Write His Answer

New Book by GPCWC Conferee

October 18, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

It was an unforgettable experience. We had just recently started attending Covenant Community Fellowship after moving to Lansdale. Ken Rutt, one of the elders, invited me to go with him to 252 Underground, a ministry run by his friend, Rob Cook. The storefront was packed with teens – tough teens in black heavy metal t-shirts. I should have felt uncomfortable and nervous, but because of their obvious respect for Rob I felt accepted and welcomed.

We sat down and I began reading Rob’s writing. “Wow! This needs to be published,” I told him. “You’ve got a real gift with words.”

An hour later, when Rob turned off the music that had been blaring, it was immediately evident that he knew how to communicate verbally as well as in writing. The teens quieted down and listened intently. He knew his “audience.” He spoke to their needs without judging or condemning them. He powerfully presented biblical truth without turning them off.

Two and a half years and three GPCWC’s later, Rob’s first book, Regener8: Straight Talk to Street Smart Teens, is in print thanks to Eddie Jones of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas who he met at GPCWC.

In the Introduction Rob writes:

Although this book is for young people from all walks of life, my heart resonates with young people from broken homes and dysfunctional families.

If you live in either group, or both of them, my heart goes out to you. I came from a broken home and lived with a physically abusive, alcoholic father.

I didn’t fit in with the “in” crowd. My friends and I hid on the fringes of society. We were labeled outcasts, troubled kids, and my personal favorite, juvenile delinquents.

We were not jocks. We were not popular. The streets felt like home.

Adults disapproved of everything we loved: the way we dressed, the way we talked, the music we listened to. The list was endless. They wrote us off, and we didn’t care. Or at least we acted like we didn’t care. We felt unloved and unwanted.

We did what we wanted, when we wanted. Unfortunately, when you live life by your own rules, you tend to break others.

This led to multiple run-ins with authoritative types who usually wore blue uniforms and had pretty shiny matching bracelets that they were all too happy to let us wear.

Some of my friends were not as lucky as I was. Their stories ended in long prison sentences, death from drug or alcohol overdoses, shootings, or suicide.

It’s only by the grace of God I sit here and write to you. God had a purpose for me, although I didn’t know it or care about it back then. I had my reasons.

My mom forced me to go to church, and I heard all about how God loved me and how we need to love each other and not judge people. But those same people at that church did not seem to love me. And they judged me. I didn’t fit into the mold of what they thought a “Christian” should look like.

I figured if that was the God they served, they could keep Him to themselves.

They had too many rules anyway. And their rules and my rules didn’t get along.

I was shocked when, years later, I found out that God was nothing like they made him out to be. God called people like them hypocrites. He wasn’t pleased with them or their self-righteous attitudes.

What I learned about the real God of the Bible radically changed my life.

That life-changing discovery is the foundation of this book.*

As I’ve gotten to know Rob over the past two and a half years, I have been impressed with the genuineness of his faith in Jesus Christ and his passion to invest himself in the lives of teens who, sadly, most churches would not welcome.

I’ve read almost half of Rob’s Regener8, and I am convinced that God is going to use this book and the ministry of 252 Underground to, literally, save lives.

From Facebook:

At 252 we reach out to young people
from broken homes and broken pasts.
They come hopeless – We give them hope
They come angry – We give them peace
They come scared – We give them courage
They feel unwanted – We show them love
They feel alone – We become family
They feel ignored – We listen
They feel like giving up – We help them go on
We show them a life without drugs, and alcohol
We give them hope in a future – Hope in Jesus

I’m praying that you will want to join me in expanding Rob’s ministry to hurting teens. 252 Underground has outgrown the storefront they were renting. A church has agreed to let Rob use their social hall on Saturday nights, but 252 Underground needs a building of their own where teens can come in off the streets and encounter the love of Jesus Christ.

How can you help?

~ Click here for a news release with more info about Regener8. Pass it and this email on to your church, family, and friends.

~ Invite Rob to speak. You’ll find a contact form and more info at http://robcookunderground.com.

~ Provide financial support. In addition to the needs of 252 Underground, Rob is unable to work (he’s a painter – of houses inside and out) for the next three months he injured his back running wiht a fire extinguisher to put out a car fire.

~ And most important of all, please pray, fervently. Rob has other books in progress including Going Underground, the story of 252 Underground Youth Ministry and a how-to guide for reaching the teens in your community that his agent, Diana Flegal (who he also met at GPCWC) is shopping. I’m praying and believing that Father will use Rob’s books and work with teens as a prototype to reach hurting teens throughout America with the love of Jesus Christ.

