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(100^th post)

DRAW NEAR TO MY SOUL AND REDEEM IT

PSALM 69:18

DESTINY KNIGHT-STORM

(INTERVIEW WITH CRYSTAL MOORE: PART 1)

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Seven asked me with a look on his face that was like the cat who ate the canary.

I never cared for that term, so why did I just use it? Any who, I had just entered Seven’s  studio with the intention of interviewing Dorothy and Lyle Hubbard about the unique beginnings of their relationship. But Seven’s bad news was that they had canceled. Whether this was an out right cancelation, or simply a postponement, Seven did not know.

“What’s the good news?” I asked.

“I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh,” Seven said with a chuckle. “It said, I don’t skinny dip, I chunky dunk.”

“Maybe you should have one of those stickers,” I said as I gave his stomach a slap.

“Hey,” he said with a scowl. “Zella’s a great cook, what can I say?”

I giggled, and then inquired with a frown. “So, is that the good news?”

“No, this is,” he replied as he handed me his phone and showed me some e-mails.

“Crystal Moore,” I said after I read for a minute. “So she’s knows Kip Maxwell? The troubled rock star?”

“That’s what she said,” Seven replied with a shrug and energy in his gaze.

“How do you know she’s not a crack pot?”

“I actually talked to her for almost half an hour before you got here. My gut tells me she’s the real deal.”

“Why has she contacted you?”

“I’m a world renowned podcaster.”

“You are?”

He put his hands on his hips and gave me a stern look. “She’s also listened to your previous interviews and thought you might be interested in their story.”

“What’s their story?” I asked. “I kind of assumed Kip was dead, drunk, or drugged out. But to be honest, I’ve never thought much about him.”

“So, you do you know about Kip Maxwell?”

“Of course I do. His band Mad Mamba was huge for about ten years. Then they broke up and he pretty much disappeared. That’s why I assumed he was probably dead by now. He was one of those guys that seemed self-destructive and destined to join the twenty-seven club.”

“What’s the twenty-seven club?” Seven frowned.

“You seriously don’t know what the twenty-seven club is?”

“Enlighten me.”

“You know, rock stars that died at the age of twenty-seven. Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin.”

“Forgive me, I have usually focused on meaningless stuff like politics and such.”

“You’re forgiven,” I giggled. “So tell me what this is about.”

“Well, in a nutshell, supposedly Kip Maxwell is clean and converted, and finishing up an album of spiritual music.”

“You don’t say.”

“I do say,” Seven continued. “And apparently this gal, Crystal Moore, played some kind of role in his conversion.”

“I have to admit that this sounds pretty interesting.”

“She lives only three hours away in Wisconsin. She said she can come tomorrow.”

“Let’s do it.”

 Crystal Moore wasn’t what I was expecting. Of course I didn’t know what I was expecting. Maybe a large chested, big haired blonde in high heels. Yet I was only assuming she was the significant other of Kip Maxwell. Maybe she was his sister or cousin, or something else.

She had shoulder length brown hair with red accents and large amber colored eyes. She was quite striking in a non-conventional way. She wore a light blue flannel shirt, faded jeans, and worn brown cowboy boots. She had a cool easy manner, and I took a quick liking to her.

“Thanks for driving down here to do this,” I told her.

“The pleasure’s mine,” she said with a smile. A slightly crooked eye tooth in an otherwise straight line of teeth actually enhanced her natural beauty. “I read that e-book about you, ‘Knight Storm.’ When I heard you doing those segments on ‘The Seven Sallie Showdown,’ I thought you would be the perfect person to introduce the world to the new Kip Maxwell.”

“Well, I’m honored that you feel that way,” I told her. “To be honest, I don’t really know much about Kip other than he was a wild rock star with quite a bit of drama in his life and band. I refrained from researching him on the internet for fear I would get bad information. Plus I wanted to learn firsthand from you yourself. I felt it would make me a better interviewer.”

“See, I knew you were the right choice,” Crystal grinned. “Kip will be hear tomorrow, he’s flying in from the west coast.”

“Oh,” I replied, a little surprised that the man himself was going to be directly involved. “Do you need a place to stay tonight? You’re welcome at my home.”

“Thank you, but I have an aunt that lives about a half hour from here.”

We spent several more minutes getting to know each other before I shifted directions. “So how long have you known Kip?”

“Well, we met about a year ago,” she said. “My cousin had started dating his cousin several years ago, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I’m not a person that gets star struck, just the opposite. Besides, I prefer country music, and I don’t even know who most country artists are. But Kip was so famous in the 2010’s, even I knew who he was.

“A few years ago his band broke up. He has kept a low profile ever since, and for the most part he became yesterdays news. But he’s still like this iconic figure. So about a year ago, my cousin calls me and tells me she’s getting married. She asks me to be one of her bridesmaids and I told her, of course, I would be honored. That’s when she tells me the groomsman I would be paired with was to be Kip Maxwell.

“I know that ninety plus percent of the women my age would be tickled to be in that position, but not me. The little I thought I knew about Kip, I found repulsive. I saw him as a macho, hedonistic, drug addled, womanizing creep. I was wrong on almost accounts.

“I was lamenting to some of my girlfriends about my dilemma of being paired with an arrogant rock star. It turned out one girl buddy was quite a Mad Mamba fan. She had me watch some biography of Kip Maxwell on YouTube and that started me down a strange path. I was riveted by his story.

“He had grown up in a religious household with four siblings of which he was the black sheep. His father was controlling and abusive. The girl who would one day become his wife was sexually abused by her step-father. She was killed in a traffic accident at the age of twenty-six.

“The last two albums he did with Mad Mamba had a lot of songs about love, loss and suicidal tendencies. Ironically, all of his pain made Kip and his band more famous than ever. Then something was brought up in this bio that made me, I don’t know, not fall in love, but become incredibly infatuated with him. He was just a really intriguing person. To this day, I still don’t understand what I was feeling. It went contrary to everything I was about.

She laughed, shook her head, and pinched the bridge of her nose. I gave her a minute to compose herself. Then I asked. “What was it that was brought up in this bio that moved you so much?”

“First, there’s something you should know about me,” she said. “I too grew up in a religious family. But there was no disfunction. My parents were awesome, and so were my brother and sister. Then a vile, selfish, privileged rich punk ruined our family for a few minutes of carnal, sinful pleasure.”

Crystal stared at me with a deep hurt in her eyes that still seemed fresh, even though I perceived her pain was anything but recent.

“My sister went to senior prom with this popular, good looking guy,” Crystal explained. “She was so happy, and I was so happy for her. I was fifteen at the time. Long story short, the creep raped her. He was rich and connected, and even though my dad fought tooth and nail to have him punished, we were punished instead. I don’t want to get into the details, but we ended up leaving, not only the town, but the state.

“My sister changed. She was such a sweet, perky, beautiful, and wholesome girl. She was my hero, a role model, a protector. After the ordeal, she withdrew and struggled with severe depression. A year to the day of the rape, she drank a whole fifth of vodka and then overdosed on her medication. My parents called it an accident, but I knew it wasn’t.”

Crystal became quiet and bowed her head. I gave her a minute before I gently tried, “Did she…”

Crystal kept her eyes closed and I saw tears leak from beneath her lashes. Without looking at me, she nodded. Then very quietly she said. “Yes, she died. I learned at a very young age that grief can make you physically ill.”

Once again I gave her time, and prayed for wisdom and guidance during the lull. “Do you want to tell me what impacted you so much during the bio of Kip?”

“Sure,” she said brightening a little. “So, I became somewhat of a guy hater. Actually, a major man hater. I can count on one hand how many dates I’ve been on. I was just social enough to not raise too many eyebrows. But I kept my head down and pursued something I loved more than people, and that was animals. I’m actually a Veterinary surgeon.”

“Oh wow!” I exclaimed. “Very good.”

“Thank you,” she replied meekly. “ So about the bio. When this wild looking rock star, who actually spoke quietly and intelligently about why he declined to participate in his band’s invitation to go to the Playboy mansion, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I thought for the first time in my life, this is a guy I want to get to know. And in a few weeks, he and I would be paired as bridesmaid and groomsman in a wedding.” Then she shrugged, smiled, and said. “And we indeed got to know each other in a strange, awkward, but wonderful way.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH: AN ERA of SPIRITUAL DARKNESS

“The mystery of iniquity does already work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Even at that early date, the Apostle Paul saw it creeping into the church.

Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the Christian church. The spirit of compromise and conformity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured under paganism.

But as persecutions ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers, and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions.

The nominal conversion of Constantine in the early part of the fourth century, caused great rejoicing among the masses, and the world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed.

This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of “the man of sin” foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God.

Satan once endeavored to form a compromise with Christ when he came to the Son of God in the wilderness. But at every assault, Christ presented the shield of truth, saying, “It is written.”

But for hundreds of years, the Roman church prohibited the circulation of the Bible.

Prophecy declared that the church of the dark ages would “think to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25

Rome presumed to expunge the from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.

Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, also tampered with the fourth commandment, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.”

This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries before Constantine, the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians.

With great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about this change. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ.

It was Constantine’s policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity.

Through half converted pagans, ambitious prelates, and world loving churchmen Satan accomplished his purpose. Many who professed conversion still clung to the tenets of their pagan philosophy.

The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. The palaces of popes and prelates were scenes of the vilest debauchery.

Such were the results of banishing the word of God

XCVIX

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU

EPHESIANS 4:32

DESTINY KNIGHT-STORM

(INTERVIEW WITH THE BRADLEY’S Part 2 of 2)

“When I finished telling Amber, our youngest, about my childhood,” Bill told me. “I expected her to be either horrified or sympathetic, or both. I suppose she was sympathetic, but she surprised me by calmly asking if Grandpa and Grandma were still alive.

“I coldly told her she didn’t have any grandparents. She just eyed me sadly, and I knew it was over my bitterness, not the statement of no grandparents. I told her that my mother had died in prison a couple of years ago, but that as far as I knew, my father was still locked up in San Quentin. She told me I should go to him and forgive him. I’m ashamed to say, I laughed at her and she felt scorned.”

Bill shook his head with his eyes cast down.

“It wasn’t as bad as Bill makes it sound,” Jenny said. “He was just hurting from Amber opening up his wounds. But even though she didn’t know it, she was opening them to finally heal them.”

“I went back and forth with that sweet little pistol,” Bill said. “I never had such a swirl of emotions in my life. Anger, sadness, and even joy that my little girl was so wise and tough.”

I loved how the Bradley’s referred to all their children as theirs. Amber wasn’t Bill’s biological daughter, but you couldn’t tell that by the way he talked of her.

“At one point, in frustration, I blurted that I didn’t believe in God. Little Amber took my hand, gave it an affectionate squeeze, and she said, ‘That’s okay, Daddy, He believes in you.’ I lost it. For the first time ever I cried in front of one of my children. Even when my first wife died, I held it together in front of my kids. Oh, I cried a river in private, but I somehow managed to keep composed in front of people.

“A couple of days later Kayla, my oldest daughter, comes home with a lovely young girl named Sevenia,” Bill told me and then grinned. “I believe you know her?”

“Yes, quite well,” I replied. “And quite fondly.”

“In between my encounter with Amber and then the encounter I ended up having with Kayla and Sevenia, I looked at some old cards and letters my dad had sent me. I had never opened them, but for some reason I had saved them.

“He didn’t say a whole lot in them. In one dated about a few months previous, he said he was out of prison. He claimed he was reformed. He even stated that he would love to see me. I don’t know if you can comprehend the pressure I felt when, you guessed it, Sevenia and Kayla started discussing forgiveness in front of me.

“At first I thought they had heard about my discussion with Amber, and I called them out on it. But I could tell by their baffled expressions that they had no idea what I was talking about. Nonetheless, I went on a rant about abuse and irresponsible parents, and how ridiculous the prospect of forgive and forget. I also said, ‘Don’t be telling me forgiveness is for the forgiver and not the forgiven.’ That’s when a sweet little kitten put this old dog in his place.

“We discussed a lot that day, and I learned a lot from a girl not even half my age. What stuck out the most were two things, Sevenia’s explanation of forgiveness and her explanation of free will. All the while, little Amber’s voice telling me about God kept echoing in my head. ‘He believes in you, He believes in you.’

“Sevenia told me, forgiveness is not equivalent to trust or affection or fondness. She said you can forgive someone and never be in their presence again. You are under no obligation to continue a relationship with them. You can even forgive someone and call the police on them.

“Secondly, I’ll never forget what she said about free will. She explained that God is love. Real love necessitates freedom, and freedom involves risk. Otherwise we would all be a bunch of automatons.

