Book Review: Against Medical Advice

Against Medical Advice is written from the son’s ( Cory Friedman’s) first person perspective. a good choice for the story since it revolves around him and his medical conditions. Wildly popular and successful author James Patterson co writes with an old friend Hal Friedman (about whose family the story is based).

The journey through awful circumstances and near unbearable turmoil is made possible only by  the unquenchable hope of Cory’s parents and his own tenacity. struggle along with him through medical and psychological problems. along the way you will visit many interesting places and situations.

I laughed, I cried, I loved it. Thank you Friedman’s for sharing your story. Thanks James for helping make the story so compelling and tangible. I hope to imbue our tale with the same kind of grit and reality.

pole!: What is making the crop circles?

Ok, so assuming that there are some crop circles that aren’t made by pranksters or bored farmers, who or what is making them?

Vote now!

You can read more about this topic near the end of chapter 15 of Flight to Insanity click here

Help! (How to post a new Chapter?)

Hi,

i have been posting chapters as 4 posts… which takes a while. this time since it was a shorter chapter and i just didn’t feel like going through the trouble of breaking it up, i just posted it as one post. My thought had been that by breaking it up into 4 chunks that i could publish the peices on diferent days and get more trafic.. that hasn’t really seemed to help. so i thought i’d make a little pole and find out what you think. i’m thinking of just posting each chapter the way i did Ch 15, all in one post.

Ch 15 Comfort Inn

The stinging cold slowly penetrates through Steven’s light clothing. In his haste, he hadn’t considered the temperature difference between Tucson, Arizona and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He stands, wobbling from fatigue, with the telescopic handle of his blue rolling luggage in one hand, his sketchbook and Bible in the other. How many more hours until dawn? Shivering, Steven debates whether or not to go into the hotel. Perhaps this is a test to see if he can endure the cold for a few hours until morning; mind over matter. Then the sun would come up and give its warmth.

An insistent wind blows across the parking lot of the Comfort Inn, battering down Steven’s indecision. The warm lobby lights beckon him to enter and promise electric warmth, but he still hesitates. Minutes stretch out interminably. The blonde and brown hairs of his arms and even his legs stand out stiffly. His smoky breath curls up into the night. Finally it’s too much to bear; his body is too weak and tired. It must have some relief. Steven grabs the cold metal door handle. He decides that he can at least stand inside for a moment and warm up a little. He stops between two sets of doors. With the wind cut out, it’s slightly warmer in the breezeway, but the warm cozy little lobby is still past the second set of double doors. Steven’s artist eye takes in the choice in terms of the color wheel: split complimentary. Cool blue monochrome tones in the parking lot through one set of doors, warm orange tones of the lobby through the other set of doors. The two scenes are opposites in other ways. The lobby’s plush armchairs, intricate carpets, and polished woods are much more inviting than the parking lot’s asphalt, shrubs and chill wind.

Steven’s body is still cold. He makes his decision and pulls open the inner doors to a whoosh of blessedly warm air. After all, God wouldn’t want him to freeze. Why should he torture himself? Comfort Inn has never seemed more aptly named.

Steven’s droopy eyes scan the room and notice that the check-in desk is unmanned. His lips turn slightly as a plan forms. He lumbers over to an armchair across from the elevator and quickly stows his bag on the far side of the chair, hiding it the best he can. Steven grabs a nearby magazine off a small table and opens it in his lap. With this bit of staging done, Steven assumes the role of a guest casually lounging in the lobby. He dazedly looks down at the magazine; the words refuse to come into focus. The weary traveler is proud to have beaten the cold and beaten the necessity to pay for a few hours of shelter. After so many hours scurrying around airports and being cramped on planes, the soft armchair feels like sinking into a cloud. Knotted muscles loosen and heavy eyelids slowly come down and lock shut.

“Excuse me sir.” A loud insisting voice repeats. “May I help you?”

Steven’s consciousness swims to the surface. A checklist runs.  I’ve been sleeping in an armchair, in a hotel, in Pennsylvania. I’m here on a mission. Who is calling me?  Turning his head to the left, Steven sees the concierge looking intently toward him. Ah yes, apparently the ruse had failed. Steven flips shut the magazine from his lap and tosses it aside. With effort, He rises and walks over to the guest services counter. The sharp, tall man is looking at him expectantly. Steven notices in the man’s keen brown eyes that he is dealing with a man of strong intellect and logic. The attendant’s name tag reads Mark.  Steven realizes who the man reminds him of, Star Trek’s Spock.

