Saturday, August 15, 2020

About the Book

Book:  Greek Word Study
Author: Chris Palmer
Genre:  Christian Non-fiction, Educational
Release Date: July 17, 2020
“Flour. Sheep. Coins. Wheat. Jesus never abandoned the familiarity of His time because what He had to say was so celestial or deep. Instead, He took advantage of what people already understood. In doing so, He didn’t just leave a way of salvation for us, but also a pattern of teaching to follow. This alone was my inspiration for how I chose to write Greek Word Study.”—author Chris Palmer
In a follow-up to his highly acclaimed book Letters from Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation, the Rev. Chris Palmer has written Greek Word Study: 90 Ancient Words That Unlock Scripture. With wit, humor, grace, and scholarship, Chris offers biblical insights while teaching Koine Greek words and phrases one delightful bite at a time. Unlike other books that overwhelm readers with Greek grammar, word formation, tenses, and the like, Chris makes the language accessible to anyone, using modern stories and analogies that engage readers and draw them into the Scriptures. Learning some Greek words and phrases helps you read the Bible in high definition!
“You don’t need to be scholar to read this book and you don’t need to know an ounce of Greek either. In fact, you don’t even have to really know much about the Bible at all,” Chris says. “All you need to do is just kick back and enjoy.”

Click here to get your copy!
 MY REVIEW 
I love learning the meaning of words so I was excited to read this book. The author has ninety words that he translates from Greek so we can understand the real meaning when it is used in the Bible. The first chapter grabbed my attention right away. I have studied about the armor of God many times, but as I  saw the word panoplia I began to see how powerful that  word really is. It clearly states in scripture that we are to put on the full armor not just parts of it. The illustration the author uses about soccer players was very visual. When we go into battle against the enemy we need to be prepared. Soccer players are required to wear certain equipment before  they are allowed on the field.  God wants us to be ready with everything we have which includes the entire armor of God. 
The book is well written and gives scriptures references  for  the Greek words. I felt like the Bible was starting to take on a deeper meaning for me as the words were broken down so that I could truly understand what they meant in scripture. Each chapter touches on a word and I decided I needed to start taking notes. I love my journal that was gifted to me by a very special friend and it is perfect to use for this study. Now I can go back and refresh myself on the meanings and get a better picture of what the words are referencing. 
I loved chapter twenty when it talks about grieve. The Greek word for grieve is lypeite. I was so sure this was going to be talking about us grieving for someone. The author uses God to show us how He is grieved by the way we talk about others by being bitter, gossiping or cursing. I have never really thought that doing these things would sadden God but He doesn’t like us to talk about each other in ways that hurt and bruise by our words. The author explains how talking like this can divide the Body of Christ. God created us and when He hears us tearing  each other down, we are allowing the enemy to destroy God’s creation. I know I need to be more loving in my words. This chapter has opened my eyes to think of others more and to remember that God grieves when His children speak unkindly  to each other.
I would recommend everyone grab a copy of this book. It is not something you want to rush through. Each chapter has nuggets of wisdom, illustrations to help understand the words and scriptures where the word is used. It is a source of information that helps us identify the meaning of the word and how it is used in scripture. I will be going through this study many times as I want to grasp the meanings better. We are all a work in progress and this study showed me I still have much work to understand what God’s Word says.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.  

About the Author

The Rev. Chris Palmer is the founder and pastor of Light of Today Church in Novi, Michigan, and founder of Chris Palmer Ministries. He is host of the popular podcast, Greek for the Week, seen on several Internet platforms. His first book with Whitaker House, Letters from Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation, has received dozens of five-star reviews from readers.
Chris began in full-time ministry in 2006 and began to preach internationally in 2009, helping many congregations grow, flourish, and expand. His desire for missions is to train and educate pastors, encourage congregations, support the vision of local church, and show the love of God to the culture. He has done this successfully for a decade in over forty nations of the world in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, working with both traditional churches and the underground and persecuted church.
Chris earned a B.A. in Pastoral Studies from North Central University and an M.A. in Exegetical Theology, magna cum laude, from Moody Theological Seminary. He is a sought-after Greek scholar for his ability to make God’s Word come alive from the Greek in a unique way. Chris is often invited to present Greek and hermeneutics workshops at Bible and ministry schools. He recently began working on his Ph.D. at the University of Wales, Bangor, in the area of Johannine literature, particularly the book of Revelation.
His previous books include the self-published Living as a Spirit: Hearing the Voice of God on PurposeThe 85 Questions You Ask When You Begin a Relationship with GodThe Believer’s Journey, and Escaping the Haunting Past: A Handbook for Deliverance.


