Empowered By His Presence

Empowered by His Presence: Receiving the Strength You Need Each DayEmpowered by His Presence: Receiving the Strength You Need Each Day by Kevin G. Harney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Receive God’s power for the journey ahead. Are you in need of strength, encouragement, and hope? Empowered by His Presence will set you free to face life head-on and follow God’s glorious vision. Kevin Harney weaves together biblical stories and modern narrative to form and stunning tapestry of grace and hope? In the pages of this book, you will find four surprising and God-given sources of strength: Suffering, Loss and Pain, Sabbath and Rest, Community, and Mission and Purpose. Discover how each of the power sources can help you live boldly, serve humbly, and overcome life’s obstacles.”

This book, as the author suggests, should probably be used as a four-week study whereby the reader can really uncover the wisdom and truths written on these 200+ pages. Or you can, as I did… devour the book in a couple of days.

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The Answer To Our Cry

The Answer to Our Cry: Freedom to Live Fully, Love Boldly, and Fear NothingThe Answer to Our Cry: Freedom to Live Fully, Love Boldly, and Fear Nothing by Rick McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“We all long for freedom. Freedom from anxiety, fear, and sin. Freedom to love others completely as God loves us. And yet we are shackled by insecurity, prone to selfishness, and wary of letting down our guard. That’s not the life God designed for his followers. When his people cry out to him for freedom, he hears–and responds.

Now pastor Rick McKinley shows how true freedom–the kind we see as God delivers his people in the Scriptures–is always in the form of relationship with God rather than our popular notion of complete independence. He calls us to look to the Father, Son, and Spirit for the model of perfect, self-giving freedom and shows how that kind of freedom can utterly transform us.”
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Not A Chance

Not a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt Against ReasonNot a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt Against Reason by R.C. Sproul

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Despite claiming unbelief in God or any higher power that may have designed or created the world and all that is in it, modern scientists often write and speak of chance as some kind of being or force that can cause things to happen. In one breath they push the evolution agenda and in the next they say that creatures were “designed” with specific traits. In this classic book, R. C. Sproul and Keith Mathison call the scientific world to employ logic and clarity in their discourse, to leave the word chance as an abstract concept to describe mathematical possibilities rather than an ontological being that can actually cause change. This expanded edition includes a new chapter dealing with the most recent attempts to defend irrational scientific statements. Two new appendices answer critics and review other literature on scientific discoveries that support belief in a Creator God.”
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David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson: The Cross, the Switchblade, and the Man Who BelievedDavid Wilkerson: The Cross, the Switchblade, and the Man Who Believed by Gary Wilkerson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“This is the story of David Wilkerson, the man who believed against the odds that God could do great things in the rejected and ignored of New York City, who refused to give up on those on the streets even when they had given up on themselves, and who saw in the eyes of the drug addicts and gang members what others failed to see the love of Jesus Christ.

But who was David Wilkerson? Many Christians don t really know. More often than not, we saw the fruit of his faith in God rather than the man himself. David Wilkerson was a man of faith who trusted God would give him what he needed to enter a world of crime and killing. He was a man of conviction who took the dream God gave him and marched forward without ever looking back. And he was a man of vision who could not be shaken from his beliefs sometimes even when counseled otherwise. David Wilkerson was the preacher of New York City.” Continue reading

50 Things You Need to Know

50 Things You Need to Know about Satan and Demons50 Things You Need to Know about Satan and Demons by Mark H. Muska

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“A lot has been said about Satan and demons in music and movies, on the Internet and TV, but it can be difficult to figure out what’s true and what’s folklore. Professor Mark Muska uses the Bible to answer the most-asked questions about Satan and demons, including: Who is Satan? Does Satan really have horns, hoofs, and a tail? Can Satan read our thoughts? What is demon possession? Can anything protect us from demonic attacks?

You’ll discover exactly what God’s Word says–as well as what it doesn’t say–about these mysterious beings.”
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Understanding the End Times

The Holy Land Key: Unlocking End-Times Prophecy Through the Lives of God's People in IsraelThe Holy Land Key: Unlocking End-Times Prophecy Through the Lives of God’s People in Israel by Ray Bentley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Don’t Just Read Prophecy. Step into Its Fulfillment. The study of prophecy inspires elaborate timelines and speculation about which world leader might rise to power in the last days. But meanwhile, it’s far too easy to miss the significant prophetic signs contained in stories of biblical characters, in God’s creation, and in the lives and actions of today’s Israelis and Palestinians.”

The Holy Land Key: Unlocking End-Times Prophecy Through the Lives of God’s People in Israel by Ray Bentley is quite an interesting book. Right from the beginning it is filled with intriguing personal stories about key players in present-day Israel. With all that is going in Israel daily, it is through these personal accounts, we get a glimpse of Israel – then and now. Continue reading

Bethlehem Road

This is another wonderful study by Michael Whitworth!

