Robin's Books in 2010

Yeah, Robin!  More than 1 per day!

Robin’s Books Completed in 2010:

1.  Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace by Sobol, Donald J. 
2.  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, Birdsall, Jeanne
3.  Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, Leppard, Lois Gladys
4.  The Hidden Jewel by Dave & Neta Jackson
5.  The Mystery of the Laughing Cat by Elspeth Campbell Murphy 
6.  Smoke Screen Secret by Marianne Hering
7.  Messed-Up Wedding by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
8.  Meet George Washington by Joan Heilbroner
9.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Flight 54 by David Adler
10.  The Black Widow Spider Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
11.  Rodeo Rough Cut by Marianne Hering
12.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown by David Adler
13.  Dingoes at Dinnertime by Mary Pope Osborne
14.  The Mystery of the Carousel Horse by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
15.  The Tattletale Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
16.  The Gravestone Riddle by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
17.  The Mystery at the Crooked House by Gertrude Chandler Warner
18.  The Mystery of the Mixed-Up Zoo by Gertrude Chandler Warner
19.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monkey House by David Adler
20.  Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne
21.  Little House on the Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride
22.  Mandie and the Cherokee Legend by Lois Gladys Leppard
23.  The Mystery of the Vanishing Present by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
24.  The Mystery of the Tattletale Parrot by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
25.  The Mystery of the Silver Dolphin by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
26.  The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
27.  Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne
28.  Kirsten Learns A Lesson by Janet Shaw
29.  Addy Learns a Lesson by Connie Porter
30.  Mandie and the Ghost Bandits by Lois Gladys Leppard
31.  Meet Kaya: An American Girl by Janet Shaw
32.  Raggedy Ann an dthe Wonderful Witch by Johnny Gruelle
33.  Kaya’s Escape: A Survival Story by Janet Shaw
34.  Raggedy Ann & Andy: The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees by Johnny Gruelle
35.  The Mystery of the Double Trouble by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
36.  The Mystery of the Silent Idol Elspeth Campbell Murphy
37.  The Easter Cat by Meindert DeJong
38.  How God Stopped the Pirates by Joel Beeke & Diana Kleyn
39.  The Creeping Shadows by Lois Walfrid Johnson
40.  The Mystery of the Second Map by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
41.  The Vanishing Footprints by Lois Walfrid Johnson
42.  Trouble at Wild River by Lois Walfrid Johnson
43.  Mandie and the Forbidden Acttic by Lois Gladys Leppard
43.  The Mystery of the Singing Ghost by Gertrude Chandler Warner
44.  The Disappearing Friend Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
45.  The Guide Dog Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
46.  The Pizza Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
47.  The Mystery at Snowflake Inn by Gertrude Chandler Warner
48.  The Mystery of the Purple Pool by Gertrude Chandler Warner
50.  The Dinosaur Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
51.  The Firehouse Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
52.  The Mystery on the Train by Gertrude Chandler Warner
53.  The Mystery at the Fair by Gertrude Chandler Warner
54.  The Niagara Falls Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
55.  The Mystery in the Snow by Gertrude Chandler Warner
56.  The Canoe Trip Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
57.  The Mystery of the Mummy’s Curse by Gertrude Chandler Warner
58.  The Mystery of the Empty Safe by Gertrude Chandler Warner
59.  The Camp-Out Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
60.  Cam Jansen and the Birthday Mystery by David A. Adler
61.  The Gymnastics Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
62.  The Deserted Library Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
63.  Cam Jansen: The Triceratops Pops Mystery by David A. Adler
64.  Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery by David A. Adler
65.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Television Dog by David A. Adler
66.  Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries by David A. Adler
67.  Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery by David A. Adler
68.  Cam Jansen and the Barking Treasure Mystery by David A. Adler
69.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Corn Popper by David A. Adler
70.  Kaya’s Hero by Janet Shaw
71.  Addy’s Surprise by Connie Porter
72.  Happy Birthday, Addy by Connie Porter
73.  Addy Saves the Day by Connie Porter
74.  Kaya and Lone Dog by Janet Shaw
75.  Kaya Shows the Way by Janet Shaw
76.  Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery by David A. Adler
77.  Happy Birthday, Kirsten by Janet Shaw
78.  Kirsten’s Surprise by Janet Shaw
79.  Meet Josefina by Valerie Tripp
80.  Mandie and the Trunk’s Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard
81.  Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne
82.  Stuart Little by E.B. White
83.  Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osborne
84.  The Bobbsey Twins of Lakeport by Laura Lee Hope
85.  The Bobbsey Twins Adventure in the Country by Laura Lee Hope
86.  Earthquake in the Early Morning by Mary Pope Osborne
87.  Happy Birthday, Felicity! By Valerie Tripp
88.  Meet Kit: An American Girl by Valerie Tripp
89.  Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
90.  The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
91.  The Borrowers by Mary Norton
92.  Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace
93.  How God Used a Snowdrift by Joel Beeke & Diana Kleyn
94.  Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne
95.  Mandie and the Medicine Man by Lois Gladys Leppard
96.  Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne
97.  Pride of the Green Mountains by Carin Greenburg Baker
98.  The Secret at the Seashore by Laura Lee Hope
99.  The Game Store Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
100.  The Bobsey Twins Mystery at School by Laura Lee Hope
101.  The Mystery of the Spider’s Clue by Gertrude Chandler Warner
102.  The Amusement Park Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
103.  The Mystery on Blizzard Mountain by Gertrude Chandler Warner
104.  Changes for Addy by Connie Porter
105.  The Mystery of the Hidden Painting by Gertrude Chandler Warner
106.  The Houseboat Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
107.  The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
108.  The Bobbsey Twins and the Mystery at Snow Lodge by Laura Lee Hope
109.  Felicity Saves the Day by Valerie Tripp
110.  Mystery in the Sand by by Gertrude Chandler Warner
111.  Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne
112.  Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride
113.  Josefina Learns a Lesson by Valerie Tripp
114.  In the Land of the Big Red Apple by Roger Lea MacBride
115.  Josefina’s Surprise by Valerie Tripp
116.  Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace
117.  Stories of Oz by L. Frank Baum
118.  The Mystery of the Midnight Dog by Gertrude Chandler Warner
119.  The Yellow House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
120.  The Mystery Behind the Wall by Gertrude Chandler Warner
