I was sent a copy of Day of War two weeks ago by the good people at Beloved Pictures. Prior to that I had not heard of either Cliff Graham or his Lion of War series, of which this book is the first to be published. I have to confess, I was a little skeptical at first. Christian fiction, like Christian movies, is often cringe-inducing. Happily my fears were unfounded. Day of War is a page-turner, a roller-coaster adventure from start to finish.

Day of War is the story of Benaiah the son of Jehoida, “the Three”, and others who featured in the life of David prior to his assumption of the throne. You’ve probably noticed how the Bible hardly gives any attention to these men who did amazing exploits. Benaiah, we’re told, went into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion (2 Sam 23:20). But that’s about all we’re told. Josheb, chief of the Three, “raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter” (2 Sam 23:8). And that’s we get – just one verse! For a male reader this is maddening. Tell us what happened? Did they all charge him at once? How did he do it? The Bible doesn’t say. It has too many good stories to tell and not enough space to tell them. Enter Cliff Graham.

Taking an author’s license Mr. Graham tells the story of Benaiah killing the lion in the pit. (It’s heart-stopping stuff!) He also tells us plenty about Josheb. We learn that he’s physically unimpressive, wears a black tunic that his wife made for him, and that he is the funniest man in David’s army. He is also extraordinarily dangerous. In a memorable scene near the end of the story, the Three are assigned to cut off the escape of fleeing Amalekites. Josheb et al. are out-numbered hundreds to three but of course they pull it off. Mr. Graham’s genius is not in getting us to believe that they did the impossible – we already know how it’s all going to turn out – but in describing how they did it. Mr. Graham, you see, is a soldier. He understands both the skills of combat and the dreadful effects that warfare can have on a man’s soul. And this is why Day of War is not a book to give to your 12 year old son. The violence is dished out in Biblical proportions in a way that faithfully portrays both the glory and the darkness of Israel’s wars. You have been warned.

But if the thought of Amalekites meeting gruesome ends does not trouble you, then you’re in for a treat for Day of War fills the gaps between the verses with historical and military credibility. Mr. Graham is a masterful story-teller who sits you down at the campfire while his characters joke and tell tales and do all the things that men do when they are away from home. He makes the Biblical past come to life in a way few authors can manage. For a first-time novelist, he has hit a home run!

I mentioned historical credibility. I should also add that there are also a few surprises in the book which add a layer of supernatural intrigue. I won’t go into details other than to hint at one gripping scene where David rebukes an enemy soldier of mysterious origin and another where a bleeding and broken Benaiah is fought over two larger-than-life warriors.

Since this is a new covenant blog I should also point out that Day of War is an old covenant story. It’s Urim and Thummin territory. Never sure whether God will be there to help him in the day of battle, David is prompted to examine his heart for hatred and vengeance. This sort of sin-hunting introspection is not how we live but it’s how David lived. And when God does show up in the form of a covering, it’s invariably exciting. Burning with irresistible power David slays giants and runs through troops.

Apparently Mr. Graham wanted to write a massive 1500 word book but the publishers asked for something smaller. Day of War, then, is the first of a five-part series. It’s the bit of the story that revolves around David and his men marching to war with the Philistines, returning home to Ziklag, and then hunting down the Amalekites who kidnapped their women and children. I imagine the remaining books in the series will see David taking the throne at Hebron before heading to Jerusalem, uniting the 12 tribes, and pacifying the enemies of Israel. Even though I already know what’s going to happen, I can’t wait to hear Mr. Graham tell the story.
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Related posts:
- Psalm 51: The badness of David vs the goodness of God
- God doesn’t change; we do
- see all E2R’s book reviews here

Mark Driscoll has been called the Hulk Hogan of pastors. (Watch this and you’ll see why.) He says a lot of things that shock people and this has given him a reputation as a controversial pastor. My view is that he is a passionate, red-blooded man who is sick and tired of a church that has become emasculated and irrelevant. But he is no mere critic. He has a plan – his radical reformission – to convey the truth of the gospel to the lost. The world needs more leaders like him.

Whatever you think of Driscoll you will agree that he is certainly quotable. Here are 10 of my favorite Driscoll quotes:

1. “So I decided to start a church, for three reasons. First, I hated going to church and wanted one I liked, so I thought I would just start my own. Second, God had spoken to me in one of those weird charismatic moments and told me to start a church. Third, I am scared of God and try to do what he says.”  (Confessions, p.39)

2. “You have been told that God is a loving, gracious, merciful, kind, compassionate, wonderful, and good sky fairy who runs a day care in the sky and has a bucket of suckers for everyone because we’re all good people. That is a lie… God looks down and says ‘I hate you, you are my enemy, and I will crush you,’ and we say that is deserved, right and just, and then God says ‘Because of Jesus I will love you and forgive you.’ This is a miracle.”

