Robert Roush's Blog, page 4

The Unseen Seen!

So, we’ve seen that God created the heavenly host and directs them to watch over us. But, we live in the modern world, where science attempts to offer a logical solution to everything that is seemingly unexplainable. Is it possible that the Bible’s reference to these spiritual beings is merely metaphorical? Good and evil personified for illustrative purposes? Absolutely not!

Take a look at this verse from Second Kings. This is a passage I reference whenever I sign someone’s copy of In The Image of Man. Elisha was a prophet of God. When his servant discovers that they have been surrounded by an enemy nation’s chariots and warriors, he is overwhelmed with fear. But Elisha doesn’t panic, instead he uses this opportunity to teach the servant about the unseen realm.

Then Elisha prayed, “LORD, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the LORD opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)

I often wonder, how would our lives be changed if we, like this servant, were permitted just a glimpse of the true world around us?

And lest we be tempted to think that this was some kind of hallucination, or some event from a long time ago and that angels are no longer among us, I’ll leave you with an instruction that was given to the early church.

Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)

There’s no reason to believe that this instruction is any less for us today than for the early church. It is possible that every one of us has seen, interacted with, helped, or turned our back on one of God’s angels. Check out this snippet from In The Image of Man.

“Hey Margie, can you flip that to the news?” A large burly man sitting in the corner of the diner pointed to the television, which displayed a rerun of a game show.

Zeke shook his head. Eitan was a master of disguise. Not one demon in the place suspected the burly trucker in the jean bib overhauls was the captain of the host. If they only knew . . .

Who Are These Spiritual Forces?

Yesterday, we saw that there is an unseen world out there, and not just “out there,” but all around us. We learned that our battle is against rulers, authorities, powers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil. I don’t know about you, but this can be a bit frightening. But, we’re told in 2 Timothy 1:7, God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound judgement. And we aren’t alone in this fight. He is always with us, and He has given His angels orders to protect us (Psalm 91:11).

So, who are these angels? That is what we are going to look at over the next couple weeks, and yes, we’ll also look into our dark enemies. One key lesson I hope you’ll come away with, after these brief discussions, is that God has no equal. This isn’t a war of equal yet opposites. Rather it is the desperate flailing of the condemned to bring destruction to as much of God’s creation as possible.

The first, and most important thing to know about the unseen forces, is their origin. They are created beings! Only God is eternal in His existence. He has no beginning or end. As powerful as angels and demons may be, they are mere art projects to God.

You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host worships You. (Nehemiah 9:6)

This is why, throughout the Unseen Dominion series, the angels most frequently refer to God as the Creator. The hosts of heaven owe their existence and sustenance to their perfect Creator, as do we.
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“The white dove-like feathers of her wings stood on end at the thought. The audacity of attempting to usurp the Creator. Mael knew better. He was present the day Lucifer attempted to claim equality with Him. They all were. A droplet of paint on a canvas claiming equality with the artist.” – Restoration’s Journey

Is There An Unseen Realm?

It has been an absolutely crazy few weeks as we’ve launched Restoration’s Journey. This is the second book in the Unseen Dominion series, which by the way is available now from Amazon in either e-book or print format. So, I thought this would be a great time to look in some detail at what the Bible teaches us about the unseen spiritual realm.

We live in an era where we tend to only believe in what we can see, touch, hear, or smell. Even those of us who believe in our heads that more exists beyond the physical realm rarely let the unseen world have any sort of impact on our lives—at least as far as we can control.

There is a key verse that has guided the formation of the Unseen Dominion series.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12)

We are in a war that we cannot see. It would be wise to consider the impact this should have on our lives. Who is involved in this unseen battle? And what can we do about it?

Over the coming days, hopefully each day between today and Resurrection Sunday, I will unpack some of the many verses that unveil the spiritual realm to us. I will also talk about some of the considerations I made when writing In The Image of Man and Restoration’s Journey.

Caution: These verses may have irreversible impact on your perception of the world around you!

Can't Wait? Don't!

It seems like there's something new nearly every day in the road to the release of Restoration's Journey. This week I'd like to let you know about a major milestone. Book two of the Unseen Dominion series is officially available to pre-order on Amazon. That's right you can head on over now and secure your print or ebook edition of my latest novel.

​You've already heard me wax on about the importance of launching at Amazon with momentum. Well, pre-order purchases help with this initiative, because pre-orders count as launch-day purchases. So, if you know readers who might be interested, help me in spreading the news.

​And don't forget, just like In The Image of Man, all proceeds from Restoration's Journey go to Living Water International to help provide clean water to those in need around the world.

​Until next time!

A Humbling Process

There is so much work happening behind the scenes these days. As an Indie Author/Pub, the learning never ceases--honing writing skills, reading, rewriting, rereading, type editing, graphic arts, formatting print and ebook editions, promotion, planning, okay you get the picture. Perhaps one of the hardest lessons for me has been that of asking for help.

