Changes...

It's obviously been awhile since we've had any active posting on here. This is largely because we seem to have a better response on Facebook, and because, frankly, sometimes I forget we still have this blog. That having been said - this will be our final blog post. Please check out http://www.facebook.com/jaffreybiblehouse for further details.

"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words that I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." Isaiah 59:19-21

Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

As an aside - I've noticed some of our readers are from countries outside the U.S. I feel compelled, then, to offer an encouragement to those who may be in countries hostile to the Gospel. Know that you are loved dearly and prayed for daily by your brethren around the globe!

"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:7-9

Giving Thanks!

Wow... it's been awhile since I was here...

Let me bring you all up to date with how things are going at Jaffrey Bible House:

God continues to bless us in many ways, and He's more faithful to us than we ever could be to Him I think. We find ourselves, frankly, in a really weird place. On the one hand we are encouraged daily, strengthened by prayer (ours and yours!) and convinced that God has a marvelous work prepared not only for the store but the churches in the area - and, in fact, for all of the nation. On the other hand we are unable to meet basic financial commitments on every turn. It's hard to believe God would not pay His rent, and harder still to believe we would maintain optimism and hope regardless of our dwindling bank accounts. Our inventory increases slowly but steadily, and we still place special orders on a weekly basis (though sometimes it's only for one customer). The prayer groups that were meeting here on Tuesdays and Fridays have moved on to a location more suited to their needs (it's awesome that they need a bigger place, open more often!). I left my second job in September to be here full-time but if things continue as they are I'll be searching for work in January. That means a paycheck, and maybe some benefits, but also shorter hours at the store and less mental energies committed to it. It's an odd feeling, since we still fully trust that God will provide so that I can stay here full-time and be mobbed with customers. For whatever reason that doesn't seem to be happening.

In slightly other news, we as a family are going through a purge. We have acquired far too many "things" and feel quite burdened to dump ballast in a major way. Many of our entertainment items (games, movies, books) are finding their way to the dumpster or Amazon and lots of the girls' toys will be given out in the coming months. In nearly all ways we resemble a missionary family except that we don't at all feel God's call to go anywhere - we believe our "field" is still Jaffrey. There are many changes coming, but we don't think (at this point anyway) it means a move. We shall see what we shall see I suppose.

So please continue to hold us and the store in prayer for direction, provision and courage to do the things we may not want to do. I can't imagine the store closing, though I couldn't imagine the store lasting more than a few months either - praise God for His sovereignty! What strength we have comes from meditation on His Word - may we, like Job, exclaim: "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!"

Labor Unions...

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matthew 9:38


Certainly it's a verse we see often this time of year. Does it retain its meaning in such a broad but shallow context on bulletin covers and Thanksgiving Day napkins? Consider a parallel account of this passage:

"Go your ways: behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way...He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." (Luke 10:3,4, 16)

I know I've been convicted about my evangelistic pursuits a lot lately. When I used to pray that God would sent forth workers into those ripe mission fields I had this picture of God sort of commissioning some class of Humans that come equipped with a firm grasp of three or four languages and like to wear khakis and just stepped out of Kingdom Come with an unshakable resolve. Ah, but how easily I forget - I'm one of those workers, and you are too. All of Earth is my neighbor, and all of Earth is my mission field. And on this planet there are two kinds of folks: lambs and wolves. That's straight out of God's Holy Word, so you have to take it seriously.

I'm not meant to enjoy my life, though I may experience joy if He wills it. I'm made to spend the brief amount of time granted me to shout the praises and glories and mercies of a holy, just, and eternal God who desires nothing less than the whole of Humanity restored (2 Peter 3:9). He's got a plan to do it, a Way, and He delights in the opportunity for us to help Him because that's the sort of thing He's in to. Every soul is precious to Him. Is every soul precious to you? To me? Consider:

If the Earth exploded tonight, and you had a rocket ship that could save any number of people, but you had to invite them face-to-face, what would you do? You couldn't save them all, there isn't enough time. Would you give up? Maybe just call your family and friends and pack some of your favored possessions and bid farewell to the only planet you've ever known? Everything you've ever known or done is about to be obliterated: monuments, gold, automobiles, poetry, chocolate, bottled water, social networking. The memory of those things would only live on in you and those with you on your tiny rocket ship. Everyone else would be dead.

Well guess what? Someday, everyone will be dead. Everyone ever will be brought before the Sovereign Creator God to account for everything they've ever done. He is not interested in pay rates, witty status updates or the accumulation of junk - those things have no place in the next step of His plan. Of greater interest to Him will be how hard you tried to live according to His Word. Imagine if He asks you how many people you've shared your testimony with - would you know the number? Would it be zero?

That'd be like saying, "I like to stand in the center of giant stacks of money and just look," or "I often swim in vast pools of M&Ms and Dove Bars but I don't eat anything," or "I'm content to be alone in my rocket ship."

---

This weekend, October 3rd, is Scarecrows on the Common in Jaffrey. There will be tons of things to do here on Main St. (aside from, naturally, making your own scarecrow to be put up around town) and Jaffrey Bible House will be open all day. We'll be having some big sales for in-store items, a discount for special orders placed that day, a coloring contest, free snacks and coffee from the Keurig and free T-shirts (supplies limited, good for you or your scarecrow). We are extremely excited to be back to full-time hours (literally - I woke up at 5am with butterflies this morning in anticipation for this week!) and can hardly wait to see what God has planned for Jaffrey and the surrounding area! Stop by between 10am and 6pm this Saturday, or next (it's one sale, but we're running it both Saturdays), to stock up on tracts, stickers, greeting cards or some Bibles to bless someone - maybe even invite them on-board your rocket ship!

~~JBH

Long Time No Write...

"Are they still open?"

Is that what you're asking yourself? Well, yes we most definitely are!

God is good and the last couple months have been such a rollercoaster I'll save it for another post, but for now just know that He's up to big things here at Jaffrey Bible House! We'll be back to normal store hours (Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm) starting Tuesday after Labor day. Just a reminder for those first-timers, the tabs across the top of this page are our primary distributors:

STL has lots of books, music and movies...
Anchor has all that and a nice selection of jewelry...
Alpha Omega is our primary (but not our only) homeschooling resource provider...
Warner Press focuses more on church-related products (bulletins, offering envelopes, etc.)...
Kerusso is the number one distributor of Christian apparel and has really great T-Shirt designs available...
Gospel Light is new to the JBH team and carries a great selection of Sunday School curriculum, Vacation Bible School material and other excellent ministry-oriented products!

Stay tuned for news of what's in store at Jaffrey Bible House!

~~JBH

He's Got It Covered...

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." - Psalm 32:1

God is so good to let us breathe, to let our hearts keep beating - He doesn't have to. He's not obligated to do anything for us at all and it's totally His right to just stop everything before I finish typing this sentence. I'm struck by how beautiful God's Work is. When I was in art classes we would regularly have critiques where the professor would turn the painting on its side, and then upside down, just to get a different look at things in a more objective fashion. It was always fun (especially for something like a still-life), but the principle applies that if you're paying too much attention to composition in only one orientation you'll likely miss some of the weak spots within.

