Author Allen M Werner

Philippians 4:4-7 ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, Rejoice. Let our moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto Yah. And the peace of Yah, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Yahshua the Messiyah.‘

I haven’t spoken much on this site about my faith but much of the spirit of that faith is written deep within the books I have written. The world is a dark and troubled place and my books, like the world, are filled with dark and troubled characters. I have difficulty enjoying fairytales where everyone is good and kind and evil people flitter about on the outside barely making an impression, the noble creations just slipping untouched through the story as if destiny is on their side and the victory is inevitable.

I do believe in an inevitable victory just not in this lifetime. And I believe my faith in this is what often separates me from others who read and profess the Bible, Christ and God. Selah

I largely believe in peace. And to have that peace, maintain that peace in a dark and troubled world, it has to be something special, something which passeth all understanding, something perhaps that seems mad and crazy to everyone else, to most everyone else.

Philippians 4:8 ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’

People often like to condemn Christians for “cherry picking” the Bible, for taking and applying things that seem right from it and ignoring things that seem wrong from it – all the while professing that they believe every word of the Bible is divine and given by God.
And the truth is, the critics are correct.
It is hypocrisy to say every word is divinely spoken and you believe every word when you don’t actually apply every word, and as they say, “cherry pick.”
The truth is, we all “cherry pick.” It doesn’t matter what it is we read or hear or discuss and absorb. We choose out the parts that seem delicious and acceptable to us and push aside the things that don’t. It is very human to do this. Very human.

1Timothy 1:15 ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acception, that the Messiyah Yahshua came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief.’

As my family knows well, I am to a great extent a ‘red letter’ Christian. I believe what the red letters say. The rest of the Bible, however, is left to me for interpretation and is not flawless, or divine. Selah.

I believe there is a lot of wisdom written in the Bible and for that I believe everyone should read it. But I also know it was written by men and altered, changed, adapted over the centuries.
People, men mostly, exploited it for their own selfish purposes while others probably believed they were touched and telling the truth.
But this can be said of many great writings and religious texts, not just the Bible. I think the Creator of creation sowed wisdom and knowledge all over this earth. I believe it can be obtained through a variety of text and teachers.
But I also believe wisdom begins with humility, with accepting our weak mortal coil and inability to comprehend all the beauty and magnificence of the universe and whatever lies beyond it.
Despite the teachings of the proud, no matter how intelligent they think they are, we are all but ants looking up at giants and can’t possibly begin to explain or be part of their world. Selah

Proverbs 8:10 ‘The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.’

Fear is reverence, it is respect for the massive unrelenting mindboggling forces of creation. Our scientists and doctors are children playing with tiny blocks. And because they know a bit more than us about those blocks, we often bequeath to them a godlike reverence, their word and advice taking on a nearly unquestionable quality.
And that’s not saying their word and advice isn’t helpful to our human mortal state. Selah

But I believe, to reach the peace that passeth all understanding, a person must constantly strive to silence within them the flesh, for it is a troublesome thing. Selfish. Hungry. Sad. Angry.

Romans 8:22 ‘For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.’

We choose to live by hope.

Romans 8:24 ‘For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?’

My hope is not in this world.
It is not in any nation or people.
It is not in any religious leaders or politicians.

John 18:36 ‘Yahshua answered, My Kingdom is not of this world…’

John 14:2 ‘In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.’

I’m not getting out of this world alive.
You’re not getting out of this world alive.
Your loved ones are not getting out of this world alive.
No matter how you fuss, fight, kick and scream, no matter how many tonics you consume and surgeries you have, you are not getting out of this world alive.
Learn to surrender to that fact.

1Corinthians 15:54-55 ‘So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’

I know the world is a flaming ball of napalm, a powder keg of wickedness always on the verge of exploding. And in many parts of the world, it has exploded and people are suffering, and dying.
And because for so long many of us have been untouched by this suffering and dying on a tyrannical level, we oversimplify our sins and justify our wickedness, telling ourselves we are blessed by God, protected and sheltered from the things that harm others.
But that is pride speaking for it is embracing the subtle violence and malice that is creating that false shield you call godly. Selah
Humility tells us that we are no better than those suffering from starvation in a desert or war in a nation far away.
Humility reminds us that we are sinners saved by grace and part of a much larger body than ourselves, much larger than our nations.

