Hello, I just wanted to take a second and Thank You in Advance for supporting my book, Forgotten Hope, with your purchase, your review, and hopefully for telling others about it.

Thank you again, Scott A. Caughel

To those who find life desperate or just routine. To those who struggle to get out of bed or just can't seem to get to sleep. To those who believe there is no more and to those who ask, "Is this it?" This book leads you to a Forgotten Hope! Written in the year preceding the coronavirus and published in the midst of the Pandemic when the world needs nothing more than it needs Hope, the author does not see the timing as coincidental. When the outbreak exploded, the governments and hospitals of the world found themselves unprepared, lacking the necessary supplies to defend, much less attack, the darkness named COVID-19. Historically, the world would look to The Church in such dire times. However, this time the Spiritual shelves of the churches are just as bare, having Forgotten the Hope they once carried out into the world. As a result, they are just as unprepared to defend against and attack the darkness named the Adversary. Take a walk through time with the author as he introduces you to Robert Boyle, David M'Clure, Matthew Henry, Vance Havner, Lady Julian, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and A.W. Tozer, who not only believed in the Offer of Hope but also understood that, before you can accept The Offer, you must believe in the One who makes it. On this walk, the author details this "Offer of Hope." As he does, you will take solace in passages like, "I offer you Peace that your heart will not be troubled and that you will not be afraid." And "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away…" The author opens the Instruction Manual of this Forgotten Hope. From its pages, the author builds the foundation of Hope, "Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts…" Because "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…We love because He first loved us." The Offer  has been made, Hope "knocks" and says, "Here I am…"

Take a walk with the author as he searches through time for those who sought and fought to retain and revive this Hope. On this walk, the author details the "Offer of Hope" for what it is and what it is not. As you come to understand the Offer, you will take solace in passages like, "I offer you Peace that your heart will not be troubled and that you will not be afraid." The author will expose the truth of a culture that would steal this Hope from you and counter it with Truth from the Offer, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away." The author explains the warfare between those of the physical world and those of the spiritual world. The author will introduce you to:

Robert Boyle, born Jan. 25, 1627. Known as the father of Modern Chemistry he said, "…the World is the great Book, not so much of Nature, as of the God of Nature, which we should find crowded with instructive Lessons, if we had but the Skill, and would take the Pains, to extract and pick them out" And "I am confirmed in the belief, that by transferring our impressions to the Sacred Text, we often impute to the Scriptures our own faults and deficiencies."

David M'Clure, Doctor of Divinity, 1748-1820. David said he, "…desired an education to qualify (him) for usefulness," so, he left home at the age of fifteen to pursue greater learning. He taught, "Let us strive to be holy, that our minds may be Heavenly. And may we be prepared for our departure, should it be this year, or this day…"

Matthew Henry, 1662-1714, wrote. "The more I see of the world and the various affairs of the children of men in it, the more I see of the vanity of it, and the more I would fain have my heart taken off from it, and fixed upon the invisible realities of the other world." In contrast, of himself, he pledged, "…that the Lord Jesus Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or death, by health or sickness, by plenty or poverty, by liberty or restraint, by preaching or silence, by comfort or sorrow."

Vance Havner, 1901-1986, was raised "…with a bible in one hand and a bird book in the other." Illustrative of his efforts to revive "the Church," "Most of us make the mistake of trying to change our circumstances instead of changing ourselves."

A.W. Tozer, 1897-1963. There may have been no one with a greater thirst for written knowledge than Tozer. Upon his ordination, Tozer's prayer included, "…false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock… I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee."

The Lady Julian, 1342- unknown, Lady Julian took the position that others should be more concerned with paying attention to what God had to say than the person charged with delivering it. All we know of Lady Julian comes from her book, of which she writes, "I pray to the Almighty God that this book come only into the hands of those who want to love Him faithfully... for this revelation is deep theology and great wisdom..." And "Beware that you do not take one thing according to your taste and fancy and leave another, for that is what heretics do."

Sir John Baggot Glubb, 1897-1986 Sir John ended his auto-biography saying, "God rarely creates an old head on young shoulders. Most of us have to gain our experience the hard way."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090 - 1153, Bernard spent his life fighting against "Heresy." The standards he set were attacked as "impracticable." But Bernard never shrunk back from his positions; instead, he met them head-on. As a result, Bernard's standards would often become the standard adopted. Every morning, before Bernard would face the day, he asked himself, "Why have I come here? His answer was always the same, "To lead a holy life."

They not only believed in and embraced The Offer of Hope but also understood that before you can accept The Offer, you must believe in the One who makes it. With their help, the author will not only explain and illustrate The Offer, but look closely at the One who makes it and by what authority. By the time you reach the end of the book the author will have Restored this Forgotten Hope and will relay an all important question...

Hello, allow me to introduce myself...

Forgotten Hope is my, with the support of my family and direction from God, first book. Who am I? Nobody “in” the world, and a great creation “of” another. For a little insight on me please take a minute to read this excerpt from the About The Author section and read the beginning of chapter one in the “Inside the Book” preview.

