‘Til Heaven Invades Earth: Power Principles for Intercessory Prayer By Cindy Trimm Book Review

In ‘Til Heaven Invades Earth, Cindy Trimm has written this book to guide readers into praying and interceding on the behalf of others. Throughout the book, she explored the way Esther displayed incredible faith and courage in facing King, Ahasuerus. Before she enter his presence, she fasted for three days and she prayed for strength and favor. There was a really danger in entering the king’s presence uninvited. He could decide to eliminate the person or he could permit their passage. He granted her favor and he met with his bride. Esther explained the terrible genocide that was planned for the Jews. Cindy Trimm used Esther as her example in understanding intercessory. Like most of us, we have noticed that the world is in troubling times, but how often are we really praying for the issues that are bothering us on a global view. Cindy Trimm identified that it’s time for the prayer warriors to arise and to be dynamic and forceful in our prayers, and to pray for the needs and burdens of the world.

 

Cindy Trimm goes into great detail on putting on the full armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18. She also reminded readers that Jesus himself practiced intercession and we’re commanded to follow in Christ’s example. She revealed the three different works of grace. The new one that I learnt was the grace in pursuing the plans and works, God has preordained for us uniquely to complete for His kingdom. Following God’s will for our lives begins in praying regularly and asking for His wisdom and strength daily. The book also covered the judiciary of Heaven and what to pray in intercession prayers.

 

One of my favorite quotes was, “Things are the way they are because no one is standing before the throne of heaven to ask that it be otherwise” (Page xvi).

 

I would recommend this magnificent book on intercession and praying for other people needs and the world issues at large. I immensely love how Cindy Trimm crafted the book and encouraged believers to pray for our president, Senate, Congress, world leaders, and their spouses. I like how she included the crucial importance of praying for worldwide issues like human trafficking, hunger, child abuse, religious persecution, etc. This book made me realize that the majority of us pray during election year, then after they are in office we tend to quit praying for them. Now more than ever, believers must began to pray that our nations will turn back to God, and repent for our sins, and declare that we will serve the Kingdom of God! I enjoyed her helpful suggest in writing down a prayer list on paper, notecard, or smartphone in order to make it easier to pray during your prayer times. I loved the “Appendix B: An Example of a Prayer Guide for Praying the Disciple’s Prayer” section, because it served its purpose as being an effective resource in emphasizing to readers on how to intercede on behalf of our world leaders. If you’re seeking a life changing, powerful book on intercession and praying over world leaders and issues concerning the world, then read this book!

 

 

“I received this book for free from The Booketeria/ Charisma House for this review”.

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of ‘Til Heaven Invades Earth, then check it out on Amazon.com or Christian Book.com:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Til-Heaven-Invades-Earth-Principles/dp/1621362906

 

http://www.christianbook.com/heaven-invades-principles-about-praying-others/cindy-trimm/9781621362906/pd/362900?item_code=WW&netp_id=1127046&event=ESRCG&view=details

Boot Camp: Equipping Men with Integrity for Spiritual Warfare By Jason Hardin Book Review

 

In Boot Camp, Jason Hardin has written this book to prepare men in resisting the adversity and the schemes that the devil uses against believers. He began the book by providing readers with an overview of wonderful Biblical stories including Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah, and many others. In every chapter, he introduced a Biblical story to help readers obtain victory in the battlefield. He encouraged believers to follow the advice found in Matthew 7:14 and we’re called to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life. God has commanded us to live a live filled with integrity and to do just that, we have to put to death certain destructive things like selfishness, sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, and a few other harmful compounds. Near the end of the book, Jason Hardin revealed the strategies in engaging in spiritual warfare and putting on the full armor of God.

