Heal Them All by Rev. Cheryl Schang

Summarize the content of the book in your own words:

Jesus “healed them all,” and did so with 100% success rate every single time. When people don’t stay healed, it is because they got a breakthrough, but did not address the root cause, so like picking fruit off of a tree without removing the root, it returned. As someone ministering healing to others, you can expect to see predictable, repeatable results, if both you and the other person are willing to do whatever it takes. In each case, Jesus had a rhema word and only said what He heard the Father say. Jesus could have dies a painless death in order to give us eternal life, but instead, He chose to be wounded, so that we could be healed. When Jesus left this realm at His death, everything that He took to the cross with Him, lost its power in this realm as well; so whatever had power over me is now in submission to Him and under His power and authority. Jesus bore our sickness the same way that He bore our sins; He took our sickness and pain to the same extent as those sins. The same things that can block our healing before we get healed are also the same things that blocked our salvation before we got saved. They can be put into four categories: ignorance, unbelief, spiritual interference, and rejection. Since Jesus already took my pain, there is no reason for me to carry it; both of us do not need to have it. As children of God who are born again, we have the right to be healed, because it was purchased in the same package as our salvation. Many times when Jesus “healed” a person, He was also casting a demon out of them. He took the infirmities and sicknesses of the very people that He also dies to save. It is evident which works Jesus considered to be from the enemy when you look at what He deliberately destroyed. There is a connection between both sin and sickness just as there is between salvation and healing. The Holy Spirit works at continuing to make life in our mortal bodies because that is the Father’s will. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have all done their parts when it comes to our healing, so we need to make sure that we are willing to do ours if we really want to receive it. Regarding faith, it is the job of the person ministering to have enough of it for both parties. Anything that you let into your soul, manifests itself in your body eventually. Not everyone wants to be healed and made whole; it is important to make sure that the person whom you are ministering to does. Using faith will not yield a lasting result no matter how much of it you have, if the blockage preventing the healing is not first removed. According to the Bible, three ways to increase your faith include: prayer and fasting, praying in the Spirit, as well as getting a rhema word. Having faith is not enough, it must be utilized. There is a difference between facts (what God has already done) as well as promises (what God is going to do), and it is important that when petitioning Him with our requests, we recognize the difference between the two, as it makes no sense to ask God to do something that He has already done. We are only required to enforce what God has already done. We do not need to pray to ask God to heal since He already has, and it is His will that all be healed; instead, we are to command the healing that Jesus purchased for us, and thank God for providing it to us. Regarding recovery, we are not guaranteed miracles (which are instant), but we are guaranteed healing (which is a process). The words that we speak have power, frame our lives, and need to be chosen carefully. Complaints and whining attract the enemy the same way that the sound of a wounded rabbit attracts coyotes. Once whatever is blocking our healing gets removed, our bodies can and will respond to faith-filled words of health and healing. Just as the power of life and death is in the tongue, our victories can be found in our mouths, so we should not allow the enemy to fill it with his plans, but intentionally remove the “mixture” and choose to speak God’s will, plan, purposes, and words over our lives. A prayer of faith is as simple as thanking God for what He has done and is doing. If kept up continually, (and used with faith after all blockages are removed), this declaration of faith and gratitude in God’s ability and goodness will bring about the change(s) that you desire to see. Using anointing oil on another person is marking them with the symbol of God, since our God has a specific formula and has commanded that it not be utilized for another purpose. Anything that you permit to rule your soul will eventually rule your body. What we speak into our lives will eventually come to pass. God wants everyone to be healed and is not the author, source, or responsible party of sickness and disease; He brings life and life abundantly. Sickness is punishment and a part of the Old Testament system of blessings and curses. When you deal with the soul, the body can then recover. God uses natural remedies, can use doctors, or anything else that He wants to in order to heal us. Since He is not the author of it, it is easy to also understand that He does not send sickness to us for the purpose of teaching us something, although He does have the ability to turn around and use anything and everything for our good. There is no scripture in the Bible that shows a single instance where God says that He actually put sickness and disease onto a person in order to teach them a lesson. The Holy Spirit is our teacher; spiritual leaders and pastors should also teach us. Biblical interpretations either bring theological harmony or disharmony, interpretations are easily distinguishable as invalid when they do the later. Kings do not stay home when God says it is a season for war; they became kings by conquering a thing, which is why they now have authority over it. The enemy is only able to create bondage in our soul when we extend to him our own cooperation and agreement; believing his lies gives him power over us in an area and causes what we have allowed into our souls to eventually manifest within our bodies. All of us come into the kingdom with baggage, what is important is that we replace lies with truth, and negative experiences with positive ones. Faith is what justifies us, but our sanctification comes to us by the life long process of renewing our minds and cleaning out our souls. When ministering to a person, it is important to watch for clues in their speech as well as to pray and ask the LORD about what it is that is operating in each situation. Always assume that when you head God say something, that He knows what He is talking about; even if the person denies it, when you hear a word of knowledge about a person from God, always assume that it is correct. Everything done in the darkness comes into the light eventually. A simple way to determine the root cause of bondage in a person, whether mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual, is to ask the question, “What is blocking God’s glory in this person?” After God reveals where His glory is being blocked, break the agreement and kick the spirit out. There is the potential for a wound to occur in an individual’s life every time they experience a strong emotional event. For each moment that we face, we can choose either to accept the grace of God, or a lie from the enemy. A person takes a lie by speaking words or acting in a way that agrees with it; it is that agreement that gives the enemy the use of our power. Based on the above, it is understandable that if a person is prayed over with a prayer of faith and does not recover, or recovers but then regresses, then there is a spiritual blockage still present that needs to be addressed and removed. It is not possible to separate or choose between the healing ministry and the deliverance ministry, as we see from the healings and deliverances modeled for us by Jesus, that these two things are often intertwined and go hand in hand, he lumped both of them together. Jesus’ idea of healing was getting rid of the enemy’s power over that individual in whatever way they may be effected, so that God’s glory can flow unhindered through that person. The problem is not getting free as much as it is staying that way; this is why we see that Jesus did not offer deliverance/healing to unbelievers. You do not need to know the exact name of a demon in order to cast it out, because you have the name of Jesus, which is mightier; simply describing it’s behavior, even when you do not know the name, still allows you to cast it out. The simplest way to sum up the  deliverance can be done in three steps: repent, renounce, & cast out. Declaring the remittance of sins is a powerful deliverance tool; words must be spoken with authority and confidence conveying a strong knowledge that you know they have to leave. It is still possible to cast a demon out without repentance and renouncement, but the work is much more difficult and can become messy; it is better to encourage an individual to do both, as this causes them to take ownership of their own deliverance. Each and every single time, Jesus did healing by the rhema word. The entire healing process model from start to finish is encompassed within these five steps: 1) Expect to be the one with the faith, 2) Get a rhema word of knowledge about what is blocking the healing or the root cause of the sickness, 3) Remove those spiritual blockages through the deliverance process of Repent, Renounce, & Cast Out, 4) Command the body accordingly, & 5) Thank the LORD! We are to use the power of the Holy Spirit to impose the will of God on the earth. Using the phrase, “In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit..” reminds the people involved as well as notifying any spirits involved that we are not relying on our own ability to be righteous in the issue being addressed, but on the righteousness of Jesus. Jesus told us to speak to mountains in faith; not ask God to do it for us. A healing session is never over until thanks has been given to God; we are to do this in the middle of things and in spite of the problem; this demonstrates faith in God’s ability. Daniel showed us that we cannot be “chewed on” by lions while we are in the midst of giving God praise and expressing our gratitude. Being grateful and giving thanks is also a form of watching over what you have; as previously mentioned above, whining, complaining, and doing the opposite attracts the demonic. The canopy of thanksgiving is a defensive weapon as well as a protective weapon. We may not have the ability to undo or remove negative things that we have experienced or thought, but since we overcome evil with good, we do have the power to replace them with positive ones. When we believe that we have what has been promised to us, there is nothing else remaining but to give thanks for it; you are not expected to thank God for everything, but you are expected to thank Him in spite of it; doing so imparts grace into whatever situation that you may be facing.         

