Update: My Crossover Novel

A sunspot viewed close-up in ultraviolet light, taken by the TRACE spacecraft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Anomaly is at 30,540 words. My Word Weavers critique group and a friend are both critiquing the novel.

Working Elevator Pitch: More is falling a part than this man and woman’s marriage as massive sun spots cause displacement in the atmosphere.

It’s looking to be about 70,000 words with a firm deadline of December. It’s a crossover speculative fiction which means, that while the two main characters are not believers, there are believers here and there. The Christian believers are not there to spread the message, but to create a real world scenario of mixed families filled with believers and agnostic or atheists which can naturally create tension. In the meantime, my two characters struggle to not only figure out what is left to rebuild their marriage on, but why people are disappearing. Between flickering cell phone signals, rolling blackouts, and people disappearing, my two characters will be forced to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives.

I am outlining a new novel to begin in January that is more horrific, but in the speculative Christian fiction genre. In this one, I will be having a message of redemption in it that is typical of Christian writing, but not preachy. I hate preachy writing. You’d know this if you read some of my book reviews. Let me clarify.

When I say message of redemption, I mean where there are shortcomings, repentance happens. Where there is hurt, forgiveness occurs. It is horror, but it will have a romantic note. The characters are saved and some are not saved. I’m going to be writing it like a ticking time bomb. Firm deadline for this new novel will be December, 2014. By January, 2014, I will have two complete novels to shop: The Rose Door and The Anomaly.

Book Review: Altar Ego (Becoming Who God Says You Are)

Uplifting, bold, and enthusiastic describes the mood of Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are by Craig Groeschel. In fact, this book had many quotables in it so much so that one quote inspired an entire blog here. But what is Altar Ego’s central theme?

Groeschel begins by tearing down the labels we give ourselves. “That’s why God’s truth about who I am transformed my life and hope. Paul writes, ‘Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!’ (2 Cor. 5:17 NLT, emphasis mine). No matter what others have said or what you’ve believed about yourself, even if the negative labels are true, God can give you a new view of yourself.”

He said if you are not physically fit; believe you can be physically fit. Groeschel talks about how his wife struggled in an area of her life because of a label she believed and when he encouraged her to think of herself, her altar ego, under a new name his wife overcame the obstacle and was able to do great in her classes. But Groeschel doesn’t stop at labels. Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are is all about transformation. Liberally laced with scripture references, Altar Ego talks about integrity, honor and respect, too.

“Isn’t it tragic,” Groeschel says, “that we live in a world where people are more shocked by a display of integrity than the lack of it?” He defines respect and honor as two different things and that, deserved or not, we should give honor as something someone doesn’ t have to earn and respect is described as something earned.

I did disagree with one portion of the text on honor, but I won’t go into it as it may not have anything to do with the accuracy of the text as more of viewing it through the lens of my past and taking it more sensitively than I ought. I fear others who have gone through what I went through might look at that with the same jaundiced eye I did and question the usage. While I won’t go into what it was, let me say that someone looking at that text from a normal viewpoint would find nothing wrong with it, and when I step into their shoes I can see the simplified message. In normal everyday life, I can even agree with it. He also points out honor from the political spectrum.

Altar Ego shows in an example how even a Republican and Democrat can honor something or someone without agreeing or tolerating something against their beliefs. His section on honor is what everyone in our society should read and practice and it was a good reminder for me, too. Groeschel speaks boldness towards the end of the book—bold prayer, bold living, etc. My favorite part of the book is what rarely anyone seems to practice anymore; that is, not being silent when a friend is doing something unbiblical.

“The mindset of never offending anyone anywhere has overflowed into the church as well. More and more, I hear Christians say things like, ‘You know, I don’t want to upset anybody, so I try not to speak too boldly about my faith.’ Consequently, a common mindset in the church today is that to be good witnesses, we need to just let our actions speak for us. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great place to start, because hands down, we do want our lives to reflect Christ. But there are times when we can’t just let our lives speak for us; we must use our words to witness boldly as well.” Groeschel follows this line of thought with an example of his outrageous and humorous fear of snakes, especially copperheads.

