Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 404

Alaskan Silver Harriet Douglass

  To call Harriet Douglass a spy wasn’t exactly accurate.  She had been a regular person like Edward, until an adventure in Washington DC happened.  Harriet Douglass had saved the life of the President’s favorite Secret Service agent.

Harriet was a young African American woman on the cleaning staff at the White House. Normally she wouldn’t have been in the kitchen, but a coincidence placed her there one day.  She noticed a glint of light through the window.  

Some crazy person was about to fire a gun from across the street. Harriet screamed in time to alert everyone to move.  Seconds later there was a hole in the wall where the Secret Service man had been standing.

The incident was kept out of the papers. Harriet was secretly commended, and given a small reward.  She enjoyed, as she put it, “Being active in the noble defense of my country.”  Edward’s Uncle had hired her away from the President with the promise of more adventure.

Edward had convinced her of the importance of what he was doing. That is how Carl Lafayette hired his new house keeper.  His friend the librarian had recommended her, without disclosing his plans.  

Harriet was to be Edward’s eyes and ears for his friend’s protection. He knew that Carl and Pin wouldn’t protect themselves from danger, so he sent Harriet to help him accomplish it.  With one more added piece of training, now Harriet could shoot from a building away and hit her target.

Actually Harriet had turned into a natural marks woman.  She could hit her mark from two buildings away.  A skill that she would use the night she arrived at Carl’s home.

Find out how Harriet risks her own life to save others in next week’s Alaskan Silver!

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The House Of Staff And Ring

  Exodus 38:5

And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

The word places, in Hebrew, also translates house. God made a house for the staffs that bear the altar. The staves represent the Ministry. No other item is more tied to it, than the staff which rested in Moses’ hand, and on the backs of the Priests. Everything God does is strategic, from the rings themselves to where they were located, had a purpose.

The rings were a place of rest, a type and shadow of the place of rest that God created for the Ministry. These four rings not only enabled the staves to bear the altar, they were a home for them. God knew the necessity of rest for His leaders, and wants His people to understand as well.

Jesus took His disciples aside to rest, and the people followed. The Lord put His own comfort on hold, to minister to others, as do most leaders, but He still needed rest. Sadly, too many leaders gladly spend themselves to exhaustion serving us.  

You and I can help prevent this. We are not all called to be staves, but we can be rings. The rings were at the four corners of the altar. God wants those who labor at the altar to receive their own rest there. We can be rings that watch out for those who watch out for us.  

A ring itself is a symbol of faithfulness, of a covenant. It bears, decorates, and is a symbol of love. Love is the heartbeat of God. I believe we are closest to God’s heart when caring for His Ministers. There are multiple ways to be a place of rest for the Pastor in your life, but I want to highlight three.

First, pray for them everyday. Prayer isn’t just us asking, and God giving. It was designed as a joint effort between God and His child. He wants to work with us in interceding, using us to minister to the needs of others in prayer. We can strengthen our leaders by taking their names to the throne room, just as they do daily for us.

Second, be a friend to the Man Of God, in word and action. Loyalty is expected of our leaders, and they have the right to expect it of us. Stand with your Pastor, support and fight with Him. Resist those who are against them.  

Gossip doesn’t just involve the speaker’s lips, it equally comprises the listener’s ears. If someone talks about your friend, you don’t listen, you leave the person doing the talking. The same should be true when someone speaks against the Man Of God.

Third, be a blessing to your leader. They don’t serve to be blessed, they live to be a blessing. Expecting nothing, they give, yet God has designed a blessing for them. His plan has always been for God’s people to supply the needs of His Leader.

Say thank you in your own way, but definitely say it. A text, a gift card, or volunteering to lighten their load. It shows them that we care for them, as much as they care for us. We shouldn’t wait for October to appreciate those who work for us every day.

Be a ring to the leader in your life. Bear their needs, decorate their lives with love and support. Be a symbol that they can point out to their children, “Some will at times hurt you, but people like ____________, make all the difference.”

You and I can be the symbol passed down to the next generation of leaders. Heirlooms of hope that empowers the Joshua’s who follow. I’ve seen Christians influence Pastor’s children to either follow or flee Ministry. We can be a house of safety for the burden bearers in our lives, by lightening their load.

