Böcker av Michael Starling

Hardly anyone thinks they're opposed to God; much less do they think they actually hate Him. You yourself may be convinced that you indeed love God. Moreover, you may be convinced that you love others as yourself. However, do you know whether you love God, others, or yourself? How can you know unless you know what it actually means to love God, others, or yourself? For loving God isn't loving Him for who you think He is. Loving your neighbor isn't merely treating someone how you think they should be treated. Even if you love your neighbor the same way you want to be loved, that doesn't mean you're justified in loving what you love. For loving yourself isn't accepting yourself as you are, doing whatever you want, surrounding yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear, nor threatening or attacking those who do not wish to oblige you. Whether it's bad theology, philosophy, politics, or personal preferences, there are things we hold dear that hold us back from completely loving God, others, or ourselves. If we are to shed the dead weight of sin and misunderstanding that we may run the race of faith to our greatest capacity, then we must be able to identify sin and misunderstanding. If we are going to recognize sin and misunderstanding, it won't be owing to the conviction and expression of our own opinions or biases, but by surrendering to the authority of Scripture. If you want to learn how to love God, others, or yourself, this book may very well be a good place to start. We won't dive into every pool of heresy or hermeneutics in this book, but we'll at least get our feet wet.

In the beginning were the Heavenlies, and Their names were Truth, Life, Love, Mercy, Justice, Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty. They were not brought into being, and there is nothing that has been made which They did not create. They neither decrease nor increase. Nothing besides Them existed until They brought it into existence, according to Their own will.When the world as we know it was made, They came into agreement, saying, ìLet Us make a world that will display Our glory and will return glory to Ourselves,î and it was so. Thus, not only was everything created by Them and through Them, but it was created for Them.Furthermore, They made man in Their image, giving him life and purpose. However, man became proud and considered himself to be the decider of his own destiny. Afterwards, he and his wife fought between themselves, and his children were caught in the crossfire. Then his children began to have their own wives and children, and family feuds erupted. Soon, the families became villages, the villages became tribes, the tribes became nations, and the nations became empires.Everyone was hating, neglecting, forsaking, disrespecting, mistreating, and abusing everyone and everything in the search for their own truth.Somewhere in the middle, the Heavenlies divided the people into three separate nations: Terac (later Jorak), Sistanis, and Baior. Each of them has their own priorities and philosophies, and their stories are written by members within their own nation. Some writings are in first person, others in third, but all of it is true, or so they claim.On this epic journey, you will discover that Truth is not a principle or a perspective, but a person. Not only is He a person, but He is the Author of the Universe.