Tough Love in Christ's Millennium Book I

(Novel length: 152,000+ words)

Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium gives us a picture of life on earth where the last book of the Bible, Revelation, leaves off. It shows how everyday life will be transformed during Christ’s thousand-year reign. The story depicts a long respite from sickness, street crime, war, and other sorrows, as well as liberation from the curse of death that had resulted from Adam’s sin against God in the Garden of Eden.

Happiness, not tragedy, will fill the lives of God’s people who love and serve Him. Satan won’t be around to tempt anyone to sin, although Kingdom Age mortals will still retain their Adamic sin natures until their final glorification. Despite ideal living conditions, some will still resist Christ’s loving rule and He will have to judge them.

Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium, Book One, portrays the sins of the Savage family against God and against one another. Lydia, Saul’s wife, hates the world she lives in because she doesn’t fit in with the way God does things. Her conflict over her husband’s lukewarm religion builds up until it reaches breaking point.

Through Saul Savage, Lydia, Lord Stephen, Prince Daniel and others in this book, we discover how life might be during our Lord’s majestic reign — and life is not as easy as we might imagine.

Here is an extract:

CHAPTER ONE

SAUL IS ADMONISHED

Sweet arias of angels greeted the crimson-gold dawn. The crystalline brilliance of their graceful forms imparted a diamond lustre to the first blushes of sunrise crowning the distant hills. All of nature was rejoicing in her holy liberation. 

Unperceived by mortal eye, a gathering of guardian angels harmonized their dulcet voices in exaltation to their Eternal King. Their hands were lifted in praise as they joyously danced in a circle, singing:

We render unto You, O Most High, the tribute of praise

Unto You Who created us before ever the earth was founded

Before birds took flight or fish swam in the sea.

Yea, even before You breathed life into Adam

Have we known You and beheld Your Holy Face.

This is the day which You have made,

A day wherein we shall rejoice and be glad.

Let all flesh living magnify and extol

Our Sovereign Who reigns upon David’s Throne.

Let thanks and glory and honour and praise

Be rendered unto Him by every created tongue;

Even unto Him Who has loosed the chains of death

From a fallen world corrupted by sin

And brought salvation to the inhabitants thereof.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God

Who has cast down our foe from his high places;

Who has waged war and prevailed

And now reigns from Zion, His Holy Hill.

Everlasting is the Throne of His Righteousness.

Amen and amen.

The largest of the angels looked intently at his enraptured companions. He was perfect of form and endowed with eternal youth, as were all the others. Golden hair enhanced his luminous countenance. “Let us glorify our gracious Creator,” said the angel Clarion.

“Amen,” responded the happy celestial chorus.

“I give thanks to our Holy Creator that our fellowship with Him has never been broken by sin, that the beauty of His own holiness which is reflected upon us has never been taken away because of rebellion. It is He Who maintains our being in eternal life,” exulted Clarion.

“Amen!” sang Tobias, whose eyes were fixed upon a nearby expansive dwelling landscaped by impeccably groomed grounds, lush fruit trees, and ornate sculptures.

“There is, however, one blessing which we angels may never know,” said Tobias reverently. “What a pity that mortals must still strive to overcome the remnants of Adam’s sin nature. Yet through their own redemption from sin, they attain to a dimension of love for the King into which the angelic order may never enter. Neither will the fallen angels ever attain to that love, for they are utterly beyond redemption.”

“You speak wisely,” said Clarion. “He who has been forgiven much, also loves much. But lest us rest content for the loving favor of our Creator, which He ever bestows upon us. We have been spared the innumerable sorrows and trials which have beset mortals throughout the ages. Not one of us faithful ministering spirits has lost the freshness of unblemished youth or fallen under the dominion of death. By the power of His own everlasting Life does our Lord on High sustain us. Therefore we thank You, O Living God,” worshipped Clarion.

“Amen,” responded the jubilant chorus.

Susanna the governess lay back on her pillows, remote control in her hand. The image on the Nerve-plex monitor had her transfixed in wonderment. A shining face which exuded the ineffable goodness of God. The sleepy girl knew she ought to get up, but she could not tear herself away from that program, beamed live from the palace of Prince Daniel in the year 2305.