“Would you like a room sir?” Mark intones dryly. How long had Mark been calling him before Steven came to?

Still shaking off drowsiness Steven stammers “Uh… ,well, I.” Pause “Would I have to pay for tonight? Or, I guess is should say this morning.”

The concierge raises one eyebrow “no charge for early check in. you will not have to check out until tomorrow at 11;00 am if you book one day.”

Ah, two for one. Steven Smiles, relishing the bargain. “O.K. then, one night please” he says, sliding over his debit card. “Sorry, I’m a little tired from my trip, it’s been a long interesting day.”

Mark is all business “I.D. Please”

Steven holds up the wallet to show his Arizona drivers license, which doesn’t expire for 40 years. Mark checks the ID pic against his customer and begins keying in information.

“You seem like a guy that likes science and reason.” Seven says. “Maybe I could bounce some ideas off of you.”

Mark doesn’t look up from his work, moving from task to task. “I’m really busy at the moment getting ready for breakfast” he answers, sliding the room key card across the counter “Room 314.”

Steven takes the card “O.K, well, maybe later.” Theories of extra dimensions play through his mind. If angels are from a higher dimension they would seem as magical to us, as that 3D sphere would seem to the flat 2D circle man. “I’m very interested lately in scientific theories for the miracles in the Bible.” Steven says.

Mark quickly turns and vanishes through a door calling back over his shoulder. “I have to make coffee now Sir”

Alone again, key in hand, Steven stares at the empty counter. Mark had defiantly fled at his mention of the Bible; probably an atheist. Steven respects atheists, though he thinks they are close-minded. How can you wholly discount the possibility of the supernatural? Or know that there is no God. At least agnostics are open to ideas. He pities Mark. Perhaps they can talk after Mark finishes preparing for breakfast. Is it that close to breakfast time already?”

As Steven turns for the brass door elevator, he can hear mark clanking and bumping in the room beyond the counter. From the elevator he sees Mark emerge with a coffee pot in each hand: One decaf with orange lid, one regular with black lid. Steven gives a crooked smile and waves once as the elevator shuts. Rising quickly, Steven says a quick prayer for Mark.

A green light flashes in the room door lock as Steven withdraws the plastic card and opens the door. He’s greeted by two full size beds, which dominate the room. On the left, there is a little bitty bathroom with a great big mirror. Steven’s eye catches the beige phone on a nightstand between the beds. He hears his wife’s voice, “Call me when you get checked in, no matter what the time. I want to know you got there safe.”

He strolls over, sits on the far bed and dials slowly, fighting off the bleary haze of exhaustion.

“Hello” says a soft female voice.

“Hey it’s me. You wanted me to call when I got here.”

“I was beginning to get really worried and impatient. Did you ever go by and find a Go phone so we could stay in touch?”

“No, it was a long day.” Steven stands and begins to pace back and forth as he rapidly recaps his evening with Jason.

Lynnette tries to wake up and listen. She had fallen asleep anxiously waiting for Steven to call with the phone lying under her pillow. There was one hot subject she had researched for him that she wanted to share. Lynnette forces herself to sit up in the bed, and wipes her brows as to try and wipe away the exhaustion. Now, in the pre morning hour the thoughts comes rushing back to her. At a lag of Steven’s monologue, she interjects. “Ok, so I‘ve been doing some research on some of the topics you had been sharing with me and it was all quite interesting.”

“Like what?”

“I wanted to see what was out there about crop circles and the fourth dimension. I was quite shocked to find several ideas that sounded much like you had briefly shared with me, but different. You know the shadow of angels thing you were playing around with? 

 “Yeah” Steven says, now almost fully awake. He had thought the 4th dimensional angel shadow crop circle theory to be a new take on an old mystery, but apparently others agreed with him. Confirmation feels good.