Overall, I gave this book five stars because Groeschel speaks fiery encouragement into the milk-toast Christian, hoping that they close the book bolder than when they first opened it. To learn more about Craig Groeschel, click here.

*book given by the publisher to review.

You Can Be Compassionate

Courage (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

The most alarming aspect I’ve observed in this Christian culture is what happens when a Christian stands against something popular. The worst backlash isn’t from the secular crowd (though that’s bad enough), but from that person’s own Christian brothers and sisters. They accuse that Christian of being hateful or judgmental, using words that aren’t true of that Christian person or business.

Once Christians were a group reputed to stand for something and now I’ve wondered if some have traded truth in favor of popularity, money or fear? Standing against something popular tends to put you in a bad light. People nowadays define compassion as agreeing with the other person’s choices. The definition of compassion per the dictionary is, “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

You can be compassionate while disagreeing with someone. Love doesn’t necessarily agree with everything the person stands for. I have liberal family members and I still love them, but I certainly don’t agree with them. If they struggled with misfortune or whatnot, they would still have my love and compassion though I may not agree with their choices.

So when a Christian stands for biblical truth, let’s clap them on the back for having the courage to speak rather than using words designed to shame and silence them. In this age where everything goes, it’s refreshing to see that kind of courage.

Have you experienced this? How did you deal with it?

Book Review: Revealing Heaven

Revealing Heaven by John W. Price is about near death experiences and how every person who is good and kind gets to heaven no matter their religion, but mean people will face hell.

John W. Price is a member of the Near Death Experience Research Foundation. He is an Episcopal priest. A collection of real life accounts of near death experiences (NDE) are recorded in this book, but I have to say I am disappointed in it. The book contradicts scripture.

The first half of the book works at proving that life after death exists. He says a lot of Christians doubt it exists. Most Christians I know believe in life after death, but when you hear of near death experiences it’s natural to feel skepticism. Price uses scripture to prove life after death. I don’t dispute this part of the book. Halfway through is when I had a problem.

Skepticism plays in when he writes about how some NDE’s return able to read minds and predict the future. One of the NDE’s saw Heaven but remains a Buddhist today. Price talked about how God didn’t care about any sin, unless you were mean; especially a mean Christian. At the end of the book, Price affirms his own belief. Here are the two statements of belief:

Page 137: “Now Jeff had not been baptized a Christian. Yet he and others like him with whom I’ve visited did not go to hell, but rather experienced God’s wondrous love in heaven. How can we reconcile this with statements in the New Testament that way we must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in order to go to Heaven? I think the conclusion we can draw here is this. Jesus is, in Christian theology, God come to earth. Since God is love, so is Jesus, and he showed and commanded that love for us. Those who do live a life of love are, whether they know it or not, accepting Jesus in his command to love as the central orientation of their lives.” Emphasis mine.

Page 143 [Regarding John 14:1-6): “As an Episcopal priest, I cannot argue with it except to point out that it seems to exclude non-Christians.” Emphasis mine.

Price also speaks about the controversial Rob Bell and his book “Love Wins.” In several places, Price can’t explain the scripture about Jesus being the only way.

In the beginning of the book, Price’s stories of NDE’s returning exemplified changed lives from meeting Jesus, but towards the end it felt like all I had to do was love well to go to Heaven regardless of the choices I make in my life. He got one point correct, however. Jesus is about transformation. Jesus also spoke about loving our enemies. Love is God. However, there is more to God than just love. For clarification, I would recommend reading the Bible and pray. Satan can come as an angel of light, too, and if something contradicts the Bible, one should ask lots of questions. From the point of view of a non-Christian, I am left confused as to how to get to Heaven.

