The Well-Dressed Branch

What must it have been like for the church of God in Rome when—getting on just fine thank-you-very-much—a pounding erupts on their door and a loud voice intrudes on their tranquility with, "Letter from the Reverend Paul ... open the door please."

Letters from the Lord's apostle Paul habitually rained on folks' parades. The following passage provides a prime example of such apostolic party-pooping.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (9) For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (10) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (11) Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. (12) The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (13) Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. (14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:8-14 ESV

Of course, none of the church of God's sanctified-ones would engage in such despicable behavior; Paul obviously wrote such admonitions to the church "just in case." Verse 13 pretty well sums up the thou-shalt-nots of this discussion: ... not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

The apostle outlined three categories of worldly behavior in that passage: sins of excess, sexual sins, and sins of attitude. And please note: including only these three in no way excuses other categories of sinful behavior. Of those three, today's church manages to excuse two by rationalization.

The first sanctified sin shows its ugly head at all-you-can-eat buffets and church potluck dinners. Somehow, stuffing oneself in such circumstances fails to qualify as gluttony. But that is only the public side of excess. Privately, uncounted brethren regularly snack and tipple in the secrecy of their own homes. Now, before the worms slither too far from their can, one must insert a minor disclaimer: Attitudes toward imbibing alcohol vary according to local customs and mores. Strictly speaking, God's Word does not condemn alcohol consumption per se, but forbids "drunkenness." (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 3:8; 5:23; Titus 2:3) And in Romans 14:21 he subjects all behavior, including food and drink consumption, to the rule of love: It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

Now, to the second sanctified sin Paul deals with in Romans 13: Attitude, Attitude, Attitude! To witness "Quarreling and jealousy," simply become part of many churches' "body life," and observe the interpersonal dynamics. Sunday Service Civility not withstanding, some of the brethren simply detest one another; always with alleged, good reason. How does this behavior align with Christ's "New Commandment" recorded in John 13:34? A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Of course, if Jesus' words don't hold enough authority, his apostle Paul had a thing-or-ten to say on the subject in his letters to the churches.

Romans 12:10 ESV Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Romans14:13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Romans 15:2-7 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (3) For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." (4) For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (5) May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, (6) that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (7) Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Romans 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

2Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Hmmm ... is a theme forming here? It would seem that believers in Jesus ... ALL believers in Jesus ... will treat one another well. Why? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." And God's love is infinite; once it begins flowing, no one or nothing ... not even sin ... can stop its flooding his children's hearts.

What can be better than that? The best thing, the secret that the evil ruler of this world has jealously kept, is that sin cannot withstand God's love. So, it turns out that Paul the apostle isn't such a spoil sport after all. God's Word is just plain wonderful, full of his good news of infinite, unqualified love. Just believe and obey, and all God's infinite love is yours.

Labels: apostle Paul, divine love, God's love, love, one-another behavior

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Whirlwind
Thomas Nelson (December 29, 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo


BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:

For those who don't want to waste their time beginning books that don't deserve to be read, I have a message: Get Whirlwind! You'll save a ton of time and boredom. Okay, I'm a virtual-card-carrying Liparulo fan. Whirlwind begins with twelve-year-old David King facing a whirlwind of emotion from despair to fury as a time/place portal has separated him from his elder brother Xander … again … and it's getting quite old. How will he escape from his upright, coffin-size, damp, human bone-paved, stone prison? If you've read the four previous Dreamhouse Kings installments you have the December 29th publication date written in bold letters on your calendar, and can't wait.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.

He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.

Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.

Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans


ABOUT THE BOOK

Which door do you go through to save the world?

David, Xander, and Toria King never know where the mysterious portals in their house will take them: past, present, or future. They have battled gladiators and the German army, dodged soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and jumped from the sinking Titanic. They've also seen the stark future that awaits if they can't do something to change it--a destroyed city filled with mutant creatures.

And they've still got to find a way to bring Mom back and keep Taksidian from getting them out of the house. The dangers are hitting them like a whirlwind . . . but the answers are becoming apparent as well.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Whirlwind, go HERE

Typically, those of us who are old enough to remember a better time, when things were simpler, more honorable, or perhaps more plentiful, cling to those memories tenaciously. But the author of the Biblical letter to the Hebrews encouraged his readers to remember the bad ole' days, when believers suffered persecution today's brethren can't imagine.

Hebrews 10:32-39 LITV

(32) But call to mind the former days in which having been enlightened you endured much conflict of sufferings;

(33) indeed being exposed both to reproaches and to afflictions; and having become partners of those so living.

(34) For also you suffered together in my bonds; and you accepted the seizure of your possessions with joy, knowing yourselves to have a better and abiding possession in Heaven.

(35) Then do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward.

(36) For you have need of patience, that having done the will of God you may obtain the promise.

(37) For, yet a very little while, and the One coming will come, "and will not delay." Hab.2:3

(38) "But the just shall live by faith;" "and if he draws back," "My soul is not pleased in him." Hab. 2:4; Zeph. 1:6; Mal. 1:10

(39) But we are not of those withdrawing to destruction, but of faith, to the preservation of the soul.

It ain't easy bein' Jesus.

So how will we handle the "Bad Ole' Days" as we experience them today? Most of us fortunate enough to have been born in the United States have never had to endure the kind of persecution suffered by our first century brethren … or the millions of faithful throughout history whose perseverance glorified God as they offered their earthly lives to Him. They rejoiced in their loss and hardship, claiming a better reward than any earthly power could offer.

Imagine the conundrum they faced; Your new life is so real it makes your old one seem like a bad dream. Yet, if you live your new life honestly, expressing who you are in Christ, others will surely notice and treat you differently. Worse yet, if you happen to live where the authorities frown upon well-practiced Christianity, bad things will happen to you and your family ... really bad things. So, do you place your family at risk by living as the fanatic Christ-follower you really are, or do you move your faith into a hidden closet, hating the corruption filling your outer life and the hypocrisy that continually separates you from your Lord?

Every day, believers who live under oppressive rule face that heart-rending decision. In fact, millions of believers who enjoy the authorities' official tolerance balk at the prospect of social castigation and disrespect, should they openly express their faith. The question is, who has it worse? The believer who suffers for faithfully living his faith, or the one whose self-inflicted torture plagues his inner life? The believer who clings to the promise of eternal reward, or the one who feels doomed to perdition?

If you lack joy, simply pray sincerely about each point of this passage. I could exposit it, but I think it is plain enough just as it is:

Today's Daily Manna from the Net popped into my inbox with a fresh, new rabbit trail for me to chase. In Psalm 61, King David seems to selfishly pray for King David. Yet, in vs. 2 he ... well, read it for yourself:

Psa 61:1-4 NASB For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. (2) From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (3) For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy. (4) Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.

        Notice how David prays, "From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint." That phrase, "the end of the earth," means, "all the earth," or "everywhere on earth." Even in Young's Literal Translation, the phrase comes across as including all the land, "... From the end of the land unto Thee I call, in the feebleness of my heart ..." David, the most resplendent king up to that time, a warrior of renown, beloved by his people, calls unto God from the end of the earth when his heart is faint ... despite his riches, his security, his fame.
        David, in fact, prayed to God not as a lofty king, but as Adam, or fallen Man. Speaking as Man, David prays for God to "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." In the flesh, in human position of authority, there is no rock higher than King David. Yet, he recognized in this prayer that all men are needy, and that he was the most needy of all.
        Young's Literal, probably the most accurate, literal translation available, adds yet another element to David's beautiful prayer of verse 2: "Into a rock higher than I Thou dost lead me." As fallen man, David recognizes God's exclusive role as Guide. No "spirit guides" for David, no sirree! His Guide is God's Spirit, and that's enough for him ... as it is enough for today's fallen human beings, whether we know it or not.
        The King's prayer ends in vss. 3 & 4 with a testimony: "For Thou hast been a refuge for me, A tower of strength because of the enemy. I sojourn in Thy tent to the ages, I trust in the secret place of Thy wings. Selah. Does the good King testify from experience? No! He speaks from faith, of a sojourn not yet realized and a promised, secret place for which he trusts implicitly.
        In these few verses King David expresses the Problem of fallen humanity, God's Provision for that problem, and the Promise for those accepting God's provision. Beautifully said, King David.
        My question is, however, what am I ... what are you doing with God's faithful promise to Adam through King David? Are we secure in that highest of Rocks, the Rock of our faith, Yeshua the anointed One? Or do we whine over our terrible weaknesses that prevent any victorious living? According to King David, God's promises ... all God's promises are ours through faith. And to finish it off, the apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthian church:

As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2Co 1:18-22)

        Alright, nothing is wrong with enjoying the cooling shade on a scorcher of a summer afternoon. In fact, God gives us permission to enjoy it a lot. What God referred to through his prophet Jeremiah was the Israelite's practice of worshiping heathen gods under the shade trees of the "high places." Though God consistently nurtured, forgave and otherwise displayed patience toward his people Israel, they ran to placate the heathen gods brought in by foreigners. Rightly, God compared that fickle practice with the prostitutes and loose women who helped willing men forsake their wives and families to sate their lustful appetites.

Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "Return, faithless Israel," declares the LORD, "I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful," declares the LORD, "I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt--you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me," declares the LORD. "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring you to Zion." Jeremiah 3:12-14 NIV

        The discerning reader will ask, "How does that have anything to do with Christianity today? The answer is simple: When we compromise our worship and devotion for our Lord and Savior by pursuing activities or possessions other than worshiping him and generously giving in his name, whatever takes preeminence becomes our god. We can have the most conservative morality, the most Biblically correct doctrine, the broadest Sunday smile and the warmest Sunday handshake, but if we pursue entertainments or other pleasures instead of spending fellowship time with the church, and squander our resources on possessions to the exclusion of helping those in need, we have surely camped out at the idol's shady temple.
        Will God forgive our "idolatry?" Just as surely as he forgave his people Israel. Will we get off lightly, with no consequences? Again, just as surely as his people Israel suffered defeat and captivity, misery and guilt will plague us for chasing our wandering appetites. One huge difference, however, separates our "captivity" experiences from those of Israel: They still looked forward to God's Messiah to provide rebirth and salvation after they sinned. Today's church, on the other hand, supposedly has already responded to the Savior.
        The Biblical letter to the Hebrews contains some heavy reading; nourishing spiritual meat for those mature enough to digest it. Its truths are hard to take … impossible, without a heavy sprinkling of grace. Carefully reading and meditating on the following excerpt from the letter to the Hebrews, with a willing spirit and a teachable attitude, will open the Christ-follower to Holy Spirit conviction and, if obeyed, will give a life filled with "joy unspeakable and full of glory."(1 Peter 1:8-9)

        Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you." And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
        For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.(Hebrews 9:1-28, 10:1-39 ESV)

Labels: comfort, greed, idolatry, other gods, possessions, unfaithfulness

The subject of rest is a favorite for most of us; sweet music to our ears in this helter-skelter world of fast cars, faster people and lightning-fast communications. Yet, call it something else and it becomes the stuff of which religious schisms are made. One of the great controversies splitting Christendom is the nature and observance of the Sabbath. Without further opining, let's examine a couple of Scripture passages that bear directly on this fearsome subject. Below, find the passages in their greater context, so we might interpret them more accurately(This is a lot of Scripture, so if you're familiar with the passages, you can safely skip them).

Heb 3:12-19
(12) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
(13) But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
(14) For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
(15) As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
(16) For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
(17) And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
(18) And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
(19) So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Heb 4:1-16
(1) Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
(2) For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
(3) For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
(4) For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works."
(5) And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest."
(6) Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
(7) again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
(8) For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
(9) So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
(10) for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
(11) Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
(12) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(13) And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
(14) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
(15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
(16) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Col 1:24-29
(24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
(25) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
(26) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
(27) To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(28) Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
(29) For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Col 2:1-23
(1) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,
(2) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,
(3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
(4) I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
(5) For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
(6) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
(7) rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
(8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
(9) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
(10) and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
(11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
(12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
(13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
(14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
(15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
(16) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
(17) These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
(18) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
(19) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
(20) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations--
(21) "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
(22) (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings?
(23) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Some brethren insist these passages give permission to engage in wholesale licentiousness. That, of course, is the grossest perversion of God's Truth. Instead, these passages expand our responsibility for obedience by removing the artificial barrier that is the Law. Without it, we must step carefully along the way God has established for us, understanding the guiding principles contained within the Law rather than simply memorizing the statutes themselves.

Does this free us from our obligation to store up God's word in our hearts? Never! It does just the opposite; it motivates us to more carefully guard God's word in our hearts, from sectarian corruption and careless presumption.

Okay, back to keeping the seventh day holy. By sanctifying a spot on the calendar we perpetuate the Old Testament's legalistic religion. Anything more than a casual perusal of its historical books proves how poorly Israel understood God's reasons for giving the Law; they simply didn't get it. While that sorry situation persisted until Jesus fulfilled the Law, carnally-minded Christian brethren continued trying to obligate his church to keep Moses' Law in its entirety. Poor, insecure saps.

The Scripture passages laid out here clearly show that philosophy's error. Hebrews chapter four explains the Sabbath's purpose in a way that requires little interpretation, and by understanding its purpose we are free to celebrate its truth without the Law's constraints. In short, Christ Jesus is our Sabbath rest, and when we enter into him, the calendar Sabbath is superfluous. In a very real sense, such artificial requirements minimize Christ's person and his purpose nearly to the point of blasphemy. Such insidious legalities rival one denomination's weekly obligation to renew Christ's sacrifice, effectively negating his one-and-only, true sacrifice on the despicable Roman torture device we call the cross. Can anyone imagine a more disrespectful practice than one that openly declares Christ's sacrifice was not enough?

Then there is the passage in Colossians, that expresses the principles laid out in the letter to the Hebrews as a command directly from God's Holy Spirit. While this is just a sketchy treatment of these passages, each verse demands exhaustive study to fully appreciate their liberating beauty.

Now in case the reader is still starved for God's word, the following passage applies but indirectly to the issue of Sabbath rest. It does, however, directly apply to the related issue of prohibitions of food and drink on religious grounds. Please note: This is permission, not direction.

Act 10:1-48
(1) At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,
(2) a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
(3) About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."
(4) And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
(5) And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.
(6) He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."
(7) When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,
(8) and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
(9) The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
(10) And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
(11) and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
(12) In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
(13) And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
(14) But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
(15) And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
(16) This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
(17) Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate
(18) and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
(19) And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
(20) Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."
(21) And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?"
(22) And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say."
(23) So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
(24) And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
(25) When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
(26) But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man."
(27) And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.
(28) And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
(29) So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
(30) And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
(31) and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
(32) Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.'
(33) So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."
(34) So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
(35) but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
(36) As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
(37) you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
(38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
(39) And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
(40) but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,
(41) not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
(42) And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
(43) To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
(44) While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
(45) And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
(46) For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
(47) "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
(48) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Does all this obligate us to worship on the First Day of the week or consume foods treated as unclean in the Old Testament? Hardly! They do just the opposite, allowing us to worship and eat according to our consciences, rather than according to a rigid code. This represents freedom in its purest form; the freedom to obey our Savior out of love, rather than out of grudging obligation. In a way, it is just a teaser, a foretaste of the divine freedom we will enjoy with Christ in eternity, where Sweet Repose will take on a whole new meaning.

