Sighs That Escape: When This World Isn't Our True Home

Hebrews 11 and Revelation 21 has been on my mind. Both passages deal with the Christian belief that this world is not our true home, that we’re merely passing through, and that Heaven — and the new earth that it will support (Rev 21:1) — is the highest reality and our true home.

And somehow this led me to the film Labor Day with Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet, which was released in theaters almost a year ago, on January 31, 2014.

I know, random, right?

It’s actually a powerful movie. It’s not “Christian” (i.e. not made by a Christian studio or by Christians, as far as I know), but it contains general truths in it that I found inspiring and compatible/edifying to my faith.

The movie is about an escaped convict named Frank (Josh Brolin) who finds shelter (as he is on the run) with a single mom and her son. Here’s an excerpt from my original review of it from when I saw it in theaters:

"…in the background of their little island of happiness [the single mother’s home where Frank is hiding], Frank himself becomes symbolic of goals that every person on earth is chasing: joy, peace, fulfillment, a place to call home, a state of fixed security — happiness.

"In this film, the characters experience these things at certain moments, yet there is a constant tension of finiteness. He’s an escaped convict on the run, just passing through, seeking shelter temporarily. How could this happiness ever last? The story of Frank’s arrival becomes a parable.

"From a Biblical perspective, all of the joys and pleasures of this world — even the wholesome ones like raising a family, going to baseball games, celebrating birthdays — are fleeting sighs that escape into the sky the moment we exhale. Our hearts are not supposed to be invested wholly in finding happiness in this world because we were not made for this world. We are citizens of a heavenly city. In fact, Hebrews 11 calls us “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth.

"I doubt the filmmakers intended to create such a powerful sermon illustration with this film, but they did, whether they wanted to or not."

You can read the full review here (which includes parental guidance info; the film has some content that’s not family-friendly and might be too depressing for some people).

It’s amazing to find inspiration in unexpected places — even movies that we would deem “secular.” It just shows how the yearning for true joy, for permanence, for Heaven, has been written on everyone’s heart.

from Tumblr http://optorch.tumblr.com/post/106478033894

via IFTTT

Bright Star: A Poem for Christmas Day

Although this poem isn’t about Christmas, it’s a love poem that depicts a fiery love in a wintry season of life. It has the paradox of Christmas in it — the paradox being an event of fire (the fiery love of God breathed into human flesh through Jesus’ birth) that strikes its light in the bleak dark of winter. Even though I believe that Jesus was born during one of the warmer seasons, not the winter (the shepherds would not have had their flocks in open pasture at night in the winter; shepherds in those days had little make-shift shelters for their flocks during cold weather), the imagery remains true: Jesus, the Light of the World, was born in a dark, wintry night of human history. He was a summer fire birthed into winter deadness.

The poem has this fire-in-winter quality to it — the still fire of a star brooding, yearning over the frost of earth in its slumber — in this case I’ll pretend it’s a Christmas Eve slumber.

And, on that note, a happy, merry Christmas to you — I hope you enjoy the poem!

Bright Star by John Keats

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priestlike task

Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—

No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1tgG7GQ

via IFTTT

Full Transcript of Newly Discovered C.S. Lewis Letter to Mrs. Ellis -- 19 August 1945

[transcription of a newly discovered, unpublished letter from C.S. Lewis to Mrs. Ellis, dated 19 August 1945, discovered by somebody in an old copy of the C.S. Lewis book “The Problem of Pain”]

…satisfaction in seeing that the picture even suits the room very well and that we don’t regret having bought it. In fact I meant by ‘things going well’ just that security — or illusion of security — which you also regard as unhealthy. Real joy seems to me almost as unlike security or prosperity as it is unlike agony. It jumps under one’s ribs and tickles down one’s back and makes one forget meals and keeps one (delightedly) sleepless o’ nights. It shocks one awake where the other puts one to sleep. My private table is one second of Joy is worth twelve hours of Pleasure.

I think you really quite agree with me. (N.B. The physical sensations of joy and misery are in my case identical. Just the same thing happens inside me on getting very good or very bad news)

Yours sincerely

C.S. Lewis

P.S. Don’t you know the disappointment when you expected joy from a piece of music and get only pleasure? Like finding Leah when you thought you’d married Rachel!

[Source: I transcribed this by analyzing Lewis’s handwriting in a photo of the letter featured in an article on ChristianityToday.com: http://ift.tt/1vo3Pw0]

#CSLewis, #SurprisedByJoy, #CSLewisLetters

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1EdL0oT

via IFTTT

The Biblical Hope in "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

The rain had already covered the streets and provided glistening surfaces everywhere for the Christmas lights at The Collection to use as mirrors. During the Christmas season, rain makes everything shine brighter — especially where lights are everywhere. This is what it looked like:

It was the perfect atmosphere for emerging from the film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the final installment of Jackson’s Hobbit saga — and the final appearance of a Middle-Earth movie on the big screen. (The Tolkien Estate refuses to allow any more movie adaptations.)

