Twenty years old college dropout Tommy Evans has succeeded in only one thing. Making a flat-out mess of his life. He has no degree, no job, no faith, and no hope. And to make matters worse, he's decided to move back home. He should have known better. His insufferably religious parents still cling to their superstitious beliefs in an imaginary God revered in a nonsensical ancient book.
Intent on moving on, Tommy falls asleep, dreaming of changing his life. He is unaware of just how big a change the imaginary God he doesn't believe in has in store for him. The following morning, Tommy discovers he's been transported back in time and now occupies the body of Thomas the Apostle. After coming to grips with his new reality and choosing to keep his identity a secret, THE TIMELESS APOSTLE follows Tommy's journey as he transitions from atheist to apostle. But why him, and why is he there? To change something or make sure events follow the biblical storyline? And what if he makes the wrong choice? Encounters with Joanna, Mary Magdalene, his girlfriend from back home, Judas Iscariot, and, of course, Jesus and the other apostles tell the tale.
Twenty years old college dropout Tommy Evans has succeeded in only one thing. Making a flat-out mess of his life. He has no degree, no job, no faith, and no hope. And to make matters worse, he's decided to move back home. He should have known better. His insufferably religious parents still cling to their superstitious beliefs in an imaginary God revered in a nonsensical ancient book.
Intent on moving on, Tommy falls asleep, dreaming of changing his life. He is unaware of just how big a change the imaginary God he doesn't believe in has in store for him. The following morning, Tommy discovers he's been transported back in time and now occupies the body of Thomas the Apostle. After coming to grips with his new reality and choosing to keep his identity a secret, THE TIMELESS APOSTLE follows Tommy's journey as he transitions from atheist to apostle. But why him, and why is he there? To change something or make sure events follow the biblical storyline? And what if he makes the wrong choice? Encounters with Joanna, Mary Magdalene, his girlfriend from back home, Judas Iscariot, and, of course, Jesus and the other apostles tell the tale.
Knock, knock, knock.
âTommy, itâs time to get up, honey.â
The pounding made sense, but the womanâs voice didnât belong there.
Knock, knock, knock.
âTommy?â
In my dream, I was back on the job site at Uncle Leonâs construction company, where Iâd spent the summer between high school and college.
Knock, knock, knock.
âTommy? Are you alright?â
That was definitely my motherâs voice, but why? Why is she at the construction site? She shouldnât be here.
The foreman was chewing out half a dozen grunts by the cement mixer, using words my mother probably never heard before. The crude joke one of the masons just told still had some of the guys laughing.
No, Mom, go away...please...go away!
âThomas, letâs go! Right now, son,â My dadâs shout from the hallway jolted me awake. âBreakfast will be on the table in a few minutes. The bathroom is free. Now, letâs go! We leave for church in less than an hour.â
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. âJesus! What time is it?â
âItâs eight oâclock, and donât take the Lordâs name in vain. Iâll see you downstairs. Now get a move on. Put on something decent for a change.â
âIâm not going to church.â
The silence was exactly what I expected. I could almost see my fatherâs six foot two inch, two hundred twenty pound frame standing in the hallway with fists clenched, jaw set, desperately trying to get his anger under control. I wasnât expecting my door to come flying open, slamming against the dresser, followed by his six-foot frame storming into my bedroom.
âBoy, as long as you sleep under my roof and eat at my table youâll do as I say! And that means going to church like everyone else in this house. And if you think you can come waltzing home at three in the morning and lay in bed all day, youâve got another think coming. After church, weâll talk about what youâre going to do with your life now that youâve been kicked out of college.â
The snort my dad made when he said, âwhat youâre going to do with your lifeâ told me everything I needed to know about what he thought of my chances of having a successful future. Of course, Iâd known for a long time what he thought of me. In his eyes, I was a total failure, especially as a Christian.
âIâm not going to church, Dad. Iâll be here when you get home. We can talk then.â
When he took a step toward me, I thought he intended to drag me out of bed, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard my mother say something neither of us ever heard before.