Read an Excerpt

Study 12: Immeasurable: Hyperballō; ὑπερβάλλω)
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. (Ephesians 1:19)
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to travel to many lands and countries to preach the gospel. One of the best parts about this is experiencing the different cultures, particularly their food and cuisines. Meals are times of joy and jubilee, when the hosts go all out to make me feel at home.
This is especially true in Sicily. I’ve often joked with my Sicilian friends that eating is a full-time job there. Sicilians take pride in making sure you are well fed, and you’ll often hear them say, “Mangia” (eat) or “Mangia qualcosa” (eat something), even right after you’ve just eaten. Food is of the utmost importance there and the answer to many of life’s problems. I understand this because my grandparents were of Sicilian descent.
There’s a joke in Sicily about a young man with a guilty conscience who tells his mother, “Mama, I’ve robbed a bank.” She says, “Well, that’s not good.” Then, he says, “And I’ve stolen a car.” His mama says, “I see. That’s not good either.” Then he says, “And I haven’t eaten today.” And she jumps up from her seat and screams, “What! You haven’t eaten? What’s wrong with you!?”
I once invented a joke of my own that the Sicilians found funny. I said, “After studying God’s Word, I’ve discovered the disciples of Jesus were Sicilian.” They looked perplexed. While they were still scratching their heads, I had them turn to John 4:31, which says, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him [Jesus], saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’” I think that joke has been making its way around Italy ever since.
Needless to say, there’s never been a time when I’ve been disappointed with mealtimes. I’ve been to Sicily twelve times and I can’t think of one instance when I didn’t have more than enough food placed before my eyes. I will never forget the first meal I had in Sicily. It was on a Sunday afternoon after church. I was told we were going to have “a little something” before dinner that evening. They brought out course after course after course. I was stuffed to the gills before the main course even arrived¾and this wasn’t even dinner.
My translator told me later, “Chris, the Sicilians go all out for every meal. You are never going to survive if you try eating everything.” If I’ve learned anything about the wonderful Sicilian people over the years, it’s that they don’t mess around when it comes to food: it’s always going to be over and above, more than enough, and plenty left afterwards.
The apostle Paul talks about God’s power this way in Ephesians 1:19. Here, Paul was sharing with his church in Ephesus what he prays for them. He tells them that he prays they will know the hope that God has called them to and the riches of God’s “glorious inheritance in the saints” (verse 18).
The hope that God called us to represents the beginning of the Christian life. While we did call upon God to be saved (see Romans 10:13), He first called us. He called us to belong to Christ and have a new life free from sin, to be holy and separate from the world, and be part of God’s celestial family.
The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints alludes to the end of the Christian life. It is our total inheritance, which we will receive when the fullness of time comes. Until then, we are waiting for it with patience. In short, verse 18 speaks about the beginning and end of the Christian life.
At present, we find ourselves in the middle. Our Christian life has taken off, but we have yet to receive the totality of God’s promises. As we make our way toward receiving this final inheritance, we find our path strewn with all sorts of challenges, difficulties, and suffering. To push us past these and over the goal line, God has given us His power—“what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”
The Greek word for “immeasurable” is hyperballō. It is a two-part Greek word that comes from: hyper (above, over, beyond, more than) and ballō (to throw or cast). It literally meant to “throw beyond” or “surpass.” Over time, it came to express other means of excessiveness such as outbidding someone at an auction, extreme heat from a fire, unbearable pain, and the intense brightness of stars. Hence, it was a word used for something that stood out, excelled the norms, and went beyond the standard amount.
The idea in this Scripture is that God supplies an over-and-above ration of His power to help us overcome the obstacles and challenges we face so we can receive the full inheritance promised to us. Not just a little, just enough, or even more than enough, but an over-and-above, highly excessive amount, like a meal in Sicily. We can stuff ourselves with God’s power and never come close to exhausting it. It’s all around us and is ours for the taking. And we aren’t to be stingy with it because there is enough to go around and plenty to take home.
Perhaps you are wondering how you can tap into this smorgasbord of power. The way Paul tapped into it: through prayer. When you come into prayer, you stand before a banquet table that is heaped with everything you could possibly need to overcome your troubles. And you are free to take.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 16
CarpeDiem, August 18
Quiet Workings, August 21
Batya’s Bits, August 22
Mary Hake, August 22
Godly Book Reviews, August 23
KarenSueHadley, August 24
Lis Loves Reading, August 25
Artistic Nobody, August 26 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
As He Leads is Joy, August 26

