CJ Penn's Online Writing Hangout

The reason I write: To promote Christian truth and help Jesus get His Christianity back.

Tag Archives: Books


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Holy Spirit Who?

In my early churchgoing years, I pictured Jesus in heaven, no longer involved in the battle down here in the trenches. He’d done His tour of duty and was now sitting out the rest of the war. I never gave much thought to the Holy Spirit, as the only times it was mentioned in church was in prayers or songs that included Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit is a facet of God who’s often more mystery than reality. For a long time, I ignored the Holy Spirit, considering it a third-rate entity, the silent partner of the Holy Trinity. However, who was I ignoring? Well, according to Paul:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NRSV)

“God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.” (Galatians 4:6 NIV)

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9 NIV, emphasis added)

So, the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Jesus—not someone I want to ignore. But wait! What about that last sentence in Romans 8:9? Is Paul saying that anyone who ignores the Holy Spirit isn’t a true Christian? Hmm, that could explain a lot.

Ignoring that volatile question (for now), what’s the Holy Spirit do, what’s His purpose? The third member of the Holy Trinity must have some kind of holy purpose, right? As I quoted Jesus at the end of the last chapter, the Spirit will guide us into all truth, which is something we could all use more of these days. As if that’s not enough, there’s this promise from Paul:

“You were sealed in Him [Jesus] with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 NASB)

A first installment of our inheritance? What inheritance? Does life with the Spirit here on earth give us a preview of the life waiting for us with God in heaven? Again, that’s not something I want to ignore. With all that’s going on in this crazy world, I could use some heaven-on-earth right now.

Anyway, when Jesus returned to heaven, I suspect He knew that those He left in charge needed help, or His budding Church would wither and die. Attacks against Christianity began immediately, and enemies soon included the Roman Empire. Therefore, Jesus sent His Spirit to help protect His newborn Church. Some people believe that once Christianity survived those initial attacks and gained strength, the Spirit walked away from the battle. Yet, as Jesus said,

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17 NASB, emphasis added)

The Holy Spirit hasn’t abandoned the war. He’s still in the trenches, for those willing to look for Him.

(Excerpt from “Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity.”)

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B

 


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A Lot Can Change in 2000 Years

The years haven’t been kind to Christianity. The way of life that Jesus lived and taught has been scared by the influences of man. Sometimes, what we see on the surface shows little resemblance to what Jesus originated.

That’s what can happen after 2000 years—2000 years of human tinkering, manipulation, and customization. For evidence, consider the hundreds of different denominations, each with their own customized rules, doctrines, beliefs, and traditions. However, as different as they are from one another, they all call what they preach the same thing … Christianity.

But is it really Christianity, or more specifically, the Christianity that Jesus lived and taught? How far have some of those variants drifted from what existed 2000 years ago? And what did exist 2000 years ago?

Is the Christianity you’ve experienced authentic Christianity, or has it been influenced more by man that God? If that question stirs a feeling in your soul, please consider my book, Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity. The book is a record of what I found when I peered beneath the 2000-year accumulation of manmade clutter.

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B


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Time for Real Christianity

Fear, anger, anxiousness … the times we live in.

If there ever was a time for real Christianity—not a weakened manmade version—it’s now.

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“Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity”

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Graffiti-churched-Christians-Christianity-ebook/dp/B0DK7VD71B


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An old perspective of Christianity

Where modern Christianity reflects 2000 years of human influence, “Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity” uncovers old Christianity, the Christianity that Jesus lived and taught. It’s the Christianity of the Bible presented in a very relatable way.

Now available via Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK7VD71B

Mockup


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A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity

For reasons I at first didn’t understand, I began to doubt the authenticity of the Christianity I’d been experiencing, at least the Christianity practiced in my small corner of the Christian world. So, after leaving the church I’d been attending for over twelve years, I went looking for the truth. That is, I went searching for Jesus’ Christianity, a Christianity I could believe in without doubts, a Christianity that wasn’t stained by the influences of man and the world.

In my just-published book, “Beneath the Graffiti; A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity,” you can follow me as I look beneath the graffiti of manmade rules, doctrines, beliefs, and traditions, to uncover the original masterpiece that Jesus lived and taught.

Paperback and ebook now available on Amazon, where you can read a more detailed description. Plus, there’s a generous “Read sample” selection for the Kindle version (the paperback version shows less—just an Amazon quirk, I suppose).