“I found this report of these two guys that decided to spend several nights out watching over a field that had had several crop circles show up over in the south of England.  They were sitting out with a video camera and some kind of night gear that allowed them to see in the dark.  After watching for a number of hours, all of the sudden there was a bright flash of light that was quick and covered the field.  It startled them as they had been talking and drinking coffee more than paying close attention but their video camera captured the flash.  After the flash, the crop circle was there.  There was no activity in the field prior to the flash, nor after the flash.  They gathered their stuff and ran out to the field.  It was just as they saw in their camera.  The two guys stated that they had gone there to watch for who was doing it but instead got a shock of the flash of light. It caught my attention because it was similar to the idea you had of a shadow of something in the fourth dimension.”

“Hmm…not quite how I was thinking, but interesting, very interesting” Steven says. His imagination is still present at the scene.

“These two guys weren’t sure what to think but there are others out there that think it is a shadow of angels caught in some sort of light flash. The different views out there about angelic shadows think it could be God’s way of communicating because they always are orderly and not scattered so it is hard to believe that they are an accident. I had no idea there were so many different ideas about crop circles, but particularly that there would be several views out there with a connection  to angels and the fourth deminsion. I really thought it was all about whether it was aliens or humans. I tended to lean toward humans”.

After a pause, Steven replies, “It could be, but my thought was a process that it would take longer than an instant, but why should I limit higher dimensional beings by my own limitations. Did you find anything else?”

“I found some other things talking about the fourth dimension and how things look in that dimension. Many of the crop circles that are actually believed to be genuine have a shape that makes since when extrapolated to what mathematicians show the fourth dimension to look like.  It was super cool. I don’t know how many different ideas for the crop circles all talked about the fourth dimension and it’s relationship to the extraordinary.  There were some other groups talking about the crop circles maybe being seals, of some sort, from the fourth dimension. It didn’t seem that this group had tried to interpret the seals but I didn’t spend a long time looking at it. You hadn’t been reading about any of those other people’s ideas right?  I don’t remember ever seeing you reading any of that or even talking about any of that.”

“No, not at all.” Steven says, again wondering if he had some software capable of rendering 4D objects, if he could recreate the crop circle effects and see what the 4D object was that cast the “shadow”.

“Wow, that is really odd” Lynnette says yawning. “It certainly caught my attention and it was the one thing I thought I could look up and research to see what was out there on it.”

“You sound tired hon.”

“I am.” Lynnette admits “Thanks for letting me know you got there ok, I love you.”

“I love you too, go back to sleep now.”

“O.K.”

Steven drops the phone back into its cradle. His false high fades as he gets ready for bed, brushing with his Sonicare and flossing. Finally he decides to take a power nap. The hours are too few to really have a good sleep, so instead of pulling back the covers and snuggling in, he lies on top of the made up bed.  He’s dressed in tomorrow’s clean clothes, except for socks and shoes; Sleeping in socks always makes his follicles sore.

With a deep relaxing breath, he surrenders to exhaustion making mental note that he must get up soon. Steven knows he doesn’t need an alarm clock tonight, even at the risk of being late to the conference. His mind is too excited for the event and if that fails, he will get a “heavenly nudge.”  Confidence, peace, then sleep.

smell the exhaust (Ch 14 pt4)

“We had a bit of an argument about the holy Spirit,” Steven explains coolly “I got a little defensive”. “I’m sorry by the way” He calls to the cooks back in a friendly tone, who continues to mutter.

Steven notices that the waitress has come back out to greet the new customers. He shoots her a smile, which she returns. Surveying the room Steven’s eyes catch Jason standing near the door. Time to go. He walks confidently out into the night. The parking lot is quiet, dark, and cold. Nearby cars zip to and fro on a highway, While Steven is still hyped up from his conversations, Jason stands near his white sedan and makes a brief call on his cell phone. He flips shut his phone.

“Well,I would ask you to come stay at my house, but I just talked to my wife and one of my daughters was feeling sick before she went to bed.” Jason says steppin around to the driver’s side.

Steven is disappointed since he had secretly hoped that God would provide a place for him to stay with a family during his trip. He had assumed he would stay the first night at the hotel, then perhaps be invited to stay at a home of one of the members of the church; That way he could keep his costs down and rely on God for provision.

“If you want we could go pray for her healing.” Steven thinks, did he make the offer out loud?  Jason unlocks and opens his own door then reaches across to open the passenger door. Steven climbs in and falls heavily into the vinyl seat.

