What do you think?
Rate this book
Charity's Fire
For the two couples on the boat it felt like a vacation. It looked like a vacation. Heck, it even smelled like a vacation- but it was an elaborate trap.
To tip the scales in an ancient war, the plan demanded that at least one of the humans be sacrificed. If successful, this operation would reach through time, alter children, and alienate grandchildren-forever. They were betting everything to change the unrealized destiny of this family- by destroying their hope.
Is destruction, chaos, hatred, and hopelessness always the byproduct of the fog of war? The enemy is counting on it. When worlds collide, surviving the havoc depends on connection, guidance, resilience, and adaptability. Is it too late to wake up and change once the battle is underway?
The fate of millions depends on the answer.
To tip the scales in an ancient war, the plan demanded that at least one of the humans be sacrificed. If successful, this operation would reach through time, alter children, and alienate grandchildren-forever. They were betting everything to change the unrealized destiny of this family- by destroying their hope.
Is destruction, chaos, hatred, and hopelessness always the byproduct of the fog of war? The enemy is counting on it. When worlds collide, surviving the havoc depends on connection, guidance, resilience, and adaptability. Is it too late to wake up and change once the battle is underway?
The fate of millions depends on the answer.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2024
About the author
Craig Matthews
8 books13 followersCraig ran away from his Michigan home at seventeen with his girlfriend. He had sold the love of his life on the romantic idea of living in the wild, wild west. So they wrote goodbye notes to all of their family and friends, packed the car and left on a sunny June afternoon with three hundred and fifty dollars between them.
God rudely interrupted the fanciful journey at a rest area west of Chicago with a one-in-a-million chance meeting. Craig walked through the entry door to the old facility at the same moment his cousin exited. Joe, who is twenty years older, just happened to be moving to Colorado that day with his family. Long story short, Joe appealed to their sense of family and encouraged them to call home before they continued westward.
That phone call wrecked the dream and saved their lives. Hearing your tough-as-nails father break down and cry for the first time in your life can do that. Plus his girlfriend's father had the State Police looking for them, she was sixteen.
Less than nine months later, that not-so-impressed father of his girlfriend was arm in arm with her, walking down the aisle. Dad reluctantly signed over his parental rights to the eighteen year old pimple faced kid that had impregnated his daughter.
There were only two people out of the fifty six in attendance that day who believed the young idealistic couple had any chance to make it. They chose not to say one word about it. Craig discovered who that was almost forty years later while doing research for his first book.
Does this story make Craig qualified to be an author? Hell no. Neither does living forty years with the same women he married in high school and the three kids they raised (and seven grandchildren). It is only by the grace of God they have survived and through that same grace he writes. Yet, Craig’s true gift is in storytelling and many of those skills were learned the hard way, living through the myriad of life altering choices he has made over the years. Imagine that. Life happens.
Craig listens to people, striving to see them the way their Creator does, while asking pertinent questions along the way. Hearing stories of God’s kindness has been foundational to his journey, living one has transformed him. His pastors heart motivates him to teach those that struggle with addictions. He leads small groups of men toward relational wholeness. Combine all of those experiences with a love for creating, an insane imagination, and you may begin to understand his story.
Craig wants to encourage you to live in the truth God has for you today.
Other contributing factors:
Former Pastor for over sixteen years at three different congregations.
Organized and Directed international short term, cross cultural missions teams for ten years.
Directed intercity mentoring program for low income children without fathers.
Led New Hope Outreach Ministries for six years, writing and receiving numerous grants.
Founder and editor of the Holy Cross Herald.
Graduated MLMI Bible College 1992.
Lead County-wide interdenominational Youth Pastors leadership group for three years.
Worked in construction industry for sixteen years.
Owns and operates Craig Matthews Media LLC.
Managed a Pizza restaurant. He built his own Pizza oven in his back yard in his quest for the perfect pizza.
God rudely interrupted the fanciful journey at a rest area west of Chicago with a one-in-a-million chance meeting. Craig walked through the entry door to the old facility at the same moment his cousin exited. Joe, who is twenty years older, just happened to be moving to Colorado that day with his family. Long story short, Joe appealed to their sense of family and encouraged them to call home before they continued westward.
