BOOK EXCERPT FROM SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE KING: A Young Adult Fantasy, Book 2, by Lorilyn Roberts

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ISBN Number 978-0996532235

2014 Literary Classics Book Awards Winner for faith-based YA fiction 

Finalist in the 2014 USA Book Awards for religious fiction

Winner in 9th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for spirituality

Finalist in the 2015 International Book Awards.

Silver winner in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards for YA

Finalist (fifth) in the 2015 Best Indie Book Award for YA fiction

After a series of devastating events, Daniel Sperling, a gifted seventeen-year-old Israeli boy, becomes the focus of a wager between good and evil. Marked by one, he travels to first-century Israel and meets a doctor who becomes his mentor.

When he unwittingly makes a pact with the devil and the girl he loves is betrothed to another, his life takes a different course, until his eyes are opened. 

Trapped in the seventh dimension, how far will God go to save him?

EXCERPT FROM 

CHAPTER ONE 

DEATH

 

“Please, God, don’t let him die!” I cried.

General Goren’s face turned blue as the medic and nurse rushed into the room.

The nurse barked orders. “Start chest compressions. One, two, three, four—” seconds passed.

“No pulse,” the medic said.

After applying gel, the nurse placed the defibrillator pads on his bare chest.

“All clear,” she yelled.

We stepped back and waited.

The heart monitor remained flat.

“Again,” the medic said.

On the second attempt, General Goren’s eyes fluttered open.

A faint hope stirred in the room.

The death cat stood in the doorway. The nursing home mascot had never been wrong—maybe just this once. I wanted to yell at the cat to go away.

“Daniel,” a voice said faintly.

I leaned over and squeezed the General’s hand. “Yes, I am here.”

His eyes met mine. I drew nearer, avoiding the wires leading to the equipment. His breathing was labored. I was thankful the nurse and medic didn’t insist I leave.

“There is something I need to tell you,” he said faintly.

I shook my head. “No, save your energy. You don’t need to tell me now.”

“I must,” he pleaded. “You must know.”

I glanced at the medic and nurse. He was in no condition to talk. “Know—what?”

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. “You saved my life at Synagogue Hall.”

“What?” The man must be hallucinating.

The General continued. “May 1948—hospital in Jewish Quarter.”

“No. It was someone else. I’m Daniel Sperling, son of Aviv, a volunteer at the Beth Hillel Nursing Home. I’m seventeen years old.” 

“Let him talk,” said the medic. He lowered his voice, “In case he dies.”

“Don’t say that,” I whispered.

The cat stood in the doorway—watching.

General Goren pulled me closer. “No, Son. It was you. They carried me in on a stretcher. I had a collapsed lung. The Arabs had burned everything but the hospital. The flames—cries of children—horrible. Mothers and fathers—all gone. The children—” he stopped, unable to continue.

I reassured him. “You did the best you could. Everyone did.”

General Goren flinched. “Dr. Laufer and Dr. Riss had a flashlight. Nurse Tzviah tried—” his voice cracked again. “I told them not to waste any more time on me, to help the others.”

I’d never heard this story. The war hero rarely talked about those weeks in Jerusalem. Despite his success many years later, he apparently never forgot that night.

“The reinforcements didn’t arrive in time. We held out as long as we could.”

“Forgive yourself.”

Tears welled up and he coughed. His eyes stared and the medic shocked him again.

“We have a heartbeat, a faint one,” the nurse said.

Should I leave so he could save his strength or stay and let him finish?

General Goren said, “I must tell you this before I’m gone.”

“I’m listening.”

The room became quiet. The only sound was his weak, raspy voice.

“You had a scar on your forehead. You walked over and touched me. The pain left. I cried out to the nurse—I wanted to know who you were—but you were gone.”

My hero had mistaken me for someone else.

“Thank you for saving my life,” the General said. “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t think you would believe me.”

I squeezed his hand.

“God has great plans for you. You’re an angel.” The old man stopped breathing.

“He’s gone,” said the medic.

We checked the monitor. The war hero who had survived so many battles was no longer with us.

I ran out the door, tripping over the cat. I stopped and turned to face the poor creature. “Sorry,” I muttered.

His gray eyes stared into space, but the cat’s purrs reached my ears. 