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iPainting: The Blue Trees

  We hope you enjoy this Sunday’s painting, “The Blue Trees”.

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Alaskan Silver Edward Mallory

  The current occupant of the cabin was in chains. One of its previous visitors was the captor. You may remember another guest, Edward Mallory, the curator of the museum.  

Since his faked abduction, he had been secretly transported to his Uncle’s home. From there, he had went to work, establishing a network of Alaskan allies. These people were committed to ridding Alaska of corruption, and Edward was leading the charge from his desk.

It was Edward who had arranged for the undercover agent St Louis. He had crafted the plan to trick the Pick Axe group into hiring an assassin, not knowing he was really a Federal agent. Much like Pin and Carl, Edward knew, to beat these men, it would take more than strength.

To defeat these criminals, you would have to outsmart them. Lucas Shelton wasn’t his last chess move either. It was his second, Harriet Douglass was his third. 

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It’s Out!

  I’m sorry for shouting, but I’m very excited about this. The Polar Bears Typewriter: Friends In Hollywood is now available @ www.amazon.com/author/pruittwrites.  This story, along with the new Bible study, Famous, are two of my favorite things I’ve ever written.  

The Polar Bears Typewriter is a tale about friendship, which happens to be set in Hollywood. Why a title like The Polar Bears Typewriter?  It has to do with a writer’s imagination, and a story for his children.  

Below is an excerpt from the book.  I hope you enjoy it, and you head to Amazon to check out it and the rest of my eBooks.  Either way, thank you for being the most important part of PruittWrites!

Mat’s agent, Louis Howard, was the closet thing to vintage Hollywood you could get in this day and age. He cultivated that look very carefully. His suits were tailored in retro styling, and he carried himself to evoke a certain look. His slicked back white hair and hazel eyes, hid behind massive sunglasses helped. It was great marketing.

“Matt, what’s the story on the three scripts?” Matt frowned. “One of them is awful, and two of them I’ve already done ten years ago.” “What about the books?” “Eh, not great, not horrible, they’re just not memorable.”

Louis took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and flashed his fifteen thousand dollar perfect teeth. “Those two Oscars are getting lonesome Matt. You haven’t done a picture in what, eight months? It’s time to start something.”

“

I know, I just would like to start something … interesting.” “Sensational I can give you, explosions, no problem, but interesting, that’s hard.” “I just wish I could find another Tripoli’s Titan.” It had been the book about an Italian watchmaker, turned into a movie, that had won Matt his first Oscar.

Matt, it took fifteen years to turn that into a movie, and it had taken the author five years just to get it published. If you want interesting, you may have to write it yourself!” Matt hadn’t realized the look he had given Louis, but Louis did. “What’s that?” “What?” “The look, Matty Higgins wants to be an author!”

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Announcement A New Novella

  

Last year, I began a short story that turned into my first novella.  It’s a story about a group of friends in Hollywood.  They’ve successfully told other people’s stories for years, and now they’re ready to tell their own.  

I sat on this story for about a year, thanks to some wonderful advice from my best friend and Pastor, Denny Livingston.  The story was missing a key element, although I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.  Thankfully I have wonderful friends, not only in Pastor, but in Billy and Kayla McCool.

They reviewed the story, and provided the insight I needed.  This story about friends, wouldn’t have been fully complete, if not for this writer’s dear friends.  The book will be available tomorrow @ www.amazon.com/author/pruittwrites for $7.99.  I hope you pick up a copy of it, or our latest Bible Study, Famous: The Lumberjacks Of Solomon today.  Thank you all for your friendship and support!

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Alaskan Silver Ammunition

  Pin made it to the cabin, grabbed the most powerful rifle in it, and reloaded his own gun.  Then he left the door open and quickly hid outside in a tree. If he could just get above the Frenchman and make him think he was in the cabin.

His opponent barreled through the door shortly after.  Pin aimed carefully, shooting the window of the cabin.  “Alright Charbonneau, I’ve got you covered, hold it right there.”

The man started to lunge forward, until he saw the rifle pointed at his chest.  He raised his arms and laughed.  “I surrender, for now.   Tell me little man, how do you intend to take me in? When you’re not looking I will break your neck!”

