he would be their last child.  Born in Kentucky, Davis was ultimately raised in Mississippi.  After a brief stint at Transylvania University, he accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Always fiery and opinionated, Davis was a less than stellar, albeit popular student who made friends and enemies that would last a lifetime.  After graduating, he continued his military career and eventually became a war in hero in the brief Mexican War of 1846-1848. 

            As a young man, Davis married the daughter of Zachary Taylor, his commanding officer and future U.S. President.  Although Taylor initially did not want his daughter Sarah to marry a soldier, he eventually reluctantly consented when Davis resigned the service and moved back to his native Mississippi.  But early summer was not a good time for the newlyweds to move to the tropical climate and both soon came down with malaria.  Davis almost died.  Sarah did.  A mere two months into their marriage.  Young Jefferson Davis was utterly devastated.

            For the next ten years, Davis became a reclusive farmer.  His older brother Joseph, more than twenty years his senior, served as a father –figure to Jefferson and gave him a portion of his land to manage.  For the next decade he worked with his brother managing the plantation and he largely kept to himself.  But eventually he became involved in local politics, and he found romance once again.

            At the age of 35, Davis met the young Varina Howell and married the 17 year old girl who would eventually become the First Lady of the Confederacy.  Around this same time, Davis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  At times, the marriage was strained as the firm and opinionated Jefferson learned to live with the much younger and equally opinionated Varina.  But eventually their union became a blissful one, producing several children.

            Davis never finished his term in Congress because of the outbreak of the Mexican War.  He resigned so he could serve as Colonel in the 1^st Mississippi volunteers.  After he came home a hero, he attempted a run for governor, but was defeated.  From 1853-1857, he served in the cabinet of President Franklin Pierce as Secretary of War; ironically building up a United States military that he would one day fight against as Confederate President.

            After his stint in Pierce’s cabinet, Davis was elected U.S. Senator from Mississippi, this being the last office that Davis would hold in the Union.  In 1861, he resigned from the Senate and returned to Mississippi to await what would happen as the Southern states seceded, eventually forming the Confederate States of America.  He was appointed by the governor to serve as Brigadier General of Mississippi volunteers and desperately hoped to be a commanding general in the coming war, but fate had other plans.  He was unanimously selected to serve as President of the new nation and was summoned to Montgomery, Alabama the first capital of the C.S.A.  Davis claims to have never wanted the position, but rather accepted it out of a sense of duty.  His hope was that once the government was firmly established he would return to field service, but his election to a six-year term in 1862 ended such hopes.

            As President, Davis tried to establish a new government, while also serving as Commander-in-Chief to a fledgling nation fighting a war for independence.  A bureaucrat by nature, Davis at times struggled in his role as chief executive.  He idolized some generals, like Robert E. Lee and Albert Sidney Johnston; while he loathed others, namely Joseph Johnston and Pierre Beauregard.  He was loyal to a fault to those he considered friends, while sometimes irrationally critical to those he deemed enemies. 

            William Davis, while writing honestly about the President’s many faults, also manages to bring out the tender human side of Davis.  He was a man intensely sensitive to the feelings of others; and a father who reveled in playing with his children.  Publicly considered cold and aloof, Davis could be quite warm and engaging when he visited with friends in private.  For most of his time as President, he carried a tremendous burden and it usually showed in his outer actions and demeanor.

            During the war, Davis was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church and seems to have been a committed Christian for the remainder of his life.  In fact, Davis was sitting in church on a Sunday morning when he received an urgent telegram from Robert E. Lee that he must evacuate Richmond at once.  Davis and his cabinet complied and began to flee south temporarily establishing capitals in Danville, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina.  Having already sent Varina and the children ahead several days earlier, he eventually caught up with them and they were reunited, though the reunion would prove to be brief.

            The assassination of Abraham Lincoln made Davis a wanted man.  In the hysteria following Lincoln’s murder, Davis and other high ranking Confederate were suspected as conspirators.  Some wanted him captured, tried, and hung for murder or treason.  He was eventually captured near Irwinville, Georgia in May of 1865.

            The next two years would be some of the most trying of Davis’ life as he sat imprisoned awaiting what charges might be filed against him.  As word leaked to the public of the persecution Davis was experiencing at the hands of his jailers an ironic sympathy began to grow for him, even in the North.  Some demanded he be released on bail and brought to a “speedy trial” but in truth the Federal government had no idea what to do with him.  They feared a public trial that might lead to his acquittal, so eventually, he was released.

            The next ten years of Davis’s life were difficult as he sought to somehow make a living and rebuild his life.  He spent time in Canada and England before eventually moving to Memphis where he served as President of the Carolina Life Insurance Company.  But the economy destroyed the company and Davis had to look for other work.  Ultimately he moved to Biloxi, Mississippi where he was given a rent-free house to work on his memoirs.  The Rise & Fall of the Confederate Government was a lengthy two volume work that Davis wrote with the help of others to give an accurate defense of his actions during the war.  The book did not sell well and Davis probably received nothing in royalties from the work.  But he did have a new home.  The rent-free estate Beauvoir was left to him in the will of the woman who owned it and Davis would spend the rest of his life there.

