Ambrose Brothers

Book Review: Hood

"Hood" by Stephen R Lawhead

Book 1 of the King Raven Trilogy

Today we will be looking at the fictional title Hood, the first book of the King Raven Trilogy. And don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of discussing fiction here, as everyone has different genre’s they enjoy. Yet this book being listed more as Christian Fiction brings about some interesting topics to discuss. First off if you hadn’t guessed it yet Hood is a Robin Hood story, and that being said, I may never have given it a second look if it wasn’t for the Robin Hood series on the BBC (Which is worth a look, even if they take a anti-war stance). We may think of Robin Hood as a children’s tale, but this is a book that an adult will enjoy.

Hood is not a traditional Robin Hood story. You won’t find Sherwood Forest, or a sheriff of Nottingham. Robin is not Lord of Locksley, and King Richard and Prince John are years away from coming on the scene. The story is set around 1000 A.D. and takes place in the Welch country side. What you do get is Bran ap Brychan, an outlaw living in the forest, steeling from the nobles to feed the poor. It really is a great story, and enjoyable read. If even offers a little historical relevance and Lawhead makes these changes to the story with a reason, after going back to many of the original tales of Robin Hood.

If I had a complaint about this book, I would say that the Celtic/Welsh feel to the story is good, but can be killer with names and places. For Example you have: Asaph – The Bishop, Aethelfrith – the monk, (He later becomes Friar Tuck) and Angharad the mystic. And that’s just to name a few. Other close names come in things like Brother Ffreol from Elfael. That being said this book isn’t a 1 hour read, be prepared to spend a few hours with it. However it is worth it, and may make you fall in love with the Robin Hood story all over again.

Now that we have looked at what Hood is about, let’s take a moment to discuss what it is. Christian Fiction. Christian fiction is an interesting thing, as it doesn’t have clearly defined lines as to why it’s Christian fiction. For example, Left Behind, a very popular book is fiction based on a prophesied outline of events given to us in Daniel and Revelation, yet the characters are completely made up as are their situations. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Christian fiction, is allegorical in the ministry of Christ. And a book like Hood offers neither allegories or prophesy, Its basically the story of Robin Hood with the Catholic Church thrown in there occasionally. Now I’m not knocking Christian Fiction I enjoy writing in myself, but perhaps the term Christian Fiction in itself bothers me. A Christian is one who follows Christ, Christ=Truth. Fiction is not true, made up, pretend. So Christian Fiction is untrue stories for followers of truth and in that I’m just not so sure.

I like to know that Christian men and women are writing quality clean stories that can be enjoyed by the family. And I appreciate Christian Book Stores and sites like CBD, where they take some of the challenge of choosing "clean" tittles out for me. But a term like Christian Fiction gives me pause. What do you think?

Thou shall not Covet

I have been a Christian for a number of years, and much of what the Bible says makes sense to me. However one thing that has never made complete sense to me is the tenth commandment which basically says, don’t covet what your neighbor has. (Exodus 20:17). Now don’t get me wrong, I understand what it means, don’t sit around wishing you had what your neighbor has. But in my human thinking this one just doesn’t seem on the same level as things like lying, stealing, killing, blasphemy. Today’s reading in Solomon however has helped me look at this in perhaps a little different light.

Although I haven’t mentioned it in awhile, let me encourage you today to flip your Bibles open, as we will be looking today at Ecclesiastes 4:4-6. If you don’t have a bible handy never fear, you can find an online King James version at http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/ . And if you’re in a spot where you can’t do either, keep reading, and I will share part of the passage with you.

Ecclesiastes 4: 4 says "Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind." Here we see both sides of coveting. First, there is the man who strives to have all things to be envied by his neighbor, and the neighbor who looks and thinks I want what he has. Both sides however are pointless and futile much like grasping at the wind.

We’ve all heard the old adages; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and keeping up with the Jones’s. And are human condition brings a lot of truth to both of these sayings. Most of us spend our lives striving fro what is bigger and better then we already have, what people around us have, and we don’t. We buy our first house, and refer to it as a "starter house" until we can afford something better. We long to upgrade our vehicles. We get jealous we don’t have the biggest boat or biggest camper on the block. Day in and day out, most Americans spend time daily wanting more. But to what avail.

