Matthew Roland's Blog

Title: The Battle for the Bible

Author: Harold Lindsell

Publisher: The Zondervan Corporation

Year: 1976

Available: $25.99 on Amazon

Length: 218 pages

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars)

In The Battle for the Bible, author Harold Lindsell, founding member of Fuller Theological Seminary and former editor of Christianity Today, sets out to give a worthy account of the bitter struggle taking place in American Christianity over the doctrine of biblical inerrancy.

Though written as far back as 1976, Lindsell’s classic remains an equally relevant response to the trends and troubles of our present day. The issue of inerrancy is a matter with which every generation of Christians must contend, and more than that: a truth to which they must cling at all costs through every theological clash—if they truly aspire to remain faithful until the end.

The Argument

In the very first page of his preface, Lindsell makes his chief objective and intended audience plain to the reader:

“I have written this book largely for the evangelical lay people in the pews who may not be aware of the central issue that faces them, their denominations, and their institutions.” (Pg. 13)

What is that issue, one might ask?

“The battle that rages over the Bible today [among evangelicals] centers around the question of infallibility—whether the Bible is fully or partially trustworthy (Pg. 23)…To ignore the battle is perilous. To come to grips with it is necessary. To fail to speak is more than cowardice; it is sinful. There comes a time when Christians must not keep silent, when to do so is far worse than to speak and risk being misunderstood or disagreed with. If we Christians do not learn from history, we are bound to repeat its mistakes.” (Pg. 26)

To prove his point, Lindsell determines to trace the natural progression of instance after instance, throughout history, of compromise over Biblical authority that leads to apostasy; and the catastrophic consequences that inevitably follow (without fail) whenever the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures are rejected in any fashion.

“I shall argue that once infallibility is abandoned, however good the intentions of those who do it and however good they feel their reasons for doing so, it always and ever opens the door to further departures from the faith. Once errancy enters an institution, it does not simply become one of several options. It quickly becomes the regnant view and infallibility loses its foothold and at last is silenced effectively...I will contend that embracing a doctrine of an errant Scripture will lead to disaster down the road. It will result in the loss of missionary outreach; it will quench missionary passion; it will lull congregations to sleep and undermine their belief in the full-orbed truth of the Bible; it will produce spiritual sloth and decay; and it will finally lead to apostasy.” (Pg. 25)

The Evaluation

Throughout the course of his work, you will see two points repeated time and time again, without fail: 1) If we do not learn from the mistakes made by our forebears, we are destined to repeat them, and 2) Any departure from biblical inerrancy, no matter how slight, always results (ultimately) in a sharp deviation from almost every fundamental truth of the Bible, which include but are not limited to the nature of the incarnation, the reality of Heaven and Hell, and Christ’s substitutionary atonement upon the Cross of Calvary—in and of itself the very core of the Gospel of God our Saviour.

As Lindsell goes out of his way to state, again and again, compromise on the part of the defender can only ever end in more concessions, till at last, every principal truth contained in the Scriptures that might once have been considered an unshakable fixture in the Christian Church is looked on with disdain by most self-proclaimed Evangelicals in America (which is evident today even to the most ignorant of persons).

Lindsell’s work is a rallying cry for all self-proclaimed Christians to stand fast for the age-old truths of Scripture, and he manages to sufficiently demonstrate that our beliefs about the Bible really do make an enormous difference in the theological positions to which we hold.

His style is accessible, communicable, and easy to understand for the layman and intellectual alike. Furthermore, having lived through such a battle during his tenure as a high-ranking professor at Fuller Theological Seminary (which fought and fell to a rising infestation of liberalism), we are obliged to bestow more credence to Lindsell as a source of wisdom and insight in this matter that might otherwise be assumed necessary.

The Conclusion

Clear, logical, and thoroughly effective in the accomplishment of its primary purpose, The Battle for the Bible is a must-read for every True Believer.

Make no mistake: this is not simply an issue confined to debate-halls between various intellectuals, nor is it a fight primarily belonging to the most respected theologians and philosophers. This is a struggle that requires the enlistment of every born again Believer. This has implications far beyond academic circles. A failure to rightly understand the issues at play in the battle over inerrancy has the potential to result in unmitigated theological chaos.

Our view of the Bible is the starting point, the very basis, as it were—the foundation upon which all other doctrines stand and take refuge. What you hold true about God’s inspired and inerrant Word will ultimately determine what you believe about everything else that flows forth from it.

After reviewing this time-honoured battle cry in the light of an increasingly postmodern culture, almost forty-five years later, every genuine Believer will be obligated to recognize this essential truth: the warning that Harold Lindsell saw fit to sound in 1976 is needed now more than ever today.

May we take heed and make not again the same mistakes as those who came before us!

Title: Greater Than Aaron: The Supremacy of Christ's Limited Atonement

Author: Josh Niemi

Publisher: Independently Published

Year: 25 January 2019

Available: $12.95 on Amazon

Length: 162 pages

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars)

More than five hundred years after the birth of the Protestant Reformation and the theological developments which took place in the years following, the subject of Christ’s atonement, specifically its extent in relation to sinners, remains a significant source of contention in the Christian community to this day.

There are many reasons for this: from the pride inherent within the human heart that refuses to relinquish its own agency in the miracle of regeneration, to a lack of desire to actually thoroughly research the issue for oneself (or, in an overwhelming number of cases, simple ignorance), and to the widespread influence of the humanistic philosophy that has permeated much of society.

But what remains perhaps one of the greatest sources of confusion in this issue is the straightforward truth that the Old Testament has been practically (or should I say, shamefully) ignored far too many discussions of major theological significance—something we often see in debates surrounding the doctrine of God’s marvellous grace to poor, unworthy, wretches.

In his second book, entitled Greater Than Aaron: The Supremacy of Christ’s Limited Atonement, author Josh Niemi reckons to change that for the better.

The Argument

The purpose of this work is clearly illustrated in the introduction, but a more concise summary can be found at expositoryparenting.org, wherein the author asserts to have embarked upon “a verse-by-verse study through Leviticus chapter 16, explaining the concept of atonement as found under the Old Covenant priestly system, exalting the doctrine of limited atonement as accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, and exposing the error of universal atonement historically set forth by Arminians.”

From the beginning, Niemi starts off this lofty theological enterprise with a bang, delving immediately into the meat of Leviticus 16 and bringing out the representative nature of Christ’s atonement from verses 1-4. The inability for sinful man to approach a holy God is firmly established, and the need is made readily apparent for a faithful high priest to act as a representative on our behalf in the presence of the Holy One. This representative, of course, is the God-man, Christ Jesus.

In his exegesis of Leviticus 16:5-10, the substitutionary aspect of the atonement is set forth, followed by an extended look at propitiation (the satisfaction of God’s righteous wrath against sinners in the suffering of His Son upon the Cross) from Leviticus 16:14, expiation (the “removal of guilt and sin that sinners have accumulated by their rebellion” (Pg. 106)) from verses 20-28, and finally, “an assembled atonement” (the atonement being made for a very specific group of people) from verse 29 to the end of the chapter.

Throughout the whole of the work presented before us is this common theme: before we can even begin to define the extent of the atonement, we must first grasp a sure knowledge of the intent behind it all. Only once we have rightly understood this awesome mystery can we hope to answer any of the questions which directly follow.

It is safe to say that on this front, Josh Niemi has amply delivered.

The Evaluation

The most remarkable aspect of Greater Than Aaron is undoubtedly Niemi’s success in satisfactorily (nay, definitely) proving the absolute necessity for Christ’s atonement to be limited in nature to a very specific group of people—namely, His church, chosen in eternity past to bring glory to Himself in the ages to come-without diverging into the overly-philosophical arguments which often surround the subject (or, as Phil Johnson himself put it, a “hackneyed polemical argument about the extent of the atonement from some overzealous cage-stage Calvinist.”).

Instead, Niemi has stuck straight to the text, expositing it verse by verse and using his exegesis of the original Hebrew to faithfully deliver the intended meaning of the passage directly into the hands of his readers—and without once speaking over their heads in the process! Once again, we see the sufficiency of the Scriptures on full display, and the truth cannot be overstated: the Word of God is perfectly capable of defending itself; despite our machinations to try and force it into some preconceived theological paradigm, it always suffices, whatever the task may be.

In the aforementioned blog post, the author declares this selfsame conviction in forthright terms:

“What I believe sets this book apart from many others of the same subject matter is that this is not a philosophical approach to, nor a pragmatic defense of, limited atonement, but is instead a presentation of this vital doctrine straight from one of the greatest—and yet somehow neglected—texts concerning [the] atonement. Believers who otherwise struggle with the book of Leviticus will be pleased to see that this book walks through an entire chapter, examining the passage sequentially and explaining the details in a way that brings clarity without complexity. More than that, though, this book exalts the Lord Jesus Christ as the high priest for His people who accomplishes what Aaron, the first high priest of Israel, could only foreshadow.”