121.  Kit Learns a Lesson by Valerie Tripp
122.  Kit’s Surprise by Valerie Tripp
123.  Happy Birthday, Kit!  By Valerie Tripp
124.  Meet Thomas Jefferson by Marvin Barrett
125.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O. by David Adler
126.  On the Other Side of the Hill by Roger Lea MacBride
127.  Kirsten Saves the Day by Janet Shaw
128.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by David Adler
129.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Haunted House by David Adler
130.  Cam Jansen and the Snowy Day Mystery by David Adler
131.  Meet Julie by Megan McDonald
132.  Julie Tells Her Story by Megan McDonald
133.  Happy Birthday, Josefina!  by Valerie Tripp
134.  Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne
135.  Josefina Saves the Day by Valerie Tripp
136.  The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat by Laura Lee Hope
137.  The Bobbsey Twins’ Mystery at Meadowbrook by Laura Lee Hope
138.  Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace
139.  The Case of the Mystery Mark by Angela Elwell Hunt
140.  Changes for Kirsten by Janet Shaw
141.  Piper Reed: Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt
142.  Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne
143.  The Case of the Haunting of Lowell Lanes by Angela Elwell Hunt
144.  Changes for Felicity by Valerie Tripp
145.  Change for Kaya by Janet Shaw
146.  Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne
147.  Meet Samantha an American Girl by Susan Adler
148.  High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne
149.  The Paper Dragon: A Raggedy Ann Adventure by Johnny Gruelle
150.  Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne
151.  Wise Words by Peter Leithart
152.  Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
153.  Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright
154.  The Riddle of Baby Rosalind by Angela Elwell Hunt
155.  The Clue in the Corn Maze by Gertrude Chandler Warner
156.  The Schoolhouse Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
157.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery by David Adler
158.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball
159.  Caboose Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
160.  The Sword of the Silver Knight by Gertrude Chandler Warner
161.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Gold Coins by David Adler
162.  Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Dead Eagles by Donald Sobol
163.  The Dog-Gone Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
164.  Happy New Year, Julie by Megan McDonald
165.  Julie and the Eagles by Megan McDonald
166.  Julie’s Journey by Megan McDonald
167.  Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery by David Adler
168.  Cam Jansen and the Secret Service Mystery by David Adler
169.  The Woodshed Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
170.  Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne
171.  The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Jean Watson
172.  The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon
173.  Kit Saves the Day by Valerie Tripp
174.  Cam Jansen and the Scary Snake Mystery by David Adler
175.  Mandie and the Charleston Phantom by Lois Gladys Leppard
176.  Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne
177.  Cam Jansen and the Valentine Baby Mystery by David Adler
178.  Carnival at Candlelight by Mary Pope Osborne
179.  The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
180.  Changes for Kit by Valerie Tripp
181.  Haunted Castle at Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne
182.  Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne
183. Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne
184.  Cam Jansen and the Catnapping Mystery by David Adler
185.  Encyclopedia Brown’s Book of Strange but True Crimes by Donald Sobol
186.  Grimm’s Fairy Tales Junior Deluxe Edition
187.  Mandie and the Abandoned Mine by Lois Gladys Leppard
188.  Meet Molly by Valerie Tripp
189.  Meet Rebecca by Jacqueline Dembar Greene
190.  Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne
191.  Changes for Josefina by Valerie Tripp
192.  The Season of the Sandstorm by Mark Pope Osborne
193.  Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House by Geronimo Stilton
194.  The Spy Game by Gertrude Chandler Warner
195.  The Great Bicycle Race Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
196.  The Haunted Cabin Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
197.  Felicity’s Short Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
198.  The Lighthouse Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
199.  Samantha’s Short Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
200.  Bus Station Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
201.  Kit’s Short Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
202.  Kirsten’s Short Story Collection by Janet Beeler Shaw
203.  The Land of the Dead by Mary Pope Osborne
204.  Josefina’s Short Story Collection by Valerie Tripp
205.  Addy’s Short Story Collection by Connie Rose Porter
206.  The Silent Stranger by Janet Shaw
207.  Shadows on Society Hill by Evelyn Coleman
208.  Secrets in the Hills by Kathleenn Ernst
209.  Encyclopedia Brown Super Sleuth by Donald Sobol
210.  Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne
211.  Mandie and the Hidden Treasure by Lois Gladys Leppard
212.  The Bobbsey Twins’ Big Adventure at Home by Laura Lee Hope
213.  The Bobbsey Twins’ Search in the Great City by Laura Lee Hope
214.  The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene
215.  The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon
216.  The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene
217.  The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene
218.  Shoelaces and Brussels Sprouts by Dancy S. Levene
219.  The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon
220.  Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne
221.  Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
222.  Jungle Doctors Tug-Of-War by Paul White
223.  Geronimo Stilton: The Mummy With No Name by Edizioni Piemme
224.  Geronimo Stilton: The Secret of Cacklefur Castle by Edizioni Piemme
225.  Winter of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge by Jan Andrews
226.  Mandie and the Mysterious Bells by Lois Gladys Leppard
227.  The Ghost of the Chattering Bones by Gertrude Chandler Warner
228.  The Temple of the Ruby of Fire by Edizioni Piemme
229.  Mystery Ranch by Gertrude Chandler Warner
230.  The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene
231.  The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene
232.  The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene
233.  The Secret of the Wooden Lady by Carolyn Keene
234.  The Clue of the Black Keys by Carolyn Keene
235.  The Secret of the Caves by Franklin W. Dixon
236.  The Mystery of Cabin Island by Franklin W. Dixon
237.  The Missing Chums by Franklin W. Dixon
238.  Midnight in Lonesome Hollow by Kathleen Ernst
239.  The Secret in the Old Attic by Carolyn Keene
240.  The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene
241.  Peril at King’s Creek by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
242.  Molly Learns a Lesson by Valerie Tripp
243.  Happy Birthday, Molly! by Valerie Tripp
244.  Benny Uncovers a Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
245.  All Because of a Cup of Coffee by Edizioni Piemme
246.  Cry of the Loon by Barbara Steiner
247.  The One-Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne
248.  Fairy Realm: The Third Wish by Emily Rodda
249.  Om-kas-toe by Kenneth Thomasma
250.  While the Clock Ticked by Franklin W. Dixon
251.  The Mystery of the Whale Tattoo by Franklin W. Dixon
252.  The Secret Panel by Franklin W. Dixon
253.  Mystery of the Desert Giant by Franklin W. Dixon
254.  The Mystery of the Spiral Bridge by Franklin W. Dixon
255.  The Secret of the Lost Tunnel by Franklin W. Dixon
256.  The Overland Escape by Lee Roddy
257.  The Desperate Search by Lee Roddy
258.  Danger on Thunder Mountain by Lee Roddy
259.  The Case of the Snowbound Spy by E.W. Hildick
260.  The Purloined Corn Popper by E.W. Hildick
261.  Mandie and the Holiday Surprise by Lois Gladys Leppard
262.  Mandie and the Washington Nightmare by Lois Gladys Leppard
263.  Mandie and the Midnight Journey by Jois Gladys Leppard
264.  Funny Frank by Dick King-Smith
265.  Paws Off, Cheddarface! by Edizioni Piemme
266.  The Spy in the Bleachers by Gertrude Chandler Warner
267.  A Fabumous Vacation for Geronimo by Edizioni Piemme
268.  Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
269.  The Ghost of Blackwood Hall by Carolyn Keene
270.  The Mona Mousa Code by Edizioni Piemme
271.  The Message in the Hollow Oak by Carolyn Keene
272.  Red Pizzas for A Blue Count by Edizioni Piemme
273.  The Clue in the Jewel Box by Carolyn Keene
274.  The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene
275.  Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene
276.  The Short-Wave Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
277.  Footprints Under the Window by Franklin W. Dixon
278.  The Twisted Claw by Franklin W. Dixon
277.  The Sinister Signpost by Franklin W. Dixon
278.  The Witchmaster’s Key by Franklin W. Dixon
279.  The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island by Laura Lee Hope
280.  The Bobbsey Twins’ Mystery on the Deep Blue Sea by Laura Lee Hope
281.  The Bobbsey Twins’ Adventure in Washington by Laura Lee Hope
282.  Marisol by Gary Soto
283.  Danger at the Zoo by Kathleen Ernst
284.  A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne
285.  The Curse of Ravenscourt by Sarah Master Buckey
286.  The King’s Equal by Katherine Paterson
287.  Clues in the Shadows by Kathleen Ernst
288.  Samantha Learns a Lesson by Susan Adler
289.  Dragon of the Red Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne
290.  Samantha’s Surprise by Maxine Rose Schur
291.  Rebecca and Ana by Jacqueline Dembar Greene
292.  Molly Save the Day by Valerie Tripp
293.  Fairy Realm by Emily Rodda
294.  Kaya’s Short Story Collection by Janet Shaw
295.  The Serial Sneak Thief by E.W. Hilldick
296.  Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne
297.  The Clue of the Dancing Puppet by Carolyn Keene
298.  The Clue of the Leaning Chimney by Carolyn Keene
299.  The Witch Tree Symbol by Carolyn Keene
300.  The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene
301.  Fairy Realm: The Water Sprites by Emila Rodda
302.  Fairy Realm The Magic Key by Emily Rodda
303.  The Light in the Cellar by Sarah Masters Buckey
304.  The Secret of Skull Mountain by Franklin W. Dixon
305.  The Secret of Wildcat Swamp by Franklin W. Dixon
306.  I’m Too Fond of My Fur by Edizioni Piemme
307.  The Crisscross Shadow by Franklin W. Dixon
308.  The Jungle Pyramid by Franklin W. Dixon
309.  The Mystery of the Chinese Junk by Franklin W. Dixon
310.  The Last Fairy-Apple Tree by Emily Rodda
311.  Really Truly Ruthie by Valerie Tripp
312.  Happy Birthday, Samantha! by Valerie Tripp
313.  Nellie’s Promise by Valerie Tripp
314.  Changes for Molly by Valerie Tripp
315.  Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary
316.  The Stolen Sapphire by Sarah Master Buckey
317.  Mandie and the Shipboard Mystery by Lois Gladys Leppard
318.  Mandie and the Foreign Spies by Lois Gladys Leppard
319.  Mandie and the Silent Catacombs by Lois Gladys Leppard
320.  Mandie and the Singing Chalet by Lois Gladys Leppard
321.  Mandie and the Jumping Juniper by Lois Gladys Leppard
322.  Mandie and the Mysterious Fisherman by Lois Gladys Leppard
323.  Mandie and the Windmill’s Message by Lois Gladys Leppard
324.  Mandie and the Fiery Rescue by Lois Gladys Leppard
325.  Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace
326.  Fun with Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
327.  The Mystery in San Francisco by Gertrude Chandler Warner
328.  A Figure in Hiding by Franklin W. Dixon
329.  Mystery of Crocodile Island by Carolyn Keene
330.  Candlelight for Rebecca by Jacqueline Dembar Greene
331.  The Secret of the Forgotten City by Carolyn Keene
332.  The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene
333.  The Runaway Friend by Kathleen Ernst
334.  The Tangled Web by Kathryn Reiss
335.  A Spy on the Home Front by Alison Hart
336.  Raggedy Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle
337.  Raggedy Ann and Andy: The Second Treasury by Johnny Gruelle
338.  The Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett
339.  The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
340.  Robert Fulton Boy Craftsman by Marguerite Henry
341.  Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy by Edizioni Piemme
342.  The Mystery on Stage by Gertrude Chandler Warner
343.  The Mystery at Skeleton Point by Gertrude Chandler Warner
344.  The Poison Frog Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
345.  The Ghost Town Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
346.  The Comic Book Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
347.  A Horse named Dragon.
348.  The Mystery of the Star Ruby by Gertrude Chandler Warner
349.  The Star Cloak by Emily Rodda
350.  Samantha Saves the Day by Valerie Tripp
351.  The Ice Cream Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
352.  The Mystery of the Queen's Jewels by Gertrude Chandler Warner
353.  The Mystery Girl by Gertrude Chandler Warner
354.  The Mystery of the Wild Ponies by Gertrude Chandler Warner
355.  The Mystery of Peacock Hall by Gertrude Chandler Warner
356.  The Mystery at the Alamo by Gertrude Chandler Warner
357.  The Mystery of the Black Raven by Gertrude Chandler Warner
358.  Lady Margaret’s Ghost by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
359.  Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Carnival Prize by David Adler
360.  Attack of the Bandit Cats by Edizioni Piemme
361.  The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene
362.  The Phantom of Pine Hill by Carolyn Keene
363.  Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Edizioni Piemme
364.  The Invisible Intruder by Carolyn Keene
365.  The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene
366.  The Crooked Banister by Carolyn Keene
367.  The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
368.  The Great Airport Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
369.  Thea Stilton and the Secret City by Edizioni Piemme
370.  The Whispering Statue by Carolyn Keene
371.  What Happened at Midnight by Franklin W. Dixon
372.  The Disappearing Floor by Franklin W. Dixon
373.  The Yellow Feather Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
374.  The Wailing Siren Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
375.  The Phantom Freighter by Franklin W. Dixon
376.  Fairy Realm by Emila Rodda
377.  Changes for Samantha by Valerie Tripp
378.  Rebecca and the Movies by Susan McAliley
379.  A Thief in the Theater by Sarah Masters Buckey
380.  The Mystery of the Fire Dragon by Carolyn Keene
381.  Traitor in Williamsburg by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
382.  Mandie and the Angel’s Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard

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Books Read in 2010

Here's my list for 2010.  Not quite 100 this year.

Wait till you see Robin's list!

[And remember, just because I read it, doesn't mean that I recommend it!]

Matt’s Books Completed in 2010:

1.  Desolation Island by Patrick O’Brian
2.  A Praying Life by Paul Miller
3.  The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
4.  Thinking Outside of the Box and Inside the Book by Paul Durocher
5.  Hero Tales by Dave & Neta Jackson
6.  The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2x)
7.  The Fortune of War by Patrick O’Brian
8.  The Surgeon’s Mate by Patrick O’Brian
9.  Instead of Three Wishes by Megan Whalen Turner
10.  The Swiss Family Robinson by David Wyss
11.  The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian
12.  23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese
13.  American Indian Prayer Guide by Danette Maloof with Dean Cozzens
14.  Treason’s Harbor by Patrick O’Brian
15.  From Famine to Fullness by Dean R. Ulrich
16.  A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
17.  Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
18.  The Far Side of the World by Patrick O’Brian
19.  Stop the Runaway Conversation by Michael Sedler
20.  Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling Clancy Holling
21.  Luke 1:1-9:50 - Baker Exegetical Commentary by Darrell Bock
22.  The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
23.  Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
24.  The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O’Brian
25.  A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate Turabian
26.  A Painted House by John Grisham
27.  Calico Bush by Rachel Field
28.  The Letter of Marque by Patrick O’Brian
29.  The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates
30.  The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O’Brian
31.  Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
32.  Home Price by Robert McCloskey
33.  The Betrayal by Douglas Bond
34.  The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O’Brian
35.  Preaching the Word -  Luke: Volume One by R. Kent Hughes
36.  The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers
37.  Transforming Talk by Susan Phillips
38.  Gossip: The Power of the Word by Stephen M. Wylen
39.  Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus As a Former Catholic by Chris Castaldo
40.  Swift Rivers by Cornelia Meigs
41.  The Sword by Bryan Litfin
42.  The Weight of Your Words by Joseph Stowell
43.  A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
44.  Gossip: The Inside Scoop by Jack Levin and Arnold Arluke
45.  The Truelove by Patrick O’Brian
46.  The No-Gossip Zone by Sam Chapman
47.  Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
48.  How to Read Proverbs by Tremper Longman III
49.  Finding Out About Everyday Things by Eliot Huberstone
50.  The Story of Eli Whitney by Jean Lee Latham
51.  The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O’Brian
52.  Overcoming Gossips by David Kamara
53.  The Commodore by Patrick O’Brian
54.  The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O’Brian
55.  The Hundred Days by Patrick O’Brian
56.  A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne
57.  Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
58.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
59.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
60.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
61.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
62.  Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O’Brian
63.  Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham
64.  Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham
65.  21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey by Patrick O’Brian
66.  Patrick O’Brian: Critical Essays and a Bibliography ed. by A.E. Cunningham
67.  CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet by Michael Emlet
68.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
69.  The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
70.  Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
71.  Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred Martin
72.  Mocassin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
73.  Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates
74.  The Walk by Stephen Smallman
75.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
76.  A Bible Handbook on Slander and Gossip by Robert Morey
77.  The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
78.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
79.  Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
80.  All Sail Set by Armstrong Sperry
81.  Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
82.  Thinking Like Your Editor by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato
83.  How to Gossip by Nicole Banerji
84.  The Science of Good and Evil by Michael Shermer
85.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
86.  Managing Your Mouth by Robert Genua
87.  The Future of Reputation by Daniel Solove
88.  The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
89.  Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language by Robin Dunbar
90.  Words that Hurt, Words that Heal by Joseph Telushkin
91.  For the Love of God, Volume 2 by D.A. Carson
92.  Gossip by Lori Palatnik with Bob Burg
93.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
94.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
95.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
96.  Marriage Matters by Winston Smith
97.  High Impact Church Boards by T.J. Addington
98.  Holy Bible, English Standard Version

Previous Lists:

2009 

2008 (first half, second half)

2007 (first half, second half)

2006 (first half, second half)

2005 (first half, second half)

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Back Issues of EFCA Today

Back issues of our EFCA magazine are now available.

That includes articles that I've written:

Underestimated Danger
More Than a Vote

And a book review (other book reviews aren't available anymore):

Groundswell (pg. 22 of the pdf)

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[Matt's Messages] "Joy to the World"

“Joy to the World”
December 26, 2010
Luke 2:10

The angel said to them (v.10), “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Good news of great joy for all the people.

“Joy to the World!”

What is joy?

I mean, we all know what it is, but it’s hard to define.

And the world has so many counterfeits.

What is joy?

On Tuesday, we stopped at McDonalds on the way back from the airport, and I got this cup full of Coca Cola.

And I noticed that one side it says, “Enjoy” in big letters with a splash of water (which is most of what Coca Cola is, I think).

And on the other side themed for Christmas it says, ‘Refresh with Joy: Let the little bubbles tickle as they quench your thirst.  I’m lovin’ it.”

Refresh with Joy.  And the O in the Joy is fizzy Coke bubbles.

Is that what joy is?

Is joy found in a cup of Coke?

No.

But I think the McDonald marketers are onto something.

Joy is satisfaction.

Joy is a thirst quenched.

Joy is a delight in something that refreshes you.

True joy is delightful satisfaction in God and what He has done.

The theme of joy is all over the Bible.

From cover to cover, you could say that the Bible is a story of joy.

Joy in creation.  Joy lost in the Fall.  Joy regained piece by piece as the story of redemption unfolds.

Joy in the psalms, especially.  Rejoice!  My cup overflows!

And then joy restored as the Savior comes.

The angel said, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy.”

The Greek is literally, “mega chara.” Mega Joy!

Joy to the World.  The Lord is come.

Because of Christmas, because of the Incarnation, because Jesus has come, Christians have every reason to rejoice.

Good Christian Men (and Women and Boys and Girls, too!), Rejoice!

With heart and soul and voice!

Jesus Christ is born today.

#1.  JOY TO THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.

The Bible says that joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit.

It’s number 2 in the list.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...” and so forth.

Joy is part of the normal experience of every Christian.

The Apostle Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice...[You believe in Jesus and you] are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Joy has come with Jesus and it’s better than regular old happiness.

Now, happiness is not bad.  And it’s not a bad word.

But joy is a better thing and a better word.

It’s deeper and fuller and richer and more meaningful.

Joy!  Joy!  Joy!

Joy to the World Right Now.

Because Jesus has been born, we have every reason to rejoice.

It was joy that led Jesus to the Cross.

Hebrews says, “For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the Cross.”

Jesus’ joy in God, Jesus’ delightful satisfaction in His Father and what His Father would do for us in saving us eternally was enough to motivate Jesus to die on the Cross for our sins, taking our place.

Joy!  We have every reason to rejoice.

I think that joy is my favorite word when it comes to Christmas.

The close runners up are Love, Hope, Gift, and Peace.  I think some years they win over joy.

But joy is right there up at the top.

Joy because Jesus came.

Joy to the world right now.

Notice in our verse that the great joy comes from the good news.

“The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

It’s that good news about Jesus that brings us true and lasting joy.

Even in the middle of great trials and suffering.

Especially in the middle of great trials and suffering.

Happiness comes and goes, it burns off under the sun of suffering.

But joy can exist in the hardest of times, warm in the heart of those who have Jesus.

In fact, the Bible says that we are to have joy at those times when are suffering.

James says in chapter 1 of his letter, “Consider it pure [....what?] joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

Not that we love the trials.  But that we know that the trials will be used for God’s purposes in our lives, perfecting us.  And that’s worth rejocing in.

Everything is worth rejoicing in because Jesus came that first Christmas.

Our family, of course, has been grieving the loss of Heather’s mum.

And it hurts really bad. And it should!  Crying is the right thing to do when it hurts like this.

But Christians mourn differently, too.  We grieve in hope.

And a hope that doesn’t disappoint. We can both grieve and rejoice at the same time.

We miss Heather’s mum.  But we rejoice for her.

And we know that because Jesus came, we will see her again.

Because of Jesus, we have every reason to rejoice.

Good news of Great Joy to the World Right Now.

But this is not all that there is.

#2.  JOY TO THE WORLD SOMEDAY SOON.

This angel was talking about Jesus’ first coming.  His first advent.

But Jesus didn’t bring all of the blessings of His kingdom right away.

First, He came, taught, lived a perfect life, died on the Cross, came back to life, and then ascended to His Father.

Promising to come AGAIN, a second time to bring JOY to the World in all of its fullness.

