Lose All Control

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him (Colossians 2:6).

The most important thing we can do as a Christian is to surrender to the Lordship and leadership of Christ. But this isn't easy for us to do. We like to be in control. This was Lucifer's problem when he led a revolt in heaven. It was Adam and Eve's problem when they listened to the serpent's lies and disobeyed God. It was Sarah and Abraham's problem when they took matters into their own hands and Ishmael was born of Hagar. This list goes on and on.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me (John 15:4).

It's still a problem today, but surrendering should be one of the first steps in becoming a Christian. We must first surrender to Christ and truly make him Lord of our lives before we can bear fruit. What we do isn't nearly as important as "abiding" in Christ. Working for Christ will be a natural outcome of abiding in Him and letting Him take control. Yet, almost all our Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, and sermons are about doing the right thing or not doing the wrong thing. Again, this will come more easily when we abide in Christ.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:10).

In his book, Sifted, Rick Lawrence writes: "What makes God happy --intensely happy? Well, when we abide in Him like a grafted-in branch, intimately and profounded connected to Him and therefore involved in whatever He's doing." And you know what? That's what makes us truly happy, too -- ecstatically joyful!

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 Examining the Details

Details are crucial to a story, but few people talk about getting them right. They can either make a story come to life or break it into fragmented pieces that have readers shaking their heads. Adding details is a balancing act. Too many and it bogs the story down,  making it slow to sludge through and boring. Too few and the story becomes vague with little substance.

I recently read at least half a dozen books (some by well-known authors) that had way too many details. For one of them, I wrote, "This is a wonderful main story, but there's too much extraneous material that has little to do with moving the story forward and makes parts of it boring" in the review.

In at least one of them (and probably more), the author appeared to be trying to stretch the story out to make a longer book by adding lots of details. But it made her book much less interesting and enjoyable. A string of adjectives before a noun does not make for good writing. 

When it comes to details, writers should say as much as possible with as few words as possible, giving a clear visual image. Details should be woven into the story and not expounded on in narratives. Never write pages of description. I have an aversion to books weighed down with descriptions, and I often wonder if I include enough of them in my writing. Therefore, I am always surprised when reviewers praise my books for the details that allow them to visualize the setting and feel as if they were there. I hope that means I'm getting the details right.

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Peter's Firsts

The Apostle Peter has often been a favorite of Bible scholars. I think many can identify with the outspoken man whose heart was in the right place but still made his blunders. Being bold and impulsive, Peter has a long list of firsts.  He was - - -

• the first follower of Jesus
• the  first to name Jesus as the Messiah
• the first to receive a new name from Jesus
• the first (other than Jesus) to walk on water
• the first to violently defend Jesus when he pulls out his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane
• the first disciple to walk into Jesus' empty tomb
• the first to get to Jesus in the shores of the Sea of Tiberias after the resurrection
• the first to preach about Jesus in the public square
• the first to lead the new Church of believers in Christ

Peter was brought low by his denial of Jesus at His trial. It humbled the disciple and made him a better servant of the Lord. Jesus forgave him, and he had to forgive himself. He'd been bold when he was with Jesus but faltered when away from Him. However, he would be bold for Christ again as he led the Church and spread the gospel message. We should do likewise.

(Firsts are taken from Sifted by Rick Lawrence)

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Promoting Your Books

Most authors struggle with promoting and marketing their books. More often than not, it takes time and patience to grow your fan base and sales. The recent pandemic has reduced the opportunities for book signings and other direct marketing events. This makes it doubly important to create other promotional and marketing strategies.

I started with a couple of ways to use social media, but over time, I've broadened my scope. You don't have to do this totally alone. There're networks and groups already established that can help you. Tap into them. For example, there're many Facebook groups that hold regularly scheduled book celebrations. Some of them are themed, such as new releases or Western books, but you should be able to find groups where your books fit. Join them, contact the administrator, and participate in the events. You can have your posts with your bio, your book information, some fun questions or activities, and perhaps a giveaway already prepared to post. Stay on the page as much as possible on the day of the event to answer questions, make comments, and interact with readers.