I reached down and picked him up. Stroking his head gently, I leaned over and kissed him. Couldn’t the blind animal have been wrong just this once?

 

 

*~*~*~*

 

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THE COST OF LIVING IN AN UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts

To My Readers,

 

My good friend, Michael Jack Webb, sent me the following email a couple of days after I posted my blog post of 5/24/2021, “Is It Time to Leave Your Church? Why I left Mine,” and his insights were so good, I received permission from him to post his words here in a follow-up post. 

First, let me say my former church did not like what I wrote. I received this text, “Your blog post was very hurtful to quite a few people who read it,” and in the same text message, I was told, “Please do not come to the One Another Group dinner tonight,” which was the last prayer group meeting until this fall.

These are my final comments (this blog post) on leaving Creekside Community Church. I posted the May 24^th blog post not to make my church angry, but because many people had asked why I left. I had been at Creekside for decades, and I didn’t want to have to speak about it anymore. Just rehashing the events that led to my departure was painful. 

As the days before the Lord’s return draw near, I believe God will bring new people into our lives, and He will remove some friends that we always thought would be life-long friends. 

I would urge readers to commit all their relationships to God. The time we have left might be so short that we should surround ourselves with friends passionate about sharing their faith with the unsaved. Associate with those who are unyielding in their commitment to Jesus Christ. Be prepared to lose friendships. It’s part of the upside-down world now in which we live.

As Michael Webb says below, leaving my former church was painful. Lymphedema from my cancer surgery three years earlier flared up. I was sick in bed for two days running a fever, so I went to the emergency room. They discovered I had a UTI and put me on antibiotics.

In the midst of what I can only describe as a crisis, I cried out to God, “Where should I go to church, Lord?” We were in the middle of the pandemic, and most churches were closed. It’s not an easy thing to leave a church you’ve attended for over thirty years and start new relationships at 65 years old in an unfamiliar church. I felt broken and alone. 

As I’m crying out to God with these thoughts racking my brain, God immediately answered, “Kol Simcha.”

God’s swift answer shocked me:  I hadn’t thought about Kol Simcha in decades. However, I knew the rabbi and his wife who founded it. 

We had met at the Jewish Center at The University of Florida in the early 1990s. I remembered the first time they came. I had been dancing with the Jewish students for about a year when they showed up looking for the Jewish dance classes. They had brought their two young children with them. I had stepped outside momentarily, right as they approached. 

It was a divine appointment as we made quick introductions. How often do you run into Christians at a Jewish worship center on a university campus?

Now, thirty years later, we renewed our friendship. As I started attending, I discovered other friends I’d lost touch with that are members at Kol Simcha. Some were people I knew not just superficially but deeply.  

Some have asked me questions about what worship is like in a Messianic congregation, including my mother. She asked, “Do they believe Jesus is the Messiah?”

I think as we near the Lord’s return, we will see the convergence of Jews and Christians in worship. True, undefiled worship is going to become increasingly complex, especially for large churches. Now I’ve found a passion for Yeshua in the Messianic congregation unparalleled in the traditional Christian church.

Yes, Messianic congregations do believe Jesus is the Messiah. For the curious, I will write a follow-up blog post that will focus on the similarities and the differences between Messianic congregations and Christian churches. I’m still learning. I will say here, my understanding of the Old Testament has magnified as I’ve discovered more of the Old Testament in the New Testament. I am growing in my faith and my love for Yeshua Hamashiach, and I’m thankful to be surrounded by others who share my passion and love for the Messiah.

Please read my friend’s email below. I believe God meant these powerful words not only for me but for other Christians who find themselves in a similar situation. Take heart. God has overcome the world and will not leave you or forsake you.

Morning Lorilyn—

 

Very powerful!

I know it must have cost you a great deal to leave and to post your article.

I’m praying for you. (Phil. 6-9)

      

We are in the season of the Great Falling Away. (2Thess. 2:3)

          You can’t “fall away” from something you were never part of.

          So, even though many disagree, large numbers of “Believers” are indeed falling away from Christianity and embracing “another gospel.” (2 Cor. 11:3-4, Gal. 1:5-7).

          It’s both a troublesome and exciting time, for it is Scripture unfolding before our eyes. (Ezek. 39:21)

          God is truly winnowing His “church” identifying and separating the sheep from the goats. (Ps. 77:13-14, 78:65-72).

