The Christmas Star by Robert Tate Miller

The Christmas Star by Robert Tate Miller

Paul Bennett had the perfect wife, the perfect family, the perfect life—until one fateful Christmas brought an unthinkable tragedy. In deep despair, he turns to drinking to drive away the pain, but he only succeeds in driving away his wife. His marriage shattered, his family gone, Paul now despises Christmas.

But can the holiday he so detests hold a miraculous surprise? After an accident in which he loses consciousness, he wakes up in the company of the shepherds who will soon travel to Bethlehem to see the newborn Christ in the manger. Can Paul find salvation on the night that forever changed the world? Can he discover the true spirit of Christmas?

The Guru's Review: 

I "bought" this novel as a free download earlier this week from Amazon. I love reading Christmas novels during December to encourage myself of the importance and meaning of this season. Despite this being subtitled as a love story and I am not attracted to romance novels with this being the main story arc, I was drawn to this novel by the travel back in time to period of Jesus' birth and the encounter the main character had with the shepherds who visited Him. I love time travel as a story arc and especially ones that have the time travel destination as that of Jesus time.

I could not put this novel down. I really enjoyed the romance of the first half. It was not sugary sweet or mushy. I appreciated it being told from Paul's point of view. This definitely helped me relate to the romance side of it. I enjoy romance when it is not a major theme of the novel and when written by a male author. In this novel, it made no difference being a major story arc. I actually loved it.

Miller writes very well and it is this that contributes to the flow of the story, the character development and the expectation of what is to happen next. For me, this is a great drawcard.

When an author writes the main character in the first person narrative, it is essential that it comes across to the reader as if this character is narrating the story. Not only that, but the character has to be credible and relatable. If not, this character is not convincing and the reader feels disconnected and cannot relate to them. Miller avoids this pitfall and writes in this narrative exceptionally well. I felt like I was in Paul's head. I experienced the emotions he did. I could relate to all these. Especially his grief when he lost Megan, his daughter. I know what that is like despite the fact that my loss was a baby and the circumstances did not lead me to consider that I had contributed to this loss. But I definitely felt for Paul. I wanted to come alongside him and help him through his grief. I wanted to convince him, show him that it was not his fault, and his guilt is misplaced, despite this being a normal reaction. I wanted to show him that his spiralling into alcohol abuse was not the way to handle it, and he was giving up. But I can see why Miller developed it like this, to show the reality of man's reaction to adversity, in this case, the death of a loved one and how this can either confirm their existing unbelief in God or show how an existing relationship could falter and almost lead to unbelief.

I remember when we lost our baby daughter how hard it was to get back to God. I never blamed God but it nevertheless made it hard for me to re-establish my relationship with Him. I can fully understand Paul's reaction to blaming God for not preventing Megan's death and how this easily disconnected Paul from Him. I feel that men's handling of grief is very different to women's and that men may feel it just as deeply as women but their reaction is directly connected to how God has "wired" them. Like Paul, his tears fell when he encountered Jesus at the manger, mine was with my wife, Pastor, specific family and friends, but on a very personal level, the majority of them were on my own while praying to God during the many weeks and months following her death. And it was here that God healed and restored me. It was why I cried when Paul did the same when he came face to face with Jesus. I leapt for joy when he accepted Jesus' love, salvation and when he declared he was redeemed. This nativity scene is very powerful and it would not surprise me if God uses this to minister to both men and women in their despair from life's adversity.

Miller developed this scene so realistically that I do not have any doubt that the Spirit was behind this nativity scene. I applaud authors like Miller when they allow the Spirit to guide them in their writing to minister to the reader's needs on whatever level they are. I have stated in the Why Christian Fiction? tab on this blog that God can use authors and their craft in Christian fiction to not just entertain, but educate, edify the reader's spirit, show them more of God and His ways and lead them into a deeper relationship with Him. This is not the first novel, where I have been ministered to through the author's obedience to the Spirit and in what the Spirit has directed the author to develop in their story arc.

I know that romance is predominantly targeted at the female audience, Christian and non-Chrisitan alike but can romance have a place in men's reading lives as well? I believe so and this novel is one example where it can show men what Christian marriage should be and how God can heal/restore a fractured married relationship and give their love a second chance. Interesting how this second chance is not really a second chance. If He restores their relationship, then they will stronger, better and bigger in their relationship/romance towards each other and in Him. This has been my experience from losing a loved one. It brought my wife and I closer together and, like Paul, I will see our daughter again. I cried, even more, when Paul met Megan at the nativity scene as it gave me a glimpse of what our reunion is going to be like in Heaven. 

