Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
Page 19
The second statement Taras makes about Quinlan’s identity is: “Most of the knights don’t even understand who they are in the Prince.” How do we as Christians find out who we are in Christ?
The final statement Taras makes about Quinlan’s identity is: “You cannot add anything to that which the Prince made perfect. All you can do is believe Him who made it so.” In other words, Christ’s work on the cross was complete, and we can’t add anything to it to help sanctify ourselves. Our righteousness is based not on what we do, but on our believing Jesus Christ and what He did for us. Which book of the New Testament shows how faith in God was attributed to people as righteousness?
CHAPTER 14
In this chapter Luskan speaks of “the Rising,” which was also mentioned in chapter 1. What do you think this might represent?
CHAPTER 15
“It’s what I was born to be.” Lilam’s statement about becoming a Knight of the Prince is really true for all people of the world. Why? Find a scripture to support your answer.
CHAPTERS 16 AND 17
Note how the paythas, which represent apathy, appeared friendly at first and later were revealed to be vicious, controlling beasts, whereas Kalil the penthomoth first appeared vicious, but later becomes a friend. What do you think the penthomoth represents? (The Greek work pentho provides a hint.)
Kalil the penthomoth becomes a friend to Quinlan, but not every penthomoth is a friend. What does this tell us?
CHAPTER 18
As Quinlan searches for the warrior hiding in the forest, he realizes that he has been depending on the training from the Silent Warriors and has completely forgotten about the crystal coin. Often we forget to access the power of the Holy Spirit and depend instead on our own wisdom and ability. Has this ever happened to you? Describe the experience.
The Prince tells Quinlan that he is a fellow heir to the kingdom as a son of the King. Can you find a Bible verse that tells us something similar?
Which Bible verse affirms the Prince’s words, “Be strong, for I am strong in you”?
CHAPTER 19
In chapter 17, we learned that the penthomoth represents passion. Why does passion for Jesus sometimes seem “ugly” to the rest of the world?
CHAPTER 20
Quinlan finds Drake instructing children at the haven. Can you find the verse in Scripture where Jesus talks about children’s place in the kingdom of heaven?
CHAPTER 21
Quinlan tries to warn the prefect of Burkfield about the coming attack on the city, but the prefect doesn’t believe him. How is this similar to what Christians often face?
CHAPTER 22
This chapter is titled “A Roaring Lion.” Can you find a Bible verse that refers to Satan as a roaring lion? According to this verse, what is Satan’s objective?
CHAPTER 23
At Quinlan’s invitation, a knight chose to get free of her paytha. How is this scene similar to what one might experience in reality when a person chooses to be free from a vice or stronghold?
Tav was once again unwilling to give up the paytha that had drawn him away from the haven and ultimately from the Prince. Can you find a story in the Bible in which a man walked away from Jesus because of a stronghold in his life?
Kalil defeats and destroys the paythas. What might this represent?
4. Thousands of Knights of the Prince come together to fight for Burkfield. What does this represent in the spiritual realm?
CHAPTER 24
Silent Warriors (angels) come to the aid of the Knights of the Prince who are fighting for Burkfield. What roles have angels played in Scripture? (For example, the angel who told Mary she would give birth to Jesus was playing the role of messenger.)
EPILOGUE
Jesus has some grave words for those who don’t truly serve Him in heart. Find the passage in Matthew that describes what Tav experiences when he goes to meet the Prince at the docks.
ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Answers to Review Questions from the Kingdom Series
The Prince represents Jesus Christ.
The Knights of the Prince represent all Christians.
Chessington represents Jerusalem, and Arrethtrae represents the whole world (earth and terra are combined backward to make up this word).
The Dark Knight, also referred to as the Dark Lord or Lucius, represents Satan.
The Silent Warriors are God’s angels, and the Shadow Warriors are Satan’s demons.
A Vincero Knight is a person who has been personally trained by one of Lucius’s Shadow Warriors to spread and cultivate evil. Vincero Knights are ruthless and twisted by the evil that has mentored them. They represent people who are committed to propagating evil in the world, such as murderers, drug dealers, and the like.
A haven represents a local church, where believers are trained, discipled, and sent out to share the gospel with others.
