Search tags: spiritual-warfare

Load new posts () and activity

review 2020-01-11 10:00

It'll Be Okay Review and GIVEAWAY!

For the Love of Literature

About the Book

Book: It’ll Be Okay

Author: Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner

Genre: Non-Fiction, Christian Growth

Release Date: April, 2018

Is it okay for Christians to doubt?

When we don’t get answers or see God’s guiding hand, it’s hard to keep praying or walking forward in faith. Difficult times often cloud our perspective. Does God see me? Does he hear me? Does he care? Many Christians confuse doubt with unbelief and are afraid to admit those fears, but God is not threatened by our questions, and doubt does not negate our faith.

Our doubts express a yearning to be sure of what—and who—we trust. When our questions are answered by trust, faith is fed and our doubts transform into deeper belief that pushes us toward a decision.

· When we address doubt head-on, faith can grow.

· God has a plan in the good and bad that life brings.

· God can heal our wounds and turn our past mistakes around.

Join nationally-known Bible teacher Sheryl Giesbreacht Turner as she guides you toward a deeper understanding of the role doubt plays in your spiritual growth—and how learning to ‘doubt your doubts’ enables faith to prevail.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner holds a bachelor of arts, a master’s in ministry, and a doctorate of theology. Her television and radio show, “Transformed Through Truth,” is nationally and internationally syndicated; it’s seen and heard daily by millions of viewers and listeners on audio, internet, Roku, and YouTube networks across the United States and through The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network worldwide. Sheryl is the author of three books and hundreds of columns, articles, and devotions. As a Lead Like Jesus facilitator, a blogger, and a missionary with Freedom in Christ Ministries she has personally equipped hundreds and facilitated the training of thousands of national and international leaders. She and her husband, Dr. Jim Turner, live in California’s Central Valley where she enjoys running 5K races with her eighty-five-year-old mother.

More from Sheryl

I’ve always been the one to ask the questions. As a kindergartener, I embarrassed my mother when I inquired, “Where did I come from?” Years passed, as a teenager, I made unhealthy life choices, experimented with alcohol and street drugs, and wondered, “What am I here for?” As a young adult, in Bible College; I asked God to take control of my life and questioned, “What’s my purpose?” Maybe you, too, have had or now have questions? These concerns may even keep you up at night? Doubting ourselves or God may be criticized as a lack of faith. I disagree. Doubt is the in between. Doubts need to be addressed. If doubts are not considered, they will rot our faith from the inside out. When we doubt, we are able to be honest with ourselves and God. We should not be afraid to doubt.

As a delivered drug addict, stage four cancer survivor, and former widow, I’ve faced many types of situations which caused me to question God’s love, goodness and compassion. As I have gone to His word, I’ve discovered He hasn’t changed, His word continues to speak and revives my faith, taking me to a deeper level every single time. I am reminded of this in Lamentations 3:21-24 (NIV) Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Thank you so much for being part of this blog tour. I am excited about what God is going to do with His truth in us as we bring our questions to the Answer – Jesus.

Love and prayers, Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner

My Review

Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner’s “It’ll Be Okay: Finding God When Doubt Hides the Truth” is a short but powerful work of nonfiction that addresses the doubt that we all feel at one time or another. As with the fact that trees grow deeper roots when they are exposed to winds and storms, so it is with our faith in God. Trials may cause us to doubt, but as long as we continue to talk with God and spend time in the Bible, doubt can make our faith grow. “Life offers opportunities to doubt or believe God through many unwanted circumstances, and you will find him present, faithful, and true in all of them.” God will never let us down, and He will work all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28), even if we can’t see it. He understands our emotions, and He desires for us to discuss our doubts and fears with Him and to read His Word; doing both will ensure that doubt does not become unbelief, a distinction that the author makes in this book. Furthermore, she makes the point that never doubting is dangerous because it means that you are not connecting with God and His Word.

Part of what makes this book so relatable to readers are Giesbrecht Turner’s personal anecdotes. Through the hard times of her own life, she demonstrates how she has learned to draw closer to God despite tragedy and seemingly overwhelming situations. Because, she affirms, “Disruptive moments are opportunities for God to strengthen us and deepen our faith if we let him. They are opportunities to place our trust in an all-knowing God rather than rely on our limited human perspective.” While this book does not have any particularly revelatory information, it serves as a ready reference for times of spiritual drought, when God seems distant and our problems appear magnified. When we choose to confront doubt, faith moves to the forefront and becomes more resilient. “As believers, a Christ-centered hope must be the foundation of our lives”, so start doubting your doubts and leaning into the Lord and you truly will be okay.