Labels: ceremony, freedom, license, Mosaic Law, religious obligation, Sabbath, Sabbath rest, seventh-day

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
One Fine Season
AuthorHouse (November 25, 2008)
by
Michael Sheehan


BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:

Considering the woman I married, I have no choice but to be a kinda-sorta baseball fan. Nancy won't miss a game on TV, especially the playoffs. So smack in the middle of MLB Playoffs, I get to read ONE FINE SEASON to her. It's the fictional story of a young man with a dream, and a commission, to play in the majors. Without spoiling the story, I can say that Danny Grace fulfilled both, with strikeouts to spare.
        ONE FINE SEASON has everything from drama to suspense to romance to gentle humor, all mixed together in a feel-good story with a live-right message. A self-published project of Authorhouse, Sheehan's book shows quality craftsmanship in both its assembly and its content. One reason conventional publishers seldom touch DIY literary works is authors with complete creative control of their projects rarely execute the ruthless editing necessary to make a good book great. Though I sensed from the outset that ONE FINE SEASON could have used tighter editing, Sheehan did a creditable job of proofing the manuscript, allowing just a couple of spell-check errors into the final gallery.
        Since I'm passing out back-handed complements, I must mention that fiction needs conflict to work its spellbinding magic. If Sheehan's book lacks anything, it is such interpersonal conflict among the main characters. Sure, some dirty dealing goes on along the way, but the good-guys are only good, and the bad guys only bad, keeping the story a tad simple, and keeping me waiting for the other shoe to drop right on the protagonists' heads. Said shoe is still lost somewhere in the creative ether.
        Now for the hard stuff. I am not used to fowl language in "Christian" literature, and this book had language to spare. If a potential reader is easily offended by it, avoid polluting your eyes on this one.
        As to its world-view, one must be patient and discriminating to glean an evangelical Christian perspective from Sheehan's book. As a thoughtful Christ-follower, I actually enjoyed reviewing the plentiful, New Age and alternative Christian thought contained within these pages. It is a prime example of Satan speaking under the guise of an angel of light. Yes, it made me think. No, it didn't shake my faith in, and my relationship with, my Savior.
        And as to the sexual relationship between the protagonists, this story reveals the church's ugly little secret: Christians fornicate, which is one reason the divorce rate among church folks is as high as among non-church-goers. I do, however, take exception to this story including no consequences for the illicit sexual encounters it described. Truth is, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8) And the other side of that equation showed that even in the tempting world of professional sports, some folks remain faithful to their spouses.
        That nit-picking now complete, I desperately hope Sheehan's first novel will grab the publishing industry's attention, so that his next work will benefit from the perilous process of conventional publishing. Talk about drama and conflict ...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Sheehan is CEO and founder of BioResource, a company that distributes natural remedies including the popular INFLAMYAR ointment for sports injuries. He wrote One Fine Season to honor the memories of two childhood friends who died young, before they could realize their dreams.

One Fine Season is true to life. It draws on Sheehan’s religious education at a Catholic seminary and his experience as a high school baseball and collegiate soccer player. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Sheehan also earned a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. He lives in Northern California.


ABOUT THE BOOK

ONE FINE SEASON tells the story of a promising young athlete who must rise from the ashes of devastating personal loss to fulfill a pact made years earlier with his best friend.

Best friends Pete O’Brien and Danny Grace are gifted college athletes, both hoping for careers as professional baseball players. When tragedy strikes, Danny struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief and fulfill a pact the young men made years earlier: to play in the World Series.

Events unexpectedly thrust Danny into the spotlight with the new expansion team in Sacramento. Three guides – an aging catcher, spiritual centerfielder and wise manager – plus a beautiful woman lead him on a healing journey, revealing that even death cannot break the bonds of true friendship.

If you would like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of One Fine Season, go HERE

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Slow Burn
Zondervan (October 1, 2009)
by
Mary DeMuth


BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:

You know a great character actor by your feelings about her during the dramatic presentation. If she's the antagonist, and doing her job well, the distinction between actor and character becomes blurred, causing the audience to accept the dramatic conflict as real, and to dislike the actor as the character she plays. Printed literature demonstrates a similar phenomenon, when the reader becomes so invested in the characters that he truly empathizes with them, feeling both their pain and their joy, and possibly even disliking the work for the emotional upheaval he experiences with them.
        A Slow Burn does exactly that to the reader. Emory Chance is a woman who has never known unconditional love, and in fact, just the opposite. Beginning with her mother, every relationship she has experienced—with the notable exception of her recently murdered daughter Daisy—shoves down her throat the message that she is despicable, hardly worthy of the oxygen she breathes. And of course, when one believes she is a nothing, that is the way she lives. With Emory seemingly on a quest to destroy every friendly attempt at building her up, and the friends who try, she desperately tries to numb her pain with pot, pills and beer.
        I would have to say I hate gritty stories of southern racism, bigotry and hatred in all forms. Yet, once I get into them, and have to deal with the ugly truth of The Human Condition, the redemptive process that follows rings so true and beautiful that I end the book rejoicing in God's love.
        Mary E. DeMuth's novel of harsh, human reality both hurts and heals the reader right along with the authentic characters she created for the gray world of Defiance, Texas.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary E. DeMuth is an expert in Pioneer Parenting. She enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow.

Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005).

Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, Watching The Tree Limbs
(nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing On Dandelions (NavPress, 2006).

Mary has spoken at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and at various churches and church planting ministries. She's also taught in Germany, Austria, Monaco, Italy, France, and the United States. Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, and planting a church.



ABOUT THE BOOK


She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer—a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.


Watch the video:



If you would like to read the first chapter of A Slow Burn, go HERE

Labels: alcohol, child abuse, Christian drama, drugs, murder, redemption, Texas

In Jeramiah 3:19-22, the prophet wrote an appeal from God to the people of Israel.

'I myself said, 'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,' declares the LORD. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God. 'Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.' Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.' (NIV)

While the prophetic message applied directly to Israel about five hundred years before Christ, its spirit applies equally to today's "Children of Israel" by faith: God's church. Read in that context, this passage speaks forcefully to the church's unfaithful. Now we must decide how much to spiritualize this passionate appeal to apply it to our lives.
        "How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation." First, that Christ-followers are God's sons is a scriptural given.(Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:23-26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-6, Romans 8:14-15, Hebrews 12:7-8) What does God mean for us with the promise to give a "desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation."? The obvious interpretation is our eternal, heavenly abode. Push the passage a bit further and we might see in it an earthly land as our temporal inheritance. Yet, an honest perusal of today's persecuted church in less-than-friendly lands could rightly cause us to rebel at the thought of a temporal inheritance. So let's look at it another way; the apostle Paul admitted to being the target of extreme persecution, but he wrote:

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Co 12:7-10)

Today's persecuted churches live those very words. Because they could lose their property, their jobs, their freedom, and even their lives because they profess faith in Christ Jesus. Could they avoid most persecution if they soft-pedaled their profession of faith, as so many American Christ-followers do when it might be unpopular? Of course; they have free will just as we do. What we don't have, however, is their passionate commitment to their Lord.
        What follows in the Jeremiah passage is God's lamentation over Israel's unfaithfulness, where he describes Israel's unnecessary suffering and then holds out his offer of forgiveness and restoration. Part of that offer is God's promise to, "cure you of backsliding." Depending on the church's willingness of spirit, that promise might be viewed as a threat, but his "cure" is the most loving act possible: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (Joh 3:16-17)
        In view of the world's saturation with human evil, how could anyone not view God's timeless appeal for what it is, an all-powerful, eternal hand up for an impotent humanity?

Labels: divine inheritance, forgiveness, restoration, Scriptural promises, universal sin

My previous post, a CFBA review of Ariel Allison's eye of the god, brought a pet peeve of mine to the forefront of my limited attention span. That being: Why does genre fiction invariably ... as in, most always ... portray the protagonists as drop-dead gorgeous. Take eye of the god, for instance: Dr. Abigail Mitchell is so striking that reluctant jewel thief Alex Weld can't help falling in love with her. And Alex's athletic physique and rakish grin make him irresistible as well.
        Of course, the story wouldn't have worked if Alex had sported a beer-guzzler's gut and thinning hair, balanced out by a five-day, grayish shadow on his triple chins. But what if Dr. Mitchell had been too tall--even in sensible shoes--too thin, and constantly battling psoriasis and unruly, ratty-brown hair. What if her years of scholarly pursuit in dimly lit library aisles had forced her to wear Coke-bottle-bottom glasses. And what if she was painfully shy because she was always the smartest person in the room?
        What if Dr. Abby Mitchell, despite her obvious appearance shortfalls, possessed a quirky sense of humor, a disarming smile, and without the glasses, eyes in which a guy could get lost. What if her apparent vulnerability had shaken hard-as-nails jewel thief Alex Weld's resolve? And what if his worming himself into her life--and her bed--had revealed a carefully hidden personality and caused her belated blooming into a beautiful "swan." Without changing the story's plot, that would have transformed a pretty good story into a truly memorable one.

