Obedience: The Mark of Christianity

A little over a third of the world's population professes to be Christians today. That's roughly 2.6 billion people. "One would expect that a world with such a large percentage of Christ-followers would be fundamentally different from how it is today. All who call themselves Christian have not truly understood what it means to be a Christian."*

"Tozer underlines the teaching of the Bible -- obedience is the evidence of salvation."* Jesus also emphasized this several times. In chapters 14 and 15, John records Christ speaking about this. Here are some of them: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (14:15); "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (14:21); "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (15:10).

Read Matthew 7:21-27. It begins with Jesus saying, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shalt enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." And Jesus asks in Luke 6:46, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

"For Tozer, there is no mincing of words when it comes to preaching biblical truth. The life of obedience . . . is the wisest course of life."* Obedience has nothing to do with earning our salvation. No matter how hard we try, we could never be completely obedient because of our sinful nature from the fall of man. We can do nothing to earn salvation; it is a gift of God. However, obedience is evidence of our salvation. All who are truly saved want to follow God's will. Grace saves us, but love expresses itself through obedience, and this is the mark of a true Christ-follower. Those who belong to Him are not perfect, but they are being shaped into people who obey him from the heart.

*Caleb Sinclair in the introduction to Obedience to Christ, A.W. Tozer and Caleb Sinclair.

__________________

Pawprints on the Page

While editing my upcoming book, Malachi's Mountain, I realized I've used dogs as secondary characters in several of my stories. Malachi's faithful companion, Flint, is one of them. Malachi got him from the Shoshone when he was just a pup. Flint is loyal, intelligent, and the perfect friend for a mountain man living alone in an isolated cabin.

My first story to feature a dog in a significant role was Roslyn's Rescue, an inspirational retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" set in medieval England. Owein, a noble wolfhound secretly gifted to Roslyn by the woodcutter, proves to be exceptional. When Roselyn faces danger, it's Owein who races for help.

A dog also plays a memorable role in Inman's Impersonation. Someone has mistreated the animal, and Inman's kindness wins his complete devotion. Inman first names him Drifter but soon shortens it. Driff becomes an important presence throughout the novel.

In Grandma's Match for Garrett, Garrett goes to great lengths to find Wren a dog. Something happened to the one she used to have, and with all the trouble surrounding her, he's convinced she needs a good guard dog. He ends up bringing her two, and they quickly become invaluable.

A puppy also finds Meleah when she's lost in the woods in Noah's New Bride. She names him Pal, and his companionship helps ease the loneliness of the logging camp while Noah is away working during the day.

I've loved animals, especially dogs, since I was a little girl. My family used to raise cocker spaniels, and I always had a dog of my own growing up. Those memories are special to me, so it's no surprise that dogs keep finding their way into my stories. I expect readers will meet even more canines in books to come.

Do you enjoy discovering dogs in the books you read from time to time?

___________________

 

On the Frontier

Faith, belonging, and the courage to stay when leaving would be easier

Guest Post by Heidi Gray McGill

About the Author

If you had asked me before the 2020 lockdown where I would spend my days, I would not have said late-1800s Missouri. I certainly would not have guessed I would feel so at home among frontier families shaped by hard labor, deep convictions, and the daily work of holding one another together when life offers no simple answers.

And yet, here I am.

Somewhere between barns and kitchen tables, sickrooms and fence lines, I found a world that feels familiar in all the ways that matter. The frontier was a place where people worked until they finished the job, said what they meant, and trusted God whether or not the trail ahead was easy. Faith was not something you explained. It was something you lived, often quietly, often without applause.

I write Christian historical fiction because I believe the strongest faith stories are rarely tidy. They are not polished sermons. They are lived out in ordinary places by people who keep showing up, even when it costs them something. Stories have always been one of God’s favorite ways to remind me who He is and who we are becoming, usually one hard-earned step at a time.

About Keeper of My Heart

Jimmy Reeves heads west and completely out of his comfort zone.

A trained pharmacist from the East, he arrives in post–Civil War Missouri with intention, not certainty. He wants to learn from Robin Manning’s Arapaho knowledge, to understand healing that cannot be found in bottles or textbooks, and to figure out whether faith can be practiced instead of merely studied. Jimmy is thoughtful, reserved, and deeply uncomfortable with chaos, which makes the frontier a challenging classroom.

Cecelia Shankel has never questioned where she belongs.

She was raised strong, shaped by land that demands work and by people who rely on her steadiness. Cecelia does not become capable through crisis; she was formed that way from the start. Strength, to her, is not something to explain or defend. It is simply how the day gets finished.