âTommy, please, itâs important.â
âWhat did you say, Mom?â I sat up as she stepped into my room. I couldnât believe sheâd spoken up during one of my arguments with Dad. By the stunned look on his face, Dad couldnât believe it either.
âWould you please come to church with me this morning?â she asked. âI think the Lord has something special for you today. Please, Tommy, itâs important to me, just this one last time. After today, I wonât ask you again. I promise.â
âIf he is going to stay in this houseââ
âGene, could we please talk about that later?â She turned to me again, âTommy, please.â Her eyes pleading as much as the tone in her voice.
Outwardly, my mom always played the part of the quiet, submissive Christian wife. But I knew she possessed an inner strength which had single-handedly held our family together over the years. Despite rejecting her foolish religious beliefs, I still admired her sincerity and commitment to our family. And never once, no matter how much I put her through, did I ever doubt her love for me.
âSure, Mom,â I reached out and squeezed her hand. âIâll be ready in a minute. Why donât you wait for me downstairs?
I listened to my parentâs fading footsteps as they receded down the carpeted hall. I knew exactly when they reached the top step of the wooden staircase by the squeaking sound it made when they stepped on it. Iâd fallen victim to that step more than once, trying to sneak up to my room after being out too late with the guys or Becky. The thought of Becky made me smile. Then the pounding in my head reminded me Iâd only gotten home about four hours ago from...ah, which one was it this time? Fortâs Tavern, maybe? No, it was the Red Iron Saloon; Fortâs had been on Friday night.
I shifted to the edge of the bed, holding my head until the room stopped spinning. Then, I carefully made my way to the shower using the wall as an anchor. Fifteen minutes later, I stood at the sink shaving, staring at my reflection in the mirror, and wondering how Iâd gotten myself into such a mess. Going off to college was always more of an escape from the past than any initiative toward the future. But what else could I do? The distance between my parents and me had been growing for a long time. Their obsession with Christianity and Dadâs insistence I comply with the âPrinciples of the Faith,â as he put it, made my final years at home nearly unbearable.
His mantra, âAs long as you live under my roof and eat at my table, you will live by my rulesâ grated on my nerves whenever we argued.
âWell, loser, here you are again. Back under his roof,â I said to the face looking back at me. âI told you this was a bad idea.â
Back in my room, I pulled on a pair of old cut-off jeans and my favorite Pink Floyd T-shirt, which was twice as old as me. I loved that shirt almost as much as I loved the times it came from. The seventies and eighties were the best! The bands, the movies, the clothes, the hair. Everything about those years radiated coolness. Iâd spent a lot of time daydreaming Iâd been born back then... Or in any time other than my own.
We arrived at Riverview Bible Church barely five minutes before service, much to my fatherâs annoyance. My family had been members of RBC for as long as I could remember, sitting in the same pew each Sunday as if the Evansâ family name was carved on it to reserve our spot. Taking my seat, the familiar routine brought back unwanted memories. Mostly of me squirming out of shear boredom and occasionally falling asleep...and later on the way home, Dad berating me for my failures. I couldnât remember a single day of my life when I hadnât felt like a disappointment to my father. Once, at the age of ten, Iâd walked down the aisle to say the sinnerâs prayer to accept Christ and please my dad, but it didnât work.
I let out a deep sigh, this was superstitious nonsense.
Mom smiled and squeezed my hand, urging me to stand as the worship team took their places on stage and began the first song. I rose reluctantly. I knew the same boring routine by heart. Sing a song, then sit down for announcements. Then stand up again while the worship team led three more songs to get everybody hyped up for the message, which usually consisted of a solid thirty-five minutes of Bible-thumping by Pastor Nelson. I really wasnât looking forward to the next hour and sighed at the monotony of it all.
When Pastor Nelson began speaking, I leaned back in the seat and stretched out my legs. Maybe I could grab a quick nap?
âDoes a single mistake define a person? How about a series of them? Should it follow them their entire life?â Pastor Nelson began. âHave you ever noticed how people put undeserved labels on each other?
Yes, I silently agreed, although I had to admit some of the labels were definitely earned. I checked my watch, thirty-three more minutes to go. The crowd around me nodded in agreement to the pastor.