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chris is giving away the grand prize package 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.

Persian Betrayal Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book:
How much can Brian Mullaney risk to serve God and save lives – without losing his own?
DSS Regional Security Officer Brian Mullaney has been tasked with an incredibly dangerous mission. When a synagogue in Jerusalem is destroyed by an explosion, burying the second key prophecy Mullaney is hunting – and the deadly box that protects it – the answer he desperately needs are also crushed. How can he discover the meaning of the centuries old prophecy now? Why are he and the ambassador he's assigned to protect being targeted? And is there any way this lone man can thwart a nuclear arms race between three ascendant empires of the past?
An otherworldly servant of evil known only as the Turk is maneuvering all three nations into an intricate dance designed to undermine prophecy about the end times. And he won't let Mullaney or anyone else get in his way.
Wounded in a bloody shoot-out, pressured by his wife to come home, and mourning the death of his best friend, Mullaney doesn't need a powerful enemy. Who is he to save the Ishmael Covenant, the treaty promising peace in the Middle East? Despite angelic intervention, Mullaney wants nothing to do with his final assignment. But without him, evil will win the ultimate struggle . . . and humankind will have no hope left.


MY REVIEW
This is book two in the exciting series that propels the story to secrets and danger at every turn. I love that the book picks up from the first one without missing a beat. I do recommend reading the first one as it lays the foundation for the series. The author grabs your attention right away with an explosion that not only shakes the building but the mission that was to be completed. I loved the beginning when Moses and Joshua are together. It is a reminder that God never goes back on His Word.

Brian is a man who takes his assignments serious. He is not happy that the explosion has killed many, even some of their own. How will he be able to complete his mission if documents have been lost forever? The description of the explosion is vivid and it is easy to visualize the damage . It reads almost like a news story from the Middle East that we see on the news. 

There is a lot going on in the book with the mysterious metal box that is vital for Brian to keep safe. I loved how the author gives a little background on the box and about the prophecy. It is almost like reading it from the Bible. There are people who can’t be trusted within the ranks of Americans. They have high power positions and are willing to commit treason to profit for their own gain.  Brian  has to really decipher every information given to him to be sure he does not fall for a trap. 

The book is definitely action packed and at times I didn’t know who to trust. The author does an excellent job of throwing twists in the story to keep readers guessing. Peace in the Middle East is not something one group wants to happen. The destruction and chaos that takes place is shocking at times as the body count rises. The faith element is more prevalent in this book and I loved how it added to the story. Be warned though. The book ends on a cliffhanger so we will have to wait to see what happens next in this exciting series that I want to see made into a movie. 

I received a copy of this book from Read With Audra. The review is my own opinion. 

About the Author:
Terry Brennan is the award-winning author of The Sacred CipherThe Brotherhood Conspiracy, and The Aleppo Code, the three books in The Jerusalem Prophecies series. His latest series is Empires of Armageddon, which includes Ishmael Covenant and Persian Betrayal.
A Pulitzer Prize is one of the many awards Brennan accumulated during his 22-year newspaper career. The Pottstown (PA) Mercury won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for a two-year series published while he led the team as the newspaper's Editor.
Starting out as a sportswriter in Philadelphia, Brennan became an editor a publisher for newspapers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York and later moved to the corporate staff of Ingersoll Publications (400 newspapers in the U.S., Ireland and England) as Executive Editor of all U.S. newspaper titles.
In 1996, Brennan transitioned into the nonprofit sector, spending 12 years as VP Operations for The Bowery Mission and six years as Chief Administrative Officer for Care for the Homeless, both in New York City.
Terry and his wife now live in Danbury, CT.
You can find out more at www.terrybrennanauthor.com. He is also on Facebook (Terry Brennan) and Twitter (@terrybrennan1).
Kregel Publications, 320 pages.