And the matter, as some might say, is settled.

The Conclusion

In his featured review of the book, Nate Pickowicz contends: “Working primarily from Leviticus, Josh layers on biblical argument upon biblical argument until he lands his conclusion with the force of an anvil. Well-researched, soundly exegeted, clearly written, and fiercely apologetic, Greater Than Aaron stands as [a] triumphant work, showcasing the supremacy of Jesus Christ’s limited atonement.”

Those who have actually read the word are only forced to echo this sentiment wholeheartedly. Indeed, I would encourage any reading this review to drop whatever currently occupies your thought and pick up Greater Than Aaron right away.

There stand many reasons why you should give it your time, number one being the supreme privilege of seeing God’s majestic plan for the redemption of creation through the work of His Son sensationally exhibited through the faithful exposition of Holy Scripture. Another equally motivating justification for those seeking further exhortation is that you will almost certainly grasp a greater comprehension of the Bible’s totality in the exercise of doctrine, throughout all the ages of the earth, from Genesis even to Revelation.

And a final incentive would be, of course, to enlighten those Saints (of which, unfortunately, there exist many) who have remained hitherto unmoved in spite of those attempts to push them past the false suppositions of an increasingly-secular Christian culture—and finally set aside any notion of a universal atonement for all men, in favour of the historical, conservative position taken by the vast majority of our theological forefathers, which is limited atonement.

On a concluding note, allow me to end this endorsement with the words of Josh Niemi himself:

“Leviticus is notorious for ending the ambitions of readers who embark on a Bible reading plan, and my hope is that Greater Than Aaron will change that. This is especially true for parents who are leading their children through God’s Word. Once you see the Lord Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all that was embodied in the rituals of the Day of Atonement, I don’t think you’ll ever be able to “unsee” it. Instead, you’ll find that Leviticus 16 is one of the absolute best texts of Scripture to help others, children included, understand the cross. On that basis, it may become one of your most beloved portions of Scripture. Finally, as you consider what Jesus accomplished on the cross, in comparison to what Aaron foreshadowed in the tabernacle, my hope is that you would exchange the Arminian concept of universal atonement for the supremacy of Christ’s limited atonement.”

Title: The Christian Home

Author: Paul Shirley

Publisher: Independently Published

Year: 12 September 2019

Available: $9.99 on Amazon

Length: 119 pages

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars)

We live in a society that is rapidly becoming untethered from the age-old truths of Scripture. Day in and day out, we are told that right and wrong are what we decide. Truth is an ever-shifting conversation, not an unchanging bastion of actual fact—and one that is wholly dependent upon the whims of wicked men.

In the meantime, immorality runs rampant around us. The culture to which we are confined indulges itself in every possible perversion known to man. The God-ordained institution of matrimony has been thrown out the window. Virtues such as purity and personal integrity, which were once held in high esteem by even secular portions of civilisation, have been utterly rejected in favour of all manner of deviancy and degeneracy. The roles of man and woman, not only in the home, but with regard to their very definition, can no longer be clearly determined for fear of retribution from opposing parties.

The state of things in America has spiralled so far south, that those persons who may have once been the first to condemn this madness are now completely silent on the matter, or worse, the quickest to defend it. Moreover, the vast majority of pastors and shepherds in America, afraid to lose their little empires and kingdoms on this earth, have compromised with the culture, to such a degree that the lines between the culture and the church are now virtually indiscernible. Even for those few who desire to combat such rank evil, the temptation to resort only to the application of manmade philosophies overrides much of their effectiveness.

More than ever, the family’s role in society is a topic that desperately needs to be addressed from a biblical standpoint. And in his recent work, The Christian Home, Paul Shirley sets out to do just that. Founded upon the truth that the Scriptures are sufficient for every area of life, he lays out the historical and scriptural provisions for functions of husband, wife, and child within the home, returning once more to those ancient truths, which formerly undergirded all of society.

The Argument

Shirley orders and organises his work around the text of Scripture. Indeed, at first glance, it is immediately apparent, even to the general reader, that The Christian Home is essentially a series of written sermons, which aim to accurately and faithfully exposit the text of Ephesians 5:22-6:4.

The introduction lays out the central premise of the book:

“The Christian home is a sweet grace from the Lord, but it can also be a significant struggle to marriage. Maintaining a spiritually healthy marriage and raising spiritually-minded children is not easy. In a fallen world, with fallen influences and fallen inclinations, family life can be a frustrating life. However, God did not design the family to produce frustration; the frustration arises when you depart from God’s design…This study of Ephesians 5:22-6:4 is especially aimed at helping you make sure that your home is ordered according to God’s design. By taking you back to the Scriptures, I pray it will also help your own spiritual growth and motivate you to plug into a church where these truths are faithfully taught.” (Pg. 1-2)

With this in mind, Shirley moves on to a general glance at the whole text, focusing upon the necessary ingredients for a spirit-filled family. What follows is an examination of the submission of godly wives in Ephesians 5:22-24, the necessary requirement for husbands to shepherd and love their wives as Christ also loves His church in Ephesians v. 25-30, the essential union of these two offices in v. 31-33, and then the obligatory obedience of children in Ephesians 6:1-3.

In the concluding chapters, Shirley lays out a series of biblical principles, which are requisites for faithful shepherding (primarily directed at the father), and the importance of renewing one’s mind in the face of fatigue (chiefly for the mother). The final chapter (the importance of which cannot be overstated) ties it all together, by directing the Christian family to engage as frequently as possible with the activities of the local church. Shirley sums up this nonnegotiable point with the following admonition:

“You cannot submit to your husband as the church submits to Christ if you are not a submissive member in a church. You cannot love your wife as Christ loves the church if you don't love Christ's church enough to consistently show up on the Lord's Day. You cannot shepherd and instruct your children in the ways of the Lord if you are not being shepherded and instructed by the leaders the Lord has placed over you. If you are not committed to the local church, you will not grow in your own Christian life, and you cannot expect to thrive as a Christian home.” (Pg. 97-98)

Lastly, he proceeds to call the family to prioritise the church, prepare for church, and participate at church on the basis of Hebrews 10:23-25:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The Evaluation

In simple, yet by no means simplistic terms, Shirley unashamedly sets forth the scriptural model of the home and all its affairs, without any deviation from the text at hand. The roles of the husband, wife, child—and their relation to the local church and everyday life are fully expounded upon and defined in such a way, so as to make no room for misinterpretation. No concession is made for Adam’s rebellious race, and the cultural norms of our day are not even accounted as worthy of consideration. The book is closed. The standard is God’s standard, and there is no room for discussion.

On this matter, the Bible is indisputably plain. Authorial intention on the part of the original authors through whom God worked has rarely been presented more profoundly than in this issue; and as such, no argument, under any circumstances, can be made on the grounds of a faulty interpretation. And since Shirley’s ultimate (and only) authority originates solely from the pages of Holy Scripture, any points which seek to contest his exposition must contend against the authority itself, which is, admittedly, a formidable task in any situation.

Repeatedly, he encourages his audience to examine their lives, with the aim of discerning whether or not they are bound in complete submission to the dictates of the Bible. His authority is not his own opinion or the culture’s constantly-changing conviction, but the Word of God. In short, he has approached his task with the mindset that Scripture is not only the inspired, inerrant, and infallible rule for faith and practice—but also thoroughly sufficient to address every situation which might possibly arise.

Thus, for all faithful Christians who desire to live out the commands of their Lord to the fullest degree, the case has never been more certain: if you reject Shirley’s overarching premise, which goes out of its way to ground itself in the exegesis of the original text, you reject the very Word of God, and to Him, you will give an account.

The Conclusion

In an age where far many too many pastors and shepherds prefer to dispense with their own opinions of ‘what works’ in the family, Paul Shirley’s The Christian Home stands out as a notable example of a faithful treatise to the Biblical model of how a believing household ought to conduct itself.

I cannot form any estimation of the seriousness with which my opinion will be received, but I must entreat you all the same: whether you are a young couple seeking counsel in matters of life and godliness, or even one not yet united in the bond of holy matrimony, this is an essential work, deserving full acceptance, for all who aspire to faithfully direct their family-life in submission to the Creator of Heaven and earth, whether now or in the distant future.

This is a work that could feasibly be absorbed in one sitting, and in a personal sense, I found it to be a breath of fresh air, when set against its many fellows. Paul Shirley isn’t one to waste time dispensing with the details. His style and substance are both down-to-earth, wholly biblical, and simple enough for the most ordinary of folk to comprehend and articulate.

A proper study and understanding of Ephesians 5:22-6:4 is mandatory for every True Believer. There are no exceptions. This is the rule. From the beginning, even to the end. In Hosea 4:6, the Lord God tells the sons of Israel, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.”

