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Friday, November 7, 2014

A Taste of Friday First Chapters with Holly Michael and Crooked Lines






About the Book: 

On the shores of Lake Michigan, Rebecca Meyer seeks escape. Guilt-ridden over her little sister’s death, she sets her heart on India, a symbol of peace.

Across the ocean in South India, Sagai Raj leaves his tranquil hill station home and impoverished family to answer a higher calling. Pushing through diverse cultural and religious milieus, he labors toward his goals, while wrong turns and bad choices block Rebecca from hers.

Traveling similar paths and bridged across oceans through a priest, the two desire peace and their divine destiny. But vows and blind obedience at all costs must be weighed…and buried memories, unearthed.

Crooked Lines, a beautifully crafted debut novel, threads the lives of two determined souls from different continents and cultures. Compelling characters struggle with spirituality through despair and deceptions in search of truth.

First Chapter (attached)


Purchase Info:
Kobo 


First Chapter:

One


The End of Childhood

All you need is the plan, the road map,
and the courage to press on to your destination.
~ Earl Nightingale







Rebecca Meyer
White Gull Bay, Wisconsin
Summer 1985

It didn’t occur to me at the edge of the pond that I’d broken the sixth commandment, actually committed murder. I was busy working out a deal with God, swearing to Jesus I’d become a nun if He helped me breathe life back into my baby sister’s limp body. At the time, it didn’t matter that I wasn’t Catholic.
Now, a week after the funeral, Mama set me straight while flipping pancakes in the kitchen. “Daddy blames you for Kara’s death.” She said it like I’d let the milk spoil because I hadn’t put it back in the fridge, but the weight of her words cemented my bare feet to the green linoleum.
She reached for a platter and set it under the open window. The morning sun highlighted old stains, batter spills, and cracks on the brown laminate countertop. A cool morning draft rustled the faded yellow gingham curtains. Mama got a deal on that material from Woolworths before Kara was born. Along with curtains, she sewed four sundresses for each of my sisters and me. It wasn’t fair that the fabric was still with us, fluttering over the sink, yet Kara came and went as quickly as the wind.
Mama transferred pancakes to the plate.
My plan to breeze through the kitchen and escape the house unnoticed should have succeeded because for a week, I’d been a ghost. None of the people in the house—my parents or any of my brothers and sisters—spoke to me. I’d lived a cloistered existence with my blue notebook and unsettling thoughts.
Now, I only wanted to sit under the maple, read the Kara stories, and wind back time.
I tightened my arms around the notebook, holding it to my heart like a talisman, as if my words of love for my sister could erase the raw sting of truth in Mama’s words. Since that day at the pond, I’d been carrying that notebook everywhere, even sleeping with it. In my lake of sadness, in my whirling murky thoughts, those sacred pages had become my life preserver.
Mama snapped the griddle knob off and faced me. “We left her with you that morning. She was only seven.” Her words rushed out in a seething whisper. My shoulders fell and hope slid from them and disappeared out the kitchen window.
Only a month ago in my white cotton confirmation dress, I cited the Ten Commandments and professed my faith at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.
So confident. So holy. Mama baked a cake.
Now, because of me, Kara was dead. I tugged a loose string on the frayed edges of my cut-offs, then looked back up at Mama. Her short blonde hair was a tangled mess. Her red-streaked eyes shot angry darts laced with sadness. C’mon Mama. Don’t you get it? The deep muddy waters consumed Kara. She’s gone, but I’m here, still drowning.
I ran my big toe over a rip in the linoleum, wanting to bolt, take off and run as far and fast as my long legs would carry me, but Mama’s eyes told me she had more to dish out. I sucked in my breath, stuck out my chin, and met her stare, my five-foot eight-inch frame matching hers. I could take it.
But she walked away, left me standing there. Every fiber in my soul told me to run after her, beg forgiveness, and cling to her legs until she hugged me and told me everything would be okay. That’s what mothers were supposed to do. But no longer a child, those days were over. I winced when the slam of her bedroom door, like a gavel, sentenced me.
“Becca, bring the pancakes.” Tom rose from the dining room chair and waved his fork.
“Hurry up!” Bobby pounded a fist on the oak table. “I’m starved.”
At least one thing at home remained the same; after morning barn chores, my brothers only cared about food.
My limbs loosened. With shaking hands, I grabbed the platter, set it on the table, then tore up the stairs—two at a time. I didn’t look at my brothers. They probably blamed me, too.
In my bedroom, I kicked a pile of dirty clothes and hit something solid, a tennis shoe. I crouched and peeked under my bed. The other. Good.
I kissed the notebook, then stuck it under my pillow. I’d started writing Kara stories in it a week before she died—the funny and intuitive stuff she’d said and done. I even taped her photos inside the pages. How could I have known to do that right before she died?
Tugging on my shoes, I wondered if the Holy Spirit had prompted me to create the Kara notebook when I was still a child of God. He’d visited me once. I remembered Him, not ghostly and elusive, but someone so real. Someone who loved me.
When I was six, He came to me in the meadow. I danced and sang for Him. I couldn’t see Him, but He was there. In my yellow butterfly dress, I laughed and twirled with the dandelion seeds, my blond hair bouncing in the breeze as I basked in His immense love. I stretched my hands high and offered songs of thanks for the Creator of the ladybugs, the zippy dragonflies, and the warm summer sun.
God knew me. I knew Him.
But that was then.
I rested my foot on the vanity bench, tied my laces, then looked into the mirror. Eyes dull and ringed by dark circles stared at me, not my bright green ones. Since that day at the pond, I slept in fitful interludes in the hallway in front of the door, me and the notebook with my pillow and a blanket.
I wanted to sleep in my bed, but Kara and I had shared the room since she was born. Every night she left her bed, crossed the room, stood beside me, and called my name until I woke and lifted the covers, inviting her in.
Standing outside the door each night, my fears would grow and shrink me from a teenager into a child, scared Kara’s ghost would come knocking.
What if she came to my bedside and called my name? Would her eyes have the same accusing stare as Mama’s had? Did she hate me, too?
Chills tickled the back of my neck. I yanked the other shoestring tight, then fled downstairs and out the front door. At the end of the driveway, I turned and ran past the silos toward Lake Michigan. Tears blurred my vision as I ran past fields and farmhouses, cows and cornfields, apple orchards and cherry trees. I ran past evergreens, Indian Paintbrushes, Queen Anne’s Lace, and Black-eyed Susans. Fuzzy cattails poked from marshy lowlands.
Miles later, when grassy ditches turned sandy and the scent of pine replaced the earthy smell of cow manure, I slowed. At Evergreen Lane, I shoved the bad stuff out of my head, leaned against the weathered fence post, and kicked off my shoes.
Summer bungalows loomed over the tops of cedars on both sides of the gravel pathway that allowed public access to the beach. A few silhouettes—like mannequins in store-fronts—faced the lake. Who were they? What did they think? And where would they fly back to before the first flakes of winter fell? Those lucky visitors came to the peninsula of White Gull Bay to escape from places I’d never been, places I’d always longed to run to.
The whoosh and trickle of the whispering waves beckoned me to the shoreline. Gulls screeched and circled around dead glittering minnows. Chilly water rolled over my feet and lapped my ankles.
I scanned the beach for glass stones, bent over and picked up a round flat black one. I tried to skip it, but it sailed straight into a small cresting wave. No luck today.
A long ship crept across the horizon, cutting a path between the cerulean sky and the blue-green lake. Next week, Daddy would be out there sailing on one of those iron-ore freighters. He only came home when November gales churned the icy waters and during spring planting and fall harvest—and for a death.
I watched the vessel disappear until guilt rode on the waves like bobbing driftwood and landed on the shore before me. Daddy would miss Kara sitting on his lap on the John Deere. I didn’t blame him for hating me. I didn’t blame Mama. Kara was the baby, the ninth. I was the seventh. Seven wasn’t a lucky number.
My legs quivered. I sat, hugging my knees. Tears plopped tiny craters in the sand. I was guilty. A sinner with no hope because it was worse than anyone knew. I couldn’t admit to anyone all that had happened at the edge of the pond. How could I say I knew Kara would die that day and I did nothing to stop it? How could I talk about the way I freaked out and ran away when I saw her form in the murky water, even though I knew I’d find her there?
My childhood was over.
“Where do I go from here?” A wave rolled in and nearly swallowed my small voice.
Ignoring the plaintive cries from the screeching gulls, I stood, straightened my shoulders and looked to the horizon. Only two more years of high school. I’d plan. Work hard. I had one thing going for myself. Everyone considered me the smart one because I got good grades and read a gazillion books. Yes, I was smart, smart enough to figure out my escape. I’d find a place of peace, far from White Gull Bay and the awful stuff I’d done.
Then, I’d find someone, somewhere, who’d love me.


