END TIMES SHOFAR, PASSOVER BLOOD MOON, RARE SOLAR ECLIPSE, AND CALL TO PRAYER: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts

The press release below arrived in my in-box this week and highlights some things God has shown me as I write the third book in my Seventh Dimension YA Series, The Castle. 

My research, geared toward the Jewishness of the Bible, has revealed many interesting events and facts I find hard to ignore. Because the fourth book in the series will be focused on the future, I've needed to consider important elements that will affect the plot.

Based on historical precedence, I would be surprised if the following events don't happen by the end of the year: War in the Middle East, a worldwide financial collapse similar to 2001 and 2007, and increasing persecution of Christians and Jews in the Middle East. 

Many Christians are not aware of the significance of the Jewish festivals, Jewish calendar, and signs in the heavens related to Jesus' first and second appearance. I hope blog posts like this will shed light on God's timetable. While we don't know the exact date of Jesus' return, we do know the times. God has given us many prophecies and warnings so we could know. I am one of those who longs for Jesus' return. Please keep reading to learn more.

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PRESS RELEASE

Passover Blood Moon Preceded by Exceedingly Rare Solar Eclipse Prompts Global Call to Prayer    Contact: Tuly Weisz, 786-275-5904 JERUSALEM, Israel, March 12, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- An exceedingly rare solar eclipse will take place next week over a most symbolic location on a day infused with both great natural significance and profound religious meaning, according to Root Source. “There will be a total eclipse of the sun for two minutes over the North Pole on Friday, March 20, the day of the Spring Equinox which coincides with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the first month in the Biblical calendar year, a solar occurrence that has likely never happened before in human history. “The concurrence and rarity of this natural event, together with the times in which we live, indicates the finger of God,” said Gidon Ariel, an Israeli Jew and co-founder of Root Source, an online platform where Christians can learn Jewish concepts, ideas and thought, and more deeply understand the roots of their faith. “A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring occurs once every 100,000 years. For it to occur on the first day of the first month of the Biblical calendar year is, however, entirely unprecedented since this is only the year 5775 according to Jewish tradition, meaning that there has never been such a solar occurrence in human history. “Root Source founders Bob O’Dell, a devout Christian, and Gidon Ariel, an Orthodox Jew, are both calling all Christians and Jews to join them for two minutes of prayer as a response to the solar eclipse. O’Dell and Ariel chose a specific Bible verse for the global prayer.  “‘I will be praying Isaiah 11:9 for two minutes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem at 12:18 PM local time,’ Ariel said. “‘I invite Jews and Christians worldwide to join me at that exact moment, and to speak that verse out loud as a prayer in your native language. May God hear and quickly answer the combined prayers of all of us around the world,’ said Ariel. “‘God directed Gidon and me to pray Isaiah 11:9, as it describes a future where all land is a place of safety because the knowledge of the LORD is as omnipresent as all the earth’s oceans, signified by the path of an amazing eclipse that eventually reaches the top of all the world's oceans,’ said Bob O’Dell.” For more information, visit www.root-source.com. II Cor 15:52 states, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed” (New Living Translation).

CREATIVE WRITING INSIGHTS: “My Favorite Top Five Young Adult Books of all Time are…Drum Roll,” by Lorilyn Roberts

Well, I had to list six. I couldn’t limit it to five. Some of the books I have listed here are not Christian books, but I didn’t know about all the great Christian authors when I was a young adult since I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Thus, I didn’t say “Christian books,” I just said books.

For instance, I did not know about C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, George McDonald, and many other Christian authors. I did discover in the library A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine I’Engle when I was about 12, which is the only “Christian” worldview book I read as a teenager, and loved. I lament that I didn’t discover other Christian authors until I was in my 30’s, when my birthfather (whom I didn’t meet until I was 30) introduced me to C.S. Lewis.

I was introduced to other wonderful authors/books when I homeschooled my daughters, and so I have a new set of books I love in this genre now.

My first all-time favorite would be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I have read this book at least three times and it embodies much that I want to write in my own books: Characters that are memorable, a Christian theme without being preachy, original creativity, a well-constructed plot, meaningful symbolism, and redemption. When I think of a story that is among the best, this book always comes to mind.

The second would be The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I have read this book twice, once with each of my daughters. It is hard to believe that this story isn’t real. Ms. Lowry writes such a believable story that I wonder if I could ever come anywhere close to emulating her. Because my YA Seventh Dimension Series is a fantasy of sorts (part of it), I have reflected on how she made the story seem so real.

The third book would be Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. Again, I loved the Christian message, the symbolism, the struggle, and the redemption. I can relate to the protagonist and all that he went through.

My fourth and fifth all-time favorite books are Gone With the Wind and The Exodus. I remember how I felt reading them as a YA and the sorrow when I finished them. I didn't want the books to end. I still remember the young girl in The Exodus who died; my heart was broken. It’s interesting that I don’t remember the exact plot. I remember the characters. I fell in love with the protagonist in The Exodus. I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with a fictional character in a book. The same holds true for Gone With the Wind (Yes, I thought Rhett Butler was handsome and charming).

I recently read The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, and I couldn’t avoid listing it here. I don’t have the benefit of time to see where it will eventually fit into the collection of books that I have read as my all-time favorites, but because of the way she wrote it, the book touched my heart. I was drawn into her world of suffering, and the way she described the people in the attic and all the things that happened, it was hard for me to believe she lived and died before I was born.

Even when I was young, I enjoyed books that had significant undertones/struggles, and these also are the books that have made significant contributions to the literary world. I believe teens can handle difficult, heavy topics. My dream is to write books that can touch the heart of YA readers and influence their worldview with Christ’s love—enabling them to grow and become the person God created them to be.

I’d love to hear from you: What are your favorite YA books?

Note: I didn’t include The Lord of the Rings Trilogy as I consider it to be more for adults. The pace is rather slow to engage YA readers, though maybe I should have listed The Hobbit. Sigh. It’s so difficult to narrow it down, isn’t it?