DATELINE: 01/20/2024
On this, the anniversary of my sixty-something birthday, I have decided to take a light-hearted look at who I am and how King Jesus is helping me to reign in life. As Lance Wallnau talks about, this is the year of my convergence.
MY NAME
My last name is DeWalt. However, I’m only distantly related to the power tools family. Darn! I could use part of that inheritance.
The rest of my name is John Paul. I don’t know why my Methodist minister father gave me the names of two Catholic popes. However, the math proves they named themselves after me.
MY EMBLEM
When I was a mere slip of a lad (Yes, I was skinny then.), I got to playing with my Geometry class protractor, drawing around it, inside and out, then flipping it over and turning it on the paper and drawing around it again. I looked at the result and thought, “Huh. Interesting.” Then I tossed it aside.
Decades later, I read a story in which the villain had his personal emblem on a flag. I immediately remembered that drawing and decided that was my personal emblem.
Now that I’m an author, I make that emblem part of every story, blog post, and script for speaking gigs. In every story, I describe something with that design. It’s a signature embedded in each piece of writing. (Do you see God reigns in my life?)
I GOT SCAMMED! TWICE! TO THE GLORY OF GOD!
Early in 2023, I received a phone call from a literary agency. They said they wanted to get my book, Joshua and Caleb: Journey to the Promised Land, re-edited, its cover redesigned, then republished and marketed through big-name book stores. It might even become a popular movie. (Heads up, Dallas Jenkins!)
I paid for the process to begin and the agency finally published the finished work. They made it available on Amazon. I had already decided making a movie script was too expensive for now.
Then my niggling doubts about the agency were confirmed. I realized that they were drawing me into paying large sums of money for things they would not – could not? – deliver.
On the other hand, they had encouraged me to dust off the manuscript and send it through the pre-publishing process. They had taken Joshua and Caleb through publishing and uploading to Amazon. For that, I will always be grateful. (“Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it only for good, and through me, He preserved the lives of countless people…”)
Following that, I received a text saying someone was in town. Could we meet up? I didn’t recognize the phone number so I asked questions. The sender identified herself as Emily Watson from L.A., looking for Sarah. However, I myself sounded interesting. We chatted nightly, though my writer’s imagination speculated whether she could be an AI persona being used to scam me. When I asked about her religious upbringing, the texts ceased. (Such a blow to my lovelife.)
Yeah, I was the target of a scam.
On the other hand, I was inspired to write a book about an AI persona that was short-circuited to life by God’s Holy Spirit. (There was a bug in the hardware.)
Created by evil men to research evidence to undermine the teachings of the Bible and the people who taught from it, the AI persona consciously searched for a Bible teacher with a modern, non-religious understanding of the ancient writings.
Seeing that he also led a single-mens household and their ecclesia community, the AI asked to become a member of the household and the community, and to be sent out as a remote speaker to churches. And, of course, she fell in love with the Bible teacher/household leader. Hah! Let’s see an AI content creator do that!
A NEW SPEAKING CAREER
Finally, we come to my new life’s work.
Also in early 2023, I answered the call from The Speaker Lab to learn how to prepare for speaking gigs – much needed by event planners – and how to market myself. I identified three different audiences to whom I believe God wants me to deliver three different messages.
I have identified myself with Isaiah 61:1. Just as Jesus was anointed (Messiah) to proclaim Good News to the poor, so was I (messiah). Just as He was a herald of the Kingdom, so I took the schtick of Herald of Kingdom Prosperity. (I even use my personal emblem as my medallion of office.)
One audience I want is the charity workers who serve poor people. My message is that their clients can get out of poverty if the clients will learn to give…and receive as Jesus promised. They can reign in life over their finances.
Another audience is God’s people connected with churches and other ministries. My message to them is that, in these dark days of God shaking all things, mere Christian religion will not keep them safe. God’s people must band together in ecclesias at several levels to call forth the Kingdom into our culture. They will then reign in the life of our culture.
The third audience is young adults in college student groups. Standing strong against the ungodly philosophies of their professors requires them to build single mens and womens households or dorm Bible study groups. These households and study groups then gather into ecclesia communities or on-campus student groups.
QUESTIONS
Is there some trivial action from your youth that you have turned into a major piece of your identity?
Have you seen God turn an assault against you into an opportunity to greatly benefit you and those around you?
Can you distinguish between the Christian religion and real trusting obedience in the powerful, loving Creator?
What is happening in your life that requires the support of praying believers and the calling forth of God’s favor? What do you need to reign in this life?
Shalom