Scant places in the book talk about getting to Heaven through Jesus. Then, many statements talk about God’s love as if that’s His only attribute. I gave this book one star. It contradicts the Bibles’ main point: the only way to Heaven is through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. You can’t be a Muslim and enter Heaven, unless you have accepted Him as your Savior which means you are no longer a Muslim. His book indicates that religion doesn’t matter. All roads lead to Heaven. This makes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross meaningless.

*Book given by publisher to review.

Updated 3/18/2013: John W. Price left a comment beneath my review on Amazon saying, “This reviewer put words in my mouth/pen. I did not say “every person who is good and kind gets to heaven no matter their religion,” I said the reviews of returnee’s lives shows love is the key question regarding entry into heaven. I did not say, “Love is God.” I said “God is Love.” (I John 4:8). I did not say I didn’t believe in life after death, I said I didn’t know what to believe about it, as the Bible itself is not clear from its various statements. That is very different. The reviewer is right saying conservative Christians will have a hard time with this book, particularly if they are inclined to misquote me.”

My response: He infers it in his book. Others like this reviewer read it the same way, too. Price follows it up saying, “…reviews of returnee’s lives shows love is the key question regarding entry into heaven.” But Price is clear as quoted below that he believes Christ is not the only door to Heaven.

Price says on page 144:

“God’s love is not limited to Christians, but is for all people of goodwill who live with love for one another. The returnees show us this truth abundantly. I cannot in good conscience say that Christianity is the only way. I can say it is the way for me. I can say God’s love is not exclusive to Christianity or Judaism or Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or any other faith group, since members of each group embrace and live the command that we are to love one another.”

He also takes issue with me saying he didn’t believe in life after death. I said in the above review, “The first half of the book works at proving that life after death exists. He says a lot of Christians doubt it exists.” I merely mentioned that in my corner of the world I had not heard that. I didn’t say he didn’t believe in it.

I like what this reviewer said on Amazon.

In any case, as a courtesy, I have added his comment to my review. It’s a courtesy I extend to any author.

Isn’t America Part of “The World?”

The one thing that bothers me when Christians focus on missions outside of the United States is how America seems to be left out of the conversation. In Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna, the authors go off on a rant about the church building.

“Contrast the overhead of a traditional church, which includes salaried staff and church buildings, with the overhead of a house church. Rather than such overhead siphoning off 50 to 85 percent of the house church’s monetary giving, it’s operating costs amount to a small percentage of the budget, freeing more than 95 percent of its shared money for delivering real services like ministry, mission, and outreach to the world.” (Pg. 41)

What do they define as “the world?”

We are all missionaries. Many unreached people groups exist in isolated parts of the world, and in places like France there exists large numbers of Muslims. We are to go out into the world, but I wonder if we’ve forgotten our own people? Does our world exclude the people in our area? Why do I feel like America is excluded when people talk about missions? There are many missionaries in our country. The authors in the end of chapter 2 seem to be putting down the church building while singing the praises of house churches.

They said, “Early Christians turned the world upside down without them (church buildings). They grew rapidly for three hundred years without the help (or hindrance) of church buildings.” The authors referred to Acts 17:6.

As Americans, we are far from having the character the early Christians had or their sense of family. While the internet has brought the church body closer, our real lives lack a sense of community. A former pastor once mentioned this saying we leave for work from our garage and go home at night, pulling the car into the garage without ever greeting or talking to a neighbor. If one cannot do at least one or more of the following during Saturday or Sunday church, then the effectiveness of house churches looks dim:

• The introvert needs to become the extrovert.

• The cliques in church need to reach out to the stranger.

• The “pew potatoes” need to fill vacant places in ministry.

• People need to keep their commitments and promises.

• The neighbor needs to make an effort to talk to neighbor.

• And people who aren’t online, need to get online for the sole purpose of being a missionary. You don’t even have to raise support to be an online missionary. The online world is here, love it or hate it. The Christian has an opportunity to be the squeaky wheel and influence others.