1Corinthians 12:22-26 ‘Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble, are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need, but Yahweh hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked that there should be no schism in the body, but that members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all members rejoice with it.’

That probably sounds like a mouthful to those not accustomed to reading it but it simply means we are all in this boat together and if anyone is suffering, we need to do anything and everything we can to alleviate that suffering. It is not ours to question why they are suffering. It is only our duty to help end the suffering. Selah
And to do that, you have to stop thinking selfishly.
You have to stop thinking about how hard you worked to get what you got.
You have to stop thinking you deserve what you worked for.
You have to stop thinking you are owed something.

John 3:16-17 ‘For Yahweh so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For Yahweh sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’

Perhaps some stalwart Christians with religious backgrounds will be offended by these next words, but so be it.
Yahsua, the Son, is the living Word.
What does that mean?
It means He is the Old Testament in the flesh. He is all those laws and commandments Bible readers cherry pick. Selah
Yahweh, the Father, sent Yahshua to guide and save this world from their sins BUT the world could not be saved from sin. Why? Because we cherry pick. We act holy by cherry picking the parts of the Old Testament that work for us and in truth, apply them hypocritically to others. We can’t live by the Old Testament. None of us is perfect, and sin, disobedience, is the reason we must die. Selah

So the world, in its cloak of sin, crucified the living Word. We are part of that crucifixion. Every single one of us. We are all condemned together. If only once, you picked up the whip and slashed the Messiyah’s back. If only once, you picked up the hammer and struck a nail a little deeper into his flesh. Somehow, someway, you are party to the greatest crime ever perpetrated.
But Yahweh and Yahshua knew you would.
Yahweh didn’t understand it. He’s the Father. He lives in the land of giants, far above us little ants.
He doesn’t comprehend why we won’t just obey Him.
But Yahweh has never been injured or sick. Yahweh has never had to be humble and subject. He never had to obey anything but His Word – and His Word is His Son. Selah
The only way to save the world from sin was to do away with His Word, His Son.

When Yahweh sent His Son, His Word in flesh to us, we crucified Him. We crucified the Old Testament.
Yahshua, while He was here, experienced life as we experience life.
Not as a giant but as an ant.

Hebrews 2:9 ‘But we see Yahshua, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of Yahweh should taste death for every man.’

Humbled, Yahshua knows how difficult this life really is.
He is our mediator. He is the one who will intervene on our behalf after we die.
But do we have to believe on the man “Jesus” to reach Him?
I don’t think so.
And this is where I and many religious folk clash.

John 14:6 ‘Yahshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.’

I often think about Matthew 25. It’s a powerful chapter of the Bible, in my opinion.
And in Matthew 25, Yahshua speaks about the sheep and the goats. But just before He speaks of the sheep and the goats, He warns us that many people who think they are believers are going to find out He never knew them, that despite them calling on His name and doing things a certain “religious” way, their activities were done in vain.
Religion is not going to save you.
Calling on “Jesus” is just empty words.
You have to be doing His work to get noticed. Selah

Matthew 25:38-39 ‘When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? Or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick or in prison, and came unto Thee?’

I look at America because I live in America, and shake my head.
It is not a godly country.
It is not a Christian country.
It never has been.
Your safety and security and belief in the government of nations as a protector of the common good and peace, is false and balanced on terror, starvation and exploitation of others – others you don’t usually have to see or acknowledge.
You sit passively in a bubble and pretend the walls around you were built by God.
It’s an illusion for even in our country, many are suffering. Many are homeless, sick, bankrupt, scared, hungry, cold and hopeless.
But the illusion of us working hard to earn what we have, to get more for ourselves and loved ones, blind us to reality.
The world is still and will always be a dark and troubled place.
Those in charge, those you elect, even the ones that are trying to do some good, are making compromises with awful evil people.