I loved the story arc that involved Paul being transported into the lives of the shepherds that had the encounter with the angel announcing the birth of Jesus. The feelings between Elisabeth and Paul was instrumental in preparing him for the healing of his relationship between his wife and God. Again, Miller does this very well and is very clever in its orchestration.

For many of the world's population, Christmas can be a time devoid of joy, family, love, and what Christmas means. Miller shows in this novel, what Christmas is all about, the birth of Jesus, what this means, who He is and the power of His very presence from who Him being God. I pray that God uses this novel to heal and minister to any reader who needs to experience the message of this novel and of the Gospel of Christ.

There are times when I come across a novel that I know God wants me to read. This is another one of those novels. I rejoice in this novel where it has given me another opportunity to be ministered to by an engaging and therapeutic story that is fully guided by the Spirit of God.

I will definitely be reading Miller's other novels. He has been added to my list of male romance authors.

I highly recommend this novel. 

World Building 5/5

Characterisation 5/5

Story 5/5

Spiritual Level 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level N/A 

Overall Rating 5/5 Stars 

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Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet,

A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland, and that The Christmas Star contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Fiction outlined in this booklet, I award Robert Tate Miller with

The Reality Calling Redemptive Fiction Award

Congratulations Robert!

If you would like to read an excerpt or buy this novel, click on the BUY/PREVIEW icons on the image below: 

My Year in Books 2017 via Goodreads

This post is to say a huge THANK YOU to the Christian authors whose books I have read this year.

You have enriched my spiritual life, my knowledge of the Bible and how to live in a closer relationship with God and living out His Word. I have not only been entertained but have been spiritually uplifted, challenged and even confronted with issues that God needed to bring to my attention.

Never let it be said that God cannot use Christian fiction in all its genres and its authors to minister to reader's needs outside of the entertainment value while reinforcing in the author that they are writing for Him and not just because they have the talent to do so.

It has been my honour and pleasure to read, review, interview, spotlight, promote, blog tour and have you as a guest on my blog.

So Christian authors, find your book(s) below and give yourself a moment to be proud of your achievement and give God the glory for all He has achieved with the talent, creativity, inspiration that He has given you. I appreciate all of you and look forward to supporting you all again as you release new books and where my review schedule and life enable me to do so.

Guest blogger: Justin Coogle and his debut novel, Kingdom Come

Today, I have a guest blogger, Justin Coogle. He has just released his debut novel, Kingdom Come. I came across Justin in a Goodreads group where he was talking about this novel and his thoughts on the status of Christian Speculative fiction today. I liked what I read and of his novel so I offered to investigate this more by offering him a guest post here for this purpose.  I trust you will find what Justin has to say about his novel intriguing as the world building is impressive. It was this that has piqued my interest in this novel. Released today, this novel is now in my Kindle.

So sit back and let Justin take you on a tour of his novel and the worldbuilding and his thoughts on Christian speculative fiction.

But first, a little about Justin and his journey to being a published novelist: 

I was born in Texarkana, Texas, to an army man and his Korean wife. Most of my childhood was spent between two military bases, Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley. I went to the University of Kansas for undergrad and am currently in my 3rd year at the University of Kansas Medical Center to eventually become a doctor in the Pediatric field. 

My testimony is evidence that God is a very personal God. My story wasn’t like a lot of my friends. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, my parents had a very broken marriage, and I suffered from bullying and terrible self-image. It wasn’t until I met my best friend in middle school — who showed me Jesus through our many schoolyard conversations — did I come to begin God’s path for me. Since then I’ve fervently sought the Lord’s will in all aspects of my life. 

Interesting tidbits of myself:

I’m currently a 3rd-year Medical Student hoping to become a Pediatric Neurologist, Pediatric Emergency, General Pediatrician, or OB/GYN.

I almost went professional in E-sports, particularly League of Legends.

I love horror movies and haunted locations. I’ve taken a few trips to “haunted” locales just to see the sights.

I was a huge fan of anime and my book is influenced stylistically from that.

I currently teach the preschool Sunday school at my church. 

Now let's look at Kingdom Come. Released on December 13th, 2017 on Amazon in Kindle format and December 15, 2017 for printed format:

It has been 5 years since Pope Quintus replaced the late Pope and shook the world by forming the DH, Vatican City's new demon hunting division, changing spiritual warfare forever. The Swiss guard has been replaced by three elite warriors, the Trinitarians. Exuberant funds have been funnelled into their weapons division, Section 12. Their new intelligence unit, the Oracles, locate demons with unprecedented accuracy for first strike advantage. All these come together to support the heart and soul of the DH, the very demon hunting teams who hit the ground and take the fight to the enemy. 

