Hey, I've been there before. It's not as worrisome as you think it is. A church (or christian) interact with God mainly in 3 different ways: fellowship, study, and worship.

For fellowship, you should probably look for a spiritual father or family for yourself. This is a individual or group who you come to about christian matters, but specifically it is better to find someone to be a father figure in Christ. Someone who can not only show you how to work him into whatever stage of life, but also to show you how to grow closer to God.

For studying, set aside time to read bible and grab any christian book you can find! Right now I have around 30 book ranging from The Shack to The Prophet's dictionary. From reading, i discovered my spiritual gifts, and how to receive words of knowledge from him. I put some suggested books at the bottom.

Also worship, its about just showing him the joy of being with him in the way you find best. Like during worship in church, some people lift there hands and in more liberal churches they wave banners and dance and laugh. But also worship is a lot more than that, you can show worship through the things you do, through sports, writing, wood work, metal work, or whatever you want, even the work you do at your job. Just by thinking or meditating on the things of God while doing something, we worship.

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, which is about calling out the masculine soul of a man. He talks about the importance of a father, healing wounds from our fathers, and seeing God as our father. I cried over soemthing i read in that book many times, also i was able revive the relationship with my Dad. And later after reading this one try Captivating which is for girls, but it shows a lot about who a girl is.

The Supernatural ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton is an awesome book! Its about bringing us out of being orphans and seeing that we are sons and daughter of God. Though it might be better so start with When Heaven Invades Earth b Bill Johnson. Both authors are from the same church, so they have the same mentality and this book will blow your socks off.

The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. This book is a compile of visions this guy had. It paints a really interesting picture of spiritual warfare and dynamics of the spiritual world. I thought of the part in this book when he is on the mountain when i read your post.

The Shack by William Young. This book is fiction, but it paints a wonderful picture. Now, some will say this is a bad book because some details the author uses isn't bilbical exactly. But that aside it shows how far God would go to show just one person how much he loves them.

I'm sorry I'm late to the party. Cryptids were my bread and butter when I was fifteen.

Okay, so if it's non-fiction you want, then I know just what you need.

If he wants a good overview, Mysterious America by Loren Coleman, who's more or less the modern-day leader of cryptozoology, is a superb first entry for anybody interested in cryptozoology. I especially liked the sections on "Panthera Atrox." There are sections on phantom ships and other more mystical elements of the Fortean, and some might find its focus on North America a bit limited, but I'd still recommend it.

Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation's Weirdest Wonders, Strangest Spots, and Creepiest Creatures

I'd also recommend Coleman's "field guides." These don't go into quite as much detail as Mysterious America, but they do provide a rather intriguing look at the diversity in sightings of animals that do not belong. The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates and The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep are useful, as is the similar, if somewhat dated, Cryptozoology A To Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature.

The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates

The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep

Cryptozoology A To Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature

Coleman's written some other books as well, focused on individual cryptids. Bigfoot: The True Story of Apes in America and Mothman and Other Curious Encounters are among the most notable.

Bigfoot: The True Story of Apes in America

Mothman and Other Curious Encounters

Moving on, I found another book that functions as a good overview of cryptozoology is Jerome Clark's Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena. Clark gets into a bit more Fortean elements than Coleman does, but his book also includes some cryptids that Coleman rarely pays attention to--including living dinosaurs.

Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena

If he has a particular taste for feline cryptids--surviving Panthera Artox, surviving saber-toothed cats, whatever the heck the ones is--then I must recommend the writings of Karl Shuker. Shuker is a prolific writer, and to list his books would take up a lot more space, but if I had to choose one, I'd recommend Extraordinary Animals.

Extraordinary Animals: Revisited

You didn't mention whether you were an American, but Stackpole Books has a "Monsters Of" series that has the folklore of individual states in the United States.

Following up on that, if you live in California, or if you have a fondness for sea monsters, then you may also like the book Mysterious Sea Monsters of California's Central Coast.

Mysterious Sea Monsters of California's Central Coast

Oh, and if he's interested in novels, there's always the works of Roland Smith. Sasquatch and the "Cryptid Quartet" which includes Cryptid Hunters, Tentacles, Chupacabra, and Mutation are all great reads for middle readers, or for the young at heart. It may be a little young for your friend's son, but at the same time, I was reading these when I was his age (and older--I was that stubborn to finish the series).

Sasquatch

Cryptid Hunters

Tentacles

Chupacabra

Mutation

There are also novels geared for older readers. Frank Peretti, a noted Christian author, wrote Monster which involves a conspiracy of mad science and Sasquatch. It's quite a bit more intense than Smith's novels. That being said, I feel as if I should point out that this book is definitely geared for conservative Christians.

