Any good we receive comes from God, even our "good" acts (James 1:17). For He is the one who prepared them for us that we might walk in them.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." ~Eph 2:10

Let us, as God's dearly beloved children, always find our worth, our joy and our peace, not in the people around us or in our circumstances (whether good or evil), but in Christ alone—mindful and grateful that in God's grace, He gives us the good we are not owed—and in His mercy, He withholds the evil we are owed.

E.L. James (Erika Leonard James) born March 7, 1963, is only six years and 20 days older than me. She's a British author whose first book, Fifty Shades of Grey was a runaway success. She's married, and she and her husband  have two teenage sons (as of 2012, not sure how old they are now).

Many say her books were a surprise hit, but I don't agree. It's no surprise that this trilogy filled with every shade of evil, only proves what God already said—we're all depraved, and without Christ, we're actually drawn to darkness rather than repulsed by it.

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." (John 3:19, ESV)

E.L. James gladly admits that Fifty Shades of Grey is her "midlife crisis, writ large. All my fantasies are there, and that's it." Some people purchase a new car or a new house; they get in shape, or find new hobbies when they have their midlife crisis. But poor E.L. James decided to infect millions of people (mostly women) with this book where she attempts to make a cesspool of evil look like a refreshing dip in clean, clear waters. But no matter how you dress it up, dung is dung.

With the heightened awareness of abuse (emotional, mental and physical) toward women, I'm surprised Hollywood would consider flinging this dung onto the big screen. Especially with the most recent Ray and Janay Rice incident and how poorly the NFL initially handled the situation—it seems odd. Everyone was appalled by watching a less than five minute video of Ray Rice abusing his then fiancée, Janay in the elevator. Yet, Hollywood thinks people actually want to sit for nearly two hours and watch a woman get violently abused?

I don't know. Perhaps millions will go see this movie. Perhaps all those who cried "Foul!" when Janay Rice was abused by Ray Rice forgot what they said they hated. Perhaps all those people who said they cared about a woman's welfare and dignity just lied...to themselves and to the public. I hope not.

James says this is a "love story." It is not. It is a scripted, sadistic fantasy. In reality, no one conquers evil (Christian Grey) by submitting to it (Ana Steele). Satan and his demonic legions aren't convinced of their wickedness by people submitting to his dominion of darkness. Satan and his demonic legions are conquered by God's holy, mighty and righteous acts. Only good conquers evil. And God alone is good.

It breaks my heart to think millions of unbelievers have been bewitched by this book of horrors (Rom 1:24-25). But when I hear professing Christian men and women have read and "enjoyed" this book filled with more than 50 shades of evil, I'm indignant. And according to God, every Christian should be (1 Cor 5:11-13).

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy."

~Colossians 3:5-8, 1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)

Did I need to read this trilogy in order to recognize the evil oozing from the pages? No. Much like the caustic stench of death permeates the nostrils before one sees a week-old corpse, knowing the basic premise of the story line is enough.

The truth is: Real men don't dominate and abuse women—they cherish and protect them; and real women don't submit to immature fiends like Christian Grey.

Please don't misunderstand. Just because I'm calling a spade a spade doesn't mean I despise or have the slightest of ill feelings toward E.L. James. Rather, I feel great pity for her lost soul who, just like you and me, needs Jesus Christ. If ever I could sit down and have coffee, or a cup of tea with her, I'd greet her well and happily share the Good News of Jesus Christ with her. I pray the Lord will be pleased to grant her the gift of repentance that leads to salvation.

If you're reading this and you profess Christ as Lord, yet find even a slight hint of delight from this book that's an abomination before the sight of God, then please, I urge you—repent and seek godly counsel for your pleasure of sexual immorality.

If you're reading this and you're not a Christian, and enjoy this book, please know I am praying for your salvation. Only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ can you be made acceptable before the sight of a holy God, have your sins forgiven, and conscience cleansed.

I have often been asked, "How do I handle situations when professing brothers or sisters in Christ are offended when I use the Word of God often in conversations, or for reproof, or for the reason why I do or do not participate in certain things?" I promised my friends, readers and "followers" on social media that I'd share a more detailed response than the short and quick one I shared on my Facebook ministry page a few days ago. So here it is.

Before "handling" this situation, you'll have to first assess who you're speaking with: a possible false convert, or one who possibly does belong to Christ, but are presently burdened by their pride. The reason why I say this is because no true child of God abiding in the love of God is offended or put off in any way by the use of God's Word...unless they're being prideful. All Christians love God's Word and are only strengthened and encouraged by it whenever spoken, used or applied. It is a balm of blessing to our spirit and a sore spot to our fleshly pride. Thanks be to God for both!