âTake the apostle Thomas, for example. Can anyone here tell me what the apostle Thomas is most famous for?â the pastor asked.
A dozen people shouted at the same time. âHe was a doubter!â âNo faith!â âHe didnât believe in the resurrection.â âDoubting Thomas! Doubting Thomas!â
Pastor Nelson stepped out from behind the pulpit and walked to the front edge of the platform. âWell, well, ladies and gentlemen, I see thereâs a unanimous decision.â He nodded at the control booth at the back of the church and a bible verse appeared on the giant screen behind him on the back wall:
But Thomas, one of the twelve,
called Didymus was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples were saying to him, âWe have seen the Lord!â
But he said to them, âUnless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails,
and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.â John 20:24-25
âI will NOT believe!â Pastor Nelson boomed. âIt appears your label and judgment upon the disciple are well deserved.â
The crowd nodded fervently in agreement. A few even called out, âAmen!â
I squirmed in my seat and wondered what label these hypocrites would put on me.
Loser! Failure! Worthless! I shifted in the seat uneasily at the thoughts. Doubting Thomas! Yep, thatâs me. Iâm a Doubting Thomas too. I silently
agreed as the crowd quieted down around me.
The pastorâs next question completely surprised me.
âOr is it?â his voice raised in challenge. He pointed to the control booth and a new bible verse appeared on the screen.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto the other disciples,
âLet us also go [to Judea] that we may die with Him.â John 11:16
âLet us also go and DIE WITH JESUS!â Pastor Nelson thundered. âThomas voiced those words.â He paused, âThe Jews were seeking to kill Jesus when he decided to go up to Judea to raise Lazarus from the dead. Only Thomas said, âLET US GO WITH HIM THAT WE MAY DIE!ââ He let the thought linger then continued, âIt wasnât John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, or Johnâs brother James. It wasnât Peter, the Rock, or his brother, Andrew, either. Nor Nathaniel, in whom there was found no guile, or Simon, the Zealot, or Matthew, the tax collector. Oh no, my friends. None of those famous and honored apostles said, âLet us go with Jesus that we may die.â Only Thomas.â
The crowd stared attentively at Pastor Nelson. Intrigued by where this could be going, I sat up a little straighter.
Pointing to the screen Pastor Nelson reminded the congregation, âThese words came from the very same man you condemned moments ago. These words came from the Doubter himself.â
An uneasy conviction filled the church as Pastor Nelson paused to let the silence have its full effect. Then he began again, his tone strong and affirming, âNowhere else in any of the gospels does any other disciple make such a profound confession of faith. Nowhere else in the gospels is there an affirmation of loyalty and devotion to the Lord stronger than Thomasâ statement. Thomas followed Jesus to Lazarusâ hometown knowing he could die at any minute if the Jewish leadership found out Jesus had arrived there.â He took a deep breath and looked sternly over the crowd, âNow, I ask you, brothers and sistersâand let each of you answer in the privacy of your own heartsâwhy does the world remember Thomas for his one mistake and not for his courage and conviction? Or what Thomas did after Jesus strengthened his faith?â
Then Pastor Nelson closed his bible and walked toward the rear of the church. The keyboardist startled by the unexpected ending to the sermon stared after Nelson for a few moments. Then he began the closing hymn.
While overall the service followed the same routine as always, the sermon had taken a different twist. I couldnât remember Pastor Nelson ever leaving an open ended question or walking out so early. Usually, he asked rhetorical questions and answered every one. I found myself relating to Thomas. Heâd been judged for his mistakes and failures with no one really remembering any of the good heâd done, just like me. I wondered if this was why my mom thought it important for me to come today. Did she know what Pastor Nelson would be preaching about?