Monster

A couple of thoughts:


You say that you have been feeling depressed. Depression is anger turned inward generally expressed by feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. The truth is that you are helpless. We all are. We can do nothing outside of God and that’s a good thing. Most people are forever worrying about the future: something that is impossible to predict or prevent. Think of all the energy that we waste worrying about things that almost never happen. As for hopelessness, place your hope in God. This does not mean that God is going to make everything in your life painless. We are told that there will be tribulation in our lives. But even in times of tribulation you can be certain that God is with you. Trust in Him even when what is happening to us seems “bad”.


You say that you don’t understand the workings of God. Join the club. No mere mortal can understand the workings of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. We can only see but a small fraction of reality that is happening right before us at this very minute. Trusting God during times of uncertainty is called faith.


You ask why others “move on to what appears to be a much happier life? Why is it that I am left in the shadows, while everyone continues to move on, thrive/flourish?” We are told not to judge others. Most people believe that simply means not to condemn others for their sins. I would maintain that God commands us not to judge others at all. Don’t judge (or place on a pedestal) those who APPEAR to have it all together. They wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, say the right things, smile and seem happy. Do you know that they are? Do you know what’s in their hearts? Do you know that they are happy? Content? Only God knows what’s in a man’s heart. Everything else is just illusions that we create to try to convince people that we are somebody else.


You say that you are “surrounded more than ever by people who are controlling.” No you’re not. The only person who can control you is the person that you ALLOW to control you.


I’d like to recommend a book that I recently read (for the second time). http://www.amazon.com/Shack-Special-Hardcover-William-Young/dp/0964729245/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288888492&sr=1-1 . More than any other, this book has really changed my view of God, how He works, and my relationship with Him. After you have read it, you will understand when I tell you that God is especially fond of you.

Word and prayer is awesome as long as it's not something we treat like a results driven exercise. You know, effort in, result out. Like an expectation of some huge epiphany or supreme sense of God's presence every time we sit down to spend that time with Him. We don't do that with our other friends, we shouldn't with God. The soft gentle voice of the most powerful being in existence should be reward enough.

There are certainly a few books that helped me along the way, but what I'm going to recommend for starters is not something conventional that talks theory or theology (this stuff is awesome once you care, but as St. Paul writes, milk before the meat). Instead it's something that will hopefully give you an idea why you should even care... what is it about God that makes pursuing Him worth it.

It's a series about King David which takes the Biblical account and fills in the gaps. It's called Dahveed and here is the first book:

http://www.amazon.com/Dahveed-Yahwehs-Terri-L-Fivash/dp/0828020728/

Here's some that might be worth a read, depending on the makeup of your group and the theological context of your church:

• The Shack - some people will complain that it's heretical (and maybe it is), others will complain that it's sometimes ham-fisted in it's writing (and it definitely is), but it certainly is both accessible (easy read) and thought-provoking
  
  
• Blue Like Jazz - it sounds like you're just out of college, and if the rest of the group is similar in age (and even if not), this book may really fit. To me, it was a really honest look at what a journey toward and into Christian spirituality.
  
  
• Jesus: A Pilgrimage - Fr. James Martin combines a journal of a trip through the Holy Land with a reflection on the life of Christ presented in the gospels. I loved this book, and it will give you the opportunity to discuss both this book and the gospel stories that go along with it.
  
  Hope these aren't all terrible suggestions!

I always recommend books. Scroll down for four book recommendations.

Can you make time to meet with your pastor?
Could you email, or phone-video-chat?

One of my favorite prayers is from Mark 9:24 when a parent frantically brings his son to Jesus for healing and cries out, "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief!"
You are not alone in having a crisis of faith. But go through, don't stop. Do participate in the life of the church -- not just the worship service but study and service as well. Do repeat that Mark 9:24 prayer -- put it on a mental loop.

I'm also happy to keep on talking.
Now the books:

Lately I've been recommending Joshua Ryan Butler's The Pursuing God, as he re-frames the story of God interacting with people.

I also appreciate how William Young deals with belief in The Shack.

Perhaps my strongest recommendation for you at this time: Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life

One other recommendation, a memoir from a British satirist named Tony Hendra, Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul.

On one hand, I think you have experienced one or two unique coincidences and then your mind came up with this idea. Now, you have latched on to it and are subconciously looking to confirm it. I recommend you read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin DeBecker, which will help you be more perceptive to details you may be overlooking, in this situation and others.