Don't forget blogs, either. Some authors and authors' groups regularly have guest bloggers. I have become associated with some wonderful, well-known authors and have written a blog to be posted on their site. This is another great way to get new readers, and it doesn't take as much time as committing to a day's event.

There are also radio broadcasts and podcasts that regularly feature authors. I have done several of these and have always enjoyed them more than I initially thought I would.  You can often find invitations from these online, too, especially on some of the pages for authors' groups on Facebook. You might also contact your local radio station or even a television station that has a program featuring local stories.

As I become more involved and comfortable with marketing, new avenues are always opening. Recently, a fan contacted me and wanted to do a conference call with her book club. I talked with them for about 30 minutes on the phone and enjoyed every minute of it. I would like to pursue more of these because speaking with book clubs has always proved successful for me.

Explore the possibilities. Began small and expand on it. Seize every opportunity you can that comes your way and fits your writing. They are out there when you start looking and not hard to find. And most of all, have fun with it. Promoting and marketing shouldn't be a burden but an adventure and a joy.

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 Bringing to Jesus

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, may have been somewhat overshadowed by his outspoken brother, but he had his own God-given talents. For one thing, he had been a follower of John the Baptist and at one point went to his brother to tell him they had found the Messiah (see John 1:40-42), and they both went to find Jesus. This changed their lives forever.

It was also Andrew who brought forth the young boy who had the food Jesus would bless and share with thousands (See John 6:8-9). Another time, Andrew brought a group of Greeks to Jesus. The men had approached Philip and asked to see Jesus, and Philip took them to Andrew. Andrew and Philip together escorted them to Jesus (see John 12:20-22).

Followers of Christ should seek to bring others to Him. If we love others as we are commanded, we'll want to share the good news of salvation with them. We produce fruit and live victorious lives when we bring others to Jesus, and we don't have to do this on our own. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us. How many people have you brought to Jesus? It's not too late.

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What's with All the Billionaires?

I am rather appalled by the slew of Christian novels featuring Billionaires in the title. I've read some of them, however, and most of them aren't that bad. Yet, I don't understand all the emphasis on money and materialism. The stories would be just as good, and in my opinion, even better, if they left out the billionaire part. I think it emphasizes worldly values too much. A search on Amazon showed 6,400 books with "billionaire" in the title or subtitle.

Even if the book might include a main character that is a billionaire, why put that in the title? I'm guessing the author thinks it will draw readers, but it does the opposite for me. I always hesitate to order one of these books and don't usually do so unless they're offered for free. In all of them I've read, the wealth is an important part of the plot, and I wish it wasn't.

If I ever wrote such a book (and I seriously doubt this will ever happen), I would make the money a stumbling block to the relationship, not an asset. Should Christians seek to become billionaires? I think not. We have much more important things to seek after.

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Do You Love the World?

Love not the world, neither the things that in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world  (1 John  2:15-16). 

Many people love the things of the world too much. Too many gauge success by worldly standards: education, careers, money, status, looks, etc. All of these stem from the sin of pride. Other sins can sprout from it, things like greed, stepping on others to get ahead, cheating, lying, stealing, vicious gossip, and a host of others. 

The wise realize that nothing is as important as our heavenly Father and faith. It is the only thing that will matter in the end. Only what we've done with Jesus and our relationship with Him will matter then. This determines where we'll spend eternity, and eternity matters so much more than this fleeting, temporary existence.

So, I ask. Do you love the world too much? Do you cling to it more tenaciously than you cling to God? Does the very thought of dying send you sinking in a sea of dread and depression? Do you want to get ahead in life more than you study God's Word, pray, and seek to bring others to Him? Remember, God always gives us another chance to make better choices and get things right.

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