Book Review – The Light under the House
I feel very strongly about the breakdown of the family and fatherlessness and how there is much dysfunction and despair because of it. I wanted to tell a story to shed some light on the situations that many face and hopefully bring some type of reversal to the current dynamic in whatever small way I could. I wanted to challenge men, fathers especially, to be who they were created to be … its certainly a challenge I face myself daily. A challenge that I often fail at but keeping picking myself up to start again.
Did you model any of the characters after people you know?
I used many things to model the characters … people I know, other literary figures, actors, biblical characters, celebrities … the characters are a combination of all of these. I wanted them to be new and familiar at the same time, universal.
Why did you choose the Dallas/Ft Worth area as your primary setting?
First of all, the south has a certain reputation for is deep spiritual roots (bible belt and all). I patterned the book in part after GONE WITH THE WIND (another book set in the south) … not in the sense of a love story but in the sense of “here is civilization that is about to cease to exist, come see it before its gone”. In the case of my novel it is a spiritual civilization on the brink. Dallas just seemed to have everything I needed to make the story work from both a symbolic and technical standpoint.
Do you have plans to write more books?
i have an idea or two floating around … nothing concrete yet.
What sort of research did you do for the historical portions of your book? What did you like best about the research? The least?
My co-author and I researched deeply into ancient history for some aspects of the book … I learned a lot of things … some things I’d rather forget but most of it was enlightening. What I liked best was that it confirmed for me mostly what I already knew, there really is nothing new under the sun.
Where can we find out about more opportunities for a free copy of this book?
Follow @ChristianSpkrs on Twitter. You can purchase the book through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Light-Under-the-House-ebook/dp/B0060C2O92.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).
Deliver Me from Evil
How did you come up with the idea for Deliver Me From Evil and the Freedom series?
It actually came out of a phone conversation with Andrea Mullins, the publisher at New Hope. We were discussing the Extreme Devotion series (about the persecuted Church), which I was still working on at the time, and we began to consider topics for a second series. Andrea was the one who suggested human trafficking, and it really struck a chord with me. The more I researched it and worked on the proposal, the more excited I became about joining forces with others working to abolish modern-day slavery, which is exactly what human trafficking is.
What was your favorite scene to write in Deliver Me From Evil?
This book/series has been the most difficult I’ve ever written, simply because the subject matter is so dark and heavy. More than once I had to walk away and clear my thoughts before moving on from one scene to another. But interspersed between the heartache and tragedy are several lighter scenes (written and incorporated into the book out of necessity), dealing with a pastor’s family and their Bible college-bound son who inadvertently discovers the human trafficking ring and becomes involved in the heroic and dramatic rescue attempt. Any scenes revolving around the absolutely functional and loving life of the Flannery family are my favorites.
What was the most difficult scene, and why?
There were many difficult scenes in this book due to the subject matter, but the hardest had to be when the main character, 18-year-old Mara, realizes that one of the younger girls is being tortured and killed in an effort to extract information and punish her. Though the actual violence is done offstage, Mara experiences each blow and muffled scream, as does the reader.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? If not, how did you catch the writing bug?
Oh yes, I never wanted to be anything else. From the time I discovered the power and allure of words, I was hooked! I was an avid reader before I started kindergarten. A short story I wrote in the third grade was turned into a play for the entire PTA, and I won all sorts of awards for poetry in high school. I even told my then boyfriend (now husband) Al when we were in our early teens that I was going to be a writer one day.
How do you go about writing your fiction books? Which comes first for you, plot, characters, and/or theme?
I usually get what I call “a niggling in my soul,” which eventually emerges into the very basic theme of the book. I hate outlining and writing proposals because I do NOT develop plots or even characters ahead of time. I start with a couple of main characters, a starting and ending point for my story, and just let the rest unfold as I go. I know. We’re not supposed to do it that way, but it works for me, and I so enjoy the surprises as the story develops and my characters take over. So much fun! So long as they don’t try to lead me away from my pre-determined ending. Then I have to reign them back in a bit.
How do you get your ideas for your books?
I have ideas coming out of my ears! I am a seriously addictive idea person. You want ideas? You can have my overflow! My challenge is to figure out which ones are worth pursuing. Not every cute or fun or even meaningful idea that pops into our head is meant to be a book. I pray, think, study, bounce them off people, etc., before committing to moving ahead with one of them. For the most part, however, nearly all my book ideas are, to one degree or another, born out of some moral or social issue that I care about.