What struck me about this final film was its poignant Biblical message about having too strong an attachment to the things in this world — whether those things be money, possessions, power, the pleasures and triumphs of a career, even our identities. We saw this same theme in Lord of the Rings with the way characters had to fight against their desire for the Ring. But The Battle of the Five Armies looked at it from a broader perspective: the general love of riches, power, success, importance, a sense of belonging, and financial security that all people crave.

It’s enough to drive anyone mad.

In other words, you didn’t need the One Ring of Power to get caught up in this gold lust. (Though, to be accurate, you did need a giant horde of treasure in which a greedy dragon had been sleeping for 60 years and thus cursing it with his dragonish gold fever.)

But dragons and accursed treasures aside, the point still stands: there is gold fever in this world, and it’s not just obsessive desire for gold and money — it’s the feverish pursuit of any earthly treasure that will not survive past this side of Heaven’s refining fires.

It’s not surprising that we find such a diamond-sharp spiritual truth in The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien infused his books with his Christian beliefs so thoroughly that it is impossible to separate them. Granted, he never wrote anything as an allegory and he did an effective job of making it subtle, down in the unseen foundational layers, but that’s why his Christian worldview comes out in everything; it’s already at the heart of the story.

As a Christian, it’s a wonderful thing to discover in a movie theater; and as a Tolkien fan, it nourishes the soul to hear these powerful messages conveyed through the notes of Middle-Earth — as bittersweet as those notes are (and as bittersweet as Middle-Earth is).

It’s also bittersweet because I knew it’d be the last time we’d have a Middle-Earth movie in the theaters. (Sigh.) I don’t want it to end.

Sure, folks were complaining about stretching The Hobbit into three films. I get their arguments. But, frankly, after seeing this third film, I am glad that it lasted three years. It gave me more opportunities to enjoy Middle-Earth on the big screen, and as soon as this third epic ended, I found my heart wishing that it would just keep going on and on — a new Middle-Earth movie released every December indefinitely.

Some people just don’t get that though, and that’s fine. You go your way, and I’ll go mine. In the end it’s just a movie.

I wrote an official, full review of the film for RockinGodsHouse.com. You can find it here.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1uOXb0L

via IFTTT

The Discipline of Hope (In the Midst of Overwhelming Odds)

I just found a wonderful article about what the author calls a “discipline of hope.” We are often waiting in the wings of life, yearning for something behind the sunrise that we can’t quite see.

This article from Crosswalk.com adds a profound perspective on that yearning that we keep like a buried treasure deep in our hearts, and here is an excerpt:

"This is one of the reasons I respect Tolkien so much. In spite of our modern cultural expectations that one must grow up in an idyllic setting, Tolkien demonstrated it is possible to have a dark childhood and yet still possess a remarkable and life-affirming imagination. Yet one must wonder, how could someone who had experienced such loss create an idyllic place like the Shire?

"I believe Tolkien’s Christian worldview made the difference. That worldview equipped him to have the discipline of hope. To borrow from the apostle Paul:

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

"I am convinced that one of Tolkien’s greatest gifts to his readers is not the myths of Numenor, the language of the elves, or the post-dinner song of the dwarves (as impressive as all these things may be). Rather, his greatest gift is an example of the discipline of hope in the midst of overwhelming odds."

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1AsjBJs

via IFTTT

A Prayer for Bono After His Serious Injury

I’ve been neck-deep in writing a new book about U2 and C.S. Lewis, so Bono and the Irish boys from U2 have been on my mind. I was dismayed to hear the following news about Bono:

http://ift.tt/1qBlVOE

Besides having a report on what happened, there’s a prayer for Bono and a video showing what Jimmy Fallon did after he found out that U2 had to cancel their appearance on his show because of Bono’s injury.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1r1CbTD

via IFTTT

The Principle: Is It the Most Shocking Discovery in Science in 500 Years?

After watching a preview copy of a new documentary called The Principle, which premiers in Chicago tomorrow (Oct 24), I spent much of yesterday writing an in-depth review of the film, providing a general sketch of its content to give you a feel for the startling cosmological revelations that it covers — recent developments in cosmology that have been brewing over the last year and a half and that will transform the way we see the universe. You can read my full review here and find out what this thing is all about:

http://ift.tt/1z1maFe

This is what I wrote a couple days ago, 10 minutes after seeing the film, to give you a sense of how startling this documentary is:

"It will likely become one of the most controversial documentaries ever made…When I say controversy, I mean the same level of controversy and meaningful impact as when Copernicus made his claims about the nature of the universe or when Einstein dropped the theory of relativity on us. It is causing a crisis in the scientific community — at least for those who are wholly invested in what 20th century science has embraced as indisputable. This is absolutely jaw-dropping. I look up into the heavens full of stars and everything looks different now — just knowing what I know now compared to two hours ago…I just finished it 10 minutes ago, and my mind has been racing just considering all of the implications."

