Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Called to write’ Category

Tempted to Give Up?

Posted in Called to write, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming self-doubts, Writer's Life on June 14, 2016| 2 Comments »


I will commit everything I do to the Lord.
I will trust Him to help me do it, and He will.

Psalm 37:5 TLB

 

Have you ever been ready to give up? Have you tried everything you know but feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall?   What do you do when the accuser tells you that your best isn’t good enough – that it never has been and never will be?

Perhaps it’s a manuscript you’ve been working on for years. You’ve rewritten it not just once or twice but many times. Still you’ve been unsuccessful in finding anyone interested in publishing it. And it makes no sense because you know it’s something God has called you to write. You’ve studied the craft. You’ve gone to critique groups and conferences trying to find that missing something.  And now . . . now you’re not sure you can keep on keeping on.

That was my experience with my first book that some of you know was rejected by 42 publishers over a six-year period. If I had given up (and believe me, there were many times I wanted to), it and the eight books that followed would never have been published. I would not have founded the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference in 1983 or said yes in 1997 to directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conference.

Yes, there have been many times when I’ve doubted and when, as my friend and writing mentor Lee Roddy admonished me years ago, I’ve “listened to the wrong voices.” The accuser still taunts me. “You’re not smart enough. You can’t do this.” And that’s true. What the Lord asks me to do is so far beyond my abilities. I can easily become overwhelmed and stressed. Like dangling my little toe in quicksand, I can get sucked down into that dark place of doubt and fear. It happened again just yesterday.

“Worship Me,” I felt the Lord say. “Put on a CD and worship Me.” To be honest, it would have been easier to continue wallowing in the quicksand. But I obeyed. The darkness began to lift. Lessons I thought I’d learned and even written about in my book,  Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers), came to mind.

I need, we need to …

Keep our eyes on the Lord, on how far we’ve come, and on the prize. It’s easy to allow problems and challenges to consume us and to blind us to the Lord’s presence, to how far we’ve come, and to the prize. “I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:14 TLB) Paul wrote from prison in Rome. Paul had reason to be greatly frustrated and discouraged by the loss of his freedom. He could have questioned the Lord and concluded that his ministry was over. Instead he focused on the needs of the churches and wrote letters that continue to encourage Christ-followers almost 2,000 years later.

Cut the tapes from our past. Although Paul never forgot the person he was before he encountered the Lord on the Damascus Road, he did not wallow in the past or dwell on what others thought or said about him. Instead he embraced the truth of Zephaniah 3:17: “He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you” (TLB). Paul was able to preach and write about the message of salvation because of his firsthand experience of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Don’t grieve the Lord by our lack of faith. Although sometimes it may seem that He’s not listening, we need to trust that He will equip us with all we need for doing his will (see Hebrews 13:20). It’s not easy to wait on the Lord and to have Hebrews 11:1 faith in what we can’t yet see, but “God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises” (Romans 11:29 TLB).

Do our best and trust God for the rest. The fear of failure can paralyze us if we let it, and that’s exactly what our adversary wants. I grieve for the books that have not been published and for ministries that have been abandoned because of the evil one’s accusations. I pray for those who are frustrated and discouraged by the need to build their platform and questioning their call to “write His answer.” Friends, we must not leave God out of the equation. Instead we need to affirm His promise that He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

Father, help us to believe You and not the accuser. Thank You for loving us and for being bigger than our fears. Thank You for encouraging us not to give up. We will keep on expecting you to help us. We will praise you more and more. We will walk in the strength of the Lord our God (Psalm 71:14, 16 TLB).

What promise do you claim when you are tempted to give up?


I keep an excerpt from Write His Answer
taped to the cabinet next to my desk.
When discouragement sets in,
when the loneliness of writing and the
enormity of the task threatens to overwhelm me,
Write His Answer spurs me on. I can think
of no better resource for helping a writer
maintain a biblical perspective than this book. 

Linda J. White
Christian Author & Speaker
www.lindajwhite.com

 

For 25 years Write His Answer has encouraged writers.