Whenever I consider God's plan and what He has done, and promises to do in the future, I'm always amazed. Francis Chan said in a trailer for his latest book (it's called Erasing Hell and we're in the middle of reviewing it on this blog) that "I wouldn't think to do that." - and that's so totally appropriate! From every direction it's perfect. The verse above is written by David. Not Paul or Peter or John but David. Hundreds and hundreds of years before Christ you have God granting us a glimpse of what He's up to. Of course David had the tabernacle and then his son Solomon builds the temple, but that isn't really what's being foreshadowed here - clearly David writes of our redemption through Jesus. Because it's not really David writing, it's God writing through him. And even earlier you have Passover, another clear picture pointing to Christ. The whole of history is a sort of sketch, a rough draft of what God desires for Creation. From our perspective it's still a work in progress, but He's got a very specific composition in mind and He's got all the right tools to work with.

When I read "Blessed is he... whose sin is covered." several thoughts come to mind: 1) My sin condition necessitates covering in the first place, 2) I'm unable to cover myself, 3) There's "covered" and "uncovered" so there must be a  "blessed" and "not blessed". So then I think: "What if instead of telling people they're about to be in a plane crash and they need a parachute we told them we're in a spaceship and about to depressurize the cabin. Without the right covering, you'll die in a most horrific way." That's pretty harsh I suppose, but not as harsh as saying "...except you won't die all the way. You'll die and then you'll keep on dying a second death forever and ever." which is actually closer to the truth. Without Jesus, that's what you can look forward to, and that's intense. I don't really want to do that, because it brings me to a fourth thought:

God's plan includes people being in Hell.

I'm not yet done with Erasing Hell, but I took some time to read a couple other titles regarding Hell and so when I read Psalm 32 I think I would've printed the word "Blessed" in bold face with all caps. God is so good to even offer us a chance at eternity with Him it just blows my mind. We who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are BLESSED!

~~JBH

Like A Good Neighbor (But Like The Bad Ones Too)...

"...The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:37b,38

We'll continue the Francis Chan review later, but for now I want to share some of what God's been laying on my heart. Without getting too intense - I've been praying a lot for Hollywood. I couldn't say specifically for what, but I'm nearly overwhelmed with how trapped a lot of those folks are. Some actors/actresses/artists/others are living a life of filth and loving it, but I'm becoming more and more sensitive that some aren't as into it - they're just slaves to their own image.

As much as I may be in debt for rent or credit cards or bills, I'm nowhere close to being in the kind of debt those people are. Multi-million dollar homes? You can't just walk away from that sort of financial commitment and it's not like you'll find that kind of money doing much else if you could. I haven't been keeping up with what's going on with the American debt because, well, who really can - we're in it and we're in it deep. I wonder, though, if the top ten paid actors and athletes donated 90% of their year's salary in exchange for being declared national heroes, wouldn't that bring us much closer than whatever pitiful amount they're arguing about in Washington? My point is Romans 6:16 includes monetary debt as well as anything else, and Hollywood is cranking out slaves as fast as any of the other bad guys out there.

So who's reaching them? I know Kirk Cameron and his ilk probably do their best, but are there really any other true Christians able to have a one-on-one with Eminem, or Miley Cyrus, or Martina McBride? Oh there's superficial Christianity - usually just called "Faith" or "Spirituality" all over the place but I don't buy that charade for one second. Christ says the harvest is ready but there aren't many willing workers, and we're not guiltless of sharing the Gospel with "superstars" less than anyone else. He also says to watch out for false teachers, and I'm sure there's plenty in Hollywood.

And so that's where my heart is. God has given me, it seems, a tremendous sense of vision and a heart to match but I'm not so good at using it yet. Could I just look up an address for Britney Spears and go and read some scripture with her - do people do that? Of course it's easy to think "No, Will, they'd stop you before you even got in the driveway!" But what if they didn't? What if when Christ said "Go ye into all the world..." He meant "Go ye into all the world..."? California is part of the world too, so maybe we need to start heading in that direction as well as overseas. Imagine, then, embarking on this sort of trip and getting there and actually getting in and actually meeting that person - how awesome! I think I'd have to start with something like: "Well, God must really want to talk with you because I'm pretty sure I didn't expect to make it this far!" Sort of a real-life Blues Brothers, but with cleaner language.

Anyway, that's what God's been up to lately. I don't know what His plans are (He often doesn't tell me those sorts of details), but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to go on a road trip at some point in the near future. God is good, and He's everyone's God whether they realize it or not, and He wants all people to come to Him because He made us all and He loves us all and He died for us all but He can't stand it when we say we love Him but really we just squeeze our devotions in during commercial breaks and write off whole portions of humanity as unreachable. He's God: He's everywhere you could possibly go!

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter Three

Erasing Hell, Chapter Three

"Surely Jesus backed away from these terrifying images and emphasized the love of God when talking about the judgement day. Right?"

Chapter three gets closer to the core issues of the conversation, and Chan is certainly taking his time to build up some solid foundation. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever get to the point though - this chapter is essentially chapter two but instead of His contemporaries, Chan lays out what Jesus Himself said about Hell. Frankly, there's not much to review since it's mostly just verses and clarification. I like how he ends the chapter though, and it hints at the possibility of some big guns on the horizon: "Don't get so lost in deciphering that you forget to tremble." Now that's what I'm talking about - let's tremble!

Well... I read ahead. I couldn't help myself really, I'm just not used to reading only a chapter a day of any book. When I'm on a roll I want to keep rolling, so I'm currently somewhere in chapter 5. We're getting there, and I'll post up a review tomorrow of chapter 4, though if I had read ahead I would have probably reviewed the first 4 chapters together, since they are all so similar. I don't think a person should ever get bored reading about Hell.

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter Two

Erasing Hell, Chapter Two

"Through the years, many ideas of hell have been proposed - some attractive, some not. But if the truth is what we're after, we need to stick to what Jesus actually said."

On to the second chapter. There are some things I like and some things I like less, but overall Chan continues setting the stage to talk about Hell. He spends most of the chapter laying out the context of first-century Judaism and tackles a few different viewpoints on what has been misunderstood in some present-day teachings. He mentions Rob Bell a couple times and cites numerous sources, content to merely refer to the source by the century it was written in, later explaining in the notes at the end of the chapter in detail where the quote or idea comes from. Most often these are apocryphal passages from the book of Enoch or Baruch if they aren't quotes from Bell, C.S. Lewis or other notable humans.

I'm purposefully pacing myself in reading the book and perhaps this taints my experience, but I'm getting bored already. I want to dig in and talk about the big stuff. I'm less interested in what Rob Bell has to say about Hell because, well, I don't think even he understands what he says most of the time. He's quite post-modern in that respect. Don't get me wrong, Chan is laying some necessary foundation and he's doing a great job - but I'm on page 71 of 198 and we still haven't concluded much at all. I'm interested to see how he presents Hell, since he seems to be systematically removing the softer presentations. Chapter Three is titled "What Jesus Actually Said About Hell", so maybe we're getting somewhere. I could also be a little spoiled, since the last two books I've read were C.S. Lewis and you can pretty much quote random sentences from his work and sound profound.

