Writing

Just as we have the Bible, God’s Word in written form, because the Spirit of God moved upon men to record it, so today God speaks to His Body (the Church) in written form. Sometimes it may be something as simple as a letter to someone. Other times, it may be a prophesy or teaching that is set forth in writing for a broad audience.

When I first came to the Lord and entered discipleship, I was given a ministers’ manual. In it were all of Richard’s writings, as of that date, and a number of teachings from other ministers as well. I poured through that manual many times during my first year in the ministry.

In it, I read teachings on fundamental doctrines, such as: Baptism { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/baptism-one-two-or-three/ }; Financial Giving { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/tithing-offering-and-alms-giving/ }; and the End Times { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/this-is-the-last-days/ }. I also read prophetic messages to the Church like “A Letter to the Church” { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/a-letter-to-the-church/ } and Richard’s two part series on Ezekial 33 concerning the Watchman called of the people { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/ezekiel-the-watchman-part1/ } and the Watchman called of God { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/ezekiel-the-watchman-part2/ }. Over the years, Richard added to his writings including a very meaty piece on pre-destination { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/ephesians-chapter-one/ } and timely messages on Prayer { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/a-word-about-prayer/ } and being free from fear { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/teachings/are-you-free-from-fear/ }. What I love about such writings is that I can read them many times and meditate upon them. They have been a special treasure to me.

From the outset, Richard encouraged me to write in the Lord. The first message I ever wrote was my testimony of coming to faith in Christ. Although it is not the testimony I typically share today because I have so much more to testify of than I did at the time, it still represents the raw, unfiltered voice of a newborn babe in Christ.  You can read it here if you like.

In my study of Richard’s writings, I heard him frequently testify of how those things he wrote were messages that the Lord gave him as he sought the Lord in prayer, so I sought to do likewise. In my first year in Christ, I wrote various messages and brought them to Richard to review, much like a child might do with his parent. Richard read them all and, while he did not have me publish them, he did not discourage my efforts.

Another more fruitful vein for me at the time related to my correspondence with various folks. Some were letters written in response to specific issues that may have arisen in a telephone conversation I had with someone. Others were in response to problems or issues that someone had shared with me in writing. Whatever the case was, I frequently discussed my correspondence with Richard and he offered suggestions. In the end, such practice and Richard’s feedback proved invaluable to my learning to write in the Lord.

In 1994, Richard started The Liberty News, a bi-weekly newspaper.  Richard founded it, in response to the many unsettling things he found were going on in the country during his travels with our fellowship’s tent revival team. I wrote a weekly column for that paper under the moniker Legal Eagle. You can read the articles I wrote, including my series on the Bill of Rights and the Preamble to the Constitution, here.  Some of the articles that I wrote for The Liberty News were also published in the mainstream media, like the articles “Where is Justice” and “Conversion of a Pacifist”, both of which also appeared in the Time-Argus, Central Vermont’s daily newspaper.

When Richard left Vermont in 1996, The Liberty News closed down, but my writing continued. From 1998 to 2001, I wrote a quarterly column for the Vermont Bar Association’s Journal, entitled Tech Tips. These pieces were part and parcel of my chairmanship of the VBA’s Technology Committee. They covered a wide variety of subjects relevant to computer technology and the law. Ultimately, I was recognized for my written work and the seminars I performed, receiving the VBA’s award for its best committee chairman.

The first real piece that I wrote for public consumption within the ministry, other than my testimony, was The Fishermen Ministry’s Articles of Faith. Frankly, I do not recall what prompted my effort, as Richard had previously written Articles of Faith, but for some reason while we were both in West Palm Beach, Florida – Richard with our Revival Tent and me on a legal matter – I wrote out our Articles of Faith. You can read my finished work here { http://www.thefishermenministry.org/articles-of-faith/ } as it has been the statement of faith for our fellowship since the late 1990s. It is different from many that you will read for its abundant references to the Scriptures to establish each doctrinal point. In my experience, taking the time to study the Scriptures cited for each point is an excellent immersion into the fundamentals of Christian faith. I believe anyone who will prayerfully do so, with a true desire to know the Lord and His ways, can get oriented in the Lord for a life of service to Him if they want to, just by studying the Articles of Faith.

Over the years, my correspondence has grown dramatically, as I now minister to individuals all over the world. Simultaneously, the number of messages that the Lord has had me put into writing for public consumption has also grown. A few that I encourage you to read that the Lord had me write before I started this blog are:

All are quite meaty, but I trust the Lord will reward such as dive in with a heart that desires to know the truth above all.

If you are interested in reprinting or otherwise sharing something that Richard or I wrote, please let me know. Further, if you want to learn how to write for the Lord do not hesitate to contact me.

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