House churches can potentially become one giant clique, especially if the person organizing it is an introvert. It’s human nature to want to gather with people we have befriended. Strangers can be messy. USA Today had an excellent article on house churches:

“I’d say the vast majority of house churches we know are Christians honestly trying to live 24-7 for Jesus,” said Tony Dale of Austin. He and his wife, Felicity, are pioneers in the American house church movement which is also referred to as home church, organic church or simple church. There aren’t any signs out front so house churches are difficult to find. Prospective worshippers usually locate them by searching the Internet or through word of mouth. Members rotate the services from house to house and take turns facilitating the gatherings. Anything more than about 15 people and the small group loses its ability to interact with each person, churchgoers say.

When they get too large, they divide and multiply. “We view it as natural to grow, flourish and disband into three or four new ones,” Dale said. “Not everything multiplies. Sometimes it shrinks and dies.” Sometimes congregations with diverse religious backgrounds break up over doctrinal issues or personality conflicts, moving on until they find or create a better fit. In Texas, home to several megachurches, the house church movement is beginning to catch on, judging from the chatter on social networking sites and interest in a national house church conference organized by House2House Ministries held in the Dallas area in recent years.”

This explains the explosion of small groups at church. It’s the church’s answer to organic church. These small groups are held at people’s homes and hold no more than 15-17 people. They meet every week or twice a month. My aunt calls them “mini-church.” She attends a mega-church on the weekends. I have small group at my house twice a month. Once again, the church is visible to people and less threatening than to search the internet and walk into a stranger’s home. The authors also mention the lack of community that church buildings create.

The authors mention pews that face frontward instead of towards each other, how the buildings are cold and not organic, the pulpit sits on an elevated platform, and the clergy sit apart from the congregation on the stage (in our church, our pastor sits with the congregation). I agree with a lot of what they said, but stumbled over the quote where our shared income could be used for real ministry and reach out. They think that money should go towards “real services” as if the church building isn’t being used in real service. Isn’t America part of “the world?” Or are we sequestered in our house church, serving the world, but ignoring our neighbor because we are extremely busy people? The church building is visible to our neighbors and more easily accessible to a dysfunctional America.

Pagan Christianity? made some good points in the other half of Chapter 2, and I agree with them that a church building is not necessary to worship God. I worship Him every day. To me, a church is a place to go and mingle with other like-minded individuals, to be challenged in my thinking and grow as I experience personalities and learn new things. The church’s answer to organic church seems to be small groups and if someone is looking for that kind of intimacy, find a church that has small groups. The support system within a church is broad, encouraging, and they have greater resources than a house church can provide.

If you are in a house church or have experienced a house church, feel free to share those experiences in the comments section.

*Most words in quotes are directly quoted from the book.

Church Clutter

“When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons, and no sacred spaces. Although surrounded by Jewish synagogues and pagan temples, the early Christians were the only religious people on earth who did not erect sacred buildings for their worship. The Christian faith was born in homes, out in courtyards, and along roadsides. For the first three centuries, the Christians did not have any special buildings. As one scholar put it, ‘The Christianity that conquered the Roman Empire was essentially a home-centered movement.” (pg. 14, Pagan Christianity?)

So I have moved into Chapter 2 of Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna. You can read my prior thoughts on the book here. In Chapter 2, Constantine, previously thought of as the first Christian empire (or so was taught to me), is really another pagan soul who worshipped other gods and himself. He introduced many Catholic traditions and made Christianity popular as he created the non-profit for church buildings. Many of these church buildings were built over sacred sites that Christians once met at for communion.

Did you know that Communion used to be full meals? My friend who knows Amish country well, once told me that some Mennonite or Amish churches usually do coffee and sweet rolls for communion. I laughed at the time, but after reading this chapter I understand why. The early Christianity that conquered the Roman Empire also acted like a family unit.

