My teacher was reading this out loud to me and my class when i was in grade......5? maybe. and although i'm not really like any of the people in here i have to admire everything they when through, how much they relied in their faith. it may not be who i am, and i don't think i would ever be able to give up everything like they did, but it's awe inspiring to read about.

Jesus Freaks is a well-written book that is an easier read for younger people than Foxe's Book of the Martyrs. It is equally inspiring though. I think this book requires us to take a serious look at our lives and what we hold dear.

This book is fanominal in my opinion. There i no real author just manypeople who talk about their personal expiriences with the villians of the world who don't believe people should believe in Christ. I know it isn't an option on the genre list but this book is a major Christian Nonfiction. Because this book isn't written by an author each story has a different feel to it but the reason i liked this book so much was because of the message that it gives.

This book taught me that I should stand up for what i believe in because of the people who have been tortured or died for their beliefs. And because of this books many stories of Christians explaning their expiriences I think this book is a Christian Nonfiction.

This was a gift from the Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian NGO I very enthusiastically support. It is basically Foxe's Book of Martyrs with some of those records removed and some more modern accounts included in their place. It is OK, but the accounts are generally very spare and, IMO, often don't do the subjects justice. I read a fair amount of this type of material and this book is, unfortunately, not a standout. I will say, because of the brevity of the accounts, it can be used as a very worthy daily addition to someone's Bible reading.

Amazing.
Amazing.
Amazing Grace.

One Sunday we dedicated the whole service to praying for the persecuted church. We took this book and ripped every page out and distributed to each person in the church. The book has short stories of martyrs and persecuted Christians in various countries. In the service we shared the story of the martyr to encourage us to press on (no matter how difficult). We also shared some of the countries and the persecution described in order to pray for that country.

The next week someone sent me the book in the mail with a thanks for sharing my book with the church.

I am most thankful of those who have layed down their life for Christ. They truly believe. They gave everything.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Okay, a little personal history...

dc Talk was the band that got me not only into CCM, but popular music in general. They were my favorite musical act when I started middle school, and still are now. Despite going through obsessive phases of other entertainment ranging from Pokémon to Diff'rent Strokes (a dark time in my life; to this day, I can't see or hear any reference to that show without cringing) to Lizzie McGuire and the Disney Channel to the Star Wars Expanded Universe, my fandom of Toby, Mike, and Kevin never wavered. To this day, they're the third highest played band or artist on my Last.FM, which has been keeping records of what I listen to since 2007; in fact, the only artists to get more plays are former dcT members T-Mac and K-Max. Other affiliated bands, such as the Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline, are also in my top ten. While my tastes in music have broadened widely since those days--seriously, I have everything from Josh Groban to Jaci Velasquez to Relient K to Hilary Duff to John Williams to Ledger on my iPod--dc Talk's music still holds appeal; in fact, instead of just enjoying the music, I now understand what their songs mean.

For Christmas in 2000, I received this book as a gift; I read it back then...but, I didn't quite understand it. In fact, reading it now, I find that it seriously cut me to the heart. For far too long, I've believed that people who have done me wrong should pay the price; it's the kind of justice you see happen to villains in Disney movies or Nintendo video games. However, despite what you see in entertainment, that's not God's way; God has said that it is His to avenge, and fighting back against those who have harmed you is sinful. Now that I've finished reading these stories--which are not for the faint of heart; there may be triggers for those who are sensitive to graphic violence--I'm not even going to think about taking action against my persecutors; it's not up to me or any other mere mortal to give them what they seemingly deserve. Instead of plotting or fantasizing about revenge, I'll take Elsa's infamous advice and let it go.

‘Jesus Freaks by DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs is a companion volume to DC Talk’s album of the same name. It is a book for teenagers about martyrdom, containing dozens of profiles of figures ranging from Stephen, whose martyrdom is described in the Book of Acts, to “Anila and Perveen,” two teenage Pakistani girls and Christian believers. In 1997, Perveen was killed for running away in order to avoid marrying a Muslim man; Anila was imprisoned for helping her friend escape. In an introduction to the book, Michael Tait explains its “In a world built on free will instead of God’s will, we must be the Freaks. While we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. We must put our selfish ways to death and march to a different beat. Then the world will see Jesus.” The book’s design is hip and easy to read, and its summary of Christian persecutions that continue today is useful–and frightening.’
This book surprised me.
I read this book years ago when I went to Youth Group at my local church, but as an adult, I am not religious, so I was interested in re-reading it now that I have different views.
Reading this book as an adult without any religious leanings gave me a whole new appreciation for the bravery of the people whose stories are told. While the people in this book may have believed in a higher power that doesn’t detract from their personal strength and compassion as many religious people wouldn’t have had the courage to do the things that these people did.
DC Talk did a great job of collecting these moving stories and presenting them to the world. While I may not have the same background and belief systems as the people whose stories I read, I can be humbled and inspired by their choices in moments of fear and hatred.
Jesus Freaks by DC Talk is well worth the read regardless of your religious beliefs.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

This book was very sad, but encouraging and uplifting also. It makes you (or would make you) feel like you want to do something more and stand up for your faith.

In the year 2000, D.C. Talk partnered with Voice of the Martyrs to compile this collection of stories of Christian's who have suffered (and many who were killed) for the sake of the name of Christ. Reading story after story is convicting and overwhelming, but I was also encouraged by the faith these brothers and sisters displayed as they trusted God and the promises of His Word, living out the verse "to live is Christ and to die is gain."

In an attempt to be more relatable and accessible, this book utilizes The Message and the New Living Translation for all of its Bible quotes. They also retell the stories of some of the apostles in story form. I wish they used less trendy versions of the Bible, and quoted more directly from scripture when telling biblical accounts, but over all this book is worth the read.

Aside from the title and capitalizing on Christian pop culture, this is actually a really good book. Both terrifying and inspirational, it tells the story of martyrs from around the world and across time. One of the things that irked me a bit was the difference in length and detail of the various biographies, but given the content this was unavoidable. Documenting these stories is so important, to remind some that we are very lucky to have religious freedom, to inspire others to stand up when they encounter serious persecution, and overall to honour the lives of the lost.

Get the kleenex box before you read this book. ALthough your eyes will be filled with tears your heart will forever be changed. I just pray I too can be sucha astrong witness for my Savior.

While this book may be dated, it tells a very compelling set of stories of the martyrs that have died for our Christian faith. There are countless resources identified in this book for those who want to get involved in praying for nations categorized as "restricted" or "hostile" to the Christian faith. Great read, but very humbling and sobering.