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1uKWypc

via IFTTT

Science May Never Be the Same After October 24, 2014

It will likely become one of the most controversial documentaries ever made. I just saw an advanced screening of a documentary that premiers October 24. When I say controversy, I mean the same level of controversy and meaningful impact as when Copernicus made his claims about the nature of the universe or when Einstein dropped the theory of relativity on us. It is causing a crisis in the scientific community — at least for those who are wholly invested in what 20th century science has embraced as indisputable. This is absolutely jaw-dropping. I look up into the heavens full of stars and everything looks different now — just knowing what I know now compared to two hours ago. More info to come soon. I just finished it 10 minutes ago, and my mind has been racing just considering all of the implications. More info to come in the next couple days. [written at midnight on Wednesday, October 22]

from Tumblr http://optorch.tumblr.com/post/100673738764

via IFTTT

A New WWII-Era Novel, "With Music In Their Hearts"!

Just wanted to alert any book fans out there about a great novel called WITH MUSIC IN THEIR HEARTS by Carole Brown. You can find out more here. It comes out in November! Here’s the plot:

Angry at being rejected for military service, Minister Tyrell Walker accepts the call to serve as a civilian spy within his own country. Across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio, a spy working for a foreign country is stealing secret plans for newly developed ammunition to be used in the war. According to his FBI cousin, this spy favors pink stationery giving strong indications that a woman is involved.

He’s instructed to obtain a room in the Rayner Boarding House run by the lovely, spunky red-haired Emma Jaine Rayner. Sparks of jealousy and love fly between them immediately even as they battle suspicions that one or the other is not on the up and up.

While Tyrell searches for the murdering spy who reaches even into the boarding home, Emma Jaine struggles with an annoying renter, a worried father (who could be involved in this spy thing), and two younger sisters who are very different but just as strong willed as she is.

As Tyrell works to keep his double life a secret and locate the traitor, he refuses to believe that Emma Jaine could be involved even when he sees a red-haired woman in the arms of another man. Could the handsome and svelte banker who’s also determined to win Emma Jaine’s hand for marriage, be the dangerous man he’s looking for? Is the trouble-making renter who hassles Emma Jaine serving as a flunky? Worse, is Papa Rayner so worried about his finances and keeping his girls in the style they’re used to, that he’ll stoop to espionage?

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1sajUWK

via IFTTT

My New Novel Now Available for Amazon Kindle!

My new YA adventure/revenge story — a 222 page novel (which is Young Adult, but written to be enjoyed by adults as well) — called THE PROM QUEEN OF MONTE CRISTO (inspired by the classic THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) is now available to buy at Amazon Kindle for $3.99:

http://ift.tt/1t3KnJf

Michelle Dantes is on the verge of starting high school, and she’s already at a disadvantage: she’s the new girl at Monte Cristo Academy, the most prestigious private high school in the world, and she doesn’t know a soul. Having already lost her mother to a painful divorce, she and her dad are doing the best they can to start over in a new community on the California coast.

Any chance of a happy first year of high school is shattered when Michelle meets Sarah Mondego, the most beautiful and popular girl at Monte Cristo, and also the most mean-spirited. Michelle becomes Sarah’s new favorite target for her infamous pranks, and what began as a difficult transition at a new school for Michelle suddenly takes a disastrous turn.

Michelle tries to escape the madness by signing up for Monte Cristo’s new short-term study abroad program, but her worst fears are realized when Sarah signs up too. And when Sarah’s pranks go too far during an extravagant trip to Southeast Asia, Michelle finds herself in a life-threatening crisis — a nightmare of horrifying proportions — that will force Michelle to take extreme measures to survive.

From the bowels of a Burmese prison to the mountaintops of Bhutanese monasteries, Michelle crafts a plan that goes far beyond mere survival. She crafts a complex, breathtaking plan of revenge that no one will see coming — especially Sarah Mondego.

Inspired by the classic novel THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas, THE PROM QUEEN OF MONTE CRISTO tells a dramatic story of revenge that spans the globe from Rome and Southeast Asia to Mexico and the California coast.

[Parental Guidance Summary: This book’s content is the equivalent of a PG-13 rated movie. There are some intense, mature scenes, but there are no graphic or explicit descriptions of sex or gory violence. There are a few instances of mild language and a few brief references to drug use.]

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1rYkfvF

via IFTTT

My Interview with Plumb: How Her Marriage Survived Her Worst Nightmare

I recently had the chance to speak with Plumb over the phone for close to a half an hour about one of the most jaw-dropping testimonies I’ve heard in recent years. She’s on a mission to bring fame to God through her amazing testimony, and you will be inspired and encouraged by what she has to say in her interview. Check it out here:

http://ift.tt/1rfVcAm

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1xmZtaQ

via IFTTT

My Interview with Plumb: How Her Marriaged Survived a Worst Nightmare

I recently had the chance to speak with Plumb over the phone for close to a half an hour about one of the most jaw-dropping testimonies I’ve heard in recent years. She’s on a mission to bring fame to God through her amazing testimony, and you will be inspired and encouraged by what she has to say in her interview. Check it out here:

http://ift.tt/1rfVcAm

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1rfVcAo

via IFTTT

My Interview with Ian McCormack, a Man Who Died and Came Back to Life

I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing Ian McCormack, the man whose story is told in the movie The Perfect Wave starring Scott Eastwood and Rachel Hendrix. He talks about seeing Heaven and meeting Jesus face-to-face. I am absolutely convinced that he is telling the truth. But you can make up your mind for yourself by reading my article about the film and my interview with Ian — though my interview is more of an introduction to his story. There’s a video of him telling the full-length, detailed account, and I highly recommend it:

http://ift.tt/1nY4zoa

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1sboRvM

via IFTTT

Rachel Hendrix Interview, Co-Star with Scott Eastwood (Son of Clint Eastwood)

