Got Fruit ?

It’s been my intention(s) for the past years or so to get back into reading more, since I don’t spend/waste as much time as I used to watching television.  When I was younger (mid twenties), Stephen King novels made up the majority of my reading sources, and though I have no objections to eventually checking out more of his works, my desire was to read something that was more spiritual in content.

”Big John”, an old high school buddy and teammate from the football team suggested I take a look at the works of author Randy Alcorn.  Taking Big John’s advice, and actually  remembering the author’s name, I ran across three of Alcorn’s books (Deadline,Deception & Dominion) in the bargain bin section of a local book/movie rental store a few months back.

I finally finished reading Deadline (2006) a few nights ago.  It’ been slow going with this first novel, as I’ve had several other things going on,however, the book is an easy read coming in somewhere in the 500 page range. (Amazon reviews)

Deadline follows the life and investigation of Jake Woods, a divorced, liberal journalist for the Trib, who survives an accident that claims the lives of his childhood friends Finney & Doc.  As Jake conducts his investigation into the supposed “accident” he is confronted with questions and challenges.  The very subjects that Jake writes and defends in his columns for the Trib come full circle to confront him face on, challenging his moral compass,his worldview,  which he’s trusted as right for the better part of his 50 year old life.

As the investigation deepens, Jake reassess his relationships.  His eyes are opened to a grander scheme of things and he becomes aware of so many of the failings in his life; those failings stemming from not having the ultimate relationship with Christ Jesus. Jake further learns that his perceptions, formed by the culture, are skewed from what is true of life.  As Jake experiences revelation upon revelation throughout the investigation he is moved closer to the conclusion that for his life, and his legacy to have any meaning he must now turn to something outside of himself.

Deadline mixes in a healthy dose of spiritual and eternal implications around a story of murder and conspiracy to murder.  The story delves into the initially non-existent spiritual life of Jake Woods and draws for the reader images of his transformation via the investigation, the friendship with his friend’s widows, and a desire to find out the truth.

Deadline may challenge some readers in that the story doesn’t read linear, for in between, the reader is also treated to “jumps” into the spiritual realm.   Alcorn’s rendering of the material world playing out from a heavenly point of view (observation) and perspective (eternal consequences) is imaginative and drew me in, causing me to ponder more and more about that day when we go to our real home.

I don’t want to drag on and risk spoiling the book by giving away too much however, if you enjoy mysteries and have an opportunity to check out Deadline, I do hope you’ll find it to be as much of an enjoyable read as I did.

“To have the right priorities a man’s focus must not be on the head, but on the heart;
not on himself, but on God;
not on time, but on eternity.”
- Roy Lessin

Grace and peace be with you.

Have You Done What You Know to Do?  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17

It is never a minor thing to know God’s will and not do it. God calls this sin. We can make excuses for our lack of obedience: "I’m just not ready yet" or "I’ll do it later!" or "I don’t think it will make a difference" or "I can’t afford to!" We rationalize, we procrastinate; yet, in God’s eyes, rationalization and procrastination are nothing more than disobedience. At times we deceive ourselves into thinking that good intentions equal obedient actions. They do not. A good intention without corresponding activity is disobedience. When we encounter God and He gives us a direction, it is not enough to write down the date in our spiritual journal, or even to tell our friends of our "decision." God’s call is not to "make a decision" but to obey! Deciding to obey is not equal to obeying! (Matthew 21:28-31). Loudly affirming the necessity of obedience is not the same as obeying (Luke 6:46). Making commitments, even publicly, is not the same as obeying.

God told King Saul to wait until the prophet Samuel arrived. Instead of waiting, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice. Saul discovered, to his deep dismay, that other acts of supposed piety do not take the place of obeying a clear command from God (1st Samuel 15:22). As with Saul, God expects you to obey everything exactly as He tells you. Only obedience satisfies God’s desire for obedience!

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day