My vision for Christian fiction: As I have watched the new paradigm of self-publishing spread among God’s Kingdom, a tremendous hope has grown within me. What an incredible tool we have been given to evangelize the lost! As the end of the age comes upon us, we need to be involved with the final harvest.

My vision for Christian fiction: we don’t need more teaching

Anointed teaching is good. As believers, we need mentors, pastors, and guides as we grow into the call God has made on our lives. But my focus is on publishing excellent Christian fiction. I am talking to myself and everyone else called by Jesus to write Christian fiction. Teaching is non-fiction, in most cases.

Why is this so important? Because God does not call us to do something without a purpose behind it. It isn’t about making a living. God has promised to meet all our needs using His endless riches [Philippians 4:17]. So, a call to write fiction for Jesus is not about getting our daily bread. That’s already promised to us.

So, why did He call you to write?
To help with the work of fulfilling the great commission. That is the universal call to all believers.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,‭ [Matthew 28:19 MEV]

So, the question becomes, How can I fulfill my call within the context of the Great Commission?

But I’m called to write fiction

How does that play out in the reality of the Kingdom? How can I go and make disciples in the context of a book of fiction? One thing we know for sure is that beating them over the head with the Bible rarely works, and it certainly does not work with readers who do not believe the Bible is the word of God. Sneaking sermons into our stories will not often work either.

• How does it work in your life?
• How do your friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. see Jesus in your life?
• What is effective?
• What gets you excited?
• How does God get your attention?
• Share that in your fiction.

In my life, and in everyone’s life I know about, discipleship works by answering questions from people you relate to. Pushing your faith on someone is rarely the answer although one of my best friends was saved when my wife became fed up with his double-mindedness and barked, “just sh** or get off the pot!” He did, accepted Jesus, and got baptized the next weekend at the church picnic. He’s still a solid Christian now, 37 years later. You must trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and to guide the characters in your books.

My vision for Christian fiction: It’s all about relationships

As we know, in the everyday world, discipleship is a result of a relationship. That’s how it works between Jesus and each one of us individually. We develop an intimacy with the Lord which enables Him to purify us and make us fruitful. This is the only way discipleship comes to fruition—between two people who know and trust each other. This is why marriage is such a powerful tool for discipleship from the Lord. He can use your intimacy to confront each other about areas which need to be fixed, to encourage one another in missions of great difficulty, and to raise and mentor children.

That type of thing is what the Lord wants to do in your life. AND, that is what the Lord hopes you will do with the worlds, characters, events, and relationships you create in your novel. Whether you write romances, thrillers, fantasy, action/adventure, or any other genre of fiction, He is calling you to bring reality into your books.

You are expected to create a world in which your readers can live, with characters they truly care about, involved in relationships which bring truth to light and build up your reader. When I say I love the books of Guy Stanton III, Yvonne Anderson, David G. Johnson, Mary C. Findley, Jeremy Bullard, Ben Patterson, or any of the many other new Christian fiction authors, it’s because they lift me and the rest of their readers up into Truth.

My vision for Christian fiction is why I give the books I review a spiritual star rating. What we need and what I am looking for are books which present the reality of life in the Kingdom. Some great books are so subliminal that they are not of much use to the Kingdom. Lord of the Rings is an example of that. That’s why I give Guy’s Warrior Kind series so much enthusiasm. He conveys the reality of living in the Kingdom, walking in the Spirit, and being blessed by the Lord. When I finish reading or rereading one of his books, my normal response is joy, a renewed faith in the Lord, and an enthusiasm to share it.

So, how are you doing? Do you need any help? Feel free to ask for help or prayers. There are several of us in Radiqx Press who would be happy to do what the Spirit leads us to do to meet your