“A week later, we went to Cotton Creek Cove with Sevenia. A week after that, we went again, and Little Captain was a guest speaker. We met him and started attending Spring Valley. Nothing against Captain Kirk and the rest of you folks, it’s simply much closer to our home.”

“None taken,” I replied. “By the way, how did your daughter get acquainted with Sevenia? I don’t think Sevenia was even driving two years ago.”

“Kayla was driving, she’s almost nineteen,” Jenny said. “She’s actually a class ahead of Sevenia.”

“I wasn’t too thrilled with her driving across Cedar Rapids to hang with her new friend,” Bill chuckled. “But after I met Sevenia, I calmed at least a little bit anyway.”

“And how did they meet?” I asked.

“I think it was at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event,” Jenny said.

I felt myself frown. I never knew of Sevenia participating in any athletic endeavors. I would have to ask her about that.

“Did you ever do anything about your father?” I asked.

“I did,” Bill replied. “Long story short, I went to California to see him. I forgave him, and he seemed aghast and puzzled at what he would possibly need to be forgiven for. This puzzled me because he had asked for forgiveness in a couple of his letters when he was still in prison. I also saw evidence he was using again.

“Then he started making demands for money and meeting my kids. I wasn’t about to finance a drug habit, and I also wasn’t going to subject my kids to this self-absorbed, manipulative human being. I wanted him out of my life, and I remembered what Sevenia taught me about forgiveness.

“I had put aside my stubbornness. I traveled two thousand miles to make peace, and I was open to letting him back into my life even. But then I found out he hadn’t changed at all. He was as ensconced in his old lifestyle as ever. I told him to have a nice life and that I would keep him in my prayers. He replied with mockery and profanity.

“But you know what? The nagging resentment and bitterness that had tormented the back of my mind for years was gone. I felt free to love my dad, even as I disliked him and wanted him out of my life.

“One of the things I marvel at the most about the life of Christ is Him asking His Father to forgive His murderers. I’ve had a small taste of how and why he did that.”

“Bill has always been a wonderful husband and father,” Jenny said, and then giggled. “But when Bill came back from California, he was more Sweet William than ever!”

When we finished recording the podcast, Seven had us smiling and laughing when he picked up a guitar and began to sing this bluesy ditty.

Well way down yonder in Newerville, lived a cat named Big Bad Bill

I wants ta tell ya, oh the cat was rough and tough, could really strut his stuff.

Had the whole town scared to death when he walked by they all held their breath.

He’s a fightin man sure enough

And then Bill got himself a wife, now he leads a different life

Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now, married life done changed him somehow

Well he’s the man the town used to fear, now they all call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear

Stronger than Samson I declare, till a blonde haired woman bobbed his head

Big Bad Bill don’t fight anymore, no, no, no

He’s doin the dishes and moppin up that floor, yes he is

Well he used go out drinkin and lookin for a fight

now he’s gotta see that sweet woman every night

Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now!

All together now. Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now.

One more time. Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now.

We all clapped and hooted. Then Seven sneered like Elvis and said, “Thank you, thank you very much.”

Then I joked, “Okay, Seven, now leave the building.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(HISTORY OF THE CHURCH: PERSECUTION in the FIRST CENTURIES)

These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued for greater or less fury for many centuries.

Catacombs afforded shelter for thousands of genuine Christians. Beneath the hills outside the city of Rome, long galleries had been tunneled through earth and rock.

With words of faith, patience, and hope they encouraged one another to endure privation and distress. The loss of every earthly blessing could not force them to renounce their belief in Christ.

“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

“You may kill us , torture us, condemn us…..” It was but a stronger invitation to bring others to their persuasion. “The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow. The blood of Christians is seed.” (Tertullian, Apology, paragraph 50)

Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully against the government of God by planting his banner in the Christian church.

Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism.

As the followers of Christ united with idolaters, the Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost its purity and power.

There were some, however, who were not misled by these delusions. They still maintained their fidelity to the Author of truth and worshipped God alone.

After a long and severe conflict, a faithful minority decided to dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still refused to free herself from falsehood and idolatry.

There was and is an alarming indifference in regard to the doctrines which should be the pillars of the Christian faith.

The early Christians were indeed a peculiar people. Their blameless deportment and unswerving faith were a continual reproof that disturbed the sinner’s peace.

It was for the same reason that the Jews rejected and crucified the Savior—because the purity and holiness of His character was a constant rebuke to their selfishness and corruption.

The gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a system which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony, and happiness throughout the earth.

But the world at large are under the control of Satan, Christ’s bitterest foe.

The mysterious providence which permits the righteous to suffer persecution at the hand of the wicked has been a cause of great perplexity to many who are weak in faith.

“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” John 15:20

Jesus suffered for us more than any of His followers can be made to suffer through the cruelty of wicked men. Those who are called to endure torture and martyrdom are but following in the steps of God’s dear Son.

XCVIII

UNLESS YOU ARE CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, YOU WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

MATTHEW 18:3

DESTINY KNIGHT-STORM

(INTERVIEW WITH THE BRADLEY’S Part 1 of 2)

When I interviewed the Duncan’s, what made their situation personally interesting for me was simply how their reacquaintance at a rural church quite far from their hometown was in many ways similar to Brock and myself.

With the Bradley’s, there were two things that grabbed my attention. First was Bill Bradley’s difficult youth, and history of trouble and fighting. Secondly was how he became a success, and how both his trouble and success won him the heart of Jenny.

The Bradley’s were in their early forties. They had been going to Cotton Creek Cove’s sister church, Spring Valley, for about six months. They were affectionately known as the Bradley Bunch. This was due to their amalgamated family, and a play on the old sit-com ‘The Brady Bunch’, which also had an amalgamated family.

Only instead of the mom having three girls, and the dad having three boys of about the same age, Bill Bradley had two daughters and a son, with an age range of 18, 16 and 14. Jenny Bradley had a son, 12, and a daughter, 10.

Bill was a rugged looking man. His skin was tan and turning leathery from years of working outdoors. He had close cropped, light brown hair and close set hazel eyes whose gaze was as intense as I had ever seen. He looked like a former Marine, or a tough gunman out of an old western movie. Yet when we shook hands, his smile and greeting was warm and friendly.

Jenny was blonde, blue eyed and looked as though she would have been a cheerleader. She also aged well. Although 41, if you told me she was 29, I would probably have believed you.

“How long have you two been married?” I began.

“We just had our seventh anniversary two weeks ago,” Jenny said, smiling happily.

“Since you both were married before, may I ask about that situation?”

“I was in an abusive marriage,” Jenny told me with a pained look in her eyes. “We had an ugly divorce.”

“My first wife passed away of an aneurism when she was only 32,” Bill told me with a hard look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, and then did some quick math in my head. Their children would have been  9, 7 and 5. “What a terrible shame.”

Bill pursed his lips, looked down at the table and nodded.

“How did you two meet then?” I asked.

“We sort of knew each other briefly in high school,” Jenny said, smiled ruefully and added. “Before he was expelled for beating up a teacher.”

“I have no regrets,” Bill said boldly, a challenging look in his eyes.

I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of that one! “I hope you explain in a little while.”

“Gladly,” he replied, as he smirked with a corner of his mouth.

“Okay, so you two knew each other in high school,” I said.

“It was more like knew of each other,” Jenny clarified. “When we really got to know each other was when I was in college. Hannah Briscoe, who would become Bill’s wife, was my roommate. She was a beautiful, strong soul, and we became best friends.”

“Jenny also tried to convince Hannah not to have anything to do with me when we first started seeing each other,” Bill said and then chuckled.

“Could you blame me though?” Jenny smiled and covered a hand over his.

“No,” he responded with another deep chuckle, as his other hand went over the top of hers. “I was a high school drop out with two assault charges and a public intox on my record.”

“Hannah wouldn’t listen to me though,” Jenny laughed. “But you know what? Because of her, Big Bad Bill became Sweet William.”

Little did I know when we finished actually recording for the podcast that the venerable Seven Sallie would sing a ditty about Big Bad Bill becoming Sweet William. It wasn’t half bad!

“So unfortunately Bill’s wife passed away, and you were divorced Jenny. How long before you two began to see each other?”

“Actually, after Hannah passed away,” Bill explained. “Jenny and I probably only spoke once over the next year. She had called me on what would have been Hannah’s 33^rd birthday to see how I was doing.”

“Then we ran into each other at Hannah’s grave site,” Jenny continued. “It was a year to the day she died. We sat right in front of her stone and talked for a couple hours, and it was so bittersweet. I was in such a dark place personally, but talking to Bill was a breath of fresh air. ”

“We were both single and lonely,” Bill said with a non-humorous chuckle. “I asked her if she would like to have dinner. She said that wouldn’t be a good idea because her ex was stalking her. She told me she had tried to date a couple different guys, and Chad had scared both off. Big Bad Bill awakened inside me, and I told her I’d like it if he tried to scare me off.”

“Bill and Chad, my ex, clashed big time,” Jenny said shaking her head. “So we never really became close as far as couple get togethers go. You know, when Hannah was still alive.”

“I never had much tolerance for bullies,” Bill said sternly. “And I could tell two minutes after he and I met for the first time that that was just what Chad was.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t fully comprehend this until after I said I do,” Jenny said.

“You said fully comprehend,” I repeated. “Did that mean you had signs before marriage?”

“Yes, little ones,” Jenny shrugged. “Like, he would get jealous if he thought I was too friendly with another guy. This actually happened repeatedly with Bill, even though Bill and Hannah were obviously head over heels with one another.”

“Hannah saw it too and tried to warn her,” Bill said.

“I guess love can be not only blind, but stupid,” she said and shrugged. “So, anyway, Bill tells me he’d like to see Chad scare him off. My better judgement told me to say no. Not only because Bill had put that side of him to rest for so many years, but Chad was a big guy. He was a defensive end in college and almost drafted into the NFL. He actually made the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, but was cut.

“But the thing was, Bill knew how to fight. Chad had rarely fought, he just literally threw his weight around. This intimidated most guys, and they backed down. But I was there in gym class that day when Bill pummeled Coach Beckham. He also punched a couple wrestlers that tried to help the coach. I think they were afraid of him because none of them seemed to try very hard. Bill fled before anyone could get their hands on him.”

“Most people are afraid of a crazy person,” Bill chuckled.

“Okay, now you have to tell me what happened,” I said. “What made you beat up a teacher?”

“Long story short,” Bill said with a shrug. “I spent most of my childhood in the rough part of Los Angeles. My dad beat me on a regular basis. On the streets you had to be part of a gang just to survive. I hated that. Both my mom and dad got sent to prison for dealing drugs. Lucky for me, my mom’s aunt here in Iowa took me in.

“I didn’t realize what a blessing that was at the time. I just didn’t care about anything. I had a massive chip on my shoulder. I hated bullies, especially ones in authority. Before the Coach Beckham incident, I had been in a few fights here in Iowa, but they were nothing. Tough guys here were as soft as could be. They wouldn’t survive for a minute on the mean streets of a big city.

“Anyway, Coach Beckham taught driver’s ed and also some gym classes. He was also the wrestling coach. One of his wrestlers was making fun of an overweight girl. His cronies were laughing like what he was saying was actually funny. I never understood people feeling tough in part of a group. I was in an actual street gang, and I felt ashamed that I didn’t feel I could stand on my own.

“I commented on the wrestler’s behavior, and I did use profanity. The coach told me to watch my language and threatened the principal’s office. I rebuked the coach for ignoring the bullying, and I insulted his manhood in the process, once again using profanity. The coach told me to go to the office. I got up as if to go, but I planned on getting in the coach’s business first.

“The wrestler that was leading in the bullying told me I was dead meat. I said, is that right? I’ll fight you anywhere any time. But is it just you and me, or do you need your friends to help you? Cause I’ll wipe the floor with you if you don’t.”

“The whole class of about forty students were stunned,” Jenny interjected. “The whole place was still, other than the confrontation taking place. I was so nervous! I was actually a wrestling cheerleader, but I was rooting for Bill in this situation. I was also marveling at his bravery.

“The next thing I knew, Bill was pushing the coach. The coach tried to do a take down, but Bill punched him hard in the face. You could here this loud pop, and blood poured out of coach’s nose. But he kept coming at Bill, Then there was a snap, and the coach screamed and grabbed his broken arm.

“This in turn snapped the bullying wrestlers out of their stunned stupor and they rushed to the coach’s aid. Then for half a minute it was like watching a Chuck Norris film. Bill kicked one in the groin and he went down. Then he immediately punched another. The rest didn’t seem too eager to approach Bill and he fled.”

“That was the end of my academic career,” Bill laughed. “Not only was I expelled, but I was also arrested. Fortunately, when the judge heard the entire story and spoke to witnesses, including the bullied girl, I was exonerated.”