*Regener8: Straight Talk for Street Smart Teens by Robert Cook, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Publishing journey | Leave a Comment »

Time to Take a Stand

October 1, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

I recently completed a series of 12 devotionals for God’s Word for Today, each based on one or more chapters from Jeremiah 25 – 52. Without a doubt, it was one of the most challenging assignments I’ve ever written. It also was one of the most timely. Jeremiah’s message speaks clearly and powerfully to the need for today’s Christians to take a stand.

In Franklin Graham’s October 1 newsletter entitled “Our Nation Has Lost Its Way” he writes:

One party affirms a belief in the sanctity of life. The other party does not. One party supports the traditional, biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman. The other party enthusiastically endorses and promotes same-sex marriage.

I will not—cannot—vote for a candidate, regardless of their political affiliation, who supports same-sex marriage and advocates abortion. God will judge our nation if we continue down this path.

Here in Charlotte near our headquarters building, the Democrats held their convention and made a clear choice to leave God and Jerusalem out of their platform. They caught so much criticism from around the country that they moved to reinsert the words but needed a two-thirds majority to make the change. The mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, who was presiding at that time during the convention, asked all in favor to say “aye.” Many voiced their approval. But when he asked all opposed to say “no,” I watched in horror and absolute disbelief at the deafening roar as delegates rejected including any mention of God’s Name. After the mayor called for two more votes, each with the same result, opponents shouted in protest as the mayor wielded his gavel and declared it approved.

I appreciate those delegates at the Democratic convention who stood up by saying “aye.” They were the minority, with the majority clearly rejecting any mention of God. This all happened on national television, and it sent goose bumps up my spine and shock waves across America. When the Prophet Jeremiah warned the Judeans of impending Babylonian captivity, he repeatedly reminded them that their exile would take place because they had forgotten God (Jeremiah 2:32; 3:21; 13:25; 18:15).

Does your vote count? You bet it does. Now is the time for people of faith to stand up for clear biblical standards and for our freedom to live by those standards.

Click here to read all of Franklin Graham’s letter.

Yes, I know there are many challenges facing our nation and there are no easy/quick fixes. So many Americans are out of work. My heart breaks for those who no longer qualify for unemployment checks and whose homes have been foreclosed. But I believe we need to look to the Lord and trust Him. We must not be closet Christians who allow the pressure to be politically correct to silence us from being biblically correct.

There are a number of prayer initiatives leading up to Election Day including http://www.ifmypeople2012.org. I urge you to sign up, to pray daily, and to study the platforms of all the candidates (local as well as national) in light of God’s Word. Will you take your stand? With holy boldness will you write and speak His answer?

Posted in Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation | 5 Comments »

Addressing the Issues

September 25, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

I’ve watched this youtube video several times. Each time I am deeply stirred. I believe it is one of the most powerful and important videos ever produced. I encourage you to watch it and to ask Father how He wants you to respond to its message.

To keep in mind: Webster’s definition of catholic is “of, relating to, or forming the church universal; relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church.” I respect my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters and join with them in taking a stand for life, but I also challenge all followers of Jesus Christ to remember that it is by our love the world will come to know Him.

Below is an article I wrote over 20 years ago that was published in Standard, Vista, and Lookout.

What About the Mom?

“More than one million abortions are performed in the United States each year!”

The young woman continued, with compelling conviction, to speak of the rights of the unborn child—the child created in God’s image. She cited Scripture and historical documents to prove her points and to show how, until the last two decades, the church had stood against abortion.

I was glad my church was taking a stand and that the pastor had invited this young woman to speak. I agreed with everything she was saying, but my heart cringed at the way she said it. I looked around trying to read the faces near me, but in my mind’s eye I only saw the face of a dear friend. I remembered the haunted look in her eyes.

“Can you have lunch with me?” she asked after the close of one of the weekly Bible studies I led. “I need to talk to someone.”

For the past few weeks Linda* had been unusually quiet and pale. I had been worried about her.

“I’d love to,” I replied. “But please don’t fuss.”

I didn’t need to worry. When we got to her house, I was amazed at the clutter. Linda always had been a fastidious housekeeper.

“What’s troubling you, Linda?” I asked. “You haven’t been yourself for weeks.”

Her eyes became even more haunted. “I—I haven’t told this to anyone,” she said. “Please promise me you won’t repeat it. I feel so awful for what I’ve done.” She began to sob.

I took her hands in mine. “Nothing you have done could be that awful,” I said.

“But it is! God will never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Haltingly she told me how she hadn’t been feeling well. When she went to the doctor, she learned she was pregnant.

“After Susan* was born, Tom* and I decided three children were enough. We were taking precautions to prevent me getting pregnant again. But—but I was, and the doctor said it wasn’t a normal pregnancy. He recommended an abortion.”

I waited in silence as Linda struggled to control her sobs.