How can we find out more about you, The Freedom Series, and other books you are writing?
Please visit my website at KathiMacias.com.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (ChristianSpeakersServices.com).
The Oxbow Report by Mike Purington
As an author of one book and now with a second book coming out next year and four other manuscripts as you said waiting to see the light of day, what prompted you to start this project, and where can the reader get more information on the series? And I guess a follow up question would be, why do you think you’re qualified to write on such a controversial subject and to undertake such a project?
For information on “The Oxbow Report” and the series they can visit my website at mikepurington.com. To answer the rest of your question, I think a little background on me would probably help.
From the time I was old enough to read, books became a way of life. I grew up in northern Minnesota, and at that time we had no television or radio, so reading was the only outlet we had. My grandmother who raised me was a huge fan of Zane Grey so I started out reading westerns. From Zane Grey I went to reading books by Louis L’amour. At some point I came across the comic strip Buck Rogers and then found a copy of “Armageddon 2419 AD.,” and its sequel, “Airlords of Han,” by Philip Francis Nolan and became hooked on science fiction. As a side note, a lot of my report cards from school had the following comment, ‘if mike would get his nose out of his books long enough to listen he would be a good student.’ So reading came early for me. Later on I discovered H. G. Wells and started reading some of his novels. Some of his books are among the classics of science-fiction, like, “The Time Machine”, “The Invisible Man”, and “The War of the Worlds”. I think it was his writing that influenced me that while still in high school I wrote my first very bad novel, but I think that’s where my love for writing really started. Later on I read George Orwell’s, “Nineteen-Eighty-Four” and “Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World”, “A Space Odyssey” by Arthur C. Clark, and later “Battlefield Earth” by L. Ron Hubbard, just to name a few.
In 1966 came Star Trek, and the list goes on. In all of these sci-fi thrillers evolution is talked about as fact and not what it really is, a theory. I was fortunate in that while reading fantasy I had a Christian Mother and Grandmother that taught me the difference between fantasy, reality and the scriptures. They soon realized that what I was reading could not corrupt me any more than television, hence shortly after leaving the country life and moving into town my mother bought our first television and we entered the age of electronics. That teaching is not happening to day, and that’s one of the reasons for the writing of these novels. Science fiction for me was just an updated western, good guys against the bad guys, cowboys against the Indians, thus I became a John Wayne fan. Today the lines of science, religion, and fantasy are blurred as in the case of the religion of Scientology. With all that being said, it brings us to the answer to the question. For years I had looked and asked the question, why someone doesn’t write a good book in the form of a novel that would use the argument of evolution verses creation as the background for the novel. I had just finished reading the first “Left Behind” book by Jerry Jenkins when the thought struck me. Why don’t you do it? And I did. After eleven years of part time writing the first book hit the stores.
I guess this is a twofold question. Are you writing a series where one book builds on another or just a series of Christian science fiction novels, and if you are what do you hope to accomplish?
For me that question could take a whole book, but I’ll try to answer it in a couple of paragraphs. Mark 16:15 says, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel.’ In some translations it says ‘in your going.’ So I think a better question would be, how does this book or a series of books differ from typical creation and evolution books? Let me answer the question in reverse. There are many Christians who really haven’t given this subject serious thought and accept what is being taught through a theory called theistic evolution, or the blending of science and religion to make scripture fit the science book rather than science fitting scripture. There are also the teachings of young and old earth creation who continue to fight over who’s right and who’s wrong. On the other hand there are those who believe in Darwinian evolution and would not darken the door of a church, because to allow a deity into the evolutionary process, that deity could also show up in other areas, so the question is, how do you, ‘in your going’ let them know the truth? The problem as I see it, is a lot like Count Dracula. You kill him off in one movie and he comes back in another. We have a lot of groups with good intentions, each of these groups are trying to drive the proverbial stake through the heart of evolution. But evolution like Dracula will always be around, so what is the answer? I’ve, as well as those who are hard core Darwinian disciples And the answer is in a book, or a series of books that allows the characters in the story to discuss points of view and the arguments of the day without the reader going on the defensive, and at the same time giving the reader enough good stuff to read and puzzles to figure out that even when they disagree with the theology of the book they will like the substance and continue to read to find out what happens in end. So, to answer your question, it is Christian, and it does include futuristic technology, so in a sense you could call it science fiction. But it also includes the mystery of where did we come from? There are puzzles that need to be solved, and relationships that include people falling in love. An yes it is a series where one book builds off the previous one. My goal is to write a series of books that people will enjoy, and like one person said in their endorsement, “Mike Purington has brought to his readers a gripping novel. The excitement grabs you from the first chapter; the events keep you turning the pages and the characters keep you enthralled in the plot. You will find yourself living between the lines of the text as you identify with the characters.” But the goal is also to build the kingdom. For throughout the story ground is plowed up and seed is planted. And in time I or others may plant, water, and harvest. In the end the goal is to place enough doubt in the mind of the reader that they may check the facts for themselves rather than relying on those who teach a theory based on an assumption.