---

As an aside, Jaffrey Bible House is gearing up for Riverfest on July 30th. Some things are changing this year, and the result is going to mean more people on the Jaffrey Commons (our front yard) and for longer (the BBQ is going to be held there, if all goes as planned). This is a huge opportunity to be recognized and bless folks! Our prayer is that God would work through us during that time to become further acquainted with the community and grow as a business - so we can serve more! All store inventory will be at least 10% off, and all pre-paid special orders placed that day will be 15% off - this is awesome! Even if only to visit for a few minutes, please stop by and see what God is up to, you'll be blown away!

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter One

Erasing Hell, Chapter One

"In other words, because there are things we don't want to believe about God, we therefore decide that we can't believe them."

Continuing our review of Francis Chan's latest title, "Erasing Hell", we move on to the first chapter. I would divide it into two parts: the first half he explains Universalism and articulates some general points about it, what verses in the Bible are typically used to back that view and how those verses are being understood incorrectly. Of course there's a ton, and Chan only tackles three or four big ones, but I think he handles it well and with a proper attitude of respect. The second half of the chapter is passages of scripture that refute Universalist claims altogether, illustrating a stark contrast between the eternal destination of believers and non-believers. He ends with a section addressing the idea of a "second chance" which I was particularly pleased to read.

In my experience I haven't found any other faith that doesn't allow for a second, or infinite, opportunities to escape eternal damnation (if there even is such a thing included in that belief system at all). I don't know much about Orthodox Judaism or Islam (though one may argue that martyrdom, being a sort of "instant-in", would count as a kind of second chance - but maybe I'm showing my ignorance here) and I'll have to read up on it. I'm always interested to learn about those two religions since they are so intimately connected with Biblical Christianity and I think it's to our detriment that we aren't trying to reach out to them more (though again, perhaps my ignorance is showing). I do know a bit about the teachings of both the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses and they each offer a kind of safety net for people who don't choose their respective salvations before death, only some of the things I'd never have learned if I shut my door the moment folks showed up to talk about their Jesus.

Finally I must say how easy it is to read Chan's writing. I read the beginning of "Crazy Love" but didn't have the chance to finish it before I sold it and it doesn't surprise me how so many people raved about it. I think he's dealing with heavier issues here perhaps, but he's doing so with respect and skill (and lots of footnotes) but still the same prosaic style that makes it seem more of a conversation and less of a teaching lesson or study session. Of course, like any good book, it ends up as all three.

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Introduction

I recently watched a video on YouTube of Francis Chan (author of Crazy Love) talking about his upcoming book: Erasing Hell. He was asking for prayers of discernment and clarity so that he wouldn't mess things up, biblically speaking, on writing about Hell. I was intrigued and since the book came out a couple weeks ago, I've acquired a copy for myself. I'll be reading through it and posting my review here. At present I only have the one copy, but if any of you out there in ReaderLand want a copy, or want to do a group study, drop us a line at the Jaffrey Bible House and we can get things going. On to the review...

Erasing Hell, Introduction

"If you are excited to read this book, you have issues."

That's the very first line and already I feel qualified to be reading it. I have issues, Francis. The author (which is actually a co-authorship but writing under Chan's name) goes on to layout the reason for his writing the book and his reluctance to believe, despite biblical truth, in a place of eternal torment. I understand what he's saying since I recently went through the Way of the Master study series at church and have been impressed with the burden of sharing salvation. Actually, "sharing" isn't really the right word, it should be "screaming". If I believe the Bible to be God's Word, 100% true, then I should be screaming salvation to anyone I can find. After about a page and a half I realize Francis isn't capitalizing the word Hell. Should he be? There's Hell and there's hell. Hmmm. I'm not sure what the rules are here, but I sort of feel like capitalization is called for. It's not a big deal, and I don't think it's worth mentioning more than once, but If Heaven gets a big "H" (it does, doesn't it?) so does Hell - at least in this blog. The introduction closes with a sample of the prayerful attitude Chan urges all of us to be in while reading the book and an admonition to take scripture as Holy and all else as not. Pretty good start and I'm pumped to move on, but I'll try to pace myself so I can give a decent review. Who knows, maybe it'll be a feature of this blog!

Before continuing with the review I think it's appropriate to state my own thoughts/views on Hell. Can I skip verse references? I'll do a future post with where this is all coming from for sure, but let's be informal for now. I believe Hell is a real place. I believe only sinners go there. I believe all have sinned and as such, all people are headed there by default. I believe this is because atonement is required by a holy God who cannot abide sin in His presence. I believe He provided this atonement in Jesus Christ and all can claim it for themselves, but the change is total, permanent, and fundamentally incomprehensible to those without it. I believe faith is an essential part of recognizing that need and I believe that faith is not something that has its origin is man but is a free gift of God. I believe predetermination and free will are not mutually exclusive anymore than someone can be fully God and fully man. I believe that part of being under this new covenant means spreading this Gospel of salvation to as many as will hear it, and that not all will accept it - hence not all people will escape the eternal torment of Hell. I do not believe Hell is now, or that it is Earth, or a human condition, or that it is the absence of God. I believe God is ever-present and just as those in Heaven and, ultimately, on the New Earth will experience His unending love and the inexpressible joy of His presence, I believe those in Hell will experience His never-ending wrath and justice - and that He is very present there as well. I believe in a God of equally boundless mercy and justice, love and wrath, and I believe that He is fully justified in doing whatever He wants and that to seek an easier life is to take away the value of life as it was meant to be by its Author and Perfecter.

I think that just about covers it, apologies if I missed something. There'll be plenty of time to refine those statements I'm sure. I'll likely be done with chapter one in about twenty minutes, but I'll post my review in the next day or two. Until then, enjoy your day!

~~JBH

Audience Approval...

As I prepare to write my next post I must pause and state the following: I'm really pumped when I look at the blog stats and see that folks were checking the page on Saturday to see if I had a post up. I oftentimes get the impression that no one really cares about this blog (or, really, any blog) and that it's all just one-sided. Thanks for the encouragement - and I'll try to be more frequent. It should be interesting for a while, considering the post that will be up in the next few minutes...

~~JBH

Egg Toss...

I (Will) came across this gem today whilst reading some C.S. Lewis. The book is fantastic, and like anything he writes it often requires re-reading to fully grasp the picture. It relates to the Jaffrey Bible House only in that I own both the book and the store, but I felt it was worth sharing. Enjoy!

"But entropy by its very character assures us that though it may be the universal rule in the Nature we know, it cannot be universal absolutely. If a man says 'Humpty Dumpty is falling,' you see at once that this is not a complete story. The bit you have been told implies both a later chapter in which Humpty Dumpty will have reached the ground, and an earlier chapter in which he was still seated on the wall. A Nature which is 'running down' cannot be the whole story. A clock can't run down unless it has been wound up. Humpty Dumpty can't fall off a wall which never existed. If a Nature which disintegrates order were the whole of reality, where would she find any order to disintegrate? Thus on any view there must have been a time when processes the reverse of those we now see were going on: a time of winding up. The Christian claim is that those days are not gone forever. Humpty Dumpty is going to be replaced on the wall - at least in the sense that what has died is going to recover life, probably in the sense that the inorganic universe is going to be reordered. Either Humpty Dumpty will never reach the ground (being caught in mid-fall by the everlasting arms) or else when he reaches it he will be put together again and replaced on a new and better wall. Admittedly, science discerns no 'kings horses and men' who can 'put Humpty Dumpty together again'. But you would not expect her to. She is based on observation: and all our observations are observations of Humpty Dumpty in mid-air. They do not reach either the wall above or the ground below - much less the King with his horses and men hastening towards the spot." - Chapter 16, Miracles, CS Lewis


~~JBH

Animal, Vegetable, Or Me?

