In this continuation of Chapter Two of Talent For A Mission (© 2023 Deborah Lagarde), I explain why I have used fiction to carry out my own ‘mission of God’ instead of non-fiction…with this non-fiction ‘guide’ being an exception, so far. Below is Part Three of the ‘why’ scenario in Chapter Two:
Tag: Christian fiction
Coming Next: Talent For A Mission
I am still working on completing Talent For A Mission, which is a manual or guide or encouragement…call it what you will…for Christian authors of (mostly) fiction novels or stories or short novels to use the “talent” God gave them to get the Word out about why one should consider or choose or ‘re-choose’ accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. To do what Christ (after His resurrection) told His apostles to do–make disciples of all nations (at the end of the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 28, for one).
The Prodigal Band Trilogy is based on the Luke 15 Parable of the Prodigal Son. Talent for a Mission is based on another parable, the Parable of the Talents, from the Gospel of Matthew 25: 14-30 (from the King James Bible PDF version):
{25:14} For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man
travelling into a far country, [who] called his own servants,
and delivered unto them his goods. {25:15} And unto one
he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to
every man according to his several ability; and straightway
took his journey. {25:16} Then he that had received the five
talents went and traded with the same, and made [them]
other five talents. {25:17} And likewise he that [had
received] two, he also gained other two. {25:18} But he that
had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his
lord’s money. {25:19} After a long time the lord of those
servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. {25:20} And so
he that had received five talents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
{25:21} His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I
will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the
joy of thy lord. {25:22} He also that had received two
talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two
talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
{25:23} His lord said unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I
will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the
joy of thy lord. {25:24} Then he which had received the one
talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard
man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering
where thou hast not strawed: {25:25} And I was afraid, and
went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, [there] thou hast
[that is] thine. {25:26} His lord answered and said unto
him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that
I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not
strawed: {25:27} Thou oughtest therefore to have put my
money to the exchangers, and [then] at my coming I should
have received mine own with usury. {25:28} Take therefore
the talent from him, and give [it] unto him which hath ten
talents. {25:29} For unto every one that hath shall be given,
and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which he hath. {25:30} And
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness
In other words, if God gave an author the talent to author for His purpose, then that author ought to use that talent in writing, to “make disciples of all nations,” and for other purposes promoting good as opposed to evil, or for the purpose of exposing evil (using fiction or non-fiction). That is the purpose of my writing a ‘manual’ so-to-speak, to promote the idea that if an author believes on Christ, then that author should perform that ‘mission’ that God gave him or her.
The next post will be the first chapter of Talent For A Mission, which tells why a Christian author should take that ‘mission,’ and why I was inspired to write this ‘manual’ in the first place. Cheers!
Snippets of The Prodigal Band Trilogy: Biblical References Series, Episode Three—“The Parable of the Laborers of the Vineyard”
Several New Testament Parables given by Christ to His Apostles influenced how and why I wrote the three novels in The Prodigal Band Trilogy. One of these is from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Twenty, verses 1 through 16. It is called “the Parable of the Laborers of the Vineyard.” It is cited below, from the copyright-free public domain King James Version of the Holy Bible, the PDF version.
To sum up the message: The “householder” (God) “hires” “laborers” (missionaries) to reap new fruit (believers on Christ) within the vineyard (the world), beginning with those hired early in the morning (that is, early in the life of the “laborer”; children, teens or those in their twenties), then hired mid-day (“laborers” in their thirties), then later (“laborers” in their forties or fifties), then later (sixties and seventies) then the “eleventh hour” (those on their death beds or close to it…I actually know a couple of folks who accepted Christ as their Savior days or even hours before they died or ‘passed on’!). I myself, while I (with one exceptional time period I described in an earlier snippet) believed in God and Christ, never fully committed to God and Christ until I witnessed a miraculous event while in my mid-forties. The “laborers” in question are those who not only accept Christ but tell the world about why they should consider accepting Christ as well (and EVERY Christian author, fiction or non-fiction, needs to partake in this however God guides them!). That is, these “laborers” are on their “mission of God,” an expression I use often in the trilogy. The final verse, 16, says the last (to accept Christ) will be first (as they will die shortly) and the first shall be last (as they have a full life ahead of them, God willing), and that “many are called but few are chosen.” And among these “few” there just might be those that prior to accepting Christ led extremely evil lives! And the “few” that are “chosen” are “chosen” for a reason; for one thing, among these “few” that are chosen are those that “choose” to be “chosen.” God is calling the entire world, basically, but only few will choose this “calling.” The “payment” of course, is eternity with God in Heaven. And it doesn’t matter to God at what point in the lives of the “laborers” they do become workers for God, and it shouldn’t matter to one who works his or her entire life for God gets the same reward as one who works for God at the end of his or her life—so it shouldn’t matter to anyone working for God, either. Below is the parable.