View on Amazon

Mockup


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What’s beneath the graffiti of modern Christianity?

Jesus Christ created a masterpiece when He lived and taught what came to be called Christianity. Then, over the centuries, men splattered graffiti on that masterpiece, graffiti in the form of manmade rules, doctrines, beliefs, and traditions. Today, the manmade often obscures the God-made to the point where, in some Christian circles, Jesus’ masterpiece is barely visible.

MockupSensing that the Christianity I’d been experiencing was influenced more by man than God, many years ago I left church and stepped off on a multi-year journey in search of the masterpiece. My book, “Beneath the Graffiti; A De-churched Christian’s Search for Christianity,” is a record of what I found when I peered beneath the accumulated graffiti of the past 2000 years, graffiti painted by church history and human nature.

What I found confirmed my suspicions that, when we look on the surface of modern Christianity, we don’t always see what Jesus lived and taught—we don’t always see the truth of what it means to be Christian. Yet, by scraping off the graffiti and revealing Jesus’ masterpiece that’s been hidden beneath, I hope this book will help reverse the decline of Christianity in the US—I hope this book will help Jesus get His Christianity back.

You can follow this link to get a sneak peek at Chapter 1.

And if you’d like to be notified once the book is available on Amazon, please click Follow in the right sidebar, or follow my Facebook page.


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I’m trying to publish 2 books in one month. Am I crazy?

Last week I independently published a revised edition of a novel I first published over fours ago. Now I’m getting ready to publish my second book, a Christian nonfiction book which is scheduled to go live on Amazon in about two weeks. That’s launching 2 books in less than a month.

In some ways, my workload is doubled. There are final tweaks on two book cover designs. Two book descriptions to craft, and polish. Two marketing and promotion plans to finalize and implement. Two books to load into Amazon KDP, and on, and on, and on. Am I crazy for trying to launch two books in one month.

Well, crazy or not, I’m really enjoying all this. What’s more important is that those who read my books enjoy the fruits of my labor. That hope is what keeps me working through my ever-growing list of book launch action items.

BUT, I am looking forward to a bit slower pace. 😊

Both book covers


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Following Jesus down the dusty roads

What was life like 2000 years ago when Jesus walked the roads of ancient Israel? Are you curious what it may have been like to have Jesus enter your life, and then follow Him as He traveled those dusty roads?

To begin to get an idea, follow this link to read the first 2 chapters, which is more than you’ll see in the Amazon “Read Sample.”

Now available on Amazon.com.

Ebook We Called Him Yeshua


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Book Launch Days are Such FUN!

Ebook We Called Him YeshuaI’m really excited today! I first published this book back in the spring of 2020. At the time, apart from transitioning to working from home, the activity of publishing my first book was a great distraction from the 2020 chaos. But today I’m launching a revised edition of that book, and though the original edition was received well and earned some nice comments and ratings on Amazon (4.4 stars, 28 ratings as of Oct. 5th), I think this revised edition is much better.

To get a brief overview of what this book is about, here’s an excerpt from the Amazon description:

Based on stories in the Bible, We Called Him Yeshua imagines following Jesus Christ as he traveled the dusty roads of ancient Israel. Told from the perspective of those who followed, their stories will help you see what they saw, feel what they felt, and experience Jesus as they did.  What they experienced was not only the healing power of God, but also the love, compassion, and humility of a friend.
When they first met Jesus, they felt almost like life was beginning anew. Then, they followed Him to the end. But for them, that end was another new beginning.

Please consider checking out the book on Amazon.com. And if you do, thanks.

View on Amazon

If you find the “Read sample” snippet on Amazon not enough to satisfy your curiosity, you can get a sneak peek at more right here.


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What Difference Will a New Book Cover Make?

When I first published “We Called Him Yeshua” over four years ago, I decided to go with a cover design that my niece had created. At the time, I thought the cover was cool and I really liked the idea of honoring my niece by using it. Yet, as time passed, I learned that for several reasons, the book could really benefit from a more professionally looking cover. However, since the Amazon review ratings and comments were looking good, I left the cover as-is.

Recently, I decided to take a look at what I’d written 4+ years ago. It was no surprise to me that while reading those words, I saw room for improvement. Motivated by the opportunity to enhance the story, I embarked on a project to make revisions and re-publish the book as a revised edition. This also gave me the chance to get a new cover design.