"And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Able, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is the countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." - Genesis 4:3-7

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." - Romans 12:1

As I read that passage in Genesis this morning my thoughts dwelt on Cain's attitude, both before and after his offering. There's a lot that gets said about why Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's wasn't (though Hebrews 11:4 seems to explain it sufficiently) and how this whole drama plays out. What was impressed upon me this morning, however, was that once again I was missing the point. I don't think it matters what kind of vegetables (or "fruits of the ground") Cain sacrificed to God if he wasn't willing to put himself up there too. It was a moment of conviction to be sure, because I like to give things to God when I should be giving Him me instead.

It's so easy to forget, or ignore, that living a life in Christ actually starts with death. We have to die to self and to the world and its passions. When Jesus took up His cross He intended to die on it, so when we take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23) what else should we be expecting to do? He doesn't want our sheep or our vegetables, He wants us. I can always find more things to give up, to sacrifice to God, but there's only one Will Hunter and I really hate to let him go sometimes. Maybe I'll even give God a part of Will Hunter, like my words or my emotions or something - but just not the whole Will. I like Will after all, he's a cool guy. But God wanted him first I think, and so he has to go. Will Hunter just has to get over it and crawl right up there and say "Okay Lord, here I am. Burn me up!"

And He does. And it hurts. What else should we expect from One who baptizes with fire, and sets mountains ablaze, and has flames for eyes? Ah, but He's not like a forest fire or burning barn you see, rather He's like a metalworker at a forge: He takes that Will Hunter and heats him up until he's red-hot and shapes him into something He can use. Our God does not eat vegetables or sheep friends, He forges weapons with which He advances His Kingdom.

And that's really awesome.

~~JBH

Pretty Feet...

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" - Isaiah 52:7


So there's a marathon coming up, and Jaffrey Bible House is proud to be one of the sponsors! If you're into running, or walking, or cheering, check out this site: Monadnock Half Marathon. We'll be open all day setup as a water/cheering station, so whether you stop by wearing running shorts or not we'll be glad to see you!

~~JBH

Who's The Boss?

Nothing deep to say right now (though I'm working on an American Idol pt.2 entry, so no worries!), but I feel led to just express how blessed we are. Jaffrey Bible House belongs to the Lord and some days I forget that. If a sovereign, holy, eternal God decides that I'm only going to have two customers, or ten customers, or no customers today - that's His business. My job is to man the register. Maybe I'd feel different if it was Jaffrey The-Book-That-Will-Hunter-Wrote House, but it's God's Bible we're trying to focus on here. I think less people would be interested in a book I wrote, and my words don't change hearts anyway. Also - I don't think that would all fit on our sign.

~~JBH

American Idol, pt. 1...

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." - 1 Samuel 8:7


Okay, I'm back. Things have been pretty crazy the last couple weeks and I admit the blog - and my daily reading as well - has been suffering. Moving on...

I started 1 Samuel last week sometime and this scene still really gets me. As an American it's difficult for me to have an accurate view of what my role in the Kingdom is. I'm not the King, that much I know, but most of the time I tend to imagine I'm some sort of Duke or ambassador that just kind of hangs out in the throne room with the King. We're friends you know? We eat fancy meals together and discuss matters of state and foreign policy and so on. Wrong!

A better picture is in Esther 4:11 where Esther fears for her life should she enter into the king's presence unbidden. She is, of course, the queen at that point, but the law stands. He extends his scepter to her though, which overrules the law, and it all turns out happy in the end (except for Haman). This is a much closer picture to what we're like. Unworthy of even catching the King's notice we are chosen among a multitude of peoples to be His Bride, but it's not a freebie by any stretch. He's still the King and there's still the Law. His Grace allows us to approach Him but we better make certain of it or else we're done for.

I also think of Genesis 2:23,24 where marriage is first instituted: "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother; and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." It's crazy to think that Adam and Eve got married on the first date. Verse 22 is such a precious part of the story of marriage too: "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." So we have this picture of lonely Adam and gracious God who makes other-half Eve and then presents her to lonely Adam. How cool is that?

These are some of the passages that come to mind whenever I think about the Bride of Christ. We're people, so God became a person. We're dirty, so God cleanses us with His Word. We're unworthy, so He extends His scepter of grace. We're dead, so He makes us alive. We're incomplete, so He makes us whole. We are so totally incapable of ruling ourselves (see: History of Mankind for details) that any attempt to do so without Him results in pain, sorrow and death, but He's got a Zero-Tolerance policy for any of that in His Kingdom. Death isn't one of His constituents, it's one of His defeated foes.

So it's weird for me to think of myself as having a King. I have a president and he was elected - who voted for God? Can He be impeached? Who is He held accountable to - some celestial congress perhaps? The title Presidents of Presidents just doesn't sound right anyway I guess. But I do have a King, and there are Laws. He doesn't hold votes and He doesn't report to anyone, which is good if you think about it. How many crazies out there would petition Him to loosen gravity just a bit, or give us extra lives, or let us have gills? No, we don't need an elected President of Presidents to govern our souls, we need a sovereign King of Kings who made the universe in six days by talking; who knows what we're going through because his weaves us on a loom that works at the atomic level. Other kings get morning breath but this King breathes life and outshines the sun. We might not want this King, but we sure do need Him and we'd definitely be lost without Him.

So it turns out monarchy isn't so bad after all, we just keep messing it up with all those Human kings.

~~JBH

Some Changes...

First off - apologies for not updating the blog more often. For those of you who haven't heard already I (Will) started a second job a couple weeks ago. I trained on First Shift for a while and Lisha ran the register, but now I've been turned over to Second Shift. The new Summer Hours to allow for this, and for the decreased summer customer counts, are:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am until 2pm.
As always, you can phone or e-mail us about special orders which we generally place on Tuesdays.

Secondly - I completed the Way of the Master series at our church last week. It's an evangelism program designed by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron to help folks get out of their comfort zones and start sharing the Gospel. It was convicting to say the least! While I tend to think their method may not apply in every situation the underlying principals are sound. As Ray says repeatedly, we "Bypass the mind, the place of the intellect, and speak the law of God straight to the heart, the seat of the conscience." I went out and shared with a few people before the parade in Jaffrey last week and I truly enjoyed it. God's Word never returns to Him void, but if it doesn't get out in a timely manner because of our apathy for a lost and dying world that's not good!

Lastly - Keep your eyes peeled for God's plan to unfold real soon! Not that it ever isn't, and this isn't a "Rapture Warning" or anything, I'm just saying to be on the lookout for what He's about to do. I have the privilege of meeting and speaking with so many people in the area about what the Lord is doing in their lives, and I'm convinced He's up to something big. Not that He ever isn't, but it's just a general sense in my spirit that He's got something really awesome planned for the Monadnock area. One of the cool things about being the Creator is that when we ask for a reason as to why He might do something, He's totally justified in replying, "Because I want to." And that's good enough!