When you attend a family party, are you ignored? In normal family situations, the answer would be ‘no.’ The moment you walk in, your mother embraces you. Your cousins and siblings immediately come to you to share their secrets and joy. Meals are shared together with everyone helping. In the Bible, the church is illustrated as not a building, but a body (1 Corinthians 12).

Barna and Viola also dispel the myth that the reason early Christians didn’t have church buildings were due to the political climate. They said on page 14-16, “Some have argued that this was because the Christians were not permitted to erect church buildings. But that is not true. Meeting in homes was a conscious choice of the early Christians.”

It’s interesting to note how far we have come from a Christian family. It’s easy to walk into a large church and leave without knowing a single name or breaking our cliques to greet another brother and sister in Christ. I have been speaking to a pastor in India by email and he greets me in the same way the the Apostle Paul spoke to the New Testament church. It feels like the walls disintegrate when we reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ. But let me make my thoughts clear here. I am not against church buildings no matter how ornate.

Barna and Viola simply outline how far we have come from New Testament Christianity and how much of our traditions were born from paganism. They also make the point early in the book that while some traditions can be used because of cultural ties, some probably should go away. In many aspects, I agree with having a church building because it’s practical. Barna and Viola go into detail about how some Christians in the Roman Empire converted their homes by taking out a wall to accommodate up to 70 people so people could meet in homes. In America, due to zoning laws and just being practical, it’s good to have church buildings.

It’s a central place to meet and fellowship together as believers, like going to Aunt Edna’s house as a family to meet together; in the same way, we need to de-clutter our Christian life to come together and meet regularly. We need to remember early Christianity’s roots when meeting, break our habits of forming cliques, and greet our brothers and sisters in Christ, pray with them, serve them, and not expect others to serve us. Like I said earlier in my blog, if a cousin came to our family party our habit is to greet her with an embrace or a smile, and ask her about her week. If a grandmother lost a friend, a family would come together and grieve with her over her friend. That’s church.

I have always treated church like a second family, filled with quirky personalities, people with strong opinions, and sometimes there are some family members that just don’t get along. We’re saved as a church family by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that grace must be extended to each other if we are to get along.

Families as you know can get complicated. Barna and Viola explain in Chapter 2 how complicated Constantine made Christianity by adding unnecessary pagan rituals and not just a church building. It’s a real history lesson how religious clutter can keep the laity from participating in the worship of Christ. Chapter 2 goes in-depth into Constantine’s introduction of pagan traditions into the church like relic collecting, stages, thrones for the clergy and elders, etc. It’s easy  to forget that knowing Christ is about a relationship and we should participate in that relationship by talking to Him, reading the Word, and being His hands and feet.

What are you doing to treat your church like a second family?

The Warmth We Take For Granted

When I wrote this, ice glittered under the onslaught of cold sunshine. A fog bank hid some of the mountains in the distance and I pushed my afghan close around my body as I read. It’s when I recalled my prayers for Pastor Ratnakumar in India and the warmth we take for granted.

He’s a pastor ministering to orphans and older people. A month or so ago he asked for prayer to get 200 Bibles. Last week, he said he needed blankets. Because God provided some extra money this week, we are using our ten percent to send money to him. A Google app helped me break down U.S. Dollars compared to INR.

Pastor Ratnakumar needs 30 blankets. In India, each blanket costs approximately 300 INR (roughly $5.50, I think in US Dollars). If you do send money or a blanket, I have his address. I would send money via Moneygram or Western Union. If you know how to knit or crochet or quilt, I might suggest sending a homemade blanket if the air mail isn’t too costly, but keep in mind there are also duty added to the cost of mailing something to India. If you would like to help him, please email me for the address: nikolehahn@thehahnhuntinglodge.com.