Autographed copy available for only $10.
Click here for excerpts and to order.
E-book available through Amazon.com.

 

GP banner 2016

I’ve worked all day yesterday adding bios, editorial needs, and what they are teaching for the 19 editors serving on this year’s faculty. Wow! Thank You, Father, for their willingness to come. The page isn’t live – yet! It needs proofreading, and I still need to add the pages for our authors, agents, and other professionals – a total of 57 faculty members. I’ll let you know when everything is live. Meanwhile, check out our 8 continuing sessions, 61 workshops, 3 clinics, and keynotes at www.philadelphia.writehisanswer.com. I’m extending the opportunity for an additional free one-on-one appointment (a total of FIVE for those who attend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) to an additional 25 more conferees. Don’t miss out!

Read Full Post »

Spread the Word

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Marketing, Platform building, Praying for our nation, Promotion, Writer's Life on June 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

It used to be the biggest challenge writers faced was getting words down on paper and finding someone willing to publish them. That still is a challenge, but today it’s just the beginning of what a writer is expected to do.

 

Writing not facebookingNow we daily face the overwhelming task of building a platform. The time needed to write words worth reading is infringed upon by the need to have a growing presence on social media. We are driven to develop our “brand” along with a memorable tagline that will resonate with our “audience.”

I confess it’s all too easy for me to get caught up in this not so merry, merry-go-round.

 

Last week I spent a day and a half preparing a new flyer for the August 3-6 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. One side is an overview of the conference and highlights the concert my friend, Marty Goetz, is giving on Wednesday night.

Marty poster for web

 

The other side describes our exciting Teens Write on Thursday and Pastors Write on Friday.

 

TW & PW flyer GP 2016 for web

 

I am excited about all this year’s conference offers. And I do work really hard to present the opportunities in the most professional and best way possible. I even added a new Spread the Word page to the conference website. But sadly, in my effort to “market” the conference, I am convicted that I forgot the most important thing.

 

The 3-1/2 day conference in August does provide many opportunities to learn about the craft of writing and marketing, but it is the message – “His answer” – that is the most important Word that needs to be spread.

 

As Michael Gantt said in his keynote at last year’s conference and this year’s  Colorado Christian Writers Conference, “The Cross is the Main Thing.” I urge you to watch the video of his keynote and/or read the transcript.  I also urge you to subscribe to his blog at http://growinggodlyseed.com.

 

Yes, I’d really appreciate your help spreading the word about the August 3-6 conference, but the most important thing each one of us can and must do is to spread His Word, His answer.

 

Again, quoting Michael Gantt from the blog he posted today:

We are called to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. We are called to magnify and glorify the matchless Name of Jesus. We are called to declare deliverance to the captives, healing to the broken, and to declare that forgiveness of sin is found in none other than Jesus Christ. We are called to bring the light of the gospel to our cities; to bind up the broken, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and to declare even in the face of Caesar the eternal decrees of God – That’s what we are called to do!

Yes, indeed, that is the Word we are called to spread. God help us to be found faithful.

Read Full Post »

Just Nine Days Away

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference on May 2, 2016| 1 Comment »

2016 CCWC mtn banner

  • Do you ever doubt your abilities as a writer?
  • Have you almost given up on getting published in today’s competitive market?
  • Do you hate the “slush pile” and wish you could talk to an editor one-on-one?
  • Are you secretly terrified of the idea of building a “platform”?
  • Do you feel like you’re all alone in your writing adventure/struggle?
  • Is it really worth hanging in there for the long haul?
  • Is there a desire burning in your heart to write words that will potentially lead others to Christ?

7 Top Reasons You Need to Come
to the May 11-14 CCWC

7.  Master the craft of writing. Okay, no one will ever achieve that lofty goal. There’s always more to learn. But as one conferee said, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference is equivalent to a semester college course in writing. A faculty of 56 editors, agents, and authors will provide instruction for wannabe and advanced writers of fiction from Christian speculative to historical, point of view and voice to making a scene. Nonfiction writers will find help for writing Bible studies, memoirs, articles, and much more. With 59 workshops and 8 continuing sessions to choose from, there really is something for everyone.

