When I was a young man, long before I recognized the person of Jesus Christ, I tried to use Christ as a genie in a bottle.    A tn example was when I was driving the large John Deere tractors and got stuck.

I would be stuck because I hadn't paid attention.  We would start the years crops as early as possible so it turn they could be harvested before the winter's snow hit the northern plains.  There would be low spots that were still filled  with the winter run-off, an d my dad would warn me every morning to keep clear of those areas.

Ofcourse, I would get  on the tractor, forget anything about dad,  get too closeto the water and the huge tractor would become stuck.  Panic would gripe me since I know I was in trouble if Dad had to bring another tractor to pull me out.  I would try every trick with the track to get traction and at the same time start negotations with God for Him to get me out.

The negotations went something like this.  "God, get me out of this mess and I'll serve you forever and pray every night."   And if I was lucky one of my tricks would break the tractor free and the day would go one. I was lucky I thought because I found a way out.   Oh, my pleas to God were long forgotten and any thought of He'd helped put aside.
.
I'm much older now, and have known His grace for decades.  I do pray every night and I do serve Him.   However, I must admit when I still get stuck, I am much more apt to turn to Him than when there are going great.  Then when I'm freed, I don't always give Christ the thanks he deserves.  I feel like I'd freed myself, and then do something dumb and get stuck again.  Why, sometimes, because the times were good and I forgot His instructions and got too close to trouble.

He is with us through the good and the bad, and I pray I keep Him in my sight in the good as much as the bad. 

Has this ever happen to you?

God's Response "I am who I am"

 On of the most interesting encounters between a man and the one true God was Moses on the mount.

Moses asks what seems to be a simple question  "Who should I tell them sent me?"  and God responded "I am who I am"

It's interesting since the Jewish thought was if you knew a person's name you would hold a certain control over that person.  Why?  Because if you knew their name you could define them.  

Think about it.  When you hear a certain person's name you can get an impression of that person even before you meet them.   Norma could be thought of as a middle age woman, or Chuck as a meat and potato man.  I won't go on since your experience with a certain person with a certain name will define what you think of others.  When you finish  "The Kingdom Land" who will have new  impressions of the names Erik and Laura and John.

Now back to Moses.  It could be said that Moses was trying to grasp or trick God by putting Him  in a box and then being able to go back the the Jewish followers and say "Hey I know who God is"  When Moses returned to the people no one needed to be told Moses had talked with God because of the mere appearance of Moses (side note: people who have walked with God will appeared different to those who see them)   God would have nothing to do with Motses' attempt..  God is so much bigger, so much holier, so much more than we could ever fathom that we simply can not put God in a box.

In times of confusion; He is.    In times of stress; He is.   In times when we think we know exactly what God is doing or should be doing;  He is.

I woud suggest that we give up the quest to figure out God.  . Yes, we know He is love.  Yes, we know He is holy and faithful, but those are parts of the great "I am" not us explaining exactly how He should act.

So what?   So the next time you're confused, or frustrated or feeling abandoned or overwhelmed simply remember one thing.  He is  which includes all that moment needs to be  conquered.
Rather than coming up with a diagram of how God will act, let's simply know He is, and He definately is sufficient to hold us within His grace.

What do you think?

WHEN WE DON'T SEE GOD



When you don't see God in your situation, in answers to your prayers or in this phase of your life, what's wrong?

First, apologetics is the name given  those that attempt to prove with reason that God exists.
I don't think anyone can prove that God exist to someone who is bound and determined to not see God.   At the same time the Believers work by faith so the reasoning of the existance of God makes little difference.

Now back to he question of the seemly absense of  God at times when you might need him most. As in apologetics, there are many reasons that can be used to explain His absense, but not one reason holds all the answers.   To be blunt some of those explanation are easy cop-outs.   "Everything works for good" is the worst.  It's scriptual if you add the last of the sentence, but it can also be an attempt to avoid the problem while avoiding any responsibility to help.

At the time of the crisis it hurts.  Harm does happen and certainly God didn't produce that harm.  God simply has a marvelous ability to turn harm into triumph which bring me to the answer, at least one answer, to why we don't always see God's hand.

At times we simply are looking the wrong direction while the hand of God is working.  We have it all figured out that God should be dividing the Red Sea of our problems. However, God isn't just looking at our one problem, but to eternity and the completion of all His plans for us.

God uses each and every event in our lives as a mosaic of His grace.  Some of the tiny pieces of glass which are our lives are dark and gray, but it is the dark that brings out the brightness of the Light.

Therfore, rather than spending time try to figure out God, whose ways are so beyond our ways, there needs to be a turn to faith.  I don't know what He is doing, or why he is doing it, but I know He is with me every step of the way, and I know He  is still in control when I lack control.

BY FAITH I KNOW THAT EVERY ACT OF MY GOD WHO CONTROLS ALL IS AN ACT OF LOVE.  And it is best for me to take my eyes off the circumstance and turn them to my Savior.

What are your thoughts?



God Bless,
Bart

I NEED YOUR HELP
I am attempting to get my book reviewed.  With so many books on the market it is very difficult for a reviewer to read my book or any book  that isn't from a major publolishing house.
If you are a member of a blog, any blog, please add you comments on that blog.
If you are part of a blog that review books please urge them to contact me so I can send them a copy.

Also any surport, any thoughts, any criticism is appreciated so  please leave your comments here.

It would be greatly appreciated.
Bart

If a tree falls in the forest

and there is no one to hear it, is there sound?  You can choose the on, but it illustrates the tree and the sound has no impact. It just falls and turns to a moss covered pile of wood.  No matter how beautiful that tree or striking the sound, it all doesn t make a difference.

Maybe there was someone who did hear, but told no one.  They didn't hear about how amazing the sound was and how the skyline would never be the same since that tree is gone.  Maybe the person who heard wasn't the type to speak up and thought since they didn't have a recorder or smart phone.

If you've read The Kingdom Land and felt it's impact, but aren't the type who speaks up or don't think you can't leave a review.
Please do no.   Please leave a review, please leave me a review of what you think.

The Kingdom Land is in the middle of a large forsest of many books.   No one will know about the book unless you report the sound.

Thanks,
Bart.  

Hello, welcome to the discussion blog of "The Kingdom Land and Christ's impact

When I started this book I didn't set out to write the best possible book.  My intent was to create a book that would also create a message.
The message was more important than the book, however, the book had to create a desire to read on so the message could also be read.

I believe that you'll find "The Kingdom Land" different from  many Christian fiction books.  Infact, many people have said there is not a category call Christian fiction since what is sold many times is a sermon that has some characters on the side.

This book is not an autobiography.  I am not a orphan, etc etc.  The setting is the farm I was raised on and the picture you see on the profile page, in a very good wet year.

This book is an autobiography.  Not to be double minded, but many of places visited and a few of the minor stories are from my life.
However, my life never carried the pain seen by Erik

Since college any piece I write with character named Erik carrries a piece of myself.  Oh, by the way, my son is also called Erik as he carries a piece of myself also

I hope you'll join my on this blog.  In order for this book to be heard it will have to people promote it themselves.  If you like the book, or even if you don't please go to the site you purchased the book and give a recommendation.   Those recommendation are very important.

One last note.  I am very embarassed to see the typos in the book.  They will be corrected quickly on the ebook side and later on the printed side.  I hope they are not too numerous to distract you from the message.

So, what are you thoughts.  What do you think?  Please let me know

Bart