Category: Article History

Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson

One of the best things about being a part of a prophetic writing or scribal community is that you get to practice and exercise three of the most important spiritual gifts – hearing the voice of God, discernment and prophecy. And yes, hearing God is indeed a gift.

Being prophetic is not scary. It can be as fun and exciting as it is serious. Before we get into how to do this, I want to establish some basic “Voices of Christ” foundations for leaders. Without these foundational tidbits, gatherings like these can easily move out of the presence of God and into other areas – that might not end so well. So hear goes:

1.      Establish who is leading the watching party. It is very important that you establish who is leading your scribal “watching” party. The leader’s role is to initiate and maintain a prayerful, loving, educational atmosphere where those in attendance can safely share and gain understanding. Their role is to also keep focus and direct the prophetic flow of the discussion. Dictators or combative believers should not take on this role.

Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson

(Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, therefore I am unqualified to offer legal advice. I am a skilled, trained researcher who seeks to help creative people get to the heart of their issue. This article represents these ongoing efforts.)

Is there such thing as an international copyright that provides blanketed protection around the world? The answer to this question is no.

According to the United States Copyright Office, there is no such thing as an “international copyright that will automatically protect an author’s writings throughout the world.”[1] Copyright protection laws are completely governed by the laws of each specific country.[2] In other words, every country establishes their own copyright law.

For the ambitious scribe or artist, this means that just because you copyright your work here in the United States, does not necessarily guarantee that it is protected in another country. While this sounds negative, there is some good news that may be of benefit to those who are looking for more info in this area.

Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson

 

2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 CJB, “So don’t throw away that courage of yours, which carries with it such a great reward. For you need to hold out; so that, by having done what God wills, you may receive what he has promised.”

It takes courage to be a writer, a scribe – especially if your journey began without any professional training, support or amid great criticism. It’s even worse when you have the heart to write, but lack strong talent or skill. Such is the life of many souls who pass through the halls of Voices of Christ Literary Ministries International. They find themselves “down for the count” before they ever really get started.

Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson

This article is very personal to me. Like many of you (if not most), I have walked through the kind of brokenness in ministry (and in the corporate arena for that matter) that leaves you questioning not only your skill and ability, but your value and contribution to the world. I’m going to be real frank with this next statement: “Some hurts can literally kill your spirit and cause you to lay everything God placed in you down.”

I was left reeling in what seemed to be a sea of incompetence and no courage to fight. My name could have been “Theresa Second-Guess-Every-Thing-About-Yourself Johnson.” In that season, I literally felt as if I was down for the count. I did not trust people – even those worthy of it, and I especially didn’t trust myself – including my ability to hear God, the confidence of my calling (which I had walked strong in at one time) or even my gifts (natural and spirit). I existed this way for nearly three years after my career suddenly ended, my marriage was heading for divorce and my closest spiritual relationships (all places where I found affirmation) evaporated right before my very eyes.

Copyright 2014 Theresa Harvard Johnson

Have you read an angry book lately? Have you seen an unforgiving play, a mocking skit or a mean monologue (or sermon for that matter)? The answer for most of us is YES, as this is actually quite common. On any given day content is published with malicious or manipulative intent. Among the congregation, it’s a “I’m-gonna-get-em” mindset — as if we can avenge God or any wrongs done to us or him. This, however, should not be the case for the prophetic scribe, and this article explores why.

First, we need to define what is meant by the phrase I share here: “angry book.” An angry book could be any scribal project completed by an author that is not drenched in the LOVE of God, meaning saturated with the desire to bring forth reconciliation. It is a project that drips with offense, anger, unforgiveness, PRIDE, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS or some other out of control emotion that has the potential to wound or devastate the souls of men. While this might not be a big deal in Babylon – meaning the world system, it is of deep concern to us.