“I didn’t want to have one, but the doctor kept saying it was for the best—that my own health was being endangered. It was awful. Not just the physical pain, but the feeling that a part of me was being ripped from me. It wasn’t easy like he said it would be and—and it’s never going to be easy again. I can’t live with myself during the day or sleep at night. I want to die.”

“No, Linda. No you don’t,” I said trying to comfort her. “This time will pass. You’ll see.”

Linda just shook her head as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

“You did what the doctor recommended. God knows that. He isn’t condemning you.”

“I killed my baby,” she sobbed. “How can God forgive me for that?”

I prayed with her and tried to assure her of God’s forgiveness. We talked for another hour but I’m not sure anything I said helped.

Linda never again mentioned the abortion. I could feel her shame and embarrassment. It was obvious she wished I’d just forget what she had told me. Eventually she moved and I lost touch with her. But I never forgot her.

My thoughts flashed back to the present. Were there other Linda’s in the congregation—women who had made the decision to abort based on a doctor’s recommendation? Were they still struggling with the guilt that had nearly destroyed Linda? And what of the ones who were victims of rape or incest? Or those who had been frightened unwed mothers?

I’ll probably never know how those words affected the women who were listening that day, but I do know how they affected me. I saw how I was guilty of using the same strong rhetoric as the speaker. In my crusade to save the lives of unborn babies, I had undoubtedly inflicted pain on the mothers who had aborted them. Instead of ministering comfort and hope, I, too, had spoken words of accusation and condemnation.

“God, forgive me,” I prayed. “Help me to care not just about the unborn baby but also about the mom—to love her as much as You do.”

_________________

*Names have been changed.

As Election day approaches, I believe it is critically important that we not be silent about the issues that concern us. Father, give us a holy boldness to be “biblically” rather than “politically” correct. Help us to speak and write words that are “gracious as well as sensible” (Col. 4:8 TLB) and that will draw our nation back to you.

Check out America for Jesus, “a national solemn assembly” in Philadelphia, September 28-29 – http://www.afj2012.org/

Posted in Called to write, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation | 9 Comments »

Deployed!

September 22, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God. Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.” – Billy Graham

If you’ve not read Billy Graham’s July 24 prayer letter, “My Heart Aches for America,” I urge you to click here.

When Craig von Buseck asked at this year’s Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference how many believe our culture is in peril, most every hand was raised. The question now is, “What would Father have us do?”

I’m often reminded of the words of a dear friend who grew up in Switzerland prior to the start of World War II. She said, “The church in Germany saw what was happening, but the church in Germany was silent.”

Father, please save us from complacency and stir us to action.

Cindi Clover, a GPCWC conferee, shared the following with me. I believe it is a word from the Lord. Be watching for her crossexaminations.wordpress.com blog.

I saw a large army of people in ranks, row upon row, each person standing straight and at attention. However, instead of holding a gun, each person was holding a larger-than-usual fountain pen. It was evident that the people were those who were trained to use their pens, much as a soldier has been trained to use a weapon.

As I watched, I suddenly saw light being released from each of the pens in sort of a spray that looked like a headlight beam, only wider. As this was happening, the army began to be “deployed,” each marching forward and then going off in a particular direction. Some went to the right, some to the left, and some forward. The interesting thing is that each knew exactly where to go; there was no hesitation or milling around or changing direction. Each had been given specific orders from the Lord about what to do; in short, each had been “deployed” on a specific mission.

I believe that what I saw is an encouragement to those whose calling it is to “write his answer” in the coming days. Each is called to write perhaps on a different topic or in a different format (books, articles, scripts, etc.), some fiction, some non-fiction, to various age groups, and in various genres. But each, having been called by the Lord, knew exactly what his or her calling was. Leaving the “ranks,” which I believe represented the conference, none was confused about what he or she is being called to write. The light represents God’s answers to questions, His perspectives on topics, and His worldview in general. The important thing about the pens is that they represent weapons in the spiritual realm. When we write what the Holy Spirit has given us, we are doing warfare as we spread the light – the truth of the Gospel – into a dark world.

I will “write” why this picture is significant to me. For many years, the Lord has been showing me where this nation is headed and about the hard times – economically, politically, and in terms of natural disasters – that He is going to allow to come upon this nation for the sake of turning our society and culture back to Him (redemptive purposes, not so much punishment). The fact is, things are going to get more challenging (worse) than they are now.

A year ago, in August of 2011, the Lord told me that He is, and will continue to, “shake everything that can be shaken – down to the very foundations of our lives – individually and nationally.” He said that the purpose for doing this is to expose to everyone WHO IS WILLING TO SEE the conditions of the various foundations in our lives. In other words, upon what foundation have we built marriages and other relationships? finances? health? (etc.)

When we examine what we are trusting in regarding these things, we will find that in some areas we may have strong foundations, in some partial foundations, and in some, no foundations that would survive the storms that are to come in the future. This is a crucial time to listen to the Lord and to repair any foundations not exclusively built upon Him and His Word. We are not to wait until the storms come to do this.

