| A Short Story | | Posted by Shaun on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 6:57am | A man sat on a bed in his dead son’s bedroom, the framed picture he held was of the two of them standing shoulder to shoulder with an arm around each other. The smiles of the two said it all, they loved each other; there was not a greater bond between this father and his son.
His thumb caressing the image of his son, tears of sorrow streaming down his face.
For twenty-two years he had nurtured his son from a baby to a young boy, taught him how to care for others, showed him the pitfalls and dangers in life that could cause him to stumble and fall.
His son had turned out to be a young man of great character. He had everything going for him, his future very bright; his peers would look to him for guidance and leadership. Older men and woman admired him; never had they met a youngster that was of such magnificent demeanor.
His plans to be a doctor were put on hold as he was drafted in to the Army.
One day he found himself pinned down under heavy gunfire in a desert somewhere in the Middle East.
Seven soldiers cut off from the rest of the platoon hunkered down behind a sand burm, as the deafening sound of gunfire from friendly’s’ and enemy alike blurred the atmosphere around them with smoke and dust. They heard cries for help twenty feet from them, squinting into the fog of war they could make out one of their own. He was laying down both legs wounded from shrapnel and unable to move. All seven men looked at each other and said nothing, the father’s son shouted above the noise ‘we have to do something; we can’t leave him out there’
‘Leave him! We can nothing for him now’ someone shouted back.
The son could not leave the man to die, he leaped forward and ran to the wounded man, grabbed him and ran back, bullets spitting up sand all around him. As he entered cover, a fusillade of bullets ripped into him.
The men around the dying son were astounded that this man would die for someone he did not even know.
A few years later, the father went to see the man, for whom his son had died.
With great distress, he learnt that the man had ruined his life, he was a drunkard, a liar and a thief, he took advantage of everybody he came in contact with, and he was wasting away with diseases from immoral acts, a wretched man.
The father totally distraught said ‘My good and pure son whom I loved, died for this wretched man!’
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath though Him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son, how much more, having being reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”
Romans 5: 7-11 (NIV)
This article is available for download as a PDF at this link:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1531150&da=y
 A Short Story
| | | | | Are Christians Righteous? | | Posted by Shaun on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 5:33am |
In order to answer that question we first need to know what a Christian is.
I spent some time in Iraq speaking to the Kurds and Arabs, their definition of a Christian is someone who is not Muslim.
Mormonism, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah’s Witness, Emergent Church, New Age, and a host of all other entities popping up all claim to be Christian.
Billions of people hold the banner of Christianity and call themselves as such; people who make a habit of hanging out in pubs call themselves Christian, people who use profanity and blaspheme call themselves Christian, people who are sexually immoral call themselves Christian, people who practice homosexuality call themselves Christian, people who indulge in porn call themselves Christian, People who slander, deceive, lie, covet and gossip call themselves Christian.
All these people who practice such things under the banner of ‘Christianity’ are deceived!
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 9-10 (NIV)
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Mathew 15:8-9 (NIV)
They are imposters, counterfeit Christians.
“While evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
2 Timothy 3:13 (NIV)
A true believer will not continue to sin, he has given up his life to Christ and now belongs to Him.
“No one who lives in Him [Jesus] keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He [Jesus] is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning form the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother [fellow believer]” 1 John 3:6-10
You will know a true believer by his works; he will avoid sin like the plague.
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Mathew 7:19-21 (NIV)
Now, understand this, A Christian is first regenerate, born again – read my testimony on this blog – then only once he is redeemed by God through Christ then he has overcome sin, sin no longer has a hold on him and he will work toward purity through obedience as Christ commands. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of the God lives forever”1 John 2:15-17 (NIV
Ok, now that we have established what a Christian is, let me answer the main question, ‘Are Christians Righteous?’
Christians are righteous; our righteousness is imputed from Christ! We are clothed in Christ’s righteousness through faith in Him as our risen Lord and Savior.
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, there is no difference [between the Jews and Gentiles] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:22-23 (NIV)
We are now right before God; true Christians will not compromise their righteous standing before a Holy God!
As long as we are still in our fleshy bodies, we still have temptations that are bombarded at us from all angles on a daily basis. We will only be free from these temptations until we are with Christ in heaven. “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in”
Proverbs 3:11-12
So, while we wait for that day we are very careful to avoid situations and enticements that could cause us to fall.