Rachel Hendrix is a fast-rising star. She co-starred with Scott Eastwood in The Perfect Wave, and is co-starring with Jon Lovitz in an upcoming movie called Coffee Shop. I talked with Rachel Hendrix about The Perfect Wave, a movie is based closely on a true story about a surfer who goes on a worldwide surf trek, falls in love, and experiences a tragedy that turns suddenly into one of the biggest miracles I’ve ever heard about. Check out the interview here:

http://ift.tt/1sZz02C

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/X886sK

via IFTTT

U2 Song About Santa Barbara -- My New Article On RGH (with Video)

I just wrote a detailed analysis and explanation of U2’s new song “California (There Is No End To Love)” and why/how it is about the town where I live, Santa Barbara, CA! I even shot a video of the bells of the Santa Barbara Mission ringing to show how they match the bells at the beginning of the song. Also includes some personal photographs of Santa Barbara that are connected to certain lines of lyrics. Check it out here:

http://ift.tt/1rOyOPx

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1CWNJQo

via IFTTT

The Problem of Pain -- The Scandalous, Radical Idea of a Benevolent God

We Christians, and perhaps those in the vicinity of the Judeo-Christian belief, take the idea of a benevolent, all-powerful God for granted. We’re over-familiar with it. We don’t realize how scandalous and radical it is.

Let’s step back for a moment and delve into the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century.

In the beginning of The Problem of Pain — the book by C.S. Lewis that tackles the theological dilemma of suffering — Lewis summarizes his view of the universe when he was an atheist.

Here is his Pre-Christian, razor-edged, Atheist Manifesto:

Not many years ago when I was an atheist, if anyone had asked me, ‘Why do you not believe in God?’ my reply would have run something like this: ‘Look at the universe we live in. By far the greatest part of it consists of empty space, completely dark and unimaginably cold. The bodies which move in this space are so few and so small in comparison with the space itself that even if every one of them were known to be crowded as full as it could hold with perfectly happy creatures, it would still be difficult to believe that life and happiness were more than a by-product to the power that made the universe. As it is, however, the scientists think it likely that very few of the suns of space— perhaps none of them except our own— have any planets; and in our own system it is improbable that any planet except the Earth sustains life. And Earth herself existed without life for millions of years and may exist for millions more when life has left her. And what is it like while it lasts? It is so arranged that all the forms of it can live only by preying upon one another. In the lower forms this process entails only death, but in the higher there appears a new quality called consciousness which enables it to be attended with pain. The creatures cause pain by being born, and live by inflicting pain, and in pain they mostly die. In the most complex of all the creatures, Man, yet another quality appears, which we call reason, whereby he is enabled to foresee his own pain which henceforth is preceded with acute mental suffering, and to foresee his own death while keenly desiring permanence. It also enables men by a hundred ingenious contrivances to inflict a great deal more pain than they otherwise could have done on one another and on the irrational creatures. This power they have exploited to the full. Their history is largely a record of crime, war, disease, and terror, with just sufficient happiness interposed to give them, while it lasts, an agonised apprehension of losing it, and, when it is lost, the poignant misery of remembering. Every now and then they improve their condition a little and what we call a civilisation appears. But all civilisations pass away and, even while they remain, inflict peculiar sufferings of their own probably sufficient to outweigh what alleviations they may have brought to the normal pains of man. That our own civilisation has done so, no one will dispute; that it will pass away like all its predecessors is surely probable. Even if it should not, what then? The race is doomed. Every race that comes into being in any part of the universe is doomed; for the universe, they tell us, is running down, and will sometime be a uniform infinity of homogeneous matter at a low temperature. All stories will come to nothing: all life will turn out in the end to have been a transitory and senseless contortion upon the idiotic face of infinite matter. If you ask me to believe that this is the work of a benevolent and omnipotent spirit, I reply that all the evidence points in the opposite direction. Either there is no spirit behind the universe, or else a spirit indifferent to good and evil, or else an evil spirit.’

