What do you enjoy most about writing?
Funny…growing up truly shows one life. In my youth reading was done primarily with books – paper and ink! Sounds crazy, right? Yes! In this ‘time’ there are computers/programs; the spread of knowledge is via digital means!
I remember papers in college were typewritten! The ‘computer center’ on campus was where essentially everyone went to type their papers! Nowadays, with technology it is so very different!
Key, is paper/ink is becoming so ‘old school’! Even exams are done at a PC monitor as opposed to paper and #2 pencil….
So, writing essentially is a permanent means of communication. Are your words important? Write quick, there is The Word of God. It is written by Man, moved and led by The Spirit of God! Amazing, no? We at times may be unclear as to those moved by God! We are aware (I hope!) of Moses. A very ‘busy, busy Man!’ If you’ve never heard of the Five Books of Moses (not actually composed by Moses; people who believe in divine revelation see him as more secretary than author), you’ve heard of the Torah and the Pentateuch, the Hebrew and Greek names, respectively, for the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The story starts with the creation of the world, and ends with Moses dying on the wrong side of the Jordan and being buried in an unmarked grave. In between these extremes of possible experience, between the magnificent birth of the universe and the anonymous death of the human being, lies a tale that still has the power to astonish: “The encounter between a group of people and the Lord of the world in the course of history,” in Martin Buber’s phrase.
I share this because, what a single Man wrote thousands of years ago by the amazing grace of God is still a guide to life today. Even more important is the Earthly life of Jesus. Seen, experienced and written by the disciples around Him – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter. Even further, Paul who jailed and murdered Christians after being converted on the way to arrest, even more believers he experienced Jesus! Yes! He was imprisoned when he wrote some of the books in the new Testament. Paul was in prison long enough to write the prison epistles—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon—they are so named because they were written by Paul during his incarceration in Rome. The exact date of Paul’s imprisonment, as well as the exact dates he wrote each of the prison epistles, is unknown, but the two-year period he spent under house arrest in Rome has been narrowed down to the years AD 60-62. Paul’s imprisonment in Rome is verified by the book of Acts, where we find references to his being guarded by soldiers (Acts 28:16), being permitted to receive visitors (Acts 28:30), and having opportunities to share the gospel (Acts 28:31). His other two-year imprisonment, in Caesarea, afforded him no such luxuries. So it is generally accepted that Paul’s Roman incarceration produced the three letters to the churches of Ephesus, Colosse, and Philippi, as well as a personal letter to his friend Philemon.
Three of the prison letters, also called the imprisonment or captivity letters, were bound for three of the churches he founded on his second missionary journey (Acts 20:1-3). Colossians was written explicitly to defeat the heresy that had arisen in Colosse that endangered the existence of the church. In his letter, Paul dealt with key areas of theology, including the deity of Christ (Colossians 1:15–20; 2:2–10), the error of adding circumcision and other Jewish rituals to salvation by faith (Colossians 2:11–23), and the conduct of God’s people (chapter 3). The letter to the church at Ephesus also reflects Paul’s concerns for the church, especially that they would understand the doctrines of the faith (chapters 1–3) and the practical workings of the doctrine in Christian behavior (chapters 4-6). The epistle to the Philippians is Paul’s most joyful letter (Philippians 1:4, 18, 25–26; 2:2, 28; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10). He encourages the Philippian believers to rejoice in spite of suffering and anxiety, rejoice in service, and continue to look to Christ as the object of their faith and hope.
The fourth prison letter was written to Paul’s friend Philemon (Philemon 1:1) as a plea for forgiveness. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had run away from Philemon’s service to Rome, where he met the aging apostle and became a convert to Christ through him. Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother in Christ who is now “profitable” to both of them (Philemon 1:11). The theme of the book of Philemon is forgiveness and the power of the gospel of Christ to undermine the evils of slavery by changing the hearts of both masters and slaves so that spiritual equality is achieved.
While the prison epistles reflect Paul’s earthly position as a prisoner of Rome, he makes it clear that his captivity was first and foremost to Christ (Philemon 1:9; Ephesians 3:1; Colossians 4:18; Philippians 1:12–14). Paul’s time in prison was for the purpose of the spreading of the gospel in the Gentile capital of Rome. The Lord Himself told Paul to “take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11). Paul’s time in captivity was no less profitable to us today than it was to the first-century churches.
See, my writing this is for a reason. Writing is my God given ability to share The Word. Prior to my experience of my automobile accident and the coma, I had after this is key. Mind you, there were things I did prior. In my coma, I dreamt that I “said” to What Permitted me return was I would share about my experience.
By God’s AWESOME grace, I recovered and have written since. In answer to the question: “What do you enjoy most about writing?” The ability to do what I was permitted the ability to do.
And we pray:
FATHER LORD, Holy Spirit, MIGHTY King Jesus; Your Essence is everywhere, Hallelujah!!! I give You glory and praise. Use me LORD, I pray in Jesus’ Name. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, Amen. Father, Your will be done in my life, Amen. I ask that You fill me to overflow with Your Spirit, in my life LORD be glorified, Amen.
So, what I write about, by God’s AWESOME grace, I pray is a link to His overwhelming Presence. Have a blessed ALL-WAYS in Jesus’ Name, Amen.