I am a wannabe author ...and my disguise goes along with my pen name. I am not really a pirate, and it's easy to see I've not pirated good grammar. My grammar is perhaps the closest thing resembling a pirate ...without the compulsion or driven necessity to think I'd need foul language for emphasis or to prove a point.

As a mere man, I am a believer ...

A believer in what, you may ask??

I believe in the Bible ...and that it was not written by mere men like myself.  Though it is my conviction that humble believers have been chosen by God for what God has called them to do.

First of all, I believe that Jesus died on Calvary to make possible our salvation.  And I believe our salvation is only through Jesus.

For all those who believe this ...well, I think it is fairly clear we are told by Jesus to tell others of this truth.

We can be told this ...and believe what we are told, as many people who've come in contact with missionaries have.  In addition, we can build onto what we believe from reading the Bible ...which hopefully solidifies our faith by answering questions we may have or helping others grow by seeking the truth.  If we add things that are not in the Bible, that may be problematic ...and it may lead to difficulties, confusion, and division at times. Sadly, that can also happen if we don't add to the Bible ...yet, we add all our various interpretations.  

But, our unity is found in the belief in Jesus and what He said, inclusive of His telling us we will join (or be united with) Him in heaven.  And we need to hold onto this truth, yet at the same time share it with others. 

I am writing this on the eve of Father's Day.

I sent my Dad a card, and will also call him. I happily give Dad credit for all the good he has done. Yet, I also glorify God and thank Him for all the love He has shown through what I read in the Bible.  And it is sad that other people would attempt to discount that reality by verbally discrediting the Bible with their careless words.

God called many people. Moses was called by God, and had 40 years in the desert reflecting on what God did for him and those whom he was helping to lead. He also had plenty of time to have the first 5 Books of the Bible written. Joshua came next, and Eleazar was also there (perhaps reflecting on the end of Joshua's life.) Samuel, Gad, and Nathan were prophets whom not only verbally communicated God's Word to the people ...they also are thought to have written it down. Many other prophets had similar roles, and though often not as spectacular as Moses, people like Mordecai kept note of happenings as he saw God working. He also encouraged his family to see the value of it. 

Jesus quoted from 24 of the Old Testament Books. At 12 years old, Jesus was studying with the learned people at the temple. As an adult He took His turn reading in the synagogue from the Book of Isaiah, and stating He was fulfilling that prophecy.

So, whether by leaders selected by God, prophets, or God's own Son ...His Word came to us, and salvation through Jesus. 

And by following as they were told to, His disciples spread the Good News by the leading of the Holy Spirit ...and in letters to the early churches. We glorify Him by believing in the Word as it was given to men to write ...not just mere men writing their own thoughts and opinions. I am so thankful for His love for us ...and that I can read of it & believe in it.

If you ask any of my brothers or sister about 'Dad', they may have slightly different impressions ...but they will all have certain facts precisely correct, and that includes the fact that Dad loves us.

And we love Dad too.

There are many memories ...of Dad's dad, and of Mom's dad. The memories I have of Dad's dad were told to me, as after Dad served in the Navy during World War II, his heart was favoring whom would become my mom while his dad's gave out as a result of a heart condition.

You'll get relatively the same information from Elton, John, Joseph, or Ralph ...and it doesn't matter which of us you talk to. (For the record, these are middle names.) It may matter when you talk to us. If you catch us in the middle of something, our answer may be a shortened version.  But, be patient ...and you will likely hear a good story, and if familiar with our Dad, a truly interesting one.

There are public records and private ones such as Baby books. Later on, upon graduation, each of us children had a High School yearbook ...all historical facts about the Heath family, yet, no (hint) minor prophets. Yet again, though it is the word of the Heath family, and some variations do exist, it is still quite consistent. And not often would I imagine anyone would try to discredit it ...unless one of us decided to run for political office (at which point name-calling and slander appear to be expected ...and we may be instead called 'Heath'-en.)


Likewise, you can get an accurate account of another family by reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Perhaps you can conceive what I'm saying.

I would also contend that there is merit in what I read, not of the Heath word, but the Word of God. Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly, and there is an accurate record of that love.

Yes, I love my Dad ...and I know that love is nothing in comparison with how much our Heavenly Father loves us. But, He is not interested in drawing so much that comparison. Still, it is true that I got more than a mere card from Him. We have the entire Bible, a huge testimony of how He loves us, and as we often accuse each other of mere words ...Jesus came to show us how to live, and gave His life for us. 

Happy Father's Day!!