In a world that is falling faster and faster into the insanity of iniquity, it is critical, more than ever, that all should be ready in and out of season to give an account and adequate defence of the truths of the Scriptures they claim to uphold—even more so in a topic that remains a hotbed of controversy at virtually every level of society. In their elevation of the fear of man over the fear of God, far too many have compromised where they should have stood resolute. Too many have fallen into appalling apostasy when forced to take a stand for or against the Word of the Lord.

Paul Shirley’s The Christian Home gives you the tools you need to combat the culture on the matters of matrimony and family, should the occasion ever arise. Are you suitably prepared to defend your Lord to the utmost, or will you also fall to the same sin that has taken those who came before us?

Author: Greg Harris

Publisher: Kress Biblical Publishing

Year: 15 February 2016

Available: $14.99 on Amazon

Length: 224 pages

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars)

The Stone and the Glory of Israel is written by a Dr. Gregory Harris, former Professor of Bible Exposition and head of the Bible Exposition department at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, California. In this brief (yet no less worthy) volume, Dr. Harris takes it upon himself to trace the many prophecies which speak to the promised Messiah, beginning in the Torah, continuing on through the Prophets, and forging ahead into the New Testament Gospels and Epistles.

While containing a vast multitude of verses and references retrieved from every corner of the Bible, The Stone is primarily founded upon this particular passage, which the interested observer can find in Psalm 118:22-26a:

“The Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee; O LORD, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.”

The Argument

The overarching intent for this work is simple enough: the promised Seed of Abraham, the righteous Branch of David, the Stone of Israel — spoken of throughout the OT Scriptures — is, beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt, the very One proclaimed by the Twelve Apostles: even the crucified Christ, upon whom rests the entirety of the NT writings.

At the conclusion of Chapter One: The Stone, Dr. Harris clearly states this aim with the following words:

“So, come, let us find these 'Stone Prophecies' that God [has] put in His Word. Beginning with the double blessing portion to Joseph in Genesis 49 and continuing from there, let us see what these mean, and why God calls us to read and receive these promises—and His Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, sent from the Mighty One of Jacob to the twelve tribes in the last days, who will also rule over the entire world.”

With this one focus at the forefront of all his thought, Dr. Harris does just that: using Genesis 49 as the bedrock for all subsequent passages, he fashions a glorious tapestry, weaving together and presenting innumerable selections of Scripture, many of which are often completely passed over or disregarded as unnoteworthy in the daily reading of many professing Christians — all speaking with respect to the Stone (Isa. 8:11-15; Dan. 2:31-35; Zech. 3:8-9) or the Rock (Ps. 18:1-2; Isa. 44:8); and consequently, how the Christ of the New Testament perfectly fulfilled all that was written beforehand.

In the course of this journey, Dr. Harris faithfully expounds upon the full purpose of God’s divine revelation concerning His promised Seed, leaving no stone unturned, and paving the way for the reader to uncover the magnificent plan ordained by the Father for His chosen nation of Israel.

The Evaluation

Under close examination, the premise — and the promise of that premise — holds up quite capably, and inevitable detractors will be hard-pressed to form any rational (not to mention coherent) response. Fellow students of the Word will be forced to concur likewise on this point.

Moreover, it ought to be made abundantly clear that one of this book’s strengths (specifically its clear argumentation) is manifested primarily through its careful and logical presentation of the Scriptures. Indeed, although Dr. Harris has wrought his own defences admirably, his success chiefly derives itself from allowing the all-inspired Word of God to speak on its own behalf. At the end of the day, Scripture truly is sufficient and wholly adequate for every task set before it!

The Conclusion

Not only is the prose intelligible for the common man, but The Stone and the Glory of Israel is systematic, well-reasoned, and theologically sound. It serves not only as a remarkable and worthwhile invitation to God’s chosen people to encounter their long-awaited Messiah, but is also profitable for all persons seeking to grow in the knowledge of God’s ultimate sovereignty and supremacy over the devices of fallen men.

By that same token, the following point must be stressed: the implications of the Stone-motif go beyond merely academic circles and stretch deep into everyday life. What benefits, one might ask — beyond basic knowledge or awareness — does such a work have for ordinary folk? Well, for one, it further confirms and substantiates the real necessity of the New Testament to be viewed for what it is: a direct (and very deliberate) extension of God’s revelation to mankind, begun in the OT Scriptures and continued on through the Gospels and Epistles.

And two, the person of the Messiah as He relates to the Stone of Israel cannot be separated from the person and work of Christ upon the Cross. They are two sides to the same coin, and both cannot exist without the other. Jesus Christ is the singular thread that holds both halves together in perfect consonance and harmony.

In short, The Stone is the perfect starting point for those persons seeking to properly evangelize to the Jewish nation, by providing the definitive case that the Christ of the NT writings is the perfect fulfilment of all the OT prophecies.

Therefore, to the Jew and Gentile alike, we have this to say: the promised Seed of Abraham, the Stone of Israel, and the sure Rock of David was born of a virgin two-thousand years ago. He lived a sinless life all His days on this earth, doing that of which no man is capable, and was offered up by His own people as a sacrifice for the sins of men. Hanging from a tree, this Jesus of Nazareth was condemned by the just Judge of the universe in place of the wicked, and slaughtered upon the slopes of Calvary.

But in accordance with what was prophesied in ages past, the Christ they once crucified rose in power and dominion from the tomb in which He was laid. Having conquered death forever, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, clothed in glory and majesty from on high. And there is salvation in no one else but Jesus Christ; for there is no name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

So, to you, Dear Reader, I give an unreserved admonition: read now this pithy publication, and you will find yourself both heartened and illumined!

Title: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Author: Christopher Paolini

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers

Year: 15 September 2020

Genre: Science Fiction

Type: Spoiler-Free Review

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star)

Nearly nine years after the publication of his last novel, Inheritance, the last instalment of a four-part saga that began with Eragon all the way back in 2003, Christopher Paolini is back, this time with a single-volume, science fiction saga, which comes in at a whopping 878 pages.

Naturally, those persons who held a measure of affection for his former stories (however maligned they might have been by the press and various critics) have eagerly awaited this intriguing new title, published under the tantalising name, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, for quite some time now.

I am no different, and with the exception of Brandon Sanderson's Rhythm of War (itself of which proved to be yet another very solid addition to the Cosmere), To Sleep was my most anticipated novel of 2020.

309,000 words later, imagine my severe disappointment when I must report it to be perhaps the worst novel I have read in recent memory (with the exception of Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara, which proved itself to be so bad, that I could not even force myself to finish it).

The Diagnosis

To be sure, there are certainly signs of brilliance every here and there (specifically very early on), but regrettably, such signs are few and far between. The story is channelled much more through the plot than through the ensemble cast, which takes much of the heart out of the story. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what made the Inheritance Cycle so appealing to its audience: despite the derivative nature of its story, there were still characters that people cared about, possessed of qualities and shortcomings that made it almost inevitable that people root for them.

To name what is perhaps my greatest issue, there is almost nothing of worth regarding the moral dilemma or quandary (as was formerly seen in Eragon's decision in Brisingr to spare the life of Sloan the Butcher).

As I have grown older, I have found it increasingly hard to enjoy any story which does not feature something of the former. And in a story almost completely bereft of nuance or meaning, there's simply not much to anything firm I can grasp onto with the knowledge that such an attribute can safely carry me through to the end, regardless of what deficiencies it might otherwise possess – something that is an absolute necessity in a story of this magnitude and scope.

This, again, is something which noted epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson has masterfully executed time and time again, virtually without fail.

To add insult to injury, Paolini hasn't seemed to learn his lesson from Brisingr (if possible, actually regressing) – namely, that less is more.

Rather than learning from his past, he has instead adopted that trend so often seen in today's fiction, whereby quantity usurps quality: that, put simply, more of this and more of that, and bigger and grander explosions, and higher levels of intimacy, and deeper valleys of violence, and more coarseness of language and thought somehow equivocates with quality, when such a thing could not be further from the truth!

Maybe a season reading such classic works as Austen's Pride and Prejudice or Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment would do him a turn for the better. Maybe it is possible he would see that stories are interesting precisely due to the intricacies of human character, the moral dilemmas we are confronted with every day, the tension between the right and the wrong, and the consequences of bad behaviour, or an ill choice (and how different people react to that, accordingly, whether progressively or regressively).

But, sadly, as has been already reported, every time an opportunity arose for the author to do right by those seemly modes most favourable to the common reader, he squandered it by either overindulging himself in the emotion of the moment or passed it by with only a cursory glance.

Even the climactic sequence, which has always been a strength of his in the past, proved itself to be utterly incompetent and wholly incapable of redeeming the preceding 800+ pages. To best sum up my thoughts on this point, it is the words of a critic from The Boston Globe in regards to Paolini's second novel, Eldest, which perhaps best capture the nature of the climax, wherein she negatively criticized him for "[writing] drama that rises to a wet pop".