“What happened to you back there?” Jason asks disappointed.  “I don’t think getting loud is the kind of witness you want to leave.”

Steven replays the diner confrontation, “I don’t know’ He says a little embarrassed now. “I didn’t mean to make a scene. I just got caught up.”

Jason’s tone relaxes, “Steven, that guy had his mind made up. And I’m not sure you helped him out of the confusion he’s in. I mean he thought William Shakespeare wrote the Bible.”

In his mind Steven can see into the diner. The customers, the cook and the waitress are discussing what happened. The cook is defending himself, several of the others are Christians and continue to help him reexamine some of his “so called” Christian beliefs. “I think after he calms down he’ll rethink some things.” Steven offers optimistically, knowing the confrontation was exactly what the young man needed. “Maybe no one has stood up to him before.”

“Hm,, maybe ” Jason Replies. “So where are you staying?”

“I’m not sure. My wife looked up the hotel. I’ve got the info here somewhere. Jason flips on a small light above him. Steven digs through the front inside pocket of his sketchbook taking no notice of what roads Jason takes. The lights out his window dance and flow. Tiny white lights and red ones. The car goes up an overpass, then merges onto another street.

“You find it?” Jason asks

“Uh…”  Steven snaps out of his daze and looks down at the paper calling out the name and address.

” I know a closer place to the conference if you’d like” Jason offers

“Sounds great.” steven says relieved of responsibility for where they are going. The tiredness has returned with a vengeance. He tucks the paper back into the pocket and reclines his head. His eyes droop. One final turn up a hill rouses him. Grass and trees break up the city scape and the car pulls to a stop in front of a comfort inn. Jason hops out, pops the trunk and pulls out the suitcase, while Steven, with great effort, cracks open the door and hoists himself out of the motorized sleeping chamber. It is now closer to morning than night. Steven’s been up for more hours than he can count. He thanks Jason for the ride and everything with a warm hand shake.

“Take care ” Jason says clapping Steven on the shoulder with the other hand. And in another moment Steven is alone. He can still smell the exhaust from Jason’s car in the quiet parking lot.

Do Not Mock The Holy Spirit (Ch13 pt3)

“What do you think happens to babies that get killed by abortions?” she drawls in a curious tone.

Steven squints, confused by the off subject question. He feels the weight of eyes on him in this sudden little crowd: Jason, the young waitress, the large woman, and now he notices that the cook has also come close. Steven pauses to consider the question. He doesn’t want to give pat answers. “Gee maam, I haven’t really been given any insight on that in particular.” he says while racking his brain. Didn’t the veteran mention something about this in the airport. Age of accountability, David’s lost child of basheba.

The ladies face sours and her eyes blaze “Well if you don’t know the answer to that then you don’t have no business trying to preach in here!” she snarls. She shoots a disapproving look at the waitress, turns around in a huff and stomps off.

Steven stands ” I wasn’t trying to preach.” he calls weakly after her. ” I was just talking to ..”

But the woman doesn’t turn. The waitress slips off the stool and disappears into the back through a door with a round window. The cook leans over the bar. He is young and fit, with a russet complextion “ I believe in God too.  I’m a Christian.” He confides.

Steven steps up to the counter “That’s cool” he says and smiles.

The cook grins. “So you say that God’s been ‘talkin’ to you?”

Relaxing after the abortion attack Steven is hesitant, but admits. “Well, I think the holy spirit has been showing me some things, but it’s hard to know what’s …”

“Holy Spirit” the cook interrupts. ” I don’t believe in the holy Spirit.” making a face like he just smelled something distasteful. “What’s the name of your holy spirit?” drawing out and almost spitting the words.

Steven drops his chin and furrows his brow. Great another trap.” I don’t know, that’s what he’s called in the bible.”

The cook turns dismissively and attends a large flat griddle. Picking up a spatula and turning some food he calls back in a lyrical voice ” the bible was written by man , not God.”

“But God inspired it.” Steven replies. The cook turns around waving his spatula for emphasis. “The bible, was written in the 1500’s by William Shakespear!”

“Hey, maybe we should get going” calls Jason from the table.

Steven hardly hears the interruption “But you do believe in God?” Steven says trying to find some drop back to common ground with the cook.

“Oh yeah, I believe in God.” repiles the cook sauntering back over to the counter.

“And you believe that God Is Good?”