Solomon tells us that living this way is vanity; it is like grasping at the wind. You’re never going to have everything you want. No matter what you get you will always want more. For example: after college I really wanted a truck, I worked hard, with the big desire to get a new truck, and finally I did in 2001 I bought a 1998 S-10. It was just what I wanted, and I found happiness in that truck. Well at least for a week, after about a week; I started thinking to myself how many years should I wait until I trade this in for a bigger truck. I ran computer searches on bigger trucks, brought home wheeler dealer flyers on bigger trucks, and was generally unhappy because so many people had bigger trucks then I did.

Today I still drive my 1998 S-10. I say this not so you will feel bad I haven’t gotten a bigger truck, but to show the futility of getting caught up in such things. At some point my truck will break down past the point of no return, and I will have to get a new vehicle, but to think of the time I wasted striving to get things bigger and better then I already had, when it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t matter if you have the biggest boat on the block, and its sinful to sit around wishing you did. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 19-21:

"19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Today let us make sure we ourselves are not gathering our treasures here on earth. It’s not wrong to have things but wrong when those things hold any kind of importance in our lives over the things of God. And wrong when we have to-great of a desire to acquire these things. Are we happy and content with what God has given us? Could we give it all up to follow Him?

Lasting Comfort

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

In Ecclesiastes chapter 4 Solomon continues his complaining about things that just are not fair.  He takes a look at those who are in oppression and had no comforter.  It just did not seem right.  This is an interesting thought.  Who has no comfort?  Is it possible to find comfort during difficult trials and struggles?  Where does comfort come from?  Well let's jump ahead into the New Testament. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

In life there are really only two types of people.  There is only one big issue that separates us as human beings.   We can debate  a million different issues,  go round and round on the details.  But really what it all boils down to is there are those who know God, and those who don't.  Isn't that really what separates us?  Not race, or location, or blue collar, white collar. 

When we face hard times, those who don't know God will have no hope, no joy, no comfort, because everything in their lives that used to hold all those things has now fallen apart.  Those who know God their hope is built in things that are eternal.  The hope of eternity in Heaven.  The joy of salvation, the peace that what ever happens in this world will some day be over and we will spend eternity in a place of perfection.

Solomon concludes in Verse 2 that "the dead who had already died are happier than the living"  Amen and Hallelujah he is right.  In Philippians 1:21 Paul writes " For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  For those that know God, and have trusted Jesus Christ as their savior, it is far better for us to die, than continue with the struggles we face here on earth.  And we find comfort knowing that someday we will.  But what about those who don't know God, and have never trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior?  They are left uncomforted, with a death that will be far worse than any oppression one could face on Earth.

Action step for today.  Figure out where you have been receiving your comfort.  Is it in things that can be taken away?  Or is it the Truth of Knowing God and Jesus Christ as your savior.  Once you figure that out, take the following steps.

1)  If your comfort is in things that will pass, find the Truth that Jesus Christ is.  admit that you are a sinner and in need of Salvation.  Repent which means turn away from the things you know are wrong, and start walking toward Christ.

2)  If your comfort already comes from your of knowing of God, and you have already trusted Jesus as your savior, then start living like it.  Stop walking around like those who have no comfort, start walking in victory.  Start living what you say you believe!

A Thought for Evolutionists

All around our country, evolution in being taught as fact; children sit in classrooms and young men and women sit in lecture halls being told day in and day out there no different then the monkey’s they evolved from. In today’s scripture Solomon tells us apart from God, that thought is half right. No, no one ever evolved from anything, as a matter of fact nothing has evolved into something else. But, apart from God, our bodies befall the same fate of the animals around us.

Today were taking a look at the last five verses of chapter 3, and again Solomon takes back up thoughts of futility of life without the meaning added by the Lord. Verse 19 says "For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity" Solomon is not commenting here on the eternal nature of man, but of our earthly bodies, and in these we suffer the same immediate fate as the animals; we are born, we struggle and we die. Verse 20 continues with "all are from the dust, and all return to dust" That right, if you haven’t figured it out yet, If the Lord tarries we will all die, and we will all rot. Just like the animals.

How sad must it be to have to belief greater then this? I am often baffled why anyone would fight so hard to push a humanist agenda, to hold firm in the belief that this is all there is. I often try to ask them, if they are truly comfortable with the fact, that within the next 0 to 50 years they will probably be dead and buried. Within a generation few people will remember they ever existed. And within two generations unless you do something really great, or really bad, no one will remember you. No wonder you never meet a happy humanist.