Labels: genre fiction faults

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
eye of the god
Abingdon Press (October 1, 2009)
by
Ariel Allison
FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:

Labels: Christian thriller, edgy Christian fiction, Hope Diamond, jewel heist, pagan curses

If by saying, "... makes the heart grow fonder," they mean, "... makes the heart grow more achy, then they're right. When I'm longing for someone's presence, especially when it will likely never be restored, thoughts of that person don't leave me feeling more fond, it leaves me with an aching, even painful, lump in my chest. Could that be my heart?
        Something about longing for another isn't quite right, at least for a Christ-believer. For such longing says volumes about my priorities, where my affections lie. By saying, "I long for you in your absence; not being with you breaks my heart," am I not esteeming you too highly, with a love that belongs only to God? My excuse is, "I can't help missing you. After all, I'm only human."
        Yes, Jesus died for such adulterous humans because of his longing for intimacy with us. That longing cost far more than his earthly life. The way he died, his divine glory forsaken, his divine life abandoned, his divine gift scorned, taught us what love really means. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20)
        Though we can't see Jesus' literal body, his promise means we needn't long for his presence, even if we long for his return. "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you." (Joh 14:15-17)
        Sometimes we believers fall into the trap of worldly observations, and forsake knowing him simply because we think we can't see him. And why can't we see him? We aren't looking correctly. Knowing Christ opens our eyes to his manifestations throughout his creation. The art collector who loves the work of a certain artist sees the artist in his work, and loves the artist for his creation. And seeing the artist by carefully observing his work produces the intimacy of the artist's presence.
        What art collector fails to see the artist in his work? Only those who collect his work for speculation, hoping its monetary value will increase so they can resell it for a tidy profit. There is no love for the artist or his work. In the same way, "Christians" who see nothing more in Christ than his possibilities love nothing more than what he can do for them. And such false believers will eventually discover disillusionment over false expectations. Most, if not all, militant unbelievers are simply bitter because they've "tried that Christianity stuff and it didn't do anything" for them. Wrong priorities and wrong expectations prevented their experiencing Christ in all his glory.
        Those who view Christ's physical absence as anything but the promise of his glorious return need new eyes, provided and empowered by his Holy Spirit to see him even now, in his church and his creation.

Labels: absence, Christian vision, longing, love

In baseball, a "standing-room-only crowd" is a good thing, at least from the franchise's perspective. There is a situation, however, in which it will not be a good thing, especially if one is found within that crowd.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mat 25:31-46 ESV)

With that crowd being packed to standing-room-only, one wouldn't be surprised to discover the admission price is absolutely zero. "You get what you pay for," is trite but, tragically, true. Tragic, because God had already paid the infinitely high price to admit each of those "goats" to a much smaller, exclusive crowd, but they had refused to accept his offer.
        Even more tragic is humankind's penchant for crowd-following. Like so many lemmings, we thoughtlessly fall into lockstep with the majority, assuming they have some kind of corporate insight we individually lack, when in fact they have no sight at all. Jesus wisely advised his disciples concerning the religious leaders of the time, ""Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Mat 15:14 NASB) In this case, the pit is bottomless and eternal. And when Jesus spoke of the Gentile, Roman Centurion whose simple faith he recognized for all time, "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mat 8:11-12 NASB) Jesus' reference to "the sons of the kingdom" certainly included God's erstwhile chosen people who willingly gave up their prefered status by murdering their Messiah. Does today's church presume to think Jesus limited his reference to "the sons of the kingdom" only to the Jews? That, my crowd-following, church-going friend, is a dangerous assumption. As a matter of fact, God's Holy Spirit said in the letter to the Hebrews, For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Heb 6:4-6 ESV)
        Once again, God presents the terrifying doom of those who ultimately presume upon his grace. If that were all God's word spoke on the matter, none of us would have a word to say in our defence at the judgment. But because of his love, he gave us the overarching promise of 1 John 1.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:5-9 ESV)

Finally, just a word about the process of confession. We've come to view confession as a simple act of grudging admission, calculated to get us off the hook for an offence; "copping a plea," if you will. The word God used, that we translate as confess, meant anything but. The Greek word used in the original manuscripts was a composite of two other words:same and say. This means that in confession, we say the same about our action and our selves that God, in his infinite insight, would say about us and what we did. Does our confession of sin shock God? Is he suddenly disillusioned about our presumed sainthood? On the contrary, our confession reveals nothing to God. Instead, it is our formal admission of what God already knows about us. Think of it as our filing a tax return with the IRS. Don't imagine for a moment Uncle Sam has no idea what we earned. Just try fudging on that return ...
        Standing room only before God's court of judgment is infinitely worse than standing before Uncle Sam.

Labels: judgment, repentence

It rhymes, but it's not pretty. I John 3:8-9 from the New International Version says:

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

        Here is a passage that has plagued me from the first moment I read it many years ago, as it seems to negate my precious, evangelical Christian tradition. But tradition be hanged, the Bible says what it says ... right? Oh, great! Now I have to take off on a tangent to deal with Scripture inerrancy. Thought I had that one in the bag already. This won't take long, I promise ...

        In answer to your rather inconvenient question: Well, yes, the Bible sorta says what it says. The Bible says what the original manuscripts say in the language in which they were written. And God preserved those inerrant words for us with virtually perfect accuracy. I say virtually because some early copies differ from others in a very few passages, demonstrating humankind's ability to mess up even what's perfect.
        Now that I've stated one of the most popular excuses for the Bible not saying what God originally meant, I have to insist that it does, in fact, say what God means, when approached prayerfully, in faith. God cannot speak falsehood, whether lying or self-contradiction. What he says is, by definition, Truth. Hebrews 14:12(ESV) states, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
        As Mary Shelley quoted Doctor Frankenstein's exultant statement, "It lives!" Though the words themselves may not change, as God's living, active Word, it conveys truth to those who in faith, seek his truth.

        So, as it is indeed God's living word, a second look at I John 3:8, a look from faith, is in order. An alternate rendering of the first few words would be, "He who does sin is from the devil." This verb is present tense and active voice, meaning now, deliberately, if only once. It does not mean, as some want to believe, "He who continually practices sin ...." So that still leaves the Evangelical Christian with a sour, doctrinal tummy.
        True to religious practice, however, your faithful blogger continues searching for that Golden Excuse to make the word say what he wants. Let's take a look at the offending predicate of verse eight: " ... does sin ..." Other renderings might be commits, performs, or executes, all of which indicate the most deliberate, premeditated of actions. Whew, at least that eases some of the pressure. Now, we can safely say that we are of the accuser when we fully know the sinfulness and consequences of an action, but do it anyway.
        "But, how can one simultaneously be a child of God and still, 'of the devil?'" Won't let it rest, eh? It's the same conundrum as recognizing the sinless condition of our first parents before they sinned; if they were sinless ... and God affirmed that fact by pronouncing his creation "good,"... how could they sin? The Greek preposition denotes the source or originator of the act which, in this case, is offending God by deliberately disobeying his known and understood will for us; an act whose source is the devil, or accuser.
        Hey, when put that way, a picture falls into place: This is a portrait of a shyster plaintiff filing suit for an offense he set up. Yes, the enemy of our souls is quite clever enough to work us into a lose-lose, sting situation where we have no good options. It's "Sin if I do, sin if I don't." The practical reason it's still counted a sin is, without exception, such situations arise through our own cussed fault. If we had applied half the sense we were born with, we would have taken any number of escape routes before reaching that point.
        Oh man, after all this explaining I've only proven why this problematic verse means what it says. But, I've only examined this one passage. Perhaps another passage will give us an excuse for sinning.
        Sorry Charlie, there are no excuses for deliberately sinning.
        Christ Jesus' New Covenant is many things, but simple isn't one of them. And the fact that every truth in that Covenant interrelates with every other Covenant truth, effectively preventing our isolating just one under a critical microscope, makes interpreting them even more problematic. There is a Scripture passage, however, that carefully examined and applied, gives us the reason faithful followers of Christ Jesus cannot sin.