Answers to Questions for Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
CHAPTER 1
Evil is most dangerous when we don’t recognize it as evil. The Bible says that Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
CHAPTER 2
Rearrange the letters of paytha and you get apathy. The dictionary defines apathy as a state of indifference, a lack of interest or concern, or a lack of emotion or feeling.
Apathy, or any vice for that matter, can grow as “large” as we allow it. The more we give in to a stronghold, the more control it gains over our lives. It’s important to remember that the only power Satan or his demons have over Christians is the power we relinquish to them.
The world and the kingdom of God are not compatible, so we must give up one to gain the other. The merchant’s offer represents the temptation to give up a portion of our spiritual walk with the Lord to enjoy something of the world.
The shield represents faith, which is our defensive weapon against the “fiery darts” of the Evil One. By trading his shield, Tav makes himself vulnerable to the attacks of Lucius (Satan).
CHAPTER 3
Disty and Bli represent the spiritual distractions and spiritual blindness that may cause apathy to take root in a person’s life. Unless a person can see the danger, he or she won’t be concerned with it.
Apathy can be contagious! When one friend grows apathetic, other friends may become apathetic too. When a leader grows apathetic, so will many of those over whom he or she has influence.
CHAPTER 4
Some possibilities are Matthew 10:38; Mark 10:23; Luke 14:26–27; and Romans 12:1–2.
CHAPTER 5
Bli understood he might lose control of Quinlan. A vice like apathy is hard to break because our flesh wars with our spirit. Satan and his demons will also tempt us to keep a vice in our lives that controls us and keeps us from living a victorious life for Jesus.
Lucius didn’t want Quinlan to become an active soldier for the King, just as Satan doesn’t want a believer to become an active Christian.
Some examples are Ecclesiastes 4:8–12; John 17:21–23; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; and Ephesians 4:11–16.
CHAPTER 6
God often calls the “least of the least” to perform amazing works for Him. He does this to show mankind that He is powerful and that “no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:25–29). Some biblical examples are Moses, Saul, David, Gideon, most of the disciples, and so on.
These things represent the Bible, which is God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17).
Worldly distractions—material possessions, relationships, pastimes, and so on—can hinder a believer’s ability to identify the spiritual battle waging around us (Mark 4:18–19).
Possible answers are prayer, financial help, encouragement, and so on.
Examples are 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Hebrews 3:7–12.
CHAPTER 7
The sword of God’s Word is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). The better we know it, the better able we are to defend ourselves against arguments and attacks that discourage us and
weaken our effectiveness. Jesus gave us an excellent example of how to defend ourselves when He fought His great spiritual battle with Satan in the wilderness. He quoted Scripture for each of Satan’s three temptations (Matthew 4:1–11).
CHAPTER 8
Because of sin, the world is in decay, and tragedies are a natural result. However, God says He will never leave nor forsake those who are His (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will work all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). The final outcome of a tragedy is really dependent on whether the person chooses to believe and follow God—and the good outcome might not be apparent until heaven.
CHAPTER 9
Answers will vary.
CHAPTER 10
Answers will vary.
CHAPTER 11
Just as in Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3–8, 18–23), Tav lets the seeds of doubt and unbelief sown by the Evil One take root in his life. Instead of refuting them with truth, he allows the lies to linger so long that he begins to believe them.
The verse is Philippians 3:13–14.
CHAPTER 12
God’s Word and the Holy Spirit are our windows into spiritual realities.
CHAPTER 13
One possibility is fasting, described in Matthew 4:1–11; Matthew 17:19–21; Acts 10:30; and Acts 13:2.
First Corinthians 6:11 says that through Christ we “were sanctified”—made perfect. That’s past tense—we already are who we hope to become! See also Hebrews 10:10–14.
We find out who we are in Christ by reading the Bible and spending time with the Lord in prayer. The more we get to know who He is, the more we understand who we are in Him. This is important because our corrupted flesh is in a battle with our perfect spirit (1 Peter 2:11 and Romans 8:1–14), and sometimes that battle keeps us from remembering that we are more than conquerors (even over our own flesh) in Christ (Romans 8:37).
4. This theme is explored in the book of Hebrews.
CHAPTER 14
This refers to the coming of a “beast” or “antichrist” (false messiah) to rule the earth. Scriptural references include Daniel 7; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 John 2 and 4; 2 John; and Revelation 13–14, 16–18.
