What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Letters Bring Them Together

Opening thoughts: I think, one of the coolest things about historical-fiction novels—romantic or otherwise—are the real-life places, things, and events of the time period that the author chooses. They truly put into perspective how different things used to be. We don’t travel everywhere by horse or Model-T. Our marriages aren’t arranged by our parents (ok, maybe not as much as they used to be). And another big difference that I wish was still a thing: communication through letters. Whenever I hear a story from history about two people meeting and becoming best friends (or even falling in love!) I turn into a hopeless romantic very quickly. So, that’s why I’m so excited to feature The Letter Tree & A Noble Groom in this week’s post. Beneath the synopsis are some cool tidbits that authors, Rachel Fordham & Jody Hedlund, shared in the “Author's Note" section in the backs of their books about the research they did for their stories. 

The Letter Tree - Buffalo, NY, 1924. Laura Bradshaw adores stories happily ever afters. But since her mother died seven years ago, the Bradshaw Shoe Company heiress has been as good as locked away in a tower. Her overbearing father cares little for her dreams, throwing himself instead into his tireless take-down of hsi competitor, the Campbell Shoe Company. However, Laura has been gifted with a reprieve: a mysterious friend with whom she’s been exchanging letters. As heir to the Campbell Shoe Company, Isaac Campbell is a sought-after bachelor who has never felt an inkling of desire for the women who constantly bat their eyes at him. His thoughts are consumed by an oak tree in the Buffalo Zoo—or rather, the mystery woman he exchanges letters with courtesy of the tree. She’s been one of Isaac’s only joys in a life consumed by his father’s tireless hatred of Bradshaw. A hatred that Isaac is coming to realize, may affect him more personally than he ever imagined. When Laura’s father orchestrates a match between her and an important business owner, she resolves to pursue her only chance at freedom. But Isaac believes their story isn’t bound for a tragic ending. He’s certain there’s more to the Bradshaw-Campbell feud than meets the eye. And he won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth that might bridge the divide between him and the woman whose words have captured his heart. 

From the Author’s Note: The Letter Tree takes place in 1920s Buffalo, New York, which means that author Rachel Fordham had the chance to feature cool places like: the Buffalo Zoo, Delaware Park, The Quarry Gardens, and Niagara Falls. When it came to the zoo, the author chose animals that her children loved seeing when her and her family lived in Buffalo. The elephant that is featured on the cover is inspired by a real elephant named Big Frank that lived in the zoo in the 1920s. Fordham also shared that she got the idea for the Bradshaw/Campbell shoe factory feud from the Adidas/Puma feud (a.k.a. The Dassler brothers’ feud) that took place in Germany. If you like to find out more about Rachel’s Fordham’s book The Letter Tree, or even the research she did for it, check out The Letter Tree at the Cross Reference Library. 

A Noble Groom - Annalisa Werner’s hope for a fairy-tale love is over. Her husband failed her in every way, and now his death has left her with few options to save the family farm. She needs a plentiful harvest. That, and a husband to help bring it in. Someone strong, dependable. That’ll be enough. A marriage for love…that’s something she’s given up on. So her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom. Then a man appears: Carl Richards, from their home country of Germany, and a former schoolteacher—or so he says. He’s looking for work and will serve on the farm until her husband arrives. With time running out, she accepts Carl’s help, but there’s more to this man than he’s admitting. He’s also gentle, kind, charming—unlike any man she’s ever known. But even as his shining light into the darkness of Annalisa’s heart, she knows her true groom may arrive any day.  

From the Author’s Note: To go along with Annalisa and Carl’s love story, Jody Hedlund took inspiration from the German immigration of 1880s Michigan. Hedlund shared the following in her notes that I find pretty interesting, “The German community in A Noble Groom immigrated from Saxony, Germany to Sanilac County, Michigan, and formed Colonial Saxonia…Spurred on by the prospect of owning their own land and becoming prosperous—something they could never have in the Old Country—the German immigrants began the arduous task of clearing the land for farming…While I took liberty with the dates and details of the particular German community for the sake of my story, it was my hope to bring to life the essence of an immigrant community, the rigors of farming, and the struggles of the early settlers.” Hedlund included references to typhoid fever, the Red Cross, and the Great Fire of 1881. I totally recommend that you check out this book. And if you’re not a huge fan of romance novels, don’t worry. Hedlund makes up for that through great references to history and through good story-telling. 

Final Thoughts: In my opinion, I truly believe that the authors care about, and have respect for the time periods they’re writing about. I loved how interesting their characters were, and how they didn't have generic personalities. You really do feel like you're stepping into the 1800s and 1900s. I really enjoyed sharing the “Author’s Notes” with you, and I hope that they make you want to check out these books even more because of it.