On the second hand, there is no technology whereby a person's thoughts can be seen or read. Only yourself and your Creator know your thoughts. Fallen angels may be able to as well. They can certainly influence your thoughts and are keenly sensitive to a human's reactions and are able to interpret them and predict behavior correctly. There exists overwhelming evidence to demonstrate the connection between world leaders and occultic behaviors.

Perhaps this is the beginning of an active campaign wherein the deep state, working with demonic forces, are seeking to create fear and the belief in their all-knowing, all powerfulness -the result being that people are fearful of standing up for what is right. Consider this scenario: You are watching YT, some video about girls dancing. Halfway through the video you are reminded by one girl's pink leotard that you saw a cute pair of pink earrings you think your girlfriend may like, in the store two days ago. The demon which has been following you around and saw you looking at them is the one who put the thought into your mind. He communicates this thought to another demon an hundred miles away, who is sitting unseen on a YT server somewhere. This demon manipulates the data stream so the next video that pops up is one about pink jewelry. Along this line of seemingly crazy and absurd thinking, let me also recommend you read the excellent novels by Frank Peretti: "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness" -both of which do a great job fleshing out the battles and shenanigans which go unseen, everyday.

Hi! So I'm not really sure exactly what genre of book you'd be interested in, but here are a couple of FREE Kindle books out right now from the bestseller list and with high reviews:

Highwater

Hope for Garbage

Truth Stained Lies

The Devil's Graveyards (This one has 11 5 star reviews and nothing else!)

The Timekeeper's Son

Reverb

A Family Affair

Pretty Little Liars (I watch the TV show...and so does my 32 year old husband...and we both really like it for being just fluff and teenage drama)

Unenchanted

Land

Hollowland

Nearly Departed in Deadwood

Hope you feel better!

>How did the whole “Satanic panic” around tabletop gaming and collectible card games gather so much steam?

The short summary is that spiritual warfare became a growing fad from the late 80s through the late 90s. Basically the public went from "Satan can't really do much to believers" to "Oh my goodness, Satan is behind every single rock" during that time period. I was a member of a charismatic church in the mid-90s so I saw a lot of the hyperactive spiritual warfare practice of the day. You ain't done spiritual warfare until you get a in a prayer line with anointing oil in a parking lot and claim ground from Satan through territorial spiritual warfare :P

It would probably be a full essay worth of writing to document all of this, but basically authors like Peter Wagner and Derek Prince on the charismatic side and M.F. Unger, Mark Bubeck on the more conservative side set the theological tone which awakened the public to the reality of spiritual warfare. The popular practice was also largely informed by books like Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness which captures pretty nicely what it was like to be a believer in those times.

We Christians tend to overreact to new truths once discovered, so you saw a whole bunch of nonsense as people expanded their practical theology to include the reality of the demonic. And that's why you saw it blow up the way it did.

You took a good crack at it. I do have a tendency to make hasty decisions and can be impatient, for sure. The obese man symbolized my inflated ego, and the spaghetti he ate symbolized "lines of thought" I consumed quickly without really digesting. I was on a really heady intellectual trip at the time. The waitress is the opposite of my inflated ego. From her I learned that the best information can come from unexpected places. She's the form my dream sent to teach the lesson, because I needed to learn to really listen and know what real value is. So yeah, the waitress gave me an invitation to change and advance, as you say. I'd say you're pretty darn close to the meaning I ascribed to the dream. You don't have to be an interpreter to understand dreams ;)

The historical figure was Darius. In the dream that's the name I was given, but it wasn't said like modern Germanic pronunciation. I heard "dar-ROOS," the Persian pronunciation. It led me research Darius I, King of Kings and the builder of the first Empire. One of his descendants is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who persecuted Israel in the worst ways after they rebelled against him. He's the main character in my novel that brings him back to life in modern day as a New Age Messiah. The story has more ambition than I was able to effectively convey -- too many story lines going at once for many readers to follow. However, some people got to the end and liked it. Thanks for taking an interest!

The Circle Trillogy by Ted Dekker is an absolute must-read. Its not what I would call "high fantasy" (No elves or dwarves here) but it's superb fantasy none the less.

I have also really enjoyed the Myst trilogy. Ignore the fact that it's based of a video game. It's some of the best fiction i have read In a while.

You might also enjoy the Christ Clone Trilogy, it's pretty much the same idea, but imo the writing is a lot better and the plot is a bit more believable. Still has some preachiness, but way less than Left Behind.

And remember to mark it solved :)

That Day, Great and Terrible
on Amazon - $2.95 for the Kindle. $9.95 for the paperback.