“He said to me: ‘it is done’ I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:6-8
Now, the question is, what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to live without God or are you going to become a true Christian? There is no middle ground; you are either a Christian or an anti-Christ.
We all stand alone before God one day, there are no buddies that are going to bail you out, you will be alone and you will give an account for every single sin that you have committed. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment” 2 Peter 2:4 (NIV)
Not one of your good deeds or ‘right’ things you have done will even be considered, not one! “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”
Mathew 12:36 (NIV)
You will not be able to stand, no sinner can stand before a Holy Righteous God, His wrath and anger will send you alone to eternal damnation.
Or, will you stand before God as a Christian, redeemed by the blood of Christ and lived in obedience to His word? Then we will reign with God for all eternity, “If we endure we will also reign with Him, if we disown Him He will also disown us” 2 Timothy 2:12
In heaven there is no sorrow, no sin, we will all live in the full richness of God’s Glory.
Take it, take the gift that God is offering to you, you can have it right now! Accept God’s gift of eternal life!
All you have to do is pray this prayer with conviction, and truly repent – turn from your sin, and God will work in your life.
“That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him for the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with you mouth you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
Once you have accepted God’s gift of salvation, let me know and I will point you in the direction to a true bible believing church in your area.
For some awesome sermon downloads, go to: http://www.sermonaudio.com
This article can be downloaded in PDF from this link:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1527517&da=y
Are Christians Righteous? | | | | | Why does God allow so much Suffering | | Posted by Shaun on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 7:56am | 1988, a Boeing 747 with 259 passengers and crew hit a town called Lockerbie in Scotland with such seismic force it registered 1.6 on the Richter scale, wiping out all traces of two families, vaporizing several houses and their foundations and damaging 21 others so badly they had to be demolished.
All 259 people on the plane including 11 people on the ground were killed.
For many days, Lockerbie residents lived with the sight of bodies in their gardens and in the streets.
"A boy was lying at the bottom of the steps on to the road. A young laddie with brown socks and blue trousers on. Later that evening my son-in-law asked for a blanket to cover him. I didn't know he was dead. I gave him a lamb's wool travelling rug thinking I'd keep him warm. Two more girls were lying dead across the road, one of them bent over garden railings. It was just as though they were sleeping. The boy lay at the bottom of my stairs for days. Every time I came back to my house for clothes he was still there. 'My boy is still there,' I used to tell the waiting policeman. Eventually on Saturday I couldn't take it no more. 'You got to get my boy lifted,' I told the policeman. That night he was moved."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103
The Lockerbie disaster was shown as a documentary on television for a few weeks recently, and what particularly struck me was that a young woman, who was there, said on camera “I will never believe in God again.”
Amid all the plane crashes, train crashes, vehicle crashes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, poverty, hunger, wars, violent crimes, personal loss and so the list goes on, man then says, where is God? How can He look on at humanity, see all the suffering, and do nothing!
Now, we are going to give you the red pill, for those who have seen the Matrix.
Most people will not finish reading this post, most people, if they had been blind all their lives and were offered sight again will say ‘no thank you, I am happy to be blind’
Well, I urge you to at least finish this post then make your decision, it’s not like it will cost you anything except 1-2 minutes of your time, and you will certainly know why the world is like it is.
Of the approximately 6 billion people on earth, how many of them have the same one purpose in life?
The same single driving force the makes them get up in the morning. You know the answer, it is looking out for number one, what can I do to get ahead today, what can I do to make my life more comfortable, what can I do to look good in front of my peers, or my purpose in life is to become rich or be entertained. It is all about us.
“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” Romans 2:8 (NIV)
We all know God exists, that is a no brainer. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)
But we chose to do our own thing, we want to do what we want, we what to live our lives the way we want to live it, because we love our sin.
“Furthermore since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32 (NIV)
Hold on a minute! Some may say, not all people are bad and have turned to evil. Well, how about this next verse;
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.” Isaiah 64: 6-7 (NIV)
Some may even say, they believe in God!
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” James 2:19
We pray to God, we go to church we revere God.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Mathew 15:8-9 (NIV)
Now, I do not think that there is any protest at this point; we can clearly see that most of the 6 billion people on earth are not in accord with God. “As it is written:
‘There is no one righteous, not even one;
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.’
‘The poison of vipers is on their lips’
‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.
‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” Romans 3: 10-18 (NIV)
Look! See what God did in the past when all men turned from Him!