You Can Be A Hero by Robert & Teila Walker

What is this book about: In the summer of 2020, Bridger shielded his little sister, Brielle, as a dog charged at them. The resulting injury left Bridger with over 90 stitches on his face. Brielle was a very tiny 4-year-old, and Bridger barely 6, but his love for his sister inspired people around the world. As a family, the Walkers have since discussed, what makes a hero? Is it a great big act or sacrifice – or can heroes be found in normal, everyday people? This book is a result of these discussions. For most people, their heroes are found in seemingly small acts. A true hero does the little things every day because nobody’s life is defined by a single act - for good or bad. Even if it is hard or scary, a hero just keeps showing up and doing their best. We hope you enjoy following Brielle on her journey to discover her secret super power and how just being herself makes her the most special of heroes.

My thoughts: I remember what I was doing when I heard the family that this book is based on. It was the summer before my senior year of high school, and COVID-19 had just destroyed all of my junior year plans. And well, since it was summer I was out helping my dad fix fence for local ranchers in the area. We took a lunch break at a diner in Kimball with a couple of my dad’s friends when I saw the news on TV: Boy Saves Sister from Dog Attack! Right then, I tuned out what my dad and his friends were talking about and watched as Fox News showed a picture of this poor little boy who had just risked his life for his little sister. It almost brought me to tears. Here we were, our country shutdown and depressed; scared and confused. And a little six-year-old boy from Wyoming gave us hope and was named a hero. In this book, You Can Be A Hero, Bridger’s parents inspire kids to be heroes too. I can’t wait for the kids of our library to read this book with their families.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Keeping the Faith in an Ever-changing World

No Reason to Hide - In a culture with an ever-narrowing definition of tolerance, Christians can no longer stay silent about the divide between the Bible’s truth and the world’s lies. From best-selling author Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, No Reason to Hide examines the toxic roots behind the alarming symptoms of a nation in spiritual freefall—and why your faith must empower you to engage rather than hide. As you read, you’ll be equipped to defend your biblical beliefs with confidence and compassion. You’ll also identify how you can respond to the battleground issues of today, including: 

• Identify driven social justice ideologies that seek to divide rather than unite

• Cultural attacks on the definitions of sex and gender that turn language into a war

• Progressive pushes within the church that ultimately desecrate the Bible’s teachings

A call for believers to stand firm in today’s oppressive world, No Reason to Hide is a rallying reminder that will ready Christians everywhere to have the courage to proclaim Scripture’s truth to a culture in desperate need of what only God can offer. 

Whatever Happens - What has taken the wind out of your sails, the bounce out of your step, and joy out of your heart? The early Christian church in Philippi was distressed by all the terrible things that had happened to the apostle Paul—the loss of his fourth missionary journey, his imprisonment in Caesarea, his shipwreck on Malta, and his looming trial in Rome. Would he ever know freedom again? It was impossible to know the future. While Paul was imprisoned, the church provided him with unprecedented financial and personal support. Overflowing with gratitude, he sent them an inspiring thank-you letter: the Bible’s book of Philippians. The timeless message of Philippians is ever appropriate for a world characterized by chaos and weariness. Though it seems like the world keeps falling apart, the apostle Paul exhorts us to live in a manner worthy of Christ. These short thirty-one chapters, which can be used as a devotional, will show us that no matter what happens, we can: 

• Use prayer to energize our lives

• Make today about others

• Stay as cheerful as possible in all circumstances

• Trust God’s guidance

• Start and end each day with praise and prayer

• And so much more in our faith walk

Whatever has happened to you, and whatever may happen—that is not the end of your story.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Texas Promise Series by Naomi Rawlings

Tomorrow’s First Light - Nervous about meeting her fiance for the first time, Ellie Spritzer’s lifelong hope of finding love is about to end. She never imagined her quest for love would take her to the other side of the county with all eight of her siblings in tow, but after her mother dies unexpectedly, what choice does she have? At least the man she’s been writing to for the past year is still willing to marry her and take in her siblings…or so she thinks. Growing up an orphan, Sam Owens never had a place to call home or a family to love. So if his wife-to-be needs to bring three of her siblings with her, he has no complaints about having a ready-made family. But his mail-order bride doesn’t arrive with three. She arrives with eight. Sam can’t make himself turn away children in need. But as a beginning rancher, he doesn’t have the resources to care for so many people. When sinister forces threaten the things Sam and Ellie both hold dear, can they figure out how to keep their fledgeling family together, or will they lose the very things they cherish most? 