"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

~John 3:20-21 (ESV)

Distinguishing Marks of A False Convert

A person who is falsely converted may have made a profession of faith in Christ, but there isn't clear evidence there is any possession of the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work displayed in their lives (Js 2:14, 18-19, 26). Additionally, there is no continual practice of repentance (Mt 3:7-8), there is no grief for sins but rather the desire to conceal and continue in them (1 Jn 3:4-7), there is no evidence of reverent fear of God's holiness and regard for His righteousness (Ps 25:14, 36:1-3); and last but not least, there is no demonstration of love for God and others over love for self (Mt 22:37, 1 Thess 4:1).

Distinguishing Marks of a True Believer in Christ

A person who has truly been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, will love God and the things of God more than self. As Burk Parsons once said, "You can tell your faith is real if when the Holy Spirit pricks your conscience you bleed repentance." And often this conscience pricking by the Holy Spirit is through God's Word, whether read by yourself or spoken and shared by others.

I recall a time (between the ages of 17-20) when there was no outward appearance that I was truly saved. I lived a very carnal life that I would consider was worse than many unbelievers I knew at the time. But inwardly, there was a raging war within me (Rom 7:15, 22-23)—my old sin nature and the Spirit of Christ within me. Though outwardly it looked as if I enjoyed this sin-infested life I was living, inwardly I despised it.

So when God sent a precious sister in Christ (someone I hardly knew) to rebuke me with the Word of God (Prov 27:5-6), I wept bitterly and decided then that she was someone I really needed to befriend. Unfortunately, she didn't feel the same way, as she was quite disgusted by my iniquitous living. Though this saddened me, I understood, and was grateful for her godly rebuke because I was obviously in great need of it.

"Let a righteous man [or woman] strike me—it is a kindness; let him [or her] rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it."

~Psalm 141:5a (ESV)

Of course, none of us can see another persons heart (we can't often know our own; see Jer 17:9-10), but Jesus did qualify and command us to be wise fruit inspectors (Mt 7:14-20; 15:18-19) so that we may make the best us of our time here on earth (Eph 5:15-17).

One of the most unloving things we can do, is affirm the salvation of someone who's living in blatant rebellion to God and His Word. Conversely, the most loving thing we can do, is urge them to test their salvation (2 Cor 13:5) with the Word of God and not by the testimony of others.

If we truly love the Lord Jesus and care about those He came to save, we will be more concerned about a person's spiritual state than about offending them, or being offended or rejected by them. In this, we will desire to be better listeners, be more prayerful, and point the hearer to Christ (rather than ourselves and our opinions) whether they are saved or unsaved.

Share God's Word and obey God's Word not for the results (that everyone will agree with you or like you), but for the sole purpose that God is well pleased (Gal 1:10, 2:20). And to happily live in obedience to 2 Peter 4:10-11. But before you share any Scripture with others, test your own heart's motive with His Word first to ensure you're not doing this out of spite or to make/prove your own point (Ps 19:14, 139:23-24). After all, who are we that our thoughts and opinions should be valued and heard? It is God's Word and His precepts alone that are deserving and worthy of being heard and immediately heeded.

Therefore, make sure you handle the Sword of the Spirit as a skilled soldier and not as an immature and self-aggrandizing toddler.

Pictured above, is my newest Bible, the ESV Reader's Bible. Those who know me, know I don't need another Bible...so it may seem. But I actually do need this one because of its layout. It has no title headings, no verse numbering; no cross-reference, footnotes or study notes, and no book introductions. It's straight Scripture with only the name of each book (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc.) and their chapter numbers. That's it. It's purely for reading the Bible and I have a trouble doing that—which is why I absolutely need this Bible.

It's confession time. A confession I'm not very proud of, and quite ashamed of; yet, know I need to share in order to comfort and exhort others. Okay...here goes. Ready?

I've never once read the entire Bible. No, not even once.

Why haven't I? If I love God's Word as much as I say I do, how is it possible that I haven't read all of it? Well, this answer requires another confession. I'm somewhat of a I-need-to-understand-all-of-God's-Word-aholic. What this means is, no matter what reading plan I've ever started, I can't ever get through it because I always get stuck on a word, a name, a place, a time, an event...you get the picture. And I can't get passed it without cross-referencing, getting on my Logos Bible Software to research, reading the study notes in my ESV Study Bible and grabbing my Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology book, along with a host of other books so that I can understand what I'm reading and apply it to my life.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against studying the Word of God. I encourage it. However, reading only to study—stifles reading for comprehension.