“I’ve no doubt you would if you could.  That’s why I’m not taking you in alone.” “Behind you is a chain, wrap your ankles with it and step back.”  Pin made sure the man had just enough chain to maneuver in the cabin, and secured the extra chain to the rafter beam with his handcuffs.  

“I’m going for reinforcements, probably two days. You’ll be the Mayor’s guest until then. I was here at Christmas, and on the trip back through I stored certain precautions for a return visit.  You’re the recipient of my planning, and I’m very much alive because of it.”

The captive growled at Pin as he bid the Frenchman goodbye.  He hurried for town and reinforcements. Pin faced the fact that if the Pick Axes sent their own backup, the Frenchman would be freed. 

So he hurried as fast as he could.  The man he had captured was a link in a chain of command.  He wasn’t just muscle, he was connected enough to know a few plans. If they could just get him to talk, for the first time, they’d have something. 

They would have Ammunition to weaken the entire Pick Axe group.  Pin had suspected they were still operating, even when it appeared they had made inroads against them.  He knew when you find a snake hole, the little snakes you stop, means they’re bigger ones underground.

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Acrylic The Sea Turtle

I thought on this cold February morning, you may enjoy our new acrylic, “The Sea Turtle”.  To purchase a painting or prints, email us @ PruittWrites@gmail.com.

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The Mortar

  1 Peter 2:5, 6, 9

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 

9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

The Bible calls us lively stones, but it does not say that we are all the same size or shape.  If you look at a rock wall, you’ll notice the mortar around them, making up for the difference in the shape and sizes of the stones.  Some areas need more mortar than others.  A wall can be sturdy, even though it is different.  

 

If we are all the stones of the Spiritual building, what is the mortar that holds us together?  According to the encyclopedia, mortar is an aggregate, or a combination of materials. It is made up of crushed stone, gravel, sand, slag, or even recycled crushed concrete.  These natural items give us an insight to the spiritual components that unite us.

 

First we have to understand how to connect with the other pieces of the building.  Once you know the how, you can learn from the process. Just as mortar is an aggregate, so is the connecting tissue of the Church. 

Stone

The primary substance in mortar is crushed Stone.  The word mortar is Latin for crushed.  Christians are connected to others through the crushing. The crushing of our own pride yes, the crushing of our own agendas yes, but more importantly, the crushing pattern of Christ.  

In this same chapter, in telling our story, Simon Peters tells Christ’s story.  He yielded His will to drinking the bitter cup, representing an emotional crushing in the garden, and was crushed physically on the cross. His life, His will, and His blood crushed, to purchase our salvation.  

 

The Spirit of Christ and His sacrifice are the first binder in the aggregate of our soul. I’m not a construction guy, I’m a cook, but I know that to make a cake, you need a binder. If you leave out the eggs in a cake, you’re in trouble. His love is the prerequisite to every part of our lives, and our unity.  The Spirit Of Christ not only rescues us, He equips us. 

When we love Him, His love produces a love for our brothers and sisters, and those that are currently without the Faith. The closer we draw to Him, the easier unity becomes.  Either those around us will seem sweeter, or we’ll be more tolerable when we they are sour.  They will do the same for us, all of us need some mortar in the gaps.

Gravel

The second mortar substance is gravel.  Simon Peter’s name meant a stone, or a smaller rock.  He wasn’t the rock that we build on, but he had a backbone, he just needed the strength to use it.  Tenacity, determination, and a never give up outlook is a mindset. Once Peter had God’s strength, then he could say I’m not moving.  It takes God’s power in this Christian walk, but it also takes a willingness to fight.  The scripture says that The Kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Our experiences should strengthen our resolve.  Our knowledge that this world is on the fast track to Eternity should clue us in on what kind of Christians we need to be.  We must stand for our beliefs, and He will do the rest.

However understand this about the day and time we are in.  The Bible says that God will decide when He returns, and no one else.  That’s one reason why John said the spirit of anti-Christ, notice the little a, does already work.  The Bible says only God knows the day of His return, meaning the devil cannot act until God does.   