“God is good” the cook agrees.

Steven presses on “And do you believe that he wants us to …”

“But he’s also evil” the cook interrupts.

Shaken by the statement, Steven feels the small patch of common ground turn to quicksand.  “No, God is good.”

“He’s good and he’s evil. Yin and yang, black and white” says the cook returning to flip some food on the griddle. ” If God doesn’t contain evil, then where did evil come from?” he quipped over his shoulder.

“God gave his creation the choice to reject him.”

“Nah, Nah!” Says the cook hotly, “ If he’s the creator of everything then evil had to come from him” he swings the spatula like a batton orchestrating his points and closes the distance between them.

Steven wants for the young man to know that God is Good and that he wants to reward those who seek him. How can the cook call himself a Chrisian and spout such ideas. “God only created the potential for evil.” he says. Tensions rise in the air like an electric current, making arm hair raise.

“Steven, come on man! We should really be going.” calls Jason from somewhere behind, his voice gaining urgency. This time Steven does turn and sees the pleading in Jason’s eyes. He is standing by the exit, keys in hand.

The cook smirks victoriously, “Yeah, and you take casper the Holy ghost with ya.”

Stung and disappointed Steven turns back to face the cook. He tries and fails to be nonchalant “man, you shouldn’t mock God.”

“I ain’t mocking God.” He jibes,  “Just your invisible friend you call holy spirit!”

Steven’s face reddens. He tries to smile as though this doesn’t bother him. The smile never reaches his eyes. “Don’t mock the Holy Spirit.” The low words escape unbidden.

The cook leans in closer. Eye to eye and raises his voice. “What holy spirit?” He taunts.

Frustrated, Steven raises his voice to match “Don’t mock the holy spirit” he says, stiffly articulating each word. His hands involuntarily tighten into fists. His smile evaporates.

With faces a hands length apart the cook repeats louder still “what holy spirit?”

Boiling over with indignation Steven sucks in a quick breath and projects loudly from his diaphragm. ” Do not mock the holy spirit!” He trembles from the passion that flared up so suddenly. The other man stares back , but says nothing. After a few moments the cook picks up his spatula and turns away back to the grill. Conflicting emotions wash over Steven: Thrill of victory, embarrassment for shouting, confusion, pride, zeal.

The silence is broken by a bell announcing the arrival of two young black men.

Steven feels Frozen in place as they take a seat at the bar. His breathing slows. The newcomers are smiling and talking five stools away. The cook approaches them. “Better watch out! that dude over there’s got a demon in him” he says pointing at Steven with the spatula. “He’s all “Do not mock the holy spirit!’” He imitates in a rumbling growl, while making a pained face and rolling up his eyes. Steven snaps back to himself filled with compassion for the cook and hoping that he can try again. He approaches the three men “I was saying God is Good and he says God is Good and evil and that makes me evil?”

One of the newcomers smiles and shrugs the other doesn’t make eye contact. The cook turns and offers his back muttering something about possessed costumers toward the grill, Apron strings swinging as he works.

Fat Lady sings (Ch 14 pt 2)

Jason  smiles, “But you think most or all of the bad stuff is over now and we are coming into the millennium?”

“I think so. The seventh millennium; The Sabbath millennium. One thousand years of rest for the earth”

“I hope you are right” says Jason staring down into his coffee. “What do you mean by seventh?”

“Well according to Bishop Usher’s life long research, the earth is about six thousand years old. I’m not saying that I’m totally sold on the young earth thing. I have been studying it though and find it an interesting tie in to what we were talking about. According to him though there was a thousand years from Adam to Noah, a thousand from Noah to Abraham, a thousand from Abraham to Moses, then from Moses to the temple, and the temple to Christ. That gets us up to 4 thousand. Around the year zero. We’ve had 2 millennia since then.”

Jason runs with the ball “so that makes 6 millenia down and one to go in your book?  Corresponding to the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. Seven being the number of perfection.”

Nodding, Steven gives a low smile, “ ties up nice and clean. Maybe too clean.” The smile turns to a frown. “ Plus I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what mile stone there was around the year 1,000 AD. I can’t think of anything. The reformation would be perfect, but it happened much later.”

Jason frowns back, remembering something, “but what about the second coming of Jesus, where does that fit in?”