Snippets of The Prodigal Band Trilogy: Biblical References Series, Episode Two—Gnawing of “Bones Forever.”
I had originally called this post “Episode One.” Sorry about that, it is Episode Two.
The previous Biblical Reference post here about “weeping and gnashing of teeth” was used to point out that the evil satanic character Corion would mete out retribution onto those he commanded if they did not carry out his will. But Corion never says anything about ‘gnashing’ of teeth on the bones of those wayward minions—he uses the term “gnaw” and “gnawing.” While both ‘gnashing’ and ‘gnawing’ mean pretty much the same thing—teeth scraping on bones or whatever—I used the term ‘gnaw’ because it is more commonly used. Everyone knows about the gnawing of rodents on wood, on nuts, on gardens, on leftover food such as dog or cat food; gnawing is why rodents have those sharp fanged front teeth that they have.
There are only two references to ‘gnaw’ or ‘gnawing’ used in the Bible; I learned this by using Strong’s Concordance, which defines both in a similar way as it defines ‘gnashing,’ which is only found in the New Testament referring to Christ’s “weeping and gnashing of teeth” quotes in Matthew and Luke Gospel verses. But both ‘gnaw’ in Zephaniah 3:3 and ‘gnawing’ in Revelation 16:10 make the same connotations, except that while in Zephaniah the ‘gnaw’ is on bone, in Revelation the ‘gnawing’ is on the tongue ‘for pain.’ Zephaniah’s ‘gnaw’ on bone refers to evil leaders within Jerusalem that “are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.” (KJV) One could compare the evil Corion to these evil leaders in Jerusalem. So one could say that Corion’s ‘gnaw on bones forever’ has the same connotation as Zephaniah’s use of the word. However, in Revelation 16:10, the gnawing is on the “tongues for pain” and the ones doing the ‘gnawing on their tongues for pain’ are likely those who refused to repent of their deeds in the Revelation time-frame, which could mean either Corion’s minions had their tongues gnawed on by Corion or the evil minions gnawed on their own tongues. In The Prodigal Band Trilogy, the connotation is that Corion or his Demons did the ‘gnawing,’ but not one tongues, but bones. Forever.
The term ‘gnaw on bones forever’ is used several times in all three novels that make up the trilogy, and all refer to Corion’s gnawing on bones of either wayward minions or on the forces of Good, such as the angels called The Tooters who work for The Creator, God.
Feel Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth. Plus: More Spring Sales
First, about the spring sales…out in my neck of the woods in this mountain rural community we have (sponsored by our Community Church primarily to help our volunteer Fire Department with donations)…last year I “broke even” financially with sales of my two printed novels Battle of the Band and The Prophesied Band at this event. I have sold some more at the “second annual” spring event and handed out “business cards” with the URL for downloading the FREE PDF e-book FREE PDF e-book The Prodigal Band.
Before I go on to the main topic regarding present-day censorship especially with narratives, political and otherwise, I must say that I have a problem with Christians, including authors, that get on my case because my characters cuss or play rock music. Sorry, folks, but if you really think no Christian ever cusses (and I don’t know a Christian who doesn’t cuss every now and then!) or if you think rock musicians are all “devil worshipers” then you haven’t done your homework or you have bought into nonsense. Plus you have Christians who think all “Christian rockers” are really devil worshipers! Stryper then, Hillsong now, right? Did Stryper sing and play about Christ? Yes. Does Hillsong today sing and play about Christ? Yes, despite the appearance of Justin Bieber (I’m being facetious, okay?), and despite some “symbology” issues some have with Hillsong. Now, why would a non-Christian sing and play about Christ? A joke, right? Harking back to the late 60s and Norman Greenbaum’s hit song, “Spirit in the Sky” about Christ–and assuming Greenbaum is Jewish–why would he do a song about Christ? A reminder–the late 60s saw a surge in a movement called “Jews for Jesus.” Maybe Greenbaum was part of that.
Continue reading “Feel Censored? Use Fiction to Tell the Truth. Plus: More Spring Sales”
OmegaBooks 