What was new, stretching or revelatory to you personally?
As evidenced by my two thousand plus word summary above, I received a lot of revelation, knowledge, and spiritual growth as a result of reading this book. The biggest thing that was stretching to me was learning that Jesus paid for my healing. Prior to reading this book, I believed that the verse, “by his stripes we are healed,” was figurative and referred to a spiritual wholeness and healing that occurred as a result of Jesus taking my sin. It took a lot of careful explanation, numerous Biblical expounding, and a gentle unfolding of the Greek word by word, in order to show me clearly and beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus did in fact choose to purchase my healing as well. Cheryl carefully handled each of my objections in both the Old and New Testaments as well as citing the circumstances of Job and Paul’s thorn in the flesh in a knowledgeable yet loving way that was both thorough, easy for me to understand, and ultimately after much time, thought and prayer, satisfactory.

There were many revelatory things contained within this book, and I actually filled up extensive pages in my prayer journal over the past month with each exciting insight. Heal Them All took me quite a bit of time to get through because of the richness it contains as well as the amount of time I needed to think about, pray about, and let the ideas inside “marinate.”

Specifically, the topic of complaining within the subject on the power of words impacted me a lot. I did know that words have power and that complaining is bad and should be avoided. This book confirmed that in a very real way to me through the example about how a coyote call is not the sound of another coyote, but actually the sound of a wounded rabbit. This visual image when coupled with the teaching on how thankfulness attracts the attention of heaven while complaining attracts the demonic, really clicked for me and became something that I am not soon to forget.   