I get stuck on verses I don't understand and have questions like: "Why Lord? Why did you do that for this person, but not that other person?", "Why did you feel that way?", "Why did you allow so and so to talk to you that way?", and the one that stumps me the most, "Father, I don't even know what to ask because I don't even know what this verse means."

I want so desperately to know God more in order to love Him better that if I see a little letter or number near a verse, I just have to look up the cross reference or read the footnotes. And if that doesn't satisfy me, then I have to look up the original Hebrew or Greek. And often, I also have to study the historical setting of the time it was written, as well as the cultural understanding of why something is mentioned.

As you can see, having this insatiable desire to know the God who saved my wretched soul, and calls me His beloved child, disables me from being able to read the entire Bible all the way through...with the kinds of Bibles I have and with the methods I've been using. By the time I'm finished doing everything I normally do (as described above) during my praise and quiet time, usually, hours have gone by and I'm still on verse one, or chapter one.

Which is what brings me to why I'm writing this article today and why I purchased my new ESV Reader's Bible.

By God's awesome kindness, He put it in my darling husband's heart to search for yet another "read the Bible all the way through" plan. And he found one that will not only work for someone as peculiar as me, but also for normal people. Hallelujah!

This wonderful Bible reading plan is one Professor Grant Horner (of Master's College) has used for more than 30 years.

Professor Horner has some fantastic suggestions and solutions, as well as a very enjoyable and exciting format for reading the 10 chapters, that when I'm done, I have to check and make sure I actually read 10 chapters because it feels like I've only read a couple. I've tried to follow other 10 chapters per day reading plans and I've never been able to stick with it because I can't stop studying, cross referencing, researching, etc. But Professor Horner's reading methodology is so intriguing, I've often found myself getting carried away and reading beyond what I'm supposed to read each day. Wow...what a problem to have, huh?

I've created a downloadable PDF file so you too can join me in reading God's Word all the way through...for the rest of your life! Included in this PDF are Professor Horner's instructions, and bookmarks I've created to help you with the 10 chapter per day reading plan. I've created six bookmark sets to meet individual color preferences: multi-colored, red, blue, green, purple and gold. Each bookmark displays the number for the order in which you will read. For example, Reading Day 1: read chapter one of Matthew (bookmark #1), chapter 1 of Genesis (bookmark #2), chapter one of Romans (bookmark #3), and so on. Under the Bible book titles are the number of days it'll take to complete the reading for each bookmark.

To download instructions for Professor Horner's "The Ten Lists Bible Reading System" and bookmarks, click here: Instructions and Bookmarks

After printing out the set of bookmarks you prefer, take them to Mardel Christian Bookstore (laminating in my area store only cost .25¢ per foot) or any office store and get them laminated so they will last beyond only a couple weeks of reading.



After getting the bookmarks laminated, use your cutting board (if you have one) to cut them. If you don't own a small cutting board like I do (pictured above), use the one at Mardel, or have the bookmarks cut at whichever store you had them laminated.


I laminated and cut the bookmarks (pictured above) for myself, my husband and our oldest son (who's 22), and for a special teenager he's mentoring at our church (who will also be following Professor Horner's Bible Reading System).

Below is a photo of my new ESV Reader's Bible along with my new multi-colored bookmarks that help me easily find the order in which this reading system suggests (and I encourage you to follow it exactly as it's the reason why I'm enjoying this system so much).


I absolutely love my new ESV Reader's Bible and love Professor Grant Horner's "Ten Lists Bible Reading System". It's easy to follow and very engaging to read it in the order Professor Horner instructs.

When I read a chapter from Matthew, move on to a chapter in Genesis, then read a chapter in Romans and so on, I'm constantly amazed at how I see Christ in every chapter! I'm actually understanding more and discovering new things about my great and awesome God that I never knew (Jer 33:3). I'm delighted by how reading Matthew, Genesis, Romans, 1 Thessalonians, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Joshua, Isaiah and Acts (in that order) flows seamlessly in a narrative format—consuming my heart and mind in God's grace, and soothing my soul that longs to see my Savior face to face.

"Thus says the LORD: 'Let not a wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.'

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—"

~Jeremiah 9:23-24, Philippians 3:7-9 (ESV)