So, what do you think of the new cover? If you saw this book on a shelf in a book store, would you be tempted to open it up and peek inside?

By the way, if you’re curious about what you’d see if you peeked inside, please following this link to learn more, and even read the first couple of chapters if you’d like to.

(original cover …………… new cover)

Final Front Cover    Ebook We Called Him Yeshua


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They followed Jesus to the end. But for them, that end was a new beginning.

Ebook We Called Him Yeshua“It can be hard feeling close to God. The divine can feel intimidating and unapproachable. Yet it was easy feeling close to Yeshua, for though he was both God and human, to us he felt more human.

“You may know of him by his divinity and his Greek name, Jesus Christ. We knew him mostly by his humanity and his Hebrew name, Yeshua. You may know about him by what you read in the Bible or hear in a sermon. We knew him by his presence in our lives. My name is Anna, and along with my brother Neri and the others, I’d like to tell you about our time with Yeshua. We’d like to show you what it was like and how it felt to follow him.”

Based on stories in the Bible, We Called Him Yeshua imagines following Jesus Christ as he traveled the dusty roads of ancient Israel. Told from the perspective of those who followed, their stories will help you see what they saw, feel what they felt, and experience Jesus as they did.  What they experienced was not only the healing power of God, but also the love, compassion, and humility of a friend.

They followed Jesus to the end. But for them, that end was a new beginning.

This book was originally published just as the pandemic erupted—perhaps bad timing on my part. The revised edition, with a new cover and slight changes to enhance the story, will be available initially on Amazon very soon.

If you would like to be notified when the revised edition is available on Amazon, please click the “Follow” link in the right sidebar.

If you’d like to get a sneak-peek at the first couple of chapters, which is likely more than the Amazon “read sample” would give you, please follow this link.


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“We Called Him Yeshua,” FREE ebook promo ending soon

What was it like to know Jesus as those who followed Him on the roads of ancient Israel? Read this story and you may find out. Get it now while the ebook is free. This free promotion ends midnight, Thursday, September 9th.

Amazon 9-7-21Click here to go to the Amazon book page to check it out. And please recommend this to friends, while it’s still free.


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“We Called Him Yeshua,” Now FREE on Amazon

Is reality getting you down … again? Try escaping for a time to another reality. Within the pages of We Called Him Yeshua, you can join those who walked with Jesus on the roads of ancient Israel. Follow them as they follow Him. Experience what they experienced, feel what they felt. It can be almost as if you were there.

3D cover 1 croppedStarting today, the ebook is FREE on Amazon for a limited time. Click here to go to the Amazon book page to check it out. And please recommend this to friends, while the ebook is still free.


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“We Called Him Yeshua” FREE on Amazon

Hello there everyone,

It’s been almost a year since I published my first novel, We Called Him Yeshua. To celebrate that, I’m having a promotion where the Kindle version is FREE on Amazon from today until midnight Wednesday, March 10th.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to follow Jesus as he traveled the roads of ancient Israel, this might be a great story for you. In it, you will see Jesus through the eyes of people who followed him on his final journey to Jerusalem.

Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this book, now would be a great time to refer them to it. Maybe you could share this post on your social-media-of-choice, or even email this to a friend (see buttons below).

Finally, if you would like to leave a review or just a star rating on Amazon, that would be terrific. I’m especially grateful to hear what readers think of the book. Feedback can help me make my next book better.

(Click here to go to Amazon page)

Thank you and I hope you have a great weekend.

All the best,

CJ


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A Cure for Cabin Fever

Are you suffering from winter COVID cabin fever? Locked down. Shut in. Alone. Or, nearly alone. Zoom calls don’t help much anymore. Tired of watching TV. Definitely tired of surfing news websites. Tired of it all. All I can offer is this—it may not seem like much, but I believe it has the potential to help in unexpected ways:

A good story, a good book that will take you away to another time and place—maybe that would help. Oh, you’ve tried that already? Yes I now, there are lots of great books out there. But the problem is, once you close the book, especially for the last time, you’re still stuck in today. Well, I’d like to recommend a book that along with taking you to another time and place, might also help you bring some of it back when you return to here and now.

We Called Him Yeshua introduces you to someone who can come back with you once you close the book and return to today. This someone can help you cope with today, and even thrive.

How is that possible? Well, the story introduces you to Jesus Christ in a way more intimate than maybe you’ve ever felt. And by the time you finish the story, close the book for the last time, and return to the here and now, you’ll be able to bring Jesus with you. And I don’t mean that figuratively. I’m talking about the actual and real presence of the Spirit of Jesus. You need never be alone again.

So what exactly is this piece of historical fiction about?

The story shows you the human side of Jesus as seen through the eyes of people who lived with him during his final weeks on earth. They’ll tell you what they saw and felt, and how they grew closer to Jesus. They’ll tell you of his love, courage, compassion, strength, and humility.

Listen to Anna and others tell you about their experiences with Jesus as they all follow him down that dusty road to Jerusalem. Hear Neri describe what it was like when Jesus healed him of leprosy, or Timaeus tell you about being able to see for the first time in his life, and then Anna, as she falls deeper in love with Jesus. She doesn’t care about his divinity—all she cares for is his humanity.

We call him by his Greek name, Jesus. They called him by his Hebrew name, Yeshua. They knew him not just as a prophet, not just as the Son of God, but they knew him as a friend. As you read their stories, maybe you too will come to know Jesus as your friend.

And if you ask Him, He will come back with you when you close the book and return to today. Get to know Jesus the man—that’s where this book will help—and then let Jesus the Holy Spirit come and live with you in the here and now.

By the way, I’m keeping the price as low as Amazon will allow. Why? Because I want to make the book available to as many people as possible. And these days, money is scarce for many of us.

(Link to Amazon book page)


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Discovering the Spirit of Jesus Within You

It seems the Spirit of Jesus is often ignored in many Christian churches and individual lives. Because of that, I’ve become passionate about spreading the truth of the reality of the Spirit. I’ve frequently let that passion spill into my blog posts.

But I now wonder if I leave people with an annoying question. They may come to accept the reality of the Holy Spirit, but how do they experience the Spirit in their own life? How do they come to actually feel His presence?

I think we sometimes believe there’s a mystery behind such things, some puzzle to solve where the clues are scattered throughout the Bible. Only when we uncover the hidden clues and solve that puzzle, will the secret door be opened and through it will walk the Spirit of Jesus.

Well, over the years I’ve come to realize that the puzzle is only in our imagination (if we choose to imagine such things, that is). As I’ve discovered with many other aspects of Christianity, the answer is clear and simple, and right out front for all to see. God didn’t create puzzles for us to solve, Jesus didn’t create a mysterious and complicated Christianity. It’s humans that have made Christianity complicated.

Okay, enough of my whining—I’m getting off track. I want to answer the question about how people can experience a very real presence of the Spirit of Jesus in their own lives. My explanation is clear and simple. Here goes …

First, get to know the human side of Jesus. Come to know the man. Don’t just look at his divinity. Get to know him by his human love, kindness, compassion, courage, strength, and humility. And begin to see in your mind’s eye how Jesus showed his love for other people when he walked the earth as a man. Like with all your experiences with people, the more you get to know him, the more certain your feelings for him will become. And you may find yourself falling in love with Jesus.

Next, now that you love the human Jesus, you will likely begin to crave to know more of the Spirit side of Jesus. And you’ll start looking for Him.

Finally, as God first promised, “‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declared the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

And Jesus made it clear and simple—if we love him, He will show Himself to us: “Anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)

There is a door, though not a secret one. It stands between you and the Spirit of Jesus. But as Jesus also said, “Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

So as I see it, and as I’ve experienced, finding and knowing the Spirit of Jesus in your life begins with getting to know the human Jesus. And that’s the only part I can help you with. The next stage, the love for Jesus stage, will have to come from you. And the final step on this short journey will be taken by Jesus, as His Spirit steps through that door and into your life.

To help with my small contribution to this journey, I wrote the novel, We Called Him Yeshua. The stories will introduce you to a human side of Jesus you may never have seen before. These stories are also told from a perspective you may not have seen before—through the eyes of people who knew the man Jesus in their own very personal ways.

Would you like to know more of the human side of Jesus? If so, please check out We Called Him Yeshua. It’s priced as low as Amazon will allow because I want it to be affordable to as many people as possible (especially during these tough times).

(Link to Amazon book page)