Faith: Real or Counterfeit

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

In one of his sermons, Warren Wiersbe talked about dead or counterfeit faith. He said, "Even in the early church, there were those who claimed they had saving faith, yet did not possess salvation" (Warren Wiersbe, Be Mature, kindle loc. 934). These people may say the right things, pray beautiful prayers, give great testimonies, and quote appropriate Bible verses, but their heart isn't in it. They can talk the talk but they don't walk the walk. Many of them don't intentionally deceive. They just don't understand what the Christian life is all about. As Paul said, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him" (Titus 1:16). And, Satan, the great deceiver, loves to convince us that a counterfeit faith is the real thing.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (James 2:17).

A good illustration of this is the parable Jesus told of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37). The priest and the Levite were supposed to be men of God. They'd had religious training and could teach and defend their faith. Yet, when they had the opportunity to put that faith into action, they walked away from the man in need. They didn't understand that faith is built on love and demands evidence.

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:40).

       The person with dead faith has only an intellectual experience. In his mind,
       he knows the doctrine of salvation, but he has never submitted himself to
       God and trusted Christ for salvation. He knows the right words, but he does
       not back up his words with his works (Warren Wiersbe, Be Mature, kindle
       loc. 959-981).
 

An intellectual faith alone is of little consequence; it matters little. No one can really come close to Christ and not be changed. Salvation is accepting His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, allowing Him to become the Lord of our lives, and wanting Him to change us. A Christian life is one of service, not to gain anything, but because we have and want to share the love of Christ. Such a life should be satisfying and bring joy.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

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Hosting Special Book or Author Events Online

Book parties, author takeovers, and guest hosting offer authors special opportunities to promote their books, reach a new audience, and garner new fans. However, successful ones take special thought and careful planning. Here are some tips and thoughts for you to consider.

Although one of your goals is to promote your book(s), you should not solely focus on advertising. You need to engage your audience. Ask provocative questions that participants will want to answer. Try to avoid those questions that have been overused and come up with fresh ideas. Provide games or puzzles when appropriate. You want to make this a fun time. It's good to center your posts around a theme that goes with your main book whenever possible. Have attractive posts with pictures ready ahead of time and labeled in the order you want to post them.

Videos are helpful, but amateurish, hastily thrown together ones can do more harm than good. Don't try to be overdramatic for it will come across as silly or ridiculous. If you can't get one of you talking that looks professional, make one that uses your books, scenes, and words with appropriate music in the background. It doesn't need to be long. Succinct and to the point is better. Still posts are fine, too. And don't forget to announce your event ahead of time to encourage interest.

If you need to choose a timeslot, midmorning gets more traffic but also be aware of the different time zones if you are posting on Facebook or a similar site. Even if you aren't hosting all day, try to stay as long as you can or be available because you will keep getting questions and comments even after your allotted time. 

If you haven't done this type of event before, it might be wise to start with a small one to gain some experience. The more you do, the more you will see what works and what doesn't. Have fun with it and let your enthusiasm show. However, don't fake it. Be natural and let the audience see the real you. That's what will draw a following.

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Home

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15)

Where is your home? Pliny the Elder is credited with saying, "Home is where your heart is?" Where is your heart? Is it in this world or with God? Do you live to accumulate things, or is your life dedicated to following the Lord? Who or what holds most of your heart and your time? Which one is reflected in the choices you make and the way you live your life?   

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come (Hebrews 13:14)

Jim Reeves said that this world is not our home, we're just passing through in one of his songs. Billy Graham agreed with this because said he was never going to die; he was just going to change addresses. We need to understand these concepts and order our lives accordingly.

Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2).

Our life on this earth is temporary, fleeting. Our eternal life is forever, and we'll be spending it in one of two places. That's what makes this so critical. If God doesn't hold your heart, then the world does, and if the world has it, Satan has it. Pray about it.

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Ten Books with All Five-Star Reviews

I've been blessed with many avid readers and fans. They give me verbal encouragement and acclamations all the time, but I have difficulty getting them to leave reviews. And I don't give away free books to get extra reviews. To me, that seems to be a bit underhanded or lacking in integrity.