Lewis, C. S. (2009-05-28). The Problem of Pain (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis) (p. 1-3). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Take a look at where C.S. Lewis goes next with this. Remember, that little “manifesto” above was merely his introduction to a book that defends the idea of a benevolent, all-powerful God. In the book, the following paragraph is what follows immediately after the manifesto above:

There was one question which I never dreamed of raising. I never noticed that the very strength and facility of the pessimists’ case at once poses us a problem. If the universe is so bad, or even half so bad, how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good Creator?…The direct inference from black to white, from evil flower to virtuous root, from senseless work to a workman infinitely wise, staggers belief. The spectacle of the universe as revealed by experience can never have been the ground of religion: it must always have been something in spite of which religion, acquired from a different source, was held.

Lewis, C. S. (2009-05-28). The Problem of Pain (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis) (pp. 3-4). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

He anticipates the objection of the cynic — especially the apologist for modern science — in his next sentences:

It would be an error to reply that our ancestors were ignorant and therefore entertained pleasing illusions about nature which the progress of science has since dispelled. For centuries, during which all men believed, the nightmare size and emptiness of the universe was already known.

Lewis, C. S. (2009-05-28). The Problem of Pain (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis) (p. 4). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

He then goes into some detail about Ptolemy and other ancient thinkers who knew about the vastness of the space beyond our world, and he reminds us of the horrid conditions that surrounded the Jews when they made the claim — in the midst of all that tribulation of their infant nation — a Being exists beyond all of it: a perfectly benevolent, all-powerful being who told them his name was I Am.

Lewis then concludes:

It is mere nonsense to put pain among the discoveries of science. Lay down this book and reflect for five minutes on the fact that all the great religions were first preached, and long practised, in a world without [anasthesia]…Religion has a different origin. In what follows [in the beginning chapters of the book] it must be understood that I am not primarily arguing the truth of Christianity [yet] but describing its origin— a task, in my view, necessary if we are to put the problem of pain in its right setting.

Lewis, C. S. (2009-05-28). The Problem of Pain (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis) (p. 4-5). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

C.S. Lewis makes a stunning observation: there wouldn’t even be the “problem of pain” without this radical idea of a benevolent, all-powerful God. It is such an incredible thing that humanity, in the midst of the universe that Lewis described, even dared to believe and declare such an assertion.

And the rest of Lewis’s masterpiece The Problem of Pain explains why he believes that declaration and says, in short, “Yes, there is an all-powerful, perfectly benevolent God, and despite the seeming madness of such a statement in the midst of this universe, there are compelling, logical reasons to believe it wholeheartedly.”

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1rZE9XX

via IFTTT

Families (and Elvis Fans) Will Love the Movie "The Identical"

Calling all families who are itching to see a movie: The Identical is a great family film with great values and an interesting concept. Also, if you’re a fan of Elvis Presley and ’50s rock and roll, you’ll enjoy this film. The critics panned it, but don’t listen to them; it’s a rare opportunity to see a live action film for adults that’s actually PG. Ready my full review here: http://ift.tt/1xs7fnE

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1xs7hM9

via IFTTT

"Secrets at Crescent Point" -- A New Book for Mystery Novel Fans to Devour

If you’re a fan of mystery, suspense, or romance novels (or all three), then I wanted to alert you to a mystery series called the Noble Island Mystery series by Raquel Byrnes. Definitely worth checking out! You can get it at Amazon here, and here’s the official blurb and video trailer:

Leaving Noble Island amid scandal and accusation, Raven vows never to return, but when her sister’s fiancé goes missing, Raven has no choice. Shunned by the island, if she is to unravel the mystery of Niklos’s disappearance, she must rely on the only man she’s ever loved, Siyah Cavaler.



Siyah was devastated when Raven left Noble Island, but as the clan’s heir apparent, he has a responsibility to keep the families from falling into ruin and crime. To preserve the island’s future, he agrees to a bride from a rival family, but Raven’s return stirs his heart and jeopardizes his position in the council. Giving in to his love for Raven would mean turning his back on all he’s ever known.



When Raven’s investigation uncovers a grisly discovery, a darkness is unleashed that threatens them both.



Bizarre accidents, unexplained deaths, and strange apparitions shroud the island. Raven and Siyah struggle to save the families and their love as they race to stop another death and unveil the Secrets at Crescent Point.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1pY2EFN

via IFTTT

"Secrets at Crescent Point" -- A New Book for Mystery Novel Fans to Devour

If you’re a fan of mystery, suspense, or romance novels (or all three), then I wanted to alert you to a mystery series called the Noble Island Mystery series by Raquel Byrnes. Definitely worth checking out! You can get it at Amazon here, and here’s the official blurb and video trailer:

Leaving Noble Island amid scandal and accusation, Raven vows never to return, but when her sister’s fiancé goes missing, Raven has no choice. Shunned by the island, if she is to unravel the mystery of Niklos’s disappearance, she must rely on the only man she’s ever loved, Siyah Cavaler.



Siyah was devastated when Raven left Noble Island, but as the clan’s heir apparent, he has a responsibility to keep the families from falling into ruin and crime. To preserve the island’s future, he agrees to a bride from a rival family, but Raven’s return stirs his heart and jeopardizes his position in the council. Giving in to his love for Raven would mean turning his back on all he’s ever known.