“At this point, the book is written and nearly through its second pass by my editor. Until now, I have resisted doing an “About the Author” narrative. So, what are you reading then? In recent weeks we have been reading the autobiography of W.P. Nicholson, “To God Be The Glory”. Hearing how his life moved toward God and how his ministry for God developed didn’t take away from the message he offered. His story didn’t change God’s message, but it gave his unique delivery context. So, here is not my life’s story but a little context.

I am the product of Exposure. Exposure to many Christian denominations and many points of view. Exposure to church growth, church shrinkage and, sadly, church splits. I have seen great vessels of God’s message and watched people suffer at the hands of a “Hireling.” I have lived amongst the Sincere and the Self-serving. I have been Exposed to the many man-made faces of God and to the Glory of the real thing.

As a child, most Sunday mornings, my mother took me to the local Baptist church  in a small town nearby. It was in a tiny, 2nd grade Sunday school room that I first embraced Christ as my Savior. During this time, I attended the church youth group. It was also there that I learned what was written in the Bible, for which I will always be grateful. Along with these Baptist activities, my Grandparents brought me to evening services at the Free Methodist Church where I was also enrolled in their youth program. As my best friend was Catholic, I also had regular visits to Saturday Mass and Catechism, which I was kicked out of for teasing the girls and being a general disruption. (My Mom would have been devastated had she known.)

When in my teens, my father began attending church with us but wanted something different, so we began attending the United Methodist church in an even smaller town. A town that consisted of a small grocery that had closed a few years earlier and an old John Deere dealer that was now basically a tractor mechanic with a wood-burning stove that the local farmers would sit around and talk (men don’t “gossip”). My old best friend, the son of an alcoholic, had given into drugs and we parted ways. My new best friend attended the Congregational church in the town where my school was located.

At the United Methodist church I attended confirmation classes taught by two of my schoolteachers. One we will talk about again. The class is meant to teach you about the church, its doctrines, and the responsibility of church membership. When you finished the class you were asked if you wanted to become a member of the church… what’s a twelve-year-old going to say? Yes, obviously. Well except for me, I told my mentors that, while they had shown me nothing with which I disagreed, they could not guarantee this would remain true. I said that while God would remain constant, man would always fall, and I would not sign my allegiance to that man.

In the years that followed I would help start a Fellowship of Christian Athletes at our school, record meetings for the Christian Businessmen’s Association, participate in The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in college, and haul loads of young people every year to Ichthus in Kentucky. After standing against a Hireling in the little United Methodist Church I have visited many denominations including Assemblies of God, Nazarene, and non-denominational. I have participated in God’s work wherever He has placed me but still have never “joined” any of man’s. It is only in recent years that I looked back and saw this path for what it was. I had never before realized that that twelve-year-old boy had been given the knowledge that was the seed of wisdom yet unrealized. I have been Exposed to “Life” and “Death” in the church and have chosen to die to man’s world that I might Rise with Christ to Live in God’s. Today, from the perspective of a life always present but never joining, I can step out and look at what man has done. From this place and God’s guidance, I can Distinguish Truth and Relay His Offer of Hope to others.”

Well, this is where I am supposed to put all the letters that follow my name to “convince you I am worth listening to.” I should also include the schools that taught me everything I will write. I offer you neither.

Actually, the idea is to tell you “About the Author” so you can decide. Tozer always said that he never wanted to “reason anyone into Christ” because anyone reasoned in can just as easily be reasoned out. Scripture (the Manual) says, “…all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God...” (Romans 3:23) The Manual also says that, “…the Holy Spirit…will teach (us) all things…” (John 14:26) Believing these things to be true, and while I strive to represent The Image well, I would never want you to judge Scripture, The Church, or God by me when clearly it is supposed to be the other way around.

What I write, I write prayerfully, seeking to learn what The Holy Spirit has to teach. What I learn, I pass along to you. “They who have ears to hear, let them hear.” Along with the Manual, I often quote other students of the Spirit, but only after holding them to the same scrutiny, i.e. Is what they pass along lockstep with the Manual? The Manual doesn’t say to check their C.V. or Resume from the world. It says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1) Among them are, the Father of Modern Chemistry, two teachers who were pulled by God from the hills of rural America, an Anchoress and Doctors of Divinity. Most importantly, I have been taught by the Apostles themselves from the only Book of instruction that really matters. Christ Himself pulled these men – fishermen, tax collectors and the like – from among the common sheep, teaching them not to join the elite but to confront them.

Now, About the Author: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) The Author wrote all we need to know a long time ago. We are “not to add to or subtract from” what He has written. So, I and those I reference seek only to bring His call and His words to His sheep. Whether they are in the Fold or Lost in the World, our instructions are to relay His Offer, Live up to His Offer and Uphold His Offer, no more and no less.

Forgotten Hope is self-published. I studied the politics involved in today’s publishing world, talked with my family, prayed about it, and decided we did not want to be a part “of” that world. Therefore, I have no idea if they would have published it or not, and to be honest it would not mean anything to me either way. My family and I believe God has brought us down a path that includes studying for, writing and publishing three books we call the Hope Series. We also believe that His plan for the series is in His Hand and if He means no more than for us to learn what The Holy Spirit had to teach then it was, and will be, worth every penny and every ounce of effort.