However, although most of my books don't have a ton of reviews, I have ten with all of their Amazon reviews having five stars, and this is the highest possible rating. In addition, all of my books have better than a four-star rating. I feel blessed and humbled. Here are those with all five-star reviews:

It All Started at the Masquerade https://www.amazon.com/All-Started-at-Masquerade-ebook/dp/B078FQ38JK
With Summer's Songs https://www.amazon.com/Summers-Songs-Janice-Cole-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B01IC5TF6E
Unexpected https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z9F3QGH
Promise https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Farmers-Book-Janice-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B01N6R9DQA
On the Road to Jericho https://www.amazon.com/Road-Jericho-Janice-Cole-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B07HVKHJY9/
Deceitful Matters https://www.amazon.com/Deceitful-Matters-Janice-Cole-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B07DVTZWZW
Roslyn's Rescue https://www.amazon.com/Roslyns-Rescue-Janice-Cole-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B07MDSJKJC
Off the Streets https://www.amazon.com/Off-Streets-Another-Chance-Book-ebook/dp/B082SYS7KZ
Without a Dream https://www.amazon.com/Without-Dream-Another-Chance-Book-ebook/dp/B084MM5FCM
From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea https://www.amazon.com/Top-Mountain-Bottom-Sea-Lessons-ebook/dp/B086PYKS7T/

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Serving by Surrendering

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone (Luke11:42).

Some of the Israelites, especially many of the Pharisees, attended the synagogue, tithed, and made animal sacrifices to take care of their sins. They prayed lengthy prayers and tried to follow the law. They thought they were good with God, but they didn't love, obey, surrender, or trust. They didn't give Him their whole hearts.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

Many Christians today do much the same thing. They attend church, put money in the offering plate, and think they have done their duty. They consider themselves good with God and heaven-bound, but they have never truly given their hearts to Christ or surrendered to His lordship. Their lives do not stand as a strong testimony or an encouragement for others to join the Christian faith.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit! Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Matthew 7:18-19).

What kind of fruit are you bearing? Are most of your efforts for yourself and what you want to do or for the Lord and what He wants you to do? Do you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind; and do you love others as yourself? May we truly grow in the Lord and become who He wants us to be. We serve best by surrendering.

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Christmas in July

Click here for the link

A group of authors has gotten together to host a week of great books, games, videos, prizes, fun, and more. They're calling it "Christmas in July." Come join us on the morning of July 20 for the kick-off. With the large number of authors involved, you're bound to find some new books you'd love to read, have a chance to win some great prizes, and find some interesting information.

The posts will continue all week with a different author hosting in different time slots. But you'll be able to scroll through, see, and comment on all the posts, regardless of who is hosting at that time. There'll be a wide variety of books and genres, mostly Christian fiction but also some Christian non-fiction.

My time will be on Tuesday, July 21, from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. (EST). I will be talking about my Appalachian Roots series and Through the Wilderness, set on the Oregon Trail. I need my friends and fans to come by and support me. I'm hoping I can meet plenty of new readers, too, and make some new friends. This will be a great place to stop in all week long.

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Yoked with Jesus


Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

A yoke is a device used to keep a team of work animals in their proper places and allow them to pull together more easily and efficiently. They can range from very simple devices resembling a thick pole or rod to more elaborate ones. Farmers, transporters, and travelers who needed to pull wagons with heavy loads often used oxen yoked together.

Jesus tells us we need to be yoked with Him. He hints that if we are, He will do most of the work. He will remove the burdens, stress, and strain from our shoulders and make our labor easier. He will give us rest. How special it is to become yoked with Jesus -- to be on His team. We can never go wrong unless we break from our yoke.

I can't understand why anyone would not want that. Yet, we in our humanness, too often want to take control and make our own decisions. In doing so, we mess up big time. How much easier it would be to stay with Christ, go where He leads, and do want He wants. Commit today to surrendering and being yoked with Christ.