http://www.audrajennings.com/2020/08/win-copy-of-persian-betrayal.html?fbclid=IwAR2LQSURKRW9P3J68Wq2q6XzKAAw5C9kHXn11KEeo7Q-FDL6EqjDYNcPB5Q

Friday, August 14, 2020

About the Book

Book:  Rose in the Desert
Author: K.M. Daughters
Genre:  Christian Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: July 2020
Anna Babic Robbins, dubbed “The Rose Of The Adriatic” by pilgrims to her village, leaves her home bound for America. She is to deliver secrets concerning the fate of the world to a Chicago priest who will shepherd mankind to prepare to hear God speak.
Four women travel to Las Vegas, and while there, snow begins to fall during triple digit heat. They soon learn that the non-accumulating snowfall is a worldwide phenomenon—a universal sign from God preceding the gift of a permanent sign inexplicable by earthly standards.
With the culmination of these miraculous events, all their paths intersect, and God will reveal His plans to each soul on earth.
Will mankind listen?

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW 
The story is very thought provoking and it made me do a lot of  soul searching after finishing it. It is hard to explain how it made me feel, but I know that it has me reflecting more on my life. The premise of the story is that a woman has prophetic words that need to shared and a priest will help deliver the message. 
I couldn’t quite figure out the beginning where someone was murdering young girls. What did this have to do with the story? I suddenly realized that we were getting a glimpse  into the evils of the world. The author lays a puzzle at our feet and allows us to follow the trail to what God is wanting to share with everyone.
The women who travel to Las Vegas each has a part of their life they want to keep hidden. I’m not going into much detail because I don’t want to give one hint of  what is to come. The story reminded me a little of a series about Revelations . I liked the references used to help readers understand that something very important was going to happen around the world. God was going to provide signs that show what He is capable of. I loved the symbols used to show that God was preparing  everyone for His Word. 
The best part of the story for me was that  God does give second chances. He listens to us and speaks to us in a loving way. He knows our sins and still loves us. Each character will have a decision to make. Will they choose forgiveness or run from the truth?  The characters are relatable and I think we can all see ourselves in one of them. Hearts  will chance for those who believe . I kept  thinking of the scripture that says, “the truth shall set you free.” What will you choose? 
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. 

About the Author

K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 15 award winning romance genre, women’s fiction and Christian fiction novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com



More from K.M. Daughters

In our first book in the Gospa series, Jewel of the Adriatic, on April 7th, 1992, rose petals rained on three teenagers walking past a craggy hill in their village, Valselo, near the Adriatic coast. The deluge stopped, and high on this hill, they saw a remarkably beautiful young woman with a child in her arms. They immediately thought that she was Jesus’ mother. She didn’t say anything to them but gestured for them to come closer. They were scared and ran. These three children were Anna, Elizabeta and Josip, who despite their fear, returned to the hill and were rewarded with another visitation by the mother of God, lovingly referred to as Our Lady of the Roses. Daily apparitions continued for decades as the visionaries became adults, guided by the heavenly visitor to pray, open their hearts fully to the salvation of Christ and carry her messages to the world in discipleship. Josip became a priest, instructed to pray for vocations. Elizabeta became a wife and mother, dedicated to praying for unbelievers. And Anna, also a wife and mother, was given the role of divulging secrets concerning all of mankind to an ordained priest, three days before the predicted events occur. In Rose of the Desert, we meet the “Belles of St. Mary’s”, lifelong girlfriends who have shared everything with each other since they met in grammar school. Or have they? When experiencing the all-knowing, forgiveness of God’s presence, will they change so they never have anything to hide again? The Belles’ lives intersect with Anna Babic’s when Anna travels to the United States to fulfill her heavenly appointed mission. Now the time has come.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 15
A Baker’s Perspective, August 17 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, August 20 (Author Interview)
Mary HakeAugust 20
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 23 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 24 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
SusanK. Beatty, Author, August 26 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, K.M. Daughters is giving away the grand prize of a beautiful necklace!! (Pictured Above)
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

