Light or Darkness

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Have you noticed how the dark can encourage negative thoughts? The what-ifs, uncertainties, and doubts often come to us in bed at night. Yet, things often appear much brighter in the morning light, both literally and figuratively. Darkness flourishes on making us feel frightened and alone. The first words God spoke in the Bible are "Let there be light." It is a fact that light dispels darkness. 

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. It is the same in our spiritual lives. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). Satan wants to fill our lives with his darkness, but he can't do it when we have Jesus -- when we belong to Him. So, let us cling to our Lord and not let darkness have a chance in our lives.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Jesus ushered in a new age. Now, believers no longer have to carry the burden of the law, but we can live free and at peace under grace. This makes it much harder for darkness to inch back in. We get to trade our sinfulness for His righteousness. His sacrifice on the cross covers us when we allow Him to be the Lord of our lives. Let's choose to live in the Light.

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth (1 John 2:8-11).

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The Lumber Company in Old Western Towns

In the fast-growing West, lumber companies became an important business and building supplies in high demand. Most Western Towns had a place to buy lumber, and some had other related businesses, such as shingle and siding companies, as well. 

This was also true in 1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, which I've been sharing with you since our trip there. Since the largest part of a lumber company was the wood stacked outside, the most prominent building housing wood supplies in this town was the shingle and siding company. Of course, there were a general store, hardware store, and other places to buy some building supplies as well. 

I also have connections to the lumber industry. My paternal grandfather owned a sawmill in the Appalachian Mountains, and my father worked for him growing up. Later, His older brother bought it, and Dad worked with him for a while. In my novel, Noah's New Bride, Noah Elder is a lumberjack in Oregon. But near the end of the book, he retires from that rugged life to become the owner and operator of a lumber company -- still related to the lumber industry but more conducive to a man with a family. 

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Lord, Lord

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

Some people think they can mouth the prayer of salvation, be baptised, and they will have an automatic ticket into heaven. That's only true if you mean the words, accept Christ into your heart, and allow Him to change you.

We must make Jesus our Lord and Savior. Some people want Him to save them but aren't willing to make Him the Lord of their lives. They continue living much as they did before. They only open their Bibles when in church, if they attend church, and they rarely pray unless they become desperate.

Such people may claim they are Christian, but they are poor testimonies or witnesses to Christ. Nonbelievers look at them and think, "If that's a Christian, why bother? They're no different than me." As Jesus said in the verses above, these folks are in for a rude awakening on the Day of Judgement. 

Where do you stand? Make sure you've made God the top priority in your life, and your relationship with the Lord is your most precious possession. Pattern your life so that you will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

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The Writing of a Book

Although I mainly write Christian fiction and have 77 novels published on Amazon, about three years ago, I felt God calling me to write another non-fiction book. This has happened twice before, and the results were On the Road to Jericho and From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea: Lessons from Elijah and Jonah. However, this book was different because I struggled with it. That's why it took me so long to write it. I normally write the rough draft of a book in about 17 days and have my first 3 rounds of edits completed about 2 weeks later. From there, I send it to the professional editor. As I said, this one took 3 years to write the rough draft.

I started and stopped writing several times, finishing many novels between the attempts. I think one of the problems was that Satan tried to stop or delay the writing as much as possible. The title of it is Satan's Wiles. Eventually, I decided I just needed to push forward because I knew in my heart that God wanted it written.

Satan's Wiles will publish on May 2 and is on preorder now. It is an easy-to-read book that heavily uses what the Bible has to say about our main enemy. My pre-readers have been impressed, with one person saying how well-organized and laid out it was. The ancient Chinese general, Sun Tzu talked about how important it was to know one's enemy. That's especially true for Christians when it comes to the devil. He is more prevalent in the world than most people give him credit for. Don't miss checking the book out. It's encouraging as well as informative.

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How to find Contentment

Contentment is a good indication of how strong our faith is, how close we live to God, and how much we trust in Him. Do you really believe that God works all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose? Do you live knowing that, since God is for you, your enemies don't stand a chance? Do you know that He loves you beyond comprehension and that He wants the very best for you?

If you understand all these things, you will be content. By focusing on heavenly things more than worldly things and surrendering everything to God, you prevent worry and are able to live a joyous life, no matter the circumstances. You'll join Paul and be content in whatever state you find yourself.

As we age, we realize how brief this earthly life is, and we look forward to eternity with Christ. This life becomes less important and the next one more so. As Thomas Watson wrote, "In just a little while, we will be with Christ, bathing ourselves in the fountain of love. We will never complain of needs and injuries anymore. Our cross may be heavy, but one glimpse of Christ will make us forget all our former sorrows."

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 The Livery in Western Towns

The livery was an essential part of old Western towns. They rented horses, wagons, and carriages and boarded horses for those without a stable or barn or just passing through. A few were attached to hotels or boarding houses, but many were separately owned businesses. It wasn't until the automobile became common that liveries declined.

1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, like most Western towns, had a livery. A privately owned business, it had a stable section for horses as well as wheeled vehicles, including wagons and different kinds of carriages. I can imagine the liveryman in an active town stayed busy and worked long hours.

Liveries have appeared in several of my novels. In Carmen's Wedding Dilemma, the hero owns a livery. When Holden goes to a horse ranch to buy some new horses for his business, he meets Carmen, who has a Spanish and secret gypsy heritage. You can imagine some of the problems that ensue, especially with his prejudiced mother. It has a 4.9-star rating on Amazon. Check it out.

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 From Hosanna to Crucify Him

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord (John 12:12-13).

"Hosanna" is a word of praise, joy, and adoration. It's what the crowds lined up and shouted as Jesus entered Jerusalem after His teaching trip through Jericho and into the city. At that moment, they were filled with awe, reverence, and hope, but they didn't hold onto those emotions.

About five days later, many who had welcomed Jesus with such exuberance now shouted at Pontius Pilate to "Crucify Him!" Of course, they now had Pharisees and enemies of Jesus among them leading the condemnation. Many were apparently crowd-followers. But whatever the reason, they now asked for His crucifixion. 

Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried saying, Crucify him, crucify him (Luke 23:20-21).

Too many Christians do something similar. When they first come to the saving knowledge of Jesus and are baptized, they are enthusiastic about their faith, and their joy is evident. However, a few years later, their passion has waned, and they've become stagnant when they need to keep growing in their faith. They no longer put the Lord first in their lives. A worldly focus and carnal things are creeping back in. As the Ephesian church in Revelation, they have forgotten their first love.

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Easter is a good time to remember what Jesus did for us and His great sacrifice on the cross. It's a good time to renew our faith and commit to putting Him first in our lives -- far above everything else. He is and should be the most important thing. Let's make it so.

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