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| Linda Yezak |
Recently, I took Beth Moore's
nine-week study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. I’ll always remember this part:
Each
day the sun comes up closer to the dawn of Christ's coming. If the Word of the
Lord needed to speed ahead in Paul's generation, how expeditious should it be
in ours? These are days for deliberate acceleration. We have wheels. We have
wings. We have ways. We have means. At least for now, many of us also have
freedom of speech (Children of the Day, page 196).
And should that freedom be
withdrawn, Beth says, we have the assurance of 2 Timothy 2:9 "the word of
God is not chained."
I got to thinking about our
call to get the gospel out and how urgent the need is. Most of us are aware of
the times we’re in because we’ve been instructed to watch. Because we’re aware,
we’re bracing ourselves. Are we heading for Armageddon? No. That's not for a
while yet. But I feel like the trumpets will soon blast, and things are going
to get rough here on Earth.
And, I got to thinking of
myself and my role as writer, who I write to, and whether I should shift from
backsliders to nonbelievers. Getting the Word out seems so vital now, and those
who are called to address the nonbelievers have such a pressing duty that I
wondered whether I was supposed to join their ranks.
My answer came: No.
In the perilous times to
come, all of us are needed. Writers whose works are intended for believers are
crucial. These precious authors inspire, encourage, uplift Christians who
already understand the parable of the fig tree. They already know their
salvation is nigh.
Authors who address their
works to the backsliders are vital, too. These are the ones who bring the lambs
back into the fold. The ones who proclaim God's forgiveness for whatever sin or
rift that caused them to separate themselves, and call them to come home.
Don't get me wrong: none of
us escape the responsibility of the great commission. We are to called to
spread God's message. This duty falls upon the shoulders of every person
declaring him- or herself to be a Christian. But our calling as individual
authors may be different. Perhaps we were indeed called to address the
unbeliever or answer the seekers, or perhaps we were called to bring our own
back into God's arms, or maybe we were called to encourage and guide those
already in the faith. Whatever our individual calling, that calling is still
critical, even as the seals snap open and the angels prepare their horns.
So, "let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJ).
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When one of Emily’s gifts captures the attention of an avid journalist, her identity as the town’s anonymous benefactor—and her renewed relationship with her high school sweetheart—are threatened.
As her private life begins to unravel, she realizes the one hope for regaining control lies behind prison walls.
Over twenty years ago, after a decade of life as a
"single-again," author Linda Yezak rediscovered God's love and
forgiveness when He allowed her a second chance at marital happiness. She is
now living her greatest romance with her husband in a forest in East Texas.
After such an amazing blessing, she chooses to trumpet God's gift of second
chances in the books she writes. Linda's novels are heart-warming hallmarks of
love, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