How does this impact your life or thinking?
Heal Them All has given me many things to think about, some of which are still settling as I think upon, pray about, and sort through them. In addition to reinforcing my stance on choosing my words carefully, trying to get the “mixture” out of my mouth, and avoiding complaining, this book had a lot of wonderful things to say about the topic of gratitude and thanksgiving that I found to be both helpful as well as encouraging. This book has increased my faith, my understanding, as well as simplified the topic of healing and deliverance for me, which initially appeared to be complex to me in an overwhelming way. I now feel better equipped to handle these situations in the future, and actually look forward to doing so instead of feeling ill prepared.

In fact, while writing this report, I felt lead to summarize what I got out of this book to my husband. I didn’t realize it at the time, but God was giving me a practice round to articulate, because the moment that I finished getting all of my thoughts out and went in the back room, someone messaged me on Facebook, asking me multiple questions that the book had actually just answered for me. 

I had asked God earlier this week and also today to help me with this book report and He really has by way of giving me a practical experience while I was working to explain my thoughts about what I read. It really feels like the moment we’re trained, He brings us opportunities right away where we can be used by Him to love and encourage others, and I am so grateful for His faithfulness, especially in that area. 

Another way of showing how much this book has truly impacted my life as well as my thinking, is that I am sending my copy of this book to my aunt, who has Fibromyalgia. I believe that this book will help her tremendously, and I am excited to see God heal her, my friend mentioned above, and many others, just like He has me!

What did you disagree with in this book? Give a clear and defended position as to why you disagree. Cheryl touched on generational curses within this book. Jesus became a curse for me, so I do not need to live my life by the Old Testament system of blessings and curses. That teaching also conflicts with what Welton Academy Supernatural Bible School has taught me, which is that it is the lie that you believe which puts you into bondage; just as it is the truth you believe which sets you free. Other than that, I eventually ended up agreeing with most of the content presented within this work eventually, although not at first. Overall, I found that it contained and is in line with the Scripture that is clearly stated within the Bible.

[This book review has also been posted on Amazon.com, as well as Goodreads.]

Throne Life - Sharing Christ's Throne by Joe McIntyre

Summarize the content of the book in your own words:

Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father on His throne, and invites us to share in that glory as both an inheritance as well as a privilege. The fullness of the blessing of God is already our as believers, it just waits upon our comprehension and belief. I come off as victorious constantly because I am born of God. By renewing my mind and growing my faith, I can ‘walk out’ an overcoming life. 

Although Christ’s death was for my sins, His resurrection was for my justification. It is common to overemphasize His death, and while He did do this for our sins, our focus should be on Him being raised. His Finished Work was when He entered the Most Holy Place, and presented His own blood, having won and obtained our eternal redemption, and sealing the New Covenant. Our transformation is not the result of His death, but comes as a result of the glory of His resurrection being our focus, as it is with Him in His enthroning that we have our identity.

I am God’s representative whom He has covered with His power and presence. I am to enforce and extend both His reign and His name; bringing everything to its rightful place- under the headship of Christ, which is the purpose of the Father. Jesus is waiting for the His Body, the church, to use the authority that He has bestowed unto them to make His enemies into His footstool. Although we may not see this as something that has been completely manifested yet, by each of us walking in the Holy Spirit, we can see this change spread throughout our world.

Complacency is not normal in healthy Christians, but hunger is, and this desire should be fully present regardless of their level of maturity. We also need to get our “head faith” to travel down deep inside of us until our thinking and behavior is controlled by what we believe, and it becomes “heart faith.”

I was raised when Jesus was raised for my justification; He broke sin’s dominion over me, stripping it of all of its guilt, power, and condemnation. By appropriating the abundant grace of God, we find the dominion and rule of sin melting and disintegrating like snow in the warm light of the sun.

Regarding the parable of the sower, since I have been born again by the creative power of the Word of God, my heart is the ‘good ground’. In numerous places throughout the Bible there is a three dimensional or three-fold unpacking, unfolding, and revealing of the truth. Here we see that when it comes to God’s Word, there is a progressive way by which we can have a ‘thirtyfold grasp’, a ‘sixtyfold understanding’, or a ‘hundredfold comprehension’ of it. Intellectual comprehension of truth is good, but it is the truth revealed to us by the Holy Spirit that changes our lives and behavior, empowering us to live out what we comprehend and understand.                                                                                                              

  

It is interesting to me that the enemy’s strategy in our infancy as Christians is to draw us into or back into the world, but that as we mature, his strategy then becomes to get us to become introspective and self-focused, because he is afraid of us finding, entering into, and exercising the authority that we have been given.

As dearly as we want Jesus to return, we must fulfill the great commission, as Jesus is waiting for us to reach the people that He died for with the gospel so that He can return. As much as we want to be intercessors, we must first be proven in our own walk and also learn how to assault our doubts, reject lies, and cast down vain imaginations that try to exalt themselves above Christ. It is once we learn to use our authority over our own situations, that we will be able and qualified to use it to help others with their own.

We must be determined to overcome chronic sickness, hindered ministry, personal insecurities, various testing and trials, as well as anything else that the enemy would throw at us in order to press in and claim the victory we have been given. We must be willing to continually walk in humility and renew our minds if we are to live based on the Word and want to have an open door of revelation by the Holy Spirit.