That phone call wrecked the dream and saved their lives. Hearing your tough-as-nails father break down and cry for the first time in your life can do that. Plus his girlfriend's father had the State Police looking for them, she was sixteen.
Less than nine months later, that not-so-impressed father of his girlfriend was arm in arm with her, walking down the aisle. Dad reluctantly signed over his parental rights to the eighteen year old pimple faced kid that had impregnated his daughter.
There were only two people out of the fifty six in attendance that day who believed the young idealistic couple had any chance to make it. They chose not to say one word about it. Craig discovered who that was almost forty years later while doing research for his first book.
Does this story make Craig qualified to be an author? Hell no. Neither does living forty years with the same women he married in high school and the three kids they raised (and seven grandchildren). It is only by the grace of God they have survived and through that same grace he writes. Yet, Craig’s true gift is in storytelling and many of those skills were learned the hard way, living through the myriad of life altering choices he has made over the years. Imagine that. Life happens.
Craig listens to people, striving to see them the way their Creator does, while asking pertinent questions along the way. Hearing stories of God’s kindness has been foundational to his journey, living one has transformed him. His pastors heart motivates him to teach those that struggle with addictions. He leads small groups of men toward relational wholeness. Combine all of those experiences with a love for creating, an insane imagination, and you may begin to understand his story.
Craig wants to encourage you to live in the truth God has for you today.
Other contributing factors:
Former Pastor for over sixteen years at three different congregations.
Organized and Directed international short term, cross cultural missions teams for ten years.
Directed intercity mentoring program for low income children without fathers.
Led New Hope Outreach Ministries for six years, writing and receiving numerous grants.
Founder and editor of the Holy Cross Herald.
Graduated MLMI Bible College 1992.
Lead County-wide interdenominational Youth Pastors leadership group for three years.
Worked in construction industry for sixteen years.
Owns and operates Craig Matthews Media LLC.
Managed a Pizza restaurant. He built his own Pizza oven in his back yard in his quest for the perfect pizza.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 9, 2026
Craig peels back the veil and supernatural meets reality in a way that touches the soul and strikes deep in this story about trauma and loss, but also about the beauty of our Creator Father who is with us every step of the way. He doesn't shy away from writing about real life. His characters are raw and unfiltered. I appreciated so much that his book was not a cookie cutter of anything I've read and I am excited to read more of his work!
June 22, 2024
The Perfect Storm Meets The Screwtape Letters!
Two couples enjoy an outing on a boat, when they encounter a ferocious storm. But it’s much more than a storm. Unseen entities are at war over the humans, who encounter such devastation. Not only that, but other humans plot their own mayhem. All of these collide on an island in a terrifying story ending with a portentous scene. Charity’s Fire is full of caution, but also hope.
Two couples enjoy an outing on a boat, when they encounter a ferocious storm. But it’s much more than a storm. Unseen entities are at war over the humans, who encounter such devastation. Not only that, but other humans plot their own mayhem. All of these collide on an island in a terrifying story ending with a portentous scene. Charity’s Fire is full of caution, but also hope.
August 25, 2024
This story involves the lives of everyday people, going about their lives, unaware of the unseen raging battle between good and evil going on around them, affecting them at every moment.
The story is captivating with the author’s use of detail and description. It is fanciful and imaginative and at times astoundingly wondrous.
The suspense of the story will keep you turning pages as you follow the lives of the people and the cast of characters unseen to the human eye.
It is a two sided story - one is dark, the other one of strength and truth and hope for mankind.
The story is captivating with the author’s use of detail and description. It is fanciful and imaginative and at times astoundingly wondrous.
The suspense of the story will keep you turning pages as you follow the lives of the people and the cast of characters unseen to the human eye.
It is a two sided story - one is dark, the other one of strength and truth and hope for mankind.
October 26, 2026
Such an amazing story of the earth world and spiritual realms doing battle for and with each other. Captivating from the start.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews