Helen, that's a good point. Our pastor says that he can't do it all for
us. We have to dig for ourselves.
earlier, Helen, wrote:
>Well, John, perhaps the church does need teaching on spiritual welfare!
>There are many Christians who depend on their spiritual nourishment by what
>is doled out by those who have matured in their knowledge of, and close
>relationship with the Lord. They sit week after week, listening to others
>share the spiritual nuggets of Truth from the written word of God, or from
>their experiences in a wonderful, close relationship with Him. However,
>those hearers on spiritual welfare, don't bother to feed on the Word for
>themselves, so experience little or no growth in the Lord due to the
>secondhand food on which they depend.
>
>
>
>Earlier, John Schwery wrote:
> >Helen, is on the job, again. Delete welfare and put in, warfare.
> >
> >earlier, John Schwery, wrote:
> > >Phil, that sounds great. Keep up the writing and I can think of some
> > >people in my church that this book may help. Would you believe, that this
> > >Baptist group that I am in is teaching a series dealing with spiritual
> > >welfare, on Wednesday nights?
> > >
> > >earlier, Phil Scovell, wrote:
> > > >I haven't been posting as much on echurch of late because I have
> > > >been spending my spare time, that is, when not watching
> > > >grandchildren, either praying with people on pre scheduled prayer
> > > >sessions, or working on a Christian novel. I frankly, in spite of
> > > >all the other writing I have done, never consider too seriously a
> > > >novel. Oh, I have written one but it was a western and I have
> > > >never tried to get it published. I have started a couple of other
> > > >Christian novels but never got very far before giving up on the
> > > >idea. I began one about life during the millennium and another
> > > >about the Christians during the tribulation. I wrote a few
> > > >chapters and haven't gotten back to either of those for a very
> > > >long time. I have also written many introductory chapters to
> > > >other novels, mostly westerns, which I likewise have quickly lost
> > > >interest in completely. Since the changes the Lord has brought to
> > > >my own life in the last two years, an idea germinated which I
> > > >began day dreaming about many months ago. I happened to mention
> > > >my basic idea of a Christian story to Carol one day in an email
> > > >and she insisted I begin writing it. Well, shoot. I still
> > > >didn't take it seriously but I wrote the first chapter, emailed it
> > > >to Carol and Mike to proof read it, and suddenly I was being
> > > >pushed and encouraged to write more and more by them both. The
> > > >ministry of intercessory prayer I am in now full time became a
> > > >part of this story. The story itself is about a Satanic group
> > > >which plots against churches to destroy some of them and to extort
> > > >millions of dollars from other ministries. In the middle of all
> > > >of this, people get saved and healed and set free while others die
> > > >and go to prison. It is not a book for the light hearted. I will
> > > >be criticized for certain aspects of the book if it is ever seen
> > > >by the public, too. I decided, if I was going to write the book,
> > > >it would be real and truthful. Otherwise, why bother. After
> > > >writing some chapters and having Mike and Carol proof reading
> > > >them, I have made major changes at times, to only imply, the
> > > >violence and sin in which people become involved. It is all
> > > >there, however, for others to read when the time comes. Publish
> > > >it? I will be surprised it is ever published by a Christian
> > > >publisher. Self publishing is an option, if you have the money,
> > > >and I already have in mind a publisher that is a Christian bare
> > > >bones publisher. Again, you pay for everything but they do all
> > > >the printing and binding. You do all the marketing. I am not
> > > >even remotely interested in marketing any product and making money
> > > >off the Body of Christ. I'm not against those who do but I won't
> > > >do it. Selling a book is fine and there's nothing wrong with it
> > > >but few authors ever see much money from their published works. I
> > > >have no interest in making money off Christians. I do want people
> > > >to read something that can change a life. This book will stir
> > > >people in ways they never dreamed. Some will hate it. Some will
> > > >think it is the best read they have ever experienced. Some people
> > > >will cry as they read it and some will grieve because of the
> > > >impact of the truth imbedded in the story itself. Some will
> > > >criticize it, and me, but others will experience freedom from
> > > >bondage and those are who I care about. What happens if no
> > > >publishing company is interested in the book? I could care less.
> > > >I have a website where it can be displayed for free to anybody who
> > > >wants to read it. I won't be trying to publish the book, by the
> > > >way, unless the Lord leads me to do so otherwise. I guarantee
> > > >you, however, that I will not be seeking any Christian publishing
> > > >house to market my book. I also already have another source who
> > > >may show interest in the book due to the nature of their own
> > > >ministry. If they are interested in seeing it published, that
> > > >alone will encourage me to do so. Otherwise, as I said, it will
> > > >be on the website for free to all. I am nearing the end of the
> > > >book, to my amazement, and I am passed the 180,000 word mark
> > > >already. It will easily pass 200,000 words by the time I finish.
> > > >My oldest sister, by the way, is a published author of Christian
> > > >educational materials and she is currently self publishing new
> > > >Christian school materials shortly to be released. She is,
> > > >therefore, an excellent proof reader and knows the business.
> > > >Unfortunately, my sister would be quite well to do by now but a
> > > >Christian publisher, who was a personal friend of the family,
> > > >literally stole my sister's copyrights. He stole the copies of
> > > >her books when he was fired from a big Christian publishing house,
> > > >whose name most would know if I mentioned it, and that big
> > > >publishing house took him to court. He lost and was ordered by
> > > >the judge to pay my sister a minimum of 30,000 dollars. She had
> > > >already lost over 150,000 dollars in royalties but this guy didn't
> > > >have five cents to his name. He never even paid the 30,000
> > > >dollars to my sister either. How did I get off on to all that?
> > > >Anyhow, my point is this. Once the first draft of the book is
> > > >complete, I won't display it publicly on my website but it will
> > > >be available privately to those who want to read it. I won't
> > > >display it publicly until I learn if anybody is interested in it.
> > > >If they aren't, I'll put it on my website and then pray about self
> > > >publishing. To do self publishing right, however, you need about
> > > >30,000 dollars just to get the publishing part done right and
> > > >copies of the book made. Then you spend a long time trying to get
> > > >interviews on radio stations and doing personal appearances. I
> > > >have absolutely no interest in any of that. Maybe during the
> > > >Millennium when there is more time for such things but not now.
> > > >What I want to do now is what the Lord called me to do and that's
> > > >to pray with people who need to be set free from woundedness. So,
> > > >please pray about all this, if you think about it, and when the
> > > >book's first draft is finished, I'll let you all know. I have a
> > > >private passworded upload and download folder on my website where
> > > >you'll be able to get the book or I will be able, of course, to
> > > >email it as an attachment.
> > > >
> > > >Phil.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >I Flew Kites With Jesus
> > > >www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
> > >
> > >John
> > >
> > > Virus checking completed: All viruses functioning normally
> >
> >John
> >
> > Virus checking completed: All viruses functioning normally
John
Virus checking completed: All viruses functioning normally
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