The problem is that people don’t know how to do this. Therefore, they will need what the Lord has “deployed” us to write so that they may prepare for the challenging times ahead. As things get darker and more difficult, people will be more willing to listen (as they always are . . .) and more opportunities to share His answers will become available. In some way or another, we are all called, as writers, to proclaim a message equipping people to “prepare” for the times to come. And personally, I believe that this is the greatest calling there is.

Father, please strengthen my faith and my resolve to allow You to use me to “write Your answer.”

Posted in Called to write | 1 Comment »

Shoemakers

September 8, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

Hannah S. Hunter – guest blogger

Jewish custom was to name a child prophetically. The parents would inquire of the Lord what He had planned for the life of the child. Most of our ancestors who immigrated to this country had last names that depicted their occupation. Kolb is a surname of my relatives and it means cobbler—one who builds, fixes, or repairs shoes.

Marlene, the conference director and head of our critique group, chose my continuing session to be with Tim Shoemaker at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference. As this was my first writer’s conference, I was trying to take in the whole vista, but I was unsure where to focus my attention. Wrapping my mind around writer in the same sentence with my name was incomprehensible.

Tim’s workshops focused on getting published. What! No where near that landmark! Watching him closely had me on the verge of tears. Even on the way home our conversation had me waxing maudlin. My son wondered what was going on with me. His father taught him well. Listen! Comfort! Do not try to come up with an answer. My son let me weep.

After a night of tossing, turning, and weeping on went the game face as we moved through another day of classes. Saturday morning there was a flood of tears so copious it was difficult to drive to the conference.

Before we left the car my son prayed that the Holy Spirit would open an opportunity for me to speak with Tim. We walked in the door and there was Tim standing at the book table. I told him how I saw the purity of his heart, his love of God with all abandonment, his love for the wife of his youth, and his unselfish love in raising three young men who are walking with the Lord.

“You remind me so much of my husband who is now with the Lord. How privileged I was to have such a man call me his wife.”

Tim told me he was approached about writing a book on being such a man. My spirit leapt because my prayer had been, If my husband had to die, raise up such men to carry on that standard.

Tim is a shoemaker. He is going to provide the best constructed shoes for men to wear and walk in. They will be at ease changing a diaper, dancing the waltz, playing tag football in the mud, and being swift to run where needed. They will climb to heights to bask in His glory and also see the next valley they must traverse. May his tribe increase, and thank You, God, that men still raise Your standard high.

Each year I make a memorial garden for John in my box garden by my patio. In the picture you will see the iron cross covered in morning glories. The cross has my beloved engraved on it. It was made by a blacksmith friend of mine. Also you will see the statue of the angel. It has a broken wing. The theme this year was broken dreams. You do not see it in the picture, but I have several broken wings placed at the foot of the cross and the angel statue. Three shoes with sunflowers of course symbolize the piece on shoemakers and John’s shoes left in a field of sunflowers in Scotland.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference | 3 Comments »

Burdened for Our Nation

August 17, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God. Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.” – Billy Graham

If you’ve not read Billy Graham’s July 24 prayer letter, “My Heart Aches for America,” I urge you to click here.

For such a time as this I believe it is critical that we “humble ourselves and pray.” But as Craig asks in his book, Praying the News, how do our prayers become effective? “First of all,” he writes, “it is through having a daily intimate relationship with Jesus—by what He called ‘abiding in the Vine’ that we bear much fruit for the Kingdom. . . . To try and pray and minister apart from an intimate relationship with Jesus is to have a ‘works-oriented’ ministry, which Jesus calls a ‘dried-up branch.’ This striving in our own power and effort will bear little eternal fruit.”

Lord Jesus, please help us to make our relationship with You top priority. Save us from complacency and stir us to action. Please help us to “write Your answer.”

In Him – Marlene

Important P.S. – limited number of copies of Craig’s book, Praying the News, are available through Write His Answer Ministries on a first-come basis for $10 (one-third off the retail price of $15). I’ll be glad to include a CD of Craig’s keynote address, “Praying the News,” plus the two CDs from “A Culture in Peril” Thursday Special that Craig led for an additional $7 – a total of $17 (postage paid) for the book and three CDs. PA residents please include 6% sales tax. Make your check or money order payable to GPCWC and mail to 951 Anders Road, Lansdale, PA 19446.

Posted in Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

GPCWC Earlybird Workshops

July 29, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

How long has it been since you checked out the earlybird workshops we’re offering this year at GPCWC? Maybe you haven’t even looked, thinking they were an extra expense and it wouldn’t be worth trying to arrive in time for the classes.

I’m excited about the earlybird workshops we’re offering this year. There have been several changes since the brochure went out so check them out at http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/earlybirds.htm Let me highlight a few of the changes.