 

One of my favorite chapters was, “Sexual Immorality: Learning When to Fight and When to Run”. Jason Hardin shared about a discussion he had with six other married guys. They all admitted that they have been hit on by other women while they were married. He strongly suggested that men must be proactive, and decide ahead of time, and have their mind set firmly in setting boundaries, and saying no when temptations present themselves. Jason Hardin illustrated the story of Joseph and his enticement with Potiphar’s wife and Joseph displayed great veracity. He turned down her sexual advances every single time, she made a move and asked him to lie with her. Jason made a superb point that numerous people uses excuses as to why it’s okay and they compromise their integrity. They buy into the lie, this small act won’t lead to intercourse. I also liked how he was very real in stating that older men may be shocked and uncomfortable in reading parts of this chapter. He exposed oral sex is not considered that big of a deal amongst the younger generation. But a compromise is still a compromise.

 

I would recommend this incredible book every single men where they can be strengthen in the battlefield against the devil fiery attacks and schemes. I immensely loved how the book was written to assist readers in preparing for boot camp and it warned readers of the vicious tactics satan uses to entice believers. I have experienced firsthand an engaged woman hitting on me and trying to tempt me by making advances towards me. And I walked away and kept my distance from this person. I personally benefited with the reminder of the dangers of sexual immortality and the crucial importance of fleeing from sexual temptations. I liked the inclusive assessment of putting on the full armor of God and fighting against the attacks of the enemy. If you’re looking for a book that will equip you in preparing for the final battle against the devil, then read this book!

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / DeWard Publishing Company for this review”. 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Boot Camp, then check it out on Amazon.com: 

  

http://www.amazon.com/Boot-Camp-Equipping-Integrity-Spiritual/dp/0979889375

Ephesians Bible Study Lesson Six: Talk Your Walk By Sue Edwards

Ephesians Lesson 6:

 

Theme: Talk Your Walk!

 

In this week’s Bible study, we learn the importance of taming and controlling our tongue. Ephesians 4:17 -24 begins by urging believers to stop living like the Gentiles used to. Their minds used to contain dark thoughts, their hearts were coldhearted towards God, and they lived freely in their lustful thoughts. Paul declared that we must renew our minds and attitudes like Christ. We have to throw off our old sinful ways and be transformed into righteous like Christ.

 

In Ephesians 4:25, Paul advised believers to stop telling lies about one another and we’re supposed to speak the truth in love. A runaway tongue that isn’t tamed by the living Word of God can do a lot of destruction to our homes, churches, friendships, and our work place. How many marriages have been destroyed alone with the words we choose to speak? How many children that have been bullied, have committed suicide because of negative words spoken? How many people have left the church because of harmful words spoken about them? Being truthful and speaking encouraging words in love is critical!

 

Anger is another key aspect in Ephesians 26 and we’re told not to sin when we are angry. Paul stated that we shouldn’t let the sun go down on our anger. Most people when they are angry tend to not regulate their emotions and words, and they let destructive words come out, before they even realize it, and they harm their love ones. How many times have we lost our cold and it cost us? But choosing our words wisely, we can influence and change people’s lives.

 

I have personally have struggled with low self-esteem due to negative words spoken against me. I understand the power that words can hold you back and for years. Unwholesome talk would be: “You’re not smart, pretty, handsome, and not skinny enough, you’re a mistake, you’re an idiot, you should have never been born, you’re a failure.” Helpful talk would be: “You did a great job, I’m proud of you, and you’re really good at ___.” The power of using positive words, encouraging words could immensely change someone’s life! Speaking life enhancing into someone’s life would radically boost and build their self-esteem and help undo some of the poisonous words spoken to them. We would also becoming more like Christ.

 

I intensely hope that you will be joining us in this wonderful study of Ephesians by Sue Edwards! Together, we can learn more about Christ and God’s written Word. And also please check back each Friday on my blog through November 18 for more insights into the amazing study!

 

Check out Discover Together Series:

http://www.discovertogetherseries.com/

 

Join the discussion on Facebook:

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If you would like to purchase a copy of Ephesians Bible Study, check it out on Amazon.com or Christianbook.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Ephesians-Discovering-Identity-Discover-Together/dp/0825443091/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353193859&sr=1-2&keywords=Ephesians+Sue+Edwards

 

http://www.christianbook.com/ephesians-discover-together-bible-study/sue-edwards/9780825443091/pd/443095?product_redirect=1&Ntt=443095&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

 

“Open Book Promotion/ Kregel Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for this study.”