What was new, stretching or revelatory to you personally?
When tempted, not only is there always a way of escape whereby we may leave, but there is also a way of proactive resistance, which causes us to be more than conquerors through Christ and His love; this way also causes the enemy to flee from us.

My faith is the victory that overcomes the world because I am born of God, a new creation that has the potential to come off as victorious constantly. What grace gives, my faith is able to possess, and all of the promises of God are available to me; none of them are nullified or now not applicable due to the age, time, or place I live in today. The Bible is alive and relevant. I don’t have to wait until I go to heaven to experience, grasp hold of, and hold on to what is already mine in Christ, by faith. I can start living the abundant life that He obtained for me right now.

Just as with the Old Covenant, it was not the slaughter of the animal itself that brought the atonement for sin, but the presenting of its blood before God; so the death of the spotless animal in the outer court was the foreshadowing for Jesus’ death on the cross, and it is His resurrection then presenting His blood in the heavenly sanctuary for our atonement that is His Finished Work. His death on the cross is where that work began.

Being part of Christ’s body, I am also His feet, a part that walks upon the earth. It is under my feet that God has placed the enemy. I am free from the oppression of the enemy and have been delivered out from his authority. Because of God’s redemption, I now have authority over him, because Christ now has all of the authority in heaven and on earth, and I get to share in His inheritance, since I am in Him.

In order for something to become fruitful in my life, the Holy Spirit must reveal it to me and Him doing that with even just one verse, is more important than me reading through multiple verses without recollection, recognition, or understanding. I could be searching the Bible for a ‘thirtyfold grasp’ on scripture for an answer to my current problem or situation, but in this intention, I could possibly miss God’s heart toward me in revealing a ‘sixtyfold understanding’ or even a ‘hundred fold comprehension’ on truths that I already know. This process is one of the ways that God makes Scripture rich and real to me, by increasing the meaning, tying things together, giving them more depth, and raising my knowledge of the content from facts to meaning to passion that influences who I am.                                                                 

How does this impact your life or thinking?
I was expecting to read a book about how to do and accomplish certain things. Instead, this was a book explaining why we are able and why we can, which is much more critical.

Are we zealous enough to repent of any kind of being self-satisfied and lukewarm in order to have Jesus open the door for us to join Him in the throne room? This question definitely reflects the sentiment of my heart to the affirmative, as I am determined to overcome all obstacles to get to Jesus. I want everything that He wants for my life and nothing that He doesn't.

I am a participant in everything Jesus endured, inclusive of His Finished Work; because of Him, in Him, and through Him, I have victory, authority, and freedom. These divine realities are mine for the taking and have been freely given to me by God’s grace. Through aggressive faith I can possess my victorious destiny.

With Jesus having all of the authority, that leaves none for the enemy, who is dethroned, defeated, and has come to nothing; in his being overthrown, it is my job to enforce the death blow of defeat that Christ already dealt to him. I will go forward in the name of Jesus and destroy any and all works of darkness in the same way that He did.

It’s not how quickly I can get through the whole Bible and how many times I can accomplish reading it, the real issue is how much of it am I putting into practice and how much of it is becoming a part of who I actually am.

Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him and was held there not by the nails (He could have ended His suffering at any moment), but by His love for me. Because He loved me, Jesus suffered in every way (mind, soul, and body) more than any human ever has. How can I possibly respond to the grandest gesture of love ever made with selfishness or complacency? The very thought is not only ridiculous, it is offensive; I will serve Him and His kingdom with all that I am and with all that I have forever. It is better for me to expect too much in this life, rather than for me to expect too little. I have counted the cost and made my decision: I choose to overcome all obstacles to get to Jesus, I choose to live with aggressive faith, and I will have all of the promises and I mean absolutely everything that God has made available to me. It is at this very moment that I choose to start now, and that with life more abundantly! I am who God says I am, I have what He says I can have, and I will do what God says I can do!

What did you disagree with in this book? Give a clear and defended position as to why you disagree. 
I did not find it possible to disagree with any of the content presented within this work, as all of it was in line with Scripture and is clearly stated within the Bible.

[This book review has also been posted on Amazon.com and Goodreads.]

Who we are in Christ: Discovering Your Eternal Identity by Joe McIntyre

Upon teaching a study and receiving some questions, Joe McIntyre asked the Lord why many aspects of the faith life were not so easily grasped by us and when he received his answer, it was that this happens because we do not know that God loves us. In response, eager to resolve the issue within the body, Joe asked if he should teach us about God’s love. To his surprise, the Lord told him instead to teach us about who we are in Christ, and then we will know that we are loved.

Until we understand what belongs to us as a result of Christ’s finished work as well as who we are in Him, we will not be able to see the love of God the Father, which is revealed in what He has done for us. God selected us out for Himself, making us with love, as we are the precious object of His heart’s desire, which He redeemed and obtained through the agency of Jesus Christ.