The peace I have comes from embracing this ugly truth and knowing I am no longer part of this world, or any nation in it. I owe no allegiance to anyone but the Messiyah Yahshua.

And from that place of peace, I can spout truths that others are fearful of speaking because they are still trying to fit it. They are concerned about their occupations, their futures, their families, all of it, more than they are concerned with speaking the truth and living in a humble manner that helps and not harms.

1Corinthians 7:33-34 warns that it is difficult for those that are married to be about the things of the Lord, which I whole heartedly agree. It is a thing I have long struggled with myself. How difficult is it to do the work of the Lord when it might cause your own family to suffer. Where is your loyalty?

Matthew 10:37-39 ‘He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is worthy of Me. And He that taketh not his own pole and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for My sake, shall find it.’

Hard saying but we are all human and subject to vanity. I struggle with this. I have my own petty human traits and I am not perfect. I do not pretend to be. I, like everyone, do selfish things from time to time.
But if we love our own more than the sheep, than the stranger who is hungry, naked, homeless and in need, we are not worthy of Him.
If we put our lives before theirs, we are not worthy of Him. Selah

In order to make peace with my weaknesses and shortcomings, I humble myself daily, hourly, sometimes more, to my Creator, through His Son Yahshua.
When I am weak, I am strong.
I am a sinner and I need to repent. And after I repent, I need to be about His work, the work He places on my path.

I don’t have to go out seeking trouble or look for righteous things to do in order to look good to others.
I need to stay in my lane and do the right thing when the circumstances present themselves.
That’s all any of us needs to do. Selah.
We are part of a worldwide body, and we are trusted with the care of others. I can’t help them all but I can help those the Lord sees fit to put before me. I can advocate that those with more do the same.
And it is utterly important we remember that is not our job to separate the sheep from the goats, the worthy from the unworthy.
We help everyone who needs help to the best of our ability, using whatever resources we have at hand.
We must treat everything we have as manna from heaven.
Imagine what you have today won’t benefit you tomorrow. Selah
That’s what manna is.
It’s only good for one day.

Matthew 18:25 ‘For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’

When I hear preachers talking about their abundance, their enterprises, their need to build bigger churches, more concerned with the size of their congregations then the health and wellbeing of its congregants, I just shake my head.
When I see century old churches with vast resources and godlike wealth more concerned with the longevity and sustainability of their ministry over the needs of people who are homeless, hungry and hopeless right now, I shake my head.
When I hear politicians say we don’t have enough resources to help everyone when there are millions of people including those politicians who have multiple homes and cars and money for cruises and luxuries, I shake my head.
When anyone, especially Christians tell me they fear the poor, the weak, the strangers who come to us from the other side of imaginary lines drawn on a map, I shake my head.
Christ told us not to fear but in boldness, to be about His work. Christ would never do what many of these so-called Christians do.
They are anti-Christs. They are false Messiyahs playing at being saviors.
AntiChrists come to mislead those who would want to follow Christ, not the unbelievers.
But too many believers are confused and distracted by religion.
They don’t have peace in their lives and they seek it anywhere they can find it.
And many find it in the congregations of antichrists. Many find it in politics. Many find it in work and pleasure and drugs and alcohol and whatever else distraction from the dark and troubled world they can find it.
The one place they don’t want to go is the truth.
The truth that passeth all understanding.
The truth that no one is coming to save them from suffering, and loss, and pain, and worry, and death.
You have to discover within yourself the courage to stand on hope. On hope of the everlasting life promised to those who do the work of the Lord.

James 2:17 ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone.’

I know what I am.
I am a stranger in a strange land.
I am just passing through.
This not my home.
I will tell you all about my savior’s Kingdom.
I will preach and teach honesty, mercy, kindness, truth, charity and love.
I’m not perfect, but if I slip, I’ll get back up and return to these virtues. You may not forgive me for slipping, but I know He will. And that is what matters most to me. My family knows it. My wife knows it. My children know it.
He is first. That is peace.

John 14:27 ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.’

AMEN

Allen M Werner is the author of the epic fantasy series The Crystal Crux