âI always liked the apostle Peter better anyway,â Dad began as he opened the grill and removed the burgers and hot dogs. âHe was the strongest disciple. Oh, he had a few minor stumbles along the way like us all but it didnât stop him from becoming the Rock upon which the Lord built his church.â
âWhy am I not surprised you feel that way, Dad?â I took the plate with the burgers.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â he asked, pointing the tongs at me like a scolding finger. âYa know, if you took your faith a little more seriously and read the bible more often, son, you could be more like Peter and less like Doubting Thomas. And next week, I want you to be ready for church on time. I donât ever want to hear your mother beg you again.â
âI wonât be going to church next week, Dad.â
âAs long as you live underââ
âI wonât be living under your roof,â I interrupted. âIâm leaving in the morning.â
My dad simply stared at me shaking his head. âOh, please,â he mocked. âStop being so dramatic, Thomas. Where do you think youâre going to go?â He waved the tongs for emphasis, causing me to take a step back. âThey wonât have you back at Ohio State, and your uncles sure as helâare certainly not going to take you in. How will you get a place to live without a job and no money? And what kind of job do you think youâll get without a degree? After lunch, Iâll call Uncle Leon and see if heâll take you back at the construction company.â
âDonât bother, Dad. Iâm not going back to Uncle Leonâs,â I set down the plate of burgers and hot dogs. I donât know where Iâm going yet, but I made a mistake coming back home.â
âDonât be foolish, boy. Just because I expect you to help out around here and go to churchââ
âItâs not the work, Dad. I donât mind helping out; you know that. I just donât believe in the stuff you do anymore. I donât think I ever have. It sounds like a bunch of fairy tales and fables. Most of those people we were with today donât act like Christians when they arenât in church. I used to hang out with their kids all the time, remember? Theyâre hypocrites. Iâve seen how they act at home and how they talk when the pastor or anyone important from church isnât around. Itâs a total joke.â Tears welled up in my eyes, and I didnât want him to see so I turned away. âI donât know what I believe anymore, Dad. Maybe I need to leave to figure it out. All I know is I canât be what you want me to be. I donât believe what you want me to believe. And Iâm done trying.â
Sometime in the middle of my confession, Mom must have walked into the backyard. I felt her place an arm around my shoulder.
âHe says heâs leaving in the morning, Clair,â Dad scoffed, turning his back on me. âWeâll see how that goes and what happens when his friends get tired of buying him supper every night. Or when he canât find a job and has nowhere to sleep? Iâll tell you this, Clair, if he leaves now, heâs not coming back here again. I mean it. He canââ
âIâm still standing right here, Dad.â
âNo, youâre not.â He grabbed the plate of burgers and hot dogs and walked to the table. He sat down with his back to me.
Mom stayed beside me as silent tears slid down my cheeks, confusing emotions ran through my mind. I swiped them away with the back of my hand. âMom, I just need to....â
âI know, Tommy,â she reassured. Taking my hands in hers, she looked me in the eyes, âAlways remember who you are, honey. Youâre loyal and honest, and youâre a good friend. The kind of friend someone can count on. Remember last summer when your buddy Ryan nearly died? The rest of the kids ran off, but you stayed with him until the ambulance got there.â
How could I forget? Weâd spent the whole day drinking, and Ryan nearly choked to death on his own vomit. I had been the only one stupid enough to sit on the beach with him until the paramedics arrived. I didnât know if I was actually a good friend or just scared to go home to face my dad.
âRemember what Pastor Nelson preached this morning. Donât let your mistakes define who you are. Okay? No matter what happens, donât you ever forget that.â She looked toward my dad and lowered her voice, âAnd I know youâll be there for him when the time comes.â
Him? I glanced over at Dadâs back. Turning back to meet Momâs gaze, I asked, âFor who?â Did she mean Dad or someone else?
She kissed my cheek. âJust remember all of us.â she encouraged before walking over and taking a seat next to my dad.
I stood there for a long time, trying to figure out what happened. Then I strode past them both and headed to my room to pack. Once finished, I placed my backpack and small duffel bag beside the bedroom door so Iâd be ready to go in the morning. Then I wrote a brief note to Mom telling her not to worry, promising Iâd text every day. I watched a couple of hours of TV before turning out the lights to get some sleep. As I lay in bed, my mind raced with possibilities and fears. I tossed and turned for several hours; I couldnât stop thinking about the church service. What Pastor Nelson said was true. Everybody labeled me by my mistakes and failures, just like they did Doubting Thomas. Everyone judged me by my weaknesses and shortcomings.