6.  Learn how to sell your work to potential publishers or explore the how-to of indie publishing. Whether you’ve received more than your share of rejection slips or have yet to get your first, two of CCWC’s eight continuing sessions that will provide the answers you need are: “Indie Publishing Boot Camp” and “Writing a Winning Book Proposal.”

5.  Face to face opportunities to pitch your work to editors and agents. In today’s publishing world the only way to connect with many agents and editors is through meeting them at a conference. Those who register for Thursday through Saturday are entitled to FOUR 15-minute one-on-one appointments with the faculty of their choice. You’ll find lots of helpful info on how to prepare and make the best choices by clicking on One-on-One at http://colorado.writehisanswer.com.

4.  Learn the craft of marketing/promoting your published work. Yes, it’s a craft, and not one that comes naturally to most writers. I’ve often said that the reason I quit Girl Scouts was the stress of trying to sell cookies. Whether or not you enjoy marketing, though, you hold the key to the sales of your book. And the good news is that marketing can be learned. We have a track of six hour-long marketing workshops and a continuing session on “Thriving in Today’s Publishing World.”

3.  Friendships with other writers. Writers connect deeply with one another faster than I ever have in the chit-chat before and after Sunday-morning worship services. A key verse that I’ve sought to follow is 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage each other to build each other up” (TLB). It happens every year at CCWC!

2.  Inspiration and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Louise Looney is well qualified to teach the workshop, “Still Climbing – Not Over the Hill.” Since turning 75, she has written four books. Allen Arnold’s continuing session, “From Overwhelmed to Creative Breakthrough,” will provide a refreshing journey for anyone who feels disheartened. And, of course, we also offer eight inspiring keynote addresses and times of worship.

And the Number 1 Reason to come to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference:

1.  Renew your faith and passion to “write His answer.” Each year Father meets us on the mountain and challenges and equips us to write about a God who is real, who is reachable, and who changes lives.

There’s still time to register and to request appointments. Housing is still available at the YMCA – Estes Park Center. Thanks to the Y’s spacious classrooms, none of the workshops or continuing sessions are filled. For much more info and secure online registration go to http://colorado.writehisanswer.com. The price increases May 7, so don’t delay, but if you need time payments or scholarship help, please ask. Email me at mbagnull@aol.com or call 484-991-8581.

Read Full Post »

It Comes Down to Faith

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Compassion, Writer's Life on April 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Faith rockDo you put off doing things because you don’t believe you can do them? Do you have half-written manuscripts waiting to be finished? What about ideas that you’ve tucked away – somewhere?

Yes, procrastination is a very real foe, but I am convinced the real reason we procrastinate is because we don’t believe we can do something. And actually, that’s true! We need God’s enabling to do the work He calls us to do. The key is knowing what He is calling us to do. The Living Bible paraphrase of Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

It comes down to faith – to believing in the One who calls us and choosing to say “yes, Lord, here am I.”

I wantDream%20With%20Me_album%20cover to encourage you to read aloud the “Writer’s Statement of Faith” below. You may need to read it aloud several times a day. I know I do! I also want to encourage you to watch this video of pre-teen Jackie Evancho singing “To Believe.” Yes, Father, help us to believe that we really can make a difference and bring peace – Your peace – to our troubled world.

A Writer’s Statement of Faith

I have strength for all things in Christ Who Empowers me – I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength in me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Phil. 4:13 AMP

Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies, so that God will be glorified. 1 Pet. 4:11 TLB

[Not in my own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in me – energizing and creating in me the power and desire – both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Phil. 2:13 AMP

My strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power at work within me. Eph. 6:10 TLB

In Him in every respect I am enriched, in full power and readiness of speech (to speak of my faith), and complete knowledge and illumination (to give me full insight into its meaning). 1 Cor. 1:5 AMP

Now I have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are mine during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1:7 TLB

I actually do have within me a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16 TLB

I can be a mirror that brightly reflects the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18 TLB

I will commit everything I do to the Lord. I will trust Him to help me do it and He will. Ps. 37:5 TLB