I may have found cause to differ with the critic then, but now, I must concur her to be right on all points, only I would add that the aforementioned drama is almost impossible to perceive this time around, and rarely has anything been as anticlimactic.

The Prose

Another major deficiency happens to be Paolini's prose, which has, strangely, worsened. His dialogue, which was already weak (in comparison to his narrative summary and description), was easier to ignore, at first, due to his decision to completely change his writing style for the contemporary age in which his story is set.

But as the story progressed, that same dialogue (which has always been my favourite attribute of any story) steadily deteriorated, to the point that it became borderline unreadable for me. Part of the problem is that, since this is a story set in an advanced society, equivalent to modern-day America, Paolini appears to think it is his duty to include an expletive every other paragraph, which really made me consider setting the book aside, at one point (I do not recommend it for those wishing to make progress in their daily sanctification).

The other factor involved is that he earnestly endeavours to sound as realistic as possible, which only serves to make the words his characters use, come across as very cringe-worthy and altogether without elegance or nuance. I must add that the decision to use text messaging as a regular means of communication did not at all help the matter.

The majestic illustrative ability he harnessed in supplying his audience with a sense of place – which so acutely defined scenes like that on Vroengard Island in Inheritance – has almost completely disappeared. Indeed, there are occasions where it briefly resurfaces, but those are wholly contained to a series of dream sequences that periodically take place throughout the novel, and not for any great length.

The Addendum

On the measure of its own merit, Part One, along with sections of Part Five, was undoubtedly the best part of the book; and very promising for what was to come, but, alas! with the passing of that chapter, everything experienced a severe downgrade in the areas of character development, plot pacing, quality of prose, intrigue, suspense, the anticipation of what has not yet come to pass, and all the like.

Having said this, I cannot recommend To Sleep in a Sea of Stars as a worthy read for those who might be disposed to give it their attention. This assessment is quite unfortunate, as this was a novel I was very much looking forward to this past year.

In light of 2018's The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (which, while not perfect, was vastly superior to his sci-fi endeavour), it is my opinion that if Paolini wishes to avoid the disastrous outing that was this space-faring chronicle, he is much better served by staying safely within the realm of epic fantasy.

That, and maybe take some lessons from Brandon Sanderson. He could use them.

Title: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Author: Christopher Paolini

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers

Year: 15 September 2020

Genre: Science Fiction

Type: Spoiler-Free Review

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star)

Nearly nine years after the publication of his last novel, Inheritance, the last instalment of a four-part saga that began with Eragon all the way back in 2003, Christopher Paolini is back, this time with a single-volume, science fiction saga, which comes in at a whopping 878 pages.

Naturally, those persons who held a measure of affection for his former stories (however maligned they might have been by the press and various critics) have eagerly awaited this intriguing new title, published under the tantalising name, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, for quite some time now.

I am no different, and with the exception of Brandon Sanderson's Rhythm of War (itself of which proved to be yet another very solid addition to the Cosmere), To Sleep was my most anticipated novel of 2020.

309,000 words later, imagine my severe disappointment when I must report it to be perhaps the worst novel I have read in recent memory (with the exception of Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara, which proved itself to be so bad, that I could not even force myself to finish it).

The Diagnosis

To be sure, there are certainly signs of brilliance every here and there (specifically very early on), but regrettably, such signs are few and far between. The story is channelled much more through the plot than through the ensemble cast, which takes much of the heart out of the story. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what made the Inheritance Cycle so appealing to its audience: despite the derivative nature of its story, there were still characters that people cared about, possessed of qualities and shortcomings that made it almost inevitable that people root for them.

To name what is perhaps my greatest issue, there is almost nothing of worth regarding the moral dilemma or quandary (as was formerly seen in Eragon's decision in Brisingr to spare the life of Sloan the Butcher).

As I have grown older, I have found it increasingly hard to enjoy any story which does not feature something of the former. And in a story almost completely bereft of nuance or meaning, there's simply not much to anything firm I can grasp onto with the knowledge that such an attribute can safely carry me through to the end, regardless of what deficiencies it might otherwise possess – something that is an absolute necessity in a story of this magnitude and scope.

This, again, is something which noted epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson has masterfully executed time and time again, virtually without fail.

To add insult to injury, Paolini hasn't seemed to learn his lesson from Brisingr (if possible, actually regressing) – namely, that less is more.

Rather than learning from his past, he has instead adopted that trend so often seen in today's fiction, whereby quantity usurps quality: that, put simply, more of this and more of that, and bigger and grander explosions, and higher levels of intimacy, and deeper valleys of violence, and more coarseness of language and thought somehow equivocates with quality, when such a thing could not be further from the truth!

Maybe a season reading such classic works as Austen's Pride and Prejudice or Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment would do him a turn for the better. Maybe it is possible he would see that stories are interesting precisely due to the intricacies of human character, the moral dilemmas we are confronted with every day, the tension between the right and the wrong, and the consequences of bad behaviour, or an ill choice (and how different people react to that, accordingly, whether progressively or regressively).

But, sadly, as has been already reported, every time an opportunity arose for the author to do right by those seemly modes most favourable to the common reader, he squandered it by either overindulging himself in the emotion of the moment or passed it by with only a cursory glance.

Even the climactic sequence, which has always been a strength of his in the past, proved itself to be utterly incompetent and wholly incapable of redeeming the preceding 800+ pages. To best sum up my thoughts on this point, it is the words of a critic from The Boston Globe in regards to Paolini's second novel, Eldest, which perhaps best capture the nature of the climax, wherein she negatively criticized him for "[writing] drama that rises to a wet pop".

I may have found cause to differ with the critic then, but now, I must concur her to be right on all points, only I would add that the aforementioned drama is almost impossible to perceive this time around, and rarely has anything been as anticlimactic.

The Prose

Another major deficiency happens to be Paolini's prose, which has, strangely, worsened. His dialogue, which was already weak (in comparison to his narrative summary and description), was easier to ignore, at first, due to his decision to completely change his writing style for the contemporary age in which his story is set.

But as the story progressed, that same dialogue (which has always been my favourite attribute of any story) steadily deteriorated, to the point that it became borderline unreadable for me. Part of the problem is that, since this is a story set in an advanced society, equivalent to modern-day America, Paolini appears to think it is his duty to include an expletive every other paragraph, which really made me consider setting the book aside, at one point (I do not recommend it for those wishing to make progress in their daily sanctification).

The other factor involved is that he earnestly endeavours to sound as realistic as possible, which only serves to make the words his characters use, come across as very cringe-worthy and altogether without elegance or nuance. I must add that the decision to use text messaging as a regular means of communication did not at all help the matter.

The majestic illustrative ability he harnessed in supplying his audience with a sense of place – which so acutely defined scenes like that on Vroengard Island in Inheritance – has almost completely disappeared. Indeed, there are occasions where it briefly resurfaces, but those are wholly contained to a series of dream sequences that periodically take place throughout the novel, and not for any great length.

The Addendum

On the measure of its own merit, Part One, along with sections of Part Five, was undoubtedly the best part of the book; and very promising for what was to come, but, alas! with the passing of that chapter, everything experienced a severe downgrade in the areas of character development, plot pacing, quality of prose, intrigue, suspense, the anticipation of what has not yet come to pass, and all the like.

Having said this, I cannot recommend To Sleep in a Sea of Stars as a worthy read for those who might be disposed to give it their attention. This assessment is quite unfortunate, as this was a novel I was very much looking forward to this past year.

In light of 2018's The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (which, while not perfect, was vastly superior to his sci-fi endeavour), it is my opinion that if Paolini wishes to avoid the disastrous outing that was this space-faring chronicle, he is much better served by staying safely within the realm of epic fantasy.

That, and maybe take some lessons from Brandon Sanderson. He could use them.

In an age where ‘acceptance’ and ‘tolerance’ are lauded as the superior virtues, and holding fast to conviction and Biblical truth is deemed divisive and priggish, the vast majority of pastors and teachers in the American church, have lost their spine, and only proclaim that which is acceptable to the ears of fallen men.

As such, many churchgoers have forgotten the sheer holiness of God, and therefore, are immensely, embarrassingly, as it were, incapable of comprehending the gravity of their depraved state.

One has only to look at the fruit produced by prominent pastors in America, or best-selling books that have the name “Christian” slapped onto a marketing blurb or many of the trendy notions and phrases making their way through Christian circles.

Innumerable self-help talks masquerading under the guise of sermons pollute the airwaves. Pastors spend a Sunday telling their life story, or blitz through several chapters of Romans in the span of half an hour, or even preach one twenty-minute sermon on the visit of Nicodemus to Jesus, and conclude that “things happen at night,” and no, if you’re wondering, I am not making that up.

