Interview: Gilbert Harry Ndoro

Tell us something about your book.

My book “The Substance of faith” is both a discussion and a mild commentary if you will. It discusses the all-important topic of faith stemming from what I like to call “the faith chapter”⸺which is Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 contains the definition of faith and also various examples of how men and women in the Bible exhibited their walk of faith. Hebrews 1:1 in particular, is where the Bible clearly gave us a definition of faith, but this definition is seldom comprehended by many people especially because of the word substance inside the definition of faith.

Thus in my book, I take the time to dissect and explain the key words in the definition, using the verses in the Bible to unearth a scriptural understanding of the definition of faith provided by Hebrews 11:1.

My book also explains the role of the Holy Spirit in faith and what is the difference between faith and believing and how the two operate hand in hand. It really is a unique exploration of faith that will leave you with little or no doubt about how to discern if you are walking by faith or by sight. This in turn equips you to apply your faith with confidence and power.

Who is the ideal reader for your book?

The ideal person to read this book is anyone who wants to understand and grow their faith. For the scriptures clearly show us that we grow from glory to glory and from faith to faith. This book will equip any believer, be it a pastor, a new born believer in Jesus or even someone who is not a Christian who never really had someone to explain to them what faith is and how it is supposed to operate in one’s life.

Share the best critique/review of your book.

The best comment about my book was given to me a few days after it was published. A certain said “the book is well written and has very rich teaching about faith and the Bible”. This comment boosted my moral. Because it is my first book and someone who is a doctor commended it so forcefully. I knew then that what I was labouring and praying for was answered.

What inspired you to write it?

I have been a believer for almost 22 years now. I have attended services, participated in many activities and grew in the process. I have been to multiple denominations of the Church. I have seen from experience a lot of people who walked by faith and had their faith succeed and those that claimed that they were walking by faith and saw them fail in their faith walk.

Also from my own personal experience I have had to face many challenges in my life that shook my faith.

Then one Sunday morning I was busy preparing to go to a church service. In midst of the rush, I caught a glimpse of a movie on a Christian television channel. To this day I don’t even know the name of the movie. But I remember so clearly, like it was yesterday, when in that moment someone said these words; “what is faith if thou sayest ‘what the Lord hath said cannot be?’”. This statement provoked me to go on a quest to really search the scriptures and try to find the answers to some lingering questions that I had. When I finally found the answer in the scriptures, I was like a dog that had found a bone. I was so excited. But a growing need began to rise within me to share with the world what I have just found. Having no platform, I started on this book so that someone may benefit from what God graciously showed me concerning faith.

What message would you like readers to take away from your book?

The message I would like for everyone to grasp in this book is that: having a relationship with God is the fundamental part of succeeding in faith. Also the way to have a fruitful relationship with God is by what I like to call the three pillars of faith⸻ which is; prayer fasting and living in the word. Master this and you will certainly have a great chance at succeeding in your faith.

Share an excerpt from your book.

“Jesus Christ is all fullness of faith, that is, He is all the fullness of the revelation of God to the human race. That is the reason why the Holy Spirit told us that Jesus Christ is the …author and finisher of our faith, (Hebrews 12:2 KJV). This is because all the faith we have, we draw from Him. He is the well of faith from which we draw from so that we may have living faith”.     

Did you dare to believe that your book will be published when you started writing?

Writing a book was new territory for me. Though I had dared to write and publish it, I can honestly say that along the journey I met with trying times that caused me to despair and get discouraged. However, I always kept my eye on that finishing line so that whatever came to discourage me was quenched by my desire to reach that finishing line. Today we are here talking about a published book because as I looked at that finishing line I also depended on God’s providence.

How many times were you rejected?

I did not get much rejection because I knew that I wanted to self-publish my book. So when I finished working on it, I immediately went for what I wanted, which is self-publishing. I did, however, send my manuscript to certain publishing companies that were willing to publish it. Only one rejected my book, I think on the bases that I had already published it on Amazon.

Was the process of looking for an agent/publisher discouraging?

At first, I did look for a publisher, but in my country they mostly focus on publishing books that are meant for the education sector. So I knew from my initial search for a publisher that in my country it was going to be difficult. So I opted for KDP Amazon.

How long did you write the first draft? And how long did the editing and re-editing take?

Can you share your writing rituals/habits/process?

Writing took me 2-3 weeks tops. But editing and re-editing took me 3-4 years. You might not believe this, but I had no personal computer of my own, so I had to borrow other people’s laptops. So the process took more time than it was supposed to as well as factoring the finances that needed to be gathered to find a professional editor and book cover designer. It was quite the journey for me. But I have had help by God’s grace to pull me through all these obstacles.

My habit for editing; I call it marinating your manuscript. I work on it for a while and then I leave it for a few weeks. When I get back to it, I start seeing some mistakes I didn’t previously. It helps me critique the work that I do by myself.

Who was your first literary crush?

My first literary crush was Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I was intrigued by his imagery in the book. I, however, was a bit young to really grasp some of the deep language in the book, but it was my first crush.

Did you imagine yourself as an author in your teens?

Here is a funny story. I remember when I was maybe thirteen or fourteen years old, I was in the shower. I was still a young believer. In the shower, I prayed to God and was declaring that one day I would be named among those that wrote for the kingdom of God. I was young and a bit naïve when I did this. Fast forward to today, I have written a book. So I wouldn’t say I knew but something happened beyond my planning for me to be an author. I would say this: God does hear our prayers and he does not forget what we prayed. I had forgotten, but God heard and answered my prayer.

What was the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

Great expectations by Charles Dickens was definitely the book that made me fall in love with reading. It made me wish to learn more vocabulary and be able to articulate my words finely. It was a rich encounter with a book.

Did a book ever make you cry? (Which one?)

I don’t remember a book making me cry, but I definitely have read books that stirred me up to cry out to God in prayer. Books like Reality of the Blood by Ernest Angley. It has such an in-depth teaching about the Blood of Christ that will always stir you up to seek God in a deep way. 

Do you sing under the shower? Or to your plants?

I do sing under the shower apparently. Thanks to technology, these days I can take my phone and play my music whilst I am bathing. So I could say it’s more of a sing along situation for me.

I definitely do not sing to plants. I am not that kind of guy I guess.

Do you like to cook? What is your specialty?

I love cooking very much. I consider it a hobby at most. I like the idea of putting ingredients together and coming up with a masterpiece. That said, I make a mean pizza which my family enjoys every time I get to make it.

I can bake cakes, pies, pizzas and a number of other things. I am at that point where I can see a recipe and in my head I already have a rough idea of how it is supposed to be made. Love it…

Do you have a pet?

I do not have any pets myself. But if I were to have one, I would definitely go for a cat. I say this because there is a friend of mine who has a cat and when I visited him one day his cat came and brushed itself on me. I immediately fell in love with the idea of having a cat.

What is the most romantic thing you ever did? What is the most romantic thing someone did for you?

I think romance exists in the daily expression of love we give to each other. Being of the will to love someone purposefully every day is what I believe to be most romantic. So every day I wake up I purposefully make the decision to show love to my spouse. There are occasions that I do give her surprises, but it is the everyday intent of loving each other. When she does everything she does daily for me I appreciate that more than anything else.

Do you believe in love?

I believe in love. Love makes the world have the interesting light we see in our lives. Love sustains us and gives us a reason to live our everyday life. It is such a magical experience that unites people to become a unit that is able to impact the world for good. When someone does not experience love, that person has no capacity to love another. That is why some people are very toxic to be around because they do not know how to receive and give love. The light of love always sparks a therapeutic touch in our hearts.

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