I will lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with all my heart and mind, and choose not to rely on my own insight or understanding. Prov. 3:5 AMP

I will commit my work to the Lord, then it will succeed. Prov. 16:3 TLB

Sharing Christ is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me. Col. 1:29 TLB

I will be strong and courageous and get to work. I will not be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with me; He will not forsake me. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly. 1 Chron. 28:20 TLB

I need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if I want Him to do for me all He promised. Heb. 10:36 TLB

I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in me will continue until the day of Jesus Christ – right up to the time of His return – developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in me. Phil. 1:6 AMP

His mighty power at work within me is able to do far more than I would every dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond my highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes. Eph. 3:20 TLB

From Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. For more excerpts, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Read Full Post »

Blessed Is He!

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference on March 21, 2016| 3 Comments »

Hosanna

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The crowd cheered and sang praises.
They waved palm branches.
and threw their cloaks before Him.
But Jesus was solemn as He traveled that road –
that road to the cross.

As God incarnate He knew all that was to come.
He saw not just His own death on the cross,
but the persecution of His followers
and the destruction of Jerusalem.
He saw nation rising against nation –
the madness of yet-to-be-born rulers.
And Jesus wept.

He would be wounded and bruised for our sins,
chastised that we might have peace,
lashed that we might be healed;
yet few would accept His gift of life.
The darkness of evil would continue to reign,
but the light of His love
would not be extinguished.

Entrusted to us,
His light will grow brighter.
A cloud of witnesses are cheering us on,
to daily take up our own cross
and follow Him closely.

Blessed is He who is coming – again!

Yes, I believe He is coming soon.

In one of my workshops at the Evangelical Press Association Convention April 6-8 in Lancaster, PA, I plan to quote Chuck Colson’s sobering words in Against the Night, Living in the New Dark Ages.

’Dark Age’ is a strong term. I recognize that. Yet in recent years I’ve had a growing sense of storm clouds gathering on the horizon . . .  The forecast is foreboding . . . We scan the horizon with unease.

     “We sense that things are winding down, that somehow freedom, justice, and order are slipping away. Our great civilization may not yet lie in smoldering ruins, but the enemy is within the gates.

     “The times seem to smell of sunset. Encroaching darkness casts long shadows across every institution in our land. . . . We do face a crisis in Western culture, and it presents the greatest threat to civilization since the barbarians invaded Rome.”

I feel such a strong sense of urgency to “write His answer” – now. I believe the day is fast approaching when we will not have the freedom to print or distribute Christian literature or to share our faith on the Internet. Father, please open our eyes to the “signs of the time” and help us to “Make the most of every chance [we] get. These are desperate times!” (Eph. 5:16 MSG).

Michael Gantt, a pastor from Vermont who keynoted some years back at both the Colorado and the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference and who is keynoting again at this year’s conferences, said something I’ve never forgotten. “It is very critical that you believe what God has to say is relevant to this generation. It is very critical that you believe, that you believe, that God will use you to bring His message to the world.” Please take 3.5 minutes to view the video at http://youtu.be/-qfhH5NH7XE.

Registration is open for the May 11-14 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. The next 7 people who register online and mention this blog post/email in the Comments will receive a free copy of my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers.

Father, please help everyone who reads these words not to doubt You or the gift of words You have entrusted to them. Move mountains to get them to the mountain in Colorado May 11-14. I know You will meet us there.

Jesus riding into Jerusalem

 

Just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, I believe he weeps over our cities. And I believe He will also meet us at the August 3-6 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. Plans are underway. I am praising Him for all He is doing and will do.

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Will you live and write His answer?

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation on January 25, 2016| 3 Comments »

On February 1, a week from today God willing, online registration for the May 11-14 Colorado Christian Writers Conference will open. And plans are well underway for the August 3-6 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

It’s my 20th year directing the Colorado conference, my 33rd year for Philly. And it’s not gotten any easier. Instead the spiritual battles have become more intense.