The so-called Christian bookstores of America, at almost every conceivable level, are stocked with narcissistic treatises and expositions so much consumed with the utterly loathsome virtue of self-exaltation—as exemplified in a seemingly endless array of personal prosperity how-to-guides, earthly philosophies, human methodologies, and vacuous egotistical poppycock—that it would be putting it lightly to define them as altars to the devil himself—for is not pride, as our Puritan brother, Thomas Boston, would say, “the very image of the devil”?

When not vainly prattling on about their own fancies, practices, and wonts, some few may occasionally expound upon the characteristics of God most favourable in their eyes, chief of which are His love, grace, and mercy. But even their fleeting devotion to such lovely ideals does a great disservice to the glorious Gospel; for the former attributes represent as far a boundary as they are willing to transgress, and not only do they foolishly disregard Christ’s teachings on the judgement to come, but they pass over those distinct qualities of holiness, jealousy, or righteousness—they that most amplify God’s perfect nature—and thus render the God of the Scriptures to an obscure state.

Because they do not know of God or His attributes, they do not know this Jesus they claim to serve. Since they know nothing of Christ, they cannot even begin to comprehend Him crucified. With no knowledge of Calvary, they remain blissfully unaware of the deadly disease working its way through their flesh; and because they will not recognize themselves as the wretches that they are, they do not appreciate the cure that is the risen Christ, and they cannot love Him as is His due.

You Must Know Who You Are
It has been said by men much wiser than I, that a man does not understand how truly wretched and depraved he is, just as a fish cannot know how wet it is—and fewer things have been truer said.

It has been said by men much wiser than I, that a man does not understand how truly wretched and depraved he is, just as a fish cannot know how wet it is—and fewer things have been truer said.

While enslaved to the desires of our flesh, we were steeped in sin. Our every thought, our every intent, word, and action, was sullied by the blackness of transgression. Even in supposedly “noble” acts, we fell far short of the law, and the good that could be was polluted by the evil that was. A haughty spirit, an attitude of egocentric self-interest, and a selfish disdain for the feelings of others, it is these that most become the Sons of Disobedience.

Do you deny it? Does this cause you to turn aside your face? Cast then your mind to Isaiah 64:6, wherein we are assured, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Think again to the days of Noah, when “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” and later on, after the flood had taken place, He smelled the soothing aroma of Noah’s sacrifice, and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21).

The truth remains, and it cannot be undone, no matter how hard we might try: in their present state, men are wholly wicked, and therefore, an abomination to the eyes of a holy God (Proverbs 3:32; Proverbs 11:20; Proverbs 16:5; Proverbs 17:15). They are not partially evil; they are not virtually evil; they are entirely evil, to the very core of their being!

Men Are Not Good

To those whose eyes are blinded, this underlying, elementary, foundational truth—on which rests the entire premise of the Gospel itself—is without a doubt the most disdained and despised doctrine in all of the Scriptures. Hating God, men love themselves solely. So consumed are they with their own perceived goodness, that they cannot see, nor come close to comprehending the severity of their plight.

The sheer vastness of eternity, the difference between eternal life and eternal suffering, lies in the balance, and yet the unconverted refuse to acknowledge their vileness, and persist in removing the knowledge of God as far away as possible so that the cure might not remind them of the disease! Even the many physicians and worldly psychologists concede that the first step towards rehabilitation is to acknowledge that you have an ailment in the first place!

“The present age is so flippant,” once articulated the late Charles Spurgeon, “that if a man loves the Savior, he is a fanatic and if he hates the powers of evil, he is a bigot.” He later propounded that every True Believer ought to, “Be ready for a bad name; be willing to be called a bigot; be prepared for loss of friendships; be prepared for anything so long as you can stand fast by Him who bought you with His precious blood. . .”

Evidence of this phenomenon is all around us. Just a year or two ago, there was a disturbance on social media, when Facebook executives banned a sermon by missionary and evangelist Paul Washer, for the following quote, on the grounds of hate speech:

“You see,” cries Washer, “here’s something you need to understand: Hitler was not an anomaly. Hitler was what everyone in this room has the potential of being. And not only that, you need to understand: even in all the wickedness of Hitler, Hitler was still restrained by the common grace of God. And you need to know this, that if it were not for the common grace of God restraining you in your unconverted state, you would make Hitler look like a choir boy. What we do not understand is what Scripture teaches about men: men are evil! You say, ‘Well, I don't agree.' That's because you've grabbed enough of Christianity to stand, but you don't believe the Bible.”

The Church Has Compromised

But perhaps even more appalling, we see the harsh regression of this Truth not only in culture but in the Church as well. The American church has forgotten the very truths upon which she was founded, and has strayed deep into idolatry and carnal thought. Seeking the commendation of men over the glory of the Creator, she must now reap the condemnation of Almighty God. In many Christian circles, the doctrine of man’s depravity is not only looked down upon as demeaning but is single-handedly, of its own virtue, the most assaulted and savaged teaching you will find on this earth.

We, not only as a culture, but as a church, place far too much emphasis on our own (seeming) inherent worth, merit, and trustiness—and not nearly enough on the holiness of the living God, and what that entails for fallen men. Indeed, a common mantra we hear among many who confess Christ runs like this: “The Cross is a symbol of how much we were worth dying for.”

That is not only a lie but a destructive and absolutely disgusting defamation to the gift of salvation. In fact, as Washer has been compelled to remind his audience time and time again, it’s the exact opposite, and it’s not even close: the Cross, as a symbol, is a demonstration of just how vile we are, that it would take the act of God sacrificing His own Son in the most heinous manner possible to save us from eternal damnation.

It would not be so far removed as to say that this ideology of “self-esteem” or “self-confidence” is so deceitful a doctrine, that it verges on the Satanic.

Satan, as Scripture tells us, is the Father of Lies; and since the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, he has sought to twist and undermine God's Holy Word in every way he can, and to every imaginable extreme, so as to fill all the earth, if it were possible, with various speculations and lofty things that raise themselves "up against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

These things, we are firmly bidden to destroy. Indeed, the apostle Paul deliberately sets out to warn us of the dangers wrought by such workers of iniquity in the third chapter of Philippians, verses 2-4, thus exhorting, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh..." (emphasis added)

Clearly, confidence in the self runs contrary to the decrees of our Lord as laid forth in Scripture. What then binds us from calling it as it is: a hideous, fiercely fraudulent untruth that holds its place in that sect of earthly ideology, which Paul explicitly defines in 1 Timothy 4:1 as a "doctrine of demons"?

The answer, of course, is nothing; and it is our solemn duty to condemn such black-hearted falsities and trample them under our feet with a forthrightness that is so often lacking in Christian circles, seeking above all else the glory of God in every matter, and pointing every man to the truths set forth in the written Word as declared by our Lord Himself: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him (Jeremiah 17:7).

Not Of Ourselves

We are different from the world precisely because we are confident in the work Christ has accomplished—and not of ourselves. To say otherwise is to directly denounce and undermine the goodness of God’s grace, which is an amazing thing, for the sole reason that we are wholly undeserving of it.

A return to sound theology necessitates a reestablishment of man’s radical depravity and utter inability to effectuate any good on his own; for only when it is set against the darkness of our hearts, can the incomprehensible love of God truly render itself incomprehensible.

[the above was taken from Matthew's post on thepastorsbrief.com , which was originally published on November 13, 2020]

In the American Church, there exists a massive quandary, in that many people who profess to be Followers of Christ are not, in fact, Followers of Christ.

Who are they? They are followers of their own heart, haters of God, and lovers of that which is evil, who have bought into a version of Christianity, where the truth of Scripture has been diluted by worldly philosophy, and the whims of self are uplifted over the glorification of God. Contrary to the dictates of Corinthians 5:9, their ambition is not “to be pleasing to Him,” but to fill the void in their heart with a type of Christ befitting the gratification of sinful desire.

The essentials of the Gospel are no longer commonplace in Evangelical circles. Instead of calls for self-denial, self-fulfilment is elevated to the chief imperative. Mankind is considered basically good, while God is indifferent to sin. Identity is found not in Christ, but in one's personal standing, outward beauty, or ethnicity. The condemnation or calling out of various sins and doctrinal error within the Church is generally deemed divisive and unloving.

An Overview of American Christianity

In Ligonier Ministries' State of Theology survey, completed in early March 2020, 30% of adult evangelical respondents agreed that Jesus Christ was a 'great teacher,' but not God, with only 66% expressing disagreement. Meanwhile, 46% concurred with the statement that 'everyone sins a little, but most people are good in nature.' Likewise, 42% conceded that 'God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.'

The results of a survey initially taken in January 2020, issued later by the Christian Post, further corroborate these findings, and serve as a damning indictment of the current state of American Christianity:

“...nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that having some kind of faith is more important than the particular faith with which someone aligns. Sixty-eight percent who embrace that notion identify as Christians, including 56% of self-described evangelicals and 62% of those who identify as Pentecostals. Sixty-seven percent of mainline Protestants and 77% of Catholics also embraced that idea, the findings show.