Like everyone else’s quarters, her room boasted the best in electronic gadgetry. By the end of the Tribulation, technology had destroyed itself. The communications sciences, as well as weapons technology, had earned a black mark in history because of how they had been used by Antichrist to exert Big Brother control over the populace, and more easily hunt down and destroy dissidents against his regime.  But since peace had come to the earth, innovative sciences had once again flourished, put to use for mankind’s benefit, rather than his detriment.

Susanna almost donned her Telewatch so she could keep watching Prince Daniel wherever she went.  But it would slow her down and Miss Lydia would never approve. Oh rats! , thought Susanna. I’m slow as molasses in the morning. Here goes. 

Like lightning she sprang from bed. Briefly she lingered before the TV monitor to listen to that soothing voice just a little longer. Prince Daniel’s glorified face shone with the radiance of the divine nature, enhancing his finely chiselled features. A brew of strong emotions stirred in Susanna’s heart.

“The Son of God clothed Himself in a Tabernacle of clay, that He might dwell among men,” said the ruler. “He partook of flesh and blood, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death; that fallen angel Lucifer, whose usurped government over this world has been cast down to perdition.

“Rejoice, O my people. Let the redeemed of the Lord boldly proclaim His goodness to the ends of the earth. In loving kindness and tender mercy has He visited you. Yes, the Ancient of Days reigns gloriously upon the Throne of His Majesty in Jerusalem, the City of David, which He has chosen to place His own Name there.

“Remember the Feast of Tabernacles in the days to come. Give thanks to our Great Redeemer, Who has returned in glory to dwell among men of flesh and blood. Let all nations prepare to send worshippers to Zion to keep the Feast.

“How glorious is the Presence of the Great King. How unspeakable is His utter goodness. For it is even His great kindness which leads sinners to repentance. It is not His will that even one should perish, and . . .”

“Susanna!” the interphone blared. “You’ve got to get Lila ready for school! Are you dead, or what?”

Susanna snapped to attention and flicked him off. On went a short bathrobe and slippers. She raked a brush through her thick hair. She raced down the corridor to the top of the main stairwell.

Susanna leaned down to yell: “Sorry, Miss Lydia! I’m on my way down! I just got distracted!”

“You WILL be distracted if I deduct your sloppy performance from your paycheck!” a shrill voice shot back up. “Get down here right now!”

The girlish governess obliged. Quick as a wink she slid down the gently curving bannister and nearly bumped into Lydia, who waited on the first floor. “You could break your neck doing that, you silly tomboy! Don’t go teaching Lila and Aaron bad habits. I know you’re only 59 and still a youngster yourself, but . . .”

“I know, Miss Lydia. If I fell off that bannister, we’d have to find some immortal to put me back together again. I just got carried away watchin’ Prince Daniel on TV. I swear, those immortals amaze me!”

“Me too,” said Lydia. “I know you’re not into religion, Susanna. Could it be his stunning looks which fascinate you?”

“Really, Miss Lydia! That Prince is older than our nation itself. And if I’ve got any feelin’s for him at all, it’s like I’d have for my . . .” tears came.

Lydia understood. She patted Susanna on the shoulder and whispered, “It must be hard for you, dear. That tragedy that took your father from you is still fresh in your mind. I’m sorry if I got a bit impatient. Let’s try to be cheerful for the children’s sake. Okay?”

Susanna forced a smile. After all, smiling was part of a nanny’s job.

“Has Lila eaten yet, Miss Lydia?” she faltered.

“Yes, Susanna. She’s finishing a bowl of Berry Banana Bits. She’s dressed and washed already. She just needs her hair done. And Aaron is dressed and eating his tapioca.”

“Thanks, Miss Lydia. And again, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I liked the Prince that much. Next time I’ll press the STORIT button on the remote, and just recall the program later.”

“Good idea,” said Lydia. “The kids are in the breakfast nook. Lila’s hair-dressing supplies are already on the counter. Amiably she inquired, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, ma’am, I sure did.” The real truth was, Susanna hadn’t slept soundly for months. Just before accompanying her employers on their recent holiday, her father had died. The needless tragedy had left its mark. Seldom did she manage to doze off until the wee hours of the morning, making it difficult for her to rise early to care for Lila and Aaron. Lydia had not urged Susanna to go seek the counsel and prayers of a resurrected saint, as most other people would have done. Instead, she had plied the girl with camomile tea and milk, offering sympathy even as she found her infirmity annoying. 

