Episode 006: The Sixth and Final Novel in the Faith Chronicles by Sidney St. James - Seeing the Power of God!

After writing Genesis and Hallelujah, I became one of those people who asked, “Can anyone be a Christian and not believe in the Bible? Is it wrong to question any of the scriptures in the Bible?”

Some people believe questioning the Bible, the direction God is going, or even God himself, is blasphemy. Some think it is a sign of disbelief.

The mystery of why our main character in the novel has such cynicism is possible because he remembers nothing before his eighteenth birthday. The first book he read after learning to read and write was on Hinduism. His father didn’t know how such a book ended up in his library, but he took it and hid it from his son. Was it too late? Did what he read about Vishnu and Krishna absorb his entire thought process where he never recognized Jesus Christ as the one and only son of God? Who’s right, the father or his son?

What was this strange ability he had with being able to communicate with animals, one of God’s creations? Why can’t he remember anything in his life before his eighteenth birthday? Who is his cousin who comes strangely into his life on his twenty-first birthday? Who is the stranger who is hired to come and teach him about Jesus Christ and the Bible?

Let’s try to answer the question “Is it wrong for Christians to Question God?”

My personal feeling as an author writing this book found three questions one should never ask. One should not ask a question of the Lord because they think they know better than Him. One should never question God’s authority, a big No, No! We should never ask questions of God to try and stall our obedience to the Lord.

But, if we are questioning the scriptures in the Bible because we desperately want to know the answer because we are searching out and really want to know our Lord because we want to see the light in so much confusion, then that should be okay…

HAPPY LISTENING

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Podcast Episode 005: The Making of Hallelujah – He is not Here; He Has Risen (Luke 24: 6) by Sidney St. James

If you're a slow and methodical worker when it comes to creating things, then you'll likely find great inspiration in "Hallelujah," episode five of the Sidney St. James Faith Chronicles Series. In "Hallelujah," James, the best-selling author of Faith, Seeing the Power of God, and I Am Woman, lets his creative nonfiction loose upon how creative writing works.

Hallelujah - He is not Here; He Has Risen (Luke 24: 6) is a creative historical nonfiction novel drawn from the New Testament. It is factually accurate and written with attention to literary style.

The life story told in this novel begins, primarily, with the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. It was at this time John announced that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God.

Secondly, Jesus finds his first three disciples. There were finally twelve disciples who accompanied Jesus until the end of his life on the earth. The ministry of Jesus is characterized by many extraordinary and miraculous happenings.

At his Sermon on the Mount, he delivered the Beatitudes, which were spiritual teachings of compassion, humility, and love.

He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. The more miracles he performed, the more people followed him and listened to his teachings.

The life of the Lord is most important to all Christians in each walk of life. Every Christian should know about the life of Jesus Christ and his spiritual leadership. He did so happen to have spent his entire life on earth.

Read the stories of Jesus:

Changing water into wine.

Catching a large number of fish.

Healing a leper.

Curing a paralyzed man.

Raising of Lazarus.

Healing a man with a withered hand.

Raising a widow’s son.

Calming the storm. Walking on water. Restoring a severed ear from a soldier.

And on and on and on…

And, on conclusion of the “New Testament” in Hallelujah, we will present our last episode No. 6, an exciting conclusion to the series, Seeing the Power of God… Does one have to believe in the Bible to be a Christian?

Stay tuned… HAPPY LISTENING.

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GENESIS – Imagine Stepping Onto the Shore and Finding It’s Heaven is a creative historical nonfiction novel drawn from the Old Testament. It is factually accurate and written with attention to literary style. My extensive research led me into animated descriptions at my desk and emotional outpours to arrive at the truth through shaping the information, molding the narrative so that it reads like fiction. It makes the stories so easy to understand.

One of the methods Jesus used in communicating his messages in the Bible was through parables. What is a parable, you might ask? Well, it’s an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

When Jesus started telling parables to the many people along his many paths, his disciples would ask him, “Why do you speak unto them in parables?”

I remember the Reverend Ada Caston Slaton Bonds standing up in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, or Old Bethany Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Coushatta and every Sunday speaking in parables. In other words, earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.

Jesus did the same thing so that his disciples would comprehend his teachings and that those who did not believe would be without any understanding. Those interested in understanding God’s truth of his message would know, while those not interested would remain without knowledge.