But Jason Collins is struggling to find his place on his own team, Team Joshua, let alone be the life force of the DH. He doesn't have the impeccable talent and skill of Maria, the wisdom and faith of Michael, or the courage and cunning of their team leader Rodrick. In his desperate attempts to prove himself worthy of himself and his team, Jason now teeters on the edge of expulsion. But when Team Joshua encounter a pair of witches in a demonic graveyard, Jason discovers a plot set by the ancient demon lord Baal that would change the world order. 

Jason must wrestle with his failure, friends, and faith to save the Church and the world thereafter. 

I asked Justin what his motivation for writing Kingdom Come.

So I first need to preface WHY I wrote the book before I describe WHY I wrote the book. And no, you didn’t read that wrong. But you’ll understand what I mean. 

I was a fervent reader when I was younger and as I grew up became an avid gamer. Some of my favorite novels were the Dragons of Perth, Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, Eragon, Lord of the Rings, etc. I also actively grew up on Star Wars, Warcraft, Starcraft, and many Nintendo games. Through my life, I’d accrued a massive foundation of epic stories to derive my ideas of what an “epic” story looked like. It wasn’t until I was 12 did I know Jesus, and not until college did I begin to actively seek his will as the core identity of my life.

But even as I grew in my faith I noticed a serious dissonance between me and some of my colleagues in my campus ministry or at church. They all were white, suburban, sports-loving Christians who grew up in stable families in stable neighborhoods. None of them shared my story and I soon realized it became exhausting trying to imitate them. I should instead embrace who God made ME to be. For the Lord sought me even when I was his enemy, he stitched me in the womb before creation.

It was halfway through college when I began to just be happy with who I was, and a large part of my character is my eccentric attitude and endless imagination. As I grew in my faith I wanted to see more representation of Christian role models in epic adventures. I love the movies. I love the Marvel films, Transformers, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. If it is big and over-the-top I’m excited to see it. But I became more frustrated at the lack of true Christian characters.

Now we get to novels. I began to seek Christian Fiction but I soon ran into a similar problem I experienced in my ministry. Many stories I read felt plastic. Too often I felt Christian Fiction was dominated by romances or terribly predictable speculative fiction. I’d go so far as to say many of the stories were cheesy and far too corny to read. I felt these novels sacrificed real tension, that truly epic feeling, to showcase the gospel or some other theological theme. This is a good and righteous intention, but that didn’t stop many of the stories being unreadable for my personal tastes.

So I set out to write Kingdom Come. If I couldn’t find my perfect story then I’d have to make it. Kingdom Come is the marriage of my faith in Jesus Christ and my thirst for large, epic stories. It is a novel that is not afraid to paint these characters as human. Their faults and failures are not always lessons, their deaths aren’t always meaningful, and the good guy winning is not always guaranteed. Choosing Christ isn’t easy nor is it a festival. Romans 5:3-5 tells us that suffering builds endurance to eventually point us to God. 1 Peter 5:10 tells us after we suffer a little while we will be made strong. I didn’t want my story to be a fairy tale where God waves his hand at the end, nor did I want it to be a parable where the narrative was simply a tool for a lesson. I wanted a story that reflected the spiritual warfare we face every day: an ebb and flow of facing our depravity but leaning on God (especially when it is hardest) to drag us across the finish line.

Justin describes the Biblical & Christian themes contained in Kingdom Come:

I wrote the novel when I was getting heavy into theology. I was reading lots of C.S Lewis, John Piper, Tony Evans, etc. Although the Gospel is the foundation of our entire faith, I wanted to explore elements of the Christian walk that were more subtle yet eternally important. The key themes of Kingdom Come book 1 are Idolatry, Identity, Friendship, and Solidarity.

I actually have all of these spelt out in deeper detail at the back of my novel in a special “Author’s Notes” section, and some of these involve spoilers, but I’ll loosely touch on these topics.

Idolatry is, in my opinion, the #1 issue the modern American Christian faces because it is so insidious. Long gone are the idols of golden cows. Instead, we idolize beauty, our phones, our talents, and even our pastors or role models! I noticed some of my colleagues were infinitely more passionate about what specific pastor spoke, or what one specific theologian said, or what the Pope said, over Jesus Christ himself. Liking and looking to these other sources is totally fine, but I wanted to remind people that even good things can become walls between you and God. Identity is a little more obvious, but I wanted to simply highlight the importance of having Jesus as a central part of your personality and how that affects you. The other themes are pretty common amongst most epic adventures (Friendship and Solidarity). I highlight friendship as a powerful gift and I highlight solidarity as a worthy characteristic.