Once we know who we are, we see our true value, comprehending the treasure we are and realizing that to God, we are the pearl of great price that the man gave everything for in order to obtain. Because God already did and gave everything for me, He loves me more than I can comprehend. It is that believing of my eternal identity, which produces confidence and leads to faith through the understanding of His love. Likewise, faith is also incomprehensible when we do not know who we are, our value, what has been done for us, and how much we are truly loved.

Having an ongoing relationship with the Word, causes the activation of truth in our lives and brings forth our deliverance, setting us free. The power of this truth is released to us as we ascend through the four levels of knowledge: faint recognition of truth, general knowledge of truth, the ability to prove, illustrate, and apply truth, and finally acting upon and having our conduct modified by the truth (level four), which sets us free.

The church gets frustrated with the promise that knowing the truth will set them free, when they feel that they know the truth and they have yet to experience the freedom that they so desperately desire. Realizing that it is possible for them to not know the truth at the level that they need to in order to have its power be released in them was an absolutely revelatory thought.

Also, there is the illustration that when we see God as angry, we are seeing Him through a veil, just like how there is a veil present whenever the law of Moses is read (and that law leads to death, because none of us are capable of keeping all of it on our own). This caused me to picture the veil that was torn as a result of Jesus and to conclude that through Him, we are able to know and experience the love of God, whereas outside of Jesus, there is only the feeling of condemnation and guilt as we inevitably fail repetitively to measure up to God’s standards. It is in this when we struggle on our own and are relying on our own efforts that we tend to feel that God is upset with us. This is because we are seeing Him though the veil instead of allowing Jesus to tear that veil away for us so that we can experience the freedom and liberty of God’s love, grace, and mercy. 

Although the knowledge about there being two realms: the seen (natural) and the unseen (spiritual) was not a new concept for me, there was something about the way it was presented in this work that allowed the previous understanding I had to travel from my head to my heart. Just understanding God’s heart toward me and seeing the motivation behind the Holy Spirit revealing the knowledge and the nature of God, so that we can be freed by this knowledge and have a relationship with him, that was beautiful.

In the same way I stated above, the following with which I was already aware of, became more than just knowledge, but alive and meaningful to me as the material about our Father wanting a Father-Son relationship with us instead of a Master-servant relationship with us was covered. Again the same thing happened with our identity being not in what we have done, will do, or can do, but that identity being in Jesus’ finished and completed work. 

My true identity is who I am as a new creation in Christ. I don’t have to do anything, God already did everything, not because I could earn or deserve it, but because of who He is and His grace. (Talk about truth that sets you free, the sheer resting in this truth alone and ceasing to struggle in works of the flesh is absolutely liberating and empowering.)

In Christ I am separated unto the Father, and that is what it means to be holy and set apart, not anything I choose to do or to abstain from. Without knowing who I am, I tried to do things so that I could become someone, not knowing that both purpose and grace were given to me before I even existed, and that God’s works were preordained for me, so I don’t have to fight and aimlessly try to make them happen or accomplish them in my own strength, power, or efforts.

Through the principal of spiritual headship, when it comes to how God sees me, I once was represented by Adam, but now I am represented by Christ, and as a result, I now get to share in His inheritance, instead of the inheritance of Satan and his demons. Also, I am God’s inheritance, a new creation of God’s workmanship, a temple of the Living God. I savor and marinate in every single word in that sentence, letting that truth permeate my entire being. 

There was an illustration that Joe McIntyre used which really grabbed my attention and impacted my thinking. He conveyed that if I saw him dressed as, talking like, and acting like Napoleon, I would naturally think that he had lost touch with reality. He then likened this unto being a new creation in Christ, but still seeing myself as, as well as acting like, and talking like I used to be. From God’s point of view, wouldn’t that look like I had lost touch with reality? Yet so often this happens when we don’t know who we are.

I felt like this concept represented perfectly the tension between both who I used to be and what I remember doing, and who God says I am; the struggle between my old and new nature. I would continue to call upon God to forgive me and make me more holy and righteous, but He already did, when He hid me in Christ, and made me into a new creation.

This allowed me to implement dropping the old dead nature, and letting it go, as well as catching myself whenever I am presented with thoughts the old one would think, and as a new creation, casting them down and subjecting them to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Because of the attitudes we embrace in our emotional life, we will either have joy or despair; determining our internal realities. God loves me, He has made me new, holy, righteous, and set apart for Him. I choose joy, I choose freedom, and I choose life. Not some kind of making it through existing on earth while I wait for and look forward to heaven kind of life, but the abundant life that Christ died to give me. His kingdom is here and now among us and I am his ambassador and friend who is dearly loved like a sister because of what God has done for me through the agency of His beloved Son.     

I carefully read all of the material, dissected it, researched it, prayed about it, and filtered it through my discernment, as well as inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to me about it. Not only do I not disagree with any of the material presented here, but I am fully convinced that this is Biblical and that it is God’s will for His children to understand this content.

