The Perfect Crime, a guest post

I’m pleased to host Naty Matos as my guest today! Let’s give her a warm welcome!

The Perfect Crime

Anyone who has spent some time with me knows that I love crime shows. It’s not the evil component of a crime that attracts me, it’s the psychology behind the crime and the perpetrator that peaks my interest. Although crime is not a good thing, I do believe that from all evil acts have a silver lining as it says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Sometimes it has taken a painful experience like this to bring the perpetrator or even the victims to a place of brokenness and closer to God. I think that’s the appeal for me, I always look at what is the pain and hurt that those involved are going through and where the possibility is of redemption.

Long time ago there was a plan to destroy humanity. A fallen angel wanted to take control over God’s most created possession, you and me. That fallen angel in the shape of a snake (well suited by the way) tempted mankind and got them thrown of out the perfect life with God in paradise. After that, chaos reigned and God made multiple attempts to restore order, but we were unable to keep ourselves right.

God sent his son to rescue us and the fallen angel went after him as well. He tried to tempt him to fall out of grace and at the end he killed him, thinking that he had committed the perfect crime. Little did the fallen angel know that it was God’s plan all along to have his son killed, not only to show his glory through the resurrection, but by now giving us all a way back to him that could not be taken away.

So why is it the perfect crime? Is not perfect for the perpetrator, but from the mastermind God who even used the darkness to redeem us all.

John 3:16 (MSG)

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Was Amelia able to scheme the perfect crime as well. Find out in my new novella “Season’s Greetings from Amelia” This great novella brings mystery, suspense and the best stocking stuffer for your favorite e-reader. You can get your copy for just 0.99 cents on Kindle, Smashwords and Nook only during the month of December.
Book Description
Daisy has the perfect life, beautiful children and a wonderful husband. And Christmas is right around the corner. Tis the season to be jolly… Or is it?
Daisy’s life is flipped upside down by strange letters that are sent to her by her best friend, Amelia. And as her life continues to quickly spiral out of control, she realizes that something BIG is about to happen. Can she put aside her confusion, hurt, and anger in order to solve a mystery that may have a horrific ending????
Can Daisy’s life ever return to normal regardless to whether she does or doesn’t?

Author Bio
Naty Matos was born in the city of New York. She grew up in the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico and now lives in the city of Atlanta.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with a Minor in Mass Media Communications and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling.
Naty writes Christian fiction and non-fiction. She maintains a blog on Christian Living Topics at www.therisingmuse.com

 

 

Bridal Paradigm part 3: Reading Ruth through the Bridal Paradigm

This will be a brief overview in the hope that you will dive deep on your own.

Viewing this book through the Bridal Paradigm means that the characters have allegorical parallels. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, is a picture of the Church. Ruth is a picture of the individual believer. And Boaz is a picture of Jesus.

Side note: Even though I’m exploring this book allegorically that doesn’t mean it’s is the only way to understand this book. I firmly believe Ruth is a historical book as well as a beautiful romance and amazing allegory.

So, yeah:

Ruth clings to her mother-in-law, Naomi. No matter how messed up and bereft the Church looks, it’s the Church that Christ gave Himself for (see Ephesians 5:25).

Boaz notices Ruth’s faithfulness and offers her:

• Protection: (2:8-9)
• Provision: (2:9,15-18)
• Companionship: (2:14)

Jesus offers nothing less. In fact, He offers all these and much more.

Ruth, an humility (genuine for the time period), accepts all that Boaz offers her. Furthermore, at the suggestion of her mother-in-law, she pursues intimacy with Boaz. She’s physically, emotionally and financially vulnerable but trusts both Naomi’s suggestions and Boaz’s kind heart.

In the end, her marriage and intimacy with Boaz produces an offspring, Obed (which means ‘servant’). Ruth places Obed onto Naomi’s lap proving that she’s content enough with her intimacy with Boaz to give Naomi the overflow of the blessing.

One thing that stands out to me in Ruth is the fact that this girl makes her own decisions. She decides to cling to her mother-in-law. She decides to work in the barley fields. She decides to submit to Naomi’s suggestions. She is the one who names Obed and places him in Naomi’s arms. Her decisions to be faithful bring her into intimacy.

My favorite verse? Ruth 3:11:

And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

Boaz recognized her character in an intimate situation. I’d love to hear the Lord speak that over me–especially in the place of intimacy!

What is your favorite aspect of Ruth?

Jesus, our safe Savior, Part 6 – the Job question

How can we call Jesus our safe Savior when bad things happen to good people? In other words, the Job question — why did God single out Job to satan? This prompted satan to bring an avalanche of calamities on Job just to prove God wrong. And somehow, in light of that story, our feeling of safety in the hand of God teeters on the brink. But why?

Power scares us. Even when we love power, it scares us. We don’t trust people with power. We don’t even trust ourselves with power (and most of us shouldn’t). Since we don’t trust ourselves with power, why would we trust God, Who has infinite power?

An amazing aspect of God’s power is that He gives it away. He gave power to us when He gave Adam the ability to choose, to create and to think and feel apart from Him. This doesn’t negate the Lord’s sovereignty, rather it enhances it.

I think we’ve corrupted the idea of sovereignty into some philosophical ideal. Sovereignty isn’t meticulous control over every detail, but rather the first and last word. Humans write more of the in between words than philosophy leaves room for. In other words, sometimes the Job question can be answered by the sheer fact that humans around us make decisions that effect us negatively. And sometimes we make those decisions ourselves.

But God is still sovereign since He takes the negative circumstances and works them together for good–in amazing ways. If I didn’t have those painful loses, I wouldn’t have the tremendous good He worked together. Does that mean I’m thankful for the loses? Believe me when I tell you, no. I related to Job’s silence all too well (see Job 2:13). But I am thankful for the Lord’s work to bring good out of painful situations.

So in my few years walking with God on this earth, I have learned that Romans 8:28 is the answer to the Job question:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (NLT)

One other point about this ‘Job question’…

Job trusted God. He trusted the Lord from beginning to end, enough to say:

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him… (Job 13:15a)

And trusted Him enough to yell at Him and expect to be vindicated:

but I will maintain mine own ways before him. (Job 13:15b – KJV)

Job’s vindication didn’t come in the expected form, but he was vindicated none the less (see Job 42).

The Lord is no less our safe Savior when the righteous get hurt. He promised that in the world we will have trouble. But take heart–He has overcome the world. Redemption is far more beautiful than we realize.