Tomorrow’s Shining Dream - Charlotte Westin has always been more comfortable in a saddle than a ballroom. That wouldn’t be a problem, except her father owns the largest ranch in Texas—and he insists she marry a wealthy city-slicker worthy of a cattle baron’s daughter. There might be someone out there who’d love her for who she is instead of her money, but she’s been fooled by a sweet talker before, and her family is still suffering because of it. With an old friend-turned-enemy returning to town and cattle rustlers running roughshod over the county, Sheriff Daniel Harding knows the last thing he should be thinking about is a woman…especially the one woman he’ll never be able to marry. Then Charlotte Westin asks for his help, and Daniel can’t refuse. Until he finds out exactly what she wants…When Charlotte comes to Daniel with a plan to find herself a husband, Daniel is forced to face his feelings for her—as well as some past mistakes of his own. But as the rustlers grow more dangerous, Charlotte’s father takes drastic steps to engage her to a man she doesn’t love. And  Charlotte and Daniel soon find themselves caught between the burdens from their pasts and others’ expectations. Will they let their past choices ruin their dreams? Or will Charlotte and Daniel embrace God’s forgiveness and forge a happy future for themselves? 

Tomorrow’s Constant Hope - Keely O’Brien has spent the past five months on the run, but no matter what she does, she can’t seem to evade the ring of dangerous criminals that killed her brother in Chicago. When she spots an ad for a wife from the owner of a small ranch on a remote stretch of Texan desert, she knows she’s found the perfect hiding spot. The Wolf Point Ring might be searching far and wide for her, but they wouldn’t think to look in the tiny, sun-scorched town of Twin Rivers, Texas. Now if she can just keep her new husband from finding out why she really married him…Still grieving the loss of his first wife, Agamemnon “Wes” Westin has little choice about marrying again, but he does have a choice about who he marries. If he has to share his roof with someone, he wants a woman who works hard and doesn’t complain. He decides to run an ad for a bride, claiming that he owns a small ranch, rather than the sprawling cattle empire he inherited from his father. After all, what woman is going to be upset when she finds out her husband is one of the richest men in Texas? When Wes discovers Keely is hiding from criminals who want her dead, he can’t help but protect her—even if she’s irate with him for lying about the size of his ranch. When danger arrives in Twin Rivers, both Wes and Keely find themselves facing their deepest fears. Will they let their pain and past losses ruin their dreams? Or will Wes and Keely find a way to forge a new life together? 

Tomorrow’s Steadfast Prayer - Alejandra Loyola knows she’s going to die. If having information about her uncle and cousins’ illegal cattle rustling operation isn’t enough to get her killed, then snitching on them to the law will—and she’s snitched more than once. The only question is, will she be able to see her younger sister provided for before she dies? When Harrison Rutherford is called back to his hometown of Twin Rivers after his father falls ill, he’s inundated with the burdens of running a shipping business. The one surprise waiting for him is Alejandra Loyola. The maid who works for him is quiet and sweet. Now if only she trusted him enough to tell him what leaves shadows under her eyes and a haunted look on her face…The longer Harrison stays in Twin Rivers, the more something seems amiss. Rustlers have been wreaking havoc on local ranchers, and Harrison starts to wonder if the secrets Alejandra carries have more to do with his father and the rustlers than he wants to admit. Will Alejandra trust Harrison enough to tell him what she knows? Or will the rustlers prove powerful enough to destroy not just the ranches surrounding Twin Rivers, but any hope for a future between them?

Tomorrow’s Lasting Joy -  Anna Mae Harding has always dreamed of being a wife and mother, but she never expected finding a man to marry to be so difficult. She might have an easier time of it if she hadn’t fallen in love with the wrong man years ago. But no matter how much she tries to forget her childhood friend, no one else she’s met has ever measured up. When Cain Whitelaw’s job as a Texas Ranger leads him back to his hometown—and to Anna Mae—neither of them can deny the feelings swirling between them. The trouble is, Cain’s the last man who will ever settle down and start a family. He had too rough an upbringing for that, and his job means he doesn’t stay in one place for more than a month. But when an old enemy reemerges and puts Anna Mae and the town of Twin Rivers in danger, Cain must confront his past and decide just how much he’s willing to risk for the people he loves.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? How to Look at Life Differently

Unbridled Faith - Horses nuzzle their way into our hearts and have a way of teaching us a lot about ourselves, about life, and even about God. Just ask horse enthusiast Cara Whitney, wife of comedian and actor Dan Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy). Through years spent working with these majestic animals, Cara Whitney has learned countless spiritual lessons that have brought her closer to God. In 100 heartfelt devotions with stunning photography, you’ll learn about overcoming temptation, find out why you should be glad God doesn’t answer yes to all of your prayers, and be reminded that you are priceless to God. 

Life Without Limits - Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disability to live an independent, rich, fulfilling life, becoming a model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick spreads his central message: the most important goal for anyone is to find their life’s purpose despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in their way. Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured trying to deal with them as a child, a teen, and a young adult. He shares how his faith in God has been his central source of strength and explains that once he found his own sense of purpose—inspiring others to make their lives and the world better—he found the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life without limits.  