I recommend “It’ll Be Okay” to everyone who is facing doubts, big or small, in their lives. It is an easy book to understand but still contains plenty of insights into life’s nadirs. Each chapter opens with a relevant quotation and concludes with a “Can you relate?” section that includes discussion questions for individual or group study. The only real issue I had was that, throughout the book, “He” and other personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized, but because this is a work of nonfiction, it is clear Who is being referenced. I do love the “Love Letter to My Readers” that Giesbrecht Turner includes at the end; it summarizes the main tenets of the Christian faith and offers a prayer for devoting (or recommitting) your life to Jesus.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Blog Stops

Through the Lens of Scripture, January 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 8

janicesbookreviews, January 9

Older & Smarter?, January 10

For the Love of Literature, January 11

Texas Book-aholic, January 12

Artistic Nobody, January 13 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, January 13

God is Love, January 14

Genesis 5020, January 15

Inklings and notions, January 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 17

Emily Yager, January 18

All 4 and About Books, January 19 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 19

Beck To Basics, January 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sheryl is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f465/it-ll-be-okay-celebration-tour-giveaway

Like Reblog Comment

review 2019-10-16 10:00

The Glittering Web Review and GIVEAWAY!

For the Love of Literature

About the Book

Book: The Glittering Web

Author: Richard & Linda Nathan

Genre: Christian fiction/futuristic

Release Date: July 1, 2019

What if everything you thought was true and good – wasn’t?

Stripping away years of deception doesn’t come easily—especially to Loren and Eve Montcrest. They believe they’re following the true path as initiates in Seattle’s Arcane Institute, their society’s elite training academy for the New World Order in 2050.

Pursuing spiritual power despite enormous dangers, they are caught up in a fiery, fast-paced succession of intrigues and adventure that rocks their love for each other and even their sanity.

Only a shocking, last-minute intervention can strip away the veil of deception and rescue them from destruction—but will they give up everything for it?

Click HERE to get your copy.

About the Authors

Whether writing apologetics or page-turners, Richard and Linda write together. The Glittering Web is their first novel, a thriller rooted in their own lives and the occult. Richard has a master’s in Christian history and a B.S. in biology and has worked in psychiatric units for over 25 years. Linda has a B.A. in psychology. She has managed Logos Word Designs, LLC, since 1992, providing professional writing, editing, and publishing consultation services. She is also a staff freelance editor with Redemption Press. Together and singly, they have taught and spoken at conferences, seminars, churches, and on the radio. #glitteringweb ~ www.theglitteringweb.com

More from Richard and Linda

What if everything you thought was true and good—wasn’t?

That’s what we painfully learned from our years in the New Age / psychedelic movement in the San Francisco Bay Area during the ’60s and ’70s–years in which we almost lost our sanity, our souls, and our lives.

Like our characters Loren and Eve who are initiates in Seattle’s Arcane Institute in the year 2050, we pursued spiritual power into a glittering web of dangers and deceptions.

Although true to our own inner trials and temptations, The Glittering Web is a fast-paced thriller and sci-fi fantasy with a life of its own, an evangelistic thrust, and a call to Christians to wake up to this huge mission field all around us where today a New Age practitioner is running for President. As it exposes the deceitfulness of this popular movement, it also glorifies the great love and power of Jesus Christ to reach the lost.

See our author video at www.theglitteringweb.com and join the Insider’s Club for our free quarterly newsletter, articles, contests, drawings, Q&As, and much more. There’s also a glossary of over 60 New Age terms to help you.

My Review

To quote Sir Walter Scott, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave!” Futuristic, science fiction books are not usually my choice of reading fodder, but the description for Richard and Linda Nathan’s “The Glittering Web” and the desire to expand my literary horizons led me to picking this one up. And wow! There is so much to be explored within this narrative that it will almost definitely require a re-read and further study. As such, I think that it would make a very interesting group Bible study topic, perhaps reading this book and then taking the New Age philosophies and contrasting them with the true Word of God. “The Glittering Web” is based on a true story of what the authors encountered in the 1970s, and although it is set in 2050, the events in it are already happening today, making it a prescient and cautionary tale.