“Slightly over half of Christian respondents said they believe someone can attain salvation by "being or doing good," a figure that includes, 46% of Pentecostals, 44% of mainline Protestants, 41% of evangelicals, and 70% of Catholics.

“In addition to the viewpoint that eternal salvation can be earned, survey results show that 58% of Americans believe that no absolute moral truth exists and that the basis of truth are factors or sources other than God. Seventy-seven percent said that right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible. Fifty-nine percent said that the Bible is not God's authoritative and true Word and 69% said people are basically good.”

It was Martin Luther, who once said, “If you see yourself as a little sinner, you will inevitably see Jesus as a little saviour,” and this accurately and succinctly sums up much of American Christianity today. For a great number of churchgoers, the act of following Christ till kingdom come means going to Church on Sunday, listening to Christian artists, wearing Christian tee-shirts and hats and necklaces, generally “being a good person,” and maybe reading their Bible every other week.

But that is not Christianity. That is a loveless adherence to dead religion.

False Gods And Right Knowledge

What this nation needs now more than ever is a right understanding of God’s character. So very many have been deceived and thus led astray from the narrow path; for few are they who are willing to stand firm and upright, and with great boldness, proclaim the attributes of the Creator in all their majesty and high glory.

Alas! The edict of Proverbs 2, where the knowledge and the fear of God are described as the summit of all sound wisdom, has been hurled to the wayside and cast down in ruin upon the hearts of unbelieving men.

For far too many, Jesus is simply a figure from the pages of their colouring books in Sunday school, a tolerant being who turns a blind eye to sin, and a best friend—but not their Lord. For far too long, men have been shopped a watered-down, truncated, man-exalting god, which is beautiful in their eyes, because they love their sin and this god they have created is wrought solely of the fruit of their heart.

And as a direct consequence, many of those who sit within the pews of America’s churches, know next to nothing of who God is, and who they are, in light of God’s character.

If we, as Americans, are to return in faithful obedience to the God of our forefathers, there must either be a complete reformation of evangelical doctrine, or widespread persecution of the Christian faith.

It’s time to get our boots on the ground. The Saints cry out for a holy revival. Around the globe, God-fearing men and women must rise up in defiance of the current world system, and proclaim Christ and Christ alone to the nations. They must not seek the favour of fallen, idolatrous men, but rather that the name of Jesus Christ and Him crucified might be heard throughout all the world and earth and sky and heavens.

Yea, they must seek to know Him in all His aspects; for only then can they come to a right and proper estimation of themselves, and thus come to full understanding of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is ultimately all about; for one cannot even begin to comprehend the problem of man, and the need for a Gospel if such a person has not first been enlightened as to God’s attributes and character.

You Must Know Who God Is

With this at the forefront of all our thought, who then is God? He is the God, whose “eyes are too pure to approve evil,” indeed, the One who “cannot look on wickedness with favour.” (Has. 1:13) There is none like Him in all the world, and He is “majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders.” (Exodus 15:11)

In the very beginning, Scripture clearly attributes the creation of earth and heaven to God alone. (Genesis 1:1) According to John 1:3, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

Moreover, not only has God wrought everything in accordance with His own perfect will and, therefore, owns all as is His due right (Ps. 24:1), but He is perfect, just, and holy. John the Apostle explicitly tells us that “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

One of Christ’s singular decrees was the summation of the Ten Commandments given to Moses in the Book of Exodus, wherein He called all men to be perfect as God Himself is perfect (Matthew 5:48). In short summary, the standard is absolute perfection, which is rendered through complete obedience to the Law. Indeed, as Paul reminds us, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law to do them.” Lawlessness is sin (1 John 3:4), and “whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

Being Himself perfect, and holy, and righteous, and just, God is “a righteous judge and a God who has indignation every day.” (Ps. 7:11) He hates all workers of iniquity and “abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit,” (Ps. 5:5,6) and therefore, as the singular epitome of all that is good in this world, He must judge evil.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne,” sings the Psalmist (Ps. 89:14), and “…He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17.31) This man, of course, is Jesus Christ, and “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

This Is Our Great God

This, then, is God. He is holy, righteous, perfect, angry with the wicked every day, and the just Judge of the universe. The fact that God is love (1 John 4:8), gracious and compassionate (2 Chronicles 30:9), slow to anger (Joel 2:13), and merciful (Luke 6:36) does not at all nullify and or invalidate these other attributes. Furthermore, if this is a God you cannot be moved to accept and to love, then your god is not the God of the Bible, and your worship is the worship of a graven image, no different than the Golden Calf.

“A god who is all love, all grace, all mercy, no sovereignty, no justice, no holiness, and no wrath,” affirms the late R.C. Sproul, “is an idol.”

If your God is such a god, you do not know God, you do not love God, and you are not a Christian. If you do not know God, you cannot know the severity of your state and who you truly are in the eyes of God. If you do not love God, you can only love yourself. And if you are not a Christian, then the only thing that awaits you is the fierce wrath of almighty God, fully manifested in the inescapable doom of eternal torment within the lake of fire.

Having laid the whole matter before you as revealed within the written Word, I must be permitted to challenge you this: search out the Scriptures to rightly know this God you say you love. Diligently study His Word and meditate upon its inexhaustible truths through unceasing prayer. Leave no stone unturned!

For, indeed, there are many who will readily pronounce their devotion to Jesus; but upon showing them the Christ of the Bible through close and careful examination of the Scriptures, such people will quickly turn about and say something along the lines of, “That’s not the Jesus I know,” or “Such a God I could not ever love!”

Why is that? Because they have created an image in their hearts, wrought to sate their own sinful desires and lusts, and they’ve cherrypicked a few attributes from the true Christ, twisted them, and put the name of Jesus to it.

But lest anyone be deceived, rest assured: that is not the risen Saviour. The principles and truths laid out to us in Scripture make this irrefutably clear. You cannot separate God from His attributes, no matter how uncomfortable or self-conscious they make you feel. It is impossible to be a Follower of Christ and say “God is love,” but then refuse to believe God is jealous, or wrathful, or holy. If God is not jealous, or wrathful, or holy, then He cannot be God, and the Saviour’s sacrifice is rendered a vain thing. And if He is not God, and Christ died needlessly, then your faith if founded upon sand and wholly without worth.

In the same vein, missionary Paul David Washer expounds upon these unfailing truths with this famous saying: “When I preach in universities, they're always quick to point out, ‘No, God cannot hate because God is love.’ And I tell you God must hate because God is love. You see, I love children, therefore, I hate abortion. If I love that which is holy, I must hate that which is unholy. God is a holy God. That's something that the Americans have forgotten. Many of the things you love to do, God hates.”

It is a true statement, that God, possessing as He does, the attributes of love and hate, compassion and anger, mercy and holiness, cannot possibly make for a living contradiction. Rather, if anything, men are the foremost contradictors: the hypocrites who speak of love and give consideration only to the self, those who achieve in the providence of God some miraculous feat but instead exalt themselves, they who condemn instances of evil, but inwardly blaspheme and lust and spew and disparage every hour and minute of the day.

Contradiction, you say? Be silent, and speak no more with authority, unless what you have to say be founded upon the unshakable Scriptures! God is God and He is good; those who dare to trample and trespass upon the divine and immutable attributes of the Chief Sustainer of all life, remove themselves to the arrogance of the self-righteous hypocrite, and that, Dear Sir, is the height of foolishness.

But as for God, holy and just, these distinctions, perfect in nature and essence, magnify and extol their beloved brethren to unattainable heights. Know Him and love Him, or condemn yourself to His everlasting wrath!

This is God. And this is His world. Everything in it is for His glory.

The Seeds of Revival

Revival starts in the everyday. It starts in the home and the local Church. It starts with a return to Biblical principles and sound doctrine. And yet, in the most ultimate sense, such a reformation can only ever be achieved through the steadfast preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “If we want revivals,” rightly proclaimed Spurgeon, that famous minister, “we must revive our reverence for the Word of God.”

We must revive it, indeed. We must return swiftly to the essentials, to the very basics, as it were, the fundamentals of the faith, and establish them firmly, again and again, within the congregated assemblies—not because men are incapable of comprehending anything beyond that, but because so very many have forgotten, or have never once had the rudimentary elements down in the first place!

And furthermore, it ought also to be remembered that the truest revival is not a singular event in which some extra-biblical manifestation occurs, but hearts bent in utter servitude and submission to the truths of Scripture: hearts, yea, hearts overwrought by the deficiencies of self; hearts that cannot hear enough of Calvary without being moved to worship God with the greatest fear and esteem; hearts that seek after God, His Kingdom, and His righteousness—desiring above all else the knowledge of Him and what He has commanded.