3. “I occasionally bought lottery tickets and promised God I would tithe if he’d let me win, but to no avail.”  (Confessions, p.58)

4. “I’m in my jeep minding my own business, when I turn to Christian radio for the first time in a long time. Last time in a long time.” (uncited)

5. “Isn’t it odd that we are apparently becoming a nation of attractive people who sit at home alone at night with our pets, watching television shows about relationships and taking medication for the depression brought on by our loneliness? Meanwhile, our neighbors, whom we do not know, are spending their evenings in much the same way.” (Radical Reformission, 82)

6. “Jesus, could you please rapture the charismaniac lady who brings her tambourine to church?” (chapter title from Confessions)

7. “Even a cursory reading of the book of Ecclesiastes shows that culture is a stationary bike that each generation climbs on in hopes of getting somewhere only to die and fall off so that the new young stud can take his turn peddling and, like a fool, make pronouncements about his progress. We would be wise to see postmodernity as simply the new guy on the old bike and not mistake cultural change for kingdom progress.” (Radical Reformission, 161)

8. “Jesus and Paul were serious dudes. They had teeth missing. Jesus was a carpenter, Paul was in prison. These guys didn’t eat tofu dogs and bean sprouts. They didn’t play tennis. If there were trucks back in their times, they would have been doing driveway lube jobs on a Saturday afternoon. Same thing with King David. Yeah, he might have played a lyre, but he slaughtered thousands of guys.” (re:tool and re:load conference)

9. “Flipping through a phone book once, I saw one church advertising itself as ‘Separated’ and ‘Reaching Out to Seattle,’ presumably much like a boxer reaches out to an opponent with a jab. (Radical Reformission, 141)

10. “Work like an Arminian, sleep like a Calvinist.” (uncited)

Leadership used to be what Henry V provided on the eve of Agincourt, or what Churchill inspired in his radio talks during the days of the Battle of Britain. Leadership was Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill or Nelson pacing the deck of the HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar. Before that leadership was modeled as something involving a towel, a bucket of warm water and a willingness to serve.

But today? Leadership seems to be nothing more than a word designed to sell leadership books or tickets to seminars by men in expensive suits with expensive teeth and expensive hair-cuts.

I’ve heard many definitions of leadership over the years but leading is simply what happens if people follow you. And people won’t follow you willingly unless you’re going someplace better than where they are right now. So leaders have to be people on move. You can’t just talk about that better place, you have to be going there.

Again, Jesus is our role model:

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going… I am the Way. (John 14:2-6)

Leaders are often disgruntled with the way things are. But unless that unreasonableness is matched by vision and action, that discontent will only poison the well. Inaction will wither the soul. Leaders must move or die. They must go ahead to prepare the place and then they must come back to rally the troops.

For me, going ahead means praying, getting fresh inspiration from my Source, hearing my Father’s voice, getting the rhema. If I don’t have that I’ll end up chasing my tail, marking time waiting for Jesus to return. But having received the rhema I must then go back and rally the troops. A leader can’t stay on the mountain-top forever. He must come back to the camp, smash the golden cows, and lead the willing into the land of promise.

Leaders move in two directions; we’re either going up the hill to get the vision and have our souls refreshed, or we’re returning down the hill to gather the troops, strike the camp, and advance into our inheritance.

That’s a pretty simple strategy for leadership – either go uphill or down. When in doubt, head uphill. If you’re turned around, rolling from side to side, head uphill. If you’re dazed and confused, head uphill. If you’re frustrated by the status quo and don’t know what to do next, head uphill.

After doing a bit of wandering of my own I’ve concluded that (a) God does indeed have a special plan for your life but (b) that doesn’t mean He’s going to tell you what it is, at least not all at once. Rather, He wants us to live day by day for Him and in that regular obedience His plan unfolds to our surprise and delight. He wants us to work and to marry and go forth and multiply and be church and do the work of the kingdom. He wants us to take the life He’s given us and live.

Yet God wants us to live intentional lives. This means when we are faced with big decisions we seek His counsel and the counsel of inspired friends. It also means we look to the God-given desires within us. Probably one of the mis-quoted verses in the Bible is Ps 37:4 which says,

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

It’s amazing how excited people get over the second-half of this verse and how little attention they give to the first-half. My take on this verse is that when you make God your delight, He hardwires you new dreams and desires that impel us toward His purposes for us. If that sounds confusing, then I encourage you to read a little essay entitled Getting Caught by you Calling. It’s written by Dan Allender, the author of an outstanding book on leadership that I have recommended elsewhere.