Stay tuned for Episode 5, Hallelujah - He is not Here; He Has Risen (Luke 24: 6) and Episode 6, the conclusion to the Faith Chronicles, Seeing the Power of God.

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Reverend Mrs. Ada Caston Slaton Bonds is one of the most colorful ministers ever produced by the great Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Beyond a doubt, she overcame more difficulties and passed through more heartaches than any minister ever known to preach the 'Whosoever Will' gospel. Miss Ada, as all affectionately called her, possessed countless prodigies. By way of the corridors of her ministerial career, she helped shape the lives and mold the character of many young ministers, who, today, rise up and call her 'blessed.'

God sent her His Divine calling to preach. She then learned to preach. She carved out a place for herself among the clergy that was unique, without comparison. With bottomless emotion, genuine poise, and true dignity, Miss Ada became the First Lady of the Cloth in the Louisiana Presbytery and had the highest honor bestowed upon her: Mother of All Presbyteries.

FAITH – Seventy Times Seven is a creative historical nonfiction novel. It is factually accurate and written with attention to literary style. My extensive research led me into animated descriptions at my desk and emotional outpours to arrive at the truth through shaping the information, molding the narrative so that it reads like fiction.

Miss Ada set the standards high for being a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. She was an anomaly for her time. Still today, we find the bar for preaching the word of God set high by Ada for all young men and women entering the ministry! 

Watch for Episode 4, The Making of Genesis - Stepping Onto the Shore and Finding It's Heaven!

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FROM THE MEMOIRS OF DILUE ROSE HARRIS (The Runaway Scrape, the Great Runaway or the Sabine Shoot)

Creative nonfiction has become the most popular genre in our literary communities.  Recent creative nonfiction titles on the best-seller lists include Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken or Dave Egger's Zeitoun and, of course, Sidney St. James' The ROSE of Brays Bayou - God Bless Texas Women.

James discusses the early stages of writing this creative nonfiction novel and does so in writing scenes throughout the pages which represents the difference between showing and telling. Many books on memoirs will tell the reader about a subject or a place, but Sidney St. James, a teller of stories and writer of novels, shows the subject and place vividly and memorably... in action scenes.

In this podcast, The Making of The ROSE of Brays Bayou, James discusses the early stages of happenings that led to the writing of this novel. These happenings are a "True" account of actual ghosts from the Smithson family and others interrupting the contractors on multiple occasions. One such happening was a ghost, her name was "Annie" who wrote her name on the top of a paint can lid in front of the contractor while the room dropped twenty degrees... scout's honor.

Sidney St. James was given in 2005 a typewritten manuscript from William Kell who received it from a Harris family member. Kell, in turn, gave it to the author and his wife for their successful completion of restoration of the Smithson-Struss home in Eagle Lake, Texas where Dilue Rose Harris wrote her memoirs of that fearful time in Texas history, The Runaway Scrape.

Follow my Podcasts on Spotify, Anchor,  Pocket Casts, RadioPublic or at www.sidneystjames.com or on www.instagram.com/sidneyst.james.

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As a three decade professional genealogist I wrote several family history books before continuing my career as a best selling author in creative nonfiction, fantasy, science fiction, detective mysteries and romance novels. The skills I learned in researching family histories and introducing them in my writing of many of 50+ novels was first used in my debut novel, Book 1 of the Faith Chronicles, Adversity - Keeping the Faith.

After many years of research in studying my own family history from Oldenburg, Germany to Frelsburg, Texas, beginning in the Texas A&M Reserve Reading Room at the library during my college days with endless strips of microfilm, Adversity had its beginning.

It is amazing how, as adults, we struggle during our childhood through the date-pocketed courses of history...bored, disenchanted, waiting only for the end of that cobwebbed test of endurance. In later years, we find that history is the most fascinating and stimulating of all areas of knowledge. We can ask ourselves, why this unfortunate paradox? Has "history" really changed? The answer is...No!”

However important dates, names, and places may be to an expert understanding of history, they are not history, but only the checkpoints and framework of history. This novel is about people, real people, blood and bones, loves and hates, strengths, passions, weaknesses, and belief in Jesus Christ, our Lord. History is joys and sorrows, failures and successes, heartbreaks and ecstasies. What is history? History is power, the exercise of power, and the vacuum of power.

Please join me and listening to the early foot-work that brought about the beginning of this novel.

Happy Listening!

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