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. Romans 4:13-16 NIV

        As hard as it is to wrap one's noggin around that passage, bottom line is: By grace, through faith(Ephesians 2), God's law does not apply to Christ-followers. But in other passages the apostle Paul goes into vast detail explaining why we must, nevertheless, obey God even more perfectly than law-followers. But that's a discussion for another tome.
        So, we hit yet another bottom line(yes, there will be one eventually). The great thing is, we have a remedy for our deliberate, premeditated sin.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1Jn 1:5-10 ESV)

        I can think of tons of stuff I'd rather do than make God out to be a liar. Might he take offense at that? Obviously, the answer is, "YES."
        In this passage we deal with a couple of conditional "ifs," one potentially negating the other. Walking in "darkness" is stumbling about as if blindfolded, unable or unwilling to perceive and practice God's truth, which gives us all we need to find our way in this life. So, we make him out to be a liar "if" we say we have fellowship with him while morally stumbling about in spiritual darkness. Next, "But if" we in fact walk the straight path of God's truth, Jesus' blood "cleanses us from all sin." This continual cleansing not only produces spiritual righteousness, but rewards us with the corporate fellowship of friends that "sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
        I John 1:9 gives us true encouragement by concisely stating the remedy for our sin: confession. I was raised Catholic, where confession is a sacrament that includes telling a priest what one did wrong and how many times he did it. Did that absolution require repentence? Not that I heard about. The Greek word, however, rendered confess is a compound of same and say, which tells us of the honesty and transparency with which our confession must be executed, inferring brokenness and repentence.
        What a beautiful promise! With it in view, Christ-followers suffer no hopelessness and dispair, which would definitely be the case if God required Christ-likeness without providing us with a reverse gear for when we inevitabely put ourselves in the wrong driveway. What a beautiful salvation! What a beautiful Savior!

Labels: 1 John 1:9, 1 John 3:8-9, divine grace, Romans 4:13-16, salvation, sinning saints

Proverbs 2: 1-10 is one of the big "If" passages of Scripture. "If," in case you hadn't thought of it, introduces conditions to a promise or proposition. Today, promises typically mean little, and the fewer conditions specified, the less they mean. When we hear such advertised promises as, "Nothing down and no payments for Ten Years!!!!" we know they're leaving out something vital; businesses do not survive on those terms. The New International Version of the Bible puts in these terms:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

        All the "ifs" in this passage lead up to one promise, twice stated: Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God, and Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.
        The issue with these promises is we are naturally blind to how wonderful they are, "if" we fail to meet the conditions for obtaining them. That requires tenacious, blind obedience, which in turn requires some measure of faith in the One who issues the promises. No wonder so many contemporary people fail to understand the value of "every good path." In our unregenerate blindness we can't connect the dots. We just don't get it. And in or arrogance, what we don't get can't be true.
        Most any thinking person will see the logical fallacy in that conclusion, as the end of the reasoning that says, "What I can't see must not exist."
        That proverbial, thinking person, will, however, examine God's promises rather than dismissing them out-of-hat. He or she will seek out what possible advantage to a contemporary human being might be had by understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God. First, Man's fundamental dysfunctionality should be obvious. Even with religion thrown into the picture, we get life wrong far more often than we get it right. And what does "getting it right" look like? It is taking it on the chin, rather than risk hurting someone else. It is showing deference(preferring others' welfare to our own) when given the choice. It is truth-telling to our own hurt, and not necessarily truth-telling when it would hurt another. It is helping others even when it's inconvenient.
        Those examples of right relation with others seem conspicuously rare, especially within the religious setting where one might expect to see them ... based on the religion's profession. Why would that be? Why wouldn't religion make more of a difference in our rightness of behavior, if God's promises are religious in nature? The answer is simple: they aren't essentially religious. But they are relational. By understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God, and by understanding every good path, we don't just change our behavior; we change our identity. We become transformed from rebels against God into children of God. And that's where Christ's new covenant makes all the difference in eternity.
        But alas, that is a discussion for another time, and for more room.

Who's kidding whom? Peace and love are the two most misunderstood and misapplied principles of life. Humanist thinkers easily take this post's title out of its Scriptural context in I Peter 3 and apply it to social and political peace, "pursuing it" against all wisdom. Here is the whole passage in its Scriptural context from the New International Version:

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.' 1 Peter 3:8-12

Peter began this postscript to his first letter with, "Finally, y'all." Putting it at the last elevates this teaching to one of primary importance, the thoughts he most wanted his audience to take with them. Following that, we find a series of instructions summarizing Peter's Spirit-led beliefs about how to be like minded, or live harmoniously with one another:
        First, "be sympathetic." Regardless of the differences that will inevitably arise between faith-community-members, we must always try to consider circumstances and opinions from our brothers' perspectives. That means we must show deference to their motives, needs and views whether-or-not we ultimately agree with them.
        "Love as brothers" does not mean modeling our relationships after Cain and Able, or any number of other dysfunctional sibling relationships recounted in the Bible. Oddly enough, the classic, "brotherly love" relationship from the Bible is between two men who weren't siblings: Pre-King David and King Saul's son Jonathan. Following their example, we must demonstrate our love, one for another, actively, tangibly, consistently. The old joke, "I love him as my brother; just can't stand the guy," in no way applies to true brotherly love. The Apostle John also had much to say about how and why we must show our love. Any "Christian" who has a problem showing godly love to even the most irritating brethren really needs to check what the Bible has to say about it. But if someone needs some extremely basic instructions in brotherly loving, just "be compassionate and humble."
        Now comes the hard part: "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing." To master this, one must remember that only God is righteous, which automatically rules out "righteous indignation" as the sweeping excuse for holding a grudge. Nuff said on that score?
        The Scripture even gives God's reason for this hard instruction. "Because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it." So there comes the rub. Pursuing peace is just part of the greater instruction to repay evil with blessing. The old "peace and love," flower child stereotype falls apart in this context, because the Scriptural mandate is entirely selfless, and selflessness is just plain foreign to us faulty humans.
        And if needed, the last nail in our coffin of resistance follows at the end of the passage: "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." So why not just give in and obey? Sometimes, doing the right thing is just plain best.

Nancy and I don't read a lot of non-fiction, and when we set out to read No Idea by Greg Garrett, I suffered considerable misgivings. Half-way through the first chapter, however, I had already decided that Garrett was the real thing, and entertaining to boot.
        Speaking as a conservative Christian, I choked a bit at Garrett's progressive ideology, though the latent liberal within me gave several grudging nods at various points. Garrett speaks to the human condition on a foundational level, recognizing both man's innate evil and good. Yes, I said good. From that perspective, he frequently quotes the wisdom of other religious traditions, a habit that took some getting used to. Though my Evangelical brethren will choke at that, I've come to believe that human good, while certainly not guaranteeing eternal outcomes, is none-the-less beneficial.
        I regret not having first read his prequel to this book, Stories from the Edge: A Theology of Grief, as it frankly presents his journey through grief, despair and depression to the joyful redemption he found in Christ Jesus. Unlike many liberals I've encountered, Dr. Garrett(yes, he's a card-carrying academic) seems to spurn intellectual elitism, coming across as a humble man of God who only wants to love the world into submission to his Savior. Is that not, after all, the ambition that should unite all Christ-followers?

Labels: book review, Greg Garrett, NO IDEA

What sounds better than milk and honey? To the Israelites in the wilderness, anyway, that must've sounded pretty good. Of course, our tastes in this age of over-processed foods with augmented flavor and texture have become so jaded that the simple pleasures no longer satisfy. Compared to pepperoni pizza smothered in cheese, a simple snack of milk and honey holds little appeal … unless one includes graham crackers.
        When God had his people Israel marshaled to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, he issued a range of wonderful promises contingent on their obedience to his laws and statutes. One of those promises was so brief that we might easily skip right over it:

Deu 28:12b ESV And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

        From that simple promise, we must surmise that borrowing is bad, and lending is good. While we consumers have no doubt arrived at the same conclusion—especially after the consumer credit industry's recent dissolution—any substantial change in our self-indulgent habits has been sluggish indeed.
        What's far more threatening in the long run, and from a national security perspective, is the position of weakness in which such wholesale borrowing places our nation … most especially in view of our creditor's historic, aggressive stance toward us and our allies.
        Obviously, the U. S. of A. is not God's people Israel. Would that our Protector chose to precede us in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. Our international diplomacy would suddenly become quite simple; if some power wanted to mess with us, we'd just point to the ominous pillar and say, "Take it up with that Big Boy!"
        While that fictional scenario sounds appealing, however, there is little likelihood that we would fair any better than God's people did way back when. We are too much like they were, whoring after other gods at the slightest perceived disappointment, when the one, true God refuses to obey our petty demands. The faithful obedience God required of Israel is at least as far from our grasp as it was from theirs
        How can we hope for more merciful treatment than the Israelites received from their gracious God. We've certainly done nothing to earn it. What recourse do we, the children of the New Covenant, have when we subject our Savior's holy Name to public ridicule? His New Testament makes it clear that we have none.
        Yet, our Savior has not left his church destitute. He knew us too well to make no provision for our human, stiff necks. While his word clearly expresses his intolerance toward our presumption on his grace, it does give the sincerely repentant believer free access to that very grace. One Scripture passage presents that promise, perhaps, clearer than any other:

1Jn 1:5-10 ESV This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

        As with any passage of Scripture, we can take 1 John 1:5-10 to the bank, but we must not take it lightly. As beautiful as is the promise, it is riddled with conditions; such is the meaning of the word if. Do such conditions tarnish the promise? Hardly! They simply make it shine brighter, for the honest truth it contains. Grasp the promise firmly, along with the accompanying responsibility, and freely enjoy the eternal reward of true, milk and honey.