Sagai Raj
Sheveroy Hills, Tamil Nadu, South India
Summer 1985

“Sagai, wake up. It’s time.”
He opened his eyes. His father, kneeling on the dirt floor beside his reed mat, held out a small tin cup. Sagai reached for the milky sweet coffee. In the soft glow of the hurricane lamp, he sat, sipped, and glanced around the room at the curled, sleeping forms.
His father struggled to his feet with a grunt. Limping since last year’s bicycle accident at Little Lake, he hobbled toward the door, lifted the metal latch, and disappeared into the predawn darkness. Sagai admired the elder man’s quiet noble manners, his wise words, and the kindness he showed toward everyone. Had he caused his worry?
He slid his hand under his mat and pulled out the invitation. After a month at camp, he’d been chosen. He’d been carrying the postcard around for a week, praying his father would give his blessings. Time was running out, school would begin soon, and his destiny did not lie in Sheveroy Hills.
Soft snores from his mother and siblings filled the room. He stepped around them, kissed his fingertips, then touched the Sacred Heart of Jesus picture on the wall by the doorway, as he did every day.
In the small courtyard, the cow mooed and shifted, full with milk. “Don’t worry Muttura Madu, you’ll be milked soon.”
He stepped beside his father, almost shoulder to shoulder now. Appa heaved a deep sigh, then turned and faced him with an outstretched palm.
“Appa?” Sagai rested his hand on top, then his father covered it. An unspoken message of love. Top hand covering and protecting, the bottom holding and supporting.
“You’re my seventh child. Seven is a good number, a heavenly number. My hope was that you, the smart one, could become a doctor and help the family—”
“But—”
Appa raised a finger. “—but God has a different plan.” His tone sounded peaceful, accepting. “Now, run along.”
He let go of the breath he was holding. “I may go? Truly?”
“Yes, son. You may go. You will leave on Saturday.”
Sagai bent down and touched Appa’s cracked calloused feet. He pressed the postcard to his pounding chest, then returned to the house and tucked it in the edge of the framed picture of Jesus. He rushed outside, said goodbye to his father, and stepped onto the narrow cobblestone road. Unable to hold back any longer, bubbling laughter rose from his chest and escaped into the misty morning air. He raised his arms toward heaven as he ran, thanking God for this true blessing.
For the past eight years, God’s love had pulsed through his soul, fueling his zeal as he ran the four miles each way, every morning. God’s love came with the morning’s rays, His kiss in the whisper of a breeze on hot afternoons, His presence in the mist that settled over the Tamil Nadu hill station at dusk. And as Sagai sloshed through pounding rains during monsoon season on roads reduced to muddy footpaths, the Lord never left his side.
Now, Sagai’s smile wrapped around his heart and traveled to his feet, hastening his momentum. The five o’clock Muslim call for prayer reverberated in the hills when the road became packed dirt. The chants, low and monotone, interrupted the lulling crickets and broke the sleepy quietness of the night. He ran over another hill, then down, leaping over slushy mud holes in low areas.
A cock crowed. Another answered, encouraging dawn to break. They always crowed right before his half-way point—the Hindu shrine. At the base of the huge Banyan tree with its intertwining aerial root vines dwelled a Hindu deity, a huge cobra coiled in a snake pit. A shock of hair tacked to the tree indicated a recent exorcism. Instead of speeding past in fear of the snake striking his legs, Sagai stopped. At age fifteen, about to leave home forever, he shouldn’t shake like a small child at this place.
Today, he would defeat his fear. Under the dim streetlamp, he forced his gaze into the ebony eyes of one of the two angry soldier statues that guarded their deity. A tongue sticking out from the huge oblong face challenged him.
Frowning, he looked from one statue to the other. “You two aren’t so frightful.”
A rustling in the bushes shot a jolt of fear through him that rattled his bones and made his heart nearly thump out of his chest. He tore past the shrine, made the sign of the cross and sent a flying prayer to Jesus. On the way back, in daylight, he’d look those horrible fellows in the eye and tell them he wasn’t frightened of them or the snake.
Alongside the old stone fence dripping with purple bougainvillea, he ran. Tamil hymns blasted from homes and out of church doors. “O Jesus you are my all. O what a joy…” Only the Protestants could shower the streets with their hymns like that. The tune stuck in his head all the way to Little Lake, where dawn had painted a pale orange streak over the calm surface.
Fascination and fear of Little Lake slowed his pace. Last month his cousin happened upon a dead body floating in the water. The source of life-giving water lured suicidal villagers as well as recreation-seeking Brits and rich Indians who came to Sheveroy Hills for holiday. Their grand bungalows stood like jewels around the lake.