Another key theme is demons themselves. Although my novel is an action novel at heart (where plenty of demons are meant for cool set pieces), I made it a prime goal to identify how real demons operate and what is their end goal. A lot of these ideas are derived from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Essentially it highlights that a demon’s ultimate goal is to distract you or have you turn from God. It doesn’t matter how they do that. Whether it's through pain, suffering or even pleasure and happiness. If God is no longer your anchor, the demon has won. These ideas are explored in the novel and are a crucial element of the spiritual warfare we face every day.

Sadly, I really cannot say too much without giving a lot of the story away. The novel truly is meant to be experienced more than lectured. I’d highly value anyone’s thoughts after they read it!

Another key element to the story and this is less a theme and more of a literary decision was to make the characters comfortable in their faith. Many stories will have faith in God, or God’s existence, or whatever other related themes as a central conflict in their plot. Mine has none of that. Being demon hunters, my characters are essentially required to already be solid in their faith. They speak about their faith casually, not because they’re trying to preach to each other, but because it is a large part of their life. I tried to make their faiths very natural parts of their identities and not so much as plot devices. Now, this doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with the next layer of questions like “Why is this happening?” “What is the purpose in this?” “Where do I go from here?”, but it all stems from a foundation of being competent believers.

Another literary decision I chose was to keep this based largely in reality. I know. “Uh, Justin doesn’t your story involve demons…?” Well yes. But being Christian I believe demons are very real. Are real demons quite as…present…as the ones in my novel? Probably not. At least not always, and not to the degree I’ve written. But I wanted to recreate a feeling a Christian feels but superimpose it into a supernatural action novel. When life gets hard, and it is impossible to see through the storm, a battalion of angels doesn’t just show up and wipe a clean slate. And often time, not always (I’m a major believer in miracles), God doesn’t step in on the first sign of trouble to make things right. There is often suffering, questioning, doubting, and struggling. But it's from this that Christ shines brightest, it's through this that the Holy Spirit forges a new Christian infinitely stronger than the shell they were before.

I have a list of scriptural references, themes, and other “behind the scenes” stuff in the back of my book with their own dedicated sections! You’ll get a glimpse into my thought process and motivations and the scriptural references many of the ideas in the book were born from. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. God isn’t just a bunch of verses in the Bible, he is a living, active God. Thus, many of the influences come from how His Word has shaped me personally, but that is a little harder to articulate into writing haha.

Justin has also composed a collection of short stories connected to this novel! 

Just released on Amazon is a collection of short stories featured within the Kingdom Come universe. See below to preview or buy. 

DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories feature the pasts of some side characters, events that couldn’t be detailed in the novel, or just stories within the world I’ve crafted that I felt compelled to tell.

Some stories are meant to evoke strong spiritual responses, others are just funny and goofy.

They will be available for free on my website if you subscribe to my email there! Or you can purchase them in E-book format for $0.99 below or in paperback when released shortly. 

I asked Justin if there was any artwork, graphics or items that make up the Kingdom Come brand. He provided the following: 

DH Logo:

The DH Logo was designed by my friend Benjamin Woods, who is a designer up in Seattle, Washington. He did a lot of research into Vatican symbolism and history to create this logo.

The top part is meant to reflect the design of St. Peter’s Basilica from an eagle’s perspective

The bottom is the two letters DH, which is the name of the organization, short for the Demon Hunters. Simple but pragmatic.

Together they form what appears to resemble a key. Keys were central to Vatican architecture.

Within the top structure is an obvious cross which of course represents the death of Christ and is a central symbol to Christians.

Battle Artwork

This piece was done by Evyn Fong specifically for my novel. It depicts a scene within the book and features one of the main characters, Maria Cassinova.

The artwork, more than anything else, was meant to evoke the atmosphere of the novel. This is an intense novel with epic proportions and serious stakes. I feel she captured that sensation perfectly and I am thrilled at how this art piece turned out. 

The 4 character artwork

This was actually meant to be the original cover. I eventually decided to replace it because it's just simply too busy and is unappealing at initial glance. However, I personally love this art piece as it reflects each of the four main characters in the novel. 

This piece represents Team Joshua, Jason’s (the main character) team. The story primarily follows them.

The artwork reflects each character’s primary weapon (Jason’s cross blades, Maria’s rifle, Rodrick’s swords, and Michael’s Bible). Their roles within the team are better explained in the novel, but I’ll give a brief description of how demon hunting units work in my universe.

Each team is given anywhere between 1-3 hunters and 1 chaplain. The hunters are usually equipped with personalized weapons from Section 12, the R&D department of the DH. The chaplain is responsible for constructing ward arrays, holy barriers derived from scripture, to surround an area so that the demon is locked within a concentrated space. This allows the demon hunters to effectively isolate and eliminate their targets. Chaplains are often vulnerable while maintaining this ward, so there is often someone designated to defend them. 