I don’t know about you, but the more Christmases I experience, the more I think, not about Jesus’ first coming, but about Jesus’ second coming.

That’s what Isaac Waats was thinking about when he wrote the hymn, “Joy to the World.”

If you turn to it in your hymnal (#125), you’ll see what I mean.

We often sing it at Christmas.  In fact, we’ve sung it every Sunday of Advent this year.

But it’s not really about Luke 2.

It’s about the return of Jesus and the joy that will come to the world when that happens.

Joy to the World! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing!

Can you imagine what that will be like?

Joy to the earth!  The Savior reigns.

Yes, there is a sense in which He reigns now.  All authority has been given to Jesus.

But His reign is contested now.  Someday soon, His reign will be universal and uncontested.

The Savior Reigns

Let Men Their Songs Employ!

While fields and floods, rock, hills, and plains repeat [what?]

The sounding joy!

Repeat the sounding joy!

All of nature is going to be happy.

Isaac Watts got this idea from Psalm 98.  He was making a hymn out of the thoughts of Psalm 98 transposed into a Christian key.

This is what Psalm 98 says:

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things;

his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

The LORD has made his salvation known

and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn–shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”

The world is personified as feeling the pains of the curse.

Romans 8 says that the creation groans and waits in eager expectation for the return of Christ.

But when Jesus returns, the whole world (not just His people!) will have great joy!

Verse 3

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground (The curse from Genesis 3)

He comes to make His blessings flow (where?)

Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found

That’s my favorite line in that song.

How far does the curse extend right now?

It gets down int our DNA, doesn’t it?

There is nowhere that is untouched by the curse.

Life is not as it should be.

Cancer, for example, is not the way it should be.

Death is not the way it should be!

But Jesus is going to reverse the curse someday soon.

Reverse the curse!

He will make His blessings known far as the curse is found.

He’s going to roll back the curse and make everything new.

Revelation 21

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. [Are you crying this Christmas?]

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’

Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.’”

That’s “refresh with joy!”

Joy to the World, the whole world someday soon.

He rules the world with truth and grace

and makes the nations prove

the glories of his righteousness

and the wonders of His love.

The wonders of His love.

Brothers and sisters, we have every reason to rejoice.

And every reason to spread that joy.

Joy to the world in missions.

Let the nations be glad!

Let the nations rejoice!

Because there is good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

We need to live in expectation, anticipation of that joy.

And to share it with others.

I don’t have more to say than this.

Let this Christmas be a Christmas of JOY for those of us who know Jesus.

Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come!

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2010 Advent Week #4

LEFC Family Advent Readings
Advent Week #4: “I Will Be Your Peace”
O Little Town of Bethlehem  - Micah 5:2-5
December 19, 2010
“Advent” means “coming.”  Christmas is coming.  Jesus has come and is coming again.

This Advent season, we are hearing about God’s promises of a Savior to come.  God gave these promises through the prophet Micah in Micah chapter 5, verses 2-5.

God had a message for the little town of Bethlehem.  [Read Micah 5:2-5]

[LIGHT CANDLE #1 AGAIN]  Candle One was a candle of surprise.  God loves to do big things through small people.

[LIGHT CANDLE #2 AGAIN]  Candle Two was a candle of promise.  God always keeps His promises, even if we have to wait a long time to see them fulfilled.

[LIGHT CANDLE #3 AGAIN]  Candle Three was a candle of care.  The Messiah would shepherd His people in the strength of the LORD.  There is no safer place to be than in Jesus’ flock.

[LIGHT CANDLE #4] Candle Four will be a candle of peace.

Micah’s prophecy ends with the words, “He will be their peace.”

Jesus doesn’t just bring peace. He is our peace.

The war is over.  Jesus is the one who makes peace between us and God.

His death on the Cross reconciles us to God, changing us from enemies to friends.

When Jesus was born, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Jesus is our peace.


O Little Town of Bethlehem: “I Will Be Your Peace”
Advent Bible Study for Families
1.  As a family, re-read Micah 5:2-5 one more time.  Review what you have learned so far during the Advent Season from this passage.

2.  What is peace?  Peace is not just the absence of hostility.  It is the presence of harmony.  The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” which means health and wholeness and harmony.  Peace is “the way things ought to be.”  What does peace mean to you?  Have every family member share something.

3.  How is Jesus our peace?  In what ways does Jesus bring peace?  How does this truth comfort us today?  How should we live differently because we know that Jesus is our peace?

4.  Who could we tell this to?  Who could our family reach out to and share about the peace that comes from knowing Jesus?

5.  As a family, sing O Little Town of Bethlehem.

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
 
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

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"At Home with the Lord" Memorial Message for Linda Lundeen

“At Home with the Lord”
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8
A Memorial Message for Linda Jane Lundeen
December 17, 2010

This Bible was given to me by my favorite-mother-in-law in May of 1998.  She wrote in the front, “Matthew Charles, may the Lord guide your steps as you graduate from [seminary].  We shall continue to pray and support you in any way we can.”

And she did.  In every way she possibly could she supported me.

From this Bible she gave me, I’m going to read from the New Testament.  The book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 16 through chapter 5 verse 8.

It’s written by the Apostle Paul who was experiencing extreme difficulty.  So extreme that he called it a kind of living death.

But this is what he wrote in the midst of that extreme difficulty.

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8. 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

“At Home with the Lord.”

This passage of Scripture is about heaven.

Heaven is what sustained the Apostle Paul when he was going through his living death.  His deathful living.

Heaven is what gave him hope and power for living through the midst of extreme suffering.

And Heaven is what I want to talk about this morning.

Because that’s where Linda is.
That’s where Mum is.
Where Nana is.

Heaven.

I want to point out three things about heaven from this passage of God’s Word.

Three incredibly comforting and powerful truths about Heaven for anyone who belongs to the Lord Jesus.

#1. HEAVEN IS WORTH THE TROUBLES OF EARTH.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. [We don’t give up.]  Though outwardly we are wasting away [and that’s what happened to Linda, she had to waste away for several months], yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day [And that happened to her, too.  Linda for many months handled her cancer better than anyone else in the family.  She was being renewed day by day. v.17].  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” [That’s 2 Corinthians 4:16-18].

The Bible says that we fix our eyes not on this world and what we can see now but on that world and what we cannot see right now.  What is unseen.

Why? Because this is all temporary.  But that is eternal.

Heaven is the eternal enjoyment of God’s glory.  And heaven is worth all of the troubles of earth.

Paul says, “Our light and momentary troubles [Mum’s troubles didn’t seem light and momentary the last 9 months, but in comparison with eternity, they] are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Heaven is eternal.  And it is the constant enjoyment of God’s glory.

And it far outweighs all of the trials and tribulations and troubles of this life.

“Far outweighs!”

Because of my job, I go to a lot of funerals.  And people often say something like, “She’s in a better place now.”

But they don’t really believe it.  They just say it.  I have a friend who has lived through some nasty cancer.  And once, when I saw him, he said that his treatments were going well, and that he’s on “the right side of the flowers.”  And I know what’s he’s saying.  But it’s not true.  If he truly belongs to Jesus, right now, he’s on the wrong side of the flowers!

Linda is on the right side of the flowers.