When Raven’s investigation uncovers a grisly discovery, a darkness is unleashed that threatens them both.



Bizarre accidents, unexplained deaths, and strange apparitions shroud the island. Raven and Siyah struggle to save the families and their love as they race to stop another death and unveil the Secrets at Crescent Point.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/WuYVT8

via IFTTT

"Secrets at Crescent Point" -- A New Book for Mystery Novel Fans to Devour

If you’re a fan of mystery, suspense, or romance novels (or all three), then I wanted to alert you to a mystery series called the Noble Island Mystery series by Raquel Byrnes. Definitely worth checking out! You can get it at Amazon here, and here’s the official blurb and video trailer:

Leaving Noble Island amid scandal and accusation, Raven vows never to return, but when her sister’s fiancé goes missing, Raven has no choice. Shunned by the island, if she is to unravel the mystery of Niklos’s disappearance, she must rely on the only man she’s ever loved, Siyah Cavaler.



Siyah was devastated when Raven left Noble Island, but as the clan’s heir apparent, he has a responsibility to keep the families from falling into ruin and crime. To preserve the island’s future, he agrees to a bride from a rival family, but Raven’s return stirs his heart and jeopardizes his position in the council. Giving in to his love for Raven would mean turning his back on all he’s ever known.



When Raven’s investigation uncovers a grisly discovery, a darkness is unleashed that threatens them both.



Bizarre accidents, unexplained deaths, and strange apparitions shroud the island. Raven and Siyah struggle to save the families and their love as they race to stop another death and unveil the Secrets at Crescent Point.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1BiATtW

via IFTTT

Be Encouraged: God Is Doing Good Things in the Middle East

The news today magnifies darkness and evil. But don’t let that lens determine how you see the world. God is at work in the Middle East, and He is moving. And there are good things happening. Here are a few examples: 1) an army of local Christian volunteers in Iraq are rushing to the aid of the refugees suffering as a result of all the violence. Lives are being changed, people are getting cared for, hearts are being healed, and many souls are finding Christ, as reported by Mission Network News (under the sections “Akra” and “Who Are These Workers?”; 2) Revival continues to sweep across Iran; and 3) Iranian Kurds are giving generously to help the stricken Yezidi refugees in Iraq.

Here’s a quote from the first link, the one about local Christian volunteers helping the refugees and the heartbroken victims of ISIS violence:

According to multiple ministry leaders working among the internally displaced in the Kurdish region, workers are plentiful.

In a conversation with Christian Aid Mission’s Middle East Director, one ministry leader reported an “army of volunteers from local churches and house churches are ready and willing to help.” These workers, he said, are all born again, evangelical believers with at least basic Bible training, most of whom he has worked with previously.

With funding wired from Christian Aid Mission, the ministries are easily able to buy supplies from local markets to distribute to the needy.

“Everything is available locally and could be purchased in a matter of hours and distributed within a few days,” reported one ministry leader.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/Z67HZi

via IFTTT

Please Consider Helping My Friend Josh Out!

My friend Josh lost all means of transportation (his car stopped working), and the nature of his job makes a car a necessity. His family has been facing a lot of struggles already, and this situation could end up being devastating for them. A crowd funding page has been set up for him. Please consider chipping in a few bucks to help my friend and his family out. Thanks! Here’s the link.

http://ift.tt/1nq4ppr

Here’s Josh and his family:

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1lvfREy

via IFTTT

Good Things Happening In The Local Church

Good things are happening. Although after starting this new “David’s Tabernacle” project (which you can read about on the home page of my site, if you don’t know what it is) I’ve encountered a great deal of spiritual opposition from many sources — some of it quite discouraging — and although at certain times the amount of participation has been lower than I expected and hoped, I can say truthfully that it has had a powerful effect on our lives and community, and we’re only three or four weeks into it.

I was thinking about something that worship leader Don Moen, the founder of Worship In Action, said in a recent interview with David Santistevan, that it’s God’s presence that changes people, not the grandiosity of our stage production and musical presentation during church services. This David’s Tabernacle project has, as I’ve come to discover, been all about that: we have zero production, really, we’re not even on a stage; we’re just standing in a room with a guitar and singing/praying our little hearts out for hours at a time in some cases, and then doing our best to bring the Manifest Presence of God that draws near to us (and transforms our character as we behold Him!) out into the world with us when we leave.

It might not be a very big thing in the eyes of certain people in the world or even in the church, but when we’re all gathered together in that little room, plunking away on a guitar late into the night, we encounter the hugeness of Heaven, and we realize that we’re opening our hearts to Someone bigger than anything we could ever ask or imagine.