“The whole school was divided,” Jenny said. “It seemed like half the school thought of Bill as a hero, while the other half thought of him as a heathen. Here’s the thing though. I’m ashamed to say, that at the time, I sided with the wrestlers because they were part of the clique that I was. But I know that most of the people that bad mouthed Bill, secretly admired him.”

“I want to clarify something,” Bill said. “This is by no means a criticism of wrestlers or wrestling. Both our boys have wrestled. This is simply an indictment on some bad apple bullies.”

“So fast forward more than a decade, and deja vu all over again,” Jenny laughed. “Bill and I start seeing each other, and not long after, a confrontation with my ex ensues. Like I said, my ex is big, but my current is fast and strong.

“They end up in a skirmish, and Bill starts slapping Chad. Chad keeps trying to get a hold of Bill and he slips him. Then slap! Chad tries to punch him, gets blocked, and slap!”

Jenny starts laughing. Bill looks at her, then smirks and explained. “I guess it was kind of a psychological move. I wanted to prove I wasn’t scared, and by toying with him, that he was no match for me regardless of his size advantage. I wanted him to stay away, and leave us alone.”

“It worked,” Jenny said, still chuckling. “Bill’s got strong hands from years in construction. He left red marks on his face, and even bloodied Chad’s nose just with slaps. Chad was literally crying. The slaps stung and he couldn’t stop his eyes from watering. Chad stopped stalking me, and I can count on one hand how many times we’ve seen him since.”

“Is he not involved in his children’s lives?” I asked.

“Nope,” Jenny said coldly.

“Did you want it that way?” I asked with a frown.

“One of the reasons I divorced Chad,” Jenny said and then sighed. “Was because I felt like he never wanted the kids in the first place. He was angry when I first told him I was pregnant. He also was showing signs of being abusive. I was relieved when he never fought for any type of custody. But I also never asked for child support, and he never offered a penny.”

“Shifting directions a little bit,” I said. “I know you all have been attending Spring Valley for about two years. Were you Christians before joining?”

“No,” they replied in unison. Then Jenny continued. “If you asked both of us if we believed in God, we would have said yes. But we didn’t go to church and were skeptical of religion.”

“What changed that?” I asked.

“Our youngest daughter asked me about my upbringing,” Bill said. “I didn’t pull any punches. I told her exactly what it was like for me growing up, and what an ogre I had for a father and an enabler for a mother. In the process, our little girl taught me about forgiveness.”

“Taught us about forgiveness,” Jenny added. “That was only the beginning. Our eighteen year old daughter got to know Sevenia. What an amazing young woman! She’s almost unknown from the world’s standpoint, yet women who do porn and other outrageous things have thousands even millions of followers. No offence, I know you used to do porn.”

(Destiny’s story is told in the e-book ‘Knight Storm’ by Johnathan Embers.)

“Non taken, I totally agree,” I replied. “I’m just thankful for God’s forgiveness and redemption. Now, please tell me how your own children led you to the Savior.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(HISTORY OF THE CHURCH: THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM)

“When Jesus was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.” Luke 19:41

Amid the universal rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while palm branches waved, while glad hosannas awoke the echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices declared Him king, the world’s Redeemer was overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious sorrow.

But Israel had turned from her best Friend and only Helper. The pleadings of His love had been despised, His counsels spurned, His warnings ridiculed.

Though rewarded with evil for good, and hatred for His love (Psalm 109:5). He had steadfastly pursued His mission of mercy. Never were those repelled that sought His grace.

He who alone could save them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon to be crucified.

The loss of even one soul is a calamity infinitely outweighing the gains and treasures of a world; but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before Him.

What, then, was the grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages.

Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the world hardened in unbelief and rebellion, and hastening on to meet the retributive judgements of God. The woes of a fallen race, pressing upon His soul, forced from His lips that exceeding bitter cry.

Few would seek Jesus, their only source of help. He was willing to pour out His soul unto death, to bring salvation within their reach. But few would come to Him that they might have life.

The Majesty of heaven in tears! The Son of the infinite God troubled in spirit and bowed down with anguish! The scene filled heaven with wonder. The scene reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness of sin.

The disciples had been filled with awe and wonder at Christ’s prediction of the overthrow of the temple, and they desired to understand more fully the meaning of His words.

Christ presented before them an outline of the prominent events to take place before the close of time. (See Matthew chapter 24)

For nearly forty years after the doom of Jerusalem had been pronounced by Christ Himself, the Lord delayed His judgements upon the city and the nation. Wonderful was the longsuffering of God toward the rejectors of His gospel and the murderers of His Son.

Then God withdrew His protection from them and removed His restraining power from Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control of the leader she had chosen.

Blood flowed down the temple steps like water. Thousands upon thousands perished. Above the sound of battle, voices were heard shouting: “Ichabod”—the glory has departed.

The horrible cruelties enacted in the destruction of Jerusalem are a demonstration of Satan’s vindictive power over those who yield to His control.

We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan.

The world is no more ready to credit the message for this time than were the Jews to receive the Savior’s warning concerning Jerusalem. Come when it may, the day of God will come unawares to the ungodly.

“Know that it is near, even at the doors!” (Matthew 24:33)

“Watch ye therefore,” (Mark 13:35) are Jesus’s words of admonition.

XCVII

I CRIED TO THE LORD WITH MY VOICE, AND HE HEARD ME FROM HIS HOLY HILL. SELAH

PSALM 3:4

DESTINY KNIGHT-STORM

(INTERVIEW WITH THE DUNCAN’S: Part 2 of 2)

Debbie had just told me about her happiest childhood memory. It took place when she and her future husband, Dale, were freshman in high school. Dale had seemingly let her win a neighborhood game of mango ball, a game similar to dodgeball.

It was Debbie’s greatest sports victory. Debbie, a self-proclaimed klutz, was hoisted into the air by her fellow playmates as they chanted her name in celebration.

“Did you ever win anymore mango ball games?” I asked.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “But that was the very last time we ever played. Not that I would have won anymore if we did. Not without someone’s help, anyway.”

“How come you never played anymore?” I asked.

“Winter set in not long after,” Dale explained. “And by the time it warmed up, I guess we all moved on to more grown up things. At least for high schoolers.”

“Did you two ever date in high school?” I inquired.

“Oh, no,” Debbie said, shaking her head emphatically. “Like I said before, Dale was one of the most popular kids in school, and I was one of the biggest nerds. That said, Dale was always nice to me, always spoke to me when we crossed paths.”

“Dale, when did you discover you had romantic feelings for Debbie?” I asked.

“That’s a little complicated,” Dale told me. “I had always viewed Debbie like a sister, or at least like a cousin. But she wasn’t. She also wasn’t like other girls. I’ve always loved Debbie, but I guess that love first turned romantic for me when we were seniors. It all started with a movie.”

“A movie?”

“Yeah, ‘A Walk To Remember,’” Dale said with a chuckle.

“That doesn’t seem like the type of movie a high school boy would watch,” I said.

“It was sort of by accident,” Dale replied with a shrug. “My parents were gone, and my girlfriend and I were, um, fooling around on the couch. The T.V. was on, and I think one of the ‘Terminator’ movies was playing. We weren’t watching, though, if you know what I mean?”

Dale looked sheepishly at Debbie. She shrugged and said. “What transpired next caused them to break up.”

I frowned. “What happened?”

“I went to my room to get a, um…” Dale looked cautiously at Debbie.

“He went to get condom,” Debbie replied, smiled shyly, and blushed.

“But nothing happened,” Dale blurted. “We ended up breaking up instead. When I came back to the living room, my girlfriend had been flipping through the channels and was watching ‘A Walk To Remember.’ The main character, played by Mandy Moore, reminded me of Debbie. I stopped in the hallway and watched for a few minutes. I was mesmerized.

“When my girlfriend spotted me, she shut the TV off. I told her to turn it back on, and that’s when an argument ensued. First she said she didn’t want the TV distracting us while we made love. Then she made fun of me for wanting to watch a chick flick. Then she just came out and said that I only wanted to see it because the character named Jamie was so similar to Debbie. I told her she was correct.

“Then she snatched the condom out of my hand and said, ‘Why don’t you go use this with Debbie then? Oh, that’s right, she’s saving herself for marriage.’ Then I replied, ‘Is that worse than letting a high school boyfriend have his way with her before they go their separate ways in life. Why by the cow if you can get the milk for free?’ After I said that, she slapped me and left. So, that was the end of that girlfriend.

“Then I sat down and watched the chick flick all by myself. It depressed me, and not just because the character that reminded me of Debbie died in the end. It made me realize that I truly did desire Debbie, But even if she would have me, I didn’t deserve her.”

“It wasn’t long after this incident, that Dale tried to kiss me,” Debbie said and then giggled.

“He tried?” I asked. “He didn’t succeed?”

“She turned her face away, and I ended up kissing her ear,” Dale replied, and then chuckled.

“It was the hardest thing I ever did, it truly was,” Debbie said and then shrugged. “But I didn’t want to end up just another notch on his belt.”

“I’m gonna ask something rather personal,” I said. “So please don’t feel obliged to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. Were you a virgin when you two married?”

“Yes,” Debbie replied sweetly. Dale hung his head and looked at the floor. She put a hand over his. “I dated a really good guy for almost a year. He wanted us to get married about five or six months into our relationship, siting his so called physical needs. I told him we needed to wait at least one more year. He tried for a few more months, but ended up leaving me for the woman he was involved with before me.

“It was really awkward. The three of us attended the same church we all grew up in. We were civil and all, I even attended their wedding. But it hurt, bad. It ultimately led me to move away from Des Moines to Tipton, Iowa. I went to work for my aunt in her antique shop.

“What started out as an escape from pain, turned into an incredible blessing. I thought I was a pretty diligent student of the Bible, but my aunt opened my eyes to truths I hadn’t perceived before. In particular, the truth about the sabbath, and the fallacy about eternal torment and what the Bible really teaches about hell. I started attending my aunt’s church and never looked back.”

“Do you still work for your aunt?” I asked.

“Actually I do, but sporadically and part time. After Dale and I got married, I became pregnant right away, and mostly have been a stay at home mom ever since.”

“How about you now, Dale?” I inquired.

“Well, after high school, I went to the University of Iowa and got a degree in business. I guess you could say I had the typical college experience. Frat parties and pretty girls, but all of them seemed to lack something that Debbie had, and none of them lasted.

“After college, I got a job at a credit union. I longed to settle down, but ironically, I put dating on hold indefinitely. I bought an old farmhouse in Stanwood and spent the next year renovating it. Debbie and I were both well over a hundred miles from Des Moines, but living less than ten miles from each other, and didn’t even know it.”

“Yet,” Debbie added with a giggle.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m anxious to know how you two got reacquainted.”

“It actually happened in Des Moines,” Debbie replied. “I was back in town because my sister had just had a baby.”

“And I was back in town for my grandparents 60^th anniversary party,” Dale added. “I had driven from Stanwood to Omaha to pick up my grandma’s brother, and then back to Des Moines. After all that driving, I wanted to go for a quick run to get the kinks out before the anniversary celebration. There was a park close to our old neighborhood that had a mile long trail encircling it, and I went there for my run.”

“And I decided to go for a run before I had dinner with my parents,” Debbie said, and then giggled. “I didn’t typically go jogging, but I guess I wanted to burn off calories before I had a big piece of my mother’s blueberry pie with heavy whip cream.”

“So I’m running along,” Dale explained. “And I came across this nice female form in tight running pants in front of me. I had never seen Debbie in anything but a skirt or dress, so I had no clue it was her. I intended to just zip by. I had rather enjoyed my year of celibacy, for the most part anyway, and I didn’t want to give in to lust. But there was something familiar about the awkward gait of the runner. It reminded me of Debbie.”

“At that time in my life, I had sort of rebelled against my mother’s conservative style of dress,” Debbie interjected.

“So I slowed down and found myself smiling at all the wonderful memories of the shy, cute girl next door,” Dale said. “But eventually, I decided to run past her. Since she was running so erratically, I announced I was coming by on her left.”

“I didn’t really comprehend what that meant at first,” Debbie laughed. “So I moved to the left when he said on your left.”

“And I crashed right into her,” Dale chuckled. “She stumbled and fell, and not wanting to trip over her, I dived and rolled.”

“I was mortified,” Debbie giggled. “I began apologizing profusely. Then we recognized each other.”

“We hadn’t seen each other in three or four years,” Dale said. “So it turned out that it was great to, quite literally, run into her.”

“We only had about five or ten minutes to talk,” Debbie said. “We told each other what we were doing, but we didn’t mention where.”

