The Mercy Seat

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Written by Henry O. Arnold
Published by
Mountain Brook Ink
Published: March 5, 2024
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

Hells Canyon is a neighborhood in Richland, Tennessee where tourists never venture, and locals fear to tread.

SYNOPSIS:

Maxwell Crane, former Marine chaplain and pastor of The Mercy Seat church, struggles to provide a beacon of hope.
But others have their eyes set on Hells Canyon: power elites, robber barons, and street gangs seek their own gain at the cost of the beleaguered urban neighborhood. For the people who live there, it’s been a fight to exist their whole lives, and that fight is getting harder.

Maxwell doesn’t have to stay in Hells Canyon. He and his family could leave to live a comfortable middle-class existence. Instead, Maxwell chooses to risk his life-and the lives of those around him-to stand against the oppressors.

But what happens when this pastor crosses a line, taking justice into his own hands? Will his family, his community, and his God ever forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?

The Mercy Seat is Book 1 of my new contemporary fiction series The Urban Chronicles.

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The Fugitive King

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Written by Henry O. Arnold
Published by
Whitefire Publishing
Published: November 2023
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

One king desperately on the run…One king in vengeful pursuit…
One nation in dire turmoil

SYNOPSIS:

David is broken off from the realm. The world behind him is destroyed. The world before him is dangerous and unpredictable. He flees from the royal household of King Saul as a fugitive with a death sentence on his head.

In his last days, the prophet Samuel passes the prophetic mantle to his proteges, instructing Nathan and Gad to serve Yahweh and the future king of Israel. But David is king only of caves and deserts, and his subjects are nothing but the dregs of society that flow to the lowest point of the land and stop at his feet. Mercenaries, adventurers, spies—or worse, assassins with no apparent loyalty.

David, who once thought of himself as “an olive tree flourishing in the house of Yahweh,” desperately appeals to the One who can save him: “You are my rock, my fortress. Into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

The Fugitive King continues the tale of triumph and tragedy, of deepest love and burning rivalries. The new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

And be sure to check out the other volumes in this series: A Voice Within the FlameCrown of the Warrior King and The Singer of Israel

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The Singer of Israel

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Written by Henry O. Arnold
Published by
Whitefire Publishing
Published: November 2022
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

The third installment of the biblical fiction series
“The Song of Prophets and Kings”

SYNOPSIS:

A singer’s voice inspires a troubled nation…
A shepherd’s courage vanquishes a giant

The last official act of the prophet of Yahweh was to secretly anoint a replacement for the king of Israel who has been brought low by an unbalanced mind. The great prophet of Israel lives in fear of the wrath of the king. Then out of the hills of Bethlehem emerges the last-born son of a family of shepherds to become the unforeseen hero of Israel.

When David sings of the glory of Yahweh, this shepherd wins the hearts of the royal family and restores King Saul’s troubled mind. But when the singer/shepherd defeats the champion of the Philistines in single combat, David becomes forever known as “the giant-slayer.” Saul quickly sees that David is now a threat to his kingdom and secretly plots to have him killed.

David may be the champion of the people of Israel, but he must live under the constant threat of Saul’s wrath until he is finally forced to flee for his life.

The Singer of Israel is a tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love and burning rivalries; the new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

And be sure to check out the first two volumes in this series: A Voice Within the Flame and Crown of the Warrior King.

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Proof of Belonging

“Was I left on your doorstep when I was a baby?” I blurted, and Dad almost choked on his coffee. I considered my parents “a little lower than the angels.” In my early teens, after observing their collective goodness, I began to doubt that I was their child. They were high-quality human beings, and as a teenager, I was becoming undone by “the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.” Based on their model of behavior, I sensed the miss-match in the gene pool. “I mean, we are so different.”

“Different how,” he asked? How could I point out the disconcerting truth that the souls of my parents bordered on the saintly, while mine was developing into more shaded, carnal areas? Why didn’t I share their world view? Why did I not have their immutable faith, their ease with a well-regulated life, their free submission to our religious persuasion? In my mind, all these factors pointed to a suspicious origin.