It’s time to get our boots on the ground and let the Light of Christ shine unhindered in the ravaging dark. Stand now, you who are called of God! Our task is at hand; the race is set before us; let the glories of the Gospel be preached, and may the truths of Scripture once again sound loudly within the streets like of old, so as to meet the lies of a godless culture in glorious array!

Intended to be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages, The Mighty Shall Rise is currently awaiting final revisions, before eventual submission to a major publishing house.

The following is an excerpt from "The Mighty Shall Rise" by ,Matthew Roland . It follows young Endurian Stonehelm who forges an alliance with the legendary warrior, Tyrelion Ivronwine, to retrieve the lost Sceptre of Nórn from the White Tower in a move that will have long-ranging consequences for all of Pergelion. Drawn into these events is the usurper, Ir-Murazôr, whose mere presence promises a long-awaited end to Endurian’s desperate search for answers. But the tormented Endurian is fighting a losing battle against a lifetime of guilt and terror, and his inevitable confrontation with Murazôr spells disaster of the worst kind.

A COLD WIND WHISPERED AND STREAMED through the still morning, softly brushing back the edges of the hood that was drawn close over the face of Eldaros Orgrim. A rocky ridge that guarded the mountain halls to his left stuck out of the mountainside like a row of bristling bruises, and not far beyond it rose a defiant stone arch that stood tall among the ruin surrounding it.

The arch framed a doorway into the mountain, wherein existed a motley collection of dilapidated halls that had for some time now, served to refuge a solitary group of Eragothian refugees. But now, the iron gates that had formerly barred that archway were twisted and broken: a crumbled ruin of melted steel and crushed iron ore.

Cloak flapping in the slight breeze whistling overhead, he made his way down a ridge and onto the field of battle, now long over. The keening of grieving mothers and spouses rent the still, dead air, as they bent over the bodies of their slain kinsmen.

Night had long since fallen when the last of their enemy had been vanquished and driven back into the hills. But there was no glory in that victory, for both forces, both Eragothian and Kursed had been nearly utterly destroyed, and the dead were beyond number or chance of reckoning. As he passed deeper into the places where the battle had raged the fiercest, Eldaros could not help but be overwhelmed at the sight of loss and despair that fraught everything about him.

But that, in truth, was why he was here. Eldaros had not taken part in the battle and had arrived but a little while before, striding the fields in search of someone he continued to hope beyond hope was still alive. When an hour of oppressive, fruitless searching brought nothing to light, he turned and made his way to the mountain halls and so passed under the archway and into the chamber within.

A wealth of bodies lay strewn about the grey stone, a literal sea of the dead. Stepping carefully forward, Eldaros made his way through the room, eyes searching for any sign of life.

“Heavens above,” he whispered, unable to help himself. “What happened here?”

“Murazôr,” said a voice, loud and clear. “Murazôr happened, that’s what.”

Young and brawny with a will nearly as strong as that of his late father, Urathane Ivronwine stepped over one of the slain upon the stone floor.

“Urathane?” said Eldaros. “Urathane Ivronwine?”

The younger man nodded, coming to a stop beside one of the bodies. “Aye. I am he. It has been a long time, Lord Eldaros.”

“Indeed, it has.”

Urathane bent low and turned the body over, eyes grim, almost dour. For a short moment, he stared at the face as of a close comrade, saying nothing. Then, he reached into his trouser-pocket, pulled out a small, ornate knife, and placed it into the open hand of the corpse, closing the fingers about it at the breast.

“May you rest in peace, brother,” he whispered softly. With a small sigh, he stood to his feet.

“A friend of yours?” asked Eldaros.

Urathane’s eyes were hard. “Aye.”

“I’m sorry.”

“He’s not the only one.”

Urathane strode past him to look at another body. Several more refugees trailed behind him, some limping, hair matted in various fashions, and hands clutching an odd assortment of weapons.

“We are the last ones, us seven,” said Urathane, still not looking to Eldaros. He knelt over the body of yet another numbered amongst the many fallen. “They came out of nowhere, the Hosts of Hell themselves. We sent the weak away to safety: the women…the children…the old and lame…

“We who could fight stayed behind so that the others might stand a chance of escape. Us few, we are all that are left.” For the first time, Urathane’s mask fell, betraying his utter weariness. “We have fallen far from renown. It deeply grieves me to see how our people have been reduced to so mean a state in so little a time. Once...once, our reign was glorious. Once, we were reckoned mighty in the eyes of lesser men. But now...now we are nothing.”

“So it would seem.”

Urathane raised an eyebrow. “You think otherwise?”

For a time, Eldaros did not reply, choosing instead to look out past the wrecked gates and into the sunlit lands beyond. At length, he spoke. “The very fact that Murazôr continues to harry us so, tells me that we are something. Still, it seems, even after so many winters, does he consider us a threat to his overriding ambition.”

“More of a nuisance, really.”

“No, Urathane, a threat.” He laughed quietly to himself. “For all he does, Murazôr can never wholly extinguish that strain of blood inherited from our forefathers unless he were to slaughter us all—to the very last Eragothian. He may say otherwise, but deep within the twisted confines of his mind, Murazôr fears us. As well he should; for to underestimate the tenacity of those imbrued with Eldamár’s bloodline is to act in folly. And it is this one thing which gives me hope, small though that may be.”

“He is close then, very close. If the Dark King is not thwarted, the flame of our house will be extinguished: a mere memory of what once was, and a story parents tell their children to warn them of the dangers of arrogance. The arrogance that men can rise above the trials of this world and stand, weak as we are, in defiance of an overwhelming darkness.”

“Yes,” Eldaros said softly. “Yes, he is close.”

“Why then are we destitute?” cried the other man. “Why are so many of our kin content to linger in the shadows, so afraid to stand: afraid to do what is right and true in spite of the consequence, whatever that may be? Why are so few of us disinclined to stand aside and accede to a law laid upon us all to our detriment?” Urathane looked away, features contorted with anger and despair.

Eldaros breathed a soft sigh and turned from the view to face Urathane. “Yes, the question of our time. Hear me well, Urathane, for I too, have shared in your disheartenment. Why do our kindred stand aside and let be, you ask? Because we are without a home.”

Urathane frowned, seeming taken aback by Eldaros’s declaration. “A home? This is…was our home.”

“Nay, it is not so! This, home? This is not your home. It never was. Home, I think, is an expression of who we are. It is a comforting agent, the chief emissary betokening our very identity as a people. And when one is rendered void of their identity by fate's guiding hand, such a person can only live his or her life without any true sense of purpose.

“We are divided, Urathane: leaderless, and bereft of all sustainable spirit. Like chaff before the winds of the world, we have been scattered far and wide: a people without peace or security to avail us of our many enemies, who would prey upon us like wolves among sheep. But I would not have us live out our lives like this, bereft of home and hearth, and raped of our will to strive for better days! Let that not ever be! I would see us under one banner, restored to our rightful place in this world, as we were of old.”

“Noble words and you almost give me reason to hope. But this vision you speak of can never be. That hope was wrested from us long ago, and I do not think it shall be ever recovered in all our waking days.”

“And with such words, you lend credence to the actions of the very one whom you lamented only a little while ago.” Eldaros shook his head and took a step forward, eyes forcing Urathane to acknowledge the truth of his words. “Have you ever once supposed that this might be precisely what Murazôr wishes you to believe?”

Urathane’s eyes dropped, troubled.

“He fears us, as well he should. So he cudgels our people with sword and spear, slaughters the strong amongst us, using our very despair as a hutch to trammel our assurance, a ploy wrought to utterly divest us of what hopes and dreams we may have once harboured: all with the intent of telling us there is no hope.” He was quiet for a time, allowing his words to take their intended effect on Urathane, then began again. “No one is saying that attempting something akin to what I am now proposing will be amenable to our spirits. Far from it! Do not let me deceive you, unwittingly, for there will assuredly be pain. There will be bitter heartbreak. And yes, there will also be death; the lives of those friends and loved ones yet remaining to us will never hang so precipitously in the balance. But more will die if we suffer the Dark King to exercise his uttermost desire without fear of consequence. Remember it well, Urathane, that all great things start out small in the beginning. Yet, in the end, it is the little things that will shape the fullness of time.

“Your kinsman, Lord Tyrelion, sent me thither to find you, and if I might, enlist your services for our common aim. He bade me tell you that our exile is over and that at long last, the time for retribution and recompense is come. And even now, Tyrelion makes his move, drawing others such as yourself to his side for one, last stand against the Dark King. The summons has been sent; the time is now come to right those wrongs performed against our houses, and we will have our revenge.