“We both assumed that the other still lived in Des Moines,” Dale added. “I couldn’t get Debbie out of my mind for several days. She was such a beautiful woman, but not just on the outside. Right when I convinced myself to forget about her, we end up running into each other at a church just outside of Cedar Rapids. Only not literally this time.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” Debbie said. “Six days after I ran into Dale, God answered my unspoken prayers, and Dale walked into our fellowship. You see, two things that always kept my heart from getting hopeful about Dale. For one, I knew he cared for me, but I never knew he desired me like I did him. And two was simply not being yoked to an unbeliever.”

“Debbie misunderstood my feelings for her that time I tried to kiss her,” Dale said. “Unlike other girls I kissed, my goal wasn’t sex. I knew what Debbie was about.”

“Why didn’t you tell her?” I asked.

“Like I said before, I didn’t feel like I deserved her,” he replied with a shrug. “Even when I showed up at her church as a new believer about ready to be baptized.”

“Tell me about that,” I said. “How did you become a believer?”

“I’m sure you know Jake Weston.”

“Absolutely,” I replied. “He was a pillar at Cotton Creek Cove long before I showed up there.”

“Well, he’s my UPS guy. We got to each other, and long story short, I had Bible studies with him. Then he introduced me to Little Captain. I fell in love with the guy, and he quickly became a father figure for me. My own dad passed away when I was sixteen.”

David Gibson was the pastor of Cotton Creek Cove’s sister church, Lilly Valley Fellowship. His nickname of Little Captain was a play on a few things. It tied into his mentor, Captain Kirk, aka, Pastor Kirk Samson. The little was a play on his large size. He is six foot six and about three hundred pounds of solid mass. Lastly, he was captain of a tour boat on Lake Superior for several years.

“I had been attending Cotton Creek Cove for a while, and Little Captain showed up one day to do the sermon. Jake introduced me to him and we hit it off. I started studying with him as well as Jake. Since his church was much closer to my house, I asked Jake if he would be offended if I started going to Lilly Valley instead of his church, Cotton Creek. He told me, ‘of course not, they are practically one in the same.’

“So I show up for worship service for the first time, and who do I find in attendance? My little Debbie. No pun intended with the snack cake, although she is even sweeter. On second thought, maybe I intended a pun after all.”

I laughed. “Okay, so how did things turn romantic with you two?”

“First of all, he was baptized,” Debbie said. “For me, that eliminated being yoked to an unbeliever. But I still felt he was out of my league.”

“Between her thinking that, and me thinking I didn’t deserve her, we simply resumed our old friendship. Only this time it was much deeper. We discussed spiritual things for hours. We went for long walks, watched the stars come out on my front porch, studied the Bible together. Yet we didn’t so much as even hold hands.”

“How long did this go on?” I asked. “Surely some spark happened to turn friendship into romance.”

“Two months,” Debbie said.

“And five days,” Dale chuckled.

“Like Dale said, we hadn’t held hands, but he ended up holding my foot,” Debbie said, and then giggled. “We were on a walk, and I stepped in a little hole and twisted my ankle. Dale helped me to a bench, pulled off my sneaker and massaged my foot and ankle.”

“Were you hurt very bad?”

“No, probably just a slight sprain, I didn’t go to the doctor or anything. I just walked it off. But I started to feel uncomfortable because Dale became so quiet and still. I felt self-conscious wondering if my foot was smelly.”

“Actually, I was simply mesmerized by the delicate beauty of her foot, her leg, her whole being,” Dale explained.

“I started to ramble about always being a klutz,” Debbie said. “The subject of that last mango ball game came up. I thanked him for letting me win. He kind of laughed and said, ‘I remember you looking at me when everyone hoisted you onto their shoulders, you were feeling so excited.’ I shook my head, and I couldn’t stop a tear from coming.”

Debbie put a hand to her chest, and looked as if she might pop a tear again. Dale continued the story. “I said, ‘Sure you were,’ and I was puzzled why tears started flowing. She shook her head and barley croaked that it was love. I wasn’t sure I heard her right and asked her to repeat. She then told me that she had always been in love with me. So, I put her foot down and kissed her.”

“This time I didn’t turn my head,” Debbie laughed. Then she looked at Dale with deep affection. “And we have been kissing ever since.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 17: LAST PART ON THE SUBJECT)

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate.” Luke 13:24

The only hope for us if we would overcome is to unite our will to God’s will and work in co-operation with Him, hour by hour and day by day. We cannot retain self and yet enter the kingdom of God.

Are we willing to pay the price required of us? Are we willing to have our will brought into perfect conformity to the will of God? Until we are willing, the transforming grace of God cannot be manifest upon us.

Jacob, in the great crisis of his life, turned aside to pray. He was filled with one overmastering purpose—to seek for transformation of character.

This spirit of persistence in Jacob was inspired by Him who wrestled with the patriarch. It was He who gave him the victory. (See Genesis chapter 32)

That for which Jacob had vainly wrestled in his own strength was won through self-surrender and steadfast faith.

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4

“Beware of false prophets.” Matthew 7:15

What message do teachers and preachers bring? Does it lead you to reverence and fear God? Does it lead you to manifest your love for Him by loyalty to His commandments?

A belief that does not lead to obedience is presumption.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of humanity.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

The apostle John says, “He that says, I know Him, and keeps not the commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4

Obedience is the test of discipleship. It is the keeping of the commandments that proves the sincerity of our professions of love.

“It fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.” Matthew 7:25

Doing, not merely saying, is expected of the followers of Christ. It is through action that character is built.

Do you desire to become a follower of Christ, yet know not how to begin? Are you in darkness and know not how to find the light? Follow the light you have! Set your heart to obey what you do know of the word of God. His power, His very life, dwells in His word. As you receive the word in faith, it will give you power to obey. As you give heed to the light you have, greater light will come. You are building on God’s word, and your character will be builded after the similitude of the character of Christ.

The word of God is the only steadfast thing our world knows. It is the sure foundation. “Heaven and earth shall pass away,” said Jesus, “but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35

“The word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

XCVI

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH

MATTHEW 5:5

DESTINY KNIGHT-STORM

(INTERVIEW WITH THE DUNCAN’S: Part 1of 2)

I waited with a growing sense of unease for Seven to arrive. It was seven until seven, no pun intended, and the Duncan’s, a couple that I was destined to interview were due at seven o’clock sharp.

Seven Sallie is prone to lose track of time and has often apologized for being late. However, he was with my husband, who is his cousin, Brock Storm. Brock is the most punctual person I have ever met. For example, since we met more than half a decade ago, he and I have gone to some form of fellowship a few hundred times. I can count on one hand the number of times we were less than five minutes early.

Not only was I unsure about doing a profile of relationships again, but I was also the only one at the Sallie residence and the place was locked. Zella, Seven’s wife, was off somewhere with Sevenia, Seven’s daughter. I feared the Duncan’s, who I had only met once over a year ago, arriving before Seven, and me saying, “Please join me on the porch, care for a piece of chewing gum. By the way, I have no idea why Seven isn’t here like he said he would be.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Zella and Sevenia pulled into the driveway. At least we wouldn’t be locked out of the house. Twenty seconds later, Seven and Brock pulled in behind them.

“Hey guys, wait till you hear this,” Seven said, laughing as the four walked to the porch.

“Seven!” Brock barked, “Knock it off!”

Most people would obey an order like that from my husband. He’s built like something between a pro wrestler and an NFL linebacker. But the two cousins were more like brothers, and Brock’s command only seemed to increase Seven’s merriment.

“So, we run into this guy Brock knows,” Seven says, and then pauses to laugh heartily. “Brock ends up witnessing his faith to the fellow, the guy is interested, and the conversation was going good. This friend of Brock’s ends up telling us he’s a wiccan. Brock says…”

Seven paused to laugh some more, a tear popped from his eye and he swiped it. Even though Brock folded his massive arms and scowled, a smile played at his lips.

“Brock puts a hand on his chest to emphasize sincerity,” Seven continued, and demonstrated by placing his own hand on his chest. “He says, oh, we are too.”

Seven once again had to pause for laughter. All of us joined him, if anything, simply over watching his own giddiness.

“That’s when I made a mistake,” Seven said, his hands on his knees, his breath coming in pants. “I said to Brock, he just told us he’s a wiccan, you know, a male witch. Brock’s eyes get as big as saucers, and he says, ‘Oh no Jimmy, I thought you said wicked. I was just acknowledging that we’re all sinners in need of Jesus Christ.’”

“Honey, why did you say you regret correcting Brock?” Zella asked.

“Oh, you know,” he replied with a shrug. “I wanted to see what else he might have said.”

“Daddy!” Sevenia scolded, even though she grinned from ear to ear.

“Sweety, I’ve been telling you for at least a year that you should get your ears checked,” I told Brock. He nodded like a scolded schoolboy. Not wanting to appear like a nagging wife, I added. “So how did Jimmy react?”

“He thought it was funny,” Seven said with a wave of his hand.

“He wants to get together for a deeper discussion,” Brock said happily. Then he put an arm around Seven and squeezed him aggressively to himself. “That’s why I’m not gonna give ole Cuz here a Dutch rub.”

“Lucky for you, ya brute, cause I might just knock ya out,” Seven retorted.

Brock let go of him and pretended to be frightened. Seven puffed out his chest and stalked the bigger man. Brock cowered away from him. Everyone was laughing as the Duncan’s pulled into the driveway.

One thing in particular did excite me about interviewing Dale and Debbie Duncan. They were the couple that had reacquaintance circumstances similar to Brock and me. By that I mean, they both knew each other in one city, and years later crossed paths at a church in another city. I wanted to see how it paralleled with Hubby and me. We sat down to get to know each other before we actually recorded for the podcast.

(Destiny and Brock’s own romance story is told in detail in the e-book Knight Storm by Johnathan Embers)

The thing that struck me first about the Duncan’s is how opposite they initially appeared. They were in their early forties. Dale was lean and tan with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like he would have been a quarterback and homecoming king in high school. My speculation was pretty accurate. He was in fact a homecoming king and an all-around jock. But he ran cross country rather than played football.

Debbie appeared as neither an athlete nor a cheerleader. At first she seemed to be simply pale and plain. Her brown hair was long and silky straight, and her large light brown eyes darted with caution. Yet she had a nice smile that matched her husband.

Debbie had a subtle beauty that intensified as you got to know her. She was so sweet, gentle, and soft spoken. Her alabaster skin was baby smooth and the longer I was around her, the more I thought she was really quite lovely. I no longer had fleeting thoughts that she married out of her league.

“We both grew up in Des Moines,” Dale said.

“We were next door neighbors,” Debbie added, and then looked adoringly at Dale. He smiled at her and returned a gaze of fondness. I could tell right off that these two were the real deal. They had a deep bond and genuine love for each other. “Our moms were pretty good friends, even though they were very different. So we were playmates before we even started preschool.”

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Debbie,” Dale chuckled.

“But he was popular, and I was a nerd,” Debbie said sadly. “But he always looked out for me, sort of, for lack of a better description, like a big brother.”

“I think that’s one of the reasons it took so long for us to come around to each other,” Dale said. “You know, I mean, romantically speaking.”

“Actually, more like you to coming around to me,” she said with a shy smile. “I had a big crush on Dale ever since the second or third grade. Then during Thanksgiving break our freshman year in high school, it turned into love one afternoon and has only deepened since.”

“What happened that one afternoon?” I asked.

“Mango ball,” Debbie replied and then giggled.

“What’s a mango ball?” I asked with a frown.

“It was a game we used to play in the neighborhood,” Dale explained. “It was basically dodgeball with a few minor rule changes. There was only one playground ball, and usually anywhere from six to twelve of us playing. It was every man for himself, the last one not out won.”

“I was horrible at sports,” Debbie said, and almost seemed to blush. “But I used to play in neighborhood games just to be a part of the other kids. I never cared about winning or losing. But the older we got, everyone seemed to be getting cooler and more sophisticated, and I just kept getting more awkward and geeky.”

“No,” Dale interjected. “You only got more sweet and beautiful. Plus, you wouldn’t have been quite so clumsy playing games if it hadn’t been for your mother never letting you leave the house without a skirt or dress on.”

“My family belonged to a really conservative church when I was growing up,” Debbie said.

“And my family only went to church at Christmas and Easter, and for weddings and funerals,” Dale chuckled.

“Anyway, that special afternoon didn’t start of so special,” Debbie said and then looked at Dale.

“I accidently drilled Debbie in the side of the head with the playground ball,” Dale said sheepishly. “I was actually throwing at my best friend Seth Markle, but the ball slipped from my grasp right when I tried to throw a fastball.”

“It didn’t really hurt that much,” Debbie said. “But it jarred me, and I did a three step little jig and fell to my knees. What hurt was everyone rolling with laughter.”