The first one is Hope Flinchbaugh’s class on “Common Mistakes that Make Fiction Editors Cringe.” She is unable to make the 1:30 time slot where we originally had her scheduled so we moved her workshop to the 5:00 slot. Hope writes and edits award-winning fiction, so if you’re a fiction writer, this is a class you don’t want to miss.

To replace Hope’s time slot, we have Maurice M. Gray Jr. teaching “Why Do I Need an Editor?” The short answer to that is we all need editors—even editors. J As a freelance editor myself—as are several others on the faculty—I strongly recommend this class. If you’re having problems interesting a publisher with your book, I’m sure you would benefit from taking this class to learn how to make your work even stronger and more appealing in content. If you’re planning to self-publish, this class is a must.

Another change in the lineup is the original E18, “More Than a Tale” taught by Mike Dellosso, that has been moved into the Thursday workshop schedule. Suzanne Kuhn is now teaching the E18 class entitled “Getting Social Back in Social Media”—a must for writers of any genre as social media is one of the best ways to market your work. Come and learn from a pro in the industry about how to effectively use social media. Suzanne assures that it is not a mechanics workshop. Instead, this workshop focuses on engagement, building true fans and readers through the process and becoming relevant to your audience.

Finally, are you ready with your pitch for the books, articles, or short stories you’re planning to present to editors or agents in the 15-minute appointments? Karen Whiting is teaching a class on “Practicing Your Pitch.” I’m amazed at her ability to get to the heart of someone’s project and pull out the important things you need to focus on during your appointments.

Here’s what Janet Perez Eckles says: Karen is the queen of creativity, the master at innovative ideas, and an expert in transforming an insight into a tangible and powerful marketing tool. During a recent writer’s conference, I attended her marketing sessions. As we sat in a circle, she took the focus of each book, gave each author ideas, examples, and practical steps to market each book. They all evoked an “Ah!” from the participants. The skill Karen has to craft a powerful marketing tool from a mere concept is a gift few possess.

It’s not too late to sign up for an earlybird (or two or three!), either in addition to the conference or as an earlybird only. Go to the website—http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/earlybirds.htm—and check out the 19 classes we are offering Wednesday afternoon, August 1. And consider joining us for an early start to the conference.

In Christ –

Marjorie Vawter
CCWC & GPCWC Assistant to the Director (www.writehisanswer.com)
Freelance Editor (www.shevetwritingservices.com)
The Writer’s Tool blog (www.marjorievawter.blogspot.com)

P.S. If you’ve already registered for an earlybird and need to make a change because of the changes we’ve had to make, please email me at shevetwrite@pcisys.net. We are waiving the price increase for Wednesday-only conference attendance. One workshop is $25, two workshops $40, and three workshops $55.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Marketing, Publishing journey, Writing Fiction | Leave a Comment »

A sense of urgency

July 24, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

Please make time to read Joel Rosenberg’s blog. Below is just a portion of his July 23 post that so resonates with what I believe Father has been speaking to my heart.

I am deeply concerned for our nation and feel such a sense of urgency that we must “write His answer” – now while the doors to print and distribute Christian literature and the Internet are still open. It’s why I continue directing the Colorado and Philly Christian Writers Conferences even though I am old enough to retire. J But I can’t and won’t retire from the work Father is calling me to do or turn people away because they can’t afford to come.

If you’re already registered, please pass this on to your friends.

If you live within a couple of hours of Langhorne, PA, please tell your friends and church family about our Thursday Specials that are for ALL concerned Christians – not just writers. The issues they will address are critically important.

It you’re not yet registered, it’s not too late. Walk-ins are welcome, and I will waive the additional $15 walk-in fee if you bring a copy of this email or blog. Come just for a day if that’s all your schedule allows. Or for one of the morning or evening keynotes that are free of charge. You can register online.

And pray!

Please pray for the people of Aurora and the testimony of God’s people to bring hope and comfort.

Please pray for the August 1-4 conference and for our faculty and staff.

And please pray for our nation!

From Joel Rosenburg’s July 23 blog:

Is this evidence of the early stages of cultural implosion? I believe it is. As I note in “Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?”, “Alarm bells are going off all around us. Lights on the dashboard are flashing, Warning! Warning! Yet America is sleeping through the alarms, blind to the warning lights. And tragically, for the most part, the Church — God’s chosen instrument to bless individuals, families, communities, and nations — is asleep as well. I shudder to imagine where we are heading if we don’t wake up soon, plead for the Lord’s forgiveness, and ask Him to use us to love our neighbors and revitalize our country….”If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:145)….America is on the brink of collapse. We desperately need God’s mercy. Without His grace, we will implode. It’s not a matter of if but when. Thus, now is the time we must urgently ask the Lord to give us a sweeping series of spiritual revivals in every part of our nation that will culminate in a Third Great Awakening. Whether God decides to say yes is up to Him. But let us not compound our many national sins by failing to get on our faces before Him and implore Him to pour out His Holy Spirit and save us from disaster.”