About the Book

Book: No Small Caper
Author: Cynthia Hickey
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: May 3, 2019
“No one does a final suspense scene like Cynthia Hickey!” – Stewart Writing Services
A rash of burglaries?
What kind of job had she been hired to do?
CJ Turley is excited to begin her new life as overseer of Heavenly Acres, a tiny house community in the Ozark mountains. As she’s handed the keys to her new house, by a woman who seems far too eager to leave the job to someone else, CJ is told the community is experiencing a rash of burglaries and she should visit the nearby Park Ranger for help.
Can CJ and her new friends stop a thieving murderer before they lose something far more precious than jewels? Their life!
From first day, to spending time with handsome ranger, Eric Drake, to a cast of quirky characters who are all suspect in CJ’s mind, you’re bound for a fun, hilarious, romp in this first book of a new small town, cozy mystery series by best-selling and award-winning author.

Click here to get your copy!
MY REVIEW 
This is a new to me author and I have enjoyed getting to know her writing style. I loved how she used tiny houses as the main scene of the story. I have been intrigued by the houses for some time. They seem perfect for people who want to downsize or just have a place with less clutter. 
CJ is a good character who becomes the overseer of Heavenly Acres. She seems to take well to the new job and her home. The first part of the story is spent on introducing the characters. There were quite a few so I did have a hard time keeping up with them. As the story starts to develop into a mystery, I began to really enjoy how nice the story flowed. A rash of burglaries starts happening in the community and CJ is right there to investigate. After all, she feels responsible for what happens to the people in her little community. 
Eric is a good addition to the story and his skills as park ranger will come in handy as more crimes start spreading in the area. His attraction to CJ was pretty predictable but I did like the chemistry between them. He has his hands full when CJ gets a little close to catching the thief. CJ is very stubborn and I think it was a good quality as she tries to unravel what is going on. In most cozy mysteries there is usually a murder and the one in this story is no exception. 
My favorite character is Mags. Oh my is she a great character. With her no nonsense attitude and hunger for action, she makes a great side kick for CJ. Mags bring the story a few chuckles and I would love to be her neighbor. The story is a clean read and has just enough suspense to keep me trying to guess who would turn out to be the criminal. I am excited that the author has more in this series, because I plan to read everyone of them. 
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. 

About the Author

Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey has sold close to a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters, and small writer retreats. She and her husband run the small press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming a snowbird, with her husband and one dog. She has ten grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.




More from Cynthia

I’ve always been fascinated by tiny houses and love writing cozy mysteries. What’s better than a cozy mystery series in a tiny house community? Not an inch of space wasted. You’ve got to be creative with your storage. Even hiding things in the floor which occurs when CJ Turley takes over as manager of Heavenly Acres. The pup she inherited when her grandmother died has a nose for diamonds. Who’d guess there were so many places in a tiny house to stash things?

I don’t live in a tiny house, but my husband and I downsized from a 2100 sq. ft home to a 1,000 sq. ft. home. Guess which one we prefer? The smaller one 😊 We always know where things are, it’s easier to keep clean, and no stairs to go up and down when we forget something. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live in anything less than 400 sq. ft. if I lived alone, but it was fun to write about those who do.

I’ve watched so many tiny house shows, I’m pretty sure I could design one with everything I’d need. We even told our son that if he moved where we live, we’d build him one in the backyard! He wasn’t amused.

On a serious note, just kidding. While my cozy series have humor, they also have murder and mayhem with quirky characters and a dash of romance. I like my readers to chuckle as the characters strive to take down the culprit without too much danger to themselves.

Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Sara Jane Jacobs, August 8
Genesis 5020, August 10
She Lives To Read, August 11
Artistic Nobody, August 12 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Texas Book-aholic, August 14
Mary Hake, August 16
CarpeDiem, August 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.