Labels: conditions, divine grace, Scriptural promises

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

Okay, we're not there yet. But really; after two thousand years wouldn't ya think we'd be close to getting it right?
        The Apostle Paul begins his instruction with a compelling enough challenge: ... live a life worthy of the calling you have received. I mean, that only seems fair. Yet, when I look at the excellence of that calling, the prospect of obeying the command is akin to staring up at Mount Everest and shuddering under the responsibility of climbing it.
        How must Moses have felt, standing at the seashore, water soaking his sandals, Israelites crowded behind him to the horizon, with every eye looking to him to save them from the Egyptian army in hot pursuit? I'm sure he must have thought, "Why me, Lord?" Please note, he didn't go dashing into the deep, desperately flailing at the water to make way for his people. He already had his instructions, but they seemed far too simple; just strike the water with his staff ... the staff God had already used in numerous miracles. Yet, at the moment it seemed so ordinary--no slithering, no flower buds, not even a fizzle of a lightening bolt. The thing in his hand seemed like just another chunk of wood. But God said to simply strike the water, so Moses lifted that nondescript stick over his head and swatted the Red Sea's surface with all the force he could muster. And you know what? It worked! Just as God said it would.
        Well, God didn't tell us to take our extended family across the Red Sea. He didn't even tell us to climb Mount Everest. He simply told us to live a life worthy of our calling.
        "Simply." Right!
        Never fear! God placed within His word several guidelines, statutes and principles that, if observed, will produce a life worthy of our calling. Guaranteed!
        ... What? You were expecting a list or something? No words of mine could ever furnish the Holy Spirit conviction and motivation to change, that immersion in His word will give the sincere seeker. But since you want a list, the very next Scripture verse shown above makes a grand start: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Not exactly on the scale of Everest-climbing or sea-crossing, is it. Yet, anyone who has sincerely tried meeting those standards knows how simple they are not.
        The last verse printed above issues an overriding truth that stands directly opposed to everything in our fleshly experience: There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Unity, oneness, is humanly impossible. Everything within our flesh demands individualism, autonomy, primacy. Yet, the spiritual realm has only enough room for one Individual who is autonomous, and the head of all. In the space of six short Scripture verses we are once again faced with Mission: Impossible. Climbing all the tallest mountains on earth, and rowing across all its seas would be easier in the flesh than complying with these few requirements to live a life worthy of our calling.
        That's why Jesus said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Only with Him, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit, spurring us and directing us onward toward Christlikeness, will we ever begin to "live a life worthy of our calling." If reconciliation with God and achieving Christlikeness were easy, Jesus wouldn't have had to endure the cross.
        Be eternally thankful that he did!

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' Matthew 9:10-13 NIV

Since Matthew was a tax collector(scum) and his friends were no doubt bottom feeders, those are naturally the only folks who would dine with him. Amazing, isn't it, that the Pharisees ventured close enough to the festivities to see who was there. No doubt they had followed Jesus to catch him in some indiscretion. Imagine their joy when Jesus entered Matthew's home.
        It is interesting to note that Jesus' disciples waited for him outside Matthew's home, enabling the Pharisees to quiz them about their Master's activities. Had Matthew excluded them from his feast? Or had they refused to enter the home of a hated tax collector, even though their Master had just gone in to sup. Imagine Judas' self-righteous stance as he showed himself more upright than the Teacher.
        Answering the Pharisees, Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6, For I desire steadfast love[mercy] and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.(ESV) Think of the implications of Jesus' statement. The Jews based their whole religious tradition on ritual sacrifice. Their rituals, liturgies and formalities in fact, had become their primary emphasis, their first love, and their exclusive expression of devotion to their Elohim. By saying, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, Yeshua told both the current religious establishment and today's church that religious rituals and traditions mean nothing without the foundation of love and mercy. What an apt reminder for Christendom's religious professionals who have bound their lives and their spiritual expression to the shackles of ritual.
        Tragically, many clergy have found themselves so tightly bound to religious convention that breaking free is virtually impossible, despite Yeshua's injunction recorded in Matthew 9:10-13. Only the righteous Judge knows how deeply their disobedience penetrates their lives, or if they honestly can't help perpetuating the bonds of formality.

1Co 13:1-10 ESV
(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
(2) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
(3) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
(4) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
(5) or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
(6) it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
(7) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(8) Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
(9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
(10) but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

The apostle Paul concludes his message of unity in diversity begun in chapter twelve by expounding on "a more excellent way" than that of simply performing charismatic(spiritually gifted) acts. First, he prioritizes two facets of Christian life: proclaiming, and loving.
        Compare Paul's teaching in I Corinthians chapter thirteen with James' teaching in chapter one of his epistle: Jas 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. So, comparing Paul's description of the useless noisiness of speech without love, we see that it distills out to simply worthless religion.
        Let's further compare Paul's "speech without love" to James' "works without faith," encapsulated in his letter's second chapter, verse 26: For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
        These two passages exemplify how principles taught in the Bible support, shape and modify one another. As a graphic example, a basic, rectangular table has four legs, one attached to each corner of the flat top. Would we trust that basic table to support our weight? What if we were to dance a jig up there? Probably not a good idea, without cross-bracing the legs. Paul's and James' two concepts, viewed graphically, form such a crossed beam relationship; the action of speech without the quality of love, versus the action of works without the quality of faith. Viewing one concept without the other produces an incomplete understanding of the relationship between each action's efficacy and its motivating quality.
        Further exploring Paul's take on the issue, we see a latticework of comparisons supporting the one principle. First, of course, verse one mentions speech without love. We all know folks who seem to enjoy hearing their own voices, whether or not they have anything to say. Meet the brash-sounding cymbal. Verse two portrays the powerful, high-profile minister who courts the image of an all-knowing, all-understanding prophet of endless faith. Without presuming to judge such a person, when we see a demanding attitude, rudeness in their behavior toward the less worthy, or even humor at others' expense, we can't think very highly of them, and we are likely right. And verse three speaks of the philanthropic or the zealous, who pursue their sacrificial religious disciplines for any number of reasons ... love not being one of them. If only their wrong motivations were more obvious to their admiring public.
        Then Paul gives us a number of criteria for discerning the quality of our motivation. One of them strongly infers that these standards must be applied mainly to ones self: (Love) does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
        All told, Paul's injunctions here leave little open to dispute regarding the primacy of our works' motivations. Why, then, do we see so godly love in action?
        Because hating is easier. Love requires faithfulness, which is a word that our contemporary world has just about forgotten. Verse eight says it in three words: Love never fails. Romances fail. Marriages fail. Leaders fail. Both the strong and the weak, the great and the small fail, but love never fails. If you want to pursue some end that includes a panic button, run from love. Both the rewards and the costs of godly love are unimaginable. In sports terms, godly love is the Big Leagues, the Penant race, the World Series, while what the world calls love isn't even Little League; it's T-Ball.
        Everyone seems to spend their lives chasing after something, thinking they'll know what it is when they find it. Yet, outside of Christ, they wouldn't recognize it even if they did find it. While godly love is the biggest and best purpose for our lives, and despite its high cost, it makes life worth living. That's one of those apparent conflicts between spiritual truth and the worldly wisdom we're used to. But God created us in his image, and part of that image is love.
        Fulfill your destiny. Let God love the world through you. It's what you were meant to do.