Dad did not wait for my answer, which was good because I didn’t have one.

“Son, you are blood of my blood and flesh of my flesh; every inch an Arnold. Any differences we might have is your own uniqueness, what makes you, you; the way God made you.”

That was reassuring and frightening at the same time. He was claiming me, but I did not want to confess that I felt as though I was drifting from the shoreline of the goodness of my parents into an uncharted sea that could swallow me whole. I was not sure God was happy with my implanted “uniqueness.”

“How can that be?” was all I could squeak out.

“Much of it is a mystery, but I have foolproof evidence of bloodline.”

Mom took down an old metal box from the top shelf of the closet, opened the rusty lid, and handed me my birth certificate. I held proof of belonging in my hands with the embossed seal of the State of Tennessee stamped on the document. I ran my fingers over the raised lettering of the seal for the tactile assurance of what my eyes beheld.

Certificates are what the state requires as proof of belonging, but what gives the individual a true sense of belonging is when you hear stories shared among family and friends that feature you and reveal the shades of your personality that uniquely demonstrate a universal belonging to our common humanity. I am grateful to belong to the kingdom of heaven…such a big tent…such a rich population of folks…no certificate required.

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Read more about the article Crown of the Warrior King
Second Volume

Crown of the Warrior King

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Written by Henry O. Arnold
Published by
Whitefire Publishing
Published: December 2021
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

The second installment of the biblical fiction series
“The Song of Prophets and Kings”

SYNOPSIS:

For decades the nation of Israel had no rest from her enemies. The people cried out, “Give us a king to lead us, to go out before us, to fight our battles.” And Yahweh hears the cries of the chosen. He plucks a king out of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes—Saul, son of a herdsman. The prophet Samuel anoints him as Israel’s first warrior king.

Under the banner of the wolf, the symbol of his tribe, Saul rises to prominence, winning the hearts and minds of the people of Israel with his success on the battlefield and benevolent leadership.

But when the nation of Israel cries out, “For the love of Israel. For the glory of Yahweh. For the honor of the king,” the praises of the people turn the humble heart of the warrior king into one filled with pride—a pride that has fatal consequences.

In this tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a Song of Prophets and Kings.

And be sure to check out the first book of the series: “A Voice Within The Flames”

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A Voice Within the Flame

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Written by Henry O. Arnold
Published by
Whitefire Publishing
Published: December 2020
Reader: Henry O. Arnold
 

SYNOPSIS:

A son of the vow…a voice for a nation

For many long years, Hannah prayed for a son; a son finally granted to her only when she promised him back to God. Samuel, son of the vow, grows up in the Tabernacle, his childhood spent in the company of priests and Levites, in service to a God who was always silent. Samuel watches in dismay as the sons of the High Priest flaunt their wicked behavior, yet he knows that Yahweh will eventually have a reckoning. It is not until he hears a Voice call to him from within the flames of the altar that he realizes he has a part to play in this drama.

This young man hears another voice from a maiden who captures his heart, and he begins to dream of a future beyond the confines of the Tabernacle. But when Israel’s enemies threaten to destroy his world, it appears as though everything Samuel ever held dear may come tumbling down around him.

Not even a great prophet, whose words never fall to the ground, can keep Israel from crying out for a king. The Lord calls upon Samuel to guide the nation and her new king through the years of turmoil they must face.

In this tale of triumph and scorn, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a Song of Prophets and Kings.

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Growth Has No Boundaries

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Written by: Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Published: January 2022
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

In Growth Has No Boundaries, Drs. Cloud and Townsend give listeners age-old keys to growth from the Scriptures, with life applications unique from what many Christians have previously thought and were told. Whether life is going well or whether a person is struggling in some area, the insights in this book are essential to progressing spiritually, relationally, and emotionally.