Steven lifts his eyes from his utensils. “I don’t think Jesus comes back physically until the end.“

“You mean the end of the millennium, not the end of the tribulation as many say?”

“ Right. The end, end. Fat lady singing, angel blowing the trumpet, na na Na na, hey Hey hey, good bye.” Steven says “Then it’s judgement day.”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting approach, it all seems to fit.” Jason notices that Steven seems bothered. “What’s wrong?”

Steven picks at the bread of the uneaten half of his sandwich. He looks up into Jason;s curious brown eyes. “Well, I was just thinking of the judgement.” He says tentatively. “I told you about debating on the internet about necessity of baptism?”

Jason nods.

Somberly Steven continues, “I’m not sure I know where the lines are anymore… for salvation I mean. I’m having a hard time with the idea that everyone who doesn’t become a Christian during their life will go to hell forever.”

“Steven, man; You are starting to loose me here. You are hinting at universalism now? You know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.”

Steven frowns “ It’s not really heaven that I’m thinking of, but the new earth. An unbeliever may not go to heaven when they die, but do they still have any chance of living on the new earth?”

Jason’s look hardens. “So are you trying to say that Jesus’ death doesn’t matter for ultimate salvation”?

“No, not at all.” Steven says shaking his head. “Jesus did what no mere man could do. He kept the law. He paid the debt for our sin. We are broken and only he can fix what’s wrong with us.”

“So what are you saying, people can get saved after they die?”

“Not exactly. Just that some people might be on a path toward God, and not get there before they die.”

“Could you give me an example?” Jason asks, now more curious than stern.

“Well I think about the native Americans before the white men came. Many of them worshiped the great spirit.” They thought of the land as a gift, they were thankful for their food. Then the Europeans come with their overwhelming numbers, technology and disease. We take their land and treat them little better than animals. Which side was closer to God? A Christian colonist shoots and kills an Indian who’s never heard about Jesus, so the Indian goes to hell and the colonist goes to heaven? Doesn’t seem right.”

“So you think that everyone goes to heaven?” Jason says, then quickly ads “ or the new earth.”

“No, I don’t want that Job of being the judge. I think Jesus already has the job. I think His judgements will be fair and that no one will be able to complain.”

Concentrating Jason asks. “So you think Jesus might extend mercy to a non Christian. Is that what you mean?”

Steven feels himself getting passionate again. His words swell and flow out from deep within. “We Christians have a guarantee of eternal life. We are sealed with the holy spirit, but people that die without that … I’m not sure what happens to them, but I feel comfortable leaving that to God. I think we should be encouraging people down that road toward God. I guess it’s a different way of looking at evangelism. First they have to believe there is a God. That He wants us to seek him. He has left clues, and reached out to us in many ways. Then we can share what God did for us by sending Jesus. I just hate the turn or burn method where people get saved as a sort of fire insurance out of fear.”

“Ahem” A soft female voice calls out from the left. the two men turn to see their waitress sitting on a nearby bar stool. Her eyes stare intently at Steven ” Do you have any of this stuff written out? it all sounds pretty interesting? “

Surprised Steven shakes his head “Uh, no. Not yet anyhow. I think I’m supposed to be writing a book, but all I have is some notes so far.”

“Excuse me” a voice interrupts. The waitress isn’t the only one who has been listening. A large black lady stands, arms akimbo looking from Steven to Jason to the waitress, then settling on Steven’s eyes.

“Yes maam?” Steven replies, turned around in his booth.

Millennium Madness (Ch 14, pt 1)

Lowering his cup of coffee, Jason asks, “So what kind of church do you attend?”

Steven looks up from his food. “I’ve grown up in Baptist Churches. My wife and I have been hunting for a church though, closer to our new house. We’ve also had some disagreements with what the pastors are teaching.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Mainly dispensational teaching about the end times. It seems to be following us, wherever we go; we just can’t shake it.”

“That’s the teaching like in those ‘Left Behind’ books right?”

“Yeah, I read four or five of those, and bought into it at the time.” Steven says feeling the resentment rising up in him.

“So what do you believe now?”