The urgency I feel to challenge you to live and write His answer compells me to keep on keeping on despite the weariness, fear, and discouragement I often face. Michael Gantt, who will keynote at both conferences, expresses my heart burden far more powerfully than I can. As a watchman on the wall, he urges prayer “day in and day out for a move of God that will shake the nation out of its spiritual coma.”

Michael’s words about 15 years ago when he keynoted at the Colorado conference keep ringing in my ears: “Do you believe, do you really believe, that God can use you?”

Yes, I do!

Father, please help us to surrender our hopes and dreams for our writing – for our lives – to You. Use us, Lord.
_______________

Michael Gantt’s blog – www.growinggodlyseed.com

Too Little Too Late? Anglican Church Tries To Reverse Apostate Trend – Church attendance in Great Britain is now only 1.4 percent of the population! Is this where the church in America is headed?

Read Full Post »

Is this the year?

Posted in Called to write on January 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear,
so anyone can read it at a glance
and rush to tell the others.
Habakkuk 2:2 TLB

Is this the year you’re going to finally begin or complete the book you feel called to write? Or, more realistically, do you want to write short stories, articles, devotionals, or poetry but have had a hard time getting started?

I believe the need to “write His answer” and the opportunities to reach the world through blogs and eBooks as well as through both print and online magazines and traditionally published books has never been greater. But, as Ecclesiastes 5:7 says, “Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness, and there is ruin in a flood of empty words” (TLB).

If you are not part of a Christian writers group, I want to encourage you to check out the listing of groups in The Christian Writer’s Market Guide 2015-2016. Copies of this important resource can be ordered through the Write His Answer Bookstore at 25% off.  Click here for “Helps for Forming Critique Groups” if you believe Father is leading you to start and group and here for “The Critique Group Process.”

If you live in the Philadelphia area, you are welcome to visit the Christian Writers Fellowship (CWF) that meets in my Lansdale home once a month on a Thursday morning. Our first 2016 meeting is this coming Thursday, January 14, at 10:00 am. Directions and dates for each month are on my newly designed website at http://www.writehisanswer.com/greaterphillychristianwriters/.

Whether or not you can come, I hope you’ll make time (it will take less than 10 minutes) to read Chapter 2, “Look to Jesus,” from my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. Click here for it and other free resources to encourage and equip you to write about a God who is real, who is reachable, and who changes lives.

Father, help all of us to “look to Jesus” as we seek to live and write Your answer throughout this new year.

New WHA coverWrite His Answer is not just a book to read and put down . . . I keep my copy close to my manuscript and journals, dog-eared and tattered from use.  I purchased the original version years ago at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference when I had no idea how to begin a writing ministry. Although I’m excited about getting the new edition, my first copy filled with personal notes is simply irreplaceable. More than a devotional or a “how-to-and-continue-on” manual, Write His Answer is written by a woman who knows the heart of God and the heart of a writer. This has been a rich resource to encourage and challenge me to respond and remain faithful to God’s call and use His Word as  my guidance for every page. This is a classic . . . for keeps.   ~ Verna Bowman

For 25 years Write His Answer has encouraged writers. The new 2014 edition includes 176 pages with space to journal your response to His call as well as updated recommended resources. An autographed copy is available for only $10 plus shipping. Click here for excerpts and to order. It is also available as an eBook through Amazon.com.

Click here for review on Author Culture by Jimmie Kepler.

Read Full Post »

Becoming a Contagious Christian

Posted in Called to write, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on September 13, 2015| 2 Comments »

What I’m reading and hearing from people I respect underscores what I have been feeling in my spirit for a long time. Difficult days are ahead for our nation. They will be days of intense testing for Christians, but they also will be days filled with opportunities to strengthen our faith muscles and to live and to write His answer.

Will we witness God’s judgment of our nation in the coming weeks and months? I don’t know. I’m praying we will turn back to God and that He will have mercy. Whatever happens, I want to be a contagious Christian whose words and actions draw people to the Lord – our only hope for today, tomorrow, and eternity.

