The Jesus Experience: Journeying Deeper into the Heart of God – Bill Myers

Posted on by July 8, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: The Jesus Experience is to know joy and peace and unsurpassing love.

Bill Myers wrote The Jesus Experience to encourage us to “journey deeper into the heart of God.” He relates an occasion when he felt God saying to him, “Son, if I were to put you in a coma and you could not talk to others about Me, could not serve Me in any way, would I be enough for you?” The question startled Bill and startled me too.

I realized that I get so caught up in being good and in service and in sharing God with others through my writing that I forget to spend time with the One who created and saved me. As Bill puts it, “… my purpose in life had become success for God instead of intimacy with Him.”

In my attempts to serve him, I’d forgotten the experience I, Deb, had when He drew me to Himself. The pastor had asked me if I knew Jesus Christ. I answered, somewhat flippantly, that of course I knew Him—everybody did. You know, Christmas, Easter, and all that stuff. He stopped me and asked. “No, I didn’t ask you if you knew about Jesus Christ, I asked you if you knew Jesus Christ. Is He real to you? Is He someone you can talk to, walk with, cry with? Is He your friend? I admitted that I did not know Him in that way, but before the morning was over, I did.

Bill takes us back to that time when we first knew Him—when the joy of the Lord was our strength (Nehemiah 8:10, paraphrase mine). He walks us through the steps of drawing closer to Jesus once again:

• Seduced By Service
• Falling Back in Love
• Three Cornerstones
• The Power of Adoration
• Real Freedom
• Truth and Grace
• Fruit of the Spirit
• A New Way of Thinking

The Jesus Experience is written in a simple, easy to understand manner that clearly delineates what we must do to walk deeper with Him. If, like me, you’ve somewhat lost your first love, you’ll want to read this book to be reminded why we’re His. As the Shorter Westminster Catechism says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Or, as Jesus himself said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Only when we center ourselves on Jesus and set out to praise and enjoy Him forever, will we be able to “journey deeper into the heart of God.”

Bill Myers is a writer/producer whose books and videos have sold over eight million copies and have won seventy national and international awards including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. To learn more about Bill, check out his website, www.BillMyers.com.

To purchase a copy of The Jesus Experience, click the link: The Jesus Experience: Journey Deeper into the Heart of God

Barbour Publishers gave me a copy of The Jesus Experience in exchange for my candid review. I am exceedingly grateful!

A Message to Deliver – Jeremiah Peters

Posted on by July 8, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: Melissa has A Message to Deliver: “God loves you and forgives you!”

Jeremiah Peters has written thoughtful book with a fascinating premise. Melissa, a human who lives in Heaven, talks with Jesus, and plays with “her” angel. But unlike the other humans who live there, Melissa has no memories of her time on Earth. One day, Jesus comes to her to tell her He has a mission for her. She is to go to Earth and share the message, “God loves you and forgives you.” She is so excited about her mission that she doesn’t exactly pay rapt attention to Jesus or the instructions He gives her.

Off to Earth she goes where she lands on a park bench next to Harriet Simons, a kindly black woman who gives to Melissa the envelope that she “forgot” on the bench. She’s told to go to McCullen’s Department Store. On her way after asking Harriet directions, she gives her message to everyone with whom she comes in contact. Arriving at McCullen’s and going to the “Office” as instructed, she finds herself with a job—then she finds out she has an apartment and meets Todd, a young black man who also was hired for the store. Todd kindly walks her to her new home.

Todd Simmons (yes, Harriet is his grandmother), blames facilities like the Southside Women’s Clinic, an abortion center, for the death of his mother. He is determined to get revenge against such facilities.

I loved Melissa and watching her learn all about this new world she’s living in. From light switches to a cash register that makes delightful noises to cooking a frozen pizza and listening to the choir at the neighborhood church, Melissa’s journey to her mission and her past is fascinating. The cast of characters that surround her is also intriguing—from Todd to Jonathan to Ms. Gibbons to Martin.

As Melissa tries to help Todd, she also runs into the evil of this world, especially abortion and man’s cruelty to the unborn and to each other. Peters paints a convicting picture of our world today and how far we’ve come from the Edenic state in which we used to live.

Demonic forces are at play here—along with angelic ones. Will Melissa be able to save Todd from his quest and deliver her message, or will the dark truth of her past lead her to abandon her mission?

Jeremiah Peters is serving as the pastor at New Hope Church, A Primitive Methodist church, in Methuen, MA. He and his wife, Jodie, have six children and four grandchildren. They live in Sandown, NH. To connect with Jeremiah, visit him at his website, Jeremiah Peters.

To purchase Jeremiah’s book, click the link: A Message to Deliver

Jeremiah gave me a copy of A Message to Deliver in exchange for my candid review.

Bjorn Horsa on a Quest for Galthain’s Bones-Krystine Kercher

Posted on by July 8, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: Teen lad on a quest—danger—betrayal—a little bit of magic?

Bjorn Horsa, thirteen-year-old-fourth son of the leader of the Horsas is sent on a quest to recover an ancestor’s bones from a hidden grave in the forbidding destroyed city of Deathwater. Bjorn is sent with his cousins, Vaalon and Trehan, as well as some older knights on the quest. One of the conditions is that they take the ancient seer from the oasis at the edge of the desert, Ser Anafi, with them.

Off they go—adventure for the boys—serious quest for their elders. On the way they encounter desert and storms and vipers (did you have to put snakes in there, Krystine?) and bandits and treachery.

Do they succeed? Is the ancient, decayed city a trap? What is Jirin? Who is Jirin? Will God protect them?

Young readers and their parents will enjoy this story of adventure. Krystine has painted a world that is very realistic as are her characters and their foibles. The trials they face are dangerous and exciting. You’ll enjoy reading about Bjorn and how he matures during the quest.

Krystine Kercher “writes young adult fantasy from a Christian perspective while sharing her love of adventure with her readers.”
Galthain’s Bones leads to other adventures for Bjorn: A Shadow on the Land, King’s Ride, and Elathan’s Heir. You’ll enjoy the ride. Four stars!

To purchase this book, click this link: Galthain’s Bones (Exile Book 1)

Krystine Kercher sent me a copy of Galthain’s Bones in exchange for my candid review.