Labels: godly love, love, loving feelings

That's the final message the apostle Peter sends the scattered church in chapter three of the letter we call First Peter. Yet, it's not a blanket blessing his audience could redeem at will; there are conditions. Let's look at the whole passage:

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter 3:8-11 NIV

What could be more innocuous than telling people to live in harmony? To be sympathetic? To live as brothers? Or to be compassionate and humble? Many of today's preachers voice directives such as these from their pulpits regularly, so we know today's church has heard them. Why, then, does so much of today's church ignore them?
        The first conditions seem straight forward enough: Harmonious living simply requires our living in agreement with one another. Or if we can't agree, disagreeing civilly. Recently a brother and I found ourselves discussing a Bible teaching that has caused considerable division within the historical Christian church. While the discussion was lively, we ended it still friends, agreeing to disagree. Human pride demands we wrangle a concession from our opponents, regardless the relationship's closeness. We find it almost impossible to resolve arguments because our competitive minds tell us that we can't quit arguing until the opponent caves in and admits we're right. Nothing is quiet as satisfying to our carnality as a hard-earned, "I told ya so." While this behavior rankles our tempers, we learn to expect it from some of our friends and brethren; just one small fox allowed to spoil the vine(Song of Solomon 2:15)
        Sympathy seems easy enough, maybe even accompanied by a gentle pat on the back. Tack on the next condition, however, and we find a call to action; loving as brothers means doing something to help alleviate our brother's misfortune(James 2:16). Yes, I'm afraid such love might cost us something, whether it be money, time or care. Yet, living the authentic Christian life requires such sacrifice.
        Compassion and humility seem unrelated at first. Too bad the arrogant perspective defined as "Big I, little you" so often finds itself countered by the false compassion of "Poor you, blessed me." Compassion without humility begets prideful elitism, too often resulting in the giver lording it over the recipient. Such false-benevolence in Christ's name serves only to blaspheme our loving Lord.
        Repaying evil for evil or insult for insult seems justified in this eye-for-an-eye world, but God's command to us through the apostle Peter is, "Don't!" If we've been called to follow Christ, a huge part of that calling is to bless in the face of curses and minister in the face of arrogance. To refuse that calling is to refuse Christ's perfect blood-sacrifice and to continue the living death of sin.
        The church knows of these conditions, and many others found in Scripture that are directly related. Why, then, do we who are the church seem ignorant of them? At best, such preaching elicits confessions of our disobedience, maybe even a trip down the sawdust trail to the old fashioned alter of prayer. Though tears are shed and resolutions made, our lives continue essentially the same. Instead of turning the world upside down as our spiritual forbears began to do in the early church, we continue in a status quo that not only fails to glorify our God, but blasphemes his Holy Spirit by refusing to obey while we blame our Savior for our religion.
        As politicians love to claim, it's time for change. But only one kind of change will bless our future, or our eternity: Obedience.

When believers take strong exception to another's teaching or attention-getting ministry style, they at times point the bony finger of judgment, calling their adversary an angel of light, referring to two Scripture passages:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NIV)

How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations. (Isa 14:12 YLT) or How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!(Isa 14:12 KJV)

        Trouble is, we often find pointing fingers crossing, like swords in a duel. All the while, the world looks on in wonder at the "men of God" pasting labels, casting dispersions and declaring outright falsehoods against those with whom they disagree.
        And we wonder why the church isn't "turning the world upside down" with its gospel of love, mercy and grace. If I didn't already love the Lord, there's no way anyone would entice me into some den of religion.
        Mention the subject of alienation of the unchurched around most tabernacles of Christendom, and you will get vociferous agreement and bony, condemnatory fingers pointed at "Them." It's always "Their" fault. "If They'd only live according to Holy Scripture, we would have no problem with them."
        It would appear someone is suffering from an acute case of beam-in-the-eye ... but not me! Doesn't the Bible say, "Love those that agree with you and are favorably disposed toward you?"
        Heck no! God's word commands love in so many passages that we'd be well advised to read the whole Bible. And where it doesn't command love in so many words, it spells out what love means and how to do it within the church and in the world.
        Christendom is full of "brethren" who refuse to fellowship with them, because we're right.
        Sounds Biblical to me.

Labels: false prophets, Lucifer, religious correctness

To the casual passerby, the bloody mess hanging limply on one of three Golgotha crosses, hardly identifiable as a human being, would likely not suggest royalty, nobility or any sort of excellence. In fact, he would not even draw the uninterested observer's pity; executed with two criminals, he no doubt deserved whatever suffering he received. Only disgraced neerdowells, the scum of the earth, wound up on the accursed, Roman cross.
        Looking forward to that time, Isaiah the prophet wrote:

As many were astonished at you--his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isa 52:14-15 & Isa 53:1-4 ESV)

        So Yeshua, unremarkable son of Yoseph the carpenter, conceived out of wedlock, ended his life a complete failure. Is there any wonder that so many people, even today, despise that unfortunate young man and ridicule the deluded few who fanatically follow his teachings? It's just a matter of common sense.
        Picking up Isaiah's narrative at verse five:

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:5-6 ESV)

        Here, common sense flies out the window of credibility. First, how could one man's suffering and death remove the guilt of sin from the whole of mankind? And second, if he indeed had such influence with the eternal, self-existent God, why would he ever submit to such complete injustice?
        The answers lie, hidden like a massive iceberg beneath its snow-capped tip, in another Scripture passage:

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (Joh 3:13-20 ESV)

        First, while Yeshua, known to us as Jesus, was just a man, he was the only man ever to have descended from God's presence to the very earth he created(John 1). Second, God lifted him up, out of his low-born mediocrity, to become the one object of faith that would save believers from the universal fate of mankind, unto eternal life.
        The best-known of all Scripture verses explains, with beautiful economy, how this one man's death could achieve so much:

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (Joh 3:13-18 ESV)

        God's infinite love reached out to his fallen, hopeless creation with his only divine Son, that all who believe in who he is and what he did, should not suffer perdition with the rest of mankind but gain eternal life.
        That touted common sense shrivels like a leaf in fire when we compare God's action with what his righteous wrath could have done to us. Rather than punishing his fickle people as we deserve, he spent his Son's human life to save us from the condemnation we deserve. While belief in his name--his true identity and his selfless work--prevents our just condemnation, refusing to believe guarantees it, because his name means he is "God with us."
        If you can't believe in who Jesus is and what he did for sinful man, please, don't blame your precious common sense. While refusing Jesus is indeed common, only the blindness of rebellion prevents your coming to faith in him.

Have you ever seen people who seem fascinated by their image in a mirror? You can stand there conversing with them, and all the while their eyes are glued(figuratively) to their image in the mirror. It's as if they are afraid they might forget what they look like. Jesus' little brother must have known someone like that.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:23-25 NIV

God's word is indeed a mirror for those who actively seek self-knowledge from God's all-knowing perspective. And once they see their true selves in comparison to God's perfection, they have only two courses of action to take: Evasion and denial, or conviction and repentance.
        Common sense tells us that if we tailor our lives according to our personal dreams, appetites and self-image, happiness will reward us. The apostle James' beautiful promise at the end of verse twenty-five, however, counters our fallen nature's wisdom: But doing it(looking intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continuing to do this)--he will be blessed in what he does.
        I picture the little kid who, having climbed into a tree, tries to let himself down to the ground. He hangs on the lowest limb, toes desperately feeling for terra firma, unable to see the ground three inches directly below him. He clings to his personal perspective, which, in the view of a bystander who can see the true situation, seems completely silly. All that little fella needs to be happy is to know the truth, but incomplete information prevents it.
        Everyone wants happiness. In fact, though our Declaration of Independence guarantees us the right to pursue happiness, no one but God can actually promise happiness. He bases those promises on our willingness to obey the rules and principles he has established based on his perfect knowledge.
        We laugh at the poor sap who can't drag himself away from his natural image in a mirror, but think we're perfectly justified in basing our quest for happiness on our own faulty, jealously guarded self-image. What gorgeous irony.