Angela is on a never-ending road trip she can’t escape. Kat is the mother of a son whose bizarre behavior fills her with horror. Milton is a teen with nothing to say. And Gabe is a college student searching for glory.
These four lives twist together in a small Minnesota town. As the world begins to fall apart, they must face their darkest sins and brace themselves for the coming of that great and terrible day.

One reviewer said, “I truly loved it. It had a bit of Stephen King (sans gore) and even a bit of Hitchcock. I didn't want to go to bed last night because I was so close to finishing it but couldn't keep my eyes open. It was such a good read and had a great ending.”

more on the supernatural side. I enjoyed House BUT it was not unique at all (very derivative). So it's not going to suprise you much or interest your with its originality like True Detective did...

If you'd be interested in a book that sort of combines fantasy with Christianity, I seem to rember liking Dekker's Circle series.

I'm not Christian myself, so I was a little turned off on the series when it became a bit more obviously Christian (I didn't know anything about the author or the series at the time,) but I remember enjoying it quite a bit despite that. I imagine it'd be especially enjoyable for Christians.

The Next Testament by Daniel Putkowski www.amazon.com/dp/0981595952 - While it is a Faith-based novel (Christianity), it’s gritty and powerful and can be enjoyed by anyone. Also, it features a kick-ass girl gang. Highly recommend!

I really liked Patriots by Rawles.
It kind of reads like a field manual at times, but the story was good. I'm NOT a fan of the follow ups, or his other writings, but that was a good book.

I'm taking the assumption that God exists. I can grant that goodness has a transcendent source, and personally my own moral ideals are mostly derived from Christianity. But evil seems to be more parsimoniously understood as the simple absence of good, and given the evidence of history I see no personal reason to believe that there is no grand conspiracy of evil beyond human imperfection and natural chaos and entropy (which I agree isn't in nature's vocabulary, though it seems to be from a Christian perspective).

>Please explain how you know this.

This is more my own intuition than anything, but ever since high school what I've learned about human societies seem to tell me that any belief expressed by a large enough population will be taken to the extreme. I feel like, to some degree, the inherent goodness or badness of beliefs can then be determined from how they play out. Christianity as a whole produces great evils, but it's also done much good, so it can be said to be benign (especially given how broad a tradition it is). Belief in spiritual warfare and the worldview of a demonic conspiracy to me seems to lead to Satanic Panic, overzealous exorcisms, Salem, and paranoid Frank Peretti novels more than anything good. Even if we believe that Jesus is already victorious.

Anyways. I know it doesn't play out like that for many individuals. But it does for many others.

>I thought no Bible?

This sentence doesn't make any sense. What were you trying to say?

Yep. That's what it is. The book from Amazon;

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23 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#23 in Books &amp;gt; Christian Books &amp;amp; Bibles &amp;gt; Literature &amp;amp; Fiction &amp;gt; Fantasy<br />
#24 in Books &amp;gt; Literature &amp;amp; Fiction &amp;gt; Genre Fiction &amp;gt; Religious &amp;amp; Inspirational &amp;gt; Science Fiction &amp;amp; Fantasy<br />

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Netflix has a wide variety of titles, including many that I'd like to filter out just because I have no interest in them. If anyone knows how to do that, I'm all ears.

The list was too long to fit into a self-post, here is the continuation.

Prolific Authors: (5+ Books)

• Going Home by A. American
  
• Surviving Home by A. American
  
• Escaping Home by A. American
  
• Forsaking Home by A. American
  
• Resurrecting Home by A. American
  
• Apocalypse Law by John Grit
  
• Apocalypse Law 2 by John Grit
  
• Apocalypse Law 3 by John Grit
  
• Apocalypse Law 4 by John Grit
  
• Apocalypse Law 5 by John Grit
  
• Holding Their Own I: A Story of Survival by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own II: The Independents by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own III: Pedestals of Ash by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own IV: The Ascent by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own V: The Alpha Chronicles by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own VI: Bishop's Song by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own VII: Phoenix Star by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own VIII: The Directives by Joe Nobody
  
• Holding Their Own IX: The Salt War by Joe Nobody
  
• Apocalypse Drift by Joe Nobody
  
• Secession: The Storm by Joe Nobody and P.A. Troit
  
• Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• Founders: A Novel of the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• Expatriates: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• Liberators: A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• 299 Days 1: The Preparation by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 2: The Collapse by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 3: The Community by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 4: The Stronghold by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 5: The Visitors by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 6: The 17th Irregulars by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 7: The Change of Seasons by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 8: The War by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 9: The Restoration by Glen Tate
  
• 299 Days 10: The 43 Colonels by Glen Tate
  
  Science Fiction with apocalyptic elements:
  
  
• Directive 51 by John Barnes
  
• Daybreak Zero by John Barnes
  
• The Last President by John Barnes
  
• The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
  
• Wool by Hugh Howey
  
• Shift by Hugh Howey
  
• Dust by Hugh Howey
  
• Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
  
• Aftermath by Charles Sheffield
  

> This explains a lot. What you fail to mention is how in the world his book predicting a dollar collapse become so popular with great reviews? 400+ reviews for a book on Amazon is above decent.

