Write the Vision and Make it Plain

“Write the vision and make it plain. . . so he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2

When Pete Plain, a twelve-year-old with “two left feet,” gets his hands on a colorful but illegal comic book, he can’t resist taking a peek inside. What happens next changes his entire life.

The boy who was never very good at anything gets taken on a journey far beyond his wildest dreams. As people from his past connect with people from the present, he struggles to understand what is happening. The more truth he uncovers, the more challenges he faces. Can he find help from another realm, with friends to help him overcome his fears and face the bullies in his life?

The visions Pete encounters on his comic book journey impart fresh hope to him, giving him strength to forgive and speed to help in time of need.

As his home life crumbles, he has nowhere to look but up. But will his natural tendency to look down get in the way?

And what about the boys shooting kids with toxic slime? Can Pete put an end to their mean pranks before it’s too late, or will the bitter malady known as Sadly Absent Dad Syndrome keep him from fulfilling his destiny?

With evil forces threatening to disable him, Pete faces an important choice. He can either allow the guilt of past mistakes to disable him or he can choose to rise above it.

Along the way he realizes that he has far to go. But he has a vision he can reach if he runs with it, moving step by step toward his goal.

One touch begins Pete’s journey. Who knows where it will end?

We all have a mission in life. The first step to fulfilling it is to find out what it is.

“Write the vision and make it plain, so he can run who reads it.”

https://miracle-times.com/book-blogging/speed-sight-book-release-now/

https://miracle-times.com/healing/believe-instant-miracles/

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Speed of Sight Pokes Fun at the Idol of Human Intellect

Human Intellect Versus Real Power

Welcome to Speed of Sight, a Superhero Adventure by C.R. Flamingbush. This upcoming release by Dove Christian Publishers pokes fun at the idol of human intellect.

The novel revolves around a special comic book with magical powers that transports an awkward twelve-year-old boy to a different world. Once inside that world, he glimpses past events he never knew of and goes for a ride almost too real to put in words. Then, when he gets back, his best friend treats him like a space alien.

“Oh no. Pete, what have you done?”

What was Pete’s crime? Daring to actually read the book he was supposed to hide. “But why would that be wrong?” you might ask.

Well, to quote an excerpt from Speed of Sight (the bottom of pages 31 to the top of 32),

Jack put his hands up to block the view (of the comic book). “Don’t shove those pictures in my face. You must be very careful.” He looked nervously about. “This book has been banned for a good reason. Here, let me show you something.” He grabbed the book and turned to the last page.

“What is it?” Pete asked. The handwriting was hard to read and very strange to him.

“It’s a one thousand, five hundred, fifty-five-letter commentary that explains why you’re not supposed to use the comics for adventures,” Jack replied.

Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it? “Don’t use the comics for adventures?” I mean, isn’t that what comic books are for? Don’t they in effect take us on adventures, with heroes who have supernatural super powers?

Spiritual Gifts Free Us From Faithless Religiosity

 

In the case of believing Christians, those powers – better known as “spiritual gifts” – come from God. Some Christians, however, either don’t receive those gifts (powers) or else they totally reject them. Like the Sadducees in Jesus’ time who didn’t believe in a resurrection, they interpret Bible verses in ways that promote unbelief. Theirs is a powerless religion – or should we say “religiosity,” in which religion becomes all about form but lacks true substance.

Speed of Sight pokes fun at such mindsets.  To quote an excerpt taken from page 32,

 

“Because that’s the sort of thing I was warning you about when I told you not to read the book,” Jack said. “You must have read the pictures and seen the speech balloons. The commentary writer, who is a good friend of our family, says it’s very dangerous to do that. He should know. He dissects comic books for a living.”

“You mean he picks them apart into tiny pieces?”

The genius boy looked proudly down at Pete. “No, silly. He puts the pages under a microscope and analyzes them molecule by molecule. He wrote a huge book describing what they’re made of.”

“Sounds heavy,” Pete said.

“Of course, it is. It weighs more than I do. He weighs a ton too. That’s because he’s an expert. . .”

 

Powerless Religion: a Heavy Burden – Who Can Bear it?

 

Unlike the noble Bereans of Acts 17:11 who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things (of which Paul spoke) were so, Jack’s commentator takes a hyper-critical approach to the biblically inspired comics. Instead of welcoming them as vehicles of faith to launch a younger generation into their destiny, he takes a stance similar to that of the scribes and Pharisees – the ones Jesus described in Matthew 23:1-7.

 

“They say and do not. . . For they bind heavy burdens grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (verses 3 & 4).

