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Home » Faith » Page 3

Faith

Writing from Weakness

By Dan Balowon November 8, 2016
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I believe some of the most powerful books ever written by Christians will be published in the coming years.

Why?

Despite our best efforts, Christians failed to transform culture through the ballot box, boycotts, ministry/church programs and use of the media. Worldwide, Christians are not a moral majority but an imperfect minority.

All the seminars, books, and evangelistic meetings did not make the world a perfect place where Christian principles reign.  So, all we have left is to depend entirely on God’s power and grace.

Maybe that’s not a bad strategy after all.

We prayed for revival and I believe it is imminent, but not because governments and courts are on our side, but because they are not.  Revival will come because God is on our side.

In the coming years, Christian books will be more powerful than ever before because they will be written from weakness, humility and a minority point of view. The world may laugh and taunt, but through weakness will emerge the power of the Almighty God and his grace, which will draw many to him before he comes again as judge of the earth.

As Christ-followers we know living in weakness and depending on God is far better than living in our own strength and depending on our own ability to influence.

Weakness and failure teach deeper things than strength and success. Humility is more attractive and compelling than self-confidence. Failure drives us towards God while success can make us self focused. Writing from weakness is better than writing from strength.

Books on following God and servant leadership are more effective than books on taking charge of your own life and prideful authoritarian leadership, because it’s the way God intended.

Personally, I have failed a lot. Over the years I have made bad decisions, miscalculations, thought I was right when I wasn’t and so on. Whatever success I or any other Christian experiences is a result of the repeated process of failure, correction, redemption and starting again.

As an agent, I fail on behalf of clients. It’s an awful thing to fail for someone else. Anyone involved in publishing longer than a few months, understands failure. It’s part of life, but I wish it weren’t.

Failure and weakness have a unique dual purpose. While they build character, like iron sharpening iron or fire refining gold, it also reveals character. Every failure creates a public display of one’s character-status for all to see.

Writing and publishing is risky business. Rejection, not meeting expectations, losing money, wasting time and outright failure are part of the life of an author, agent and publisher.

It is neither fair nor logical. It rains on the righteous and unrighteous, the talented writer and not so talented. (By the way, in the Bible, rain is a good thing)

So, Christian authors have a dual problem. They are a rejected minority for being a Christian and they work in a field where failure is an everyday occurrence.

If anyone understands humility, it would be a Christian author.

God has us right where he wants us and the world will be transformed because of it. We’ve prayed for revival and it is on its way. But not because of anything we did.

I assume the world will continue to react to the message of Christ the same as they did the first time he came. Many loved him, but most hated him.

The best Christian books are on their way. And it’s going to be pretty exciting to have a front row seat to the show.

While we might fail in this world, it is comforting to know one day, maybe soon, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus was right all along.

So let’s get to work.

 

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Category: Agency, Book Business, Encouragement, Faith, The Writing LifeTag: Encouragement, Faith, Theology

Expecting the Unexpected   

By Karen Ballon April 6, 2016
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I used to think that if you did a, b would follow, closely tailed by c. That belief was blasted into smithereens by the time I hit my third decade of life. I’ve learned that doing a MAY bring b, or q, or something not even remotely related. I’ve learned in my life, my career, and my faith to expect the unexpected. So why am I telling you this? Well, a couple of weeks ago I promised you a blog …

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Category: Christian, Faith, PersonalTag: Christian, Faith

Love at Christmas

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 24, 2015
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In the spirit of God’s love at Christmas, I share with you a reading from The Book of Common Prayer: 1 John 4:7-16  King James Version (KJV) 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only …

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Category: Christian, FaithTag: Book of Common Prayer, Christian, Christmas, Faith

A Writers’ Advent: Week Two

By Karen Ballon December 9, 2015
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In this second week of advent, let’s take a look at both the second and third candles: the Angel and the Shepherd candle. As I thought about these two groups, I realized they played two very specific roles in the birth of the Savior: the angels proclaimed God’s glory, and the shepherds bore witness to what God did. All through Scripture, angels bring us messages. They speak God’s truth so that we …

Read moreA Writers’ Advent: Week Two
Category: Faith, The Writing LifeTag: Advent, Faith, The Writing Life

A Writer’s Advent

By Karen Ballon December 2, 2015
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Last Sunday, November 29th, was the beginning of one of my favorite seasons of the year: Advent. Some of my earliest memories are of Advent, of doing devotions as a family around an Advent wreath, my two brothers and I eager to be the one to light the candle each week. I don’t know about your traditions, but for us, the four purple candles were the Advent, Angel, Shepherd, and Bethlehem candles. …

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Category: Career, Faith, The Writing LifeTag: Advent, The Writing Life

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 26, 2015
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Today I will be cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for my family and I hope you will be celebrating with those you love as well. Perhaps you will be able to take a few moments to ponder the Gospel entry from the Book of Common Prayer, presented in more than one translation. God Bless you. Readings for Thanksgiving Day The Gospel St. Matthew vi. 25 JESUS said, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall …

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Category: Christian, Faith, PersonalTag: Book of Common Prayer, Faith, thanksgiving

Are You Seeing Ghosts?

By Karen Ballon November 25, 2015
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I read something this morning that I don’t recall ever reading before. I mean, I’ve read the story more times than I can count, but one line caught me today: “But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!” Recognize it? It’s from Luke 24, when Jesus appears to the disciples as they’re walking along the road. He even tells them, “Peace be with you.” And what do …

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Category: Faith, Personal, The Writing LifeTag: Faith, thanksgiving, The Writing Life

Please…Preach to the Choir

By Karen Ballon July 15, 2015
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  How often have you heard a writer say, “My book isn’t for church people. I mean, I don’t want to preach to the choir, I want to reach those searching for Christ.” Not for nothing, but friends, who do you think is in the choir? Sure, some of the people sitting in the pews of any given church are life-long believers who know all they need to know about God and living a life of faith. I mean, …

Read morePlease…Preach to the Choir
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Book Proposals, Career, Christian, Creativity, Faith, TrendsTag: Christian, Craft, Faith

Add Something Good for Lent

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 2, 2015
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We are nearing the end of the annual season of Lent, a time from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, set aside to prepare and focus believer’s hearts and minds on the death and wonderful resurrection of Jesus. Some use this as a time to forego chocolate or some other pleasure, a sort of fasting from something that matters to them. Ultimately it is the discipline to resist temptation, since Jesus …

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Category: Christian, FaithTag: Faith, lent

Thankful

By Karen Ballon November 26, 2014
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Holidays. People love them…people hate them. For my family, we fall in the “love ‘em” category. Thanksgiving always means getting together, sharing laughter and great food and playing all kinds of games. We bake and decorate and spend time watching football. Even the challenging Thanksgivings become a source of fun. Like the first time I fixed a turkey for Don and me. I made a huge bowl of …

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Category: Faith, PersonalTag: Faith, thanksgiving
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