~~JBH

Non-fiction...

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." -Romans 8:18


God does not tell us "I know some days are rough and some days are not, but just keep your chin up and maybe tomorrow will be better." That would be a weaker God, more removed from our suffering. We would not be impressed by what that God has to say, and He would not have our trust. His indifference leaves much to be desired. Humanity has some pretty nice accomplishments too, after all, and we could probably come up with something better than the tentative promise of a "better day."

Ah, but this is not the God of the Bible. This is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of David is not weak, the God of Daniel is not indifferent. He is bold, He is faithful, He is Truth. He says to us "I know some days are unfathomably sorrowful - this is the world as it stands. Your sin has separated us, but only for a time. Stick with me, child, because with me some days are going to be so incredibly amazingly awesome that you won't hardly recall what you did yesterday and pretty soon that's going to be every day because I've got this plan I'm working on and if I showed you all of it at once it would BLOW YOUR MIND!"

God has a better imagination than George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, J.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry and C.S. Lewis put together - and He doesn't write fiction.

~~JBH

Life v2.0

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."            -Revelation 21:3-5


A few years ago we miscarried our third child. I remember thinking two things that day: 1) How in the world do people without the Hope of Christ manage this? 2) Someday, this won't happen anymore.

Even as I (Will) write this my eyes cloud up, because the idea that some day I'll wake up and no one will have died - that's just foreign to my mind. And what does that say about our fallen world? Someday nobody will die. And starting that day, and continuing forever, no one ever will. Just let your mind dwell on that for a few minutes. If that thought doesn't affect the rest of your day in a profound way I don't know what will! God, our Father and Creator and Giver of life, promises us He will one day Himself wipe away our tears. There's hope in that, but also a promise: until then, expect tears. Expect and accept them for now, knowing that every sorrow will one day cease.

God has this project, you see, and we're part of it. We're in a kind of trial version of life right now, Life Lite if you will. Everybody gets a free copy in the mail to try it out, but not everyone takes full advantage of the offer. We can choose to throw it out with the other junk mail and not give it a second thought, or we can pop it in and see what's up. It's still a little buggy and needs some work, but it's admittedly not the final product. For those who are able to endure the trial version, there'll be the chance to upgrade later on.

And folks - Life v2.0 is going to rock.

~JBH

Precious (pt.2)...

"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD." -Psalm 115

Precious...

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." -Psalm 116:15


I (Will) intended to write something yesterday and just couldn't get my head straight. I found solace in reading God's Word (in particular Psalm 69) and spent most of the day as many of you - deep in thoughts of my Saviour and His Ways. This morning I received the news that one of my high school teachers had died last week. 1st Sgt. John Pereira was the Assistant Naval Science Instructor for my NJROTC unit. Not only did he have an amazing story regarding his service in Vietnam (two tours) but he was a Christian and wasn't ashamed of it. He never pushed it on any of us but it was clear that Christ was central to his life and it showed in his actions. What I have learned of honor, integrity and patriotism comes largely from this one man.

So while I find myself wanting to comment on the events of the last forty-eight hours I share this instead:

People often ask us how the store is doing. We all (us included) want the answer to be something along the lines of  "Everything has been so fantastic! God provides every step of the way and we're doing great!" but the fact is the finances are tight - and that's a polite understatement. We're finding ourselves passing on bills and there's been more than one occasion where we've lost phone service because of delinquent payments. Some days we don't have any paying customers at all, though one or two people seem to make it in every day just to see how things are going. Word is spreading about us but frankly it's slower than we thought it would be.

Now don't think God hasn't been busy - we could tell you stories that would bring tears and shouts of joy all at once - that much is clear. We always thought God would let us in on His plan for the store at some point, but thus far He seems content to teach us what the meaning of complete dependence on Him daily really is. We rejoice in the Author of Matthew 6:25 and Phillipians 4:19 and Psalm 37:25. We know He is faithful, and He will never leave us nor forsake us, and in the end it's not about us or anything we can accomplish. We are confident He will complete His good work in us, and that His thoughts towards us are of peace and not evil. Jaffrey Bible House is about His Word in His store for His people and His purposes - and that's a very comforting thought indeed!

~JBH

"Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen." -Revelation 7:12

The Perfectionist...

"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." -Hebrews 2:10


I (Will) am still reading the book of Hebrews over and over, and this verse stuck out in particular this morning. I've always focused on the last part - where Christ is called the Captain of our salvation. This time, however, my heart dwelt on the beginning of the passage. "...for whom are all things, and by whom are all things..." This is Jesus Christ we're reading about here, God Himself incarnate as a man sent to rescue Mankind as only He could. Everything ever is His and continues because He wills it - and it pleased Him to taste death so His children could be spared it's sting. This was His plan all along. I can barely imagine Him before Creation, His thoughts dwelling on what it will mean to have a people all His own, and knowing the loss and pain and sorrow it will involve. In order to be an intimate God, not a distant and cold one, He purposed to die before life as we know it ever began. But like the Perfect Captain He is, He shines that beaming, radiant, loving smile and starts speaking it all into being anyway.

I am increasingly convicted of the inadequacy of the phrase "God is good!" Every time I type it as a Facebook status I wish I could use a font the size of Jupiter.

~~JBH

The Future's So Bright I Won't Need Shades...

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." -Revelation 21:23,24

Throughout scripture God makes mention of His ultimate desire of having a people uniquely His (Ezekiel 37:27, for instance, is fulfilled in Revelation 21:3) and it's so beautiful and comforting to know He's able to make that happen. In fact, it's what He's up to right now! Imagine living on an Earth where the sun's light is dwarfed by our King's presence. A worship service where there's no temple or church because God is present and approachable. The worship band is all of us, joined with the angels, singing praises to Him as we gaze upon His countenance! This is all just so amazing, so absolutely astounding - and so completely like Jesus!

~~JBH

Eternal Positioning System...

"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek on to come." -Hebrews 13:14


Praise God that He's got a better plan than the one we come up with ourselves! There likely won't be any Christian bookstores on the new Earth, but we're okay with that!

~~JBH

Most Awesome Book Ever...

"But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." -Hebrews 9:7-25

Lately I (Will) have been uninspired for keeping the blog up to date. It's not so much about discouragement or laziness, although there are days with a healthy portion of both. I just can't seem to come up with something better than what God has already written! I read scripture often - as we all should - and sometimes I just want to post page after page of His Word to edify all the readers and magnify His name and His glory. There's some definite function to our blog, and I know folks have found is useful. Today, however, just be encouraged that it will never be as awesome to read as God's Holy Word. Amen to that!

~~JBH

P.S. I do most of my reading from the King James Version, but if that turns you off then I encourage you to find the reference elsewhere and read it on your own. God is awesome in every language!

A Sparrow Takes Flight...

Just a quick update: Jaffrey Bible House is now on Twitter! For those of you wishing to follow us, our username is @jbiblehouse. God is good!

~JBH

Happily Ever After...