Can you give us an idea of where the series is going and some of the subject mater?
I can give you the lead-in as found on the website. A 100 years ago the greatest mystery was about to unfold, M-Theory was being discussed, reality … well it just may be an illusion … and parallel universes were possible. In 2040 Oxbow had been discovered and string theory had now become reality. One of the questions confronting science and the Challenger Crew was, which reality were they in? Discover how choices made by the Challenger crew and those they come in contact with not only effect the present, but the past and the future. Can choices made alter not only the present, but the future and the past? Can a statement alter reality?
Find out along with the crew of Challenger as they try to unravel the mystery of oxbow. What does it mean, does the ancient language that oxbow was translated from hold the secrets of creation, will they finally answer the age old question that all have asked? Did we evolve or were we created? Are the ancient scriptures valid in the creation account, or are we just a product of random selection as Darwin suggested? Did the ancients actually know the secrets of creation, or were they lost in time and if so which time? Do the scriptures reference the original creation or was man created in a re-creation? Are the secrets to creation hidden away just waiting to be re-discovered? Are we just the product of an elaborate hoax, or is God who he said is and was? For Paul La Baugh, a seeker of truth and a believer in the scriptures, and now assigned to the Challenger as counselor to the Captain he must use his knowledge of scripture to help solve the puzzle of Oxbow.
At book signings and other events one of the most common questions asked, was one that I covered earlier. How does this book or series differ from typical creation and evolution books? The answer is the series explores the question “what if” through its characters.
- What if religion is just that…a way for man to explain what he does not understand?
- What if evolution happened as many scientists believe?
- What if we are the product of alien intervention?
- What if the Bible is indeed true and God does exist?
- What if man was created by God and through free will or the right to choose man denies God to the point God honors their decision and ceases to exist?
- If indeed God did create and God ceases to exist what happens to the universe He created?
- Does this all take place in reality, or does man move from reality to an alternate reality where what man speaks becomes reality?
- Does all this take place in our universe or in a parallel universe?
- And the ultimate question, if man has moved from reality to an alternate reality or a parallel universe how does he get back to the reality he left?
These questions and more confront the crew of Challenger as they seek to understand and resolve the mystery of Oxbow.
Now that we have covered the book and the series to come, can we get to know a little bit about the author?
As a professional for many years in the technology sector, I have tried to use my ability to make the complex uncomplicated and to create a futuristic technology understandable to my readers. Fifteen years of research and writing allowed me to bring “The Oxbow Report” the first in the series to be published in 2006. It is now 2011 and we are reintroducing the book along with book two “Two Dimensional Man” that should be out sometime early summer of 2012. The series “The curse of the serpent” deals with a subject we are all familiar with. As we are all aware the Evolution vs. Creationism debate has been and will always be in the forefront of discussion.
I was born and grew up for the most part in Northern Minnesota. I spent three years in the military working on the army’s largest nuclear weapon, the Pershing Missile System. After college I spent 17 years in the computer industry working on large computer systems and 17 years working in the medical field on chemistry and hematology instruments. There was a lot of travel and a lot of time spent away from home. It was during that time that the story started to germinate. I retired in 2005 due to a company reorganization and the first book, “The Oxbow Report” was published in 2006. I have a daughter who just finished college and am married to my beautiful wife of 32 years. I enjoy fishing the East Texas lakes and I look forward to deer season every year.
Where can my blog readers find out more about this blog tour and free copies of this book?
For more opportunities for a FREE copy of The Oxbow Report, please follow this CSS Virtual Book Tour on Twitter (@Christianspkrs) or Facebook.
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I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).
Christian Publishing University – Educating and Equipping for a Higher Purpose
Welcome to The 
Online University for Christian writers. The New Christian Publishing University contains all the information writers need to engage the publishing process, and move their manuscript off their desk and into the market place. For less than one cup of Starbucks coffee a month, writers can get involved and educated through the new Christian Publishing University. Check it out.