“Will you, Urathane Ivronwine, wilfully ally with us in this endeavour? Will you be united with our selfsame vision to reclaim our homeland of old from those who would durst lay claim to it? Will you disavow your former life of errancy to wrest back control of that which is ours by right, and thus free our people from the same bondage and despair which has held you captive, until such a time as this?” In token of his plea, Eldaros held out his hand to the stooping Urathane.

“Can you promise me that you have a plan? That we stand even a small chance of attaining to such heights? That this is more than an ill-wrought quest for glory? It would be beyond cruel to offer hope to the despondent, only to snatch it away at the very last moment.”

“I can, and I will. This, I promise you, Urathane Ivronwine. We have a plan, a purpose, and the will to see it through to the very end and mark my words—we will see it through no matter the cost.”

At that moment, a savage snarl issued through the room. Beyond them, at the far end of the hall, a Kursed appeared, bleeding and dragging a shattered leg behind it.

Urathane whirled about on his knees, knife in hand, and hurled it at the creature, dropping it to the ground dead. Then, without skipping a beat, he accepted Eldaros’s outstretched hand, a determined look on his face.

“Well then, let’s see this through.”

“You know what to do,” said Eldaros, already striding away. “Gather our people, marshal what forces you can find that yet remain, and prepare.”

“Prepare for what?”

“For war,” Eldaros answered. “For this, most assuredly, is a war.”

There are many challenges one must face on the road to authorship, and there are subsequently too few persons who are well-equipped with the necessary means to overcome them when the occasion arises. 

In the course of the past several years, wherein I have worked hard to instil myself with as much as I can regarding everything from storycraft to various prose techniques, I have come to the understanding that every single one of these challenges can be encapsulated within three, monumental hurdles.

In this discourse, I would like to give a brief rundown of the first of these––and in service of those reading, provide three methods by which such an aspiring author might emerge triumphant in the trouncing of this thorny trial.

Let us commence here and now.

The First: And Of What That Consists
The first is, well, the ,first draft.

A common statistic that is often quoted in the writing community concerns the singular truth that around eighty-percent of all mankind have considered or at the very least given thought to the notion of setting a story (or any nonfiction work) down in writing at least once within their lifetimes.

As I’m sure you’re well aware, the amount of people who actually go out of their way to enact such measures as would lead them to a fulfilment of this ambition is, of course, exceedingly small.

It should be noted that, when set against everything else that must naturally proceed forth from such an entity, the first draft is not the most critical hurdle––not in the slightest.

But it is, without a doubt, the obstacle most responsible for derailing the careers of countless would-be-storytellers.

1. Write Wretched Work

What you must first understand, above all other things, is that first drafts are called first drafts for a reason––meaning, they’re directly and purposefully intended to be followed up.

If you manage to write even a slightly intelligent, full-length novel that will draw its readers into a rigorous and emotional experience, and simultaneously provide high catharsis at the denouement, you will be heartily acclaimed from within every corner of the writing-sphere, and I will personally congratulate you upon your success.

However, the truth is, the vast––and I mean vast––majority of professional authors would rather reduce their manuscript, over-which they’ve poured innumerable hours, sweat, and tears, into little grey ashes, than suffer their initial draft to see the light of day before said story has reached its final stages.

The most important thing for any and every aspiring author to grasp in completing their first draft is to set aside the inner editor that screams heinously at you every time you write something substandard.

Allow yourself for this present time accorded to you, to write badly, so that you might write pleasingly. Read the published first drafts of famous authors you admire, so that you can wrestle the inner critic into submission.

Get it written now, get it right later.

2. Dismantle Denigrating Distractions

Distractions of any nature can prove to be a massive deterrent for many authors, whatsoever his or her ‘rank’ might be.

Many people struggle to balance their everyday occupation with finding the hours required to plug away at a white screen in the wee hours of the night. Others find themselves harried by the taxing weight of some emotional or mental trial, addiction to the internet/social media, or even the sustained clamour of irritating whippersnappers who refuse to put a lid on their little traps.

My only advice for balancing multiple activities is to persist, set aside what time you might otherwise spend watching TV or scouring your social media feeds, or pull an extreme and find a new job.

On the other hand...If your desire impels you to such ends, you could consider quitting your job, selling all your earthly possessions save for your computer only, in exchange for consenting to make your dwelling beneath the underside of a bridge, while you write your way to stardom and beyond.

Of course, another (and likely more agreeable) option would be to simply begin writing at a young age, so that the habit is built-in and time-tested for times such as these.

My advice on the distraction of the internet or various social medias is to either 1) possess a powerful sense of self-control, wherein you are grown accustomed to denying yourself and handing out flat no’s with impunity that would make a polar bear blush, 2) remove all temptations from the immediate premises, by either physical means, cutting the internet cable, or 3) do away with everything and settle yourself in the untamed wilds of the Arctic.

In regards to emotional turmoil, I would actually offer up the (unanticipated?) opinion that the former is perhaps the most invaluable mindset a writer of words can possess, in that writing is a highly recommended avenue for the channelling of tribulation. Not only can adapting your thoughts and fears into the lives of your characters be intensely relieving to the mind and soul, but it can also give you the means and material to tell a very compelling story.

This is something to which I can safely testify.

As for the latter––that of the pandemonium that habitually ensues with the existence of vociferous (and might I add, quite insistent) pipsqueaks within the general vicinity––I have this only to say: do please perform either of the following: 

1) Stumble across some method, cure, or remedy that solves this hitherto untreatable demonstration––or in the likelihood that you fail to do so…

2) Shut yourself within your chambers, plug in a pair of headphones, and as the British would direct us: crack on.

3. Acquiring a Vision

Out of all of the hindrances I have faced in getting a first draft written, the struggle for a vision that satisfactorily meets my ambition at every level, has, perhaps, been the most challenging to overcome.

As I have already expressed both this sentiment and the means by which I have endeavoured to vanquish it elsewhere, I would like to include a brief excerpt from my contribution to Kingdom Pen’s inaugural article on writer’s block, which you can read here:

“I am by nature, a very vision-oriented author, and I consistently require a goal or clear idea of what I wish to accomplish in a [particular] scene or chapter.

“I can indeed settle back every here and there and ‘not think’ and ‘just write,’ but when you’re writing a story with very specific intentions in mind, that becomes almost impossible (for myself, at least).

“There must be grounds. There must be justification. There must be purpose.

“It’s akin to playing a piece of music while trying to make up the tune as you go along. It can be done, but it requires a great deal of work later on—work that could very well be done away with. Once, however, you’ve brought to life a definitive melody, then you can focus all your efforts on performing that piece to the very best of your ability.

“That said, here are several methods I have learned to apply whenever the words refuse to come:

“1) The medium of music: I myself much prefer film scores to anything else (ranging from the estimable Howard Shore to Hans Zimmer and so forth), and such music can be [hugely] beneficial in separating yourself from the distractions and intrusions of everyday life, and better focus your attentions on what you wish to accomplish.

“2) Reading great literature: As much as music aids and abets, some things can only ever be set right by reading. The reading of famous authors and writers, as I have found, can prove to be a profound source of inspiration or act as a catalyst to ‘get the words flowing.’

“Usually, a brief digression into the worlds of Tolkien or Austen or other such persons can provide me with all the motivation I ever needed to spur me on as never before.”

To those who might be given reason to doubt me as to the veracity of my claims, I heartily recommend Christopher Tolkien’s twelve-volume History of Middle-earth series, wherein you will find virtually every draft ever written of Professor Tolkien’s Middle-earth sagas, along with a profoundly insightful commentary provided by the son. 

These volumes, while perhaps somewhat tedious or repetitious for the general reader, have had a profound impact on not only my prose style, and subsequent appreciation for the lost archaisms of the past century, but my entire approach to storytelling.

As a small addendum, I might also suggest reading through his published missives, as seen in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Humphrey Carpenter, and published in 1981.

Both selections dispense an abundance of worthwhile and extremely beneficial information for those seeking to grow in their craft, and are, in my opinion, quite pleasurable if you’re the sort of person who takes an interest in roots and beginnings.

Moreover, not only are you given the rare opportunity to look within the mind of a literary genius (and thus see how one might escape conventional story trappings, in addition to adding a deeper and richer dimension to your vocabulary), but you will also see that the great Professor was in the end, a simple, ordinary Englishman with cares, concerns, and struggles of his own.

Famous Last Words
Where many people fall short is in regarding the first draft as the end, not the means. The common circumstance is when they either 1) send it in to a literary agent/editor, wrongly assuming that the other party will “fix” the novel up in the editing, and suffer immediate rejection, or 2) (perhaps worse) self-publish as is, and get quickly passed over and trodden under in the vast deluge of mediocre novels that pollute the online publishing sector.

However, the first draft is utterly and unquestionably essential for those who wish to make a profession of writing, and if you chance to finish it, you’ll be leagues ahead of your competition.

Just get the dadgum thing written.

[the above was taken from Matthew's post on KingdomPen.org , which was originally published on August 10, 2020]