Although on the outside Solomon’s words today once again seem depressing. If we pause and mediate upon them a moment, we can see the hope that they offer. We are different from the animals. There has to be more then simply to die and rot in the ground with the rat’s and cattle. I’m not saying that because of my beliefs but because that is what that still small voice deep inside tells us when we listen to it. There is a meaning to why were here, yet throughout the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon shares with us where that meaning isn’t. Meaning isn’t found in riches or things, it’s not found in wisdom or intelligence. It’s not found in Power, it’s only found in the Lord.

As we think about an action point today, let me say this. Throw aside any thoughts you have towards evolution and the likes. Today many Christians try to combine Evolution into the creation story. They down want the world to think them odd. Don’t let yourself be taken by this lie. The only thing man shares with a monkey, is the fact God made them both.

The Just Judge

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17

I hope you are begining to be encouraged by our thoughts through the book of Ecclesiastes.  As Solomon continues to point out all the things that are unfair and meaningless, we can start to see that there is a point to this meaningless life.  To live a life with a focus on eternity, to enjoy what God has created here (good and bad), and that we should not be troubled by great injustice while here for someday all will be made right.

That brings us to our passage for today.  Solomon points out that there is wickedness being done in the places of justice and judgment  Ecclesiastes 3:16b In the place of judgment wickedness was there, in the place of justice wickedness was there. 

Isn't that true today?  In the Court system all across the globe, and even here in our great country there are wicked things being done in places that should be bringing justice and judgment.   Each day it seems that the system setup to maintain justice gets further and further from the right and wrong stated in God's perfect Word.

We watch murders go free due to fame and fortune.  Different punishments for different classes of people.  The murder of innocent unborn children is supported and defended. Guilty criminals let go due to technicalities in procedures. Those in place to judge bring their own personal set of beliefs to interpret the law instead of using the perfect moral base  which is the  Bible.

This wickedness is hard to take and even harder to understand.  However we should find some comfort knowing that someday God will judge.  (v.17) "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed."

Now, by no means am I saying we should simply sit back and allow these evil, wicked deeds in court to continue.  I believe we as Christian should fight against legalized abortion, homosexual marriage, and countless others.  But take courage my friends we are not defeated, because God will bring His judgment!  He will hold each accountable for his/her actions.  He is the only one who is just, and righteous, and His judgment will be final.  No signing of petitions, no new trials!

The action step for today is just pick one thing in your life where you feel there is a great injustice.  Take that one thing to the one true judge.  Turn it over to God, and leave it with Him to deal with.  We shall continue to fight, but do not be discouraged because the day of the Lord is coming!

Complete with Fear

About a month ago I had my first peace of short fiction picked up for publication. It’s been a very exciting time for me with that. Not only because it’s my first piece to be published, but also one of the few works I’ve completed. Now I’ve been writing for a number of years; since my early high school days to say the least. I’ve worked on everything from autobiographies and devotional booklets to epic fantasy and space opera. I have the first chapter and outlines of books all over the place. Yet I could probably count everything I’ve completed on one hand, and in those, none more then a few thousand words long.

Isn’t it good to know that God never leaves a work unfinished? Gods will always complete what he starts. This in part is what Solomon is happy for in today’s reading; Ecclesiastes 3: 9-15. In many ways today’s passage looks like Chapter 2 verses 24-26, again Solomon says "that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God."

But he goes on from that thought with some thoughts on God. Verse 14 says;

"I know that whatever God does,
       It shall be forever.
       Nothing can be added to it,
       And nothing taken from it.
       God does it, that men should fear before Him."

Here Solomon adds some truths about God, that he hasn’t done prior to this in Ecclesiastes. He shares with us that everything God does is Eternal. It is complete nothing can be added to it, nothing can be taken away. What peace we can take in these verses. It brings me back to Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ". If God has truly started a work in you, it will be forever, he will complete these things. Life will hit us hard, sometimes we will stumble, sometimes we will fall, and sometimes we must continue to crawl towards our Lord. But he will give us the strength to do just that. He will not abandon us.