Justin has provided an excerpt to what is at stake in spiritual warfare:

This is an excerpt from chapter four. It is a conversation between the main character, Jason, and his demon-hunting team’s chaplain, Michael, following a demon hunt in Kansas that shook Jason to his core. The mission was originally meant to be a casual excursion to prove Jason could just follow orders but it turned into a haunting experience where Jason is reminded of what is at stake in this spiritual war.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Start of Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael took a deep breath and set his things in the front seat next to the driver, who looked especially uncomfortable with the serious conversation.

“Jason, you seemed to have forgotten that we are fighting a war, and perhaps this hunt will open your eyes to that.”

“I know th—”

Michael interrupted. “No, I don’t think you do. People die in wars, especially those that don’t deserve it. Not because they were good or bad, but because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlike any other war, this one has been waged since creation. When the first stars fell.”

“But that’s why we’re here. Isn’t it? What’s the point of the DH if we can’t stop this? If not us then who?!”

“I don’t know what delusion of us you had, but I hope this has put things in perspective. You may have fantasized yourself the hero, or maybe even Rodrick or Maria. Well, guess what? None of us are; the hero already came. We aren’t saviors Jason, we’re hunters. Hunters that do what we can, take the war to the frontlines so less people become collateral. Make no mistake we’re way over our heads, not because we fancy ourselves powerful, but because we serve a great God that is infinitely more powerful than we can imagine. You feel the loss of those children? Good. As do I. But that was a minuscule snapshot of an extensive battlefield. What of the others?”

Jason was confused. “What others?”

“Children in this town. Nearby cities. This country. How many more are comfortable with their mothers, their fathers. How many experienced today as the best day of their lives? Even now, billions around the globe are coming to know Christ for the first time or are continuing to explore His riches, His joys, His freedoms.”

Jason hung his head. “I didn’t mean to diminish Jesus’—”

Michael cut him off.

“No, I know you didn’t. But you’re young and passionate and quickly lose sight of the grand scheme of the battlefield. Demons are like weeds, if there is soil then they will return. You can cut them down or shell metal into their skin but they’ll always crawl back. They feed off what is already there. Humans are different. Sin is woven into our flesh. Sinful people aren’t content with simply growing in the soil available, they seek to broaden their fields, increase their bounties, and flourish. Sin is insatiable and ruthless. It is a two-front war. Christ has swiftly dealt with one, and he has graciously given us an opportunity to partake in dealing with the other.”

“How have you done this for five years?”

Michael looked at him with tired eyes. “I wonder that myself. This life isn’t easy. Knowing the truth strips you of a simpler life. Once you recognize sin you invite shame. Once you accept Christ you know grace and forgiveness. When those two meet you know sanctification. And once you face your first demon you know responsibility. When you’re caught up in this war there is no going back.”

“Does it ever get easier?”

Michael smiled. “No, but you grow wiser and closer to who Christ wants you to be. It may be foreign to you now, you’re young, but in time you’ll see. When His words take root in your heart, you could be facing the world and you will prevail. Give it time.”

Jason sat still for a few seconds, digesting those words.

“You don’t suppose there is a fast track to maturing is there?”

Michael laughed. “My friend, if you find one, I’d like to know.”

The laugh was contagious. Soon Jason and Michael were wiping tears from their eyes, all their stress released in that shared moment.

“Thanks, Michael. For this.”

“No thanks are needed.”

Michael reached back into the front seat to grab his books. The driver dropped his shoulders, relieved that the intense conversation had died down. Both demon hunters laid back in their seats looking out at the dark as night had fallen some hours ago. Jason tried to erase any memory of that room, but the dry Kansas scenery did nothing to help distract him.

“Hey, Michael?” Jason asked.

Michael looked up from his book, “Hmm?”

“In the house, I fought Mr Jamison more than the demon itself. He was in a trance-like he was possessed. The creature would cling to the ceiling speaking to him in a voice I couldn’t hear. I’ve read about possessions but I’ve never seen one before. Fighting another person…it just felt wrong, even if they were hell-bent on killing me.”

Michael folded his book.

“No, Jason, that was no possession. That was merely a desperate man who fell prey to his own insecurities. Some men can’t stand the thought of a life with suffering, so much so that they would sacrifice anything for the comfort or peace of mind they desire. I believe Mr Jamison thought in his mind he was protecting his daughter from the child eater. He figured himself a hero, maybe even powerful for taming the creature with the victims he kidnapped. Power has a funny way of revealing the worst in our sin.”

