Larry Moretz Passed Today

This is a very sad day for me. This man was someone who always respected me, even when I was not respectable. He wasn't always easy to work with, but he never failed to give me time and love, especially when I was down, the only top leader to overtly do that. 

He was in my corner, allowed me to write for Priority!, treated me like a brother and never stopped believing in me. I was able to get a "love note" to him through Nancy last week, which made me feel good.

He was creative, a head strong Dutchman (like me), and able to put up a good fight when I didn't like what he did. I fought him for several days about going to Minnesota, but when I got there and saw how amazing it was, I was able to put my head on his shoulder at the Divisional Program Review and playfully say, "Thank you for sending us here!". He smiled, knowing our long battle was over. We spent several days on a mini vacation in northern Minnesota where we went to antique shops, art stores and many restaurants. While there I managed to get a free birthday dessert for myself every night about a week. He just shook his head with disbelief each time, but he laughed as well. 

Had he remained our boss,  our lives would have taken a dramatically different course, but, that's all past. Redemption and restoration mattered to him, for me, and for the world. He loved the song "Rescue The Perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grace. Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save". Then his and my favorite words: "Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore; touched by a loving hand, wakened by kindness, CORDS THAT WERE BROKEN WILL VIBRATE ONCE MORE". Those words mattered to him.  

If ever people lived out of their  values, as seen in this song, it's Larry Moretz and Nancy. 

Thank you for indulging me for a few minutes. I don't do funerals any more, but this one will have my whole heart.  Love to Nancy and the family.

Larry Moretz will always be revered in this home. 

It hurts today, however. It hurts allot. 

Book Series Review: The Jesus Chronicles - LeHay and Jenkins

Jerry Jenkins and Tim LeHay, the writers of the popular Left Behind Series, produced another series of four books to their stable of Biblical novels. They're called The Jesus Chronicles. They created a short novel for each of the Gospels, depicting possible scenarios that could have led to the writing of each book.

I have completed the series and, as my dad used to counsel me, eat the meat and spit out the bones. Generally speaking the books all presented interesting scenarios that were plausible, if not historical. At times the plots were less than compelling, especially in John's story, but in each case I learned things about the context of the process, which produced the books.

Some things I learned:

While banished on Patmos, John was subjected to extremely hard work in the marble quarries. At his advanced age, his survival was nothing short of miraculous. His survival of the Emperor Domitian's extreme cruelty was balanced by the clemency and enlightened reforms of Nerva allowing John to recover, see his revelation produced and die in bed. He was the only apostle to die a normal death.

Matthew was a tax collector who probably gave up more than anyone to follow Christ. His official capacity allowed him to work a territory at will, as long as he paid Rome their contracted amount. He would have to have been schooled in all matters of commerce, the Hebrew religion, languages, trade, mathematics and cultural diversities to succeed. Following Jesus cost him, but he had to be a great asset to The Lord.

Luke was a physician, schooled for years in medicine with a heart for people - since physicians were not necessarily wealthy.  The most likely scenario  regarding his faith story was the he learns about Jesus from Paul, his friend and spiritual mentor. Since neither Paul nor Luke ever knew the man Jesus, their collaborative efforts were
required to write the Gospel. The writers suggest that Luke spent valuable time with Jesus' mother, Mary, before she died. That would explain detail of the birth narratives found in his record. He was not an apostle, but was an influential voice in the generation following Jesus death. It makes perfect sense that he wrote Acts as Paul's scribe.

Mark was a boy who spent a good deal time with Peter, his big brother and spiritual mentor. To read anything he says comes from his exposure to the apostles and Jesus, not as an apostle, but as one of the many who followed Jesus, almost exclusively in Jerusalem. I suspect he wrote everything for Peter since it took a significant education to write and fishermen probably did not get that kind of education.

These snippets are far from profound, but they help me understand the context of the gospels. Each book contains the actual gospel record in the back of the book. I

My grades:

John C
Luke A
Matthew A
Mark A

The books are elementary in nature, but that may be why they have some good value for seekers of truth to read them. I bought them all on Amazon for very little money.