 

Check out Ephesians Lesson 6 Video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8KAQV8kg7w

A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God By J. Stephen Yuille Book Review

In A Hope Deferred, J. Stephen Yuille opened up about their infertility issues and their problematic time going through the adoption process and the long waiting period. Their story started when after being married a year, they both decided it was time to start a family. They longed to have two biological children and two adopted children. They tried countless times to conceive but they couldn’t. There was no medical reason as to why they couldn’t conceive and they ached for a positive pregnancy test. Like most people, they witnessed numerous of their friends getting pregnant and some without even trying. They began to experience excruciating pain and heartbreak when their attempts were unsuccessful. They realized that they were being tested in their faith. During their seven year of marriage, they began the adoption process and they had to endure the lengthy time consuming interview procedure. They had to wait some more months because the Social Services were already booked up. A few weeks, the unexpected happened his wife was pregnant. They ended up having a healthy daughter. Understanding God’s timing and His definite ways was something that is difficult to comprehend and it’s something we won’t ever truly fathom. The book goes through the agony of their miscarriage and later their extensive process with their adoption.

 

In the even chapters, he discussed their personal journey in adoption. In the odd chapters, he explained the doctrine of Biblical adoption and he explored the concepts presented in scripture. God in his vast love for us has prepared ahead of time to adopt us into His family. We don’t have to beg and pled for Him to love us, He just does because He wants to. Paul stated that God preordained and chose us to be His children. Stephen Yuille reiterated the Biblical truth found in Abraham’s story and how he had to persevere and believe God would fulfill His promise that he would be a father with numerous descendants. In the natural, he was old and Sarah’s womb was closed up. But he was commanded to believe, despite what he saw in the natural. This required faith in the impossible and a determination to trust in the declaration that God promised. Stephen and his wife believed and prayed for children for seventeen years and eventually God blessed them with children.

 

I would recommend this remarkable book especially to anyone who is longing for children and is considering adoption and is seeking encouragement from someone who has been there. I would also recommend this book to readers who are desiring to discover the Biblical truths in God adopting us as His children. I immensely connected with Stephen Yuille’s story and was inspired by his faithfulness in believing that God was able to provide them with children. I’m also believing that God will bless me with meeting my wife, having children, and adopting children in a few years. I learnt a great deal about the entire adoption process and this book will be one that I will reread when we’re entering the adoption process. This story was such a reassurance in persevering through uncertainty and pressing on through the trials and setbacks in life. Even if in the natural it looks like it’s impossible, God is still able to achieve His perfect will in your life. If you’re looking for a book on adoption and holding onto hope through challenging seasons and setbacks, then read this book for encouragement!

 

 

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Shepherd Press for this review”.

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of A Hope Deferred, then check it out on Amazon.com: 

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Deferred-Stephen-J-Yuille/dp/1936908786

Praying for Your Addicted Loved One: 90 in 90 By Sharron K. Cosby Book Review

Sharron K. Cosby's new book is a helpful resource in praying for an addicted loved one. It is written in the form of 90 prayers meant to be prayed each day. Each day includes a personal story, a scripture verse, and a reflection space with a few questions. Sharron Cosby opened up about her son, Josh struggle with drugs and his difficult relapses. She felt in her heart that God will bring restoration and her son would be set free from his addiction. She began to insert her son’s name into key Bible verses and she prayed out loud Jeremiah 30 and 31 over his life. She prayed for the yoke of his drug addiction would be broken. This book outlines how she prayed for her own son and it will assist others in praying for their own loved ones.