“When the game was over,” Dale said. “Debbie quietly told me she was going home. Not at all in the ‘feeling sorry for yourself, I’m taking my ball and going home’ manner. It was in a defeated, lonely sort of way. It broke my heart.”

“Even as kids, Dale wasn’t like most boys,” Debbie said. “He always stuck up for the underdog. I went to parochial school through the eighth grade. When I started high school as a freshman, it was the first time we went to school together. If it hadn’t been for my friendship with Dale, which made me friends with the other kids in the neighborhood, I would have most definitely been bullied in school. Ironically, I was picked on at my religious school, but not at my secular high school. And it was all because of Dale.”

Dale dipped his head with what seemed to be genuine modesty.

“So when I told Dale I was going home, I turned and began to jog away,” she said. “Dale ran after me and grabbed the crook of my arm. Then his hand slid down my arm, and he held my hand and pulled me back to the backyard. His touch like that sent shivers up and down my spine.

“He asked me to please stay. He said to stick by him and he promised he wouldn’t get me out unless it came down to just him and me. It did. And in mango ball, you could only take two steps if you had the ball. Dale was fifteen feet away, and there was no way I was going to get him out. He was too fast, and I threw too soft.

“Then Seth called his name and he looked over at him. Several kids yelled throw, so I did. It was a lame throw, and it hit Dale right in his stomach. It should have been an easy catch, making me out, but he only made a feeble attempt to catch it and missed. All the kids cheered, ran to me, and lifted me above their shoulders. It was the most thrilling moment of my childhood!

“After a minute, I looked at Dale. He was grinning from ear to ear, and he winked at me. It was then that I fell head over heels in love with him. Even though he seemed to change beautiful girlfriends every few months, I never stopped loving him. Every time we talked, I literally felt weak in the knees.

“I wouldn’t realize my love was reciprocated for another decade.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 16)

A religion that would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings, or rights, is a spurious religion.

It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world. The name of the Lord is blasphemed because of these things.

Search heaven and earth, and there is no truth revealed more powerful than that which is made manifest in works of mercy to those who need our sympathy and aid.

“Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life.” Matthew 7:14

The path I have set before you, Jesus said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of entrance, for the golden rule excludes all pride and self-seeking.

There is, indeed, a wider road; but its end is destruction.

If you would climb the path of spiritual life, you must constantly ascend; for it is an upward way. You must go with the few; for the multitude will choose the downward path.

In order to go in the path that leads to destruction , there is no need of searching for the way; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad. Self-love, and self-righteous opinions naturally turn into the path that ends in eternal death.

He who would serve Christ cannot follow the world’s opinions or meet the world’s standards.

Heaven’s path is too narrow for rank and riches to ride. Too narrow for the play of self-centered ambition, too steep and rugged for lovers of ease to climb.

Selfish plans may present flattering promises and hold out the hope of enjoyment, but we shall find that our happiness is poisoned and our life embittered by hopes that center in self.

Every act of self-denial for Jesus’s sake, every trial well endured, every victory gained over temptation, is a step in the march to glory of final victory. If we take Christ as our guide, He will lead us safely.

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate.” Luke 13:24

The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart.

The battle which we have to fight—the greatest battle ever fought by humanity—is the surrender of self to the will of God.

We cannot, of ourselves, conquer the evil desires and habits that strive for the mastery.

Jesus desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our own will and ways. But He cannot work in us without our consent and co-operation.

The divine Spirit works through the faculties and powers given to humans. Our energies are required to co-operate with God.

The victory is not won without much earnest prayer, without the humbling of self at every step.

Our will is not to be forced into co-operation with divine agencies, but must be voluntarily submitted. The will must be placed on the side of God’s will.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5.

XCV

THERE WILL BE MORE JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER 99 JUST PERSONS WHO NEED NO REPENTANCE

LUKE 15:7

SEVENIA (GIRL PROPHETESS)

I felt such joy as I watched Devin Easton rise out of the watery grave into newness of life. Baptisms always filled me with wonder. First and foremost, the representation of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. This coupled with the believer’s following His example and ceremonially acknowledging that the person wants The Lord as their personal Savior.

I watched Lexi hand Devin their two year old daughter as he stepped onto the bank of Cotton Creek. I recalled Lexi’s own miraculous conversion. I marveled at how often romance played a role in a person’s spiritual journey. It’s easy to see why we are instructed to not be yoked with unbelievers in regards to intimacy.

I stepped over and received my own hug from Devin and then Lexi. When I turned away, one of my favorite people on the planet replaced me in offering congratulations. It was Destiny. When she finished speaking with Devin and Lexi, she aimed a smiling face at me, and I began to have one the most profound “already seen” experiences of my life. Or as the French would say, Déjà vu.

“Hey, Kiddo,” she greeted, using Captain Kirk’s frequent term of affection for me. I could have mouthed her greeting with her, for I seemed to know it was coming. Then for the next few minutes, everything was eerily familiar. To make it even more strange, I had had a dream regarding Destiny the previous night. It had to do with a couple I had recently talked to.

“Say, Dee,” I began, after we exchanged some brief small talk. “Have you considered doing anymore of those romance, slash, conversion stories for my dad’s podcast again?”

She winced, scrunching up her pretty face and pulling at her honey blonde ponytail. This too was as if I had experienced it before. “No, not really. But why do ask?”

I told her about three couples from a sister church on the other side of the city that had interesting love stories. All three involved some form of sin, struggle, or hardship, coupled with forgiveness and redemption.

She pursed her lips, and I knew what was coming next, she put a finger on her chin in deep thought. “I don’t know?”

“One of the stories is similar to yours and Brock’s,” I told her. “By that, I mean they both were from different locations when they had known each other. They then had been separated for several years, and then coincidentally crossed paths again right here at Cotton Creek Cove.”

(Destiny and Brock’s story can be read in depth in the e-book ‘Knight Storm’ by Johnathan Embers).

“You don’t say,” she said with wonder. Then I grinned because I intuited what was coming next. “I guess I could manage doing three more.”

“Wonderful,” I beamed, clapping my hands.

“So, who are they?” Destiny wanted to know.

“The Duncan’s, the Hubbard’s, and the Bradley’s,” I replied, and she frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Can you tell me a little about them?” She inquired. “I admit, I don’t know these three families all that well, but none of them strike me as extraordinary.”

So I told her.

“Well,” she said, and sighed pleasantly. “I don’t know that any will ever be made into a movie, but they certainly are not your typical love stories.”

“But you’ll do it?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Great, let’s go tell Dad.”

“Sevenia,” Destiny said, grabbing the crook of my arm as I began walking toward my dad, who was talking with Brock and Jake Weston. “Why do you seem to want me to do this so bad?”

“To be honest, Dee,” I said. “I’ve seen the feedback my dad got from the other ones you did. I know there were some things you didn’t like about doing it the first go around, but they really did move some people. Plus, my dad almost had me talked into doing it.”

Destiny put her hands on her hips, smiled slyly and poked the tip of her tongue into the corner of her mouth. “You’re pretty sneaky, Sevenia.”

“I wasn’t doing anything sneaky,” I said, making my eyes wide and innocent. Then I frowned. “Was I being sneaky?”

“No, Sweety,” Destiny said giggling. “I’m just teasing, you can tell your dad I’ll do it.”

“Guess what, Daddy?” I said as we approached the three men.

“Daddy?” My dad laughed. “Are you about to ask for something?”

“No indeed,” I replied. “As a matter of fact, I just did something for you. I talked Dee into doing your podcast. You know, the romance segment.”

“Wonderful! Splendid!” My dad barked with an English accent. Destiny and I both giggled, and Brock rolled his eyes. My dad seemed to be overflowing with energy, to the point his whole being seemed to vibrate.

“Seven, where were you when we all walked down to the creek?” Destiny asked. “You didn’t miss Devin’s baptism, did you?”

“Not on your life, Blondie,” Dad replied and then cackled.

“Dad, why are you acting so strange. You aren’t drinking again are you?”

“Not on your life, Sweet Pea,” he replied and then giggled.

“He’s hopped up on caffeine,” Zella said as she approached our little group. My dad’s wife and my stepmother explained. “Mrs. Thompson called right when services were getting over. The pilot light on her water heater was out, and she needed to take a shower before she went to a wedding this evening.”

Mrs. Thompson was a sweet little widow who lived on an acreage right next to my dad. But that didn’t explain my dad being hopped up on caffeine. When my dad stopped drinking alcohol a year or two ago, he eventually gave all stimulants, including coffee, tea, and pop.

“I ran over there with him,” Zella continued. “Not only did Mrs. Thompson brew a pot of coffee, but I also noticed it was expresso. When Seven was lighting her water heater, I warned her that Seven didn’t usually drink coffee. She looked hurt and I know she just wanted to do something nice for Seven to repay his help. Y’all know Seven can be obnoxious, but he’s also got a big soft heart.”

“Hey!” My dad interjected with sad hound dog eyes, that seemed to jiggle in their sockets. “That’s hurtful.”

“Oh, it is?” Zella replied with a coy smile. “Okay, maybe it’s not such a big soft heart.”

“I meant the obnoxious part.”

“If the shoe fits, Honey.”

“I may still like to tease, but I’m not mean spirited anymore. At least I hope not.”

“I’m just teasing too, Honey,” Zella said, and kissed my dad’s cheek. Then she giggled. “You should have seen poor Seven when she offered the coffee. He politely declined. Then with sad eyes, Mrs. Thompson told him it was gourmet coffee and her doctor told her she shouldn’t drink it, but she couldn’t let it go to waste either. And the next thing I knew, Seven and I drank a pot of expresso, and then expressed back here for the baptism.”

“How come you don’t seem to be vibrating out of your skin?” Brock asked.

“I guess I’m not quite as sensitive to caffeine as my husband,” she said as she looped an arm with my dad. “But to be fair, I couldn’t fall a sleep right now to save my life.”

“Overture, hurt the lights,” my dad began to sing the Looney Tunes theme song and also dance to it. Zella joined him. “This is it, we’ll hit the heights. And oh what heights we’ll hit, on with the show this is it.”

We all laughed, and then Brock made a comment that prolonged the laughter. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m heading to Mrs. Thompson’s for a cup of coffee.”

The next day, my dad’s eyes looked a little bloodshot because he slept poorly. Nonetheless, the Duncan’s arrived to be interviewed by Destiny. They walked in hesitantly, and Mrs. Duncan stopped, bit her lip, and shook her head.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 15)

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs.” Matthew 7:6

The Savior never passed by one soul, however sunken in sin, who was willing to receive the precious truths of heaven.

To publicans and harlots Jesus’s words were the beginning of a new life. Mary Magdalene, out of whom He cast seven devils, was the last at the Savior’s tomb and the first whom He greeted in the morning of His resurrection.

“Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

The asking, makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith, you will receive.

When you ask for the blessings you need, that you may perfect a character after Christ’s likeness, the Lord assures you that you are asking according to a promise that will be verified.

“Seek.” Desire not merely His blessing, but Himself. “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.” Job 22:21. Seek, and you shall find. God is seeking you, and the very desire you feel to come to Him is but the drawing of His Spirit. Yield to that drawing.

When we beseech the Lord to pity us in our distress, and to guide us by His Holy Spirit, He will never turn away our prayer.

Do not forget that in coming to God as a father you acknowledge your relation to Him as a child. You not only trust His goodness, but in all things yield to His will, knowing that His love is changeless.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even to them.” Matthew 7:12

Christ teaches that our anxiety should not be, how much are we to receive? But how much can we give?

In your association with others, put yourself in their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties, their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows. Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as, were you to exchange places with them, you would wish them to deal with you.

The golden rule is the principle of true courtesy, and its truest illustration is seen in the life and character of Jesus. What softness and beauty shone forth in the daily life of our Savior! What sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same spirit should be revealed in His children.

God leads us to abhor our own hardness of heart and to open our hearts to let Jesus abide in them. Thus, out of evil, good is brought, and what appears a curse becomes a blessing.

XCIV

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

PHILLIPIANS 2:12

DEVIN EASTON (PART 2 of 2)

“It’s time for you to decide,” Sevenia had said. The word decide was ringing and echoing in my head. I had started reading a book that my brother had given me by Soren Kierkegaard called ‘Provocations.’ As a matter of fact, I had read the first chapter the previous night before I went to bed and began having nightmares. The title of said first chapter is, ‘Dare to Decide.’

Please don’t misunderstand me. This book is a far cry from a Stephen King novel. What I read was, for me anyway, a kick to the behind. In a nutshell, it encouraged me to stop sitting on the fence spiritually. It stirred me, and it shook up what I had been dealing with the last several weeks.