When grief, responsibility, and an unexpected affection draw Jimmy and Cecelia together, neither is looking for romance. What they find instead is something quieter and more demanding. Trust built through presence. Love proven through action. And the slow realization that sometimes God’s calling is not about escape, but about choosing to stay.

Keeper of My Heart is a slow-burn Christian historical romance featuring an opposites-attract pairing, an emotionally wounded hero, a capable frontier heroine, found family, and the quiet tension that grows when two people learn to carry responsibility together.

The Heart of the Story

Jimmy’s journey is about learning to stand when everything in him wants order and certainty. Cecelia’s is about learning that strength does not mean standing alone. Together, they discover that God often works through ordinary people who simply refuse to walk away from what has been entrusted to them.

For readers who believe God still meets us in the middle of work, weariness, and unanswered questions, this story offers a reminder. You are not late. You are not alone. And faithfulness still matters.

A Final Word

If you enjoy stories where faith shows up in the ordinary work of living, I hope Keeper of My Heart feels like the end of a long day on the porch, when the noise settles, the light fades, and something steady asks you to stay a while longer and listen.

__________________________

 

The Sacrifice of Christ

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

Have you ever thought of how great a sacrifice it was for Jesus to leave the splendor and perfection of heaven to come to earth as a babe and grow up surrounded by the sinfulness, problems, and hardships that abound here? He came, knowing that He would be reviled, persecuted, and ultimately nailed to a cross.

On that cross, the physical pain would have been excruciating, but there were other sacrifices as well. All at once, this perfect, sinless man took on the sins of everyone who had ever lived or would ever live. I can't even imagine what a dark, heavy burden that must have been. How painful that must have felt, yet it didn't stop there. In that moment, God turned away from Him.

He had never been without the Father, but suddenly, God the Father left Him. Talk about being abandoned and alone! And he endured that separation so that we would never have to. His abandonment purchased our acceptance and belonging. His suffering opened the way for our salvation. When we pause to consider the depth of His sacrifice, it should tell us how much we are loved and bring us to our knees to accept Christ as our Savior and live for Him.

____________________________

Westerns

Is the Western novel making a comeback? Some would say it never left, but there's no denying it lost mainstream popularity after the 1960s. Its golden age stretched from the 1930s to the mid-20th century, when Westerns dominated popular American fiction and helped cement the mythic image of the American frontier. Bestselling authors like Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour dominated the field, and then came radio programs, movies, and television shows.

Author Karen Witemeyer wrote in a blog post, "Have you noticed that the western is making a comeback? In commercials, at least." Although the commercials she's referring to are usually parodies, they still remind us of the many reasons we love Westerns in the first place. Fans don't just read these stories; they feel them. The genre taps into something deep and enduring. The wide-open spaces of the frontier and possible dangers stir the imagination. There are often clear moral stakes: good vs. evil, justice vs. lawlessness, and duty vs. survival. 

The hero is usually a rugged, honorable individual who isn't perfect but either learns his lessons or tries his best. There might be gunfights, standoffs, feuds, and survival challenges. This genre is built for drama, and it delivers. People know that the real West was messy and complicated, but the mythic West is irresistible anyway. With cowboys, outlaws, sheriffs, and frontier towns, we have a cultural dreamscape. Westerns explore loyalty, revenge, redemption, and love with a kind of emotional directness that many of the modern genres shy away from.

I can attest to the genre's appeal. My own Westerns remain extremely popular among readers. Pictured to the left are just a few of the ones I've published. They outsell all my other books, except perhaps the ones set in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1800s. But as my husband likes to point out, those stories read very much like Westerns, too. What do you think? Is the Western making a comeback? And if they are, how do you feel about it?

_______________________

 

Take Time for People

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? (Matthew 20:32).

Jesus never rushed past people. Scripture shows Him repeatedly pausing His journey, His plans, and even His rest to meet the needs of those around Him. He made time for people, and He gave them His full attention. If we desire to walk as He walked, we must cultivate that same willingness to slow down and see the people God places in our path. A hurried life rarely leaves room for compassion.

One of the best ways to live this out is by intentionally setting aside time with God each day, just as Jesus did. He often withdrew to quiet places to pray, refocus, and realign His heart with the Father’s will. When we begin our day with God by Bible study and prayer, we become more sensitive to His leading and more aware of the opportunities He places before us. This spiritual margin strengthens us to love well and serve well.

We can also build a practical margin into our schedules. If a trip normally takes thirty minutes, plan for forty-five. If a meeting begins at noon, arrive early enough to greet others, listen to them, and be present. These small adjustments create space for divine appointments—moments God uses for us to encourage, comfort, or help someone. And when we’re with people, let’s be fully with them. Undivided attention is a powerful gift in a distracted world, and it reflects the heart of Christ, who always made time for people. Let us take the time to love the way He did.

__________________________