Verse 14 ends with the phrase that men should fear before him. Sometimes when we think of fear we get the idea of running scared, yet this speaks more of a healthy respect, to be in awe of the Lord if you like. A healthy fear of the Lord is a call of reverence and worship of our God. This view of God, sits against Solomon’s earlier of man, as pitiful and wholly inadequate apart from the Lord.

In today’s church we often leave out the fear of the Lord. God is reduced to someone’s "Daddy" or the more popular slogan where Christ is referred to as someone’s "Homeboy" God the all powerful creator of the Universe, who holds all things in his hands is more the your "Daddy". And Christ who came, bled, suffered, and died all well experiencing all trials and temptations and remaining sinless; who did this all so you may have eternal life, is more then your "homeboy".

I guess it’s probably time to get of my soapbox on that little issue. But let me offer you this action point today. Let us step back and get a healthy dose of "fear" of the Lord. Let us go to Him humbly and with respect and awe for who He is and what He has done. God loves us, and as we see again in verse 13 He wants us to enjoy those things He has given us, but let us remember apart from him we are nothing. Jesus Christ is so much more then you’re Homeboy. Your homeboy can’t save you; only Jesus can

Book Review: SPLASH

"SPLASH" by Ken & Paula Hemphill

Show People Love and Share Him

It’s tough to say exactly where I stand on this little book, I would say it’s not a bad read, on the other hand I was expecting so little. First of It was a free book, given out at the Evangelism Celebration at Cedarville college. Secondly it’s really a cross between a bible study and a book; it has 6 chapters running about 17 pages apiece, yet then runs 2 or 3 pages of questions after each one. Finally on picking up the book you expect something soft and watered down. So that being said I really wasn’t expecting much, yet found myself presently surprised.

What this book is:

This book is a solid little read that may get you excited about evangelism in your life. It starts with the premises that "Christians should SPLASH everyone they meet with the living water of the gospel." SPLASH standing for Show People Love And Share Him. They take this idea from the ministry of Jesus, who consistently showed people love and shared himself. The book is filled with scripture showing what and how Jesus did. My personal favorite chapter was the short one entitled "And". Here they spoke of the fact sharing love without the gospel has little value, and the needs to be shared with love to have a maximum effectiveness. Splash claims not to be a system for sharing the gospel, but the unsystem, a call to be yourself, and share your story.

What this book isn’t:

As I stated earlier this book is not in any was a system for sharing your faith. It is not Way of The Master or any number of similar programs. This book isn’t profound or to deep. It’s not something you can really sit and debate much theology over. It’s not long, and really it’s as much a bible study as it is a book.

Final Thoughts:

In the introduction to this book it claims only 4% of professing Christians have ever shared Jesus Christ with another. This number is breathtaking in light of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28: 19-20 "18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen" (NKJV). Christ called us all to share him with others. Not just pastors, missionaries, and evangelists but all people. In light of that command perhaps SPLASH can be an effective tool doing that.

All in all I would recommend splash if you’re having problems in the area of evanglism. Or perhaps leading a small group study on the subject. It will not give you the things to say. It will not alleviate you anxiety in doing so, but it may inspire you to open up your life to show people love and share Him.

Having A Good Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Today we will take a look at the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3.  As you read them you will probably find yourself singing "Turn, Turn, Turn" the classic song by the Byrds.  Because this section of scripture is the song.  (v.1) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  A time to be born, to die/plant/uproot/kill/heal/etc.....

What point is Solomon trying to get across in this passage?  As he struggles with finding satisfaction in life, are these words, words of boredom?  Is he thinking "I have no control so why bother?"  Well both of those are possibilities but today I would like to offer another option.

Solomon is starting to figure out as we learned yesterday that this is as good as it gets.  All of life's trials, troubles, hard work, really this is it.  So man should eat and drink, and find satisfaction in his work.  Then he moves into this profound thought that there is a time for everything.

Let me share with a you a personal story that will help to make my point.  After I graduated I found myself at Marine Corps Boot Camp.  Well there, my days were spent with routine, trials, struggles, and four Drill Instructors who had made it their life's purpose to make my life miserable.  After a couple weeks I realized something that would change my attitude for the remaining weeks of training.

Two different things came to my mind.  One was that there was a time scheduled for everything.  All the yelling, the pointless Drill Instructor "games",the push ups etc... You could never do things fast enough or well enough to escape that part of the training.