Maybe it was time I proved everybody wrong. Maybe I could make something of myself and rip those labels off. Yeah, maybe it was time.
I was sound asleep when Mom slipped silently into my room and placed an ancient object beneath the covers beside me.
The hand on my shoulder shook me hard. âThomas, wake up! We have to go. Come on, why are you still sleeping?â I didnât recognize the manâs voice, loud and harsh and strongly accented.
The bed beneath me felt like concrete. My body ached everywhere. âJesus! What time is it?â
âJust before dawn, Thomas,â another man replied with a laugh as I heard him walk by. âBut Andrew is right. It is time to go; the crowd will be gathering soon.â I felt an odd sensation wash over me. I tried to identify it but my mind focused on his words...time to go.
âGo? Go where?â I asked, sitting up and opening my eyes but the man was already gone. And so was my room, my house, everything! My mind tumbled in confusion, trying to make sense of what my eyes were seeing. There were no walls, no ceiling, and no bed. Instead, I was outside in an open field with a small fire burning a few yards away.
Whatâs going on? Where am I?
I threw off a thin blanket and stood up. Feeling a breeze, I looked down to see myself wearing a long, dingy white, scratchy...something that reached well past my knees. Underneath...I was naked.
Where were my boxers? My T-shirt? Where was I? This is crazy! I thought.
Reaching my hand up to wipe my eyes, my fingers ran past a full beard. Impossible! I never had a beard in my life! I couldnât grow anything more than a patchy, ugly mess. A fact I tried to hide by shaving daily. At twenty years old, I couldnât grow a decent beard like my friends.
The man who woke me bent over and picked up what Iâd originally thought was a blanket. He held it out to me, âPut on your robe, Thomas. Hurry! We must go.â
Then another man stepped up beside him and stared down at me. A rough-looking man about my dadâs age with a full beard and dark, weathered face asked, âIs Didymus with us or not, brother?â
âYes, yes. Of course, he is. Go on, Peter. Go with Jesus. Weâll be right behind you.âÂ
 Tommy comes from a Christian home where he grew up in the church. However, he doesn't want anything to do with Jesus. He's an adult now but has moved back home and still can't do anything right in his father's eyes. One Sunday morning Tommy's dad pounds on his bedroom door yelling for him to get up for church. That's the last thing Tommy wants to do. His dad opens the door yelling at him, but then Tommy's mom asks if he will please go to church this morning. She believes there is a message for him there. Tommy ends up going to church because his mother asks. The preacher talked a lot about the apostle, doubting Thomas.  Tommy really thinks about the sermon that was preached. That night Tommy wakes up in a strange place. He is not in his bed. He is on the ground and soon realizes that he is in a different time and place. He is with the apostles in the time of Jesus.
Tommy soon found out he was actually the apostle Thomas, doubting Thomas.He had to adjust pretty quick to his new life. It was amazing because he just followed along. He witnessed Jesus performing the miracles that he read in the Bible. He remembered all of them from when he went to church as a kid and now was seeing them. Some of the disciples teased Thomas because he hung out with the women, Joanna, Mary, and the others. But he didnât let it bother him. He learned so much from the women. Several times it was mentioned that he talked funny. He said the word Christian once and Joanna had no idea what that word meant. Â
This book was fascinating! It was easy to read, and I had trouble putting it down to do real life. The characters were well depicted and really came to life for me. I felt as if I was there and I love when that happens. Thomas and Joanna were my favorite characters. Joanna really helped Thomas to believe in himself. Thomas had to go through many emotions, questions and beliefs. He had to figure things out in his head like why am I here, what is my purpose, what if I mess things up for the future? Once Rebecca got there she made him realize the people he was with didnât know the future like he did. He had to look at things from their point of view. Also, the role his mom played at the end of the book  got me really thinking. You just need to read the book to see what I am talking about. This book was so wonderfully crafted and true to the Bible.
This is honestly one of the best Christian fiction books I have read, and I have read a lot of books. Oh and also the author left us with a hint for a sequel and I am super excited about that! I highly recommend this book. I am excited to read other books by this author.