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Pastor Bel Magalit’s
book “Choose for Yourself This Day” is an
evangelistic collection of 120 devotional “readings
on believing and living” (as stated on the cover).
All you Bible scholars out there will recognize the
title as part of Joshua 24:15, “But if serving
the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourself
this day whom you will serve… But as for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord.”
“Choose for Yourself
This Day” is a compilation of Pastor Bel’s
five-minute pearls of godly information and counsel
offered to listeners of the Christian radio station,
DZFE, during his for-now-off-the-air program “Good
News for Today.” The compilation also seems to
follow the majestic scope of the Bible itself, from
the reading “How the Universe Began,” all
the way through to the reading “Eternal Life.”
The first fifty-five readings build up to what is surely
the “lead story” on page 127 with the heading
“Choose Life!” which is a persuasive plea
to choose The Way instead of “the highway.”
For all its depth and scope, “Choose for Yourself
This Day” is actually an easy read having been
based on radio material delivered in Pastor Bel’s
trademark “easy listening” manner.
Pastor Bel is deeply
and widely respected in the evangelical community, and
reading his newest book is like sitting down in DCBC
on a Sunday morning and hearing him preach (an experience
much coveted by our non-DCBC brethren). “Choose
for Yourself This Day” is a great blessing to our
non-DCBC brethren who are not able regularly to listen
to him preach on Sundays or to listen to him teach during
his first-and-third-Sunday-of-the-month afternoon classes
on Scripture. “Choose for Yourself This Day”
is also a great blessing to his DCBC flock who cannot
get enough of his God-lent wisdom and want to take some
home with them.
Since the book, though,
is a compilation of radio program shorts, each reading
stands on its own and is designed to catch the attention
of the casual browser, just as in original form it caught
the attention of the casual listener… the restless
seeker tuning in then, leafing through now (a seeker
who might not even be aware of wanting to catch a glimpse
of God). This person, our friend or relative who has
not yet made that personal commitment to Christ, is
the one who will be most blessed by a gift copy from
us of “Choose for Yourself This Day.”
A
passage from the book sure to bolster when even the
believer’s hope falters... “…eternal
life is a present possession. Zoe ainios means
life of the age to come. However, the age to come has
broken into the present age with the coming of Jesus,
so eternal life can be received and enjoyed here and
now. Eternal life lasts forever but it starts today
when we open our heart to Jesus. Eternal life is fellowship
with the Father through the Son (John 17:3).”
Rev.
William Girao’s book “When Crisis Hits You”
is a very personal word of encouragement urging Bible-believing
Christians to find in God’s Word and in God’s
loving embrace all the comfort and rescue they need
during periods of pain and sorrow. The cover speaks
of “tasting God’s goodness in bitter times,”
and the pages testify of the soundness of Manong Willie’s
advice as this firmly derives from his own life experience.
Manong
Willie writes of his wife’s terrible illness and
God’s miraculous healing, of persecution by evil
men and finding God’s purpose served in spite of
the worst human intentions. He writes of God’s
pure goodness in the midst of evil and he writes of
the transcendent love of His children for one another.
Be prepared with lots of crying tissue for a different
kind of downpour as you read “When Crisis Hits
You”—you might yet soak in your own tears
as well as in a fresh wash of hope.
One gem from the book to treasure in your heart and
think about often… “Having tasted the goodness
of God, our hearts will always be filled with vibrant
hope no matter how dark our circumstances may be. And
a heart filled with hope is what we all need as we face
the future.”
Aside
from these two pastoral works so close to DCBC’s
heart—“Choose for Yourself This Day”
and “When Crisis Hits You”—there were
no less than sixteen other OMF Literature books that
debuted on September 1. These ranged from several children’s
books to a book on enjoying one’s senior years
(thus, something for everybody from six to sixty-plus
years old). Although OMF Literature had its regular
large booth in the main book fair area, this special
eighteen-title launch was held fittingly in the mezzanine
of the World Trade Center, in the Skyline restaurant
and function room.
Almost
all of the authors were in attendance with their families
(and the friends they could invite as the number of
seats allowed), and both Pastor Bel and Manong Willie
were surrounded by their wives—only one each as
both godly men so love to remind us—and by their
children and grandchildren. A video presentation introduced
all eighteen authors one after the other, followed by
dinner with book signing. It was a filling buffet dinner,
the logical follow-up to the satisfying smorgasbord
of debutante books. We came, we saw, we bought signed
books at a special discount, we ate our fill—and
went home feeling soaked in hope and blessings indeed.
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