He often wondered what their eyes beheld when they looked out from their fancy homes. Did they see his cousin, the boatman who offered a leisurely ride for two rupees? Did they notice Sagai and his brothers catching fish for Amma’s curry? Where did these visitors return to when God breathed His peace into them from this fertile hill station of monasteries, convents, and spirituality centers?
Bells chimed from the tower of the Catholic mission church, alerting Sagai. Six chimes meant he must arrive at the silver Mahatma Gandhi statue in the town center. He ran…one…two…three…faster…four…five…and six. Gandhi came into sight.
He ran past the statue, past Jackfruit trees, past cypress entwined with pepper vines, and orange groves. A grey stone fence, now speckled with tiny blue flowers continued to snake along the curvy pebbly road. At Pullathachimedu, Pregnant Ladies Hill, he sped by the resting stone. No time to rest. The bell at the novitiate gonged. Fifteen minutes to go. The white steeple spiked over the top of the umbrella trees, sliced with morning sunbeams and decorated with bright orange flowers.
Reaching the wicket gate just in time, he witnessed nearly one hundred novices in habits, slightly bowing and silently processing, two by two, into the church. He slipped in after them. Mosaic tiles cooled his tired bare feet. Thanks to God and his landmarks, he’d made it on time to assist Father Louis at Mass.
In the sacristy, Sagai tightened the cincture rope around the red cassock, then pulled on his white surplice. When a very small boy, he had held mock Mass at home. Amma would pin one towel to his front and one to his back—his chasuble. Circles cut from cardboard served as the host, fruit juice as wine. He’d light two candles and arrange everything on a small table. Vijay, his younger brother, acted as altar server. By age six, he had memorized all of the prayers of the Mass.
Now, ready for the real service, Sagai knelt before the crucifix and promised to stay on his path toward holiness and keep all of God’s commandments. He rose when Father Louis arrived to vest, and handed the priest his cincture, stole, and chasuble.
After the service, Sagai shuffled his bare feet in the dirt at the wicket gate, watching the retinue of nuns file into the refectory. Waiting made him feel like a beggar. If he left, Sister Mercy would think her daily offering of a few slices of bread was not appreciated.
Peals of laughter drew his attention across the road. The private school had already begun their quarter. Two enormous lion statues guarded the compound beside the white pillars that shot up to a high arch where St. Alban watched over the village hill station atop a golden dome. Fenced in by black wrought iron, school children—Brits and rich Indians—in suit jackets, ties and long pants, trickled out of the dormitory for breakfast.
Sagai slid his hand inside his shirt where the two buttons were missing, then tugged the frayed edges of his faded shorts, patched in the back. Sometimes after serving at Mass he’d watch the boys put on leg pads and knee guards, and use real bats on their lush green field. At his school, on the other side of the village, they used a flat stick and played cricket barefoot on a rocky uneven patch.
Hoofs tapped the hard packed dirt road. A cow plodded past.
Sagai rubbed his rumbling stomach and returned to the wicket gate. He was tempted to pluck fruit from the guava tree, or at least pick up one of the many that lay on the ground rotting, but that would be stealing. A sin. The cow, not knowing better, could eat the fallen fruit. He should not.
He knelt and picked up a small round stone and rolled it in his hand. Perfect ammunition. Those pesky monkeys, now awake and watchful, were known thieves. Would knocking one of those screeching troublemakers out of a tree be a sin? Before he could ponder further, a young novice approached, smiling.
“For you.” She smiled and handed him a package.
“Thank you.” An entire loaf of bread. Enough to share with all at home. Sister Mercy must have asked her to give it to him. The novice bowed, nodded, and walked away.
Before he could run, Sister Mercy marched toward him. She eyed the loaf tucked under his arm. Her nostrils flared. Smack. Her palm cracked against his cheek.
“Thief!”
“No, Sister.” He pointed, blinking back tears. “That novice gave it to me.”
Sister Mercy wagged her finger. “Even so, you know that I usually give you bread. You should not have accepted it.” She snatched the loaf from Sagai and thrust her slices at him.
He turned and ran all the way to Little Lake without stopping, horrified he’d be branded a thief. Would his future lie in jeopardy?
On the grass beside the water, he stared at the bread. He never went to church to get free bread. He went to serve. He rubbed his cheek. A monkey eyed him from a rock. Sagai tossed the bread. “Have it. I don’t want it.”
He wouldn’t mention the incident to anyone. He prayed that Sister Mercy wouldn’t report it to Father Louis.
A flat black stone caught Sagai’s eye. He skipped it on the lake. One, two, three, four times it bounced before sinking. Lucky day. He leapt to his feet and ran toward home. God would make sure his dream came true. He’d been chosen. He would go to seminary and become a priest. His older brothers and sisters dropped out of school by seventh standard, but surely Vijay would do the needful—finish school, and go to college. He must. Someone had to take care of the family. His place was no longer in Sheveroy Hills.