I believe that the enemy has had candidates in place in every generation, because he has no more idea when than we do.  The devil guesses, but that’s all it is.  In other words, the enemy may have a plan, but he can’t even pick his main general, until God makes His move.  The references in Isaiah 26, II Thessalonians, and in Matthew 25 reflect God’s sovereignty concerning the timing of the last days.  

The point is, don’t worry about the closeness of the end, instead, simply get closer to Jesus.  It is great to study Prophecy. We don’t need to be ignorant of the times that we are in. Yet Christians don’t look for the beast in the sea, we look for the Savior In The Clouds!  

Our experiences should tell us to look to Jesus most of all! A young man I know came to me with questions recently, and I was able to share with him. We don’t have to fear about the future, we know Who is holding it!

Sand

Next, the mortar is made of sand.  Sand isn’t what you build on, it represents our infirmities, our humanness, our frailties.  Let the weak say I am strong.  As we realize how lacking we are, it should draw us closer, first to Jesus, and then to each other.  If I’m reminded that I have faults, and need my Savior, even after 20 years in the Ministry, then surely I can be patient with my brother, or my sister.

Yes, Jesus built on the rock, but He walked along the sand of the seashore. He, The Rock, walked among the sand blown men and women of this world. God said of Abraham’s seed, I’ll make them as the sand by the seashore. Why, because sand touches sand. He makes us new in an imperfect world, so that we can touch those around us.  

Slag

Slag is a glass like by product left after a metal is separated from it’s ore.  When water hits it, it helps form concrete.  Over time, it can make the concrete stronger.  When we both reflect on Jesus, and reflect Jesus, it makes the whole Church stronger.  

Do you have problems, do you have trials, do you have sickness?  Instead of reflecting on those very real and very painful things, let me challenge you, to ignore all of that for a little while and reflect on Jesus.  I admit I don’t know what you’re going through, but He does. I’ve never seen anyone that reflected on Jesus leave any way but better!

The Trowel

The mortar is important, but it takes the trowel to shape it. The word trowel, has a similar sounding word in Old English meaning think or believe. Even though it’s a different word, it’s an apt description. Our faith will shape us, and cause us to hold our ground in every battle. 

 There are different trowels for different purposes. A float trowel or finishing trowel textures the top layer of hardening concrete. A flooring trowel has one rectangular end and one pointed end, and is made to fit corners. The wise builder will use different tools for different circumstances. 

When we apply both God’s Word to our lives, and to our witness or outreach, we must pray and plan. A Strong Christian is a Strategic Christian. Strategic Christians make up a Strategic Church, and Strategic Churches revolutionize Communities.  

To go where you have not yet gone, according to the text is to build up the wall. God said you are built up a Spiritual building, then immediately says something else.  He follows with, we are a Holy Priesthood. Walls build up, Priests extend their hearts and hands. To build up, you’ve got to reach out in a purposeful way.  

The Wall

The Church is one spiritual building, one priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. It’s a process, it is a progression. We begin by working on ourselves, the lively stones.  

If something doesn’t fit, I must start with me. I cannot change anyone else, but I can examine myself. Are my motives right, is my spirit right? Things are too close to the end to allow pride or stubbornness to halt the work on the entire wall.

Second, I must look around to the needs I can minister in for others. I heard someone doing this just last night. A friend asked, is anyone mowing her yard?  

When you care for others, you strengthen the wall. When the wall is strong, it displays Jesus for everyone to see. When we are one, as one man, we can present Christ’s Message to the world.

The Church was built on years of sacrifice. Where you are is an amazing accomplishment, but with Jesus, your greatest days are always ahead. Isaiah said “Of the increase of His government there shall be no end.” 

The world is filled with souls who need a Savior. The most important thing I can say to you is this, don’t measure your future by your past. Expand your outreach, God will lead you into new opportunities. 

Your future is brighter than where you’ve been. If pain, or fear has robbed you of hope, it’s time to dream again. In Nehemiah it uses the term arise and build. Arise means to continue, build means to obtain children. Christ has bound us together, mortared by His love, to bring in a harvest for The Glory Of God.    

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iPainting The White Trees

  We are continuing our walk in the woods with “The White Trees”.

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