It is because of this that I am paying some of the girls I teach in our church youth group for their time to read this book and write a report on it as I have. I also have inducting it with great pride, joy, and hopefulness into my personal library. I look forward to each and every opportunity that the Lord will provide to me where I can get this book into the hands of someone else, and pass along the gift that was so graciously given to me.

[In addition to my personal blog, this book review has been posted on Amazon.com, and Goodreads.]

Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After a Life-Changing Loss by John F. Baggett

How I Got This Book

A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Review

            Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After A Life-Changing Loss by John F. Baggett, is written well and comprehensive, but it is also honest and relatable. The author sums up his latest work with this, “I have known several times of tragedy in my life. I have also experienced many moments of grace during my seasons of grieving. This book has drawn significantly on those difficult times and reflects my own journey of faith in the midst of them.”  

            The very beginning starts with quoting Job 3:25, “What I feared has come upon me,” and then it gets real and Baggett gets personal, “The thing you feared, the thing you hoped would never happen, has come upon you. Do you think you will ever forget where you were, what you were doing, or the way you felt at the time? Do you remember asking yourself, “Is this really happening?” Did you pray for God to make it not so? And then, as the awful truth penetrated your heart, did you cry out, “Why, God? Why did you let this happen?” The worst thing that ever happened to me did not happen to me. It happened to my son…” Wow.

            Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After A Life-Changing Loss by John F. Baggett is remarkable. His candor about the loss he endured and the stages of grief he experienced lend to his credibility and draw the reader in. He couples this with five steps to ‘rediscovering joy after a life-changing loss’, backs everything up with scripture, as well as presents truths that I have experienced but either didn’t realize or wasn’t able to articulate. So as not to give too much away, I will limit myself reluctantly to three.

            Here is an example of one: there are actually moral temptations that accompany each of the stages of grief, such as making choices, whether consciously or unconsciously, that can either delay healing or prevent it altogether. Baggett clarifies by stating, “By making poor choices in our coping strategies and by continuing in a stage of grief when it is time to move on, we can stray from the healing pathway and find ourselves in a spiritual crisis.” Been there, done that; never want to repeat it again.

            There is also the ‘if I have enough faith or am strong enough, I won’t have to go through that’ myth. This is addressed clearly as early as page 11, “It is a mistake to believe grief can be avoided if we have enough strength of character or enough faith. When we suffer a loss, whether we are among the strong or weak, whether our faith is small or great, we naturally experience grief, not as a sign of weakness, but as a manifestation of our humanity.” Selah. [Calmly pause, and think about that.]

            Another honest statement was the unspoken ‘deal with God.’ This is something that I have thought to myself before without expressing to others, only to learn from experience that as Christians we are not immune to testing, trials, struggles, or pain. Baggett expounds, “Surely, I reasoned, if we had survived all of those things and if I continued in God’s faithful service, then God and I had a deal: He would not let anything bad happen to me and those I loved the most. The tragedy of my son’s illness shattered my illusion of invincibility and laid bare the inadequacy of my naïve faith. I found myself journeying through a dark spiritual night, struggling with a new lucidity about life, and feeling overwhelmed by sadness. In the midst of my grief, my faith was tested profoundly as I struggled with an unwillingness to face and accept the reality of my son’s condition [schizophrenia].”

            

             Obviously, I recommend ‘Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After A Life-Changing Loss’ by John F. Baggett. To read an excerpt from and learn more about or buy the book, click here.

About the Author (from Kregel):

Rev. Dr. John F. Baggett (MA, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is a pastor, counselor, and mental health professional who has served as a United Methodist pastor in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Chicago for more than a decade. He has served as executive director of The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of North Carolina and as director of The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. A member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, the Association of Christian Therapists, and other pastoral associations, Baggett is the author of Seeing Through the Eyes of Jesus and a contributing author to the Handbook of Mental Health Administration and Management. 

 This review has also been posted on:
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What Do We Do When the Water Turns Bitter?

Prayer Journal for Sunday, July 21st, 2013

It is amazing what praise bring forth, such as deliverance from the red sea. However, when the praise stops, maybe the reason we are not goldy is because we don't appreciate how the LORD has changed things when we receive bitter water in this life.

Whenever there is an unnatural shift from shouts of praise to murmuring with others, someone is sick. 

God told Moses to throw a tree in the water to dismiss the bitterness, but the Israelites kept on moving.

What do we do when the water turns bitter? Look for the wells. The twelve wells that they ended up at were put there by God before the Israelites ever encountered the spring of bitter water. 

Sometimes God wants to see how we will handle a situation before He reveals that He has already made provision for our need.

Instead of looking at where we are, we need to remember what we've been delivered from, and send up and offering of praise to God.

Whenever you move forward, you are going to draw automatic enemies; that's inevitable, and how you handle it, well, that's just part of being a Christian.

Prayer Journal for Saturday, July 6th, 2013

God, I'm tired, a little frustrated, and I feel like I'm going through a trial that I don't have to go through, but I don't know how to get out of it. I know that you teach us to pray that we won't enter into testing, temptations, and trials. So I pray that I won't enter into it again, and that You will either get me out of it, or show me what I need to do, and how to proceed.

