The Book of Life

By Jim Hester

The Book of Life takes a fresh look at redemption and uses it as a guide for approaching both personal issues of spirituality and societal issues of politics. By stretching its embrace widely, it enables the reader to learn how individuals can get to heaven and how the people of the United States can solve their country’s most persistent problems.

By drawing on the imagery of runners in a race, following the example of Paul the apostle, Jim Hester looks at life as a contest between two ways: humanity’s way and God’s way. The line of thought in The Book of Life explores these two concepts, incorporating the six main sections of the Bible and the six days before Jesus’s death and interpreting them in light of six different topics: problems, ideas, goals, attitudes, events and people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jan 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483444079

Book preview

The

BOOK

of

LIFE

JIM HESTER

Life Book

Copyright © 2016 Jim Hester.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4406-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4407-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920851

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Life Book rev. date:   1/8/2016

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Opening Ceremonies

Chapter 1   Redemption

Monday

Chapter 2   Everything Is Meaningless (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 3   I Am The Bread Of Life (God’s Way/I Am)

Tuesday

Chapter 4   Wisdom Is Meaningless (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 5   I Am The Light!(God’s Way/I Am)

Wednesday

Chapter 6   Pleasure Is Meaningless (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 7   I Am The Gate (God’s Way/I Am)

Thursday

Chapter 8   Riches Are Meaningless (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 9   I Am The Resurrection And The Life (God’s Way/I Am)

Friday

Chapter 10   Work Is Meaningless (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 11   I Am The Way, The Truth And The Life (God’s Way/I Am)

Saturday

Chapter 12   We All Die (Man’s Way/i am)

Chapter 13   I Am The True Vine (God’s Way/I Am)

Sunday

Chapter 14   Closing Ceremonies

Dedication

To Marla, the love of my life. If I could give you one thing, it would be the ability to see yourself through my eyes for only then would you realize how special you are to me. Thank you for believing in me and showing me that the way to a more abundant life is through God. I’m still a work in progress, but you’ve made me a better man and I am forever grateful.

Preface

The Book of Life reveals how we as individuals can get to heaven and how America can solve its most complex problems. In a nutshell, it’s about redemption and is presented in a unique way by looking at both spiritual and political issues. Some Christians may say that it’s too secular while some non-Christians may claim that it’s too religious. But we’ve been commanded to live abundant lives here on earth and valiantly seek eternal life, while helping as many people as possible do the same. In other words, we are to do God’s will on earth and in heaven. We must, therefore, examine both the world as well as our final destination: heaven.

The Book of Life, using the analogy of an Olympic athlete in a race, looks at life in two contrasting themes: i am and I AM, man’s way and God’s way, under the sun and under the son (of God). It explores these two sweeping concepts, incorporating the six main sections of the Bible and the six days before Jesus’ death through six different vehicles: the world’s 1) problems, 2) ideas, 3) goals, 4) attitudes, 5) events, and 6) people. We can’t possibly understand how glorious God’s kingdom is unless we can first comprehend how jacked up things are here on earth. Although many of us are enslaved in chains, if we help others and surrender to God, we’ll be redeemed and our name will be entered into the Book of Life, never to be blotted. Think of a doorway with two doors; one door, called man’s way, will lead you to hell; the other way, called God’s way, will lead you to heaven. While we have all messed up in some form or fashion, we can live, as Ebenezer Scrooge did, an altered life and fight, as the Apostle Paul did, the good fight and go through the right door. It’s taken me decades to understand that to be great, you have to be less, to be first, you have to be last, and that the key to living is dying.

This book explains the purpose of life which, in its essence, is to serve and glorify God. But you can’t just think about yourself since there are millions of your fellow Americans who have nowhere to sleep each night and millions who are probably going to hell. While you cannot earn salvation, for it is a gift from God, we’ve been commanded to help others. We cannot just focus only on ourselves and ignore the plight of others.

The Book of Life looks at the American political process in a broad perspective and examines poverty and the national debt, issues that are both moral and economic in nature and which are enslaving large segments of our nation. While the institution of slavery has thankfully been abolished, millions of Americans do not share in the American dream and tens of millions, especially young people, will be crushed by debilitating debt in the coming years. Poverty shames us all and saddling future generations with massive debt is immoral. And if we know the truth of eternal salvation but do not share it with others, then we are missing the entire point of why Jesus came. We must do our best to help our fellow Americans with both their physical and spiritual needs. We can’t just say, I got mine.

And while, in a political sense, there will always be different ways of looking at things, and although we will never all agree on the solutions, we have more things in common than separate us. We, as a nation, have one future, one nation, and one God, and while there can be no compromise on certain eternal truths, the answer to solving some of our vexing earthly problems is through the political process of negotiation, compromise and balancing. While there is only one way to heaven, there are multiple ways of solving our many problems.