The cheery breakfast room overlooked Lydia’s garden of exotic roses. Their rich fragrance wafted in through the half-open window, along with the sweet warbles of songbirds. 

Susanna scrutinised Lila’s hair. The small child possessed a luxuriant mane of ginger blond waves. However, it must be groomed or it would look quite unkempt. “Let’s play ‘beautician”, Susanna suggested to Lila, who was finishing up her cereal and guava juice.

“Do I have to?” moaned Lila. She knew Susanna was running late today and might pull at her scalp.

“Yeah, kid, or you’ll look like a shocked cat!”

“Susanna!” chided Lydia . “Mind your tongue, now. There’s nothing wrong with having abundant hair.”

“Sorry, Miss Lydia, just kiddin’, that’s all. “Let’s see if we can get you all dolled up, Lila. My mom’s a whiz at fixin’ hair, and I learnt how to from her.”

“Your own hair is messy, Susanna,” Lila giggled.

“Lila!” breathed Lydia . “Susanna looks beautiful, considering it’s morning. Sorry, Susanna.”

“That’s okay, Miss Lydia. Kids always speak their minds.”

Carefully Susanna started on a section of Lila’s hair. 

“Yeow!” yelped Lila , making a sour face.

“Oh, come now,” cried Susanna , “you know that didn’t hurt one bit.”

With a pointed stare Lila said, “You know it did, silly Susanna. Hurry up now, we’ve got Show and Tell at school today, and I can’t wait!”

“So what are you gonna show and tell?” asked Susanna, a bit hurt by Lila’s rudeness.

Lila reached into her school bag and withdrew her item of interest. “THIS!” she squealed, waving a laminated prison ID card. “I’m going to tell the whole class about Medicine Man Clint and how the cops threw him in the slammer, and had to spring him because they couldn’t get the goods on him! See how mean his face looks? This card’ll scare the stuffing out of everybody!”

“What?” gasped Lydia . “Lila, where did you get this?” She snatched the card away. 

“Out of Daddy’s Bible,” chirped Lila . “He always keeps it there for good luck!”

Susanna was mortified. “I’m sorry, Miss Lydia. I turn my back for two seconds and Little Miss Hot-fingers pinches something!” 

Lila winked slyly at her. Lydia sighed, “Don’t dwell on it, Susanna. We can’t stop children from being curious, can we? Saul’s family dotes on artifacts from the pre-Trib era.”

“Now you leave your father’s things alone, young lady,” Lydia chided Lila. I’ll put it back. Why don’t you page Frieda upstairs and have her get the little Swiss milkmaid from your doll collection? She can send it down to you on the Autochute. You could tell the class about our holiday in Switzerland.”

“Oh, all right, but it won’t be as much fun! Hey, I know! Mama?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“When I show everyone my dolly, maybe I could tell them about Grandpa Seth leaving Switzerland to go see the King in the Holy Land.”

Lydia grimaced. “Oh, no, dear, that’s not necessary.”

“Why not, Mama?” 

“Because everyone else will be talking about King Jesus, and it’s best to contribute something unique to the program. As a champion debater, I learned the art of infusing fresh new ideas into any discussion to keep my listeners on the edge of their seats.”

Lila’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll do that, Mama. How did I ever get a smart mama like you?”

Lydia gave her a squeeze. “Just the luck of the draw, kiddo.” 

Finally Susanna finished with the fidgety child. Lilla’s splendid tresses, brushed and shining, were tied back with jeweled bands. “There,” said Susanna, “now you look like a little princess.”

“I am one,” Lila sang. She leaped up from the table and pranced around in her lacy pink frock. 

In the data room, Lydia reflected on a bit of friction that had flared between her and Saul the day before.  It puzzled Lydia that Saul had not appeared more grief-stricken by the untimely demise of Susanna’s father. “After all,” she’d said, “Blake was your relative. Susanna is an absolute wreck_all because of Prince Daniel. How confused that girl is, Saul. Every time he appears on TV, she stops what she’s doing and watches him. She’s so mixed-up, she can’t tell friend from foe anymore.”