  • Contagious Christians love. – John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-10; Matthew 5:44
  • Contagious Christians are passionate. – Luke 10:27; Revelation 2:4-5; 3:15-16
  • Contagious Christians pray. – Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6
  • Contagious Christians live their faith. – James 2:14; Ecclesiastes 5:7; Ephesians 5:17
  • Contagious Christians boldly share their faith. – 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 4:5
  • Contagious Christians are gentle, respectful, and gracious. – 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:25; James 3:17
  • Contagious Christians avoid senseless arguments. – Titus 3:9; John 14:6
  • Contagious Christians avoid pat answers. – Ezekiel 3:10-11; Habakkuk 2:1-2
  • Contagious Christians are authentic. – 1 Corinthians 4:20; Colossians 2:6-7
  • Contagious Christians are joy-filled and expectant. – Psalm 71:14,16; 9:1

Read Full Post »

The Cross is the Main Thing

Posted in Called to write, Praying for our nation on August 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »

eagle (2)The Cross
is
the Main Thing

Last night I watched Michael Gantt’s 30 minute keynote, “The Cross is the Main Thing,” from this year’s Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. You’ll find it on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1JkE8m9.

In 32 years of ministry I believe this is the most powerful message that has ever been presented at the conference.

The sad fact for America is that because of our sin
we have made God our enemy,” Michael said.
“The only thing that holds any hope for our nation
is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Friends, I urge you to watch it and to share the URL on your social networks, web page, blog, and with your family and friends and church family who you spend time with in person.

Father, please cause each one who reads this to make time to watch this video. Save us from the spirit of apathy and complacency. Help us to hear and to speak and to write Your truth – Your answer.

Difficult days our ahead that will test our faith as never before. Father, please help us to

Stand united, singular in vision,
contending for people’s trust
in the Message, the good news,
not flinching or dodging
in the slightest
before the opposition.”
(Phil. 1:27-28 MSG)

Read Full Post »

Put on the Armor

Posted in Called to write, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation on July 26, 2015| 4 Comments »

file1981260652892 (1)Put on the full armor of God
so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood.
Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV

My hands tied behind my back, I was dragged before a tribunal of cloaked men. They accused me of subversion against the government because of my faith in Jesus Christ. I could not deny the charges, for spread across the table were books and articles I had written.

The congregation’s singing brought me back to reality. Had I dozed off or seen a vision? I’ll never know for sure. But I do know the Lord spoke to me. “Do you realize, Child,” I felt Him say, “that the things you are writing may one day convict you? Are you willing to follow Me despite the cost?”

It was a sobering moment. I didn’t ask Him to give me a closer look at the titles of my published works. And I didn’t answer quickly or feel very brave when I finally said, “Yes, Lord.”

That was fifteen years ago. Societally, things were bad and getting worse; but Christians generally were seen as part of the answer—not the problem. We were not the frequent brunt of jokes on TV sitcoms and talk shows. Media coverage was not openly biased. Gays were not militant. People did not worry about being politically correct. The New Age was beginning to infiltrate some churches, but few discerned its danger.

Things are changing—rapidly. We can no longer ignore all the signs that point to the return of Christ. They challenge us to be actively involved in spreading the Gospel while the doors remain open to produce and distribute Christian literature. But we do need to count the cost. In a very real way, writing for the Lord puts us on the front lines where “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12 NIV). To go into battle without the “full armor of God” (Eph. 6:11 NIV) is dangerous.

“This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels,” The Message says. “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued” (Eph. 6:12-13). Having been defeated too often, I’m learning to pray on the armor every morning that I might “resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over . . . still be standing up” (Eph. 6:13 TLB).

“Lord,” I pray, “help me to gird myself with your belt of truth’” (Eph. 6:14 NIV). “Give me discernment that I might immediately recognize the enemy’s lies and half-truths. Help me to refuse to receive or believe them.” When a manuscript is returned and those insistent inner whispers threaten to defeat me, I buckle the belt of God’s truth more tightly around me. I affirm, often out loud, that the return of one manuscript (or dozens of manuscripts) does not mean I should quit writing. I know God has called me to write, but that is not a guarantee of accepted manuscripts. I must keep developing the gifts of writing and marketing and persevere.

The breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14 NIV) protects my most vulnerable area—my heart, the home of my feelings and emotions. It is so easy for me to be wounded by others, to allow myself to be influenced by fear of what they might say or think. I need to be constantly vigilant against the temptation to compromise because “everyone else is doing it.” I cannot pad my writing expenses on my Schedule C. I cannot be careless attributing quotes or use copyrighted material without permission. Instead, I must handle every aspect of the business side of my writing in a way that honors the Lord. My first priority must be to bring glory to Him and not to myself. “Lord,” I pray, “help me today to consistently choose to do what is right in Your eyes.”

Putting on the shoes of readiness to share the Gospel (Eph. 6:15) protects me from the temptation to get sidetracked. There are often other things I can do and write that would require less time and effort, but if I am to be a soldier of the King, I must take my orders from Him. I need to follow His marching orders instead of asking Him to bless mine. When I walk in obedience, I find that my feet do not become bruised and weary from going places He never intended me to go. I also find that when I say yes to what He wants me to do, rather than yes to what others tell me I should do or what I feel they expect me to do, I am filled with peace instead of tension.

I prayerfully pick up the shield of faith to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16 NIV). I ask God to make me mighty in spirit—to help me to walk by faith, not by sight. I also ask Him to help me not to lower my shield by nurturing doubts. A soldier can be fatally wounded if he lowers his shield for only a moment.

The helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17 NIV) protects my thought life. Each morning I thank God that I do not have to be bound by old habits and thinking  patterns. I ask Him to continue His work of transforming me by renewing my mind (Rom. 12:2) and giving me the “thoughts and mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16 TLB).

Finally, there is the one offensive piece of armor. It is with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17 NIV) that we go forth into battle to confront the evil of our day. Doing so doesn’t mean we are supposed to hit our readers over the head with the Bible. Instead, I pray that God’s Word will so permeate my life that the principles of Scripture will be evident in all I do, say, and write.

“The enemy is within the gates,” Chuck Colson wrote in Against the Night (Servant Publications, 1989, p. 19). “I believe that we do face a crisis in Western culture, and that it presents the greatest threat to civilization since the barbarians invaded Rome” (p. 23). But God commands us to trust Him. Even when facing the spirit of the antichrist, we need not fear because “the one who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the world” (l John 4:4 NIV). We need to “pray all the time” (Eph. 6:18 TLB) and to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Eph. 6:10 NIV) knowing that Jesus has already won the battle.

Responding to God’s Call to Write

Study Ephesians 6:10-18 in several translations or paraphrases. Ask the Lord to show you what each piece of the armor can mean in your life. List those insights below and begin to daily pray on the armor.

Belt of truth

Breastplate of righteousness

Shoes of readiness

Shield of faith

Helmet of salvation

Sword of the Spirit

From Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull. ACW Press. © 1990, 1999 Marlene Bagnull.

Banner 2015 GPCWCIf God is calling you to “write His answer,” you need to come to the July 29 – August 1 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. It’s not too late to register.

I feel such a sense of urgency. “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work” (John 9:4 NLT).

Our Friday morning keynoter, Pastor Michael Gantt, said in a blog post “Found Standing” in May:

Because of our terrible national sins; because as a nation we have essentially given God the middle finger of disdain for His Person, His character, and His laws there is no defense to be made. I made the point in a recent post, “The Hedge is Gone,” that we must realize that Islam is not our enemy, the militant LGBT bloc is not our .”enemy, nor is Planned Parenthood (the chief purveyor of the murder of our children) our enemy. Our sin has made God our enemy.

Because of the rejection of God and His Word and because we have exchanged the God of Life for the gods of death and perversion, God is already judging the nation and if there is no national confession of sin and repentance He will complete his judgment; either by the complete annihilation of what was once a great and Godly people or by rendering it completely irrelevant on the world stage.”

Oh Father, have mercy and bring our nation back to You! Thank You for the message Michael will bring Friday morning. Indeed, “The Cross is the Main Thing.”

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »