Meeting this Saturday

June 1, 10 AM - noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff 

In the Barn, 2nd building on the right

Join us on Saturday and see if NJCWG is a fit for you.

All are welcome, wherever you are in your writing journey.

Hope to see you,

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com

May's Focus Point

When Writing = Obedience 

Write, def. #1: to form characters on a surface. We do this when we enter a date on our calendars, when we make a grocery list, when we journal. This is not the writing that brings us here today.

Write, def. #2: to compose, express, communicate. This is why we are here. It is not for ourselves—it is for others and, more importantly, it's in response to God’s prompting. 

I thought it would be a simple exercise to search the Bible for verses that tell us to "tell" but I found far more than I expected. Note the methods of telling and the forms of communication.

• Isa. 58:1 - "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people.” (their rebellion and sins)
• Ps. 145:4-7 - “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty… They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.”
• Matt. 10:27 - “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”
• Luke 4:18 (Jesus quoting Isa.61) – "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed."
• John 15:26-27 - "When the Counselor comes… he will testify about me. And you also must testify...
• Col. 1:28-29 - We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
• Mark 16:15 - He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
• 2 Tim. 4:2-3 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
• Hab. 2:2 - "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”

And what do we plainly write?

• From the verses above: sin, God’s works; His splendor, majesty, goodness and righteousness; His personal revelations to us; Jesus and the Good News; from Isa. 61: good news, freedom, recovery, and release from oppression.

• Ps. 71:15-16 - My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts...

• Acts 5:20 – When an angel opened the prison doors and released the apostles, he told them, "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." 

Where do we proclaim, tell, preach, shout, speak? 

Some of us have “temple courts,” at least occasionally. We have modern tablets (or laptops) and pursue writing in devotionals, periodicals, or and books. We also have rooftops. Our rooftops are blogs, FB, Instagram, audio, video, and more. They are know as social media, but they are our platforms for proclamation. 

Takeaway: I will not shrink from God’s calling on my life, but proclaim, tell, write His message by the means available today.

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. (Col 1:28-29)