            Davis died in 1889 from complications from pneumonia.  Varina and two daughters survived him, though four sons and a daughter preceded him in death.  He was initially interred in New Orleans, but later moved to the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, the city that made him famous.

            William Davis’ book is an excellent account of the enigmatic Jefferson Davis.  Highly readable and interesting, William Davis manages to give an honest account of Davis’ shortcomings while also adequately telling of his positive traits.  Some authors manage to convey scads of facts, while others are short on facts but excel in compelling narrative.  William C. Davis does both. Not only did I come away with more knowledge of Davis, I also had a greater respect for the man and the many struggles he faced in life.  Any study of Jefferson Davis should include this book as a solid reference for the Confederacy’s only President.

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January 15, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

In Pursuit: The Chase, Capture, Persecution & Surprising Release of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, historian Clint Johnson covers a fascinating three-year period in American history with the story of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from 1865-1868.  As the Civil War draws to a close and the Union army converges on Richmond; Davis receives an urgent appeal from General Robert E. Lee that he must evacuate the capital city immediately.  Davis and the Confederate cabinet gather important records and the federal treasury and begin a march towards the “new” capital of Danville, Virginia.  Their stay there is short-lived as they must continue deeper south into North Carolina.  Eventually, some of the cabinet members resign and commence their own flight, while Davis is reunited with his wife and children whom he had sent ahead.  The chase of Davis ends in Georgia where Federal cavalry catch up with and capture Davis in an early morning raid upon his camp. 

Davis spends the next two years imprisoned; awaiting trial from a Federal government that is uncertain with what to charge him.  Some want him tried for treason; but this charge falls apart because he never actually made an attempt to overthrow an existing government.  Rather, he led a secession away from a government that then proceeded to invade the South.  Others wanted Davis tried for conspiracy in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln; but this also fell apart when the Federal government’s three star witness’s testimonies were found to be riddled with lies.

            Eventually, Davis was released on bail and charges were dropped in 1868 by outgoing President Andrew Johnson.  In the end, the Federal government feared the bad publicity that would result if they tried Davis and he was acquitted, which would give a certain amount of legal credence to the Confederate States of America.

            Clint Johnson’s book is well-researched and written.  Though writing from a Southern perspective, he adequately portrays Davis as he was; warts and all.  Though a brave and valiant man, Davis could be extremely stubborn and was unwilling to surrender when surrender was really the only option.  All of Davis’ generals and cabinet members eventually see this before Davis does…and he stays defiant to the end.

            One of the greatest arguments that arise out of a study of Davis is whether or not secession is treasonous.  Perhaps the greatest argument that secession was not only legal, but indeed constitutional was the fact that Davis ultimately went uncharged for the crime.  It seems that even a Federal government highly belligerent towards Davis knew deep down that the Confederacy had the legal right to exist.

            I would recommend the reading of this book, not only for the politically incorrect, though accurate, historical data; but also for the exciting story that it tells.  Davis was an extremely polarizing figure in both the North and the South; but polarizing doesn’t necessarily mean wrong. 

This book also tells of some of the uncalled for persecutions Davis endured while incarcerated.  And of some unlikely Davis sympathizers in the North, including some within the Federal government.  Johnson ends the book by briefly writing of Davis’ post-war defense entitled The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, where he defends himself, and often maligns his generals for the ultimate demise of the Confederacy.  Pursuit is an entertaining and informative read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in history, war, or just an interesting true story.

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January 11, 2010 by Shane Kastler.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 KJV) God desires holiness and purity in your life. Do you desire that for your life? The Psalmist wrote asking God to search his heart and know his thoughts. Of course we know that God already knows our hearts and our thoughts better than we know them ourselves. But what the Psalmist is saying is that he actually appreciates this truth. He actually wants this truth. He actually seeks God’s intervention in his life. He seeks the Holy Spirit’s conviction for the sin in his life. And he wants God to lead him into a humble, repentant, Christlike way of life. Far from inviting God’s scrutiny, many people today run from God. They cringe at the thought of his all-knowing eye examining their hearts. They want nothing to do with God and they want him to have nothing to do with them. So which group do you fall into? Here’s the bottom line…Christians have a desire to be like Christ. And though God’s conviction and discipline can be very uncomfortable, the long term effect of a holy life is worth the momentary pain to those who love Christ. God already knows what’s in your heart. Are you willing to invite and even seek His examining presence? Will you cry out to Him to search your heart? And then will you base your life on His Word and commit to following Christ in the way everlasting?

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