“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.” 2 peter 3:3-6 (NIV)
This is referring to the flood about 4000 years ago - “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and the birds of the air – for I am grieved that I have made them.” Genesis 6:5-7
We are all real slow to learn from history, but God is merciful and gives us a chance to repent and turn to Christ! Everything in the world that is happening today is to jolt us back to Him, to wake us up to the fact that we need to look to God and Jesus Christ crucified! “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
And guess what! It is going to get a whole lot worse, it will continue to escalate until the day of judgment.
Don`t worry about global warming, the ozone layer, the whales and the trees, this planet is under the wrath of God, wait until Jesus comes then you will see what he does to this earth! He will purge it by fire, what we see now are the birth pains of the destruction to come.
The bible is full of the wrath of God for unrepentant sinners “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord.
I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. One farm had rain and another dried up. People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord.
Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord.
I sent plagues among you as I did in Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord.
I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord” Amos 4:6-11 (NIV)
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I, the Lord do all these things” Isaiah 45:7 (NIV)
God is not willing for anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance. “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 7-9
God is right now shaking the earth ever so slightly, shaking us to wake up and come to him and Christ crucified, soon, He will come and rip this world apart and everything in it. No one will stand, there is no place to hide, we are either for Him or against Him, there is no middle ground.
How are you going to spend eternity?
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.” 2 Peter 10-14 (NIV)
Now, back to that young woman from Lockerbie who said, “I will never believe in God again.”
My hope and my prayer is that she will come to Christ, because her decision will have eternal consequences.
Some will come to the conclusion from reading this post that God is just full of vengeance and wrath, so why would someone want to worship an angry God.
Suppose all was well here on earth, no wars, no financial problems, the temperature just right we do not get too hot or too cold, food in abundance with all our delicacies, anything our hearts desire, a working government – ok, the last one is a bit over the top but you get the idea. Would we need God?
Would we give Him the glory for our luxurious lifestyles?
We have been created for one purpose and one purpose only, to worship God and to glorify Him, and we can get that back, it will be just like Eden, there we will find God to be truly loving to us, there will be no more sorrow, pain and suffering, we will be in heaven! All you need to do is accept Christ!
Do you want to be saved from the wrath to come, do you want everlasting life, without pain, sorrow suffering and fear of what waits for you after you body is buried, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
I urge you to pray this prayer now, it doesn’t matter what you have done in your life, you can get right with God right now and have eternal life.
“That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him for the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with you mouth you confess and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
I encourage you to read ‘My Testimony’ on my blog so as not to make the same error I did.
If you need some more encouraging recourses mail me and I will send you links.
This blog post can downloaded in PDF format at:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1282845&da=y Why does God Allow so much Suffering | | | | | Saved or Self-Deceived | | Posted by Shaun on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 6:44am | This is my personnel testimony to all relatives, friends, acquaintances and strangers.
But before I start posting the Gospel, words of encouragement, warnings of self-deception, evolution vs. creation, the apostate church and many more awesome God inspired truths, you need to know where I stand, simply because some of you out there know me and would not hesitate to call me a hypocrite, and you would be right.
Fifteen years ago, I gave a profession of faith, I gave my life to Christ to do His will and live for Him.
As a professed believer, I would go to church on Sundays, and try to do what Christians are supposed to do, not use profanity, not lie, and not deceive people, no anger, and no malice etc, just generally a good person.
As the years went by I found myself drifting further away from my profession to the point where I was just in the same position as if I had not accepted Christ as my savior. I still believed in God. “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” James 2:19 (NIV)
I was living a double life, I would act one way with my family and people I knew at the church, then act another when I had the opportunity to be away from them.