About the Author:
Holly Michael, published in various magazines, newspapers, and in Guideposts books released her debut novel, Crooked Lines. She and her husband, Anglican Bishop Leo Michael, regularly travel from their home in Kansas City to India. She enjoys watching football, especially when her two sons are playing—Jake (NFL) and Nick (Rajin’ Cajuns). She also has a lovely daughter, Betsy. 

Connect with Holly:
Twitter: @HollyMichael

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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Member Book Review - He Who Has an Ear by Laura J Davis

Laura J Davis

January 2014
ISBN: 9781492125051
Print $8.99, E-book $2.99
Biblical Exposition


More than two thousand years ago the Apostle John had a vision he received from the Lord. He was told to write seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor. Out of the seven churches only two received commendation from the Lord. The rest were letters of warning. Compromise and disobedience, combined with a lack of knowledge of the Word of God, has placed the 21st century church in a precarious situation. These letters to the seven churches are a message for this generation during these last days. He who has an ear will know what to do and act accordingly.

My Review: Insightful and well documented and researched book dissecting the Revelation of the Seven Churches for today’s meanings. Having just been in Ephesus, I appreciated the effort Davis went to make these places come alive for contemporary readers. It’s always tricky to make connections between popular current movements, people, and trends to Biblical prophecy. That very issue of expectation and assumption has been going on since the first Promise, however. Davis points out historical theories and why people thought/think what they do about the Christian faith and how to practice it.

Included in each chapter are check lists about the characteristics of the churches, calls to action and contemplation, questions and dialog interspersed with segments of the Scripture. My Kindle copy has a little formatting trouble with spacing between sentences, but it was not terribly difficult to read.

For those interested in eschatology, Davis’s honed reasoning about the symbolism of the seven churches mentioned by John in the Revelation of Christ will provide much to ponder, chew over and discuss. The author includes a lengthy resource and bibliography that is also helpful to those who would like the study deeper.

Monday, November 3, 2014

God is Doing Awesome Things in Nepal Through the John 3:16 Marketing Network

Mount Everest
Author Lorilyn Roberts
October 31, 2014


We are back from Nepal. 

Joy and I returned from Nepal three days ago after spending 22 hours traveling on three planes and racking up almost 40 hours of travel time with layovers in three airports. The 14-hour plane trip from Abu Dhabi to New York was LONG. God answered my prayers:  We didn't get sick, we lost none of the books entrusted to us, and we were able to meet with many Nepali children from sponsored homes and more at church on Saturday.

The kids loved receiving the books and the bookmarks, which made the trip all the more worthwhile. I shared with Shanti (Silas's niece and youth leader at the church) the Kindles, and showed her how to use them. I look forward to hearing how God uses the hundreds of ebooks on the Kindles in the future.

Please pray for healing for one young girl we met at Ram's house (Silas' brother). God promised me I would see amazing things. The young girl, around twelve, didn't make an appearance until the day before we left. Ram explained to me that she had been with them for almost four months. Her mouth was grossly disfigured as well as her ears and fingers. However, the worst disfigurement was emotional scarring. Her birthmother had died and her father had left her with a distant relative who gave her minimal care. She had quit school because the other kids shunned her, and no one had bothered to take her to the doctor to find out what was the cause of her horribly disfiguring malady.

Ram asked her family if she could live with them for a while, and he and his wife, who have adopted nine children as well as have two biological children, took her to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The treatment has only helped partially. The doctor diagnosed her skin disease as a fungal infection. I am praying for healing. Please pray with me. I am claiming God's promise of seeing amazing things in Nepal. An amazing promise would be to see God heal her completely.