In America, we talk about the poor, but our poor cannot compare to the poor in other countries. In our country, we have charities and churches who provide for those who cannot or will not work and those struggling to find work. Even our government provides money to people. One homeless man I observed owned a smart phone. In India, they have unofficially a caste system where those that don’t fit in are left to starve. So as we wrap even our worst coats around us to ward off winter’s chill, remember Pastor Ratnakumar in your prayers.  We’ve been corresponding for several months and I’ve been praying for him and his ministry.

When I think of the word for the year as chosen by Bonnie over at Faith Barista, I think of Pastor Ratnakumar who is beloved by God in what God has enabled him to do for his people.

How do you take what you have for granted?

Book Review: The Conviction to Lead

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles For Leadership That Matters by Albert Mohler could be summed up in one sentence: A leader must lead with conviction using the tools available to us to pass on that conviction as a legacy.

“Awareness of our mortality changes everything…We are creatures made for a specific time and a specific opportunity and a unique stewardship of influence, life, and energy…for we live with the constant awareness that everything we have built can be undone when we are gone. We have a limited opportunity to make a difference, and to make it last. Leadership, in other words, is perishable.” (location 2190)

From chapter 1 where Mohler says, “True Leadership Starts With a Purpose, Not a Plan,” to the last chapter where he goes indepth about the social networking tools available to us and how if we wish to be an influential leader, we need to use those tools, Mohler shows he is a strong writer. If leaders do not have a platform, they do not exist or have a limited audience. That reminded me of a Fox and Friend’s report where the money reporter explained how government regulation will eventually wipe out brick and mortar storefronts and make the online world more prominent. A business that doesn’t have a website would not make money.

Mohler went on to say,“If you are satisfied to lead from the past, stay out of the digital world. If you want to influence the future, brace yourself and get in the fast lane.” (location 1935-1936) Sadly, that’s where some influential people in real life remain–in the past, missing ripe opportunity to influence. Mohler spoke about passion and the lack of passion. This and other areas in the book caused disquiet in me. As a growing Christian, his words made me think and re-think, especially when he said on location 996-997, “If opposition to your ideas and beliefs offends you, do not attempt to lead. Every leader knows the experience of rejection and opposition. You must prepare for it, expect it, and deal with it when it happens.”  Mohler wrote a strong willed book that repeatedly pointed the reader to biblical concepts of leadership and practical application. I gave this book five stars. Every leader and politician should read this book to perpetuate a legacy of conviction.

*Book given by publisher to review.

What Exactly is a Christians Role in Politics?

By Elissa Hill (http://realityofchrist.me/author/realityofchrist/)

Unfortunately this question brings to mind a negative image of government and politics. If the question is, “Should Christians corrupt themselves with the seedy side of politics?” or “Should Christians revert to the unethical, unscriptural practices of modern-day ‘politicians’?” the answer is, of course, no. But if the question is about political involvement and participation in general, there is another answer.

ChristianAnswers.net puts it this way, “…Christians should seek political participation and representation as they go about their duties of evangelizing the world. Without this participation and representation, there is no assurance that the freedom to evangelize will remain secure. Can we maintain the fundamental freedoms and liberties we enjoy while standing apart from the political process? The political and social trends of the last generation should offer clear warnings that freedom and liberty require diligent care and attention—especially by the Christian community.”

Recently, I was talking to someone who stated that politics was corrupt and that Christians just needed to stay out of it all together. Pretty bold, but I thought about it for a moment. Yes, politics is corrupt, worldly, and wicked, but that doesn’t give us a reason to stay out of it all together. You see, when we choose to do such things, what we are doing is endorsing it with our silence. In other words we offer no opposition or resistance and agree with the majority, whatever it may be… good or bad. When good people are silent, sadly evil thrives. This is just not where we should be and I believe we should have a vote and a voice.

So what about Christians holding an office in government? Should we do such things? For our answer let’s look to the Scriptures. Proverbs 29:2 says, “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn.” This verse seems to say that righteous people should be in office, and that when they are, it’s a good thing. So according to just this verse alone, God wants godly men in authority. Or how about Exodus 18:21, God tells Moses to “…look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.…”, Basically, put these men in authority over others. I believe that’s what God wants us to do today in America. In the Bible, there were many godly people in government Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Daniel, Mordecai, Esther, and of course some godly leaders of Israel.