“Well, my wife and I have been studying it a lot together over the last months. I’m still pretty open to exploring different interpretations, but I’m leaning toward a partial preterist view.” Steven remembers sitting up in bed taking turns reading with his wife from a book debating four views of revelation. He found himself outraged at some of the teachings. What really drove him crazy about the dispensational pastors he felt surrounded by was that they present John’s Patmos vision as though their interpretation is the only option. How many times had he heard,“There are three views of revelation pre-trib, mid-trib and post-trib”; The difference between the three views being when all the Christians are withdrawn from the Earth in relation to a seven year demonic world tribulation. The pastor would at this point chuckle and say he hoped that pre-trib was right so that he wouldn’t have to be part of that great suffering. Then maybe he would allude to some kooky sects having the lame notion that everything in revelation has already been fulfilled, which of course was preposterous to the point of pity. Steven had been shocked to learn while listening to ‘The bible answer man’ radio show one day that that these three “trib”  options are actually all part of one view; the futurist view.

“So you think all of the prophesies were fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the temple was destroyed?” Jason asks, pulling Steven back to the present.

 “No, but I do believe most of the things described in revelation have already happened.”

Jason looks skeptical. ”But how could the apocalyptic prophecies been fulfilled? The destruction of the temple just didn’t have the world impact and death toll that’s described in the text.”

“Revelation, as I read it, unfolds throughout history. Paul warns the churches in Asia about impending troubles from the beast, the roman empire.”

Jason squints and raises a hand, “Wait. You mean the beast isn’t a person? I thought the beast was the anti Christ.”

“No, the beast is a nation. John picks up the same imagery that Daniel used. The prophet Daniel described 4 beasts, 3 from his time and one yet to come. All 4 are nations; 4 great world powers ruling over the same lands in succession. Daniel also describes the nations as four parts of a great statue.”

Jason nods, “Right, the head of gold, torso, legs and feet of iron; something like that. I don’t remember what the middle parts were made of.”

Steven smiles. “My question is if all 4 nations are part of one statue how can you say that the nation described in Revelation is actually some kind of future European union? Wouldn’t that be like amputating the feet of the statue and moving them miles away? There are other things that point to Rome as the beast too.”

“ Wasn’t there some kind of code that points to Ceasar Nero?” Jason asks

“Right.  666 is Nero’s number in that Hebrew number code thing.”

Jason takes another long sip. “ What do you mean by the book of revelation playing out through history?”

“Well,  when you plug in Rome as the beast, then Revelation also describes a nation after Rome; it has two horns and a face like a lamb acting under Rome’s authourity. So my wife  looked up who ruled when Rome fell, guess who was in charge?”

Jason shrugs.

Steven smiles remembering his own skepticism when his wife presented the idea originally, “The roman catholic empire. It fits very well.” Steven finds himself rousing to the subject. His drowsiness falls away, “ I also learned in Daniel that two horns is symbolic for a kingdom divided in two parts.  Then we researched the catholic empire to find it was divided into an east and a west kingdom. Those empires finally fell apart in the dark ages. You asked about the apocolyptic judgements. Part of the reason their empire fell was because of the great plagues that wiped out a third of the world’s population. And part was because of wars with the Muslims among others. You know the Muslims almost took over the world then.”

Jason stares back unsure.

“ They had the first effective calvalry. They were finally turned back on September 11^th.”

Jason’s eyes widen, “ Did you say September 11^th? As in 9/11”

“Yep.” Steven lets that fact hang in the air a minute before leaning back and continuing, “I admit I haven’t gotten it all figured out yet; when exactly each of the seven seals are opened or the bowls of wrath.”

Will the true hero please stand up.

I was surprised to realize last sunday that My character in the book, Steven, is not the hero of the story. In my mind he had been. As my wife read through Ch 14 ( which should be posted soon) and made her comments, it hit me. Her character is the hero. don’t worry i won’t tell Steven, the character. As far as he is concerned He is the hero and the fate of the entire world revolves around him. there is a growing gap between me, and Steven in the book. I found myself trying to soften him up a bit, but my wife wouldn’t let me get away with it.

Demon possession (Ch 13 pt 4)

“The kind that can eat breakfast at any hour.”

Jason smiles, “Oh yeah, my wife and I sometimes have breakfast for dinner.”