Instead of tender sympathy Saul had given her a brusque response: “Blake was a lazy bum, Lydia, and a blasphemous bum, too. I don’t waste tears on lowlifes like him.” 

Lydia responded in turn: “Is that what all that Tabernacle teaches  you? Can’t you spare a tear or two for your own flesh and blood?”

What a strange look he’d given her. Like a tormented, hunted animal, then a chilly rebuff: “Lydia, don’t you ever associate me with that man again. If Susanna is mixed-up, the blame can be laid squarely at Blake’s door. He made her an orphan, and she knows where he went, too. How can she sleep soundly, knowing that? Blake brought disgrace on his family all the years he was growing up. That fool just pushed the Lord too far. No wonder he was executed. You heard what happened, just like I did. This discussion is terminated forthwith.”

Then he’d stiffened toward her and abruptly left the room. So long as Lydia didn’t spar with Saul over religious differences, she usually found him great fun.

Lydia thought, This is bound to be a better day. I won’t ever mention religion to him again. A shopping trip is just the tonic I need.  I’d better put Saul’s treasure away now.  

Briefly she studied the face on the ancient card. So this is Saul’s ex-con ancestor. He IS scary. Now there’s a sinister-looking brute with bulldog jowls. Hard to believe my sweet Saul sprang from him. Harder still to believe he’d ever get religion and survive the TRIB.

She opened Saul’s Bible to slip the card between its pages. Wondering what verse her eyes would fall on first, she flipped the Book open at random.

Matthew 5:28 caught her eye: Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

“Nonsense!” Lydia mocked. “It takes more than a wishful stare to pull off that job!”

Love is like a painting, she thought.  First it’s a dream, then I create it in living color. Love is an ACT, not a silly crush. 

She stood admiring one of her favorite paintings, hanging on the data room wall. “Primal Passion”, she murmured. “Colors bursting free from bondage.”

Up in her room, Susanna took a hard look in the mirror. “Stiff as wire,” she muttered, attacking her hair with a brush. “Why on earth can’t mine be slick and shiny like Miss Lydia’s? Why can’t I be pretty like her anyhow? Miss Lydia, with her melodrama eyes and classical profile.  Me and my pie-eyed baby face and  gumstick figure. I must’a been in back of the line when they passed out the looks. Oh, well . . .”

Susanna started. She wasn’t alone in the room. One of her rings fell off her bony finger and rolled under her bureau. Annoyed, she knelt down to fish it back out. 

By the time it was safely in her jewelry box, Susanna heard that laugh again, the shrill shriek little Aaron let out whenever he was getting into something. The tot was out on her bedroom terrace and climbing  a chair facing the front railing. 

Susanna screeched, too petrified to move any closer, lest Aaron dart up the rest of the way.

She screamed louder and nearly fainted. It looked like a filmy white mist was gently nudging the toddler off the railing, back down onto the seat of the chair. 

Lydia appeared in no time. “What’s all that commotion about, girl? You yelled loud enough to wake the dead! What are you and Aaron doing out there anyway?”

“I . . . ah . . . he bit me so I ran after him.” 

“But why did you chase him out onto the terrace?” scolded Lydia. “You know better than to leave that door open with him in here!”

Susanna’s mouth went dry. Fouling up twice on the same morning was too much. “I left it open from last night, Miss Lydia. The air was so sweet and perfumey, I forgot to close it. I’m so stupid, I swear, I don’t know how anybody stands me!” She looked away.

Lydia sat down with Aaron and stared glumly. “Oh,” she huffed, “what’s done is done. I can think of a thousand other people who vex me more than you do. Who’s to say that last girl we had, crazy Rebecca, wouldn’t have done something even stupider? She was an old grumblebear, wasn’t she, precious?” Lydia cooed. Aaron gurgled and Lydia kissed his fluffy blonde curls. 

“She really was that bad, Miss Lydia?” Susanna asked, wondering how anybody could make more mistakes than her. 

“Let’s just say, Susanna, that Rebecca isn’t fit to come within a hundred miles of any child. One day I caught her discussing the wrong Bible stories with Lila.”

“Such as?”

“About David bumping Goliath off, then hacking off his head. What sort of barbarism is that to instill into a young mind? No wonder Aaron’s so full of mischief.”  

“Well, Miss Lydia, who’s to say old Goliath wouldn’t’a done worse to David if he’d killed him instead?”