          He is identifying His Remnant. (Heb. 5:5-11).

          In days to come there will be much weeping, gnashing of teeth, and tearing of garments as Holy Spirit moves in power across the Earth.

          We are at the beginning of the birth pangs of Christ’s return (Matt. 24:7-9).

          God is giving the Faithful an opportunity to draw night to Him in intimacy in preparation for what is racing upon us like a speeding freight train (Heb. 11:6).

          There will be persecution for those who remain steadfast (Phil. 3:9-11).

          Our comfort is that those who persecute us today, we who do not bow to other gods, are of the same spirit as those who persecute(d) Jesus.

          Stay strong, my friend (Eph. 6:10).

          God has given you a powerful voice - His Voice - and a platform.

          Continue to use it wisely as Holy Spirit guides you in all things.

         

Blessings, and shalom,

In Him,

Jn. 14:21    

 

Michael Jack Webb

Bestselling and Award-winning Author

http://www.michaeljackwebb.com

Stories that ignite imaginations & stir souls . . .

michaeljwebbbooks@gmail.com

IS IT TIME TO LEAVE YOUR CHURCH? WHY I LEFT MINE: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts

If you are like me, your church is your family. It’s where you go for help, where you go for prayer, where you share your dreams, where you worship the Lord you love, and where you unite with like-minded individuals who share your commitment to Jesus Christ.

When I divorced in 1986, I stayed in Gainesville, Florida, because I didn’t want to leave my church.

When I arrived home with my first daughter from Nepal on May 8, 1994, which happened to be Mother’s Day, my prayer group greeted me at the airport. One of the church leaders prayed over us.

My church was my primary source of support through my year-long bout with late-stage breast cancer. To this day, some people in the church are still some of my dearest friends.

So, what happened that led me to leave my beloved church in October 2020?

The final betrayal to me was when the church leadership abandoned the preeminence of the unborn baby in the mother’s womb. If you aren’t pro-life in every way, then you have left your first love—Jesus Christ.

I have since learned that some of my closest friends and cohorts are pro-choice. They won’t come out and say it, but the truth speaks louder than words when pressed.

One friend said other issues were as important to her as the abortion issue, and she wasn’t a one-topic voter. In fact, she had become a registered Democrat. She hated Trump. A cohort this last week said she could not talk to me about her position on abortion. She also hated Trump.

After being shocked by what they said, sadness filled my heart. I can understand why someone who isn’t a Christian might think abortion is a viable birth control measure; I can’t understand how a Christian could ever feel that way. 

Is it because the evangelical church has become so compromised, so wishy-washy, so consumed with materialism and losing tithers that, in essence, they are the end-time Laodicean church? Neither hot nor cold, they can neither inspire a generation of soul seekers for Christ nor can they discern the signs of the imminent return of Christ.

I’ve discovered many folks who profess to be evangelicals have an amillennial view of the reign of Christ. That means they don’t believe in a literal thousand-year worldwide rule of our Savior as King of kings. 

We live in a time of “tribal” warfare, and I believe this is intentional by God. It’s easy to believe there is safety in numbers. Surround yourself with liars, and you will become one yourself. I understood the millennium just from reading the Bible. I had to have someone interpret amillennialism for me because I could never find it in the Bible.

My former, long-time church in Gainesville, Florida, is filled with doctors, professors, and intellectuals who are much more learned than I am. How easy it is to be intimidated by “teachers” who are more educated. You believe they know better than you—especially a church that “worships” knowledge and prides itself on its meticulous study of Scripture and rightly dividing the Word.

If you visited my former church, that is what would impress you—the supremacy given to Bible study and becoming a learned disciple of Jesus Christ. Of course, there are other good things about my former church, but it’s the lack of living out that faith in accordance with the Scriptures that shattered me.

What specifically led to my leaving? My former church refused to post a letter from James Dobson that I wanted to be made available to the congregants that focused on the differences between the Republican and Democratic platforms.

During that same general time, one of the pastors led a prayer from the pulpit, encouraging the congregation to bend the knee for our confessed and unconfessed prejudice toward African-Americans.