The side that “far outweighs” it all.

On Friday night, when I had to tell my kids that Nana had died, through the tears, my Peter said, “She’s having more fun now than she ever did!”

That’s right!

Heaven is worth it.  Heaven is worth the troubles of earth.

And Linda had a lot of troubles on earth.  She had a great life, but it was not without major suffering – heartaches, accidents, health troubles, miscarriages, and so on.

But Mum fixed her eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  Because she knew that heaven was worth it.

She lived out her favorite Scripture verse (Isaiah 40:31).  She “hoped” in the LORD, and He renewed her strength.  She soared on wings like eagles. She ran and didn’t grow weary.  She walked and didn’t faint.

Of course, she did grow weary.  She did faint physically.

But she soared spiritually. 

Mum fixed her eyes on what was unseen and served children around the world with gifts of big love in little shoeboxes.

She soared!

She knew that heaven was worth the trouble of earth.  It “far outweighs” it all.

#2. HEAVEN IS NEW LIFE IN A NEW BODY FOREVER.

The apostle Paul goes on to say this in 2 Corinthians 5: “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed [He’s talking about our bodies], we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling [our new bodies], because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked [a bare soul].

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Linda and John did a lot of camping over the last 40 years.  They met at Christian camp out on the island.

And they did a lot of camping through the years.  The Lundeen family pretty much camped all over North America.  They took Heather to Moody to meet her eventual husband basically by camping across the continent!  I’m very thankful for their camping trips!

And there are some good stories about camping with Mum.  You should ask the family for some.

John says that Linda was always prepared for everything.  Everything was packed.  Picnics, supplies, everything.  She was never caught unprepared.

Except maybe for that huge storm when Heather was a baby.  John was literally holding up the tent poles in the little pop-up camper while the tornado or whatever it was raged outside.  And then Linda waded through some water looking for where the bridge was and directing John to drive the car with the trailer behind it.

And tiny little Heather slept through the whole thing!

John told me yesterday that once they were camping up at Johnston’s Canyon and the people at the next campsite were having a party that went on and on and on and got louder and louder and louder.

And at some point late in the night, she’d had enough...Linda put on her housecoat and went next door.

And she was gone a few minutes.  John says, “I don’t know what she said, but it was totally quiet for the rest of the night.”

Linda loved to camp.

But she also knew that one of the best parts of camping is ... coming home!

Isn’t it?  It’s okay to live in a tent for a while.  But eventually you want to get home to your own bed, right?  A real roof over your head.

Here in 2 Corinthians, Paul is calling this body, our earthly bodies, a tent. We’re camping right now. Everybody in this room is camping right now.  And camping is, by definition, temporary.

But there is an eternal dwelling–a heavenly dwelling–a new body that is on order, on the way.

And one day, in the New Heavens and New Earth that is coming, those who belong to Jesus will have those new bodies.

Paul said it this way in Philippians chapter 3, “[O]ur citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (vv.20-21).

Isn’t that awesome?

Heaven is new life in a new body forever.

A new body not hurt by car accidents.
A new body without artificial knees.
A new body not devastated by abdominal cancer.

The Bible says, “The mortal will be swallowed up by LIFE.”

New bodies that never fail and never die.  FOREVER.

But Heaven is even better than that.

#3. HEAVEN IS BEING AT HOME WITH THE LORD.

This is what really makes Heaven, Heaven!

Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 5, verses 6 through 8.

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  We live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”


Listen to verse 8 of that again.

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body [that’s where Linda is right now] and at home with the Lord. [That’s where Linda is right now!]”

This what makes Heaven, Heaven.

Heaven is not primarily about seeing our loved ones who have already died.

Though we will.  I believe that Linda is with her son Nathaniel and my daughter Charis and her in-laws and with many many others whom she loved in this life.

Heaven is not primarily about escaping the punishment of Hell.

Though we will if we belong to Jesus.

Heaven is not even primarily about enjoying our new bodies.

Though we will, and the Bible makes a big deal out of it.

Heaven is primarily about being with the Lord Jesus forever.

“At home with the Lord.”

Jesus is what makes Heaven Heaven.

And Linda understood that.  This Fall, when Mum found out that her treatments were coming to an end, she got even more joyful than she had ever been.

You know why?  I said it was like this. She knew where she was going.  And she’d just gotten her tickets!

To go home.

Linda is at home with the Lord.

Linda is away from her body, but she is at home with the Lord.

My little 3 year old niece, Piper Quinn Lundeen was in the room when Nana died.  And David and Yvonne told her that Nana had gone to heaven.

And she whispered back, “But I can still see her...”

Linda is away from her body, but she [the real Linda] is at home with the Lord.

She is home.

The question is.  Are you going to heaven?

Are you ready?

Linda had her bags packed.  It couldn’t come fast enough the last month and half.

Because she was ready.

But are you?

Memorial services honor the dead but they are for the living.

Are you ready to go? 

Do you know where you are going?

Are you going to heaven?

You see, you have to be a citizen of heaven already to go there.

Many people don’t understand that.  They think that they are just headed there by default.  But heaven is not our default destination.

You have to become a citizen of heaven already to go there when you die.

There are no visitors.  There aren’t even any “landed immigrants.”

You know what this is?

This is Linda’s file on becoming a citizen of Canada.

Linda lived here all of these decades as a “landed immigrant” and eventually a “permanent resident.”

But she was, at heart, a California Girl.  Apparently, you can take the girl out of California, but you can’t take California out of the Girl.

Mum came close several times to becoming an official Canadian citizen, but she never did.

And as much as she loved Canada, she dearly loved her United States.  Her family celebrated both Thanksgivings and the 4th of July.

I was fond of saying that my mother-in-law was an alien–in only one way.  She was an alien citizen. [And she’d just wrinkle up her nose in her funny little way and giggle at my mother-in-law jokes.]

Linda was a citizen of one nation living in another.

And she never quite made the switch.

And that doesn’t matter.  Not one bit.

But she had made her application for citizenship in heaven.

And that made ALL of the difference.

Linda had trusted in Jesus Christ and what He did for her on the Cross.

Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin, paying the penalty for sin on the Cross.

And Linda repented of her sins and turned to Jesus for salvation.

And became a citizen of heaven.

That’s how we know where she is right now.

And that’s what she wanted for all of you.

Just last week, she could say only a few short things at a time.  Heather tells me that she would say 4 or 5 words and then be silent for hours.

Just last week, she told Heather again, “Make sure Matt tells people how to get to heaven.”

Linda is at home with the Lord.

And she wanted you to join her.

I invite you in your heart of hearts to turn from your sins and to put your trust in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Trust in what He did for you on the Cross. And ask Him to make you a citizen of heaven.

Because:
    Heaven is worth the troubles of earth.
    Heaven is new life in a new body forever.
    Heaven is being home with the Lord.

Don’t wait.  Don’t wait forever thinking, “I’ll do that later.”

I’ll make my application later.

You may not have a later.

Do it now.

Turn from your sins and trust in Jesus.

And become a citizen of heaven.

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God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment

Does the Bible have a unifying theme?

Professor and Pastor Jim Hamilton argues that the Bible can be summarized as "God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment" (the title of his newest book).