“Why didn’t the demon just hunt the children itself?”

“A good question. It has been curious that throughout history the most powerful agents against God do not act on their own. They work through humans. Even the devil’s first strike against God was deceiving Eve. Powerful demons similarly are cunning and nigh invisible. They know any damage they did pale in comparison to sin. So instead they cultivate it. They take roots in communities and treat people like cattle, their own personal sin farms. For sin is the very thing that separates man from his creator. I have a personal theory that demons are jealous of us, of our unique ability to harbor sin, to incubate it. All it takes is a nudge, a gentle push to let a man consume himself. And history has proven that one sinful man can ruin the world.”

“Demons jealous of us, huh? Kind of a disturbing thought. Do you think he at least could have been part of a cult? Or did he just get wrapped up in this one demon’s business?”

“Now that is quite an idea. I do not have a clear answer to give but I did notice something interesting down in the underground room.”

“And what’s that?”

“An altar.”

“I faintly recall something like that down there. Though I tried not to look because of all the…” Jason shuddered. “I’d rather not mention it.”

“Indeed. It was a gruesome scene. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Jason said while nervously scratching the back of his neck. He’d rather forget the whole mess but his curiosity was piqued. “So…was there anything special about it?”

Michael shuffled through his notes. “It’s difficult to say. All along the edges were inscriptions to a name I hadn’t heard in many years. An old god of the Phoenicians with roots in Egypt and the Levant. By all accounts from the Bible, however, he is simply an ancient demon. Curious, to find Baal worship out here and in this current age.”

“Baal. I’ve read about him. Something about a pillar of fire, right?”

Michael nodded. “Correct. In 1 Kings it tells the story of the prophet Elijah, who confronted the Israelites who turned away from God for this Baal. He challenged Baal’s priests to a test. Both would pray to their gods before a bonfire, and whosever fire was lit had proven themselves a worthy divinity. Of course, the priests of Baal prayed all day to little fruition, but a pillar of flame promptly descended upon Elijah’s. Proving the strength of the one true God.”

“Yeah, I remember now. I can’t recall much else though.”

Michael flipped to the next page. “There are other trace mentions of this demon. In 1 Samuel and Jeremiah for instance, where there is a notable sacrifice of children.”

Jason grimaced. “I just don’t get it. Why? And why here? Of all the demons to turn to.”

“It is odd, I don’t pretend to understand. The Bible gives little screen time to demons in general. Baal is somewhat unique, however, in his repetitive incursions with God’s people. A truly prideful and ambitious demon. Every time the Lord would shut him down he’d always scrawl back up somewhere else, only to be cast down again.”

“Sounds like a real smart dude.”

Michael rubbed his chin. “Demons are funny like that. It doesn’t matter how beaten or battered they are, the most dangerous ones will always come back, with a knock and a smile.” Stuffing away his notebook, Michael retrieved the novel he’d been reading and ran his finger down a page. “This book had a fascinating quote that I think speaks quite keenly of a demon’s nature. If you don’t mind.”

“No, please.”

“A great king rules from within a great castle. But a great demon rules from within a great king. It’s succinct: A demon will do anything to tell you what your sinful nature craves to hear. That you don’t need God or anyone else. That you’re on top, a king. But as we saw with poor Mr Jamison tonight, you just swap chains to a new taskmaster.”

By a ray of passing moonlight, Jason caught the uncanny title of Michael’s book and felt his stomach churn. In large bold cursive was written Man’s Curse across the blue cover with the picture of a naked man being led on a leash by a small imp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can find Justin here: 

Website: Kingdom Come Series (will be up soon, I was going to release it closer to my book release)

Wordpress = (similarly coming when the website and paperback is released)

Facebook

He will also be submitting posts at To Make A Kingdom at tumblr.com

If you have liked what you have read here and want to preview more of this novel or buy Kingdom Come or DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories click on the BUY/PREVIEW icons on the book images above. 

Readers and reviews are an author's best asset, so I encourage any reader who likes reading in the genres of Christian inspirational, fantasy, spiritual warfare, to consider reading Kingdom Come and DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Army of God by Dennis Bailey

Army of God

One of the most beloved and enduring stories of all time . . .

One of the most recognizable characters in history . . .

A plot by a rival to kill Noah and his family is thwarted by a beautiful young woman, who joins them as they flee the ancient Biblical city of Eden. A year later, the Lord reveals His plan to destroy the earth by flood and commands Noah to build an ark. Only the news is met with scepticism and opposition from members of his own family. Eventually, word of the ark reaches Eden, prompting the rival to send an army of five thousand men to destroy it.

However, Noah has an army of his own.