If the children of Israel were under the covenant of grace, why were they allowed to go into bondage? Was it because you always want men to depend on you? God, I am in a place where I know I can't handle this and I am helpless to do anything on my own. I announce my complete and total dependence on You. 

Sometimes we can be under oppression and not even cry out and we can try to be strong and think we can handle it. I know that a groan can reach the throne, so I cry out to You, "Abba, Father! Help me!" You are the Living God, the LORD of all Lords, the King of kings. For You, anything is possible. I have chosen whom I will serve, and I serve You.  

I want there to be light in my dwellings. Thank you for making a new covenant with us. Thank You that You are merciful. Thank You that You are not forgetful, but because of Your holiness, you can judicially forget our sins. Thank you for not remembering my sins anymore. Thank you for removing all of them through Jesus.

Just because You allow what man allows, doesn't make it Your will.  I want Your will in my life. If I need to move, then I will and if I need to wait, then I will. Please show me what You want me to do and speak to me clearly. I desperately need You and your help and depend on You, Abba. Thank You in advance.

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Rainbows for Rainy Days: 40 Devotional Readings that Reveal God's Promises by Catherine Campbell

Rainbows for Rainy Days:

 40 Devotional Readings that Reveal God's Promises

by Catherine Campbell

How did I get this book: 

A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Review: 

Rainbows for Rainy Days: 40 Devotional Readings that Reveal God's Promises by Catherine Campbell is absolutely incredible in every possible way and nothing short of an amazing 5-star book. 

As humans, when we go through enough dreary rainy days in a row, sometimes we can build a wall around ourselves with bricks; our motivation can be to protect ourselves inside, other 
times to keep others out. 

As you read each one of these delightful God-inspired devotionals with an encouraging scripture, picture, and message, etc., another brick is removed from your wall, allowing God's light love to flow in to where you are, allowing healing to occur and hope to grow.

Once the reader completes this remarkable book, the reader finds that the wall that once caged them in, has become a pathway allowing them to move forward toward others in love and out of the hopeless place where the pain occurred.

I recommend Rainbows for Rainy Days: 40 Devotional Readings that Reveal God's Promises by Catherine Campbell as I believe that it will renew your strength, lead you to a place of endurance, increase your faith, and ultimately produce hope.

About the Book (from Kregel):

Catherine Campbell's experience as a nurse and as the mother of two girls who both inherited a rare genetic condition that required constant care until their deaths at ages 10 and 13 has given her a unique insight into suffering. As an inspirational speaker, she frequently encounters people with tragic stories. And yet she believes that God is Lord and that in both good times and bad, He is always good.

Isaiah 40:31 says, that "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." 

Campbell comments: How often have you wakened in the morning knowing that the problem, or the pain, or the unpaid bill has not disappeared? We worry and fret ourselves into exhaustion. Yet God has promised us endurance.

The great eagle cannot reach the heights merely by its own strength. As it spreads its impressive wings the bird allows the wind to carry it to places no other bird can go. This kind of flying appears effortless because the eagle trusts in a power bigger than itself . . . the wind!
In this unique devotional, Catherine examines different aspects of God's love for those times when life gets hard. Perfect for anyone needing encouragement in difficult times, Rainbows for Rainy Days gently shows readers how to turn pain over to Him.

 This review has also been posted on Amazon.

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When I Need Victory Over My Enemy (Proverbs 10:25) [Prayers for Emotional Wholeness]

When I Need Victory Over My Enemy

Lord, help me to stand firm on the everlasting foundation that I have in You. No matter what whirlwind of attack the enemy sends out against me, I pray it will pass, and I will have victory over him. What might wash other people away who don't know You will not shake me. That's because You have put me on a solid foundation in the center of Your will, far from enemy control.  Thank You that no matter what happens, my foundation is in You and it will last forever. After all that happens to me or around me, I will be left standing.

Proverbs 10:25

"When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more,

but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation."

The Value of Wisdom (Proverbs 4:8) [Love Out Loud]

The Value of Wisdom

Proverbs 4:8

"Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you;

 she will bring you to honor when you embrace her."

Wisdom is one of the keys to promotion and increase in any area of life. 

Many people may forfeit occupational promotions due to not acting wisely on their jobs. Brainpower alone is not enough; wisdom is also important. It is possible to encounter bright people with very good minds, who have very good minds, but do not use wisdom at work. Whether being unkind to co-workers, returning late from breaks or lunches, etc., even though they may have the skills, they will forfeit a promotion by not demonstrating wisdom in other ways. On the other hand, a wise person can expect to advance or obtain a promotion wherever they go, because wisdom is what promotes and exalts us.

When God gives us resources, (our time, talents, gifts, influence, authority,  finances, possessions), we need to be wise stewards of those things, using them with both discernment as well as understanding.

One way to love yourself is to learn to exercise wisdom in every area of your life. This will give you confidence in the decisions you make, and will also cause others to look favorably upon you, being inclined to bless you when they have the opportunity to do so.