“What’s wrong?” Sevenia asked with a concerned frown. “I just meant personally I don’t think you are possessed.”

“That’s good to know,” I replied, followed by a fake laugh.

“The crazy part is another matter,” she added with a sly smile.

“That’s NOT good,” I responded with a genuine laugh. Then I told her about the book my brother Dirk had given me and the coincidence of her saying it’s time to decide.

“That’s probably not a coincidence then,” she said with a shrug. “I just finished reading  that same book just a few days ago. And guess who it was who gave it to me?”

“Dirk?”

“Close, his lovely wife.”

This turned my mind to something else that had plagued my thoughts during my sort of conversion, the Dalial encounters, and the Dr. Darius Doom experience. That thought was, would my former girlfriend and mother of my daughter take me back?

She had said no in the midst of the Dr. Doom days. She still claimed to not want to be yoked to an unbeliever. This both hurt and mystified me. I felt like I was a believer after my encounter with Dalial. I had had years of waffling on spiritual convictions, but now I was committed to positive life changes.

Yet I was beginning to truly understand her reservations. The people at Cotton Creek Cove went by the Bible and the Bible alone, and I was finally seeing that their practices of primitive Godliness were much deeper than simply old fashioned values. It was an adherence to Biblical doctrine and principles rather than tradition, accompanied by ecumenism. The commandments of God vs. the traditions of men if you please.

“You and Lexi are pretty close friends, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure we are.”

“If I get baptized like you said…”

“When did I tell you to get baptized?” Sevenia interrupted with a frown.

“Well, you…” I began, and then frowned myself. I remembered in the nightmare her head rolling off her body after she told me to repent and be baptized. After that I jolted awake. She had told me in my dream, not in reality. I smiled sheepishly and then changed directions a little. “Actually, I guess you didn’t. What I was getting at, though, was Lexi.”

“Okay, what about Lex?”

“If I were baptized and joined your church, do you think she would have me? You know, finally marry me so we can be a real family?”

“That shouldn’t factor into your decision for baptism.”

“How can it not?” I wondered aloud. “Her reason right now is not wanting to be unequally yoked. Wouldn’t me getting baptized equalize the possible marriage equation?”

Sevenia frowned, but smiled. “I see what your saying, and you are right to a degree. All I’m trying to say is take Lexi and your daughter out of the equation for a second. Pretend Lexi left Cotton Creek Cove and became, say, a Buddhist monk. Would your spiritual inclinations still lead you to baptism and Cotton Creek Cove?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.”

“So you do think I should be baptized?”

“Sure I do, as long as you give yourself whole heartedly to God and repent.”

“How do I truly know if I’ve done that?”

“That would be something better answered by Captain Kirk,” she told me. “He’s had over half a century of pastoring and counseling. He’s much more adept at reading and understanding people than I am.”

“Okay, well, how about we go back to your dad’s so I can have a talk with him before he leaves.”

“Oh, I think they’ll be there a while. When that group gets together, they can talk for hours on end.”

“Maybe you just don’t want to stop hanging out alone with me,” I teased and then winked.

She looked slightly startled, but then laughed. “How about we go see the good Captain?”

Back at the Sallie residence, I followed Sevenia through the house and we spotted everyone hanging out on the deck. As we approached, we heard Seven speak as he looked intently at his phone. “It says here, a Cedar Rapids man was pecked to death by a flock of Red Winged Blackbirds.”

“Get out!” Brock barked as he stepped next to Seven and looked at his phone.

Sevenia stopped abruptly, and I almost ran into her. She doubled over, and her shoulders began to shake and tremble. I thought she was struck with a sudden illness. “Sevenia, are you okay?”

She stood up and I was startled to see she was crying. She wiped away a tear, and it was then I realized she was laughing.

“Yesterday,” she began, just above a whisper. “Destiny told us that Brock stopped running at his favorite trail because the Red Winged Blackbirds dive bombed him so aggressively. He claimed one grazed his head. I don’t think he knows that my dad knows about it.”

It was good to witness Sevenia having lighthearted fun. It seemed like the few times I had been around her she was so serious. Calm and peaceful, but serious.

“Destiny, did you tell Seven about my bird incidents on the Cedar Valley Trail?” Brock asked his wife. But she was holding her stomach and laughing so hard she couldn’t speak. “Seven, you little punk!”

Seven actually vaulted over the deck railing with Brock in hot pursuit. The two men scrambled all over the back yard with everyone on the deck rolling with laughter. Brock finally caught him, put him in a head lock, and tickled his rib cage. Seven apologized profusely and Brock let him go. The two cousins walked back to the deck grinning like a couple schoolboys.

“Can you believe those two guys are almost forty?” Sevenia asked, as she smiled and shook her head.

Pastor Samson, aka Captain Kirk, was more than happy to talk with me. I told him how I had been reading the Bible and other spiritual books ever since my brother Dirk had become a believer. I told him the influence other members of Cotton Creek Cove Fellowship had on me, especially Lexi. Her transformation from a demon-possessed former stripper to a wholesome, Godly mother of our two year old blew my mind.

But I confessed that although I admired Jesus and was impressed with how He  transformed my former girlfriend and brother, I just couldn’t seem to give up booze, cigarettes, and lust, among other things. Things like swearing, impatience, hating people, etc.

I told him how the encounter with Dalial had changed my life, which led me to my brief relationship with Dr. Darius Doom. I informed him that it was witnessing Sevenia and Doom together that won me to her side. I was awakened to the reality of truth over sensation. Then how my nightmares about Sevenia put a huge exclamation point on my new beliefs.

We talked for over an hour, and then I finally couldn’t help myself. “Sir, do you think I could be baptized? I mean, do you think I’m ready, Sir?”

Captain Kirk was a fascinating man. It was like talking to a hero from the Bible. He had a bearing and dignity that seemed to command respect. Yet he was so relaxed, friendly, and engaged when we spoke that I couldn’t help feeling, dare I say it, like he loved me.

“I think you’re ready, Son,” he said as he patted my knee.

Strangely, I felt like crying, but held it in. I also felt unworthy, and asked. “Sir, what if screw up after I’m baptized. You know?”

“Son, do you ever drop the soap when you’re taking a shower?”

I both frowned and chuckled, wondering what he was getting at by seeming to change the subject with something absurd. “Uh, sure, quite a bit actually.”

“Do you stop taking a shower if drop the soap?”

“Of course not.”

“A spiritual journey is a discipline,” he told me. “Hence the derivative disciple. It is also sort of like a lifelong shower, only instead of getting physically clean, you’re in the process of  cleansing your soul. So, if you drop the metaphoric soap in life, you confess to God, ask for forgiveness and get on with your shower.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I said, unable to stop grinning. “That’s something I’ll always remember. So, will you baptize me then?”

“Given what you’ve told me, what would you think of your brother baptizing you?”

“He can do that? He’s not pastor though.”

“He’s a member of God’s family in good standing, he’s qualified.”

“I’d love it!”

The next thing I knew, I was standing in my brother’s living room. He and his lovely wife Amy listened intently as I related my night and day’s activity. My niece and nephew played contentedly as I related how their uncle’s life was changing.

When I got to the part of Captain Kirk suggesting Dirk baptized me, my brother said he’d be honored. He then pinched the bridge of his nose as tears leaked from his eyes. I gave his shoulder a pat, and I knew he felt embarrassed. But then he laughed and hugged me fiercely.

The next Sabbath, after services, I was baptized in Cotton Creek, not far from where Sevenia and I conversed. The first person I had physical contact with as I stepped onto the bank was my little daughter. Lexi handed her to me, tears of joy streaming down her smiling face as I kissed our little girl’s soft, chubby cheek before I held her with my right arm. With my left, I hugged Lexi and kissed her cheek.

“Congratulations,” she said as she put a hand on my cheek.

“Thanks,” I replied, feeling choked up with gratitude.

“By the way, yes,” she grinned.

“Yes what?” I asked, feeling a little dazed by the rush of emotions.

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” she said softly, lovingly. “That is if the offer still stands.”

“Absolutely,” I replied as Captain Kirk shook my hand, grinning. “Pastor, Lexi and I need to talk to you. We need another ceremony, and I’m pretty sure my brother isn’t qualified for this one.”

What a great day! God is so good! God is so patient and merciful! God is love!

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 14)

Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. The soul may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life.

Could our spiritual vision be quickened, we would see souls bowed under oppression and burdened with grief, ready to die in discouragement. We should see angels flying swiftly to aid these tempted ones, who are standing as on the brink of a precipice. The angels from heaven force back the hosts of evil that encompass theses souls, and guide them to plant their feet on the sure foundation.

The spiritual battles waging between the two armies of good and evil are as real as those fought by the armies of this world, and on the issue of spiritual conflict eternal destinies depend.

Live in contact with the living Christ, and he will hold you firmly by a hand that will never let go.

“Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory.” Matthew 6:13

The ruin of Jerusalem was a symbol of the final ruin that shall overwhelm the world in the time of the end.

He who rules in the heavens is our Savior. He measures every trial. He watches the furnace fire that must test every soul.

“Judge not that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1

The warning is: Don’t set yourself up as the standard. The standard is Jesus, and Jesus Christ alone.

The effort to earn salvation by one’s own works inevitably leads men to pile up human exactions as a false barrier against sin.

We cannot read the human heart. We ourselves are faulty, and are not qualified to sit in judgement of others. Finite men can ONLY judge from outward appearance. To God alone who knows the secret springs of action, and who deals tenderly and compassionately, is it given to decide the case of every soul.

“Why do you behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye?” Matthew 7:3

According to the figure our Savior uses here, he who indulges a judgmental spirit is guilty of a greater sin than is the one he accuses.

Christ is the only true standard  of character, and they who set themselves up as a standard for others is putting themselves in the place of Christ.

These would be judges and critics are placing themselves on the side of antichrist , “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God…” 2 Thessalonians 2:4

When the religious experience is devoid of love, Jesus is not there; the sunshine of His presence is not there. No busy activity or zeal can supply its lack.

What the early church has done whenever she has lost the grace of Christ; when finding herself destitute of the power of love, she has reached out for the strong arm of the state to enforce her dogmas and execute her decrees.

Here is the secret of all religious laws that have ever been enacted, and the secret of all persecution from the days of Abel to our own time.

Christ does not drive but draws people unto Him. The only compulsion He employs is the constraint of love.

When the church begins to seek for the support of secular power, it is evident that she is devoid of the power of Christ—the constraint of divine love.

He who looks upon the cross of Calvary, remembering that their sins placed the Savior there, will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others.

Let Christ be daily made manifest in you, and He will reveal through you the creative energy of His word!

XCIII

CHOOSE FOR YOUSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

JOSHUA 24:15

DEVIN EASTON (PART 1 of 2)

I know this may sound silly, but when Sevenia greeted me at that very instant, right when I had just finished telling her father that I had had major nightmares regarding his daughter, well, it was like my road to Damascus.

Not that I’m comparing myself to The Apostle Paul at all. I just mean it was the beginning of my real conversion, and Sevenia was the bright light God used. It was the slap upside my head I needed. But like the Apostle Paul, I was still blind, dazed, and confused.

Ironically, even though she freaked me out, Sevenia and I ended up hanging out that day for a long time. My nightmare, in the flesh, would become the instrument God used to turn on the light. That light would be the Light of Life, Jesus Christ.

Seven had asked his angel of a daughter to tell this little, but most significant chapter of my life, but she insisted I give my testimony myself. I reluctantly agreed, but said yes because, well, Sevenia is simply a hard little lady to say no to.

This road to real conversion started when I had had the worst night of sleep in my life. It was beyond fitful and plagued with nightmares that resulted in a major spiritual struggle. I feared I was demon possessed, especially after witnessing what my former girlfriend, Lexi Gomez, had gone through around two years ago.

(Lexi’s ordeal was told in the very first posts of this blog.)

So, I was standing with Seven Sallie on his deck relating my situation. I had just finished a part of my dream where Dalial, a supernatural being I had thought was holy, sliced completely through the neck of Sevenia. Before her head fell from her body, Sevenia gazed intently at me and told me to repent and be baptized.

Not even half a minute after I tell Seven about this, his daughter seemed to appear out of thin air and greet me with a sweet smile. This pleasant greeting from the five foot two, one hundred and ten pound young woman frightened me beyond belief. I reeled back, then tripped on the leg of a deck chair, and sat down harder than I had in my life.

I was simply stunned and in pain at first. Then I glanced at Seven. He had a hand clasped over his mouth, and his eyes bulged from suppressed laughter. I turned my gaze to his wife and daughter. Sevenia’s mouth hung open and her eyes were wide. Zella chewed on her lower lip with a look of concern. My pain was forgotten and I just felt embarrassed, especially when Sevenia rushed to my side and put a hand on my forearm. Her fingers felt cool, despite the warm summer morning.