Looking to Jesus, the only answer – Marlene

Posted in Called to write, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

Daughter of CCWC Conferee shot in Aurora theatre

July 23, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

One of the victims of the shooting at the theatre in Aurora is Petra Anderson, the daughter of one of CCWC’s conferees, Kim Anderson. Petra was shot three times. Once through the nose. They removed the bullet and she is walking. Miraculous . . . but still quite a trial. On top of that, Paula Moldenhauer, ACFW Colorado Coordinator, emailed me that Kim’s cancer is back. Below is information about a fund to try to get Kim to a cancer center.

Dear Friends, Kim Anderson began her fight with cancer after her diagnosis in October of 2009. She has since then faced difficult obstacles with steadfast faith, exemplary strength, and an amazing resolve that is an inspiration to all who know her. Kim’s cancer went into remission at the beginning of 2011. Unfortunately, 18 months later, her stage-3 cancer is fighting back. After this recent diagnosis she and her family discovered the Burzynski Clinic in Texas, an alternative cancer treatment center that offers hope for her inoperable condition. She is determined to continue living a life of purpose, resolve, and blessing. However, treatment is expensive and your help is greatly needed.

But today, July 20th, the Anderson’s are facing a new tragedy. Kim’s daughter, Petra, was among those shot and wounded during the massacre at the Batman premiere in Aurora, Colorado. Petra suffered 3 shots in the arm and one through her nose that lodged in the back of her skull and required emergency brain surgery to remove. Petra’s condition remains serious, adding to the difficulties for this dear family.

With limited resources, Kim now must balance her own urgent treatment needs with her daughter’s critical situation. It would be wonderful if they could experience an outpouring of love and assistance through the prayers and donations of an army of well-wishers from around the world.

Kim Anderson has lived a life of pouring into others. She lovingly raised and homeschooled her three children. Now as a single mother she continues to inspire and encourage them on their life journeys. Kim also pours into the community. For many years she volunteered long hours in helping to develop the homeschool speech and debate opportunities from which many Colorado families have benefitted. She was a state and regional leader for a national speech and debate league, has written curriculum, taught debate classes, and coached a local speech and debate club. Kim has helped homeschooling students achieve academic excellence, and then turn that excellence into opportunities for college acceptance, scholarships, and other career-launching opportunities. She has led with vision and strength, and has made a difference in many, many lives.

You can capture glimpses of Kim’s heart and soul on her blogspot “Mother-Lode” at:http://mother-lode.blogspot.com/

Please consider how you can help Kim raise the funds she needs to be admitted for treatment at the Burzynski Clinic by the end of July and to ensure her daughter receives the critical care she needs!

We believe that through God all things are possible and that together we can bring hope and blessings to this family. Here’s how you can make a difference:

For those living in Colorado, you may go into any US Bank and write a check or give cash to the “The Kim Anderson Healing Fund”.

For those living out of the area you may mail a check or money order to:
The Kim Anderson Healing Fund
c/o US Bank – Thornton Office
4301 East 120th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80233

Please pass this information along and thank you in advance for your support and prayers for the Anderson Family.

In His Service, Maggie Carabelos and Laura Yeates

Also, click here for a powerfully inspiring news clip interviewing their family.

And below is an amazing fb post from Petra’s cousin. Shows the kind of family they are.

Update from Petra’s cousin: WOW, was my time visiting Petra at the hospital today encouraging!! PRAISES: 1. she was able to walk through the halls! 2. she was able to eat a sandwich, chips, fruit and 2 bite of angel food cake! 3. the nurse was able to get the IV into her vein on the 1st try!!!! 4. the doctor estimates she has an 80% recovery in her brain. 5. she’s able to joke with the nurse about golfing! 6. that Andrew, Austin, and Chloe put in hours to get her and other victim’s stories out on youtube, twitter, FB and email!! I was humbled by God to see all those things happen right before my eyes! PRAISE HIM!!!! I also thank the Lord for the amazing prayer time we had as a family praying for Petra, Aunt Kim and the victims!

PRAYER REQUESTS: 1. that she can continue to get her short term memory back! 2. that she can get healed enough that Aunt Kim and my mom, Renee, would be able to fly to TX to get her cancer treatments. 3. That God would continue to be glorified through this….

Posted in Our Christian witness, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Praying the News

July 21, 2012 by Marlene Bagnull

Why? Why would a twenty-four-year-old enter a theater in Aurora and begin shooting?

Oh Father, show me how to pray . . .

