The Christian and The Lion

1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (NIV)

Today, Christians have a vague notion of what our ancestors endured for their faith. I felt the calling in my heart and the weight on my conscience to place the reader in ancient Rome under the cruelest emperor that lived in the ancient world. A goal was to make today’s Christian see our severely malnourished and filthy ancestors of faith as they were forced at the edge of spears into the largest auditorium in the ancient world. I want the reader to see the rashes from the iron collars and shackles around the Christians’ necks, wrists and ankles before they had to stand before the world ruler of that time, who gave them the choice of denying Christ or facing the lions, hyenas or gladiators.

The Christian and the Lion is a departure, taking on actual atrocities and bringing to life the persecutions of Christians in the darkest hours of ancient Rome. Basing the character driven story on the histories of Tacitus, Suetonius, Dio Cassius and other ancient historians, The Christian and the Lion is purposed to enlighten and educate the reader as well as stir the reader’s soul.

In the United States and Europe, Christians cringe and often cower to the altar of political correctness, allowing God to be taken from our courts, schools and traditions while our culture is changed, steered by politicians, celebrities, judges, and media. As the history is lost, so is our identity. In a changing culture it is important for us to learn and teach apologetics to everyone of faith, especially to our youth.  The Bible and the world are full of evidence of God’s designs, Atheists just don’t realize it. It isn’t a matter of faith, because I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist and believe that life was the product of chance and that life came from nothing.

Sextus Julius Africanus, a historian from the 2^nd century A.D. and Eusebius, a historian from the 4 ^rth century A.D. have both sited the historian Thallus. Why is this important? Without Africanus or Euebius, we would have never heard of Thallus, whose works were destroyed, perhaps because they give an Atheist’s view of how to explain the darkness of Christ’s crucifixion, saying that it was an eclipse. Though an eclipse would have been impossible being that Passover, when Christ was crucified, was near a full moon, this is important because an Atheist acknowledges Christ’s crucifixion

This is one example of evidence that is referenced in The Christian and the Lion. Where tangible evidence is sought, tangible evidence is referenced and located. When philosophical answers are sought, philosophical answers are given. I have come to find that there is actually overwhelming evidence of God throughout history, but we will never find Him if we do not look for Him.

Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

In the first book, The Christian and the Lion: Nero’s Circus Maximus, I have introduced some of the evidence and apologetics; however, in the second novel, The Christian and the Lion: Victorian Rising, which is almost finished, I weave more apologetics and evidence into the storyline.