“Perhaps, but  David was a brilliant military strategist who used his superior intellect to beat a dumb giant who had the brains of a flea.”

“How, Miss Lydia? My teacher said David wasn’t big as a minute, so he had to rely on a big God to save him.”

Lydia shook her head. “As any wise general would, David attacked Goliath from his blind side. Don’t forget, Susanna, mass impedes mobility. Goliath was a big mountain of beef, weighted down by a ton of heavy armor, and his helmet must have blocked his peripheral vision. David, tiny as he was, ran circles round the big oaf and hit him from an advantageous angle.”

“Wow, Miss Lydia, you almost make it sound like you were there to see it!”

“Well, the only way I could swallow Bible stories in Spiritual Ed was to spice them up a little and reinterpret them from a more logical perspective. I learned a lot in Spiritual Ed in spite of myself.”

“Miss Lydia, David must’a been pretty scared. It was either kill or be killed in those days.”  

“Be that as it may, I let that silly Rebecca know in a hurry that I don’t approve of my nannies preaching religion to children who are too immature to make rational judgments on matters of faith. I just can’t imagine a worse crime than filling impressionable little minds with bloody Bible stories. Can you, Susanna?”

The girl blinked. “Well . . . ah . . . there’s lot’s of other Bible stories, Miss Lydia, like that time the Angel of the Lord threw a scare into Balaam’s donkey and made it talk. Angels can do most anything.”

Lydia winced and shook her head. “In heaven’s name, Susanna, why on earth are you so fascinated with angels? What have they ever done for you?” 

“All I know, Miss Lydia, is if I’d been more careful that angel wouldn’t’a had to step in.” Susanna’s eyes widened, and she threw a hand over her mouth. 

“What angel?” Lydia looked more mad than glad. 

“Well, actually, I only saw part of one, a long white sleeve pushin’ Aaron back onto the chair. It was all fuzzy-lookin’. I didn’t see nothin’ else, not even his face or hands.” 

“So where were you standing when you saw that alleged ‘angel arm’?”

“Right here, in front of the mirror.”

“Well, then, I wouldn’t worry much about angels flying in for tea, Susanna.  You’ve been through a lot, you know, and you aren’t over it yet. All you saw was the sheer white curtain behind the blue drapery blowing back and forth, and blocking your view of Aaron. See?” Lydia batted the curtain.

“So you don’t believe in angels, Miss Lydia?”

“No, not in this house anyway. But to make doubly sure we don’t run that risk again, I’ll personally see to it a camera alarm is installed at the terrace door, and your windows are child-proofed as well. I’ll check it out today. It’s really Saul’s fault for failing to do that. But that’s men for you.”

Lydia added breathlessly: “He is a handful, isn’t he? Did he bite hard?” 

“Uh . . . no, Miss Lydia. Just a quick nip on the leg. I don’t have to show you, do I?” she replied, staring down at her striped tights.

“No, not at all. I’ll take your word for it.”

The girl smiled demurely. “Thanks for bein’ so nice, Miss Lydia. Maybe I wasn’t seein’ straight after all.” 

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” said Lydia with airy disdain. “Tell you what, why don’t you go ahead and order that new skirt you wanted? Just charge it to me. It’s the least I can do after Aaron bit you.” 

“Oh, how sweet of you Miss Lydia!” cried Susanna. “If anybody’s my special angel, it’s you!” 

“Naturally,” giggled Lydia. “But there’s one other angel haunting this house.”

“Who? 

“The archangel Joseph!” “

“Oh, really, Miss Lydia!” Susanna tittered.

“You know, Susanna, when I came flying in here to see what was up, it was your hair! It looked like a porcupine! I swear, Aaron made your hair stand on end!”

Susanna looked in the mirror again and smoothed down her flyaway mane, which fit her temperament to a tee. “It sure does, Miss Lydia. Talk about ‘scare hair’!” She was baffled by Lydia’s giddy mood swing. Her baby had nearly fallen from the terrace, and now she was carrying on like she’d forgotten already.

“Know what?” said Lydia. “Ramera’s hair is a lot like yours and she uses a special retexturizer to tame the frizzies, Rhapsody Gel. So now we’ve solved two problems. I’ll pick up a jar for you while I’m out.”