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Being Men & Women of the Faith

Damaged Goods - This book isn’t for the girls who’ve always done everything right. It’s for the oops-I-did-it-againers, the live-my-life-on-my owners, the sometimes-learn-from-my-mistakers, the ones who’ve fallen down hard and lived to tell the tale, who’ve never quite fit the good-girl mold—the perfectly imperfect. It’s an open and raw look at what happens when a Christian damages her testimony and the restorative power of God’s love. Through personal stories, Stacy invites you into some of her darkest days and candidly shares hard-won wisdom around questions like…

• Why do Christians run away when someone’s life gets messy? 

• What should your role be when another Christian is struggling? 

• How can you overcome crippling fear, anxiety, and worry?

• Why do you wander away from God over and over again?

• Does it really matter if you forgive someone who wronged you? 

• Does God really care about you?

This is not your mom’s devotional. It’s not filled with flowery descriptions or complex theology. It’s for women who are ready to get real and have an honest conversation about what it means to make a royal mess of your life and the painful paths your choices sometimes lead you down. Inside you’ll find extraordinary truths and practical tips sprinkled with loads of encouragement meant just for you slightly imperfect daughters of the King!

Change Agents for God - Does the Bible say anything about what an evangelist should do? Can a church be what God planned without the influence of evangelists? Is there a difference between a missionary and an evangelist? After 52 years in ministry, C.T.L. Spear had devoted more than twenty years to evangelistic work in camps, prisons, and more than 800 local churches across the United States. And through his book, Change Agents for God, Spear brings up the question, “What happened to Evangelists?”

Who's My Support Team So That I Can Run For Jesus Well?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
So, I don't know about your eyes, but mine are probably like, "this big," because they've been plastered to a television screen every night after work. Are you watching the Olympics?

Jonathan Hernandez
Bits and pieces of it, yeah.

Garry Schick
Little bit?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yep.

Garry Schick
Oh man. At the beginning, I can't get enough, and by the end I'm done.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, I watched some soccer. So we enjoy watching that.

Garry Schick
A little soccer. Some gymnastics, some swimming, some equine stuff going on out there. I mean, all kinds of stuff. Well, I think I know what we should talk about today. And I kind of thought about, maybe something about, "run the good race." But then, I don't know about you, but one thing that has really impressed me, and I know it's always there, but it kind of really impressed me this year, is these understories. Here's this athlete, they're up there, they're doing magic on the screen, but we all know that it's so much more than that; and it's a team. It's not just that moment today. It's every day, 365. For the last, how many years of their lives. So listeners, I guess today I kind of want to turn around on you as you're listening. I want you to be thinking about this: "who's my support team so that I can run for Jesus well?" Because, and I say this to people---I don't know if they get it. "There's no Lone Rangers in Christ." It's not just, "me and Jesus." At least, not if you're going to succeed. I guess any of us can go out and run around the block and hopefully not sprain our ankles. But if we're going to be in the Olympics, it's going to take more. And, you know what? If we're going to run a race for Christ, shame on us if we're doing it by ourselves, because God did not intend that. The Bible talks about it quite a lot. Jonathan...some thoughts?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah. And just kind of with that Olympic thing. I love how you have different, there's all these different sports or activities or whatever you want. These sports that are part of the Olympics. But you see, say the soccer players are rooting and cheering on the gymnastics, or vice versa. So you have people from different categories that are all in it and saying, "Hey, we want to see you succeed. We're cheering you on. We're motivating you." Or, "helping push you to that finish line." And we have that same thing within the body. Man, I love that there's no lone ranger. If you look throughout all of the Bible, you always see community. There's community all throughout scripture. Acts 2:42-47, it really talks about some of that. And it says, "and they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer." Then it says, "then fear came upon every soul and many wonderous signs were done through the apostles. And now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they sold the possessions and goods and divided them amongst themselves as everyone had need." You know, you start seeing that whole community being together, right? That whole, "if you have need," let me help you meet that need. We may not be able to meet all the need, but if I put in a little and you put in a little, we're going to help meet all of those needs. It said, "they continued daily in one accord in the temple and breaking the bread in the houses." You see that community just continuing to take place. "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God, having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, those who are being saved." And I love that because that really shows that community aspect. Who is part of our community? I am part of Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Bayard. That's part of my community. I'm part of that community. They're rooting me on. I'm rooting them on. We're really challenging each other to grow deeper in Christ. And sometimes there are stumbles, but we don't take them and beat them up and throw them out of the church, right? We love on them and we help them. "Hey, let's get back to where God had intended you to be," and help them walk through those things. You know, there's support. I mean, within pastors, there's support groups. We root each other on, and man, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you succeed, and I want to see the church that you pastor succeed. And praying for each other, and rooting each other on.