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace we are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."                  -Ephesians 2:4-9


We're looking forward to visitors from the Rejuvenate retreat at Monadnock Bible Conference today, but just wanted to share a little something to kick off the weekend. Isn't God awesome?

~JBH

What He's Been Up To...

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." -Galatians 5:2,3

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." -Galatians 5:9

Let's be clear about one thing: Jaffrey Bible House belongs to God. It was started by His prompting on our hearts and it continues because of His blessing and provision. It has nothing to do with our knowledge or funds or skills - it's totally His. It's important to get this straight because things really are starting to take off with the store, and we're starting to hear kudos aimed in our direction. Let us respond as the angel does to John: "See thou do it not...worship God!" (Revelation 22:9, emphasis added).

---

That having been said, here's a few of the latest developments that Jesus has going on here:

1) We (Lisha and Will) are now Independent Consultants with Usborne books. This means a number of things, but the most important is that we'll be hosting at least a couple book parties each month at JBH! We're very excited at all the opportunities that this opens up for us (and you!), and will have a link up shortly to our Usborne page.

2) We have received some funding from Team Jaffrey for our store sign, so be on the lookout for that. We've had more and more visitors as the weather warms up, and having an actual sign is a good thing - and hopefully it will help the folks who get lost trying to find us!

3) Our weekly prayer times have been awesome, and we can all agree that God is up to something big. This shouldn't come as a surprise - He's all about that sort of thing! If you're in the area and have time to stop in and join us, we meet on Tuesday nights 6pm-7pm and Fridays 12pm-1pm, we'd love to worship Jesus with you!

4) Speaking of prayer, we're working on getting a Prayer Wall up on the site. A spot where you can post praise and petitions that we can join with you in lifting to our Heavenly Father - because He's always listening!

There's lots more and God continues to make this adventure an exciting one, so check back often! A special mention to the ladies attending the Rejuvenate conference - feel free to stop by during your free time!

~~JBH

If It Doesn't Make Sense, You're Doing It Right...

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5,6


April 9th will mark the six-month anniversary of the re-opening of Jaffrey Bible House, and it's coming up fast! It's truly a testimony of God's grace, provision and blessing on the store - as there's just no earthly reason we should still be around! He's very, very good!

We're coming up on Palm Sunday/Passover/Easter, and there's still some time left to order anything you might need for special services - bulletins, music, communion cups, etc. There's also a ton of retreats coming up at Monadnock Bible Conference, and during the "free time" we often get bunches of folks looking to see what's new at Jaffrey Bible House. If you're one of them and you have something in mind - just let us know ahead of time and we'll be happy to order it in so you can pick it up then!

Until then, enjoy the beautiful Spring weather!

~~JBH

Walk Like An Israelite...

"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour." -Exodus 1:13, 14

"And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." -Exodus 3:7

"Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." -Exodus14:12

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." -John 8:36


How quickly the Israelites forgot the oppression of Egypt when faced with the trials of following God! We as Believers oftentimes would rather trudge through mud and stack bricks then read scripture or pray - it's just that simple. Following God is a real challenge, and the certainty of servitude to sin seems so much easier than the risk of the cost of the Cross. After all, He'll forgive us later, right? But take everything about Pharoah and reverse it - this is God. He gives up His Son first, not last, to free His people (Exodus 12:12 is the last plague on Egypt). He is intimately concerned with our hearts - not just what we can do for Him (He doesn't really need mudbricks anyway). Pharoah was afraid of what would happen if the Israelites ever rose up in unity against him (Exodus 1:10) - God wants us to rise up in unity against Hell and advance His Kingdom! God had a specific reason for raising up Pharoah (Exodus 9:16) and He has a plan for Satan too. He destroyed Pharoah's armies with water (Exodus 14:28) and He's going to throw Satan in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:10)!

The Exodus story is so full of illustrations for us today because God is still God. He still loves His people, He's still rescuing us from bondage and He still wants us to follow Him to a better place. It's not an easy road, but He still goes before us to light the way. Amen!

~~JBH

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." -Revelation 22:14

Twenty-Dollar Violins...

"The story is told of a great violinist who announced he would give a concert using an unusually expensive violin. On the designated night, violin lovers packed the hall to hear the instrument played. The violinist came out on stage and gave an exquisite performance, climaxed by a thunderous ovation from the appreciative crowd. He bowed to acknowledge the cheers, then suddenly threw the instrument to the floor, stomped it to pieces, and walked offstage. The audience was horrified.
A few moments later, the stage manager came out and said to the stunned crowd, 'Ladies and gentlemen, the violin that was just destroyed was only a twenty-dollar violin. The maestro will now return to play on the advertised instrument.' He did so, and few could tell the difference." - excerpt from Follow Me by John MacArthur


The point of the story is clear - it's not the instrument, it's the Master who wields it. If we, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, fully yield ourselves to His purpose for us then amazing things can, and will, happen. Hearts will be healed, marriages will be restored and a peace not of this world will reign in us.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." -Colossians 3:15,16


~~JBH

Wholly Holy...

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.'" -Leviticus 19:1-4


David Crowder sings a song titled Wholly Yours, and the chorus is quite intriguing when you understand the play on homophones. To say God is "wholly holy" is to say he is completely set apart, totally "other". This is fantastic - that our God is not bound to, or tainted by, anything on Earth (or, indeed, the entire universe). There's nothing here that fully describes His strength, mercy, love or justice. Jesus didn't bring postcards from Heaven because it would have been like bringing a French grammar book to a fish pond and expecting the Koi to give an oral report on Napoleon. Heaven, the holiness of our Lord, is so foreign to us that He speaks in parables instead. Similes and metaphors abound in the Gospels simply because if He had actually just showed us Heaven we'd have lost our marbles.

Recall Matthew 17, when Christ is transfigured while James, John and Peter are watching. Peter's reaction is to build not just one tabernacle, but three - one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Not that this didn't seem reasonable at the time, and maybe James and John thought it sounded good too, but it's so woefully inadequate in light of passages like 1 Kings 8:27 and Psalm 113:5,6 that it should be abundantly clear that Peter was just unable to process what he'd witnessed (not that we would've acted any differently!). The King of kings and Lord of lords, the living God of all Creation, is so far above and beyond our comprehension that if we experienced His fullness without a body better suited to that purpose (1 Corinthians 15:44) we'd completely overload.

And yet, He says to be holy, just as He is holy. Could this mean that living our lives in the relentless, reckless and unwaivering pursuit of the Author of our salvation and Lover or our souls can, and should, leave our fellow Earthlings speechless? When we exercise the fierce love of our Savior on those around us by caring for their physical needs and praying for their very souls, it should throw them for a bit of a loop - after all, we're not from around here (Hebrews 11:13).

~~JBH

P.S. The Jaffrey Bible House is doing alright, and we'd love to see you Tuesday nights at 6pm or Fridays at noon to worship the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and fellowship!

God Bless(es) America...

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will hear their land." -2 Chronicles 7:14


Does any more really need to be said? America, perhaps more than any country in the world today, is known for its Christian heritage. In recent times it has become vogue to point out the flaws in the shapers of our nation, but our tender does not have "In Our Infallible Founders We Trust" inscribed on it, nor do we sing "Abraham Lincoln Bless America". We are not endowed with "certain inalienable rights" from a "Legislator" or "Board of Directors" but from a "Creator". America is not worth more as a nation because of this, but it has a unique opportunity, and even an obligation, to fully rely on the Lord Jesus Christ as our King and Captain - and to live for Him only. What would it look like if Americans became less interested in the men who founded this nation and more interested in the God they served?