Her condition reminds me of leprosy-I found it difficult to look at her, not because of the disfigurement, but because of her embarrassment, her humiliation, her hurt at being so ugly and different. Ram and his family love her as one of their own, but healing from God will also heal her heart and make it a fertile ground for receiving His unconditional love. I don't want a healing that will take many more months. I want a miraculous healing that can only come from the power of God. James 5:16 states, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." I believe we can pray this young girl to complete health in Jesus' name.

I have asked myself since returning, how has the trip impacted my life? What do I think God showed me or wanted to teach me? This requires some introspection, but I will share a few thoughts that have struck me.

1. God's kingdom is expanding. Despite the evil in the world, God is greater. Give God fertile ground to grow-in my heart, in my mind, in my emotions, in my words, in my deeds, and in my soul. Why do I doubt? Why do I give so much credit to the enemy? God is exceedingly capable of doing all that I want or ask if I ask with right motives and a pure heart. Quit making God too small-He is big enough for every task and every problem that comes before me. Let Him be God and quit trying to do it all on my own. His ways are better anyway.

2. Love more. Take time. Slow down. Listen. Be kinder. Be gentler. Be more patient. The only thing I can take with me from this world into the next is relationships. Give God the most. Don't sweat the rest. Life is too short. Keep it simple. Live each moment to the fullest. Don't hurry.

3. Be thankful. Give thanks in everything. All that I have is on loan to me. I don't own it. Be content with less and remember my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world who have so little. Look for opportunities to thank God, even for the hard things.

4. Enjoy life more and work less. I have God's permission to swim, read, go for walks, and enjoy the ordinary. I don't have to live in the fast lane. In fact, I shouldn't.

5. Make time to write. God gave me that desire. Don't let anyone or anything take it away. Keep smiling. Good is everywhere if I look for it and make sure that "good" starts in my own home. Love my daughters unconditionally. Spend more time with friends. God is God of all-put Him first and expect His blessings. God is not stingy. He desires to give me His best. Give God my best. Spend quality quiet time with Him each day. Make it the best part of each day. God deserves it and I do, too.

6. Don't waste time feeling guilty about all of my failures. God doesn't hold them against me and I shouldn't either. Instead, look ahead, start each day anew, and be content in all situations. Quit complaining. Set an example for others. Live with a spirit of forgiveness and a short memory of wrongs suffered. Have a gentle response-and see the difference. With God helping me, I know I can do it!

Author Lorilyn Roberts
Enjoy a short two-minute video highlighting the children receiving the books. Click here. 
Children reading books.
Thank you for your prayers, donations, and encouragement. God used you in a mighty way as I could not have made the trip without your help. Please continue to pray for Nepal, for God's hand in the affairs of the nation, to raise up Christians, and to protect the children from exploitation. God is at work and reaching new believers in massive numbers. Pray that our books will be read and re-read for years to come and draw many more to Christ. 

In Jesus' precious name,
 

Lorilyn Roberts
Author Lorilyn Roberts

Friday, October 31, 2014

A Taste of Friday First Chapters with He Who Has An Ear by Laura J Davis



ABOUT THE BOOK: More than two thousand years ago the Apostle John had a vision he received from the Lord. He was told to write seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor. Out of the seven churches only two received commendation from the Lord. The rest were letters of warning.

Compromise and disobedience, combined with a lack of knowledge of the Word of God, has placed the 21st century church in a precarious situation. The letters to the seven churches are a message for this generation during the last days. He who has an ear will know what to do and act accordingly.

Who the Seven Churches of Revelation are Today
By Laura Davis

1. Who Are the Seven Angels?


W
ho or what are the seven churches of Revelation? Are they still in the world today? Were the seven churches in Asia Minor real churches or do they represent a type of church (i.e.: Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, etc.)? Are the warnings relevant to this generation? Are they for each of us as individuals? As we look carefully through the letters of Revelation, we will discover the answer to all these questions and more.

But before we can get to any of the letters, we must determine who the angels were that the letters were written to. It has been suggested that the angels represented the head or bishop of each church. Others suggest the angels were actual celestial beings that stood guard over these churches. First, let’s look at the word in both Hebrew and Greek.

Angel in Hebrew is Malack and means messenger. Angel in Greek is angelos and also means messenger. So, what kind of messages do angels bring?
1.      They bring good news (Luke 2:8-14; Luke 1:26-38).
2.      They also bring bad news (Genesis 19:15).
3.      They communicate God’s will to men. (They helped reveal the law to Moses [Acts 7:52-53] and served as the carriers for much of the material in Daniel and Revelation).[i]
4.      They give instructions and act as guides (Matthew 1:20-21; Acts 8:26; Acts 10:1-8).
5.      They strengthen and encourage God’s people (Matthew 4:11; Acts 5:19-20; Acts 27:23-25).
The most important thing about angels is that they continually praise God and carry out His commands. They ascend and descend to earth frequently. (John 1:51; Genesis 28:12; Revelation 7:2). We cannot see them, but they are here watching over us for God and, I assume, reporting back to Him on how we are doing (Job 1:6).
Besides being messengers for God, angels have different jobs. For example:
·         God has used angels to provide for physical needs such as food for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and Christ after His temptation (Matthew 4:11).[ii]
·         They act as protectors (Daniel 3-6; Matthew 2:13).
·         They can deliver people from danger. They released the apostles from prison in Acts 5 and did the same for Peter in Acts 12.
·         They care for God’s people at the moment of their death (Luke 16:22).