Love Yourself Today:
Are you behaving wisely at work and using the wisdom God has given you?

Evicting Bitterness, Allowing Love to Move In

Many obstacles or trials that we face in this world are only tests to bring out of us, through our reaction, what is actually deep within our own hearts. The significance lies not within the trial or its outcome, but how we choose to react to, and handle, whatever it is that we must face. 

Have you learned to endure pain and unjust suffering patiently in a way that brings the Lord glory? Do you trust Him because of His goodness, and have you allowed God to become your vindicator? Have you arrived at the place in your life where bitterness is evicted from your heart, so that love has the room to move in? Have you become a person who can forgive while someone else is still currently offending you? 

When we choose to forgive, we waive our right to get even and to collect from others what we think we deserve as our compensation for their actions. We drop it, let it go, and leave it up to God to make things right. From experience, I can assure you that when we do this, He does a much better job of making things right than we ever could have done ourselves, and it is more than worth what you believe it might cost you at the time.

In addition, in letting the person who hurt you, the right to get even, and the bitterness go; choosing instead to grasp hold of forgiveness and love, you will find that you yourself are the captive who has finally been set free.

The Sin of Forgiveness by Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr.

Title: The Sin of Forgiveness

Author: Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr.

Book Information:

·     Publisher: CrossLink Publishing (2013)

·     ISBN:  9781936746354

·     Page Count: 168

How did I get this book: 

A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Book in a Nutshell: 

“Today’s “forgiveness” does just the opposite of what forgiveness is meant to accomplish put another way, secular forgiveness causes more harm than good. The one forgiving is never made whole again, while the sinner is left in the same wretched condition. But true Christian forgiveness  brings a blessing to all. We are to forgive, but it must be according to the example and teachings of Christ. Anything less is a sin.”

Review: 

The Sin of Forgiveness by Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr. explains what Godly forgiveness is and what it is not. It exposes Satan’s deceptions regarding the topic of forgiveness and backs every single point made up with an abundance of scripture. 

This book intrigued me by the title, as I first thought it to be an oxymoron. However, upon further explanation, the author’s point is valid and I see this work as a necessity.

It is quite disturbing to realize that regarding the topic of forgiveness, we have almost seamlessly transitioned from God’s original Biblical intent to Satan’s widely accepted counterfeit, producing the opposite outcome for both parties involved.

Forgiveness was indented as: “a healing process to whereby both can spiritually become whole again,” through regaining what was lost to sin for the granter of absolution, “while the sinner regains a rebirth ultimately seeking righteousness.” This benefits both the victim as well as the perpetrator with a clean slate.

The ‘Sin of Forgiveness’ or secular forgiveness that we have exchanged the above for, results in both parties being left with nothing. “One is denied rightful restitution and assurance the sin against them will not be repeated, while the other is left in the same wretched sinful condition as before.”

In ‘The Sin of Forgiveness,’ Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr. clearly explains our current-day dilemma by exploring the following (taken from the Contents): ‘The Importance of Context’, ‘The “Why” of the Lies about Forgiveness’, ‘”I’m Sorry” Is Not Good Enough’, and ‘Unconditional Forgiveness is a Lose/Lose’.

Then, he brilliantly puts everything in the context of Jesus and the example that He set for us in ‘Our Savior Tells Us If, When, and How to Forgive’. 

Not to disappoint, there is also a powerful ‘Conclusion’, ‘Questions & Answers’ section, even a way to contact Edward F. Mrkvicka, Jr., as well as other books he has written.  

Forgiveness is a topic that we will all deal with numerous times over the course of our lives. It is paramount that we know where we stand, and how to proceed according to the example of Christ as well as what the Word of God teaches. Is your forgiveness “justly helping that person or giving them license for continued rebellion against God”? This book will help you to determine all of the above.

Quotes: 

“Forgiveness is at the very heart of Christian faith, so it is little wonder that Satan has spent so much time and effort distorting the exact essence of its meaning. His goal of replacing divine forgiveness with secular humanism has come to pass, as most of us now, on the subject of forgiveness, believe his lies instead of God’s truth.”

“As usual, Satan’s lies come wrapped in but a small portion of God’s truth. Secular practitioners also tell us that forgiveness is something we must do for our own mental wellbeing, as failure to forgive becomes a destructive emotional cancer. And therein lays a spiritual red warning flag, as God seeks sacrifice for one another. Only Satan seeks the best for self.”

“The issue of forgiveness is that serious. Done right, it is a witness for the One we worship. Done wrong, it can help Satan make us a partaker of another’s sin.”

About the Author:

Edward Mrkvicka is a lay minister and counselor, and life-long Bible student. His religious writings have been awarded Best Christian Book of the Year, Best Christian Study of the Year, named a National Best Book Awards finalist, and a winner in the Christian Choice Book Awards. He has also been awarded the prestigious Faith Writers Seal of Approval.

His efforts on behalf of families, understanding adultery, and the devastating effect of divorce on children have earned him a United States Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.

 This review has also been posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

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