Phishers of Men

My new book is called 'Phishers of Men'.  It is due to be released in June or July of 2011 through 'Tate Publishing' of Oklahoma.

This book is about Identity Theft... but not just the kind that we all hear about in today's headlines.  This book is about my life and how the 3 Types of Identity Theft have affected me since I was a young child.  My story is probably a lot like yours... yet very different too.

You will probably be able to relate to the first section of the book that I call 'Character Theives'.  Basically, it is about my experience growing up and how I, like most of you, lived through those adolescent years... you know, with the kids and classmates that labeled you based on your appearance, your social status, your class rank, etc.  I know that most people I know have had those growing pains... and today's kids have seemed to up the pressure with all sorts of technology tools.  Don't get me wrong. I had a great time with my classmates.  But most of us have been on the receiving end of teasing a few times.  And yes, most of us have been on the other side of it too.  But the fact remains that many still carry those pains around with them into adulthood in one way or another.  They are not always easy to shake, and some of the Character Thieves did such a 'good job' that they unwittingly destroyed people's true understanding of who they were.  It's a kind of character assassination... in fact, it is character assassination!

The second section of the book deals with what most of us understand as Identity Theft.  My victimization took place with a neighbor that threatened my life and that of my family before it was all over.  Complete with threats of bodily harm, bombs and guns, we were forced to hide from the neighbor from 'H...', well, you know where.  With a stern warning from city officials, we had to leave our home and basically run for our lives while the police worked to apprehend the individual that stole my Identity... and had a personal vendetta against my family, me and a few of my neighbors.  We lost all that we had worked for, but God was faithful...

The third and last part of Phishers of Men deals with the root cause of all theft and destruction.  I call it 'Origianl Ultimate Identity Theft'.  It brings all of my life's experience, and I believe the experience that many of us face, into perspective.  Basically, our Identity as God's children was lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.  Satan stole our true Identity, our Original Identity, in the first Identity Theft... which is the basis of all evil, death and yes, Identity Theft.

So watch for my book.  I tell my life story of trials and struggle, not just as a child, but as a family when I was younger, through economic ruin, alcoholism, disgrace, near death experiences, and then... Victory through the promise of Jesus Christ our Lord!  Jesus challenges us to become Fishers of Men.  But I changed the spelling to show how a world system is fighting against God for man's soul... it is a fallen system.  It is a system that is counterfeit to God and Christ.  Mankind is hooked into this system.  Today's Identity Theft has a term called 'phishing' to steal a persons identity, I so named my book 'Phishers of Men' to drive the point to followers of Christ that we have a challenge before us to proclaim Christ to all of mankind.  Satan is
Phishing for the souls of mankind.  Yet Christ stands with us, His followers, challenging us to become 'Fishers of Men'.  I hope that my book will inspire Christians to 'fish' and I hope that non-Christians will be witnessed to by reading my book 'Phishers of Men' and then come to an understanding of the free gift of salvation that can restore mankind back to God which comes only through Jesus our Lord.

Jesus said unto him: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life;  No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
John 14:6

Tucson Tragedy

I live about 2 hours from the tragedy that took place last Saturday.  So sad for all of us to hear of what a troubled person has done to the lives of so many and to himself.  Pain.  It is the only way that I can say how I feel for those that have lost loved ones.  Loss happens all over the world every day.  It was not supposed to be this way... that is to say, God's original design did not include death, evil and destruction, but mankind chose another way.  And now, only our faith in God's gift of Jesus Christ can sustain us... cause the evil that took these lives is what we are left with.

People should not blame anyone for this tragedy other than the man that did this is evil act.  Pray for his soul.

And so we pray for our Lord Jesus Christ to return to take us home...

'Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ'
Titus 2:13

Ultimate Identity Theft

I was thinking about Identity Theft... and the impact those words really have on all of mankind. Im not just referring to the Identity Theft that we hear so much about that is related to our money and possessions.  I am referring to two other types of Identity Theft:

1  Character Assassination: This Identity Theft is the kind that most people experience.  It starts when we are young... typically in our early years in school.  It just takes one person to try to reassign you your identity... you know, the kind of kids that called you names, said you were too smart, or not smart enough, you didn't look right, you were not a good athlete, or you were too good of an athlete, you were too rich, you were to poor, you did not fit in... etc.  Usually these things happen to most of us growing up, and names and a 'reidentity process' occurs with the constant bombardment of verbal insults.  Hopefully we are able to shake those monkeys off as we grow up, but still, it is probably true to say that all of us had our share of attacks on who we were... or who we thought we were.

2 Ultimate Identity Theft: The other kind we have ALL suffered, and suffer to this very moment, is what I refer to as 'Ultimate Identity Theft'.  It occured in the Garden of Eden when mankind exchanged his relationship to God and the perfect world that went with that relationship... to a THIEF.  You may make light of the words that the bible says, but they are true, and all of our 'sophistication' and denial of the Truth of God's Word are linked directly to the fall of mankind.  It was the thief in the Garden of Eden that stole our Identity as God's children, and mankind has suffered the consequences since that time.  The word tells us:

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desiered to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  Genesis 3:6

God made a remedy that returns us to Him, simply by accepting a free gift of pardon through faith in Jesus Christ.  You see, Jesus was God's son, he was born of a virgin, concieved of the Holy Spirit... so He had NO sin.  Only God could create a worthy pardon for our sin... His name is Jesus. 

When you doubt or feel that mankind is getting the best of you with their evil acts, and with their denial of a living God, and their disregard for the truth of Jesus, consider what is written in II Timothy 4: 3-4   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.

The world is following fables. We did not come from monkey's. We were made in the image of God and because of that truth, we must seek to read His holy word and follow, believe and accept the pardon of Jesus Christ for we are all sinners in need of redemption... and Jesus Christ is the ONLY redeemer for me.