There are also different types of angels:
  • Cherubim (Ezekiel 1)*
  • Seraphim (Isaiah 6)
  • Archangels—We know of two, Michael (Daniel 10:13; Jude 9) and Gabriel (Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19; 26).
*For the record, there is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate cherubim are cute little babies. In fact, the reaction of most people who saw angels was to fall down in fear, not reach out and say, “Coochie-coo!” The cherubs you see on Valentine’s Day cards and at Christmas are from the minds of their human creators.

Before the edict was given to write to the churches, John saw the following in his vision in Revelation 1:12-16:
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

It’s no wonder that, in the next verse, John “fell at his feet as though dead.” But Jesus touched him and said not to be afraid and then in verses 19-20 He said, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

To be clear, John wrote about the past, the present, and the future. Then Jesus explained the mystery of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the lampstands are the seven churches.

While the appearance of angels was usually frightening enough to make people fall to the ground, these supernatural beings sometimes took on human form. (In Genesis 18, Abraham welcomed three visitors who appeared as men.)

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word for messenger and angel were used interchangeably. For example, in Malachi 2:7 we read, “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.”

Again, the Hebrew word for angel, Malak, means messenger. It should be no surprise to learn that the word messenger in Hebrew is also Malak. If we read the verse above with that in mind, we get, “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the angel of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.”

Does that mean our pastors are angels? Not in the real sense of an angel, no. However, it does reveal how important God considers those who bring messages from Him, either through His Word or through prophecy. People, therefore, should not be so quick to say, “I have a message from the Lord,” unless they are very sure it is the Lord who is sending it and it lines up with the Bible.

While it is possible that each of the seven angels referred to in Revelation are actual angels disguised as humans, I think it is more plausible that they are the elders of the churches. It would make no sense for John to write letters and send them to real angels. For that matter, why would Jesus have John write everything down when the angels were always before Him in heaven?

In addition, we must also remember that John was writing to real churches during his era. The fact that these letters have been preserved for us is just a bonus. No, it makes more sense that the angels are the messengers in the church who will read the letters aloud to the congregations and thereby, bring forth the message from God.

Now, here is where confusion sets in. After the apostles died, other men who had known them took up the reins to keep the church functioning. Catholic tradition suggests there was a bishop for each church. For example, Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch; Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna; Timothy was the bishop of Ephesus; and so on. However, there is no mention in the Bible that Timothy was appointed as a bishop, not by Paul or anyone else. In fact, there are no scriptural references that say each church should have one man as a bishop. The truth is, the role of a bishop over the church did not start until at least 154 A.D., more than fifty years after the Apostle John died. That’s plenty of time for wrong doctrine to enter the church.

Therefore, the angels referenced in the letters to the seven churches could not be bishops because one bishop for each church did not exist at the time the Apostle John wrote Revelation. And since most churches today don’t have bishops in the formal sense like the Catholic Church, how do these letters relate to us? Who are the bishops of the church today? We’ll discuss that in the next chapter.
To purchase He Who Has an Ear visit www.tinyurl.HeWhoHasanEar



[i] Dr. John Bechtle, “What is the Job Description for an Angel?” Christian Answers Network Website, URL http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t005.html#9

[ii] Dr. John Bechtle, “What is the Job Description for an Angel?” Christian Answers Network Website, URL http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t005.html#9


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura J. Davis is a former singer/songwriter who took to
writing full-time after emergency surgery caused the loss of her singing voice. Her singing career had lasted for 30 years. Her first book, "Come to Me," won a Reader's Favourite Award. In 2013, her bible study "Learning from the Master, Living a Surrendered Life," was featured in Book Fun Magazine as the non-fiction book of the month first place winner. She has had stories featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul Married Life and Chicken Soup for the Soul the Dating Game. Her latest book, "He Who Has an Ear," is a look at who the seven churches of Revelation are today. Laura is currently featured in the Author's Network book, "50 Great Authors You Should be Reading."

You can contact Laura through her website at www.laurajdavis.com and join her for a Bible Study at www.believersbiblestudy.com.

Available through Amazon on Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/qzbygms and in paperback at http://tinyurl.com/q5c38u6.

Friday, October 24, 2014

The Gift of Books to the Orphans of Nepal






Today was the most moving yet. We spent a couple of hours reading with the children. 



I was amazed at how well they read English, their sweet spirit, and their excitement of receiving the books. 



They hung on every word as I shared with them how I received most of the books, through the generosity of John 3:16 authors. 


I have many more pictures and videos to share. Please be sure to follow the blog so you don't miss future posts on this amazing trip to the ends of the earth.

A Taste of Friday First Chapters Dead Dreams by Emma Right

About the Book:


When eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara accepted Sarah McIntyre into her life to be her roommate, she entertained only the best of hopes for herself. Despite her long work hours and tedious jobs, Brie was working on saving for a better future. Best of all, Sarah was an heiress and more than generous with her money. Brie was about to be the envy of everyone she knew. Her dreams of making something of her life, of going to acting school, maybe even of rekindling her friendship with her high school sweetheart, might just come true. What more could she hope for? Especially since Sarah was more than willing to share her fortune. Or did she hide an ulterior motive behind promising big dreams to Brie?
Dead Dreams, Book 1, a contemporary young adult thriller and mystery is a Gold award winner in Readers’ Favorite, young adult mystery category.
Dead Dreams, Book 1, the suspense and mystery continues in Gone Missing (Dead Dreams Book 2)
 Buy on Amazon 