I sent a blog post to my pastors about the origins of Black Lives Matter and a video by Pastor Brandon Holthaus at Rock Harbor Church, in Bakersfield, California, concerning the dangers of Critical Race Theory. One of the pastors emailed me back, “If I follow this pastor’s thinking to his logical conclusion, he would call me a useful idiot.”

That same pastor said it was wrong to close our southern borders to families with children coming here for freedom. We agreed to disagree. I worked as a court reporter for over twenty years. I believe we must follow all the laws of this great nation as they are written. We can change those laws if they aren’t working. We can’t find all those missing people who have entered our country illegally once they are here. I captioned one of the hearings on C-Span where they talked about this very thing. Most of them never show up for their court hearing. That’s why we have so many illegal aliens in our country.

Think about the ramifications—actually, now you don’t need to. Just watch Fox News and see the consequence of open borders—the heartbreak, the misery, and the suffering. We will be paying the price forever. How sad for all those victims—and it was completely avoidable. My former pastor got what he wanted.

Someone who shall remain anonymous told me that every elder of my former church voted for Biden except one. How tragic. Years ago, there was a book for kids titled, What Would Jesus Do? I wonder, would Jesus have voted for Trump? God has allowed Biden to be our president for a time, but I don’t think he was God’s choice.

When my former church implemented the mask mandate, I returned once. After an hour of torture, I realized I could not sit through a church service wearing a covering over my face and worship the God I love.

One of the elders on the board of my former church is an infectious disease doctor, and he went along with the official treatment narrative of the CDC. Because he said Remdesivir was the best treatment available, everybody at church believed him—everybody except me. He also said hydroxychloroquine was an unacceptable alternative. I knew that wasn’t true.

What about the church’s position on Israel? One member told me she did not believe the promises of God to Israel applied today and that she supported the Palestinians. Now I think this perversion of truth permeated the church’s underlying thought. I don’t remember ever praying corporately for Israel. Based on a sermon one of the pastors gave on the Olivet Discourse, I asked him afterward if he believed in Replacement Theology. He asked me what that was. Perhaps he just wanted to make sure he understood my question. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. 

I anticipate a rocky road ahead for the Christian church. Many evangelical leaders, because they hate Trump, have lost, in my opinion, the ability to lead. John Piper, Max Lucado, Russell Moore, and Tim Keller are four high-profile Christian leaders whose books I read and pastors/authors I admired. I gave away all of my books that they wrote, and I had dozens.

I know many people will disagree with me, and I’m okay with that. I am accountable to God for everything I write and for what I believe. I fear God—not man. For those who share my deeply-held beliefs, know you aren’t alone. Just because a doctor, a pastor, or an intellectual tells you that abortion is acceptable, be a Berean. Search the Scriptures and ask yourself: How is abortion different from child sacrifice to Baal? We know what God said about that. What you may not know is that there is power in that blood—and the Satanists need that power to carry out their demonic purposes. We are waging a battle for the souls of humankind—people that God sent His Son to die for. 

Satan hates all human life, and babies in the womb are an easy target because they are defenseless. Too many have closed their ears to their helpless cries and hardened their hearts to the truth.  The babies’ organs are harvested—harvested while they are still living. Imagine having your limbs pulled off and your organs removed while you are still alive. And you want to tell me you can’t stand up for the unborn child? Anyone who voted for Biden or who calls himself pro-choice will have to answer to God.

I have now officially joined a Messianic congregation, Kol Simcha, in Gainesville, Florida. I am growing once again in my faith and am thankful to be part of a dynamic pro-family, pro-Israel, pro-freedom church that loves the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua Hamashiach. I feel a soul connection and find peace and serenity with other believers who are waiting expectantly for our Savior’s return.

Amid a world turned upside-down, where evil is called good and good is called evil, I’m thankful to unite with others who share my heart for God. I believe no matter what comes, I am safe. I am where I need to be.

If you are unhappy with your church, ask God to lead you somewhere else. Don’t stay in a compromised church. While I believe revival is coming, I also think persecution is coming. 

If the government can mandate a young child to wear a mask, shut down churches, and lie to you, it will have no qualms asking YOU to take the “mark of the beast.” It’s only a matter of time.

Get ready now to fight the greatest battle you’ve ever fought. If you aren’t willing to live for Jesus Christ, you will never be willing to die for Him.