This double life, my sinful ways was taking over my whole being, I loved my sin and did not want to give it up, I would get drunk often with my buddies and even drink on my own, I would lie, deceive and get violently angry to appease my selfish decadent desires. The deeper I got into my sinful lifestyle the more insatiable my desires became. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 11:26-27 (NIV) As much as I loved my sin, I knew I would appear before God in judgment one day, “Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” Psalms 1:5 (NIV) I did not like the way things were going, I would dull my senses with alcohol and self-indulgences to suppress the truth I knew of Christ. I was beside myself with the fear of God’s wrath, Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Luke 12:4-5 (N.I.V) I was powerless to do anything about it. “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’” John 8:34 (NIV)
Out of desperation I prayed, I prayed the same prayer that I did the first time I accepted Christ, “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him for the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with you mouth you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
But this time it was different, I meant it! I was truly repentant! By acknowledging my sin, confessing it and turning form it, through the power of Christ, through God’s grace. He turned me from the quagmire of my sin to repentance and an understanding of the power of Christ’s blood for the forgiveness of sins, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath!” Romans 5:8-9 (NIV)
Now, I am one of God’s own, I am no longer a slave to sin, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-”
Romans 6:6 (NIV)
I am still a sinner, but a repentant one, Jesus said, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” Luke 15:7 and will always be one till I die, but it is by God’s grace through faith “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) my sin has been cleansed by the blood of Christ by witch I now stand justified. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into His grace in which we now stand”
Romans 5:1-2
My whole life can be summed up in this one paragraph from Ephesians:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
My Testimony | | | | | When Art Imitates Life - Jenn Doucette (WinePress Group) | | Posted by Shaun on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 11:02am | Shaun Schutte and Brogan Kessler have a lot in common. Born and raised in South Africa, both men spent several years in the South African Army, have families to support, and currently make their living as hired guns-otherwise known as professional bodyguards--in the Middle East.
The differences between the two are more significant, however; Shaun Schutte lives in Afghanistan; Brogan Kessler, lives only in Schutte's imagination as a lead character in his new novel, Hired Guns in Iraq (Pleasant Word, 2008).
Originally from Kempton Park, South Africa, Schutte traces his love for literary adventures to his childhood. Particularly fond of novels, Schutte remembers preferring to spend time with books rather than his peers.
After finishing college in 1986, Shaun entered the workforce as a trained structural welder. During that time he was recruited into the South African Army for compulsory national service, where he stayed for five years.
Following his years in the army, Shaun started his own business in light steel fabrication. Eventually the lure of money and excitement drew him to Iraq, where he qualified to work in Personal Security Detail (PSD).
Shaun credits his experience in the South African Army as a stepping-stone which ultimately led to a career in international security work. Additional Close Protection Training added to his hundreds of hours of PSD training in Iraq has made him a valuable asset to a number of private security companies worldwide. Since 2004, Shaun has worked in Iraq contracting to various private security companies. During the writing of Hired Guns in Iraq, he was still active in the field.
Unlike other adventure writers, novelist Shaun Schutte lives a life that is truly stranger than fiction. The basic concepts and principles of working as a hired bodyguard come straight from his personal training; his descriptions of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and VBIEDs - Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (car bombs) are both authentic and originate from personal experience. While the plot reflects believable encounters, Shaun is quick to remind his readers that it is still just a novel.
"This book is far from being based on true life; the story is purely my imagination, albeit some of the scenes are real."
And although Shaun borrows a bit from his real-life profession, he considers much of what he does dangerously benign.
"The general public has a misconception as to what we really do as PSD Operatives. The media tends to embellish on the misconduct and ‘Rambo' style private security companies that seem to want to obliterate anyone in their path. We as Security Specialists who operate in conflict countries are neutral; we are not at war with anyone. Our job description is simple; we are hired to protect our client."
Still an avid reader, Shaun admits to reading hundreds of novels a year, which only serve to fuel his creativity. Armed with a lifetime of unique experiences, a self-proclaimed overactive imagination, the determination to write his own story, and a laptop computer, Shaun began his writing career by delving into the complexities and intrigue of his profession.
Besides providing firsthand insight into the security industry in conflict countries, Shaun's writing also reflects the internal struggles he has faced as a Christian.
"We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God; Christians are not infallible to the world around them. My faith in Christ has never faltered but my actions and sinful nature have abundantly."
Shaun currently works as Personal Security Detail in Afghanistan. Due to the classified nature of his profession, as well as a non-disclosure agreement for security reasons, he is unable to provide details about the company for which he works. His official job title is "Security Specialist."
Married with two children, Shaun Schutte and his family live on a farm in Gauteng, South Africa. For more information about Shaun or his protagonist, Brogan Kessler, visit WinePress Publishing website at www.winepressbooks.com
Jenn Doucette is a freelance writer from Snohomish, Washington.
http://www.jenndoucette.com
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About Me My Book  | Hired Guns in Iraq Soft Cover Retail: $17.99 Our Price: $13.13 ISBN:
1-4141-1136-3 |
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