CHAPTER 15
God created all people in the first place so that He could have a relationship with us. Second Peter 3:9 makes it clear that He doesn’t want any of us to perish but desires that we all should come to salvation through Jesus.
CHAPTERS 16 AND 17
The Greek word pentho means “passion.” The penthomoth represents passion (energetic commitment) as opposed to apathy (indifference).
Passion can be dangerous if misdirected. The difference lies in the object of the passion. Passionate commitment to the cause of Christ is what moves His kingdom forward.
CHAPTER 18
Answers will vary.
A good Scripture passage is Romans 8:16–17.
See Philippians 4:13.
CHAPTER 19
Because passion for Christ offends them just as Jesus said it would in John 15:18–19.
CHAPTER 20
See Matthew 19:14.
CHAPTER 21
Often, the unsaved do not believe that their eternal lives are at stake and will not listen to the truth of their need for salvation. This can be frustrating for Christians. We must remember, however, that we are called simply to proclaim the gospel. We are not responsible for whether another person accepts or rejects Jesus.
CHAPTER 22
First Peter 5:8 refers to Satan as a roaring lion. His objective is to “devour” and destroy the unwary.
CHAPTER 23
Strongholds can have a powerful grip on people, including believers, and can be difficult to give up. Release from a vice or stronghold often requires the accountability and support of strong, faithful friends.
The rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16–26; Mark 10:17–27; Luke 18:18–29) is a good example.
A passion for serving the Lord is the key to overcoming apathy.
It represents Christians joining together in intercessory prayer. (Other answers are possible.)
CHAPTER 24
Answers will vary. Some possible roles are that of messenger (those who spoke to Daniel, Mary, Joseph), protector (those who helped Peter, John, Paul), worshiper (those described in Isaiah), proclaimer (as in Matthew, Jesus’ birth), minister or caregiver (Elijah, Matthew, Jesus), and warrior (Michael in Revelation 12:7 and Daniel 10:13).
EPILOGUE
A similar scene is described in Matthew 7:21–23.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Apathy is one of the deadliest sins. The Lord has strong words of warning for believers who fall into a lifestyle of apathetic behavior. Apathy spreads to others and hinders God’s work. It also destroys the witness of a believer by demonstrating to the rest of the world that God’s people appear to be no different than anyone else.
One might think the cause of apathy is laziness, and that is sometimes true. But apathy more often results from spiritual blindness and worldly distraction. One of the most frustrating challenges for a parent, teacher, or pastor is to motivate young people out of apathy and into a vibrant and productive Christian walk. Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor attempts to accomplish this by showing the contrast between two knights who choose different paths—one of apathy and one of purpose. There is great reward both here and in heaven for those who choose to live a life of purpose for Jesus Christ. It is my heart that this book will encourage people of all ages to live such a life.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm … I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
—REVELATION 3:15–20, KJV
Table of Contents
Cover
Other Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Map
Kingdom’s Heart: An Introduction to the Knights of Arrethtrae
Prologue: A Tale of Two Knights
Chapter 1: Words from the Dark
Chapter 2: Tav and Twitch
Chapter 3: Disty and Bli
Chapter 4: Mount Resolute
Chapter 5: Defining Moment
Chapter 6: Least of the Least
Chapter 7: Worthington
Chapter 8: A New Kind of Enemy
Chapter 9: Pathyon
Chapter 10: Twitch Once More
Chapter 11: Journey to Nowhere
Chapter 12: The Crystal Coin
Chapter 13: Becoming
Chapter 14: Close to the Enemy
Chapter 15: Lilam of Norwex
Chapter 16: The Dunes of Mynar
Chapter 17: A Friend’s Rescue
Chapter 18: A Warrior’s World
Chapter 19: Return to Arrethtrae
Chapter 20: Gathering of Swords
Chapter 21: Common Enemy, Common Friend
Chapter 22: A Roaring Lion
Chapter 23: The Battle for Burkfield
Chapter 24: Swords of Valor
Epilogue: The Way of the Wise, the Way of a Fool
Discussion Questions
Answers to Discussion Questions
“Ride of the Valiant” (written for Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor)
Author Commentary