Seems like a particular passage of Scripture comes around occasionally, and every time, I read it as though it were a fresh thought.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:13-17 NIV

This particular situation calls for some sort of expletive, but I'm not sure which in the lexicon of cuss words would fail to offend my readers. Anyway, good grief, this passage is rich in powerful principles for victorious Christian living, and we will profit from reviewing it whenever it pops up.
        Jesus' little brother James opens this passage with a question that many church folks might find a little too easy to answer: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, ... I can see a classroom full of kid-size desks with adult Christians stuffed into them. Hands raised and eyes wide, they all long to be recognized as Wise and Understanding. After all, they person(a slight concession to political correctness) committees, serve as church officers, teach Sunday school, and/or sing louder than the others during worship. How easy it is to build up momentum through the easy portion of a scripture verse, then slide right over the conditions for obedience or the consequences for disobedience included at the end of the passage. Verse thirteen ends with the following condition: ,... by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. With that last clause comes crunch time; are we going to admit to such godly humility, thereby seeming proud of our spirituality, or are we going to demure, obviously faking humility? No one enjoys admitting to stinky attitudes, but I think it's safe to say we all have them, regardless how deeply we may hide them.
        Speaking of stinky attitudes, verse fourteen takes the prize: But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, ... Such hateful attitudes, even at their subtle birth, amount to a heart-filling, carnality feast. And with such carnality filling ones heart there is no room for godly love. The last bit of this verse holds a critical truth: ..., do not boast about it or deny the truth. While few are likely to boast about such stinkin' thinkin', we all tend to deny it, first to ourselves, then to others, and finally to God. Trouble is, denying sin ... and this is sin in its purest form ... prevents conviction, confession and repentance. Bottom line for verse fourteen? Eternal Security notwithstanding, a fairly common behavior in the church will prevent many alleged saints from enjoying eternity with their Lord. What an unnecessary tragedy!
        Verse fifteen almost goes without saying, it seems so obvious. And verse sixteen is a concise commentary on the sad state of today's church: For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
        How can anyone wonder why God's church seems to be losing ground in its feeble attempt to obey Christ's Great Commission? Church leaders lament losing an entire generation of young people to the Pop Culture of Antichrist, while refusing to confront the body's rampant sin. What a shame we fear offending influential-but-sinning parishioners more than offending our holy God.
        Here's a Scripture passage that might seem off-topic, but I think it perfectly punctuates the above verses: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7,8

Labels: impotent church, judgment, sinning saints

Two words that begin quite similarly, but whose implications are starkly opposed, are conviction and convenience. Yeshua Hamashia's disciples must pursue a growing awareness of their Master's teachings, and a growing application of those teachings to their daily lives. In short, they must adopt and live by his convictions ... whether or not it is convenient. For the Christian, Jesus is all there is.
        I have to thank Focus on the Family for broadcasting an interview with Mike Yankoski about his book, Under the Overpass, which recounts his experiences traveling with his friend Sam Purvis as indigent, homeless men. Here's a link to Yankoski's book web site, and go here for his personal web site.
        Their goal was to discover how God's church responds to and cares for homeless people. In a nutshell, they found the church offering just about a nutshell's worth of proactive love to these two homeless men who may have appeared ragged and dirty, but were obviously sane and sober. Two possible explanation exist for the church's apathetic response to their obvious need: First, members of Christ's earthly body may assume that homeless people are down on their luck through their own fault; they are lazy, drunk, or stoned, and any help Christians give them will go toward perpetuating their irresponsible lifestyle. While that may be a valid concern, Christ's followers seem quite willing to assign the worst of motives to those who are less fortunate, perhaps even using their suspicions as grounds for dismissing those in need with a trite blessing and an promise of prayer. Or second, God has removed his Holy Spirit's lamp stand from far more congregations than anyone has suspected. Our blasé attitudes toward others' needs might be more forgivable, however, if we actually remembered to pray as promised.
        Luke chapter ten paints a vivid picture of attitude problems among religious folks with the parable of the good Samaritan. A hapless traveler fell victim to bandits, who left him to die, bleeding in the ditch alongside the road. The first two travelers passing by the injured man were priests, who couldn't risk touching his blood and becoming ceremonially unclean; an attitude akin to today's church people who welcome into their fold only those who are suitably sanitary and affluent. But the third person to approach the bloody traveler, a despised Samaritan, demonstrated his compassion by going out of his way to attend to his need.
        Then, as now, religious people abdicated their god-given responsibility to care for those in need. We know of their fear of contamination, but perhaps they also feared the bandits would lay hold of them if they paused to help, though God's commands to care for the needy allowed no such exception. Or, maybe helping the poor guy was simply inconvenient.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Timescape
Thomas Nelson (July 14, 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo


BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:

Liparulo did it again, with four eminently readable youth novels already to his credit. But if he notched his computer for every adult to get hooked on The Dreamhouse Kings series he'd have to start writing longhand--or get another computer.
        TIMESCAPE takes a fresh approach to time travel; indeed, reading it is more of an escape from time, causing nonessential activities like eating and sleeping to take a back seat to consuming the artful narrative. Adjectives such as "gripping" just lack the needed descriptive punch when reviewing this novel. I'll just say, with one more installment of The Dreamhouse Kings scheduled for release come January, I'll have to get my eating and sleeping done in advance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.

He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.

Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall
for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.


ABOUT THE BOOK

David, Xander, Dad, and Keal have discovered a terrible secret. Now, finding Mom is only a small part of their mission. And time is running out. Using the portals to build an empire, Taksidian wants the house for himself, and there's nothing he won't do to get the family out. The consequences of his meddling reach far beyond the family--to the future of the world itself. The Kings know their survival depends on stopping the bloodthirsty assassin. If only they can find his weakness in time.

Most startling of all is their ability to change the path of history. But will their tinkering in time reunite the family and save the future . . . or set mankind on an irreversible course of destruction?




If you would like to read the first chapter of Timescape, go HERE


Enter the contest to win this book package by clicking on the image!!!

Labels: Christian fiction, Christian thriller, supernatural thriller

Today's Manna from the Net presented a most wonderful injunction for victorious, Christian living. But at one point, I had to swallow a bit hard. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...(Colossians 3:16) didn't speak to me so much as it yelled at me. To me, memorizing Scripture is Mission (Virtually) Impossible. But the few Scripture passages I have memorized have provided uncountable blessings when I've needed a quick, God-breathed boost.
        And "God-breathed" is the operative term. A few words of Scripture at just the right moment is the most wonderful balm for life's inevitable scrapes and bruises.
        The rest of today's Scripture passage provides valuable instruction for any Christian community.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

        It's interesting to note how the author inserted the thought, And be thankful, in the midst of his instructions. But, thankful for what? The author failed to specify any conditions for thankfulness, which says a lot in itself. If God, through the Apostle Paul, refused to qualify his command for his people's thankfulness, far be it from us to limit it.
        The next instruction directs us to take an active role in discipling one another through God's word, which he's told us must dwell in us richly. "Richly" relates directly to the "wisdom" with which we are to teach and admonish one another.
        Then, of course, Paul directs us toward gratitude in our hearts to God, the attitude that should naturally accompany our psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. So, hopefully my flubbing the memory verses will hardly impede my ministry to the body of Christ. That, at least, is my prayer.

Most everyone heard those words so often during their childhood that they could have puked. Kids naturally tend toward possessiveness. "Tend?" Right! ... they're possessed with possessiveness. Most rug-rats' first words are "No!" and "Mine!"
        Fortunately for us, God doesn't behave like a little kid. In fact, Romans 8:16-17 tells us just how much God is willing to share: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
        Now two words make those verses remarkable: the "ifs" and the "shares." Both words are double-edged swords, holding both a promise and a condition. If God is our Father, he is more to us than the all-powerful, Creator God and Master of the Universe. If he is truly our Father he fulfills every role in our lives that a perfect human father would; he communicates with us, provides for us, nurtures us, disciplines us, strengthens us and shares with us.
        Sharing in his glory sounds pretty good. Who wouldn't want to share a little heavenly glory? But, as for Christ Jesus, heavenly glory doesn't come cheaply. The cost of admission is sharing in his suffering. Of course, that doesn't mean we have to submit to a brutal whipping, have a wreath of huge thorns pounded into our scalp or have our hands and feet pegged to a rough, wooden cross. As excruciating as that was, it wasn't the worst suffering Christ endured for us. Far worse than that was bearing the guilt of our sin and having his Father turn away from him at his time of need. What despair!
        The suffering we have to share with Christ is because of the punishment the world meets out to anyone who refuses to conform to its corrupt standards. No fun! But that's all part of inheriting the glory of truly being his.
        So, share and share alike, but be ready to suffer and suffer alike, because Jesus did, out of his infinite love for us.