Jonathan Hernandez
It's amazing to see how diverse the body of Christ is, and you know, we're not battling against each other. We're there, you know, when the USA goes over to the Olympics. They're not battling against each other. They're together, they're unified, and they're rooting each other on. And that's what the body of Christ needs to be. You know, that we're rooting each other on. It doesn't matter what fellowship that we're a part of, but we're rooting each other on because we want to see each other succeed. And we want to see the church grow. Seeing people being saved, the church being added to daily, right? And that's really amazing when we can start seeing that happen within the body. And not some of those bickerings that happen, but we're rooting each other on. So, for you listeners, are you connected within the body of Christ? Do you belong to a church? And if you do, are you just---I know when I first came to Christ, I just sat in the back. "Hopefully this pastor doesn't talk long. I want to be able to get out fast," because my heart was just starting to be changed. And then, as I started reading the word, I'm like, "man, I could sit here and listen to this pastor for six hours." I dunno. But, you know, you start feeling those changes and you start connecting with each other, right? Hey, so how are you doing? Let's go have dinner together. Let's go have lunch together," or whatever. And start building those communities/helping build that community. And so hopefully, you as a listener, are connected within your home church and really help build the community there by being a part of the community.

Garry Schick
So, so important. The passage I thought about, as we were sitting down to this, was that passage in Hebrews. "And do not neglect meeting together." Some are in the habit of doing that, "but encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching." You know, we need to fan the flame. And in fact, I've talked to people about this. Well, it's camping season, right? So, if you ever have a campfire, I don't know why it is, but all those logs have to lay together. They have to be touching. If one log is burning bright and rolls away from the fire, it's going out. Now, I don't know why. It has the fuel, the wood. It is wood. It has the oxygen, it's burning. It has the flame. I don't even understand this. My son, he's pretty smart about a lot of this science stuff. He could probably tell me, "dad, this is why." But in order to keep burning, those logs need to be up against other burning logs. They need to share the fire. And you know, think about the big names in the Bible. Apostle Paul: he was never alone. I mean, okay, he was once. We read about him alone. I think he was in Athens, and he was miserable until his team came and caught up with him. He always traveled with a group of people. He always had people that were receiving him. I mean, you look at, what is it? The end of Romans. He has all this, thank yous to all these people, and hi this one, and, "thank you to that one who helped me in all these ways." Even in his last letter, 2 Timothy, he's saying, "come before winter. Bring the parchments; bring this." He was alone every now and then. He didn't do well. And frankly, we don't either. Yes, when we're watching the Olympics, we're watching one gymnast. Maybe if it's not a team sport, maybe we're seeing one gymnast alone on the balance beam, or on the parallel, or uneven bars or those rings, or whatever. For that moment, It's kind of like the David and Goliath moment. But you know, where did David learn about the Lord? Probably his parents. For everybody that succeeds, you know, there's more than that moment. There is everything that went into that moment. We are watching, for two weeks, the best of the best on screen doing their ultimate moment. But the years of training, the years of support. The financial support, the coaches, the parents, the family coming together, communities coming together. I mean, so much. And I don't know about you, but to me, the Olympics at their best are just a taste of heaven, because that's what it's going to be. It's going to be people from every background, every nationality coming together, offering their best to the Lord. And you even see it in the Olympics where, even if we don't win, our people will congratulate somebody who had just broken a world record. Because guess what? There is a common humanity. There is a common bond of both striving for this. And you can do that. You can, "Hey, I wish it had been me," but if it wasn't me, "wow, good job." So you even see in the Olympics, this cheering, this empathizing, this concern for others at the best. Now, I know probably by the end of this, there'll be a doping scandal somewhere, whatever. I hate that, because that's not what it is about. And I am glad to be part of a nation that doesn't support that kind of thing. If our people get caught, they're in trouble. It's not like I'm not going to mention certain countries where it's government-sponsored doping. One of them I'm happy is not involved this year. I feel bad for those athletes. But that's not what this is about. This is about a world coming together in a good way. And ultimately, that's what heaven's going to be about. But how are we going to get there, friends? Well, Jesus, obviously. The only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. But when you are born again, just like in human birth, you were born into a family. So, what is your connect point with that family? Now, I know some families are a little dysfunctional and some of our churches can be really dysfunctional, but there are options. Every community, I mean, there's a million churches in this town. Well, not quite. You've got to be able to find fellowships somewhere, my friend. And if you're hopping from fellowship to fellowship, there probably is a problem. But guess what the problem just might be. If you are hopping from one church to another, to another, to another, somebody's bringing their baggage with them. And I don't know who you are, and I'm not bringing in accusation. I'm just saying, "look," address the problem because the body of Christ needs you and your talents and your gifts. And you need the body of Christ. I'll tell you what; I am so grateful for a supportive church family behind me and my ministry and service to the Lord. And I'm also grateful for people like you, Jonathan. I mean, I look forward to our time together off-mic, even much more than on-mic. Just supporting one another in Christ. And there have been others who've been just encouragers, brothers, mentors, need it. And, you know what? There are times when it's a healthy decision to move from one church to another. I'm not saying that, but if you can look at your life and say, "Hmm, I don't seem to stay anywhere very long." Now that brings a question. That constant, "what? Do we bring it to the Lord?" And bring it to whatever body of believers you're at and just confess it and say, "Hey, I got a blind spot here." I don't know what it is, but find it and be a builder wherever you're at. Be a builder. Let us not just, let's come to be encouraged. There's times we're absolutely looking for that encouragement, but be part of the solution. Part of what makes the body strong. Build one another up.