Based on their best-selling book How People Grow, Drs. Cloud and Townsend explore what it takes to experience increasing strength and depth in a person’s spiritual walk, marriage and family life, friendships, personal development – in everything life is about. Unpacking the practical and passionate theology that forms the backbone of their speaking and writing, the authors shatter popular misconceptions about how God operates and how growth happens. Listeners will discover:

  • The essential processes that make people grow
  • How these processes fit into a biblical understanding of spiritual growth and theology
  • How spiritual growth and real-life issues are one and the same
  • The responsibility people have for their own personal growth

Shining focused light on the great doctrines and themes of Christianity, Growth Has No Boundaries shows why all growth is spiritual growth and how a person can grow in ways they never thought possible.

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Inhale (Exhale): A 40-Day Journey Breathing in Grace and Living Out Hope

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Written by: MercyMe Band
Published: October 2021
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

A 40-day devotional experience inspired by MercyMe’s best-selling album, Inhale (Exhale) follows the 16-track record to create a path for listeners to breathe in and absorb God’s grace in their lives.

Inspired by MercyMe’s album of the same name, Inhale (Exhale): A 40-Day Journey Breathing in Grace and Living Out Hope follows the 16-track record to create a path for listeners to breathe in and absorb what God can do, and then release his spirit of grace by offering hope in the world.

The heart of this devotional is found in two days of entries, an “inhale” day and an “exhale” day, designed to coincide with each song as listeners work their way through the album and devotional. Each entry ties to a particular song and couples those thoughts and lyrics with scripture passages, application questions, meditative verses, and prayers. These entries are:

 

  1. “Inhale”
  2. “Blessed”
  3. “On Our Way” (Ft. Sam Wesley)
  4. “So Yesterday”
  5. “A Little Love” (Ft. Gary LeVox)
  6. “Whiplash”
  7. “Bright Side of Broken”
  8. “Let Yourself Be Loved”
  9. “Hurry Up and Wait”
  10. “Brand New” (Ft. Gloria Gaynor)
  11. “Uh, Oh” (Here I Go)
  12. “The Moment”
  13. “Then Christ Came” (Demo)
  14. “Say I Won’t”
  15. “Almost Home”
  16. “Exhale”

Marking the 20th anniversary of the band, after being named Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of the Decade from 2010-2020, coupled with the breakout success of the 2018 film I Can Only Imagine, songwriter and lead singer Bart Millard said, “Going to these dark places that you have to go to write, I didn’t know how to make music that wasn’t connected to something painful, especially when I associated that with the songs that mean the most to me. It’s been hard to go to that place, but I love the results when I do. For the first time, with Inhale (Exhale), it was more about other people’s stories than mine. I was writing out of something that I witnessed more than I experienced myself.”

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A Bend in the Road

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Written by: Dr. David Jeremiah
Published: September 2021
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

Drawing on his insightful sermon series, renowned pastor/teacher David Jeremiah shares the comfort and hope of the Psalms and how these truths can guide believers through life’s greatest challenges. He includes inspiring real-life stories of people who have struggled with terminal illness, the loss of a child, or the imprisonment of a spouse. Jeremiah interweaves his own journal entries, revealing his battle with cancer and how the Psalms helped to sustain him during the fight of his life. A Bend in the Road is an invaluable source of help and encouragement for people facing major obstacles in life.

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Searching for Heaven on Earth

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Written by: Dr. David Jeremiah
Published: September 2021
Reader: Henry O. Arnold

A look at history’s most successful man, Solomon, challenges the listener to find what really matters in life. As Dr. David Jeremiah shows us, he was a man who tested life’s haunting questions head-on. And tasted life’s riches full-on. And who found his answers in the last place he thought to look.

Don’t you deserve a little happiness?

They are the questions that plague us:

 

  • Is happiness within my reach?
  • Why is life so frustrating?
  • Is it too late for me?

Or to put another way: “Where can I find a little heaven on earth?”

History’s most successful man, Solomon, wondered just that. As Dr. David Jeremiah shows us, he was a man who tested life’s haunting questions head-on. And tasted life’s riches full-on. And who found his answers in the last place he thought to look.

Listen, then, to his voice. A voice that, if you pay attention, will speak directly to your flesh and bones and heart. A voice that admits: Maybe happiness is an empty hope. Or maybe we’ve simply been looking in all the wrong places….

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