Here’s a taste of what Allender writes:

Our calling is not a list of things God wants us to get done… I don’t believer anyone is called to a job or a profession… My calling is to walk through any door God gives me in order to reveal His glory…

We don’t find our calling; it finds us… God gives us desire and meaning. They are inside us alongside our calling, without any effort on our part to create them. When it comes to being caught by my calling, my options are simple: Whom will I serve (the population)? In what locale will I serve (the place)? What portion of the Fall will I face (the problem)? And what means will I use to address those problems (the process)? Our calling in life is always tied to population, place, problems and process.

You can read the whole of Allender’s excellent essay here.

It began in 2002 with a survey that revealed that 92% of American high-schoolers never go to church. They asked, how can we reach these people? Their answer was to make movies.

Their first movie, Flywheel, was made on the cheap and shown in the local cinema for six weeks. With the proceeds they made from that film they bought a new camera and made their second film Facing the Giants. It’s an excellent film made largely by ordinary church folk.

That film cost $100,000 to make and took in $10m at the box office. With some of that money they funded their third film Fireproof which cost $500,000 to make, took in $50m at the box office, and the DVDs for which are currently like hot cakes.

Of course this is not about the money, but I find it significant that they have sown and reaped a hundredfold each time. God has blessed their faith ventures. Jesus once said “spend money to make eternal friends” (Luke 16:9) and Sherwood Baptist has done exactly that. Because they have successfully matched their gifts with the message and the mission, people are getting saved.

I watched Fireproof with Camilla on the weekend. It’s a film about making marriage work. Although I have seen a hundred marriages fractured then healed on the big screen, Fireproof has become the standard bearer. It is serious film that doesn’t rush through thorny issues that probably affect many marriages. Initially I expected something clichéd and Disneyfied but the story is far better than that. I won’t give anything away. If you’re serious about marriage, watch the film. If your marriage is based on a contract and not a covenant and you don’t know the difference, watch the film. Apparently it is touching thousands of lives. You can read about that here.

Aside from a great lesson, the movie contains an excellent soundtrack featuring Third Day, Grey Holiday, Casting Crowns and John Waller. And if you’re an old Growing Pains fan like me, you’ll be delighted to know that Kirk Cameron really can act!

When you’re done watching the movie, go to the special features on the DVD and watch Fireproof in 60. It’s hilarious.

For years Christian movies have been second-rate, cringeworthy affairs. Thankfully the creative folk at Sherwood Baptist have broken that mold with three well-made movies. Let’s hope there’s more to come.

This is one of my favourite quotes because it provides a great excuse for my bad behaviour. Whenever my wife complains I’m being unreasonable I just explain “that’s because I’m changing the world!”

The kingdom of God is made up of non-conformist, revolutionaries who have a holy discontent with the way things are and who refuse to sit on their couches munching potato chips while the rest of the world goes to hell.

As always, Jesus is our Role Model. He left the comforts of heaven to involve himself in the affairs of men. He stood up to religious formalism and railed against belief systems that kept men in bondage. He did not accept the status quo but sought to bring about change within the hearts of others. He opposed relativism and preached absolute truth. He was utterly single-minded – it was his way or the high way. And the religious elites hated him for it. They said he was being unreasonable.

In many churches you will find two kinds of people: religious-types who have adapted to the culture of the world around them, and followers of Christ who expect the local culture to adapt to the gospel.

Here’s my question for the day: where are the unreasonable men? Where are those who, like Jesus, refuse to accept the status quo? Where are those who are weary of going through the motions? Where are those with a prophetic vision of how things could be and a plan to make it happen? Where are the Nehemiahs?

Lately I find myself praying more and more for unreasonable men to rise up and plant their flags in the gaps in our wall. Men who will say “See this need? By the grace of God I’m going to do something about it.” It has been a long time since a man came up to me and said “no one is taking care of the ___, please let me do it” or “such and such is being neglected and I’ve got a burning desire to do something about it.”

Not that we aspire to be a need-driven church. But God is always on the lookout for men who will stand in the gaps, who will take some of the burden on His heart and make it their own. Wanted: Men with burning hearts and spiritual vision.

Incidentally, do you know who said the quote above? You might think it came from some rebel or conqueror, but it was Edwin Louis Cole, co-founder of the Christian Men’s Network. This is an organization devoted to teaching men how to be better husbands and fathers. Ed Cole mentored many great leaders including the one and only Chuck Norris!

I’ll leave you with some other classic quotes from Ed Cole:

“Manhood and Christlikeness are synonymous.”
“Being a male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of choice.”
“Teach to teach, ’til every man is taught.”
“Do not let others create your world for you, for they will always create it too small.”

Other classic “Coleisms” can be found here.