“Devin, are you okay?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you saw me come up the deck stairs.”

“Oh, no, no, I’m fine,” I said and then fake laughed as I rose to my feet. “I just got done telling your dad something pretty heavy and my mind was, um, preoccupied.”

“Can I tell them about your dreams?” Seven asked.

“Knock yourself out,” I said.

I sat down carefully this time and patiently listened to Seven recount the nightmares I had related to him. I was impressed by how closely Seven had listened to me. I only had to correct his accuracy once.

“Do you think I’m possessed?” I heard myself ask Sevenia. We stared into each other’s eyes. I felt nauseous, and I couldn’t help swallowing down what felt like a pint of saliva. The guirk sound my throat made seemed to echo in Seven’s back yard. But maybe it was my overactive imagination.

Sevenia put a finger on her nose as she considered my question, and as the reverberation of my swallow faded, she said, “No, I don’t.”

Relief washed over me, yet I still felt anxious and uncertain.

“What’s happening to me then?” I asked.

Before Sevenia could answer, the Storm family of Destiny, Brock, and their two adopted daughters came into the back yard. They were followed by Captain Kirk and his brother.

“Look, I better let you go,” I said to the Sallie family. “I didn’t mean to just drop in on you all like I did.”

“Why don’t you stay?” Seven invited. “It’s Pastor Samson’s brother’s birthday, and I just invited them over for a little cook out. We have plenty of food.”

“No thanks,” I said with a forced smile. “I’m not very hungry.”

“Devin, how about you and me go somewhere private and talk?” Sevenia asked.

I noticed her father’s eyes raise in alarm. I couldn’t blame him since I had earned my reputation as a philander. It was something I have felt deep shame over ever since my daughter was born.

“Thanks, but I don’t want to get in the way of your plans,” I told her.

“It’s no big deal,” she shrugged. “I’d rather discuss spiritual issues any day, rather than sit around and eat.”

Sevenia must do a lot of spiritual discussing because she wasn’t very meaty. She did look fit and healthy though.

“Are you sure?” I inquired.

“Sure I’m sure,” she smiled. “How about we go to the creek behind the church? It’s only about a five minute drive.”

“Sweet Pea, why don’t you just go in the living room?” Seven asked with a concerned look on his face. “We’re all gonna be outside here.”

I recalled Sevenia having been assaulted at Cotton Creek by a male acquaintance. I didn’t blame Seven at all for not liking the idea of me being alone there with his daughter. I was actually surprised she herself trusted me enough. Just out of superstition, I wouldn’t want to go there if I was her.

“We’ll be fine, Dad,” she said with a shrug and then looked into her father’s eyes. “I think best there.”

Seven smiled at her and nodded. Not even ten minutes later we sat down on a big rock right by the creek. There was a canopy of about a dozen white pine trees. Beyond them were huge Cottonwood trees, hence the name Cotton Creek. Behind us, at least a football fields length, was their church, Cotton Creek Cove Fellowship.

The clear water of the creek burbled and gurgled over a multitude of rocks, and a breeze made a soft whistle through the pines. I felt myself relax already. Sevenia pulled off the red converse sneakers she was wearing, hiked up the light yellow sun dress she was wearing just above her knees, and placed her feet in the water. She moaned with satisfaction and looked skyward, her emerald eyes seemed to glisten.

It occurred to me just how beautiful Sevenia was. Yet it wasn’t an erotic beauty I was admiring. It was her character and personality. Sevenia had always just appeared to be a plain Jane to me. With her short, spiky hair, no makeup, and no jewelry, she was even a little like a tomboy. Is that even P.C. to say anymore? Sorry if it isn’t. But I say a little like a tomboy because she always seemed to wear dresses and skirts. Plus, she was simply too cute.

“Can I ask you something personal?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said.

“I know you were, um, attacked here,” I said cautiously. “And then the boy ended up killing himself shortly after he fled. As beautiful and peaceful as this place is, I think that would have ruined this place for me if I were in your shoes. I don’t think I could have set foot here ever again.”

“Believe me,” she replied. “In the aftermath of that ordeal, I most definitely felt like never coming here again. But on the other hand, I also had so many fond memories of this place to counteract that one horrific event. I guess kind of like the scripture that says ‘be angry and sin not’. (Ephesians 4:26). By that, I mean I was determined to not let that one ugly ordeal to steal a place I loved and had so many wonderful conversations, and also times alone with God. So I sort of angrily told myself, ‘no, girl, you still go there and trust what Jesus said: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’” (Matthew 28:20).

“Do you have a scripture for everything?” I chuckled.

“I guess I don’t even think about it,” she shrugged.

“And I guess that’s why I wanted to talk to you,” I told her. “I think that’s why I had nightmares about you.”

“Sorry,” she giggled. “I never intended to give you nightmares.”

“Oh no, forget about it,” I said, waving a hand. “It’s not you. It’s me.”

“That sounds like we just broke up,” she said with more giggles.

I liked seeing her giggle. It reminded me that she was still a young lady. Even though I had a decade on her, Sevenia always seemed older than me. “I don’t think I’m your type,” I replied with a chuckle.

“True,” she said, and then her face became serious. “No offense. I’m actually not anyone’s type.”

“You had a boyfriend for a while, didn’t you? That guy that was kind of built like a junior Brock?”

“Yeah, but after a while I realized I wasn’t ready for romance. It was getting in the way of the call I felt to serve God.”

I nodded. There was a brief lull, and then Sevenia slapped her knees and said, “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“If I’m not possessed, why do I feel like I’m going crazy?” I asked her.

She studied me thoughtfully for several seconds and said, “It’s time for you to decide.”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 13)

“Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.” Luke 11:4

As we come to God, this is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that receiving mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others.

The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us.

Satan will lead us to think that our mistakes and transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will not have respect unto our prayers and will not bless and save us.

In ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot remedy our defects of character.

When we try to come to God, the enemy will whisper, it is of no use for you to pray; did you not do that evil thing? Have you not sinned against God and violated your own conscience?

But we may tell the enemy that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 17)

When we feel that we have sinned and cannot pray, it is then the most urgent time to pray. Ashamed we may be deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe.

We should not try to lessen our guilt by excusing sin. We must accept God’s estimate of sin, and that is heavy indeed. Calvary alone can reveal the terrible enormity of sin.

“He retains not His anger forever, because HE DELIGHTS IN MERCY!” Micah 7:18

“Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13

Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters may be revealed before humanity and angels, that he may claim us as his own.

God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives.

Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.

It is not safe for us to linger to contemplate the advantages to be reaped through yielding to Satan’s suggestions. Sin means dishonor and disaster to every soul that indulges in it, and it is blinding and deceiving in its nature.

The only safeguard against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness.

It is because selfishness exists in our hearts that temptation has power over us. But when we behold the great love of God, selfishness appears to us in its hideous and repulsive character, and we desire to have it expelled from the soul.

As the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, our hearts are softened and subdued, the temptation loses its power, and the grace of Christ transforms the character.

XCII

INNUMERABLE EVILS HAVE SURROUNDED ME; MY INIQUITIES HAVE OVERTAKEN ME…THEREFORE MY HEART FAILS ME

PSALM 40:12

SEVEN SALLIE

“You gotta help me!” Devin Easton said with desperation. He ran a hand through his short sandy blonde hair. His hair waved and spiked in a way that reminded me of my daughter’s short auburn hair. Ironically, Sevenia was the next thing out of his mouth. “Your daughter freaks me out!”

“Okay,” I replied stupidly. “Do tell.”

“Can we talk out on your deck?”

“Sure,” I replied with a shrug.

Devin pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tore off the cellophane wrap. He pulled one out and put it between his lips. Once again, he reminded me of James Dean.

“I thought you quit?” I asked.

“I did,” he almost whimpered as he dug in his pockets. “But this is a special circumstance. Do you have a light?”

“I don’t smoke,” I told him.

He groaned loudly, and then squeaked. My pity for his anguish pushed down the impulse to laugh. He crushed the brand new pack of cigarettes in his hand and flung it into my yard. No big deal, he was suffering significant mental turmoil over something, I would pick it up later. Next he crushed the cigarette from his lips, flung it, and bits of tobacco floated downward like tiny brown snowflakes. Devin sat down hard on the wooden bench that lined the back of my deck. He groaned again, but didn’t squeak, as he put his face in his hands.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you?” I asked soothingly.

“What a night,” he mumbled through the palms of his hands.

“You mentioned Sevenia?” I inquired, wanting to know what he meant by my daughter freaking him out.

He lifted his head and his bloodshot eyes gazed intently at me. They almost seemed to jiggle in their sockets. “I dreamt about her last night, three different times.”

I frowned, not liking a known womanizer to be dreaming of my daughter. Yet given Devin’s distraught condition, I highly doubted his night visions were of an erotic nature.

“I see,” was all I could think to say.

“Last night, I prayed to Dalial,” he told me. “Well, not necessarily to her, but for her to come. I wanted to ask her opinion about, you know, that whole interview situation. Dr. Doom storming off, your daughter’s position on what the Bible says about the Sabbath and so on.”

“Soooo,” I drawled. “Did she come?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not in person anyway. But she did make two appearances in my dreams.”

“Do tell,” I said, and then made a mental note to not say ‘do tell’ again during our conversation.

“Actually, Dalial’s first appearance was simultaneous with Sevenia’s first,” Devin explained.

“Do… You don’t say.”

“Yeah, it was like they were, sort of, David and Goliath?”

“You don’t say,” I said, and then made a mental not to not say ‘you don’t say’ again. “I hope Sevenia was in David’s role.”

“She was,” Devin nodded as he sighed.

“So what happened?”

“It was kind of weird. Dalial was just like she appeared to me, in all white, flowing robes. But Sevenia was wearing only a loin cloth.”

“Just a loin cloth?” I asked in a low tone, horrified that my daughter was topless in Devin’s dream. He seemed to perceive my concern and clarified.

“No, I mean like a cavewoman one piece,” he said waving his hands from his chest down to his knees. “You know, like a prehistoric dress, or something.”

“Oh, good, I guess.”

“So Sevenia is hurling Bible verse after Bible verse at Dalial,” Devin continued. “And Dalial is getting angrier and angrier. Her eyes became like lasers shooting at Sevenia. But Sevenia keeps dodging them. Then Sevenia picks up a stone, puts it in a sling, winds up, and hurls it at Dalial. It hits her in the forehead, and her eyes went wild and turned a glowing red. Then her face came right at me. Her tongue wagged like a flame of fire. I tried to cover my head, but I couldn’t move. Then right when I thought her face was going to consume me, it exploded, then just disappeared.”

Devin stared at me, his chest heaving, and beads of sweat bubbled on his forehead.

“Then what?” I asked.

“I started awake, never happier to realize something was a dream,” he told me. “Until later that night. Or I guess I should say morning at that point. I couldn’t get back to sleep for at least an hour, maybe two. When I did, I dreamt I was partying with some buddies. There were a lot of hot, scantily clad chicks. I’m not gonna lie, I was enjoying this dream.”

He gazed at me, and his face fell.

“Until Sevenia showed up in it,” I said.

He pointed at me, and then his nose.

“What was she wearing?” The concerned father in me couldn’t help asking.

“Oh, ya know,” he shrugged. “Her usual Amish punk get up.”

My daughter tended to wear long skirts, similar to Amish women, yes, but also ultra-conservative Christian women in general. And her auburn hair was often either short and spiked, or swept back in a 1950’s mannish style. She rarely wore any makeup, and her ears weren’t even pierced. She often wore converse sneakers, unless at church or an otherwise more formal setting. But her hair and shoes were far from outlandish, so I never understood her style being labeled punk.

“So what happened then?”

“The music stopped, and Sevenia started writing on a white board,” he explained. “Her letters sounded like a record scratching. The whole place went still. ‘You have been weighed in the balances and been found wanting,’ was what she wrote. Then she looked at me with a stern expression and pointed. Then her hand came flying off and at me. It had a screaming hand in the palm, and the fingers formed a shape as if to grab my neck and chock me.”

Devin’s hand trembled as he wiped sweat from his brow.

“Then what?”

“I jolted awake,” he said with a shrug. “Once again it took me an hour or two to get back

to sleep. I didn’t know if I even wanted to fall back asleep.”

“When you did, you had the third dream about Sevenia?” I asked.

He nodded. “And the second with Dalial.”

“You don… Go on,” I said.

“So I’m asking Dalial about, you know, the stuff I mentioned before. It was real like my actual encounters with her. When I got done telling her everything, you wouldn’t believe what she said about Sevenia.”