First chapter
Prologue

They say each dead body, a human corpse, has a scent all of its own, a sweet-sour smell. A cadaver dog picks up the odor as clearly as a mother recognizes a photo of her child. Of course, I wouldn’t know, for I am no dog. I might as well have been, the way I’d stooped to yield to my basic instincts. My mind wandered to her, what her unique smell would be when, and if, they ever were to find her.
vvv
 After what happened, I decided to write out the events that led to that day, and details, in case I’d missed something, or might need it for defense, or in case they found me dead. My relatives might need to piece together the things that had spiraled out of control, if they wanted to put me to rest, to forget me altogether. That would be least painful for them. I nodded to myself as I sat in the car. I thought of my most favorite girl in the world: Lilly. At least Lilly’d have my dog, Holly, and Rosco, my teddy, to remember me by.
My friends used to call me Brie, short for Brianna. But, I could hardly count anyone a friend any more. I’d have to resort to back-watching if I wanted to survive.
Chapter One
It started on a warm April afternoon. Gusts of wind blew against the oak tree right outside my kitchen balcony, in my tiny apartment in Atherton, California. Sometimes the branches that touched the side of the building made scraping noises. The yellow huckleberry flowers twining their way across my apartment balcony infused the air with sweetness.
My mother had insisted, as was her tendency on most things, I take the pot of wild huckleberry, her housewarming gift, to my new two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t really new, just new to me, as was the entire experience of living separately, away from my family, and the prospect of having a roommate, someone who could be a best friend, something I’d dreamed of since I finished high school and debuted into adulthood.
“Wait for me by the curb,” my mother said, her voice blaring from the phone even though I didn’t set her on speaker. “You need to eat better.” Her usual punctuation at the end of her orders.
So, I skipped down three flights of steps and headed toward the side of the apartment building to await my mother’s gift of the evening, salad in an á la chicken style, her insistent recipe to cure me of bad eating habits. At least it wasn’t chicken soup double-boiled till the bones melted, I consoled myself.
I hadn’t waited long when a vehicle careened round the corner. I heard it first, that high-pitched screech of brakes wearing thin when the driver rammed his foot against it. From the corner of my eye, even before I turned to face it, I saw the blue truck. It rounded the bend where Emerson Street met Ravenswood, tottered before it righted itself and headed straight at me.
I took three steps back, fell and scrambled to get back up as the vehicle like a giant bullet struck the sidewalk I had only seconds ago stood on. The driver must have lost control, but when he hit the sidewalk it slowed the vehicle enough so he could bridle his speed and manage the truck as he continued to careen down the street.
My mother arrived a half minute later but she had seen it all. Like superwoman, she leaped out of her twenty-year-old Mercedes and rushed toward me, all breathless and blonde hair disheveled.
“Are you all right?” She reached out to help me up.
“Yes, yes,” I said, brushing the dirt off my yoga pants.
“Crazy driver. Brie, I just don’t know about this business of you staying alone here like this.” She walked back to her white Mercedes, leaned in the open window, and brought out a casserole dish piled high with something green. Make that several shades of green.
I followed her, admittedly winded. “Seriously, Mom. It’s just one of those things. Mad drivers could happen anywhere I live.”
She gave me no end of grief as to what a bad idea it was for me to live alone like this even though she knew I was going to get a roommate.
“Mom, stop worrying,” I said.
“You’re asking me to stop being your mother, I hope you realize this.”
“I’ll find someone dependable by the end of the week, I promise.” No way I was going back to live at home. Not that I came from a bad home environment. But I had my reasons.
I had advertised on Craig’s List, despite my mother’s protests that only scum would answer “those kinds of ads.”
Perhaps there was some truth to Mother’s biases, but I wouldn’t exactly call Sarah McIntyre scum. If she was, what would that make me?
Sarah’s father had inherited the family “coal” money. Their ancestors had emigrated from Scotland (where else, with a name like McIntyre, right?) in the early 1800s and bought an entire mountain (I kid you not) in West Virginia. It was a one-hit wonder in that the mountain hid a coal fortune under it, and hence the McIntyre Coal Rights Company was born. This was the McIntyre claim to wealth, and also a source of remorse and guilt for Sarah, for supposedly dozens of miners working for them had lost their lives due to the business, most to lung cancer or black lung, as it was commonly called. Hazards of the occupation.
And then there were cave-ins, which presented another set of drama altogether, Sarah said.
I sat across from her, the coffee table between us, in the small living room during our first meeting. “So, that’s why you’re not on talking terms with your family? Because of abuses of the coal company? ” I asked.
We sipped hot cocoa and sat cross-legged in the crammed living room, which also doubled as the dining space. I’d never interviewed anyone before, although I’d read tips on the Internet.
“I just don’t want to be reminded anymore,” she said, twirling her dark ringlets round and round on her pointer finger.
“But, it’s not entirely your dad’s fault those people died of lung problems.”
“I guess, but I just want to get away, you understand? Anyway, I’m almost twenty-one now. That’s three years too late for moving out and establishing my own space.” She took tiny sips of the cocoa, both hands cupping the mug as if she were cold.
I walked to the thermostat and upped the temperature. A slight draft still stole in from a gap in the balcony sliding door I always kept open a crack to let the air circulate.
“So, your family’s okay with you living here? In California? In this apartment that’s probably smaller than your bathroom? With a stranger?”
“First off, it’s none of their business. Secondly, you and I won’t stay strangers.” Sarah flashed me a grin. “Besides, I’m tired of big houses with too many rooms to get lost in. And, have you lived in West Virginia?”
I shook my head. The farthest I’d been was Nevada when we went for our family annual ski vacation. “I heard it’s pretty.”
“If you like hot, humid summers and bitter cold winters. So, do I pass? As a roommate?”
She looked about at the ceiling. I wondered if she noticed the dark web in the corner and the lack of cornices and crown moldings. I was sure I smelled mold in the living room, too. But I wasn’t in a position to choose. Sarah was.
“As long as you’re not a psychopath and can pay rent.” I returned her smile.
“I don’t know about the psychopath part.” She shrugged and displayed her white, evenly-spaced teeth. “But here’s my bank account.” She tossed me a navy blue booklet with gilded edges and with golden words “Bank of America” on the cover.
I fumbled as I caught it and was unsure what to do. “Should I peek?”
“Go on.” She gestured, flicking her fingers at me as if I were a stray cat afraid to take a morsel of her offering.
“No secrets. I can well afford to pay rent. And, I’m a stable individual.”
I flipped the first few pages and saw the numerous transactions in lumps my parents, who were by no means poor, would have gasped at. The last page registered the numbers: under deposits, $38,000. My eyes scanned the row of numbers and realized that the sum $38,000 came up every sixth of the month.
My mouth must have been open for she said, “You can stop gawking. It’s only my trust fund. It comes to me regardless of where I am, or where I stay. So, do I make the cut?”
I handed the bank book back. We discussed the house rules: no smoking; no drugs, and that included pot; no boyfriend sleepovers or wild parties, which was a clause in my landlord’s lease; and Sarah was to hand me her share of the rent, a mere $800, on the twenty-eighth of every month, since I was the main renter and she the sub-letter.
She didn’t want anything down on paper—no checks, no contracts, and no way of tracing things back to her, she’d stressed a few times.
She fished in her Louis Vuitton and handed me a brown paper bag, the kind kids carry their school lunches in. I peeked inside and took out a stash of what looked like a wad of papers bundled together with a rubber band. Her three-month share of the deposit, a total of twenty-four crisp hundred-dollar bills. They had that distinct new-bank-notes-smell that spoke of luxury.
I gulped down my hot chocolate. “Why all the secrecy? I hope your parents will at least know your address.” I said as I wrapped up the interview. I could understand not wanting her parents breathing down her neck, but as long as they didn’t insist on posting a guard at the door, what was the harm of them knowing where she lived?
Sarah glanced about the room as if afraid the neighbors might have their ears pinned to the walls, listening.
She leaned forward and, her face expressionless, said softly, “My parents are dead.”

