Scriptural Guidelines

ChristianWritersBookstore is pleased to welcome all Christian authors and bloggers regardless of denominational differences. However, while this website is home to all people, Christian or non-Christian, as an author or blogger we are ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).

As you can see on the website, books range in varying genres. And, with that, they may not seem “Christian” in the sense that some stories do not even mention God. However, the author of the books have made a confession of their faith to ChristianWritersBookstore.com founder, Michael Furlonger. Books, however, have been removed because of the twisting of Scripture in the Bible Study and Devotional sections.

As each book is not read in advance, but trusted by the author’s profession, please take a moment to confirm that you agree with the website’s Scriptural Guidelines:

Scriptural Guidelines

1. God First- “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
   • While ChristianWritersBookstore is available for everyone, including Memberships to join as an Affiliate, Courses, and to chat on the Forum, authors and bloggers are servants of Christ. Feel free to write about anything, but it is trusted that you hold God’s Word and His call to love all (Matt. 5:43-44; Matt. 22:37-40; etc).
2. Trinity- God The Father, God The Son, God The Holy Spirit
   • “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'” (Mark 12:29, Jesus quotes Deut. 6:4)
   • “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
   • “When the Advocate (Holy Spirit) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (John 15:26)
3. Salvation Comes From Jesus Christ- “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
   • While we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to repent of our sins. While there are many verses on the call to live a life of repentance, Matt. 4:17 says, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
   • While books that offer the hope found in Jesus Christ, let not forget that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and that “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8).
   • “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” (Rom. 3:25)
4. Holy Spirit & Spiritual Gifts– “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” (1 Cor. 12:4-6)
   • With respect and differing beliefs to all of the teachings found in scripture on the topic of spiritual gifts, Apostle Paul clarifies this in 1 Corinthians 12-14 on spiritual gifts: “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues…Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ” (1 Cor. 12:8-10 & 12)
   • Jesus Christ says, “When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment…” (John 16:8)
5. Prayer– “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2b-3)
   • Books on the topic of prayer are always welcome, but God is not our butler. We are encouraged to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) in scripture, but using tithing or taking communion as a form of twisting God’s arm is not.

Cultural Issues Of Today

1. Marriage and Sexuality– “Haven’t you read,” he (Jesus Christ) replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matt. 19:4-6)
   • Jesus Christ did not disagree with this design. As Christians (and writers), we should hold to this biblical truth and, if discussed, should be done with kindness and respect.
   • With this in mind, let us remember James 2:8-10 says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
2. Women Speakers and Roles– “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Prov. 31:30b)
   • God appears to have always seen value in women, from the women mentioned in Jesus Christ’s genealogy (Matt. 1:3, 5, 6, 16; Tamar, Rehab, Ruth, Uriah’s Wife- Bathsheba- and Mary). God has also used women in strong roles such as Deborah (Judges 4-5), Esther and the list of women who supported Jesus Christ financially (Luke 8:3).
   • Jesus Christ’s ministry shows a specific affection and equality among women, and, as authors, we should respect this as well. Books or blogs that show a specific call of strength and encouragement to women as people and speakers are welcome.
   • With that said, we can respect teachings like 1 Peter 3:1-3 where wives are called to submit to their husbands in aims that to bring them to faith in Christ. And we can also respect Apostle Paul’s teaching on women not having authority over a man (1 Cor. 14:34; 1 Tim 2:12; etc) for the purpose of orderly worship within the church. While some recognize Paul’s teaching from a cultural point, we respect both man and woman who choose to hold to these truths.
   • Regardless of whether you or your church has women speakers or not, we hold to and teach the Word of God in context.
3. God– “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5).
   • In today’s world, people are trying to create God in their image. While God is Spirit (John 4:24), He uses masculine characteristics of Father and Son to address Himself. On occasion God uses of female characteristics to better explain His purposes (“as a hen gathering her chicks” – Matt. 23:37) or in contrast (“Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”- Isa. 49:15), this does not change who God is.
4. Men– “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…” (Eph. 5: 22, 25).
   • This is not for either male or female position to be abused, but to be complimented.
   • While God created male and female in his image (Gen. 1:27), God gives Himself a masculine characteristic of Father (and Son).
   • “I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” ( 1 Cor. 11:3)
   • “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Col. 3:21)
   • “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” (Col. 3:19)