Thank You, Abba Father, for this opportunity! Although we’re in a little room, You open the windows of Heaven, and it feels like we’re standing in a place like this:

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1pHGVRm

via IFTTT

My Review of Colony House's New Album "When I Was Younger" and a Shout-Out from Steven Curtis Chapman

I recently stumbled upon what is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of 2014: a three-piece rock outfit from Franklin, Tennessee called Colony House. They remind me of some of the bigger bands out there (The Killers, Foster the People, Vampire Diaries) but with a very subtle but appealing ’80s indie twist (New Order, The Psychedelic Furs, The Cure). If you like great rock bands, then PLEASE read my review of Colony House and check them out. I poured my heart and soul into writing the review simply because the music really grabbed my heart. To my utter joy and surprise, my review prompted a personal shout-out from legendary artist Steven Curtis Chapman (see screenshot below), who’s the father of some of the band members. What a treat/joy (and thank You God for these opportunities to share articles with the music community!). Here’s the review; check out the band and enjoy their music: http://ift.tt/1rwDOtf

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1yB7cRH

via IFTTT

Thoughts about Heaven from C.S. Lewis

I wrote an article for RockinGodsHouse (that I’m especially excited about), and it’s about three of my favorite moments from Lewis’s books that give us a clearer sense of Heaven. Check it out here: http://ift.tt/1l7dVlX

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1l7dSGM

via IFTTT

Hope

For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground, and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant. —Job 14:7-9

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1vd3zF0

via IFTTT

Audio Clip from the David's Tabernacle Project: Improvised Worship Lyrics/Melody Based On Psalm 38

Click audio player to listen to streaming mp3. This is just a basic room recording:

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1stwCki

via IFTTT

The Kingdom Always Has Enough Room and Is Never Out of Time

Theme that came about this morning in worship: “You have set my feet in a spacious place,” from Psalm 31:8. When we are with Him, when we’re walking in constant communion with Him in the spirit, He sets our spirits in a spacious place: His eternal presence!

I saw a picture of a vast land full of life and beauty stretching out for hundreds of miles, and one person had it all to themselves to explore as they walked with God in the cool of the evening, and it created this sense that, in God, there is never overcrowding. You might be standing in an overcrowded subway train, unable to move, but in your spirit you are standing in a spacious place and you have peace because you have the mind of Christ. There is enough room in Christ for anyone who believes in Him and receives His Spirit that dwells in us. God always has a spacious place, and He always has enough time for you.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1npvqbq

via IFTTT

Unity and joy in Christ!

Unity and joy in Christ!

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1AQ33NM

via IFTTT

Day 1 of David's Tabernacle: Midnight - 3am Worship/Prayer

We kicked off The David’s Tabernacle Project at midnight Monday, August 4th! I was delighted to find that some people were already waiting at the church for me when I rolled up with my guitar. Connie and Jose were there ready to do some worship and prayer into the night watches! Tim Lillard joined us part way through. Here’s me, Connie, and Jose:

We broke up the three hours of worship with three separate lists of worship songs. At the end of each hour I took a 15 minute (or more in some cases) break to pick the new songs for the next hour (and also converse with someone on Facebook about a religious topic), and the folks would sit and read the Word while some quiet music played over a CD. During the worship portions, it was just me and my blue guitar. There was nothing slick or professional about it. But that was okay. We would do a few songs, then I would improvise a chord progression and we would go into a time of spontaneous worship, where instead of singing the words written in a worship song, people would sing their own words of adoration to the Lord or maybe sing the Scripture, and we interspersed that with some rather intense intercessory prayer, covering topics related to the church, the community, and the nation/world.

The three hours went by so fast that I almost couldn’t believe we had already reached the end. The Presence of God in the room was palpable. This might be difficult for me to describe and difficult for others to read without being offended or skeptical in some way, but I believe that God quite literally draws near to people in some inexplicable but physically tangible way when we draw near to Him through prayer and worship. I believe this promise is real: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8, NKJV)

Connie did a shift earlier that evening before midnight, did another up at dawn, and Tim L. jumped in to keep the worship/prayer happening mid-morning today (Monday) and perhaps in the afternoon as well. Tonight a larger group is coming together for even more intercession, and then some fun hang-out time/fellowship! What a wonderful way to start the week!

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1v3z04I

via IFTTT

Open Heaven Part 2

(Pics taken on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014 on Highway 101)

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1ug8JvP

via IFTTT

Open Heaven

Open Heaven. (Took this pic Sunday, August 3rd, on Highway 101 in California)

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1o75LtX

via IFTTT

Praying for the Rain of Revival in California (and the Nation)

Praying also for the rain of revival that comes when people have a spiritual awakening/repentance deep in their hearts. Yesterday I wrote a prayer “Please give us rain, God” in CA (because of drought), and I awoke to strong rainfall this morning — and I’m THANKFUL for that — but my heart longs to hear a different kind of rain in CA and America. Here’s a pic below of the miracle rain (haha) that just came down this morning. Now I pray in Jesus’ Name that a spiritual rain falls across the red, white, and blue of America:

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1uXBPUL

via IFTTT

Prayed for Rain, and It's Here! (Video)

Yesterday morning I wrote the following plea/prayer about the CA drought: “Give us rain, God.” This morning I awoke to a loud sound, and I looked outside to see this:

I walked outside and stood in it, just soaking up the coolness and refreshment. Thank you, Lord!