Other reviews of his Bible Study’s on this blog:

The Derision of Heaven – A Guide to the Book of Daniel

Living & Longing for the Lord – A Guide to 1 & 2 Thessalonians –


Bethlehem Road: A Guide to RuthBethlehem Road: A Guide to Ruth by Michael Whitworth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Out of the immense moral darkness of the Judges period comes a story of romance, redemption, and hope. The tale of Ruth has inspired countless generations. But Ruth isn’t the star in this romantic drama; center stage belongs to God and his providence. Naomi and Ruth traveled the Bethlehem Road—one of famine, abandonment, grief, and loss—unaware that the Lord had gone before them to redeem their heartache.”
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Peace Through Prayer

have had the priviledge of reviewing a book called “The Stress Cure“.  There are just some authors that just “get it” and this author, Linda Evans Shepherd is one of them.  Sometimes you wonder what makes a person an expert on a particular subject that they would write a book about it.  Well…  read this book, understand her story and you’ll know that she Just gets it.

Thank you Ms. Shepherd for allowing me to read your book(s).


The Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal PeaceThe Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal Peace by Linda Evans Shepherd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We live in a world filled to the brim with advice, and when it comes to dealing with stress, there’s plenty of advice to go around. Sleep more, eat better, avoid this, seek out that. But more ideas about how to cope are not necessarily what we need if we’re stressed and anxious. What we need is a cure. The true remedy to stress, Linda Evans Shepherd says, is prayer.”
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Be A Rebel

Be Rebellious: Fight Back Against A Culture That Doesn't Care About YouBe Rebellious: Fight Back Against A Culture That Doesn’t Care About You by Megan Clinton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Why are we trying so hard to fit in when God created us to stand out? Many of us have been tricked into believing that life is all about starving yourself into a size 0, wearing sexy clothes, and snagging a hot guy. We measure our worth by the number of our followers on social media or “likes” on our digitally enhanced selfies.

We shape our lives around these lies, unaware that we’re on a pathway to brokenness and destruction: Eating disorders. Depression. Addiction. Abuse. We may think we are “rebelling” by breaking the rules of our parents’ generation—but the reality is, we’re anything but rebellious. Instead, we’re slaves to our culture, desperate to fit in.

But we don’t have to live this way. We have a choice. Do you want to make a difference and change the world? Then take your heart and life back from a culture that doesn’t care about you! Grab hold of the truth that your value isn’t based on your relationship status or dress size—it’s based on who you are.”

Be Rebellious – Fight Back Against a Culture That Doesn’t Care About You. Now there’s a challenging title. Had I not read the back of the book, I would certainly think that this book was about a whole other subject. But it isn’t. It’s about being a Rebel. It’s about being what society isn’t. It’s about being our true self… the self that God created us to be. It’s okay to want “a more traditional faith, rather than a hip version of Christianity” (page 67). It’s okay to want to rebel against everything that pulls you away from total intimacy with God, and it’s okay to have doubts and to beg Him for answers and to turn to HIM for the answers to the questions of our life.

We can rebel against a society that says that purity is old-fashioned, that “keeping ourselves” for our husband is not cool and so outdated, and that any form of Godliness is totally “uncool”.

Why is it we as a society ridicule any professional athlete or otherwise that proclaims their Christianity, or unashamedly admit their chastity on national television? We watch, and perhaps chuckle, as they are mercilessly “roasted” by the late-night comedians and the liberal press. We read the nastiest of twitter comments about a 30+-year-old female tennis player that admits her virginity. And yet on the flip side we, also as that same society, celebrate those engaging in an alternate lifestyle. Clearly something is very amiss with our national moral compass.

This is a book that, while it is written by a woman much younger than I, I can clearly see her passion and accept her challenge to Rebel. “Will you dare to believe and follow Christ in a world that says moral values and integrity are crazy? (Page 177) or is it “go along” to “get along”?

About the Author: Megan Clinton (now Megan Clinton Allison) graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Pre-Med/Biology and is currently attending Physician Assistant (PA) School at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. As part of the Extraordinary Women travel team with her mom, Julie Clinton, Megan has a passion to see young women find their identity in Christ, be set free, and live God’s dream for their lives. In addition, she is excited to be equipped as a PA to provide medical care to those in need through international mission work.

Visit the Author’s website: http://meganclinton.com

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the Worthy Publishing Blogger Review Program, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Christian Book, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads

View all my reviews

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Steel Will

I just finished this memoir called Steel Will.  It is the story of SSG Shilo Harris – a young Army Ranger that was injured in an IED explosion in Iraq.

This is the finest book that I have read.  This book grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go.  It was my honor to read and review this book.

I urge you to pick it up and read it.  Then give it to everyone you know.  You will not be disappointed and you will never look at your life the same again.

Be aware, this book contains some seriously vivid descriptions of this Warriors wounds and recovery.


Steel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to BeSteel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to Be by Shilo Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“On February 19, 2007, SSG Shilo Harris was patrolling an infamous southern Iraqi roadway when his Humvee was struck by an IED. Moments later, three members of his crew were dead and Shilo had sustained severe burns over 35 percent of his body, lost his ears and the skin off his face, and lost much of the use of his badly mangled fingers. This fiery moment was just the beginning of an arduous road laced with pain, emotional anguish, and much soul-searching. For forty-eight days Shilo lay trapped in a medically induced coma as his wife, unable to ease his suffering, had to come to grips with a man utterly changed. Continue reading