When Bishop Kenneth L. Lisath could no longer speak the gospel, he did the next best thing and let the words flow through his pen.

The results were the 45-page book, "Oh' Those Sons of Judah: When Your Praise Becomes Mixed Up and Messed Up." Lisath, pastor of New Jerusalem Christian Center, penned the work that examines the Biblical emphasis of praise as seen through the life of Judah and his sons.

Lisath, a 54-year-old Portsmouth native who joined the ministry at the age of 14, has served as senior pastor at New Jerusalem for nearly 25 years.

Last year, he was stricken with Bell's Palsy, which caused him to temporarily lose function of the left side of his face and made it difficult to continue his work.

With his wife taking over the preaching, the disease could not keep him from getting his message out.

"I am not a person that believes in defeat in what I am called to do. Therefore, I was rendered helpless in one area, but I picked up a pen and began to write," he said. "… I feel the Lord began to feed me concerning this praise."

Published by Brentwood Christian Press of Columbus, Ga., the book is available at the church and at local Christian bookstores.

"What I would hope people would get out of the book is about an individual's praise life. As a Christian, we are bound to praise and worship the Lord," he said. "The Bible says God inhabits the praises of his people. The book points toward the necessity and power of praise. As Christians, praise is one of our forms of weaponry."

Congregation member Terri Carter typed the manuscript for Lisath so she was one of the first to read it. She said she would encourage everyone to pick up a copy.

"It is a book I think every Christian should read. It teaches about praise in worship. It teaches about how Christians should establish relationships," Carter said. "It probably will make you think about your relationship with Christ, reevaluate your relationship with Christ and open up your understanding of praise and worship."

Though this is his first attempt at writing, Pastor Lisath said it certainly will not be his last.