One book, two book, red book, blue book

I have mentioned before that I'm a little bit book obsessed.  It started when I was little, grew with accelerated reader and an hour long morning bus ride and I just can't seem to stop it from growing.  I prefer music, painting, and reading so much more than television I actually removed the t.v. from my room when I was in high school.  Since then, and with the addition of Zac to my life, it's slowly snuck it's way back in the t.v. seems to be on most of the time, but I ignore it and read away.  

Currently I'm stuck in the middle of a series.  Well, the tail end of the series really.  What series you ask?  The Left Behind Series.  It starts with this book, Left Behind.  It's the story of a group of people that are left behind on Earth after God raputures his church.  It's the story of how they find salvation and live throught the 7 years of tribulation.  It's fiction, mixed with fact and I've loved them.  

I know this series may not be for everyone, as it does sensationalize a bit, but that's the purpose of the fiction in this story.  It contains a lot of scripture, which we all know can be a bit dry, but it applies it in a completely applicable way and I've learned quite a lot about the book of Revelations.   It does leave me asking, what if this is really what things will be like?  And it does encourage me to make reading the Bible a habit, not only to satisfy curiosity stirred up by prophecy, but to develop the kind of faithfulness you feel from the characters.  

I started reading the series years ago (I think the first book was published in 94' but I don't think I started reading them til 99') but had to wait for the 12th book in the series to be published and then never made it through.  There are 13 in the series (and 3 books written later that precede the first book in sequence, so 16 total really) and I'm on the 12th now.  For the last 2 months it's been all I seem to want to read.  

I know 13 books seems daunting, but as I mentioned before, there is a lot to keep you interested and it's so much biblical knowledge that I feel more equipped now in case the author's "fiction" actually happens in my lifetime.  

For everyone out there that believes that all you need to do is acknowledge that there is a god and then "be a good person," this book will make you uncomfortable.  It makes a very strong point that it does not matter if you are good, if you attend church, if you have morals, if you are not saved, you will not be ferried up to heaven when you die.  For that reason alone, I encourage you to read it.  It's clearly written, "For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast."  Enough of me badgering, just read it for yourselves.  And if you also find it encouraging and entertaining, please tell others.