Jonathan Hernandez
Definitely.

Garry Schick
Alright. Hey, let's go out there and run our race for Jesus, friends. And I mean, they do it for, in New Testament times, it was for what? Literally a wreath crown that withered pretty quickly. Now I think, are those metals real gold? I would guess so. But you know what? Even if they're 14 karat and thick, it's nothing compared to, well, gold bricks that are just paving stones in heaven. Can you imagine what that reward, that crown ultimately is all about? Well, the well done from Jesus, more than it's so wishing that to all of you as you run your race, because we're all crossing that line at some point. And may we fall into our Savior's arms and hear that, "welcome home. Well done!"

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? What Makes You a Man of God?

The Warrior Soul - Life is a battle, and we are all soldiers. We may not wear a uniform, eat in a mess hall, or dodge actual bullets for a living, but we are in a war—a very crucial one. Just walk into any room of people and you’ll find immeasurable pain and wounds. On the outside we wear our camouflage well, but on the inside, deep within our own souls, we realize life is a conflict. It is traceable to a single source:  Satan, the adversary of our souls. Written by two US Army Green Berets, The Warrior’s Soul provides a guide for how to apply the techniques of a true warrior in the spiritual realm by emphasizing five core elements:

• A cause greater than self—why we fight

• A settled memory—the link between history and current circumstances

• A personal intensity—eager for challenges and undistracted by personal issues

• An unflagging optimism—an absolute commitment to never surrender

• A deep camaraderie—a personal commitment to fellow warriors

True warriors are willing to stand when others bow. With this first-rate preparation for spiritual battle you can stand strong and see victory.

The Ambition - A routine mob hit lights the fuse on an explosive collision of ambition and deception in the Windy City’s corridors of power. Drawing on his years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, bestselling author Lee Strobel reveals an insider’s tale of power, politics, and payoffs as current as today’s headlines. When a down-on-his-luck lawyer is coerced into bribing a judge to fix an upcoming mob trial, he secretly tapes the exchange to protect himself. After the dirty judge becomes a finalist for an open U.S. Senate seat, the incriminating tape isn’t the only thing standing in his way. Pastor-turned politician Eric Snow is determined to use his suburban megachurch as a launching pad for securing th eSenate appointment. And newspaper reporter Garry Strider threatens to uncover both candidates’ secrets in an investigation that may cost him his life. Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set within a gleaming suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The riveting climax is as unforgettable as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.  

About the Authors: 

Lieutenant General William Boykin - He is the co-author of The Warrior Soul and is the founder of Kingdom Warriors ministry. He is also the executive vice president of the Family Research Council. He was the US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under President George W. Bush from 2002-2007, and is the author of three books with combined sales of almost half a million copies. He resides in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Stu Weber - He is the co-author of The Warrior Soul. Dr. Weber is a Vietnam veteran and former US Army Green  Beret, and is a founding member of Good Shepherd Community Church in Portland, Oregon, where he served as lead pastor for over thirty years. He has authored several best-selling books and speaks nationally and internationally at events, including Promise Keepers, Family Life, and Iron Sharpens Iron. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Troutdale, Oregon, and have ten grandchildren. 

Lee Strobel - He is the author of The Ambition. Lee Strobel, with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty nonfiction books. A former atheist, he served as a teaching pastor at two of America’s largest churches. He and his wife live in Colorado.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Remembering to Hope

Hope in the Hard Places - The  truth is, no one gets a hall pass from the hard places in life. Whether it’s death, chronic illness, divorce, cancer, depression, wayward children, aging parents, or other trials, everyone experiences valleys at one time or another. How can you navigate the valley while remaining hopeful? A veteran of adversity, Sarah Beckman shows weary souls how to walk through their trials with hope rather than desperation. The youngest of 14 children raised by a single mom, Sarah has faced health issues, death of family members and friends, marriage crisis, and more. Along with poignant stories, insights, checklists, and guidelines, Sarah deftly weaves her hard-won wisdom with the sage advice she’s gathered from other seasoned travelers. Hope in the Hard Places helps readers: 

• Overcome insecurity about receiving help 

• Discover the benefits of asking for what they need 

• Discern the right (and wrong) people they need alongside them 

• Transform their mindset from helpless to hopeful

• Uncover the secret to forgive themselves and others 

• Walk through the depths of hardship with insight, dignity, and certainty.