Word Weavers West Michigan
As of spring 2011, the West Michigan Fellowship of Christian Writers became Word Weavers West Michigan. We are pleased to be members in Word Weavers International, a 15 year old organization committed to training talented Christian Writers. As a group of writers, we work to raise up and release talented Christian writers who will influence the culture and the country with their words.
Word Weavers West Michigan is committed to providing the Three C’s that every writer needs to become a polished, professional, published author.
- Conferences: As a Word Weavers member, writes have discounted access to writing conferences across the country.
- Critiques: Members can bring samples of thier work to each meeting, and receive critical, yet compassionate input on their writing. Word Weavers West Michigan meets twice every month and provides in-depth critiques of your latest work, and to train you how to read and write with a more critical eye.
- Community: By connecting with a Word Weaver chapter, writers are inspired, equipped, encouraged and trained to raise the quality of their writing from average to excellent.
Find out more about Word Weavers West Michigan can be found on Meetup.com here.
Writer and Speaker Timothy Burns
Timothy Burns lives and breathes America’s Heartland. He writes to influence personal faith and national culture from a socially, politically, and religiously conservative point of view. “Growing up, I felt about the same about God as does today’s postmodern culture. God was irrelevant, outdated and unnecessary in modern context”
Today, as an inspirational speaker and writer, Timothy brings a fresh look at traditional Christian life, and a genuine passion for connecting God’s Word to 21st century living. Fundamentally conservative in his theology and a master storyteller in his delivery, Genuine and transparent, he connects emotionally with his audiences and creates the expectation of a transformational experience.
When writing, his topics span from Christian living & apologetics, to conservative politics & leadership. One of Timothy’s favorite topics is the hidden benefits that arise from difficulty. One of Tim’s favorite writers put it this way.
“Sometimes it takes pain to connect my head to my heart” Glenn Kaiser
In addition to his first book, Forged in the Fire, Timothy has self published a non-fiction compilation book Your Exceptional Life Begins Now. He’s contributed to half a dozen nationally published books in the past few years, and has written for business and academic customers on 3 continents. He’s written over 800 ‘How To’ articles for writers and web sites, and speaks regularly at professional and personal development conferences.
Online Platforms for Writers
You’re standing on your platform, message in hand, but who is listening to you? Do you have to get on a publisher’s train to take your message to the world, or is there another way?
Distinct Words, and A Clear Message
Timothy Burns provides web page content for some of the largest information portals on the web, including eHow.com. With nearly 1000 articles on the web, Timothy knows how to capture your informational needs and business culture in concise, intelligent copy.
Yet readers want more that facts. The culture of your organization sets you apart from your competition. In an increasingly segmented marketplace, businesses, ministries and individuals who clearly identify their strengths position themselves for improved marketability and brand identity.
When you review your company web site, ask these five questions:
- Has the information on your website changed in the last 6-9 months?
- Is your website current with your industry’s trends?
- Is your website integrated with social media?
- Is your website interactive, and connected to your organization’s staff?
- Does your website reflect your company’s, organizations, or ministry’s current focus, strengths, and brand identity?
If you answered “Yes” to four or more questions, you’re in the zone. You have a great website, and are likely already using current technology to connect with your website visitors. Your tools are turning browsers into a community, and that community will produce customers.
If you answered “No” to more than two of the questions, you need a website review, and may need an integrated website upgrade. Social media and the instant connectedness of digital life have changed your customer’s expectations. They expect instant, in-depth, personal and relevant, responsive access. These marketplace expectations are your opportunity to build your brand identity. If you meet the expectations of your clients, customers and stakeholders, you reinforce your value, and position yourself for stable, consistent growth.
When the Truth is No Longer
Each generation within the life of a local church congregation has a valuable contribution to make to the life of the Church. Those in their golden years have wisdom to share, gained from a full lifespan. Those rearing families bring strength, stability, growth and energy to the congregation. A young pastor can bring new life to a stagnant environment in the same way that an experienced leader can help a congregation reach new levels of influence in the community.
We all have our gifts to bring to the Church. According to Ephesians 4, the Body of Christ grows toward maturity when each of us finds, develops and contributes that which God can do through us, each of us individually.
The following essay is from a young man, possibly a future pastor, in ministry internship at the Teen Mania Honor Academy. Is there a message here that can add to the life if your church? I think there is.