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1o1Huo9

via IFTTT

Heavy Clouds, No Rain

If only these clouds could be rain clouds (taken from Costco parking lot in Goleta, CA).

I wonder sometimes if this horrific drought in California doesn’t provide an accurate picture of America’s spiritual state. I’m not even referring, necessarily, to the moral collapse of a nation. I’m referring to the lack of hunger for God and the lack of unified, fervent intercessory prayer in the church. When the church prays, spiritual awakening comes to the land. Give us rain, God. Help us pray with greater hunger and also with greater action outside the walls of the church that finds its fuel in our reliance on You.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1se4P6a

via IFTTT

Heavy Clouds, No Rain

If only these clouds could be rain clouds (taken from Costco parking lot in Goleta, CA).

I wonder sometimes if this horrific drought in California doesn’t provide an accurate picture of America’s spiritual state. I’m not even referring, necessarily, to the moral collapse of a nation. I’m referring to the lack of hunger for God and the lack of unified, fervent intercessory prayer in the church. When the church prays, spiritual awakening comes to the land. Give us rain, God. Help us pray with greater hunger and also with greater action outside the walls of the church that finds its fuel in our reliance on You.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1qE3vHI

via IFTTT

Heavy Clouds, No Rain

If only these clouds could be rain clouds (taken from Costco parking lot in Goleta, CA).

I wonder sometimes if this horrific drought in California doesn’t provide an accurate picture of America’s spiritual state. I’m not even referring, necessarily, to the moral collapse of a nation. I’m referring to the lack of hunger for God and the lack of unified, fervent intercessory prayer in the church. When the church prays, spiritual awakening comes to the land. Give us rain, God. Help us pray with greater hunger and also with greater action outside the walls of the church that finds its fuel in our reliance on You.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1zI1Kic

via IFTTT

Heavy Clouds, No Rain

If only these clouds could be rain clouds (taken from Costco parking lot in Goleta, CA).

I wonder sometimes if this horrific drought in California doesn’t provide an accurate picture of America’s spiritual state. I’m not even referring, necessarily, to the moral collapse of a nation. I’m referring to the lack of hunger for God and the lack of unified, fervent intercessory prayer in the church. When the church prays, spiritual awakening comes to the land. Give us rain, God. Help us pray with greater hunger and also with greater action outside the walls of the church that finds it’s fuel in our reliance on You.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1zI1LTn

via IFTTT

Why Guardians of the Galaxy Is A Great Kevin Bacon Movie (Even Though He Wasn't In It)

Okay time for a pop culture time-out. Kevin Bacon should be feeling very flattered right now because he got some serious love in the latest Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Bacon was not in the movie, but, and I won’t give away any spoilers, his name somehow made it into some of the best lines of dialogue in the film. In a symbolic way, in the way that writers use motifs almost as characters in a script, Kevin Bacon kind of WAS a character in the movie. How on earth does that happen in an outer space movie? You’ll just have to see it to find out — though read my review of it first on RockinGodsHouse.com on Friday if you’re thinking of taking the family. I wouldn’t recommend taking kids under 13 to see it.

My friend Josh Belcher just interviewed Kevin Bacon. Too bad the movie didn’t come out sooner. I could’ve asked Josh to ask Kevin if he knew about his notable presence in the new Marvel movie!

So, anyways, congrats Kevin Bacon on your smash-hit movie that came out this weekend!

(And it really was an amazing movie.)

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1qw2iCs

via IFTTT

Sunset Near Bailard Exit On 101

A special place.

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/WO4a18

via IFTTT

Finding Jesus When You're Burned Out (A Cool E-Book)

An encouraging little e-book (14 day mini-devotional): http://ift.tt/1AwTS4w

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1AwTSSd

via IFTTT

The Tree of the Knowledge OF GOOD AND EVIL (not the "Tree of Knowledge")

I’ve heard/read quite a few secularists and even some Christians who, when discussing the garden of Eden in the Bible, refer to the “Tree of Life” and the “Tree of Knowledge,” but the second term is completely inaccurate. In the Bible, they are the “Tree of Life” and the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”

I came across this note while reading about this topic in the New King James Version* of Genesis 2:

"…in this lush natural reserve [the garden of Eden] were found the two trees that are key to everything that follows in all of human history. They were the physical means God used to transact spiritual realities . [emphasis added] The tree of life is the tree associated with experiencing the life of God, including immortality. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents human autonomy, that is, self-rule and an assumed independence from God in all areas of life.”

Human autonomy from God.

That about sums it up.

It’s the assertion that humanity was never intended to rely on its own intellect, emotions, and resources of judgment, especially in the task of understanding good and evil. We were always meant to look to God as our source.

My prayer today: Lord, help me to depend on You and rely on You in all things, and allow my times of prayer, devotion, and praise/worship to push me toward a greater dependence on You instead of a stubborn reliance on myself.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…" (Prov 3:5)

*the edition with R. Russell Bixler’s notes on Genesis

from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1AvnK18

via IFTTT