Following God's Truth

James Hudson Taylor was born to James and Amelia Hudson in England on May 21, 1832. To avoid confusion, the younger James went by the name Hudson. He grew up in a devoutly Christian home, but in his mid-teens, he had a period of drifting away from the faith. Then one day when he was 17, he discovered a Christian tract while alone in his father's study. He read it and decided he needed to rededicate himself and get serious about serving Jesus. As a young child, he'd dreamed of becoming a missionary in China, and he picked up that dream again. He worked hard to prepare himself, and was finally asked to go there by the Chinese Evangelization Society.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world (1 John 4:1)

However, when Hudson arrived in China, he found the country in a civil war. Hong Xiuquan had received a religious tract from an earlier missionary, had a vision, and decided he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ. He recruited followers, organized a militia, and opposed criminals in the area vigilante style. Eventually, his violent, strong-armed tactics clashed with the government of the Qing dynasty, and a civil war resulted.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11).

Some have surmised that, while the Holy Spirit called Hudson back to Jesus with a tract, the devil called Hong to misrepresent the gospel message with one. This is one case where a little knowledge really was dangerous. Hudson had the biblical background to understand God's will, but Hong did not. 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

We all need to be careful to stay grounded in the faith, using the Bible as our manual and studying it daily. Establishing a strong prayer life will also help. Independent thinking can lead us astray and can give Satan a foothold. Our faith needs to be based on what God thinks, not what we think. His truth is what's important.

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Breaking the String of MAPs

In September of 2022, I published my first MAP (multiple-author project). Since Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie in the Old-Timey Kitchen series, I have published 34 MAPs in a row, but The Miner, which just released last week, will be the last novel in that statistic. I'll be publishing more MAPs, but my next book will be one of my own standalones.

Mistaken Bride is set in Arizona in 1895. Danielle Gregory grew up in saloons, where her mother worked, and she's never been able to escape that lifestyle. However, she promised herself never to work upstairs the way her mother did. When she goes to Redbud, Arizona, to work in a saloon that doesn't have soiled doves, the sheriff mistakes her for his mail-order bride. She would like to marry him and have a normal life, but she's too honest to deceive him for long. As she feared, he has problems with her past, but when a godly pastor and his wife accept her, she has hope for the first time. Now that she's become a new child of God, what will her future hold?  

Mistaken Bride is set to release on April 4. It's written, edited, uploaded, and on preorder now. My dual narrators, Douglas Birk and Jennifer Groberg have completed the Audible version, and we're waiting for ACX to approve it. Don't miss getting your copy in Kindle, KU, print, or Audible, whichever you prefer.

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Early Persecution Spreads

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).

After Christ's resurrection, the Jewish leadership came down hard on this new group of believers with stronger persecution. The stoning of Stephen is an example. As a result, many Christ-followers left Jerusalem and fled to places with more tolerance. The new faith spread more rapidly into other areas than it would have otherwise because of this.

Philip is a good example of what happened. He left Jerusalem after Stephen's stoning and went to Samaria. There he continued to preach the gospel message. He was one of seven deacons chosen to serve in the Samarian body of believers, where he did miracles and led many to recognize God's truths. Among these was the Ethiopian eunuch, who went back to Africa, taking the Good News of Christ with him.

Early believers fleeing persecution also started the church in Antioch, which is in present-day Turkey. They were first given the name Christians there. After the persecutor Saul was converted on the Road to Damascus, he helped strengthen this fledgling church and started many others. As Joseph said, what they meant for evil, God used for good. He still does so today when his believers trust in Him and follow in obedience.

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 The Firehouse in 1880 Town

Early buildings in the West were often constructed of wood and susceptible to fires. Men first fought them with bucket brigades, but the method proved to be slow and often ineffective. As soon as possible, fire departments were formed with hand-pulled carts or horse-drawn water wagons. 

1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, has an impressive firehouse, complete with an alarm bell. Firemen were volunteers. Inside, visitors find displays of basic, rudimentary fire implements and equipment from the 1800s. Some firehouses also served as community meeting places, and this one certainly could have.

In my soon-to-be-released book set in Deadwood, SD, a fire has burned Lorne Merritt's mining supply shop, and he's gone back to mining until he can earn enough money to rebuild. The Miner is a romantic adventure and mystery that releases tomorrow, March 11. It's on preorder now.

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 In God We Trust

Did you know that "In God We Trust" was first put on a U. S. coin in 1864, during the Civil War? It was a two-cent piece. Over the years, it gradually appeared on more coins. In 1956, it was declared the official national motto, and in 1957, the phrase was added to paper money, beginning with the one-dollar silver certificate. Since then, it has appeared on all U.S. money, as mandated by a law signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Trusting in God is important. Faith and trust go hand in hand. One can't have faith in someone they don't trust. The Bible tells us "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Knowing who God is builds our trust and grows our faith. We get to know Him through studying our Bibles and praying, and the Holy Spirit will guide us. Once we see how perfect, righteous, holy, and mighty God is, it is easy to trust him and follow Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

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The Railroad in 1880 Town

Around the time I wrote and published Beckett's Brides, a Western novel set in Deadwood, South Dakota, I wrote a series of blogs on 1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, about 150 miles away. The replica town gives one a good idea of what a typical Western town might have been like. Since my next novel, The Miner, is also set in Deadwood, I decided to continue that series. I've already written articles on saloons, gold mines, churches, hotels, the blacksmith, barbershop, school, doctor, jail, and general store.

Another important part of many towns in the late 1800s was the depot and railroad. Between 1880 and 1890, 70,400 new miles of tracks were laid, bringing the total to 163,600 miles. There was a 129% increase in railroad mileage in the West. Trains were not only important for faster, more convenient passenger travel, but also for the shipment of freight. Needed goods came into Western towns, and cattle, farm and ranch products, and sometimes horses went out. The expansion of the railroad into more towns played a crucial role in the development of the West.

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 From Israel to India and More

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37).

In the Jewish culture of biblical times, people's faith was considered a part of everything they did. They would have never understood the concept of separation of church and state. Their religious leaders were also the government leaders until Rome came along and forced them to accept their rule. Even then, the Roman emperors were supposed to be of the gods or gods themselves.

I found the same true to some extent when I went to India and saw how they practiced Hinduism. While I was there, I went to the Ganges River at Varanasia to watch the sun rise. The Ganges is sacred to Hindus, and it's often spoken of as the Mother of India. They believe that washing in the river will wash away sins and purify them. Many Hindus choose to have their ashes sprinkled there after cremation. Knowing all this, I expected a shrinelike atmosphere. Nothing could be further from the truth. People were doing their morning exercises on the banks; hawkers rowed boats around, trying to sell their souvenirs; and people even brushed their teeth. I came away wishing more people would make Christ part of everything they do.

There was a time in our history when we came closer to doing this. If we as Christians have failed our children, it's been in that we've taught them to go to church and obey the Bible, but we haven't taught them to put God above all else in their lives and have an intimate, personal relationship with Him. We haven't taught them to put their faith in everything they do and have a heart for Jesus. Christianity isn't a vital, vibrant, powerful way of life for them, and that's why many of them are deserting it all. If we haven't already, let's begin today to make God our All in All and share this with others.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord; and not unto men; (Colossians 3:23).

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