Steven makes a sour face, then chuckles. “Me and breakfast don’t always get along. I have to keep it simple. If I get too frilly it just doesn’t go over well” he says between sips of cool ice water. “Of course, I haven’t been eating a lot lately. I’ve been so caught up in studying, praying, and debating.” He pictures himself lodged at his home computer franticly debating all weekend while his family is in Texas. “I haven’t needed much sleep either.”

“What’ve you been studying?”Jason asks casually.

“All kinds of different stuff, in the bible and throughout history. Then out of the blue I find myself on this trip and weird things have been happening.”

Jason sips his coffee and regards Steven more seriously. “What kinds of things?”

Steven tries to summarize the last few days “Well I feel like God is showing me things he wants me to do. One is a website to help skeptics on the road to faith, another is writing a fiction book series about God and the devil, plus a nonfiction book of philosophy. Then I met a messenger in the airport. It was while I was delayed. He told me lots of interesting things; things about the Bible and about my future. Now, I don’t know what to think. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”

For a minute, Jason doesn’t reply. He looks back at Steven eye to eye; the air heavy between them. Then he asks gravely. “Before all this started did you ask God to reveal himself to you?”

Steven replays memories of himself kneeling in his hallway; tears in his eyes, open bible in hand begging God to show him the truth, to allow him to see clearly, and for the eyes of his heart to be enlightened. “Yes, I did.”

Jason’s eyes dart down and back up. “I have had some experiences myself.” He says leaning closer and speaking in a more confidential tone, “My wife and I, before we were Christians, were into lots of new age stuff; trying different things to tap into spiritual energy. After I got saved, one night I woke up and my wife was possessed. Someone else was speaking through her, saying terrible things. I was really freaked out. It wasn’t even her voice coming out. That happened several different times. Man, I prayed and prayed. A few nights later I woke up again, only this time instead of a demon, an angel spoke through her and told me that the demon was gone and that my wife would be ok. I asked the angel about the crystals and things we had been using. He said that those things had some use, but God wanted me to put them aside and follow him.”

Steven stares back awed, “And your wife. She wasn’t saved then?”

Jason shakes his head, “no, she came to Christ later that year.”
Clank! Steven jumps with surprise as the waitress sets down the thick plates.
“Can I get you anything else?” the young almond skinned waitress inquires.

“No thank you” Steven says, smiling back.

“Mind if I bless the food?” asks Jason as the waitress leaves.

“Not at all” replies Steven shutting his eyes, bowing his head and clearing his mind.

Jason’s prayer is short and to the point, thanking God for the food and fellowship, asking God to bless it to the nourishment of their bodies in Jesus name, Amen. Steven has never been a big fan of long prayers at meal time. Sometimes people drag it out into a long all encompassing prayer while Steven is distracted more and more by the inviting smell of the food.

Taking a tiny metal pitcher, Jason drizzles syrup over his fluffy buttered pancakes. “I’m curious what your messenger said about the Bible?”

“Well he said a lot of things. He encouraged me to read it again. Start to finish. He said that’s how it’s supposed to be read. Like you read other books…”

“So that you get the context” Jason says, completing Steven’s sentence.

“Exactly. You are supposed to let it unfold and not try and read between the lines. Men love to put their own ideas in there. It’s supposed to be God’s word to us, but some Bibles have more commentary in them than they do scripture.”

“Oh man” says Jason dropping his hand to the table with a clink.

“What?”

“I just ordered 500 Bibles.” says Jason with a look of concern. “I’ve really been praying to pick the right one. I help out at a Christian camp for underprivileged kids. I ended up picking the NIV kids study bible. They have lots of questions and answers in them. I put the order in yesterday.” I just wanted the kids to get it as much as possible.” Jason says looking out the window into the dark parking lot. Did he mention anything about translations?”

“Well he asked to see mine and said it was a pretty good one. He said every time we change the words we get farther from what was written.”

“What kind of bible do you have?”

“The NASB. He said that it was better before 1960 though.”

Nodding Jason interjects, “I remember looking at that one. The NASB tries to go more word for word translation. The NIV goes more thought for thought, but they get farther from the original when they do that, because they try to interpret it for you.” He brings his fist down on the table causing the plates to clink. ”Man, why didn’t I see that?”

“Well those are still good Bibles” Steven says pulling the white napkin from his lap and wiping the corners of his mouth.

“But more watered down” replies Jason, before taking a thoughtful sip of coffee.

Steven nods conceding the point.