The answer is cited above, and it's written in the only document about which is said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." -Matthew 24:35


~~JBH

"Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

-Star Spangled Banner, final verse

Caution: God At Work...

"Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation." -Zechariah 2:13


Sometimes we talk about what should go on the blog, was there anything that happened worthy of sharing this week? And then, as we seek God and to glorify Him with our words we realize: YES. We are becoming increasingly convinced that Jaffrey Bible House is not a Christian bookstore that holds prayer meetings, but a house of prayer where you can pick up a greeting card or the latest John MacArthur title. Who knows the mind of God and what He has planned for us? Not us, but it's a foolish thing to confuse obedience with clear direction. He prompts, we obey, He gives faith, we continue to obey and wait on Him - that's the best deal in the universe. While reading through Zechariah these past few days, this particular verse (2:13) stuck out and demanded pause. When God goes to work, we need to prepare to be amazed - and He's definitely up to something big here in America.

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee." -Zechariah 2:10,11


Even so, come Lord Jesus!

~~JBH

Book Party!

Wednesday night, February 23rd at 6pm, will be Jaffrey Bible House's Usborne book party! There's going to be an official Usborne representative giving a presentation and probably lots of lovely little doo-dads to take home. The Keurig is pretty excited to get some use too! Many Usborne titles are included in home education programs, so stop by and check it all out!

~~JBH

It's Not Illegal Here (Yet)...

While gathering in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and praising His holy name, and lifting our prayers as sweet aroma before His heavenly throne can lead to the severest persecution in some parts of the globe - that's not the case in our blessed America. Jaffrey Bible House has open prayer on Fridays 12pm-1pm and Tuesday evenings 6pm-7pm, and Jesus always seems to make it (Matthew 18:20).

God is preparing some very big things for the Monadnock region, and for our nation as whole - wouldn't you like to be a part of it? Our Mission Statement reads: "To forcefully advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ by providing sound biblical resources to Jaffrey and the surrounding community!" Can you think of any better way to advance the kingdom of Christ than through active, fervent, intercessory prayer?


~~JBH
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16b

The End Is Not Nigh...

Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, "And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."


It's interesting that the wisest man to ever have lived thinks there'll never be a shortage of books. He doesn't elaborate on what kinds of books in particular, but I think we can agree they won't all be Bibles. Something in the works right now at Jaffrey Bible House is a Christian book club. It's not a Bible study, though if you've got some interested folks we can definitely get that ball rolling too. No, this would be more like a critical book study where we read through chapters on our own time and then get together once a week or so to discuss the insights or observations made by the author and the biblical accuracy (or inaccuracy) thereof. Trust us, there's as many fluff-filled bestsellers as there are hidden gems out there, and we'd love to discover them together!


That's as far as we've got so far, so check back often to see what's up. If you have any good suggestions you can let us know too (via phone, e-mail or Facebook). Continue to hold the store up in prayer, as things are really starting too get tight - by this we know God will be glorified all the more! Our prayer meetings are just awesome too, and you should all stop by if you can (Fridays at noon and Tuesdays at six)!

Blessings!
~~JBH

Having The Final Word...

Has it really been that long since our last update?! God has been up to some amazing things here at Jaffrey Bible House, and testimonies of His faithfulness to His people are becoming par for the course (not that we're bored by them)!

Jesus Christ says in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This isn't to be taken lightly! And check this out:

I will declare your name to my people;
   in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
   Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
   the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
   but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
   before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek the LORD will praise him—
   may your hearts live forever!
                                     -Psalm 22:22-26

Jaffrey Bible House really isn't that big, but we serve a huge God with plans that would blow our mind should we think upon them! We sell books and bibles and cards and music and things to share the Gospel and encourage discipleship in the Gospel and all that is well and good. God's desire is for His Word to go forth, and for all nations to hear of what He's done at the cross, and what He does in the hearts of men and women that turn to Him. It shouldn't surprise us, though, that some of the most exciting things that happen in the store happen during the times of prayer and praise and fellowship with new believers and veteran saints and eager seekers and anyone else who shows up! To this end we have two times to meet here for open prayer - Fridays at noon and Tuesdays at 6pm - and we routinely need more chairs!

What does God have planned for Jaffrey Bible House? We have no idea at all. We know that we love Him, we know we love to love Him, and we know we're not alone. We know that our heart is to see churches join together and be the Church, we know we want to see hearts and marriages restored and we know God doesn't believe in baby steps. We want to be senders, hosters and doers of His Holy Word; and this whole adventure is in obedience to what He laid on our hearts. He didn't give us footnotes on how to do this, or charts and graphs about how to optimize our inventory to make the most profit, or even some sort of warrantee about how long to try until we can give up. He just said to do it.

But listen to Isaiah 37:6 and 7. Previously king Sennacherib sent his envoy over to Jerusalem to talk about terms of surrender and everyone in the city hears about it. He takes fifteen verses to do this, and it worries king Hezekiah so he sends for word from Isaiah. What does God say about all this?

"Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."

That's less than two full verses, and in them God says "Don't worry, I got this." God is so awesome!

~~JBH

What A Difference A Difference Can Make...

"To forcefully advance the kingdom of Christ by providing sound biblical resources to Jaffrey and the surrounding area."

That's the Mission Statement for Jaffrey Bible House. It's pretty strong language, so let's be clear.  Anytime someone hears about Jesus Christ and turns to Him for salvation - that's when His kingdom forcefully advances! It's not just about making a purchase - we have two different times for open prayer and praise to our Lord and we're always up for taking prayer requests however and whenever you can get them to us (phone, e-mail, Facebook, this blog, or the tried and true face-to-face chat)! Need a central place to meet for a small group study, or just a place to study and meditate on God's Word quietly? We've got some empty chairs just hanging around waiting to be filled (the toasty pellet stove and tasty Keurig coffee don't hurt either)!

The most significant event in a person's life is accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior - and we have the privilege of seeing that everyday! That's the difference between Jaffrey Bible House and other Christian bookstores or websites. It's our job to know the latest music, bible translations and literature and we take it very seriously. Don't believe us? Stop by and see for yourself today!

~~JBH

Snow Day Protocol...

With another lovely bunch of snow impending, it's important to know that we will always try to have the store open on snow days - even if only for a few hours. If we still have power in the building the store will be open as close to 10am as possible, and then close sometime after lunch. This is because we have to run the pellet stove or our beloved Jaffrey Bible House becomes an iceberg, and no one wants that!

Meanwhile, we've just placed an order with Alpha Omega Publications for some homeschooling material at 20% off! If you weren't able to get on board don't worry - there's the option to get that 20% off sometime in April as well. Stay tuned!

Our movie rentals have been a hit, and if you've never seen classic Billy Graham you should come check out his 1959 sermon on Truth in Melbourne, Australia. It's great, and it's so neat to see how God will work through us when we are only willing to yeild to His prompting! It's $15 for JBH Membership, then $1 per movie to rent for a week. That's $17 for any two full-length Christian films or documentaries - less than the retail price of any one of them! Cheaper than a movie membership elsewhere, and no waiting for things to arrive in the mail either!