But man’s politics will always fall short and some of our most complicated problems will never be resolved. Interestingly, the preamble to the Constitution speaks of a more perfect union rather than a perfect union because the founding fathers knew that the latter would never be achieved. Real solutions will not come from Washington but only from heaven. While the U.S. Constitution is an amazing document, the Bible must always be the authoritative book that controls our lives. The long-term answer to our problems is God but a Christian government is not the answer and we can’t just sit around and do nothing waiting for Jesus to return. We have to make the effort to solve some of these problems, if not for our own sake, for the sake of future generations. But we must do more than divide the nation into blue and red segments and scream at each other about how horrible the other is for such antics only make things worse. We must do more than criticize and point fingers; we must work together to solve problems. And we must do more than follow the wind; we must change the wind.

This book is not about religion and in fact, cautions against being blinded by religion. It is instead about developing a personal relationship with the God that created you. God wants us to live abundantly and we are told over and over again to not waste our lives. But the answer is one of perspective. If you focus on life under the sun, you’ll never find fulfillment, you will never find your purpose. But if you concentrate on life under the son (of God), you’ll find the answer. It’s been said that if you look for worldly things first and heavenly things second, you’ll find neither but if you look for heavenly things first and worldly things second, you’ll find both.

In the end, life both here on earth and our eternal life in heaven will be determined by our choices. The ball is totally in our court and we alone will dictate where we spend eternity. Salvation is both the easiest, and the hardest, thing you will ever do. All you have to do is accept Christ as your savior, believe that He is Lord, and confess your sins. And yet shockingly, most people will not do so and will instead go the wrong way. Yes, I intend for my name to be entered into the Book of Life, not because I deserve it but because I’ve placed my faith in Christ. But if I don’t help others get their names inscribed as well, and if I do nothing while they go hungry, then I’ve missed the point of Jesus’ coming and of my life on earth.

This book is not just an abstraction. You can actually have your name entered in the Book of Life. Please visit www.bookoflife.name. But please carefully consider the following caveat: In order for you to have your name entered into the Book of Life, Scripture tells us in the book of Romans 10:9-10 to sincerely " … confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation … "Only God can see your heart and no one on earth knows if you are sincere. But if you are, the Bible tells us that your name will be entered into the Book of Life, never to be blotted. Many state the above verbally every day. We’re taking it one step further and asking you to put it in writing.

On November 12, 2015, as this book was going to press, my wonderful, sweet mother, the kindest person who ever lived, passed away. While she was the most decent person I have ever known, I am not sure if she accepted Christ as her savior. The possibility that she is not in heaven haunts me because I could have done more, I should have done more, to make sure she was saved. I am determined to make sure that as many people as possible find their names in the Book of Life. If you have loved ones who have not accepted Jesus, don’t let another day go by.

I choose to be blessed, rather than blotted, and to spend eternity in heaven. We must help others live better lives here on earth and help them find their stairway to heaven. I may fall short but I’m going to try. I hope you’ll try as well.

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OPENING

CEREMONIES

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1

REDEMPTION

I’m the king of the world!

Titantic

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew

I faced it all and I stood tall

And did it my way.

My Way-Frank Sinatra

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments and I will never blot out his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5

Ebenezer Scrooge, a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner, as described by Charles Dickens in his classic A Christmas Carol, was shocked by the visit from the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. A distressed Scrooge asked the apparition: Why do spirits walk the earth and why do they come to me?

"It is required of every man," the Ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death."

Not realizing that this statement was essentially the Great Commission that Jesus uttered two thousand years ago as He ascended into heaven, as well as a heavy admonition if we fail to heed the directive, Scrooge continued to question his former business partner, who was now wearing chains. Marley explained his circumstances.

"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will and of my own free will I wore it." Continuing, He said, "I am here tonight to warn you, that you yet have a chance and hope of escaping my fate." He told Scrooge that he would be haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come and then vanished, chains and all.

Dickens’ masterpiece was essentially a tale about redemption, a way to change our lives and avoid Marley’s fate. And we need to be redeemed, individually and as a nation. As individuals, fortunately, there’s an easy way to be redeemed and have our name entered in the Book of Life but inexplicably, most do not pursue it. As a nation, it’s a little trickier. We are all slaves to various things; slaves to fear, slaves to material goods, slaves to power, slaves to popularity, all the while oblivious to the chains that we all wear. Although the practice of owning other people as property has been banished, slavery exists in other forms.

Paul wrote to the Galatians that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, saying that "you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." And he admonished the Romans, telling them, and us, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but that we can be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus.

We don’t use the word redemption much anymore but it was often used in the purchase of a slave, where the slave would be set free by paying the price. One could go to the slave market, pay the price and set him free. This is what Jesus did when He died upon the cross.