Shucks, I guess that means that Noah's Ark really happened and the entire universe was created in only 6 days.

http://www.amazon.com/Left-Behind-Novel-Earths-Last/dp/1414334907/ref=sr_1_federatedaps0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410683312&sr=8-1&keywords=left+behind

Hey look, that's even more reviews than the book that you chose. I guess that means that everything that book predicted is going to come true.

http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Rich-Lessons-Cofounder-Memoir/dp/1476751773/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410683403&sr=1-3&keywords=amway

Pretty solid reviews, I guess this means that Amway is a credible company.

Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession, but about securing a portal.

Used book: The Shack

Thanks for the contest!

Does "Patriots" get any love around here? The story is meh, but I appreciated a lot of the SHTF-planning ideas.

Link to book on Amazon

I liked California: https://www.amazon.com/California-Novel-Edan-Lepucki-ebook/dp/B00GG0GJ2Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506023269&sr=8-3&keywords=california

And Sleepless: https://www.amazon.com/Sleepless-Novel-Charlie-Huston-ebook/dp/B002XHNONI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506023332&sr=1-1&keywords=sleepless

And a friend wrote this strange indie book: https://www.amazon.com/That-Great-Terrible-Brian-Scott/dp/0996843205/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=41g6nFlhgNL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

My wife continues to change my view on things at least on a weekly basis. It's one of the things I love most about her: we have very similar views on a lot of things, but even when we share the same view, she helps me to see a different side of things and to understand why other people might hold a different view.

The other day, I was reading The Shack and making fun of it for the clumsy dialogue, the weird way in which the main character seems to injure himself in every chapter, and the reasons why its answer to the problem of evil couldn't really resonate with people who had experienced certain types of suffering (natural disasters, for example). She laughed along with me but then pointed out that the first two chapters are actually the only ones in which Mack injures himself and asked me if I understood why the book was so popular and meaningful for a particular demographic of (mostly) American evangelical Christians, and I had to admit that I did understand. The thing is, she doesn't really like the book either, but she still helped me to appreciate it for what it is and to see it through other people's eyes.

I liked Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse. It's written by the man behind http://www.survivalblog.com/, a survivalist himself, and he seems to know what he is talking about.

have fun!

My two most recent reads that were of this genre:

Patriots

One Second After

Patriots - James Wesley Rawles

http://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Surviving-James-Wesley-Rawles/dp/156975599X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

It's definitely worth buying if you cannot find it at the library.

• Lights Out by David Crawford
  
• Going Home by A. American (and the whole Survivalist series that follows)
  
• Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles
  
• Enemies Foreign and Domestic by Matthew Bracken
  
• The Postman by David Brin
  
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
  
• Breakers by Edward W. Robertson (and the rest of the series; good deals on Kindle bundles)
  
  

The Postman - David Brin

Dies the Fire- SM Stirling

I just finished reading Patriots, it was alright.

Sounds like a Patriots book report.

http://www.amazon.com/House-Frank-Peretti/dp/159554156X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344496946&sr=1-1&keywords=house

Enter House-where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in.

The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman-or worse-could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.

One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.

The Next Testament. When faith becomes a crime, some dare to believe. This is an alternative, near future dystopia set after a second civil war has ravaged the United States and left behind one tyrannical religion, The Common Faith.

Here’s the trailer:
https://youtu.be/ZDbDXILo6Kg

On sale at Amazon now:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981595952

First in a trilogy in this story world.

Read The Shack, I could explain all day long my beliefs, doesn't mean they make sense to you or anyone else.

Wow.. was this confirmed or could it have been the dark forces which besmirched his reputation? The book Piercing the Darkness comes to mind here

Longshot but maybe This Present Darkness?

Lucifers Hammer - Pre and post asteroid impact.

One Second After - Post EMP, this is well written but the setup is a little to perfect. If you're a dad you will probably cry.

Patriots - Post financial collapse. This one has a decent premise but parts of it are really bad. There is also at least one sequel/prequel/companion.