Truth is No Longer Known as Truth,
But We Think Our Lies Are True
Truth is a precious gift that God gave to us, but over time we have misinterpreted and tried to change it to make us look better or even more inviting. Therefore, we need to provoke a revival in our action and silence our tongues, or just let the word of truth speak for us, because Truth is God, and God is the Word and the Word will change your life and the lives of others. Through truth the Gospel can be brought to many nations and change the world one life at a time. But if we were to keep following the traditions we started, we will tear the body of Christ apart. At the end of our days, Satan will not only have won the souls of many creations of our Lord, but there is a possibility he will win the souls of some of our pastors because he has corrupted their minds and converted them to believe more in the traditions they are following than the God who saved them.
In the book The Christian in Complete Amour, by William Gurnall, it says, “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made upon salvation,” (34) but talking with many pastors and youth pastors in the last couple of months I find that this is an aspect that we seem to have forgotten. I do not want to say that all pastors don’t confess the faith or truth with their mouth, but I think some of them have been blinded to the truth because they think too highly on one subject and not a different one. When a pastor does not agree with something in the Bible it is easy for him to make something up and preach it as truth. It is also so easy for a pastor to get prideful in what he is doing because “he is the leader” and he can never be wrong, for if he was wrong then who would follow him? They are under so many heavy burdens; it is easy to become overwhelmed sometimes. So they will change what they are saying, or just say something that sounds good to keep people in their seat of the church building. But yet, what is the church? Is it an organization, or a body of people? 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For we are all baptized by the Holy Spirit into one Body – whether Jews or Greeks- slaves or free- and we were all given the Spirit to drink”. This can be thought to say the people inside the building are the church. But in reality, it is everyone who is living every aspect of their lives to passionately pursue Christ. We are a mobile body that is working to change the world, for Jesus Christ is Lord. If we are to do this, we need to be a loving family and united among our brothers. But yet, when we go in to different churches you can just look at the congregation to see if there is a loving attitude in the church. Jesus, when he was in his ministry, would look for the broken, the sick, and the criminals. But some of our pastors today look for the ones that have it all together. They think unless you are a good, white American you cannot be a good follower of Jesus Christ. Wherever this thinking came from it needs to be forgotten right away, because that is the opposite of what Jesus did. We have the truth about everything we need to do, but yet we misinterpret it so it will fit our little world that we want. Instead of following what Jesus did and living our lives to follow him, it is like we are breaking one of the commandments: do not create an idol among the lord. We think of ourselves as great, but yet God is the great one.
Paul was also very clear about what we should be doing with each other while we are in the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 2 Paul talks about how, as bodies of Christ, we should not be divided with worldly views. I was at a church in Sandusky, Michigan, and there was another small church on the other side of this small town. But the church where I was doing the concert and this other church did not have anything to do with each other. There was a fight that happened in the past that forced people to leave one of the churches, and the elders of that church felt that they were attacked when the other church on the other side of town was planted. They were divided by their denominational differences. One church felt pride in the number of people and thought that was more important than God, when they should have looked to the truth of what God was doing to draw the lost and rebuild the church (meaning the people, not the building). This is one of the many examples of a truth that is plain and simple in the Bible that people have lost sight of the purpose and thought of themselves instead of the Lord. We have so many other different denomination and church styles. You have a different type of church for every kind of man. But wait, I thought we were supposed to be changed when Jesus came into our lives. There are some pastors who I know who will say, “The American church is like a shopping mall; there is a different style for every type of American in our country”. The pastors of these churches will only talk about the parts of the Bible that will attract the people to keep coming to their building, to make the offering plate bigger so they can impact their city better. But yet, if you are following what God wants you to have your church do and learn, won’t the true followers of Jesus Christ be drawn to your building and join your church family? If we were to follow the Bible we would take to heart Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The body should be transforming the world and not the other way around. But the pastors of our churches are too afraid to lose the number of people; they will teach half truths or not talk about the deep and condemning parts of the Bible. We just make the Bible say what we want instead of saying what the Bible says and conforming to this world. People do not understand how big the gift of truth is, so they just do with it as they wish.
As future leaders who are being influenced by the leaders that are heading the wrong direction, we need to realize this is happening. We need to realize when a pastor is wrong and help him be turned back to the truth. But we need to not condemn them for what they are doing. When we confront like that, we as Christians get the reputation of being a condemning religion and not the loving one we are. We need to understand this life is all about sacrifice. We do not matter. If our bodies want to sin, we need to tell them no. If we are attracted to people of the same sex, we need to say NO. If we want riches, we need to give most of them away and look to God for more blessing. It is really all about having nothing because God has everything. So there really needs to be a revival of truth in the church. We need more leaders that will lead people to Christ and not a building. We need leaders that are not lost in the teaching because they need a quota in their offering plates, but ones who will understand that God has everything, so if you are doing His bidding He will keep us here. If it is God’s will for you to have a church there, then it is God’s bill to keep it up. Look to Him to provide and teach all aspects of the truth of what we are reading in God’s word.