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed - Missy knew that marrying duck-hunting family man Jase Robertson would be an adventure…and it’s turned out to be even more than she imagined. As with any marriage and family, nothing has ever been simple. But there’s so much more to their story than has ever been told. Amid the wildness and joy so often seen in A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which has captured the hearts of millions, life for the Robertson clan took a sudden turn when Missy and Jase’s daughter, Mia, was born with a cleft palate—a serious condition requiring multiple cranial and facial surgeries. As their baby faced a lifetime of being “different,” Missy and Jase had to ask, "Where is God in all of this?” This is their story of finding a good life—and a good God—in a difficult situation. As you go behind the scenes with Missy, you’ll find out how she and Jase have made it through their hardest times and encountered God’s protection and love in unexpected ways. You’ll discover how they are raising their kids to be spunky, confident, and secure in who they were made to be.

What Will The New Language Of The New Kingdom Be?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
Alright, so we are still using questions from that KCMI banquet. So today, kind of an interesting one. I didn't even know where this was exactly coming from when I first read the question and did a little digging and kind of found out. So the question is this, "there was one language before God mixed them up at the Tower of Babel. True enough, in Isaiah, God says He's going to give one pure language. What do you think that will be?" Well, I did a little digging, couldn't find anything in Isaiah. But in the King James version of Zephaniah 3:9, it reads as follows, "For then I will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent." Jonathan, what do you think about that?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, so I guess I'm reading into that question a little bit and thinking that maybe they were wondering about one certain language. Is it English or Chinese or whatnot? I don't know if that's the direction they were going with the question.

Garry Schick
That is the direction. And maybe, what was the original language before Babel, which probably in their mind, was the pure speech.

Jonathan Hernandez
Could be, yeah. I was telling you earlier; when I was going to church before I was pastoring and whatnot, I'd always remember my pastor would always say, "Jonathan, you need to learn Spanish because that's going to be the heavenly language." So I think that was his thought on that one.

Garry Schick
I think most of us think that about our own native tongue, don't we? "Well, this is what they're going to speak in heaven."

Jonathan Hernandez
And I would always tell them, "well, if that's going to be the heavenly language when I go to heaven, I'll know it." Unfortunately, I don't know it here on earth. But I think, as we look at this scripture, I think it's kind of, to me as I start looking into that, it looks more as in line of that purifying of the speech. They were in those times worshiping other idols. And so, out of their mouth was coming, I mean like slander kind, essentially. Yeah, unholy things were coming out. Worshiping idols and different things like that. And so I think, as we see this, the pure language, they're going to be purifying the lips. Purifying the words that are coming out. And we see this, really in a few different spots, quite a few different spots throughout the Bible. The Bible speaks a lot about how we should speak, and we can look at some powerful scriptures that even point to this. We could look at Psalms 37:30, it says, "the mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and his tongue talks of justice." So we see even throughout scripture where God is telling us that our speech should be pure. It shouldn't be bad. Ephesians 4:29, it says, "let no corrupt words proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the ears." So when I looked at this and as I was just looking at some scriptures and looking at what it was showing, "okay. What is my mouth speaking? Am I saying things that are unpure? Am I having that same language coming out that shouldn't be?" And if I do, then now it's time that I need to repent. And make sure that I am speaking the things that God wants me to speak. And Proverbs 15:4, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life." If our tongue is speaking good, right? Is speaking holy things? It says, "the wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perseverance breaks the spirit." We need to make sure that our speech is that of which God wants it to be, not this of the world. We shouldn't be downgrading people or speaking ill of people, but uplifting them and encouraging them in their walk of Christ. And so like I said, as I look through that scripture that we just talked about, I don't know what the one language will be spoken in heaven or whatnot, but according to that scripture, I see it in that way that the people then were speaking things that they shouldn't have been. And God was purifying that speech.