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Over 250,000 Page Views and Changes

I have been blogging for over five years now, and there have been changes along the way. I started out blogging seven days a week. Almost two years later, with advice from an expert blogger, I reduced that to three days a week, and it's been that way until now. However, with the more books I publish, the more difficulty I have finding time to manage everything, and I've decided to start blogging twice a week, although, as a writer, blogging is important to me. I will combine the Monday blogs of mainly history and trivia with the Wednesday blogs about my books and writing, interspersing them. I will post Friday's blog with a Christian message on Thursday.

Another change is that my page visits on my blog have grown tremendously over the five years. I now have over 250,000 (251, 870 as of Sunday morning to be exact). The top blog by far is "Running from God" about Jonah with 20,165 page visits. "Cranberry Bread" has 7,315; "Mother Teresa" 2,642; "Where Has Our History Gone" 1,264; and Candlewicking 1,104.

So, this is the first blog on the new schedule. The next blog will be on Thursday and will be a Christian message. Maybe this change will help me get caught up or at least closer to it. I do appreciate the support of all my many readers very much. The next time I do an update on blogging, I hope I'll have even better things to report.

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For Our Country

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again (Job 12:23).

Most Christians would agree that our nation desperately needs prayer. However, how many of us pray desperately? When Jesus approached Jerusalem one day, he was concerned with what he saw happening. "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it" (Luke 19:41). Have you ever wept over the state of our country? I have in my prayers.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

We are to pray for our leaders. If people would spend as much time praying for the politicians in power and those seeking office as they do complaining about or belittling some of them, much more would be accomplished. God wants us to love them and all people. He wants us to pray for them and our country. We need to follow his commandments and not get caught up in negative behaviors that leave poor testimonies for the Christian way of life.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,  and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

There are still a large number of Christians in the United States today, but they are decreasing with each new generation. If we don't do something soon, we will lose this country. We need to band together, quit talking, and do something positive to take back this country for God. We need to forget about what we think and be guided by the Holy Spirit. We need to make this "one nation under God" in the full meaning of that phrase. Let's not just talk about it; let's do it!

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Time-Told Tales, Volume Two

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B08BW431QL/

Time-Told Tales, Volume Two, is now for sale. Loosely based on some of the classic fairy tales, I’ve set this series of books in the Middle Ages and removed much of the make-believe and magic in the stories to make them more realistic, believable, and suitable for adults. It was my intent from the very beginning to have a number of these tales. This then is the second volume of Time-Told Tales. Volume One of the print and audible books contains the ebooks Roslyn’s Rescue (Little Red Riding Hood redone) and Glenda’s Gold (Rumplestiltskin redone). This Volume Two has Patricia’s Prison (Rapunzel rewritten) and Jack’s Jewel (Jack and the Beanstalk (rewritten). They have such different titles because they are completely different stories than you’ve ever heard before.

In Patricia’s Prison, Patricia’s parents want her to marry an older duke for his title and wealth, but her interest is drawn to Charles, one of her father’s knights. When she defies them, her stubborn, unpredictable father will have none of it. The unforeseen occurs, and there is nothing Patricia or Charles can do about it.  https://www.amazon.com/Patricias-Prison-Time-Told-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B085LM7VZ8/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B089WC1HC2

Then, when Jack’s mother sends him to sell their cow, he can find no one to buy it, so he trades the animal for some remarkable beans in Jack's Jewels. His mother is not pleased, however, and demands that he leave. He heads south, hoping to find a home. In Fairleigh, the earl agrees to let Jack plant his beans in one of the castle's fields, but Jack cannot help but notice the earl's beautiful daughter. However, he will have to use all his wits if he's ever allowed to court Pearl.

I tried to use only vocabulary words found in the Middle Ages. Looking up so many words, often five or more per sentence, has been more time-consuming and laborious than I would like. However, as a history major, it’s important to me to be as accurate as possible. I took care to maintain the flavor of the period in both the setting and the language, while still trying to keep an easy flow to the story. So, join me on a trip back into the romance of a much earlier time in this new Time-Told Tales.

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