Impacting Our World Through the Power of Prayer

Donna Brennan interviews GPCWC keynoter Craig von Buseck

It’s easy to become fearful, angry, or cynical when watching the news. It can make us want to retreat from the larger world or to stop watching the news altogether. But Craig von Buseck, Director of Ministry for CBN.com and one of the Keynoters at the August 1-4 Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, offers us another option: intercessory prayer.

As he shows in his new book Praying the News: Your Prayers are More Powerful Than You Know, co-authored with Wendy Girffith of CBN News, prayer can change people, transform communities, and solve problems facing our world. By praying to impact headlines, we impact more than just the way the news is reported – we impact the actual events that make up those headlines.

I contacted Craig to ask him questions about his book and his Keynote Address, “Praying the News,” Thursday, August 2, at 7:30 pm in Chatlos Chapel on the campus of Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne. (The community is welcome to come free of charge.) Here are his answers.

Question: What do you mean by “praying the news”?

We live at a time in history when it is critical for the Church to learn to be led by the Spirit in prayer. God wants to raise up a company of intercessors to pray the news – which is to watch, read, or listen to the news, then to intercede for God’s will to be done in the issues we face today. God desires for His people to be so in tune with His Spirit that we are actually praying His will in advance of world events. By cooperating with God in prayer, we are actually helping to shape those events in the spirit realm. God is seeking prayer warriors who will agree with Him in faith to make an impact on the course of history through their intercession by walking in the Spirit. The apostle Paul wrote of the privilege and importance of the believer to live in the Spirit in Romans 8: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NASB)

Far too often, the Church has been reactionary in our prayers. A tragedy or a disaster happens and believers react with ‘catch-up prayers.’ But we serve the God who sees the end from the beginning. He desires for us to become so in-tune with His Spirit that we are praying His perfect will in a circumstance before it ever occurs in the natural. But this sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit only comes by maintaining a daily, intimate relationship with our Father and our Lord.

Question: I’m just one person. Can my prayers really make that much of a difference in political decisions, crime levels, and major weather events?

Yes, they can! As we say in the subtitle of the book, “your prayers are more powerful than you know.” Scripture says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16, NLT.) Throughout the book we give numerous examples, both from Scripture and from modern times, where individuals prayed fervently in faith and they saw the headlines change as a result.

Question: If I pray for one kind of result and my neighbor across the street prays for a different result, aren’t our prayers just canceling each other out?

All prayer comes under the sovereignty of God. We don’t dictate to God. Instead, we pray as Jesus taught us: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” When we take an issue to God in prayer we leave it in His hands and He decides to answer that prayer in His way and in His timing.

Question: What are some important components of intercessory prayer? Does your book suggest concrete ways to do this?

As we put the First Commandment first; to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – He then empowers us by His Spirit to fulfill the Second Commandment; to love our neighbor (and our city, our nation, and this world) by being led by the Spirit in intercession.

Judson Cornwall writes of the importance of Spirit-led intercession that flows from us as a result of abiding in God. “There are times when we desperately need to know more than what God is doing and saying. We need to know God, for He works according to His nature and will, and only an understanding of that nature and will enables us to be involved with Him before His actions are demonstrated. We do not need to have great knowledge of God to know what God is saying if He is saying it publicly, but if God chooses to withhold communicated knowledge and yet we know the heart of God, there will be an intuitive or spiritual understanding that gives us knowledge out of relationship with God, not too unlike the understanding that develops between a husband and wife who have lived in a loving relationship for many years.”

It is this kind of heart that God is seeking in His people today – a heart that cries, “I want to know You, God. And I want to serve You, my Lord.” By walking in this type of love relationship with God, we position ourselves to be used by God on the earth. This is especially true in the realm of intercessory prayer.

Question: If I’m not a pastor or a prophet, what authority or right do I have to pray these intercessory prayers and expect results?

God has chosen to use every individual in the Church as His tool to communicate His love to the world. The apostle Paul speaks of our role as individual ministers of reconciliation and God’s ambassadors: “…who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NASB).

That is why we pray, “Thy kingdom come.” By doing so, we are placing ourselves in agreement with God’s plan for the earth. By praying the news, we stand up in the Spirit and declare, “thy will be done” in every issue that we face. C. S. Lewis referred to this kind of intercessory prayer as being “God’s fellow-worker” in the world. When we enter into the ministry of praying the news, we become “God’s fellow-worker” in this ministry of reconciliation. Lewis explains that to enter into intercession is to go from being a suitor – one who prays on his own behalf – to being a true servant of the Lord. “…the vast majority of the time, Jesus, who is our example, plays the part of the servant, interceding for others.”

This intercession is part of the Priesthood ministry of Jesus that continues to this day: “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”(Hebrews 7:24-25, NKJV). God invites us to join with him in this ministry of reconciliation. And we too have a role to play as priests before God – standing as representatives of fallen man, crying out to heaven for mercy.