So my answer is this, if no Christians run for office, then who would be in office? And if Christians do not support them with their votes/voices, then who will be in office? If Christians are silent, then what kind of people will be leaders of this nation? If not the Christians, the only other group is those with whom can be influenced by the powers of this world. So my advice is this, Christians that want to run for office should and the rest of us need to use our voice, our votes, our prayers, and stand firm in the Word of God.

One last thing we need to remember is to be submissive to authority and respect the authority God has put in place. 1 Peter 2:13-14 says, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” In other words obey the laws and the only time we should not is when it goes against Gods Word. For example, Daniel did not stop praying even though the law forbid him to. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow before the idol even though it was the law. Now in the same aspect this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a voice. Think about this, for example, Esther petitioned the King to save her people the Jews, Moses petitioned the King to save his people the Israelites, they used their voice for good to save nations of people. They didn’t go against the government of the time, they stood for the rights of the people.

In our American culture, we the people, are the ones who make decisions, so we, by law, have a right to use our voice. Think about this for a moment, in our American governing system, ‘submission’ demands our participation. Whether we like it or not, American citizens are participants in the American governing structure. No one is exempt from this participation. Citizens are assessed taxes; we are counted in the census; we are in government computer systems at all levels; we send our children to government-run schools; we are, in one way or another, participants in the government, so we need to keep that in perspective.

And I want to close with this, 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This verse applies to us. If we will… 1.) Humble ourselves, 2.) Pray, 3.) Seek Gods Face, 4.) Turn from our wicked ways (Yes this is talking about believers). THEN He will hear us from heaven and heal our land!

Lets always seek God in prayer and pray for our nation.

About Elissa Hill:

I am Christian and have been married since May 2002. My husband and I have four beautiful children. Two ‘homegrown’ (biological) and two adopted from the country of Bulgaria. I am a stay at home, homeschool parent, and am now entering into my sixth year of home schooling.

I have been a Christian since Aug. 2002 and attended Calvary Chapel a good part of my life. I was the Womens Bible Study director at CCSurprise and have written many Bible Studies for the women at the church. I have also served in various ways within the women’s ministry itself including writing, acting in skits, coordinating events, and more. I was the children’s worship coordinator for 5 years and served in many other ways.

Currently I am enrolled in the International School of Ministry,and plan on completing my degree this year. My passion is to serve God with all my heart, help those who need it and to spread the Gospel message to its full extent.

It’s About Relationships

Fox and Friends on December 29 interviewed a financial reporter. It’s amazing how many businesses don’t utilize the online tools like web pages, Facebook, Twitter, etc to promote their business and create relationships.

The reporter stated that due to all the regulations for brick and mortar businesses that online presence is going to become more and more necessary. Without the online presence, you lose business. But I agree with Rebecca when she said she was ready to unfriend and delete some writers from twitter and Facebook because ALL they do is promote. Where’s the relationships?

It’s important to market, but as Christians we need to realize there’s a bigger picture here. It’s about relationships. We need to care about our readers and not just use them to sell our books. Plus, like Rebecca said, it’s frustrating to see only promotion in our news feeds. People aren’t interested in more advertisements. There’s enough of that on our televisions; not just in between the shows we watch but at times nearly taking up the entire screen of our shows during the shows. Personally, I am tired of the marketing.

Businesses need to market, but they need to also forge relationships, too. We have these tools available for us as Christians to network, to listen, and to be a light. The reporter said in the future due to regulations storefronts will be small,  online commerce will be big. So those businesses that aren’t using the social networks and websites to promote will lose money while businesses that do have an online presence will make money. It’s not about money though. It’s about people. It makes for a sticky situation.

Do you promote yourself too much?