I recently had the opportunity to listen to a short presentation he did on this thesis.  Very well done and thoughtful.  I'm not sure what all of the competing summaries are, but I found this one very compelling.

I've been helped by Hamilton before.  Back in 2008, when I was preaching on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, I was helped by his writings and by a personal email conversation with him.

Last year, I was both encouraged and edified by his presentation and arguments for the classic premillennial position with strong proponents of the other major views.

Now, I'm listening to his series on the book of Revelation.  The sermon on Revelation 20 was really good.  (I listened to that out of order when I was working through some eschatology last year).

Thanks, Dr. Hamilton for your careful scholarship and Christlike demeanor!

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2010 Advent Week #3

LEFC Family Advent Readings
Advent Week #3: “I Will Take Care of You”
O Little Town of Bethlehem - Micah 5:2-5
December 12, 2010

“Advent” means “coming.”  Christmas is coming.  Jesus has come and is coming again.

This Advent season, we are hearing about God’s promises of a Savior to come that God  gave through the prophet Micah.

God had a message for Bethlehem.  [Read Micah 5:2-5]

Our first candle was a candle of surprise.  God loves to do the unexpected.

[LIGHT CANDLE #1 AGAIN]

Our second candle was a candle of promise.  In having Jesus born in Bethlehem, God was faithfully keeping an ancient promise.

[LIGHT CANDLE #2 AGAIN]
           
Our third candle will be a candle of care.  God promised that the Messiah would care for His people.  [LIGHT CANDLE #3]

“He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and there is no safer place to be than in His flock.

There is no stronger name than the name of the LORD.

We know that we are totally secure in Jesus Christ. O Little Town of Bethlehem: “I Will Take Care of You”


Advent Bible Study for Families


1. As a family, read Micah 5:2-5.  Re-read verse 4.  Make a list of all of the phrases that emphasize the Messiah’s care for His people.
                   

2.  Why does God call the Messiah a shepherd?  How are we like sheep?  How is Jesus like a Shepherd to us?  How strong is Jesus’ shepherding according to verse 4?


3.  Go around the family circle talking more about Jesus’ care for you.  What are specific ways that the Lord is caring for our family right now?  What prayer requests does our family have right now that we can ask the Lord to care for?  Pray for them together.


4. Learn the song this month.  As a family, sing O Little Town of Bethlehem.

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
 
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel 

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[Matt's Messages] "Why Did Jesus Come?"

“Why Did Jesus Come?”
Certain of Jesus:  The Gospel of Luke
December 12, 2010
Luke 18:35-19:10

We’ve almost reached that part of the Gospel of Luke where Jesus enters Jerusalem.  This message and next message and then Jesus will enter Jerusalem and begin what we call Passion Week or Holy Week, the week that Jesus suffered and died.

Last week, we read verses 31-34 where Jesus predicted all that would happen to Him. It was no surprise.  In fact, it was of His own choice.  V.31

“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him.  On the third day he will rise again.’ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”

But we do.  We know what He’s talking about.

And it’s all about to unravel.

But before He enters Jerusalem, He has two encounters near and in Jericho, the rebuilt city.

One encounter is with a very poor man. 
The other encounter is with a very rich man.

One poor man, one rich man.

Remember that rhyme?

“Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief?”

That’s exactly what these two men were.

A rich man who was a thief.
And a poor man who was a beggar.

And they both needed the exact same thing–Jesus.

Christmas is now less than 2 weeks away.

Are you ready?

Is anyone ever really ready for Christmas?

One of the most important things to do to get our hearts ready for Christmas is to remind ourselves of why there is a thing called Christmas.

In a word: “Why Did Jesus Come?”

Christmas is that celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  His first advent.

And we all know (or at least we should) that advent means.......coming.

Why Did Jesus Come?

What motivated Jesus’ first advent?

Why the announcement to Mary, the announcement to Joseph, the tough trip to Bethlehem, no room in the inn, giving birth “out back,” the angels, the shepherds.

Why all that?

Why Did Jesus Come?


Well, today’s passage tells us very clearly.

And it is illustrated by these encounters with these two men.

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief.

Let’s start with the beggar man.  Chapter 18, verse 35.

“As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’  He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” Let’s stop there for a second.

Now, I can hardly imagine what it would be like to be totally blind.

This man was blind.  He could not see.

And his only means of living was by begging.  Can you imagine?

Sitting by the roadside begging.

And he hears a commotion.  Somebody important is coming by.  Who is it?

And the crowd says, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

They emphasize Nazareth.  “Nowheresville.  Can anything good come from there?

Yeah, there’s a lot of interest in this guy, but is he really somebody?”

But this blind man could see with the eyes of his heart!

He has heard about Jesus, and he believes in Jesus.

What does he call him?  Not Jesus of Nazareth, but “Jesus, Son of David.”

He’s calling Him the king!  He’s calling him the Son of the Annointed King.

He’s calling him the Messiah.

He could see some things very clearly!

And he asks for something very clearly.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

He asks for mercy.

The crowd doesn’t like it.  V.39.  “Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”

“Shut up, blind man.”

No way.  “He shouted all the more. ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”

And cry for mercy from someone who believes always gets Jesus’ attention.  V.40

“Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Lord, I want to see,’ he replied.  Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

Imagine!

This is the last overt miracle in the gospel until the Resurrection.

And it’s an important one.

On the way to Jerusalem, this nobody blind beggar recognizes Jesus for who He is, and he asks for mercy and gets it.  And the blind can see!

Wow!  Praise God!

Why did Jesus come?

#1.  TO BRING HELP TO THE HELPLESS.

The biblical word for that is mercy.

Help for the helpless.  Mercy.

Jesus came to help those who cannot help themselves if they will only recognize Him and trust Him.

Jesus came that first Christmas to bring help to the helpless.

Remember how we saw that back in chapter 4?

Jesus in the synagogue back in Capernaum?  He gets out the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and he reads these prophetic words: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’  Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,  and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

Jesus came to bring help to the helpless.

Are you helpless?  Then take heart. Jesus cares and is willing to do something about it if you will recognize him and trust in Him.

Have you been helped?

Isn’t that why we’re here today?  I think the application for this is to develop the same response that this man did and the people did who saw the miracle.  V.43

“Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

Praise God!

Praise God that he gives mercy to the needy.

Praise God that he helps the helpless because Jesus came.

Now, that’s the first encounter with the poor man, the beggar man.

How about that rich man, the thief?  Chapter 19 starts with a man named Zach.  Chapter 19, verse 1.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.”

Now, we all know this story, don’t we?

The song is running through most of our heads.

But when it runs through my head, I always say, “Zacchaeus was an evil little man  and an evil little man was he.”

This guy was a “chief tax collector.”  He was the big Kahuna in Jericho.

The tax collector of tax collectors.

So, if tax collectors were hated as sell-outs and traitors to the Romans who were kind of like the legalized mob.  This guy was the like the Kingpin of that legalized mob.

He was wealthy and he’d done it on the backs of the regular people.

He was a sinner in every sense of the word.

He wasn’t a nice little man.  He was an evil little schemer.

I always think that if Luke was a movie, Danny Devito should play Zacchaeus.