Author Bio:
authorheadshot.jpgAward winning author and copywriter, Emma Right, is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast. Besides running a busy home, and looking after too many pets, she also writes stories—when she is not behind the wheel driving her children for various activities. Her books have won literary awards. She hopes her stories will help empower young adults and children, and instil the love of learning and reading. Ms. Right worked as a copywriter and has won national and international advertising awards, including the prestigious Clio. Learn more about Emma Right and her books at emmaright.com


Friday, October 17, 2014

A Taste of Friday with Tracy Krauss and NEIGHBORS

NEIGHBORS – A Series



Forward
I love people watching. Airports, waiting rooms, shopping malls –these are ripe fields for the student of human nature. It was during one of these ‘research’ sessions that I started a list of possible characters that might make an appearance in one of my novels. As I began to flesh some of these people out, it dawned on me that I had an entire community. What if they lived in the same neighbourhood, or even an apartment building, where they could interact? I soon realized that several characters had their own unique story to tell, perhaps not long enough for a full-length novel, but perfect for a series. Thus NEIGHBORS took shape. I hope you enjoy meeting this varied, sometimes quirky, cast. Welcome to the neighborhood.

NEIGHBORS - Volume 1 - New in the Neighborhood
Lester Tibbett has to leave his farm in Southern Alberta for the big city. It means starting over in an unfamiliar environment - a heavy burden for the guardian of a teenage sister full of angst. The apartment complex to which they relocate is a far cry from their spacious farmhouse and offers little anonymity for a man used to doing things his own way. During the process, he pushes his own loneliness aside in favor of looking after his sister. As Lester struggles to find a church that will meet both their spiritual needs, he quickly learns that neighbors come in many forms, some of them quite meddlesome. Still, he is happy to accept help from an overtly friendly neighbor named Jed who also happens to work for the same construction company. The two soon become friends, despite Jed’s habit of trying to set Lester up with every available single female, and end up frequenting a local pub where Lester is surprised to discover an ‘old school’ mechanical bull just waiting to be ridden. The former rodeo cowboy in him rises up, but not before he meets a mysterious woman who is out of his reach. 

NEIGHBORS – Volume 2 – Stuck In the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 3 – Sneaking Around the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 4 – Working the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 5 – Back In the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 6 – Navigating the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 7 – Skeletons In the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 8 – Leaving the Neighborhood
NEIGHBORS – Volume 9 – There Goes the Neighborhood
               
Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author, playwright, artist and teacher, with several best selling and award winning novels to her credit. Originally from a small prairie town, Tracy received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan with majors in Art, and minors in History and English. Apart from her many creative pursuits, she directs an amateur theater group and leads worship at her local church. She and her husband, an ordained minister, have lived in many remote and unique places in Canada's north, and currently live in northern British Columbia. For more visit her website: http://tracykrauss.com

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