Book Note: Ken Isaacs. Running to the Fire: Helping in Jesus’ Name 

Ken Isaacs. Running to the Fire: Helping in Jesus’ Name 

On February 7, 2026, this book has 168 reviews on Amazon.com. 167 of them gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 rating. One gave a 3 start rating but gave no reason.

Comments from some of the reviews are at the end of this Book Note. They are only a small sample. Please go to Amazon and be amazed by more of them if you have time.

Important Note:

Ken Isaacs spoke at my church last Fall at our Fall Missions Conference. I received a free copy of this book and was part of a lunch meeting with Isaacs. I am not qualified to write a review of this book on Amazon because I did not pay for the book. Because some people have written negative reviews for books by political, religious, or other people they oppose for ideological reasons, Amazon only allows reviews from verified purchasers of the book. I totally agree with this policy.

What people are saying about… Running to the Fire

Often at the beginning of a book there are comments by supporters of the book. Usually you can skip them. These are fascinating. Please read them. They are from people who know and respect Isaacs. The are from pastors, leaders of the United States Congress, a leader of the Italian Parliament, the CEO of the Coca Cola Bottling Company, a world famous news reporter, a former American Secretary of State, university professors, world missionary leaders, and former colleagues.

Forward by Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan’s Purse

As a reviewer states below, after you read this forward and the rest of the book, you will understand why and how Samaritan’s Purse can do what it does as quickly and effectively as seen in the many examples in this book. You will see why they are leaders in world mission and relief.

Introduction: What If?

This section covers Isaacs childhood. He and his mother were abandoned by his father when he was very young. A kind man married his mother, adopted him, and prepared him well for adult life. He drills water wells for a living. He drills a well for Franklin Graham’s home. The rest is history.

My Seventeen-Month Detour through Washington, DC

This is an illuminating section showing how the president of the United States seeks and receives advice and how a good president implements advice into policy and action. It carefully shows the power of good ideas.

Conclusion

This book is well-written. It provides insight into how our national government functions at its best, when United Nations policy can efficiently address poverty, how autocratic and democratic governments work around the world, how the Muslim world works, what type of aid really helps people, how to build the seemingly impossible in technologically backward places and ultimately how and why Samaritan’s Purse is changing the world.

This is a must read for local church leaders and others who want to be part of changing the world.

Please find time.

From reviews: highlights are mine

“If an earthquake strikes or a flood arrives it is always so important to be at the site immediately. That’s possible with Samaritan’s Purse. Quick decision making and a deeply felt pity and compassion for starving, sick or devastated people, that’s the connecting link between Ken and Samaritan’s Purse.”

“Mr. Isaac’s memoir also serves as a guide to living a meaningful life. It shows us that by seeking God and following His will, anything is possible. As Franklin Graham expresses in his foreword, “Human credentials would never have prepared Ken for what God had in store.”

“Amidst all of Ken’s exploits on the mission field, what stood out most for me were the stories of Ken and Carolyn as a couple. Carolyn was hesitant at first to move to Ethiopia, but through the Lord’s leading and Ken’s persistent prayers, she found the courage to step out in faith. Ken’s moving account of this decision, and later of his tender care for her during her battle with cancer, brought tears to my eyes. Remarkably, even in the midst of her suffering, Carolyn urged Ken to go to Iraq. Though reluctant to leave her side, he honored her insistence, and out of that act of faith the Lord brought forth a hospital in Mosul.”

“Ken is a fascinating study in terms of his rise from “blue collardom” to bearing witness to and participating in some of the world’s major events and defining moments. I mean, who would have thunk that a small town well driller from Appalachia, with only a high school diploma, would one day brief a U. S. President, testify before Congress regarding various humanitarian crises, and become an expert on geopolitics?” 

“As a victim of the Sudanese 2nd civil war (1983-2025), which the book covers, I appreciate how God has used Kenney to make tremendous difference in my life and those of million populations in the world. Kenney’s consistency in using his gift from the Lord is amazing. His natural skills, tested, seasoned, and validated by experiences in global crisis in real world. His influence was beyond just relief- he effectuates major changes at the U.S. policy level and UN.”