I am not saying that I am all wise with what we need to change, or to say that I have all the answers to our problems. But I do think that people are so used to hearing the Song of Redemption that they need deeper truth. We need to start teaching the Truth of God’s wrath and how we need to live a life of excellence because mercy is not there to let us do what we want, but to make up for the few times we do wrong. If we had to live with just the law and judgment, well you have read the Old Testament so you know what they had to do. Why don’t we let truth speak for itself? As Paul stated in Corinthians 2:1-2: “For I did not come to you with eloquence of speech or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you testimony of God. For I resolved to know Christ and Him crucified.” Just let the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection speak for itself. As we bring people in to are buildings and get them “saved” a lot of the time we will never teach them to get past that part. We say the Christianity is a journey but do not teach past salvation in are churches. Service after service we are showing more people how to be saved over and over again but never bring them to the next level. Because we never show reasons people need to live with excellence and the real reason for grace, and reasons to read the Bible they never do. So, our preachers will falsely teach them and their souls will fall into the never ending fire in the depths of hell. They will not even know where they are going because they were thought wrong. Then when followers of Christ come to the end of their days, what will the Father say to us when He judges us. Do we want to be responsible for thousands of souls that were sent to Hell because we never brought unity to the Body of Christ and confronted the preachers? How is our high priest looking at His bride when He sees homosexual pastors or pastors that are holding anger inside? Are leaders sending their people to hell? It is something that breaks my heart. What are we doing about it? What are we going to change about the body of Christ to bring it back to the white and spotless lamb that Jesus is coming back for?
In conclusion, I do not want it to seem like I am another heretic that is blasting the church because of what is happening in the world today. I also do not want you who are reading this to think I know all the answers and I am trying to fix the church to what I think it should be. I just know what God has been showing me on how He wants His bride to be. If you were to ask me more, I would probably just look in the Bible to answer your questions and then ask you to check me on it. That is the main source for all knowledge, under the Holy Spirit and God himself. But the issues that I bring up are breaking my heart because it is turning people away from the truth of who God loves. Also the false teaching that “Christians” are saved and can do anything they want because they are under grace, as long as they go to church on Sunday. So, I write this in warning and love to the Body of Christ because I have heard unsaved people dying and we’re not going crazy about it. I really think we should. Jesus said in His last order to his people, “GO and make disciples of all nations”; not people that go to church. My heart goes out to the church leaders that have been looking at truth as a lie and trying to change it to make them or their building look better. I pray that they might look at their own ways and come back to be a true disciple, a follower of Jesus and His word.
By Ben Burns, 2009
The Short List – Life’s Prime Directive
For more than 20 years, Bill Butterworth built his career speaking, writing and counseling others onto pathways of deeper faith and higher quality relationships. His training, experience and passion have combined to create this latest book, The Short List. Published by Tyndale (2009) The Short List addresses the question that most American’s struggle with throughout their lives. What is really important? What will outlast me?
What will I be remembered for that is of real value?
Bill answers these questions out of personal stories from his family. In the end, Bill’s conclusion is that the relationships he has with his family and his God complete the short list. “In a life full of choices, there are only four that matter” Bill says. The 8 chapters of the book unpack those 4 prime priorities.
Bill sets up each of the four items on his list with a story from his family. For example, his lesson of love is set up by a story from his son’s little league days, entitled Love and little league? Yes, they blend like espresso, milk and a touch of cinnamon when looked at through a lens of positive relationships. What is really important in life? Being a genuinely loving person, and knowing how to apply unreserved and influential loving behavior to your most important relationships is item One on Bill’s short list.
I would tell you the other 3, but then you wouldn’t need to pick up the book, and this book really needs to be read in today’s digitally segmented, post-modern world. What really lasts isn’t found in the 24 hr news cycle or the latest Internet social networking craze. Often that which is important plays at our feet when we are too engrossed in the former. I recommend Bill Butterworth’s The Short List. As a summer read, it will aid the reader in recovering what is really important, and provide a plan for obtaining, practicing and mastering life’s short list.
Find | Follow | Friend Tim