​This go around, as you know if you read my last blog post, I determined to go the route of creating an Advanced Review version of my latest book and asking you, my faithful supporters, if you would be willing to be the pioneer readers of this newest story in the Unseen Dominion series. Your response was overwhelming. Many of you have agreed to be advanced readers/reviewers.

​I've often pondered why it is so difficult to build a readership as a new author. With the availability of inexpensive ebooks, giveaways, and Kindle countdown deals, it is certainly not a financial issue--at least not primarily. No, the decision to take the leap and gamble on reading an unknown author is a risk of something much more valuable than a few bucks. It is a commitment to give of your most valuable and non-renewable resource--your time!

​Therefore, I am greatly honored that so many have given of this valuable resource  to read my stories. Then I started hearing from those of you who are reading Restoration's Journey. I am truly humbled at the encouraging and insightful feedback I have already received. And yes, my humility and gratefulness are increased in knowing that dozens of no-brainer mistakes will never be seen by the masses. As I've said before, we are all together on this journey to help those with the greatest needs. Each and every one of you who have committed your time to read, review, encourage, rate, and spread the word, have given your time to provide life-giving water to "the least of these."

​Thank you!

More exciting news coming next week. Stay tuned...

Advance Reviewers

It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at Hearts of Compassion. My second novel, Restoration's Journey, is sprinting down the home stretch to Release Day, March 1st!

Many of you, my faithful blog readers, have already heard from me about the exciting opportunity to be the first to read this new novel. For those who haven't, now you are.

In our world of thousands of new books hitting the market each month, it is absolutely critical for a new book to launch with excitement, expectation, and an abundance of reviews and preorders. That first day only comes one time for a book. My goal is to ensure that Restoration's Journey captures as much spotlight in that brief moment as possible.
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So, I am looking for readers who would be willing to offer honest reviews on March 1st in exchange for a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) of the novel.​​​ To keep expenses down and to keep the flow of publishing proceeds headed to Living Water International, I am primarily looking to provide ebook copies, though I will have a few print copies available.

If you would like to participate with us in this exciting pre-launch activity, drop me a quick note​ through our contact form.

Stay tuned for the first siting of a printed copy of Restoration's Journey!​

Ripples

​I recently completed a full edit, hopefully the last, of Restoration’s Journey, the second book in the Unseen Dominion series. One insight that struck me in this process was the ripple effect a single edit can have on the direction of a story. About two-thirds of the way through the story, I decided to have one character depart a scene prior to a significant event. The repercussions of this modification plagued me throughout the remainder of the edit. The character no longer knew the things she knew. Other characters’ motivations changed because the modified character did not inform them of key events. And on and on it went. All for the better—I hope.

This observation got me thinking about real life. Even our small decisions can have effects that ripple throughout our lives, and the lives of those around us. Unlike editing a novel, there are no do overs. You can’t just go back and change the events to provide the desired outcome. How important it is for us to consider carefully the decisions we make. Like a pebble in a pond, once the ripples are propagating through the waters of life, corrections become much more difficult than stopping the pebble in the first place. The good news is that positive actions can ripple through our lives just as effectively.

This brings me to my purpose for posting these thoughts today. At Christmas we celebrate the single most significant source of ripples in the timeline of humanity. Our Creator, in the person of Jesus Christ, chose to step into the world as a human being, born as a baby. The infinite became finite to live as one of us. He made Himself known. Lived an unblemished life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. The forgiveness and grace of Jesus rippled throughout time, from the first day of creation to the coming Day of Judgment. All of our lives have been, are, and will be forever impacted by this divine pebble dropped into the pond of life.

Merry Christmas, and may your new year be filled with life-changing ripples for His glory.
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‘Till next time!

Getting Closer . . .

​Thought it was time for an update on the progress of the next book in the Unseen Dominion series. The rewrite process is proceeding nicely. I am so excited and impatient for you to have the opportunity to read this exciting story. If you've looked around our website, you've already seen the cover for Book Two, Restoration's Journey. If not, here it is. And, for the first time, here is the cover blurb introducing the story.
How do you run from an unseen enemy. . . 
 
            . . .when you've never been out of the building ?

Twelve-year-old Ima Fredericks spent her entire life at the government research facility, known as CeSiR Tech. When the one person who treated her with kindness is murdered, Ima flees the only world she’s ever known. But, escape is the easy part. The real challenge is surviving an unknown world, while hunted by predators from the unseen dominion.
​​ If you haven't read it yet, check out the excerpt from Restoration's Journey and stop back to let me know what you think. I'm currently targeting the completion of the rewrite in December and hope to have advanced reader copies available around the first of the year. If you've read book one and have interest in the opportunity to provide pre-release feedback on Book Two, keep your eyes open for more information, or drop me a note.