Action, adventure, and suspense combine with the Biblical account of Noah’s Ark to create a heart-pounding page-turner that will stay with you long after the flood waters have receded.

"It is Noah's Ark meets Game of Thrones, unique and surprising." - Rowena Kuo, Award winning editor and publisher.

The Guru's Review: 

I love novels that deal with the Biblical flood and Noah's Ark. When I discovered Army of God by Dennis Bailey on Facebook, I knew I had to read this novel. Being a debut novel was also a bonus as I love encouraging new authors. I did this by offering to review this novel and having him as a guest blogger on this blog where he provided background to the novel, his reasons for writing it and more on this speculative plot line. 

The reviews so far are very encouraging, all 5 star. Now having read this, I agree with those reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Not just due to the biblical account and Bailey's depiction of it, which is imaginative, but specifically his inclusion of a unique speculative plotline, that the animals that God sent to be included in the Ark defend it against those whose seek to thwart Noah's attempt to build the Ark. I found this to be a brilliant idea and added to my decision that I had to read this novel to explore this concept. I then discovered that this was not just Bailey's idea, he discovered as he researched this novel, that this speculative element had been documented in the past. This evidence is found listed by the author at the end of the novel for those who want to investigate further. When he discovered this, he must have thought that "great minds think alike!" to quote a familiar idiom.

I do agree with him in relation to this speculative plot line that as he quotes in the guest post on my blog, 

Now I know what some of you purists are thinking, “How does a novel that purports to adhere to the Bible include as part of its storyline a premise about the animals defending the ark?” My answer is that just because it wasn’t recorded doesn’t mean it couldn’t have happened. Lest we forget, Noah’s entire one hundred-plus year ordeal is condensed into four short chapters (Genesis 6-9) of Scripture. Undoubtedly, numerous details of events that occurred during this period were never documented, meaning that we must turn to other supplemental sources to fill in the blanks.
In this case, you may be surprised to learn that several ancient Hebrew texts reference a confrontation where a group of people trying to break into the ark were destroyed by the animals that surrounded it. And while the details of such a struggle are not recorded as part of the Biblical record, the Scriptures are rife with examples of how God called to service members of His animal kingdom. Students of the Bible will remember how He commanded armies of frogs, lice, and flies to afflict the Egyptians preceding the Exodus, shut the mouths of lions to spare His servant Daniel, and sent the great fish to keep Jonah from fleeing to Tarshish.
Now if the Lord could use those creatures, I didn’t consider it heresy to suggest that the animals identified in Genesis 6 could have been organized to form an army capable of protecting the ark.
Of course, all this is mere conjecture, offered as background to support the premise of a fictional story. On the other hand, I hope the reader will allow their imagination to consider the possibilities this story proposes, recognizing the awesome power of God and His ability to use the whole of His creation to help exercise His will.

I loved how Bailey has developed this in the plot. The biblical account just says that the animals arrived at the Ark obviously before the Flood. But Bailey has used some very clever poetic licence to show how and when these animals arrived and what they did before entering the Ark. I won't spoil it for readers of this review but Bailey's account of this adds strength and depth to the plot as well as keeping the reader engaged and curious to find out more.

The situation that develops where the animals defend the ark is a brilliant piece of writing and I was totally engrossed in this as it played out in my mind. So engrossed that I nearly missed my train stop on the way to work!! This same segment would make a great piece of movie making! The computer-generated imagery artists would have a great time creating this action sequence. However, this whole story would translate well into a movie if kept to the novel's storyline! It would definitely show how ridiculous the recent remake of the same movie starring Russel Crowe was and how the poetic licence used by Bailey does not detract from the Biblical record but actually promote it. I mentioned to the author about the animals defending the Ark segment and he agrees with me, it would translate well to the movie format!

To just have a novel outlining the story behind Noah and his construction of the Ark would possibly be a comprehensive and somewhat tedious read, but Bailey has not done this. This novel does not solely concentrate on the specifics of the Ark's construction, apart from the biblical description, but of the circumstances surrounding this. It includes the command from Yah (God) and His reasons for the destruction of the earth by a global flood, the evilness of mankind and His judgement of them via the Flood. To break up the narrative of Noah and his construction of the Ark, he has an alternating plot line showing the corruptness and evilness of mankind portrayed through the government leaders of Eden and that of Enoch (the city, not the son of Cain). Bailey switches from the storyline of Noah and the construction of the Ark to the leader of the city of Eden, Malluch, and his longtime friend and army commander, Shechem and their corruptness in making Eden the most prosperous fortified city with an invincible army. 