Question: Can I “Pray the News” from the privacy of my own home? Or does it sometimes require something more?

Scripture directs us to “…pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NASB). Does this mean that we have to stop all human activity and just pray all the time? No, the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to always be ready to pray when the Holy Spirit moves on our heart to do so. The Bible says, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:21, NASB). That is how the Holy Spirit leads us in prayer. So it doesn’t matter where you pray – just be obedient to intercede as the Holy Spirit directs you, and you will see God move as a result.

Question: In your recent book, Netcasters: Using the Internet to Make Fishers of Men, you talk about ways to reach others for Christ through the internet. Can some of these same methods be used to find fellow prayer warriors to join together in prayer?

Absolutely. The Internet has become a 21st century Roman road. But it is also a worldwide marketplace, a theater, front porch and backyard fence, and an office water cooler. The World Wide Web can be like an electronic train terminal connecting you to intercessors around the world and providing the crucial means for people to agree together in prayer.

One of the most powerful aspects of praying the news is the power of agreement in intercession. Jesus declared, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matt. 18:19, NLT). As people watch or read the same news story around the world, then pray for God’s will to be done in that situation, tremendous spiritual power is released. The Internet can aid in this process, first by bringing awareness to news stories, both through traditional news outlets and through person-to-person contact, then as a communication platform allowing people to agree in prayer.

Question: Of course we all know stories of how prayer impacted events in Biblical times, but what are some examples of ways prayer has made a difference in newsworthy events in recent years?

During one of the darkest moments during World War Two, in May of 1940, the Nazis had trapped 400,000 British and French troops between the cliffs and the sea at Dunkirk on France’s north coast. If those troops had been killed or captured, Britain would have fallen to the Germans. All of Europe would have been under the iron rule of the Nazis before the United States even entered into World War Two. At this critical time, God raised up a man named Rees Howells of the Bible College of Wales to lead intercession in Britain. Howells took the initiative to organize nightly intercessory prayer meetings with his students. He instructed them: “God will not do a bit more through you than you have faith for. … You are more responsible for this victory today than those men on the battlefield.” He added, “I feel tonight that whatever the Nazis do, they cannot escape the Holy Spirit.” Soon prayer meetings were being held across Great Britain in response to Howells’ leadership.

Howell’s group poured their hearts out to God for hours every day, and soon much of the nation joined in. Parliament recognized the need for God’s intervention and called for a national day of prayer. Suddenly there was a change in the course of the war. Instead of wiping out the troops as he could have, Hitler held his army back, content to bomb Dunkirk instead. During that time, ships, yachts, and even rowboats evacuated 338,000 troops across the English Channel – as the water remained miraculously calm. Hitler’s behavior made no military sense. It was clear that God intervened in response to the prayers of believers.

We also share a more recent story in the book of how God changed the town of Manchester, Kentucky, as a result of united prayer. Community leaders had enough of their city being overrun by drug dealers, so they called for the people of the community to come together to march through town to intercede. On that day, several thousand citizens marched in prayer, singing hymns and praise songs. In what many believe was the key to the success of that march, pastors from every denomination stopped in the city’s park and repented. They asked God to forgive them for being more concerned about their buildings and programs than the Kingdom of God and the people. “Lord,” one minister prayed, “as pastors, as churches, as Christians and citizens, we have too long hid our heads in the sand and not stood up to the evil and the poison of drugs in this county and this community.”

The moment the pastors and people repented, something in the Spirit broke in Manchester, Kentucky that changed that community forever. Drug arrests went up by 300 percent in the first year. Drug dealers started getting saved and coming to church. Corrupt politicians were arrested or voted out of office. The story of Manchester aired on The 700 Club, inspiring other towns with the same problems to hold their own marches. Thousands of people e-mailed, called, or literally showed up at Community Church in Manchester saying, “This is where I heard I can find hope.” Suddenly, the town that had been hopeless was giving hope.

We share many more stories of people who prayed the news like this and literally saw the headlines change.

___________________

Craig will also be teaching a 2-part workshop on Narrative Nonfiction on Thursday and Friday, August 2-3, at 1:00 pm. This exciting new genre lets your true story read like a novel. This is the style Craig used when writing his upcoming narrative biography on Holocaust survivor, Nina Morecki.

For more information on the August 1-4 conference and to register for the workshops (the keynotes are free of charge), please visit www.writehisanswer.com. Mention this blog when you register online or at the door and take $10 off the price that increases July 22. And please consider coming to the Thursday Special, “A Culture in Peril,” from 10:00 am to noon, August 2. Rather than a traditional lecture, this is a forum where we will grieve for our nation’s ills and encourage each other as God’s warriors to defend biblical principles

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

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