'Till next time!​

Las Vegas - Misdirection

As a writer, one of my favorite things to do is to visit new places. I love to observe new worlds and people, to imagine their roles as characters or settings for scenes and stories. Recently I travelled to Las Vegas for a few days. You hear so much excitement surrounding the adventures of visiting Vegas, and much of it is true. There is incredible architecture, fun (and even free) shows, like the fountains of Bellagio or the volcano of The Mirage, magic and music, food and drink, dance, and casinos galore. I had the opportunity to attend a magic show by Mat Franco, season nine winner of America’s Got Talent. Fun, family-friendly entertainment. At one point, he discussed that seeing the “how” of magic removes the awe, and how sleight-of-hand magic relies on misdirection to “hide” reality.

But, the magicians haven’t cornered the market on misdirection in Vegas. It’s a recognized fact that the casinos use several techniques to keep you unaware and gambling. Bright glitzy lighting, a lack of clocks and outside windows, increased oxygen levels (for me offset by the inclusion of the blue haze of cigarette smoke), and free drinks served by attractive young ladies while you gamble. These all serve to slow the passage of time, and create a party-like atmosphere where you feel like it’s fun to give away your hard earned cash. But, I’m a people watcher, remember. Over the course of my stay, out of the thousands of people that I saw at slots, roulette wheels, and the tables, I would dare say I saw less than a dozen who truly appeared to be having fun. And even that I suspect was short lived.

However, for me the truest deceptions, the masters of misdirection, lay outside the casinos. Bright flashy screens advertised exciting shows and entertainment high in the skies, while people trampled on hundreds of advertisement cards, bearing images of young women with less secrets than Victoria. At each turn these cards were thrust at passersby, who were obliviously distracted by the glitz of the strip, in hopes to lure them to establishments predicated on the exploitation of those photographed.

Even as I found my way to the big attractions, the fountains or volcanoes, heartbreak hid itself in plain sight. People dressed in costumes, or very little costume as was often the case, fought for our attention. Their goal? To be seen, to capture the attention of the hundreds of people flowing by. That someone might stop to drop some coin in a tin can, or to take a photo with them “earning” a couple bucks. But it’s a party, right? Wait for a while. Watch his expressions. Study her non-verbals. You’ll soon see that it’s all just misdirection. Sleight of hand, or eyes, or body, anything to keep you from seeing the reality.

There was one instance where I truly saw through the misdirection. I saw the reality, and it still breaks my heart. A young woman—dressed in her, um, shall we generously say, underwear—danced at, no, on a street-side bar. I watched her face as a middle-aged man approached her with a camera. She smiled, posed, and the camera flashed. As he walked away, her expression flashed true, if only for a moment. Insecurity, shame, disgust, so many emotions in a heartbeat of time. But, the one that struck me more than any was hurt. Deep emotional pain. Not the kind that came from his obliviousness to her as a person or that he didn’t even offer her the dignity of paying her for his slap-worthy intrusion. No, I fear she was all too used to that. Rather, the pain of one whose disgust isn’t with the hundreds of passersby who feel at liberty to take her photo, but with herself for letting them. Her smile was the greatest misdirection I saw in Vegas. But, I watch people. My prayer is to see them as God sees them. And, I know His heart is broken for that young woman, because mine was.

'Till next time.​

Like A Cup Of Cold Water . . .

What could be more exciting than crunching through the edit of Restoration's Journey, Book Two of the Unseen Dominion series? Only an update on our mission to provide clean water to those around the world with the most need.

It's been a quite a while since I gave an update here on our compassion efforts. If you are new to Hearts Of Compassion Publishing, all proceeds from book sales go to compassion based ministries. Specifically, Unseen Dominion proceeds go to Living Water International. LWI's ministry is about meeting the practical need for clean drinking water, while sharing the good news of the love of Christ.​

Many of you know that I took a five or so month break from writing fiction, earlier this year. During this break, I focused on a freelance project, creating a six-week discipleship curriculum for Engedi Church here in Holland, Michigan. This was a great opportunity, and I look forward to what God can do with this curriculum.

So, how are we doing in our mission to provide clean water to those in need? Combining funds from my freelance writing with the proceeds from sales of In The Image of Man, Book One of the Unseen Dominion series, we have been able to donate the funds necessary to provide clean drinking water for 135 families for a year. This equates to 54% of a clean water well in a desperate community.

The work has just begun, and we need your help. Here are some ways you can help:
​Pray - Nothing "we" do will bring about the momentum needed to get this project off the ground. We need God to lift it up. So, we need you to lift us up.Read - If you've already read In The Image of Man, thank you. If not, your purchase will help provide clean water and hopefully be a worthwhile investment of your time.Rate - Click a star. It's that simple. Getting ratings on Amazon helps to put the book in front of more readers.Review - A quick honest blurb about why you liked the book can be so influential in someone's decision to purchase the book. Shout out on Amazon and Goodreads.Discuss - Tell others about the book and our mission. Talk in person. Join discussions on Goodreads. Vote for the book in Listopia lists.Follow - Follow me on Goodreads, this blog, Facebook, or Twitter, to stay up-to-date on my progress with Restoration's Journey.
Thank you for helping!

'Till next time.