Obviously, Christians will feel endeared to Noah and his family, and Bailey is very good at the characterisations of these characters. He shines here too in how readers will feel sympathy and compassion for Shechem who doubts and questions the integrity of Malluch and his evil ways and rule. I expected Shechem to become reconciled to Yah in this novel or even to at least leave his post as Commander of the Eden Army and dissociate himself from Malluch. He showed more integrity than Malluch or Bohar. Towards the end of the novel, Bailey has Shechem considering the truth of what Noah has said about the coming Flood not being a myth and it is hinted that the faith in Yah from his youth may be the truth and for him to reconsider his relationship with Yah. Did he reconcile with Yah before he drowned? Bailey gives a hint but it is left up to the reader to determine. 

I feel most readers will despise Malluch and Bohar. I especially disliked Bohar and his behaviour towards women and the human race in general for that matter. The acceptance of this behaviour by Shechem and Malluch just shows that all these three were as corrupt as each other, and deceptive as well. Bailey uses this to show what level of evilness mankind had stooped to in their fallen state that caused Yah to pass judgement on mankind through the flood. 

While reading this novel, I was expecting Bailey to included two major controversial issues regarding Noah and the Ark. Most other novels I have read on this subject include on these two issues so I was expecting Bailey to do the same. The issues are: 

-when did it first rain, either before the Flood or at the Flood, 

-was the evilness of mankind the only reason God flooded the earth to eradicate him? 

I grew up in Church being taught that rain fell from the sky only at the time of the Flood due to the water vapour/firmament breaking and this provided the rain. Prior to this, there was a mist of water vapour that rose up from the earth that hydrated the vegetation as no rain had fallen at that stage. 

When I come up with issues like these two, I usually contact the author and ask him/her why they developed the novel like they did in relation to these issues. Nowadays with the Internet, it is easier to do so. I contacted Bailey today and asked him about the rain issue and he directed me to his blog where he outlines more of this and his reasoning on the issue and his research. It is very compelling. I reference them here: 

the-case-for-rain-before-the-flood-part-i and the-case-for-rain-before-the-flood-part-ii

While reading this novel, I found this on my Facebook feed from Answers In Genesis which has similar and compelling details outlined by Bailey: 

Was-there-no-rain-before-the-flood?

I am now convinced that my teaching while growing up was incorrect. I applaud Bailey and others who use their investigative mind to provide the answers from logic and reason and reliable documentation to arrive at the truth of these not so clear details in the Bible and controversy initiated from Christians and non-Christians. In Bailey's case this is not just from his probing mind but as stated in his guest blogger post: 

Dennis Bailey is retired police detective, sex crimes investigator, and devoted researcher of the Word of God. His experience in the criminal justice system gives him a unique insight into the workings of the perverse criminal mind. Combined with his investigative and analytical skills, he uses this knowledge to search the Scriptures for personalities from which to create unforgettable characters and storylines.

The other issue relates to the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6:4

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, as well as later, when the sons of God slept with the daughters of other humans and had children by them. These children were famous long ago. Genesis 6:4 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) 

Many Christian apologetics and researchers believe Noah's lineage were unaffected genetically by the sons of God (fallen angels) having sexual relations with human women and this was another reason God chose Noah, as well as the fact he and his family found favour with God due to his integrity: 

9 These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.Genesis 6:9 Holman Christian Standard Bible 

There is no mention by Bailey of the Nephilim and what I have outlined above. As I continued to read, I found out why. Bailey has kept very close to the Biblical record in this story. As he states in the guest post on my blog,

It is an effort to bring to life the characters of Noah’s time in a suspense-filled, action-packed adventure while maintaining full fidelity to the Scriptures.

He is very successful at this in this novel. He also wanted to honour God by constructing his novel this way and that is definitely what the Christian reader picks up while reading this. 

The Bible does not state that the Nephilim issue was a specific reason for flooding the earth. Some apologists believe this is hinted at where the Bible says that he found favour with God and was blameless or faultless means his genes and those of his lineage were not tainted by the mixing of genes from the fallen angels through sexual relations.

I am very impressed with this novel, Bailey's construction of it and love his desire to honour the Scriptures and of course, God. I guess this just goes to show that doing it this way still means that a story can be told that is engaging, engrossing, entertaining and educates the reader in the ways of God while pointing the reader to Him. His use of poetic licence supports this while providing a solid cohesion to the plot line.

I find Army of God a very impressive debut novel and readers can expect much more from this author. He has a successful future as novelist and one who is devoted to serving God in this platform and be used to Him to expound on His Word and in His Ways. 

Highly Recommended. 

World building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Spiritual level 4/5

Story 5/5

Spiritual Enemy Level N/A

Average 4.5/5 but as a whole 5/5! 

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