As we draw closer to the end of the age, it becomes all the more apparent that we are headed toward a world akin to that inhabited by Loren and Eve Montcrest. Chosen as initiates to the Arcane Institute in Seattle under the New World Order, they are on the fast track to everything they’ve ever dreamed of, until that dream becomes a nightmare. What the Montcrests, and society, covet is power and authority, which culminates in not only wanting to be their own god but to be God Himself. If we’re being honest, this is true of all of us to some degree; we relish being in control, but while surrendering isn’t easy and can seem counterintuitive, it is only when we surrender ourselves to God that we become truly free because He is omniscient and completely good and will always work for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us, and thus we have access to the most powerful force in the universe!

The New World Order is eerily familiar to the way our society is progressing. A universal mandated religion that is purportedly all-inclusive has taken Christian principles and perverted them by weaving them into Eastern and mystical methods. With end goals of harmony and unity and achieving global godhood, dissenters such as Bible-believing Christians must be tamped out. “The Glittering Web” is a clarion call to everyone that what is going on in this story is also going on right now in real life, and it is truly evil, not harmless or virtuous. Psychedelic drugs, including marijuana, and their effects demonstrate one of the tools characterizing the deception, and opening oneself up to the darkness throws open the door to demonic possession. Virtual reality and technology suffuse the population to such an extent that “most people couldn’t tell anymore where fantasy began and reality ended. Nor did it much matter.” Some of the characters experience moments of conviction, demonstrating that the Lord has not abandoned His creation, and even though they stifle that conviction with flawed rationalization, not wanting to acknowledge what they know deep inside, the Lord still intervenes and invites them (and us!) to a relationship with Him, out of the darkness and into the light.

For the discerning reader who wants to be challenged to remove the veil of harmony and unity that our society is fabricating, “The Glittering Web” is an excellent choice. It is absolutely NOT a lighthearted read, but it is illuminating. I personally would have liked to see a bit more Christian influence earlier on, as the majority of the narrative was disturbing and it wasn’t until about 75% or so through the book, with a few brief exceptions, that the Christian element shone through. I am wondering if this could be a post-Rapture society. Regardless, this is a book that unambiguously depicts spiritual warfare and the dangers of complacency.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 11

Older & Smarter?, October 12

Blogging With Carol , October 13

CarpeDiem, October 14

Rebecca Tews, October 15

For the Love of Literature, October 16

Wishful Endings, October 17 (Author Interview)

Just the Write Escape, October 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 20

Texas Book-aholic, October 21

janicesbookreviews, October 22

A Reader’s Brain, October 23

Inklings and notions , October 24

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Richard and Linda are giving away, to TWO winners, the grand prize of a paperback copy with a membership to the Insider’s Club (see www.theglitteringweb.com).

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/ed7a/the-glittering-web-celebration-tour-giveaway

speculative fiction science fiction Christian Living Christian inspirational futuristic Christian Fiction spiritual warfare

Like Reblog Comment

review 2019-05-12 10:00

Strike the Mark Review and GIVEAWAY!

For the Love of Literature

About the Book

Book: Strike The Mark

Author: James W. Goll

Genre: Christian non-fiction, prayer, spiritual warfare

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Prayers that strike the mark are specific prayers authorized by the Holy Spirit and endowed with divine power to accomplish the will of God in your life and for the needs of the world. On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the ultimate answer to all of our prayers, but He awaits our invitation to come into our situations and circumstances. When people of prayer intercede, they create a meeting place between the heavenly Father and His children. God comes upon the person who is praying and moves them from the natural to the supernatural. Empowered by God, the intercessor has the authority to cut down enemy forces and pick out “targets” for God’s lightning bolts of glory, bringing victory and breakthrough.

Intercession could be called “extreme prayer” because it links extreme needs with the extraordinary power of God. Inserting ourselves into the gap between God and a need, we call upon the Holy Spirit, our Helper, who is ready to move us from finite ability to infinite ability, take hold of difficult situations, and help accomplish the will of God. We have the great honor of being called to “paint targets” on cities, churches, ministries, family members, contemporary “Sauls” (those who persecute or cause difficulty), and even ourselves. Our believing, persistent prayers will Strike the Mark!

“He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark” (Job 36:32 NASB).

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

JAMES W. GOLL is the president of God Encounters Ministries and has traveled around the world sharing the love of Jesus, imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. He has recorded numerous classes with corresponding study guides and is the author of more than forty books, including The Seer, The Discerner, Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today, Passionate Pursuit, The Lost Art of Intercession, and The Lifestyle of a Prophet. James is the father of four wonderful children with a growing number of grandchildren, and makes his home in Franklin, TN.