Lastly - a big invitation to anyone who can make it Tuesday evenings from 6pm-7pm for prayer, praise and worship of our Lord! The first meeting two weeks ago was awesome, but not because of anything we said or did. It was awesome because when God's people gather together in His name and He shows up it's a very good time indeed!

~~JBH

Important Notice...

Just a quick update - our phones and internet are on the fritz. Until we get them fixed we won't be able to receive calls or check e-mail except for before and after hours. Hopefully this doesn't last long - God knows how to handle technical difficulties!

~~JBH

[Edit: And here we are, an hour later, with both phone and internet! God is good!]

Alpha Omega Discounts...

Greetings! As we all thaw out from last night's ice storm, here's an important announcement for our Home Education customers:

From today (January 19th) until January 24th you can save 20% off any order with Alpha Omega Publishing! This is especially timely, as in April the available discount will no longer be 12% but rather 10%. Buy now to save later!

In other news, isn't God amazing? We've had such a fantastic year so far, and none of it would have been possible without our Lord doing what only He can do! We appreciate all of your prayers and support, it really does make a difference: the movie rentals, the coffee machine, the T-Shirt press, the new store sign (which should be up soon) and the old store sign (which will be on the wall behind the counter), the newspaper article, being business of the month at the bank and being featured on a prominent social marketing site - and only God knows what tomorrow will bring!

Which is good, because it's His store anyway, right?

~~JBH

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." - Matthew 6:34a

Mind Your Manners...

Just a quick review of the week so far: AWESOME. Can we expect anything less from God?

1) Our movie rentals, Keurig station and abundance of T-Shirts are all fully operational and ready to be rented, tasted and worn!

2) Prayer on Tuesday evening was fantastic, thanks for all who were able to make it. That's going to be a pretty regular time, in addition to Fridays 12pm-1pm. Stop by if you can!

3) Looking forward, we have the giant (8x4 feet) Jaffrey Bible House Sign from the old location waiting to go up behind the counter. It should be up later this week. Stop in to see it... and to make sure it hasn't fallen on me!

4) Lastly, we've had a lot of business with local churches lately, and a lot of folks ordering bible studies. That's awesome! Keep in mind we are quite willing to host these studies in the store, either before or after hours. The pellet stove keeps things toasty and we're in a pretty central spot for everyone!

God is good!
~~JBH

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25

P.S. To our friends at Crowdtap, who may be finding themselves here for the first time - Welcome!

This Is What Paul Was Talking About...

Remember in Romans 1:20 when Paul writes, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..."? It's snowing like crazy outside today and with all of our technology and accomplishments, many of us will stay at home. Unwilling to brave the roads or even leave the warmth of our beds, driveways will perhaps be shoveled, walkways salted and cars cleaned off. This is what God was saying through Paul - "I'm doing that. Pay attention to me. I'm more important than any of your toys or plans, so listen to me. I do this sort of thing all the time, don't you want to know me better?."

Isn't God awesome?

~~JBH

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." - Psalm 51:7

Approved For All Audiences...

Greetings!

Today we'll be kicking off the Jaffrey Bible House Movie Rentals! We have just over twenty titles available, ranging from documentaries to family movies and a few Veggietales. Just how does it work? Easy - $15 to become a Jaffrey Bible House Member (we take down your address for our monthly newsletter, and you'll be eligible for other great deals too) and then $1 per movie. For now we've got to limit it to only two movies out at a time and that's for a week.

We're still making room for a permanent study/prayer area towards the back of the store, but that largely depends on two things: 1) Figuring out our Keurig coffee station, and 2) Selling through these hundreds of T-Shirts! Really - it might even be a thousand! They're all great designs though, and very reasonably priced ($5/tee, $7/longsleeve). We've also got a couple things for children and babies!

All in all, this year is already shaping up to be fantastic - but with God at the wheel, what else can we expect?

Blessings,
~~JBH

P.S. At this point if you've been following the Jaffrey Bible House Blog for long you may have a few things you want to say to us. It's easy! If you don't have an account to comment here, you can find us on Facebook or just send us an e-mail: jaffreybiblehouse@myfairpoint.net. Eventually we hope to have a Prayer Requests section on the Blog, but for now that's your best bet. Thanks for stopping by!

JBH v2.011

We've certainly been praising God for a lot at the Jaffrey Bible House! Here's the highlights:

1) Someone donated a T-Shirt press which means we'll be able to print our own tees! Not quite as high-speed as others perhaps, and we're still learning how to not burn the building down, but a fantastic blessing nonetheless!

2) We now have about two dozen DVD titles available to rent next week. Be in prayer with us over this, as we have a call in trying to determine if we need a license to do this. If you have input, drop us a line and let us know! The way this will work is as follows: You come in and pay $15 to become a Jaffrey Bible House Member. We'll fill out a little notecard with some basic information (name, phone number, address) for future use in mailings and fun things like that. After that you'll be able to rent any DVD we have (no more than two at a time) for $1 each for a week. We're not Blockbuster, but that's not a bad thing.

3) Along with the T-Shirt press we received lots of shirts and sweaters. Lots. Stop by and you can browse through them, $5 for a tee and $7 for a sweater. There's some really great designs in there!

4) We will be having some prayer time on Tuesday (1-11-11!) from 6-7pm. For anyone who can't make it to our Friday time (12-1pm) this is a great opportunity to come praise the Lord with us!

5) As more and more folks are hearing about us (have you seen our display in the bank yet?) and trying to figure out what we're all about, please pray that God gets all the glory. This whole adventure is His: His Word to His people for His purposes by His grace - He certainly didn't need our help!

6) We'll be moving some things around in the store so we can have a small study area, a coffee station and a little better accomodation for prayer meetings. Anyone with some folding chairs in decent condition that need a home need look no further - we'd love them! No more than half a dozen though, otherwise we start to have firecode issues.

7) We're still on the hunt for a bible engraver. If anyone has any leads on one, please let us know - they can be expensive but it often makes a difference between "a bible" and "My Bible".

That's about it for now, thanks again so much for your prayers and support! That the God of all creation saw fit before ever speaking a thing into existence that Jaffrey Bible House would be here... that's awesome! He's awesome!

~~JBH

Special Guest...

We will be having our regular prayer meeting this Friday from 12-1pm. Next Tuesday (11th) we will, however, be having some prayer time from 6-7pm. If, like many, the Friday timeslot just doesn't work for you, consider stopping by on Tuesday. Of course you can always drop-in for some spontaneous praise and worship, but corporate worship never hurt anyone either!

So that's 1-11-11, from 6pm until 7pm. And we have it on good authority (Matthew 18:20) that Jesus will be there!

~~JBH

Banking on Jesus...

Just a quick update on things around here:

1) Jaffrey Bible House is business of the month at Peoples' United Bank in Jaffrey. We've setup a display table with pictures, testimony and some free catalogs. Pray with us that more people will check us out!

2) The Movie Rental section is in its final stages, look for that to be up and running mid-month.

That's it for now, be blessed!
~~JBH