The Second thing I learned was since all those things were going to happen anyway, I might as well make the best of it because it was a good as it was going to get.  I learned how to enjoy the small things.  I was in Southern California in February, a nice change from my home in Michigan.  I had time in the middle of the night on fire watch to think and pray.  It was, what it was, so the best I could do was "Eat, Drink, and find satisfaction in my work"

You see, Solomon learned the same thing.  Life was what life was, and nothing he could do would change those things.  There was a season for everything.  A time, which means a divine appointment for it to take place.  Everything is in God's hands, and He has a plan.

The action step for today is simple to say harder to do.  Look at the things going on in your life, and thank God that He is in control and that everything happens in His time.  Know that if your weeping, there will be a time to laugh.  If you are mourning, there will be a time to dance.  If you are at war, there will be a time for peace.  Smile, and have a "Good Time"

As Good as it Gets

Have you ever heard the phrase; "as good as it gets". There was even a movie made with that same title a number of years ago. It brings to mind a thought; sure things aren’t perfect in my opinion. Yes there are still needs yes there is still suffering, but maybe this is as good as it gets, and we should find a measurement of happiness and joy in that.

This seems to be in part the point Solomon is getting at, as we close out Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verses 24-26. As a matter of fact Solomon has really panted us a rather bleak picture up to this point. Especially through the last few verses as he talks to the fact we spend our lives acquiring, yet we can’t take it with us. Yet as he finishes it off he lets us know, there is no problem in enjoying the good things life has to offer, as long as we do it in the right perspective. Verse 24 states "Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God."

It’s true apart from God that nothing we do here on earth has any meaning. Yet its also important to remember that God created this world for us, for our enjoyment, because he loved us. Our world has been corrupted, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying things if they fit with in the parameters god has given us. Philippians 4:8 tells us "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you".

I often think some Catholic Orders may have it wrong, as they spend there time trying to deny themselves each of life’s simple pleasures. Our God loves his people and from His hand, we get such gifts. It reminds me of the Israelite’s who were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. They were given houses they did not build, and vineyards they did not plant. God gave them good things to enjoy and asked only that they remained true to him. On the flip side of that we see the apostle Paul. The man had little to nothing as far as earthly treasures go. Yet he was still a man of joy as we see him praying and singing to the Lord (Acts 16:25), even in prison Paul was enjoying those gifts God had given him.

Today’s action point would be a simple one. Remember the words to that classic Sunday school song. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it". Enjoy life. If you are laboring at work, rejoice that you have work. If you’re sick, be glad for the rest, maybe you’re stuck at home with sick children, be glad for your extra time with them. Find joy in those simple things of life and remember the words of Solomon "Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor".

Work-Strive-Climb, Leave It Behind

Ecclesiastes 2:17-23

Are you depressed yet?  The book of Ecclesiastes can be a difficult one to take if our mind is focused on the things of earth and not the things of eternity.  I hope you have been reading along, we are making our way through the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are almost to the end of chapter 2, and we would like to encourage you if you are just joining us at Ambrose Brothers, to go back through our previous post on this interesting section of Scripture.  You will find they are nothing fancy, but they are the Truth, and our goal is to simply share what we know, with anyone who will listen.

Today's passage starts out with Solomon hating life, as he searches for a deeper meaning.  Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.  All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.  He goes on to explain that all his hard work, and wisdom in business is pointless, because he will just have to leave it behind to someone else.  Someone who may be a fool, who hasn't worked for anything he will receive.  He concludes that "All his days his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest.  This too is meaningless." (v.23)

We "Work-Strive-Climb" our entire lives.  And why?  What for?  For our possessions to be boxed up and sold to the highest bidder.  To leave it to those who haven't earned it, for all we gain with the sweat of our brow  simply becomes someones yard sale bargain!

In life we are going to "Work-Strive-Climb".  It is the nature of life, the question is what are we doing it for?  Matthew 6:19,20 Jesus speaks of this, He says "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." 

The action step for today is to find out what what it is we want to leave behind when our time on earth is over.  Is it yard sale bargains, or is the Truth of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.  You see Solomon didn't say "well I guess I should just stop working"  What he was doing was changing the focus of his work.  We need to do the same, not give up in despair, but to change our focus from working to gain stuff that will never make a difference, to working to spread the saving message of Jesus Christ!  I urge you to be careful, once you change your focus, it will change your life!