My Review

Did “Strike the Mark” hit the mark with me? Yes and no. This reads as more of a regulation handbook, and as such I felt that it has several dry spells and some points with which I did not entirely agree. I was expecting it to be more dynamic and affirming. The author does inject a few personal stories into the narrative, and that does make it more relatable, but overall I honestly had a difficult time staying focused and interested. Much of the language seems to be aimed at a theologically-trained audience rather than the everyday prayer warrior. However, I did appreciate the abundance of Scripture verses and prayers, particularly in the resources section at the end. Also, the prayer at the end of each chapter is a nice summary and pinpoints the focus of that chapter.

In my opinion, “Strike the Mark” is best suited to a church study group. Reading it as an individual detracted from the experience, at least for me. The author’s points make sense, and I understand that prayer is more powerful when more people are involved. However, I got the impression that private prayer was somewhat downplayed. I think that the title should include the word “group” because that is really the main focus. Nevertheless, several parts of the book caught my attention. The author discusses twelve types of prayer that he together categorizes as the “orchestra of prayer”, as well as the various types of intercessors. Confessing generational sin, as exemplified by Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra in the Old Testament, encourages us to identify with the sins in our cities and institutions and to act as ambassadors to effect God-honoring change. Another concept mentioned is that of praying at particular sites, be it for blessing or for the extraction of evil. Overall, this small but compelling book is a good guide for groups looking to take their prayer ministry to the next level.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 11

For the Love of Literature, May 12

Spoken from the Heart, May 13

Mary Hake, May 14

Genesis 5020, May 15

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 16

Just the Write Escape, May 17

Artistic Nobody, May 18 (Spotlight)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 19

Texas Book-aholic, May 20

janicesbookreviews, May 21

Power of Words, May 22 (Spotlight)

A Reader’s Brain, May 23

Inklings and notions, May 24

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, James is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e2ac/strike-the-mark-celebration-tour-giveaway

Christian Living Christian inspirational Prayer Christian Nonfiction spiritual warfare

Like Reblog Comment

review 2019-05-12 00:58

All Things are Possible to Him Who Believes

For the Love of Literature

Imagine... The Giant's Fall (Imagine) - Matt Koceich

Number four in this Bible adventure series, Matt Koceich’s “Imagine: The Giant’s Fall” tackles some weighty issues. Wren Evans recently lost her mother to cancer and arrives home from school to see her house engulfed in flames. The key Bible verse for this story is Matthew 19:26: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” When Wren suddenly finds herself in ancient Bethlehem, this Scripture takes on new meaning. She meets a shepherd boy named David and embarks on a treacherous journey into the midst of a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines, the principle fighter of which is—you guessed it—Goliath.

Unfortunately, this book fell a bit flat for me. While I understand that this is a kids’ adventures series, I wish that it had spent more time on the Biblical aspect. The overall message about trusting God and having faith is good, but the execution is lacking. Wren definitely takes center stage, and David is just a peripheral character. He has very little role in the story, which surprised and disappointed me. Wren’s venture seems disconnected from David’s narrative, and her time in Bethlehem passes very quickly, without allowing the reader to be truly immersed in the setting. Furthermore, the spiritual warfare aspect of the tale is interesting but again does not fit well with the rest of the story. One of the central figures is a female angel, which is not Biblical, and the end of the story seems to make reference to the book of Revelation, but I was confused with some of the details, which again do not seem to line up with Scripture. Overall, this is an interesting read for young kids and pre-adolescents who enjoy exciting stories, but take note that it is not Biblically accurate.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

fiction Christian middle grade Christian Fiction childrens spiritual warfare biblical fiction

Like Reblog Comment

review 2014-05-20 00:00

Spiritual Warfare and Six Other Spiritual Writings

Cogitatio

Spiritual Warfare and Six Other Spiritua...

I came across Peter Of John Olivi while rereading my Encyclopedia Of Apocalypticism series. He was interesting in that he was both an apocalyptist and a mystic. He was among the so-called Spiritual/Minorite Franciscans that were not only stringently dedicated to Franciscan poverty, but also often followers of Joachim of Fiore -an influential medieval apocalyptic writer. The Conventual Franciscans were a bit more lax on the poverty rules of St. Francis and that made them more acceptable to the Papacy. People like Olivi, Ockham, Jacopone Da Todi etc, found themselves on the outs with the Papacy; not only with their insistence on poverty but also their apocalyptic theological tendencies.
Olivi is an interesting writer. He has mystical sensibilities that are quite undeniable. His apocalyptic side comes out here and there as well. This is quite an interesting little book from the writings of a Franciscan that is an early example of how not all pre-Reformation Catholic Christians were dutiful followers of the Papacy. Well worth reading.