“What?”

“She said that Sevenia thinks she’s Jesus Christ.”

“What!” I repeated, but with a higher pitched, incredulous tone. “I hope you don’t believe she thinks that?”

Devin closed his eyes and shook his head. “Sevenia appeared then. She was wearing the loin cloth again.”

“You mean dress,” I interjected.

“Right,” he said waving a hand. “So, Sevenia boldly pointed at Dalial and called her a liar. Dalial then laughed and said, ‘Well, how about John the Baptist.’ Then Dalial suddenly whipped a sword around and sliced right through Sevenia’s neck. But Sevenia’s head didn’t move at first. She looked at me and said, ‘Repent and be baptized.’ Then her head fell from her neck and rolled onto the ground. I jolted awake, and for the third time in less than six hours, was thankful something was only a dream. Clarification. Nightmare!”

“Wow,” was all I could quietly say.

“I didn’t even try to go back to sleep at that point,” Devin said as he ran his hand aggressively through his hair a few times. “I downed energy drinks and paced for a couple hours, and then decided to come see you.”

“Wow,” I replied dumbly, not knowing what to think about Devin and his nightmares.

“So what do you think?” he asked.

Something to my left caught my eye. Sevenia, my wife, and baby son had entered the back yard and were coming toward the deck. I vaguely recalled turning the bolt lock on the front door after I let Devin in. I don’t know why.

My daughter’s eyebrows raised when she saw Devin, but a friendly smile appeared on her face as she climbed the five deck stairs.

“Hi, Devin,” she greeted pleasantly.

Poor Devin shrieked and reeled back several steps.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 12)

“Thy kingdom come.” Matthew 6:10

The kingdom of God’s grace is now being established, as day by day hearts that have been full of sin and rebellion yield to the sovereignty of His love.

“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

In heaven, service is not rendered in the spirit of legality.

When Satan rebelled against the law of God, the thought that there was a law came to the angels almost as an awakening to something unthought of.

In their ministry the angels are not as servants, but as sons and daughters. There is perfect unity between them and their Creator. Obedience to them is no drudgery.

Love for God makes the angel’s service a joy. So in every soul wherein Christ, the hope of glory dwells, His words are re-echoed, “I delight to do Thy will, oh my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11

The prayer for daily bread includes not only food to sustain the body, but that spiritual bread which will nourish the soul unto life everlasting.

We receive Christ through His word, and the Holy Spirit is given to open the word of God to our understanding, and bring home its truths to our hearts.

God would have us realize our dependence upon His constant care, for He is seeking to draw us into communion with Himself.

“Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.” Luke 11:4

He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which he can receive mercy from God.

However sorely people may have wounded us, we are not to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries; but as we hope to be pardoned for our offences against God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:7-9.

God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin.

It is the outflowing of redeeming love that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of forgiveness when he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

God in Christ gave Himself for our sins. He suffered the cruel death of the cross, bore for us the burden of guilt, “the just for the unjust,” that He might reveal to us His love and draw us to Himself.

And He says, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

XCI

TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY! IF THEY DO NOT SPEAK ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM

ISAIAH 8:20

SEVEN SALLIE

“Well, Darius has left the building,” I said, dumbfounded.

“Doom has left the room,” Devin said and then sighed, grinned sheepishly, and shook his head. I couldn’t help chuckling, as he and Darius had been allies in their belief that Dalial was an angel sent from God with a divine message about sabbath reform. Where did Devin stand now that the man his angel had a message for had bailed on him?

My mind had just begun to scramble with what to do with this abruptly interrupted live podcast. Apologize to the audience and shut it down? Play music? Try to continue it with Devin and my daughter? I glanced at Sevenia. She certainly didn’t seem pleased that she had seemingly won the debate with Dr. Darius Doom over Sabbath reform.

“It looks like Darius took his ball and went home,” Devin laughed.

“But he left his Bible,” I said as I reached over to the place where he was sitting to pick up the Good Book. Sevenia snatched it before I could.

“That’s mine,” she said, and then I recalled her handing it over to Dr. Doom at one point as she asked him to show her where we were to observe Sunday as Sabbath in honor of the resurrection. “And you guys shouldn’t be poking fun. This was supposed to be a serious and important discussion. I errored in causing him to leave.”

“You did nothing wrong. He shouldn’t have left me hanging,” Devin said. I noticed his fingers tremble slightly and realized he felt unsettled at being abandoned on a live broadcast. I had to hand it to him, he was otherwise very calm. After all, I was a broadcasting professional, and I had felt the urge to panic when Dr. Doom stormed off in a huff. Maybe Devin was trusting to my experience and expertise, lol. Anyhow, my broadcasting instincts were hopefully not about to throw him under the bus, but get to the heart of the honest discussion that I had intended.

“So Devin, does this change what you think about your encounter with Dalial and the message the alleged angel gave you?” I inquired.

“Not really,” he replied with a shrug, and then glanced cautiously at my daughter. “I mean, something I hadn’t mentioned yet was Dalial also told me that you can’t trust any human.”

“I actually agree with that,” Sevenia replied and held up her Bible. “That’s why we look and trust to the word of God, and this alone.”

Devin’s jaw clenched and he gazed at my daughter under hooded eyes, reminding me once again just how much he looked like the 1950’s actor James Dean. He spoke carefully. “With all due respect, Dalial warned me about the Good Book.”

“Is that right?” Sevenia said, leaned back, folded her arms, and watched Devin with genuine curiosity.

“Yes,” he replied, and then he put up a hand as if to say no offense. “I’ve been instructed that, although the Bible is filled with inspiration, it has been tainted through the years by humanity. It has been defiled by over interpretation.”

“I respectfully disagree,” Sevenia said. “If anything, it is misinterpretation and misapplication. In this precious book, the first two chapters in Genesis describe a paradise created by God. The last two chapters in Revelation describe a paradise recreated or restored by God. Everything in between is God’s merciful dealings with fallen humankind. In particular the life, ministry, and infinite sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son.

“What the majority fail to do is search the scriptures for themselves, like the noble Bereans (See Acts 17:11). All scripture is given by inspiration of God (See 1 Corinthians 2:13). But instead of studying the Holy Bible for themselves, they trust their priests, ministers, and rabbis to tell them what to think and believe.”

“Not me,” Devin replied boldly. “But I do trust what Dalial says.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because she’s an angel.”

“You believe she’s a holy angel of God?” Sevenia asked.

“I do.”

“Yet if I understand you correctly, she told you to be skeptical of the scriptures.”

“Yeah, I suppose she did.”

“Then she contradicts what Jesus Himself said,” Sevenia declared. “In Matthew 5:39 Jesus said that the scriptures testify of Him. Simply put, the Old Testament looked forward to Jesus coming, and the New Testament looks back on His life. Jesus lived and walked the earth, that’s a historical fact. That this person, Jesus, fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies regarding the Messiah, is proof of the Bible’s reliability.”

“Whatever,” Devin said with a casual shrug. “But I trust what I see and experience over what people wrote two thousand years ago.”

“That’s all fine and dandy for you personally,” Sevenia said. “But you and Dr. Doom are taking your supernatural experiences to the masses with the suggestion of political action to shut down on Sundays.”

“You are correct that we are suggesting that. But ultimately, we have no political power, other than Darius’s influence over his large following and their power to vote. What we do have is an important message from a being more powerful and wise than any human. And this special being is giving us instruction on saving our planet.”

“And this instruction is going contrary to the Word of God,” Sevenia said. “You mentioned that your angel warned you about misinterpretation of the Bible and such. Yet the very day you suggest for a day of rest is clearly not the Sabbath of the fourth commandment found in Exodus chapter 20.”

“By Exodus, do you mean the old metal band,” Devin said with a laugh. Then he lost his merry countenance under Sevenia’s intense gaze and continued. “Come on, Sevenia, what difference does a day make to us common folk? Would you like it better if we suggested Saturday?”

“No, I don’t believe in legislating morality,” she replied. “You can’t force a person to believe a certain way. God has given us free will. Who are we, mere humans, to withhold free will from another?”

“Are you saying it should be okay to murder?” Devin wanted to know.

“Of course not. Obviously, some moral laws fall under civil law as well.”

“What about abortion?”

“Well, since I believe life begins at conception, I believe abortion is murder.”

“What if I believe they are a bunch of cells?”

“Has it ever been officially established at just what point those cells become a human being? One week? Two weeks? One month? One month, sixteen days, two hours, nine minutes and twenty two seconds?”

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m not smart enough for this,” Devin said, but used a slang word for excrement after he said this. I apologized for the language.

“Sorry,” Devin said. “I’m just a simple blue collar worker who happened to have an amazing supernatural experience.”

After a brief lull, Sevenia spoke. “What has ultimately been at stake in the history and future of this miraculous planet, is the law of God. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes (12:13), let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments (John 14:15).”

“But this idea of shutting down one day a week is still in keeping with the fourth commandment whether it’s Saturday or Sunday.”

“I beg to differ, the fourth command specifically identifies the seventh day as the Sabbath. It was the seventh day God blessed and made His Holy Day.”

“Well, what about that resurrection thing, that makes sense to me,” Devin replied.

“Look, here’s some scripture I was going to share with Darius before he left. After Jesus was crucified and buried in Joseph’s tomb, it says in Luke 23:54 that that day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. Verse 56 says they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Luke 24:1-3 says that on the first day of the week they found the tomb empty. You could even say Jesus rested on the Sabbath before he rose from the dead. You could also look up Sabbath in a concordance and see that the book of Acts mentions the Sabbath numerous times. Which, of course, took place after Jesus ascended to heaven.”

“Well, so be it,” Devin replied with a casual shrug. “Like I said, I’m not a theologian. I’m just here recounting my experiences with Dalial, and trying to share what she had to say.”

“But you don’t need to be a theologian,” Sevenia said. “Several of Jesus’ disciples were uneducated fisherman. Jesus Himself, God in human flesh, was puzzled over in Matthew 13:54, 55. They asked, where did this Man get this wisdom and mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s Son?”

“Teacher, can I go now?” Devin said to me with an exasperated smirk. “With all due respect, I’ve had enough. Either you believe I had an encounter or you don’t. Just like you believe in a two thousand year old, contradictory book or you don’t. Peace out ya ’all.”

Devin got up and left. I asked my daughter if she had any closing comments.

“I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone,” Sevenia said meekly. “I was simply trying to share Bible truth as I see it. Please forgive me if I was selfish or mean spirited in any way.”

“Trust me you weren’t,” I reassured my daughter.

“Well, thanks Dad,” she replied with a little laugh. “But I do believe you are a bit biased.”

“Not so, Sw…,” I began to call her Sweet Pea, but thankfully stopped myself in time. “Sevenia.”

Sevenia then invited the audience to order the free Bible study guides from our church’s web site, and thanked them and me for the opportunity to be on the podcast.

The next day, Devein wanted to see me. He looked disheveled, and his eyes were blood shot. I couldn’t help wondering if he fell off the wagon.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 11)

“After this manner therefore pray ye.” Matthew 6:9

The Lord’s prayer was twice given by our Savior, first to the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, and again some months later to the disciples alone.

The disciples had been for a short time absent from the Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence, he continued praying aloud.

The Savior’s face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of God of the unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.

The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father.

When Jesus returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, the disciples noticed the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence.

We are taught to come to God with our tribute of thanksgiving, to make known our wants, to confess our sins, and to claim His mercy in accordance with His promise.

“When ye pray, say our Father.” Luke 11:2

Jesus teaches us to call His Father our Father.

The world that Satan has claimed and has ruled over with cruel tyranny, the Son of God has, by one vast achievement, encircled in His love and connected again with the throne of Jehovah.

Angels rejoiced that the way of salvation had been opened for the fallen race and that the earth would be redeemed from the curse of sin. How much more should those rejoice who are the objects of such amazing love!

We have an advocate in the heavens, and whoever accepts Him as a personal Savior is not left an orphan to bear the burden of their own sins.

The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us (1 John 4:16), for it is through the drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him.

The perception of God’s love works the renunciation of selfishness.

No one prays aright who seeks a blessing for himself alone.

If you call God your Father you acknowledge yourselves as His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life.

God dwells in every abode; He hears every word that is spoken, listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes the sorrows and disappointments of every soul, regards the treatment that is given to every father, mother, sister, friend, and neighbor. He cares for our necessities, and His love and mercy and grace are continually flowing to satisfy our need.

“Hallowed be Thy name.” Matthew 6:9

We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity.

How much more should we, finite, sinful beings, come in reverent manner before the Lord, our Maker!

God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child; pray that you may do no dishonor to the “worthy name by which you are called.” James 2:7.