We are all slaves desperately needing redemption. And while the answer is so easy, most will miss it, including poor Jacob Marley. Although Ebenezer Scrooge was a bitter, wretched man, he was redeemed and was freed from the shackles he wasn’t even aware he’d been wearing.

Do you want to be redeemed, released from your chains and have your name entered in the Book of Life? It’s the easiest, and hardest, thing you will ever do. You can say Bah, humbug like Scrooge or you can get your running shoes on. It’s your choice.

BLOTTED

At the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, the two faster runners in the world, Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson, lined up for the finals of the 100 meter race. Nearly 100,000 people filled Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, and millions were watching on TV.

Lewis, hoping to become the first man to win back-to-back golds in this event, had suggested previously that Johnson’s world record was tainted because of doping. Johnson laughed and accused Lewis of sour grapes. Johnson, after all, had been earning $480,000 a month in endorsements since breaking the world record and had been named the Associated Press athlete of the year for 1987. Lewis, the darling of the 1984 games, was yesterday’s news.

Johnson burst out of the starting blocks like a bullet and 9.79 seconds later, a new world record had been set and Johnson was the world’s fastest human. He raised his right hand and turned towards Lewis, to let him know that he was the new champion. His celebrity stature quickly reached the ionosphere. Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney called him after the race. It’s a marvelous evening for Canada, he said in a televised conversation. The Toronto Star came up with a new word: "Benfastic." However, his world caved in very quickly.

A mere 48 hours after the race, Canadian Olympic officials received a memo from the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission. The head of the Canadian delegation called Johnson and asked for him and his manager to come in that morning. As Johnson arrived, he was told they had some bad news and that he better sit down.

Officials told Johnson that two tests established that he had used a banned substance called stanozolol, a water-based steroid which can enhance an athlete’s performance. Johnson was told that he had been stripped of his gold medal, that Carl Lewis was the new winner, that he would have to return his medal that day, that he was banned from competition for two years, and that the Canadian government would no longer send him monthly payments that he was supposed to receive for the rest of his life.

Ben Johnson, one of the most famous athletes on earth, and a towering specimen of a man, had, for a short time, been king of the world. But, like Frank Sinatra, he tried to do it his way. And as a result, he name was blotted out of the Olympic records. We all have choices in life and our choices will determine if we are blessed or blotted.

There’s something more at stake than a gold medal for everyone on earth. Believers in God know that I’m talking about eternal salvation and I hope that Christians will embrace my imperfect attempt to describe God’s graceful redemption of His faithful. But this book is not just for those who know the secret handshake. Even if you think this is a bunch of Bible-thumping nonsense, give me a chance to tell you about the single most important thing you will ever do: getting your name into the Book of Life. If you disagree after reading this book, I wish you well. But after nearly six decades of living for myself, I’ve come to the conclusion that I was wrong and that there’s a better way. But it’s our choice. We can choose the wide road or the narrow road, we can choose Jerusalem or Babylon. Will you choose well?

Andy Dufresne, the innocent banker who was falsely convicted for murder in The Shawshank Redemption told his buddy, Red, just before escaping from prison, "Get busy living or get busy dying." I would make one small change. "Get busy living and get busy dying." To make sure that my life is full and abundant the way God intended, I plan to get busy living. But to make sure that I get to heaven, I plan to get busy dying. It’s taken me 59 years to realize that the only way to achieve victory is to surrender. The only way to be first is to be last. If you want to find your life, you have to lose it. The only way to live is to die.

If none of that makes sense to you, give me a chance to explain.

FASTER, STRONGER, HIGHER

In the summer of 2016, the Olympics will be held in Rio De Janeiro, the 31st games in the modern era and the first time in South America. This global quadrennial spectacular event will be kicked off with the Opening Ceremonies, where thousands of athletes representing more than 200 nations will march into the Olympic Stadium alphabetically by nation. After two weeks of fierce competition, where some will be victorious and others will be vanquished, the closing ceremonies will take place and the athletes will enter the stadium en masse. The path for God’s people is similar. God’s entry into the lives of people on earth was through the Israeli nation, His chosen people, but after the death of Jesus, the veil that separated God from His people was ripped once and for all so that all people, en masse, and not just the Jews, could experience God.

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The Olympic creed states that the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing, the creed states, is not to have conquered but to have fought well. And while I eagerly anticipate watching these games, this creed should not apply to our lives. We don’t want to just take part, to only struggle, to simply have fought well. If we don’t win, if we don’t triumph, if we don’t conquer, then what’s the flippin’ point? But by winning, I mean something different than what most people think. I’m not talking about winning races, popularity contests, elections or becoming rich, famous or powerful.