Garry Schick
And I think you're dead on, and I think it for several reasons. Yes, it's true that the King James version talks about the Lord giving them a pure language. But then if you look at that in the ESV translation (the English standard version), it says, "For at that time, I will change the speech of the people to a pure speech that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord." Now, when I dig back into the original Hebrew, it could kind of go either way. And if I go to the Greek translation of the Old Testament that was read in New Testament times, the word there could go either way as well. But what you can do without even having to know the biblical languages, which obviously, if there was one language, it would probably be Greek or Hebrew, right? That's what we maybe would assume, but that's not really what the passage is talking about. I think this is a great opportunity to say, sometimes we'll spot something in a verse that will kind of scratch our interest. And I think that's one, you know, so what will be the pure language? What will be the pure speech? What is that? Well, context is key. Listeners, get that little phrase in your head. Context is key. What in context is God talking about there? And I have a little subtitle to kind of help me know the context. In my ESV study Bible, it says, "The Conversion of the Nations." And if you look at this for that time, "I will change the speech or the language of the peoples," literally the nations, the Gentiles, "to a pure speech." Well, what was their speech? Without God? It was exactly what you pointed out. Idol worship and blaspheming God, and everything contrary to God. And so, what did Isaiah pray? Speaking of Isaiah---even though this verse isn't in Isaiah---when he saw the Lord, he says, "woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips." And actually, the Hebrew word there isn't really, "language," or, "speech." It's the word for lip. "I will give them a pure lip," is literally what the Hebrew is saying. The Greek, the Septuagint, the Old Testament in Greek that the New Testament church read says, "glosa," tongue. Now, a tongue can be a language, but it can also refer to speech or what trips off the tongue. And you, I think also did a great job of not only giving us the context, "what is this verse about?" It's not really about languages. It's about the Gentiles coming to faith and coming to praise the Lord with one voice, a clear voice of praise to Him. Not idolatrous and...it's purified. But then if you look at the breadth of scripture and how it speaks of the lips and the tongue, but regarding languages---and again, we look again at the scope of scripture. Revelation 7:9 talks about heaven. It says, John, the Apostle John, says, "after this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation and tribe and people and language standing before the throne of God clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and giving praise." So freedom for those of us who love our native tongues. It may be all, I think it will be all of them. I think we're going to speak all of our languages, and I think we're going to all understand each other, because God hears us in all the multiplicity. When God divided the tongues at Babel, He wasn't making them something impure. He was making it so that we would need to focus on getting our direction from Him instead of just, as a united world going on without Him. But He is praised. I mean, from the lips of children and infants. Jesus said you every day, and praise. By the way, this writer/caller was not the first to ask this question. There was actually a man somewhere, I don't know how far back in time, who he assumed that this was a reference to the language of The Garden of Eden. And he wanted to know what that language was. And so when his children were born, he wouldn't let anybody speak to them. He wanted to know what the language of the Garden of Eden was, and he just assumed that children would naturally speak it before they learned---. Well, it didn't work out so well. Children learn language; and they learn your language and whatever your language is. Listener, I guess at this point, most of our listeners are listening to us in English. That's what we're speaking. Your language is a beautiful language. And if you grew up knowing the mother tongue of your parentage, for Jonathan, it would be Spanish. For me, it would've been German/Russian. Those are beautiful languages. And God is praised in all those tongues. But whatever language we speak, are we using our tongue to sing and speak His praise and honor Him? Not only that our tongues are cleaned up from idolatry, but how we speak to others, boy, there's some conviction there. I've got to admit, sometimes I'm kind of grumpy. And sometimes it comes out of my mouth and, oh man, that wasn't a good witness today. Part of this reminds me a lot of, years ago, I spent some time in Africa. I think I've told you about this before. We're so blessed as a nation, we're really English, and now Spanish as well are kind of the two languages. I know some people struggle with that, but in Africa, everybody speaks their tribal tongue. At least in Kenya, the part of Kenya I was in, they speak their tribal tongue. They all know Swahili because that's how they communicate with each other. And then they know a little bit of English to get along with us Europeans, because Kenya at one point was a British colony. So I mean, they're trilingual and they're pretty good at it, because I mean, a lot of them are actually fairly good at English, and that really is their third. But one of the cool things there, when we were in a really small, not that big of an area, but I mean there were nine different tribal tongues. And I collected, I don't have it with me, I wasn't really thinking about this, but I collected how to sing, "God is so good," in all of these different languages. Kalenjin and Swahili, and of course I had it down in English. I mean, I can't even remember all the different tribes. And it's kind of fun saying, "God is so good," in all those different languages, and I just think that's going to be a taste of heaven. We're going to get up there. We're going to be singing amazing grace in all the tongues, and we're all going to know what we're, I mean, that one, you would know what they're singing. Maybe not what verse they're on, but because that's when we know. But we're going to know the Lord and we're going to sing His praise and He's going to know what we're saying just like He does now. And He's going to hear, not only the whole group, but He's going to hear every voice that's singing His praise. And He's going to know more than just our tongue, but the heart that it comes from.