Now, what we did we learn last week about rich people being saved?

Easy or hard?  Or somewhere in between?

Not just hard.  Impossible.

But Jesus what?  Does the impossible.

Let’s see what happens to this rich man, this “thief.”  V.3

“[Zacchaeus] wanted to see who Jesus was [why was that?  He, like the blind beggar must have heard about Jesus before.  Maybe he was friends with Levi/Matthew the tax collector that now runs around with Jesus as a disciple.  We don’t know, but we do know that he was very curious about Jesus.  Maybe he had found that wealth was not satisfying.  And that possession cans possess you. And wanted free.  Not sure.  But we do know that he wanted to see who Jesus was], but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.”

He’s a very resourceful man. And now he has a good vantage point to watch this Jesus (unnoticed) from above.

But then Jesus surprises Him.  Doesn’t Jesus love to surprise? V.5

“When Jesus reached the spot [the very spot, I love that!], he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’”

How did He know his name?

I don’t know.  Maybe supernaturally.  Maybe Zacchaeus was infamous in Jericho.

Either way, Jesus stops right there and says, “You’re my hotel tonight.”

“‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’”

“I must.”

Did you notice that?  He’s got to do it. Jesus has.

It’s part of why Jesus has come!  It’s His mission.

And Zach is excited.  V.6

“So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

But others weren’t so excited.  V.7

“All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'”

Yuck! 

Now, what does that remind you of?

Does that connect in your brain to Luke chapter 15?

To the black hats and the white hats?

Which one is Zacchaeus?  He’s a black hat.   Oh man, is his hat black!

He is a sinner!  And he’s a rich sinner.  How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!  It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

[Yes, I put Heather’s needle back where it belongs.  Don’t worry!]

Zacchaeus is a sinner.  A bad one.

But guess what?  That’s why Jesus came!

#2.  TO BRING SALVATION TO SINNERS.  V.8
                                       
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”

What was Abraham the father of?

Faith!

Zacchaeus has faith!  Genuine faith.

And faith in Jesus.  And that means....salvation!  Wahoo!

“Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”

Jesus Came to Bring Salvation to Sinners.

Do you know how Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was saved?

Because he was changed.

Because he was generous.

Because he did what the rich young ruler was unwilling to do last week.

Remember that?

Let go of your money. Be generous.

The rich ruler said, “I can’t do that.  I am very wealthy and it has control of me.  It’s my god.”

But Zacchaeus said, “Here and now I give half of my possession to the poor, and if (that’s a big if!) I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

That’s a real change.  That’s real growth.  The Bible word for that is “REPENT.”

Whenever there is real faith, there will be real fruit.  Real repentance.

Salvation changes us.

Don’t believe someone who says that they are saved who aren’t changed at all.

Salvation, when it comes, changes us.  It doesn’t make us perfect. But it starts on the hard road of sanctification and growth.

And it’s really obvious when salvation makes us generous. 

When repentance makes us generous!

One writer says, “You may have reached a sticking point in your spiritual development, and you wonder why. You read your Bible, your language has changed, and you are honest. But regular, generous giving? Well, you are not quite ready for that. Therefore, you do not keep growing in your soul. Zacchaeus was ready because he was regenerated. He was ready because he was enlarged. The gospel makes little men big!”  (Kent Hughes, Luke, Vol 2, pg. 226).

I like that!  “The gospel makes little men big.”

Zacchaeus was changed by the salvation that had come to his house.

Imagine that tax refund!

Not just repaid but four times the amount stolen.

The thief has been saved.

“Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”

What came to his house? Salvation.

Who came to his house?  Jesus.

Jesus Came to Bring Salvation to Sinners.

In other words, verse 10.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

That’s the reason for the season.

That’s the reason for Christmas.

That’s Jesus’ purpose in coming.

Why Did Jesus Come?

#3.  TO SEEK AND TO SAVE WHAT WAS LOST.

Now, that should remind you of Luke 15.

Something lost, a desperate search, and when it is found...what?  A party!

What was lost?

People!

God’s own people were lost.

And Jesus came to seek them and to save them.

That’s what Christmas is all about.

Christmas is about Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday!

Because the only way for Jesus to save the lost is to go through what He said He would back in chapter 18, verse 32.  “He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him.”  But that won’t be the end.  “On the third day he will rise again.”

And save that which was lost!

As we go into these last two weeks until Christmas, we need to keep this squarely in our minds.  Christmas is not about ... fill in the blank with whatever false messages that are out there.

Christmas is about Jesus coming to seek and to save what was lost.

People like you and me.

Now, there are two applications to that.

And the first is for those who are still lost.

If you are not yet found, then “Come Down!”

Jesus is saying to you, like He did to Zacchaeus, “Come down immediately.  I want to be with you.”

Repent and Come Down.

Call out like the beggar, “Have mercy on me.”

Trust in what Jesus did on the Cross for you.

And begin to follow Him by faith.

Come down.

Don’t stay up in that tree.

Salvation is free, and it’s seeking you.

But you have to receive it.

Come down.

That’s what it’s all about.

Come down!

Jesus does the impossible. 
He can turn around the most wicked life!
He can fix the most broken things!
He can bring salvation to the vilest sinners.

Come down.

... And for all who have come down.

Rejoice!

See all of the joy of these two very different men?

One poor, blind, begging.  He (18, v.43) follows Jesus praising God!
One rich, despised, wicked.  He (19, v.6) welcomes Jesus “gladly.”

Salvation comes to both of them.

Rejoice!

Jesus has come to:

bring help to the helpess and salvation to sinners
to seek and to save what was lost

He brings...Joy to the World.

Rejoice!



Messages So Far In this Series:

Certain of Jesus
The Back-Story of Jesus
The Birth of Jesus
Jesus - A Very Special Child
Preparing the Way for Jesus
Jesus Is the Son of God
Jesus in Galilee
Jesus and the Sinners
Jesus Brings Real Joy and Rest
Jesus' Followers Are Different: Part One
Jesus' Followers Are Different: Part Two
Jesus' Followers Are Different: Part Three
Jesus' Followers Are Different: Part Four
Amazing Jesus
Disappointed with Jesus
Loving Jesus Much
Jesus' Real Family
Jesus Is Lord
Who Is Jesus?
Following Jesus
Sent By Jesus
Q&A With Jesus
Sitting at Jesus' Feet
Jesus Teaches Us to Pray 
Jesus Is Stronger Than Satan
More Blessed Than Jesus' Mom
Jesus and the Judgment to Come
Being Real with Jesus
Jesus and Our Stuff
Be Ready for Jesus' Return
Jesus and Tragedies
Set Free By Jesus
Jesus and the Surprising Kingdom
Jesus and Jerusalem
Jesus at the Party
The Cost of Following Jesus
Jesus and the Lost: Part One
Jesus and the Lost: Part Two
Jesus and the Lost: Part Three
Jesus on Money
Sneering at Jesus
Jesus and the Great Chasm
Jesus Said to His Disciples...
Thanking Jesus
Jesus and the Coming Kingdom
Jesus Says, "Keep Praying"
The Proud, the Humble, and Jesus
Jesus Does the Impossible

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