 

How well might they fit in with the “miracles aren’t for today” crowd, clinging to man-made traditions that deny God’s power! (See II Timothy 3:5). After all, they taught a powerless religion that weighed their hearers down rather than lifting them up toward God’s throne of grace.

 

Hebrews 12:1 exhorts believers to throw off such dead weights and the sin that so easily hinders their race, while keeping their eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.

 

That’s what Speed of Sight’s Pete Plain does. By following the beloved comic book author and reading His books with childlike faith, he pokes fun at powerless religion while at the same time encouraging believers to take their faith to a higher level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beating the Burden of Book Marketing

The burden of book marketing can bog down the flow of fresh ideas bursting from my fingers, because it’s like a heavy yoke (and that’s no joke). It floods the atmosphere with doubt. And so, I wrote this poem about it:

 

Goliath’s Marketing Monopoly

 

“Behold the giant standing in your way.

How will you ever get him to obey?

“Behold his stack of books is so well read

That yours cannot compete with it,” they said.

 

“You must jump through the same hoops he once did,

If you ever want to pop that stupid lid

That’s sits atop the path to your success,

The glass ceiling that’s been causing you such stress.”

 

“To fashion a best seller takes much sweat,

So with your muscles  you must lift the debt

You owe yourself regarding your great book

At which, it seems, nobody cares to look.”

 

“As an author you must form a strategy

Geared at launching your monstrosity.

Because you cannot make it fly for free,

Much grunt work you will need, most certainly.”

 

But must we heed the ogre and cave in,

Putting on his armor with a grin,

And taking all his insults on the chin?

To say he’s always right – is that no sin?

 

Had David donned Saul’s armor to slay Goliath, he wouldn’t have gotten very far. Had he tried to kill the giant with a javelin, he most likely would have missed. That’s because such weapons were too unwieldy for him. He hadn’t tested them. Instead of approaching Goliath the same way Goliath approached him, with a weight of fleshly pride and a mouthful of insults, he armed himself with godly fear and a true humility. He leaned on God for wisdom and let the Holy Spirit guide his stone.

And why can’t we as authors do the same?

For example, what if we redefined success to fit the gifts and callings God gave us? What if we came up with new, out-of-the-box methods of book marketing instead of copying someone else’s version of a platform?

I am beginning to think that for me, personally, word of mouth is a better key to gaining readers than a website. That’s because people tend to take more notice of my artwork than my “smart work.”

So, why can’t I use cartoons to promote my work? I’m a whole lot better at that than trying to explain verbally to somebody why he or she should read my book.

And when it comes to writing, I value quality over quantity. And that’s what I value when it comes to marketing too. Mass mailings? I have no idea how to do them. But God has given me a passion for my message and He does answer my prayers. I believe He led me to the right publisher – speaking of which, my editor sure put up with a lot from me. After numerous edits, they sent me the proof and I found all sorts of things that needed changing.

I was like, “This part sounds strange. Why did I word it this way?”

That’s my talent, you see. I’m picky. Good clean copy tops the list of my priorities when it comes to book marketing, because if I don’t like my product, how can I convince someone else it’s a great read? Unlike my favorite extrovert who could sell the broad side off a barn (for lack of a better analogy), I simply can’t sell anything I don’t believe in. That’s why, instead of paying for a package that provided press releases, radio interviews, and so forth, I spent money on professional editing. I needed to know I had a great product before I put it out there.

Now I need to market it, and to market it I need a platform – a platform that conforms to who I am and what I’m called to do. I’ve tried socially media, but very frankly, I need more friends to make it work. So, that’s what I’m working on now. It may not be your approach, but that’s fine, because book marketing shouldn’t be a burden. It should be a joy.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30, KJV

So, let’s have fun with it, shall we?

 

 

 

https://miracle-times.com/healing/believe-instant-miracles/

 

 

The Silver Chair: What Does it Represent?

Fourth in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series, The Silver Chair is one of my favorite fantasy books. It tells the story of two children from England who get called into the world of Narnia to find a missing prince. Aslan, the mighty lion and ruler of that world, sends them on this journey. He gives them specific signs that show them where to go and what to do. Unfortunately, their own disobedience and forgetfulness takes them on some dangerous twists and turns. Finally, they reach the underground fortress in which the prince is being held – but not against his will.

Unknown to them, a wicked witch has been keeping him under a spell, by means of a silver chair. He is bound to this chair every night, lest he regain his sanity and break free from her control. Only the name of Aslan can free him.

Does any of this sound familiar? Those familiar with the Bible should have no trouble recognizing the allegory:

 

1. The prince’s enslavement to the witch clearly represents demonic bondage. Such bondage, of course, begins with deception. In this case, the deception begins with a beautiful woman who is not what she appears. Can you picture the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve in the garden?

“Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)

The witch is like a serpent in disguise and represents the spirit of rebellion. Her goal is basically to use the prince to take over Narnia, a world of which he is already the rightful ruler. That’s what Satan tries to do to believers. He makes Christian believers think they have to take by force what already belongs to them as heirs of God and coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Thankfully, the witch’s power is limited. The only way she can control the prince is to blind his mind to who he is. Every night, however, his mind begins to clear. But before he can regain his sanity, the witch’s servants bind him hand and foot to the silver chair. His own efforts to free himself are useless. He desperately needs deliverance, which brings us to…

2. Aslan, who is a “type” or symbol of Jesus Christ. He is the one who sends Jill and Eustace, along with their guide Puddleglum, to free the prince from the silver chair. Their swords are like God’s word, which when properly wielded, has power to slash through the prince’s bonds. But deliverance comes only through Aslan’s name, whereas in our world it comes only through Jesus’ name. The allegory is pretty easy to understand. But then we come to…

 

3. the chair itself, which is a stationary object. It’s what you sit on while watching TV, reading a book, or having a face-to-face conversation. To sit in a chair implies such actions as focusing, listening, and paying attention. Chairs are great to sit in if you’re hearing a rousing sermon, but all the prince heard while sitting in the silver chair was lies.

To quote Psalm 1:1 (KJV), “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, not stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

Romans 10:17 tells us that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The witch’s voice was not a voice of faith, but of doubt. Rather than acknowledge God (Aslan) as the one who made the worlds, she tries to make them all believe that hers is the only world, which brings us to:

4. the silver in the chair, reminiscent of the thirty silver pieces paid to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. No one suspected him. He was slippery as a serpent. Like the other disciples, he healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead (see Matthew chapter 10). But at the end, he sold himself to do evil.

He sat in his scorner’s seat too long and became too comfortable with it. His story ended tragically. As for the prince in The Silver Chair, his story ends on a happier note. It contains numerous lessons on obedience, deliverance, spiritual warfare, and getting free from fear.

Five stars all around!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healing Tunes and Downloads

I. You Need Healing Tunes

 

You need healing tunes and downloads in your head

Instead of songs that fill your mind with dread.

For some tunes clog your ears with so much junk,

They can get you in an uptight funk.

It’s because those passageways are all connected

In more ways than you may have suspected!

 

If suddenly you start to cough and sneeze,

Could it be because you heard the sick man wheeze

While belting out a song you dared to hear,

Even though it’s poison in your ear?

You need healing tunes and downloads in your head

Instead of songs that fill your mind with dread.

 

II. There’s Power in Praise

 

Healing tunes and violent tunes don’t mix.

But what do you do when you need a “fix”?

Perhaps you’re like a rabbit

Caught in a bad habit,

Jumping here and there,

Never getting anywhere.

 

If so, I’ve got to ask:

 

Have you been downloading “I” tunes

Given to you by the big goons?

If you say your ear’s been itch-in’,

And your senses, they’ve been twitch-in’

 

For a little bit of good news

That won’t make you blow some new fuse,

Then why not take your “old man” headset

And throw it where it’s sure to get wet?

 

Electrocute the devil’s bad scheme

By drowning it inside the cool stream

Of God’s pure and living Word,

The greatest healing tunes you’ve ever heard.

 

They’re based upon the One true rock

Whose truth has power to unlock

The greatest dreams within your soul.

He has the power to make you whole.

 

So, instead of twiddling your two thumbs,

Do something good for your eardrums.

If you don’t like the bitter speak,

Then learn to turn the other cheek

 

So you can hear God’s holy music.

Take the time now to infuse it.

Scorch your hell-on-wheels CD

Of digitized conformity

 

That’s always set on “me, me, me”

(they said it was a “great deal” freebee,

But it can cost you an eternity)

Why not instead, choose news that’s free?

 

Before your ears start spewing smoke

(Which may at first seem like a joke),

Pour heaven’s gold dust in your ear.

It clears the wax so you can hear.

 

Try listening to the angels cheer

And pretty soon your head will clear.

If you desire to be made well,

Then sing with heaven, stomp on hell.

 

It’s your decision. Don’t think twice,

But listen to your God’s advice.

Instead of fearing so much jeering,

Read the Word to help your hearing.

 

If you thank God for everything,

Then your sound bites will lose their sting.

It might not happen right away,

But comes through patience as you obey.

 

Although your flesh may want to riot,

You can teach it to be quiet

Through worship destined to impart

Tunes designed to heal your heart.

https://miracle-times.com/faith/how-will-god-do-it/