My New Novel's Foreword

My new novel's Foreword

SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE

Foreword

 

     Christianity and Judaism are under attack, it's time to make a stand! But neglect is allowing decay to infect those realms of moral order with disorder. The energy and relevance of the two groups are exhibiting signs of an impending demise. Their outlook is bleak in the eyes of alarmists. There is deep concern even in the ranks of the faithful. Pagan insanity is crawling into America's once hallowed Christian institutions.  Europe's churches have long stood empty. Hope, one of the most formidable gifts of Christianity, is being drained from the more fragile believers. Is our God to remain inactive?

     Amidst the howling of the many prophets of doom, a spark from God's spirit ignites a fire in the world. At first, it is almost unnoticeable, but as that spiritual fire slowly grows, the faithful begin to recognize the hand of God at work. He may not send our Messiah - yet, but he is going to send a group of unlikely heroes such as we saw in the early days of Christianity. Of all places, they will make their appearance in Africa. An Africa, according to cavalier society, that is populated by write-offs, inconsequentials.  Many Americans and Europeans have uninformed images of Africans as being entirely tribal, backward, and ignorant. Throughout history, God has made the egotistical eat assumptions such as that. He tends to assign his most crucial jobs to those so-called ignorant and backward faithful; the ones he loves most.

     Many moderns tend to describe Christianity and its canonized edicts as monotonous antiquations. My hope is for this novel to uncover the buried adventure, danger, and excitement that existed around and within Christianity and Judaism in the early days. Those living by faith would never accuse God of instilling boredom and lethargy.

     Another hope is to jumpstart a revival among the younger and near middle-aged of a society steeped in reliance on man-made technology and themselves. So many lives and so much hopelessness.

     In addition, I desire to show the horrible mental battles that the faithful of our Lord fight daily within themselves. What's more, the soldier faces the mental challenge of Killing a human being. This mental struggle requires a strong relationship with our Lord. I do not have all the answers nor know all the rights and wrongs. I just know that I and many others have relived the horrors of combat for years. Only by laying it all at the feet of Him, have I found peace and strength.  

     In this novel, you will see Americans, Africans, Somalis, Iranians, Israelis, Russians, and many other nationalities working together under God's tutelage to show the world that the God of Israel is alive and involved.

     This is not a Muslim-hate novel. Our commission is to bring disciples to our Lord, not to hate a group or people. We are to do this as a living-loving example of Jesus Christ. My favorite saying is, "You do not gain converts by hitting people over the head with the Bible." Our Lord never used screaming and belittling as a method to attract disciples.

     You will learn about a group of men and their parent organization who set aside their worldly lives to serve God. The characters in this book are not supermen, but their firm reliance on God with an unyielding faith and a firm relationship with Him creates the impression of them as such.

     You may begin reading with the idea of Christianity and Judaism as drowning in tedious rituals, but will finish with the renewed insight of just how exciting and demanding service to God can be and should be. God loves on a level inconceivable to our human minds. Martyrdom is always lurking just around the corner. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Life isn't worth living till you have found something worth dying for." God's son found us worth dying for. Let's keep that option on our plate to honor His sacrifice.

    As attacks on Christians and Jews increase, the disparagers celebrate these godly organizations' approaching destruction. Few people realize, nor are they concerned, that civilization's moral foundation is at risk in this.

     Thankfully, God is in charge, not man. A group of godly and powerful men and women developed an idea that some might consider unworkable. They proposed to ally the two ancient faiths of Judaism and Christianity to give birth to the World Christian Peace Network, WCPN. Its board of directors consists of powerful men and women of many nationalities and races. Their commission was to create a light and covert military strike unit to hit targets hard and fast with the least taking of life possible to save lives. If this first was successful, there would be others. The desired result is for the world to understand that the days of attacking and persecuting Christians and Jews without retribution are over.

     The WCPN board of directors spent many days in prayer over the list of candidates compiled to take on the job of recruiting, training, and commanding the new unit.

     After those days and nights of soul-searching and praying, a list of thousands was pared down to the two soldiers proven to have exhibited the highest ideals of leadership, experience, and, above all, faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. These two men would be responsible for choosing men that met these same standards. Also, the two leaders would select the country and the exact area to operate from. It may seem odd at first glance, but the country chosen was South Sudan, and the first seventeen men picked were all from the Dinka Tribe of that same country. These South Sudanese men were asked to dedicate their lives to God, with martyrdom an almost sure thing. Money was never a consideration; glory and fame are only for God.

    Soon, a young man would enter the picture. He would instantly seize the hearts of all the team members, and they would do the same with his. Like Paul's addition in the Bible, this short man became the final ingredient in forming this consummate group.  These men would become known as "The Team" to the world. The Team's fighting exploits would become legendary and bring great glory to our Lord. This band of who-are-theys, the kind our God loves to give his most important jobs to, would become synonymous with devotion and service to God. He would empower them to exhibit to the world that divine power and glory are only His, the living God, just as He had done for the Hebrews in Exodus.

     The coming battles would be many, and some would be deadly, but The Team would never falter nor bow out. Even during combat, a zeal to carry out Christ's commission was never at the back of their minds. At their lowest points, with victory in question, The Team looked to God, for they relied faithfully on Him for their strength, courage, and wisdom. Here is the story of The Team and the little man that had such a significant spiritual influence on them, as told by James "JJ" Jefferson, their commander.

 

Dedicated to the millions of persecuted Christians and Jews around the world that bend but do not break. They are the real heroes.