 

I would highly recommend this life changing and lifesaving book to anyone who knows someone that is struggling with an addiction to drugs, sex, alcoholism, anorexia, and etc. I immensely appreciated Sharron Cosby’s genuine approach in praying for an addicted loved one. She was very transparent in sharing about her pains and heartbreak in witnessing her son’s addiction that was controlling his life. I have a cousin that has an addiction and I connected with her story. I liked the way the book was designed and the content was presented in her life. The prayers and the reflection questions were beneficial and will help people pray for their loved ones. If you’re looking for a book that will assist you in praying for your addicted loved one, then read this book!

 

“I received the books for free from Litfuse Publicity Group/ Recovery Church for this review”.

 

About the book: Watching someone you love self-destruct hurts. Praying for Your Addicted Loved One: 90 in 90 tugs at the reader's heart in 90 days of candid devotions aimed at offering strength, hope, and encouragement to families in the throes of living with an addicted family member. Families get left behind in the recovery process, but their support is crucial. Realizing you are not alone in your family's struggles brings comfort and confidence to face day-by-day challenges. Reflection prompts and spaces for journaling encourage the reader to pen their thoughts on the verses and devotions. Each day's entry ends with a prayer. The Cosby's, a middle-class family, lived the nightmare of addiction with their son for 18 years. Their lives were turned inside out and upside down as his dependence on painkillers escalated. The descent into a living hell challenged their faith as the addiction claimed more and more control. Sharron's middle-of-the-night reading of Jeremiah 30 and 31 changed the course of their lives and restoration became a reality. The overall message of Praying for Your Addicted Loved One conveys hope to families caught in the addiction cycle. The various stages of the disease: abuse, recovery, and relapse, take their toll. Hopelessness grabs a family's heart and wrings it out with each slip of clean or sober time. The verses in Jeremiah 30 and 31, the foundation of the book, offer the promise of restoration and redemption. 90 in 90 reflects the 12 Step model of an addict attending 90 meetings in 90 days. While your loved one attends meetings, you will read a daily devotional to lend spiritual support to your addict. "Today I pray for other lost addicts to find the hope of recovery. I pray the families reading this book will continue to have hope that an addict---any addict---can stop using drugs and find a new way to live. If there is one thing I can say to family members it is, never quit fighting. There is always hope. With hope, I---a once hopeless dope addict---am now a dope-less hope addict." ~Josh Cosby Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/pJuDv About the author: Sharron Cosby is married to Dan, a Certified Addiction Professional, and together they have three adult children and five grandchildren. She works for an international charity by day and writes by night. Her passion is to share God's message of hope, strength, and encouragement with families living in the shadow of addiction. Learn more about Sharron here: http://efamilyrecovery.com/

Read what others are saying:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/scosby


Enter the giveaway:

 

Watching someone you love self-destruct hurts. Sharron Cosby's Praying for Your Addicted Loved One: 90 in 90 provides ninety devotions of strength, hope, and encouragement to families coping with addiction. Realizing you’re not alone in your struggles brings comfort and confidence to face day-to-day challenges.

Sharron is celebrating the release of her book with a Kindle Fire giveaway.
Enter today. One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Praying for Your Addicted Loved One by Sharron Cosby

Enter today by using the widget below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 31st. Winner will be announced at the Litfuse blog on November 1st. Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by the Litfuse blog on the 1st to see if you won. (Or, better yet, subscribe to their blog {enter your email in the blog sidebar} and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox)! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ephesians Bible Study Lesson Five: Sit Down to Walk By Sue Edwards

Ephesians Lesson 5:

 

Theme: Sit Down to Walk 

 

Lesson 5 covered material found in Ephesians 4:1-16. Paul writes to believers in Ephesus and tells them that a Christian walk should be comprised of being humble, gentle, patience, and forgiving others for their mistakes and loving them. I struggle with forgiving others quickly when they hurt me. Sometimes it takes much more time than it really should. I tend to hold on to anger and get offended when I need to turn it over to God and let him handle it.

 

Next, Paul reminded believers that Christ has given every single believer an extraordinary gift because of his bigheartedness and kindness. In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and Romans 12:6-8, we see a list of spiritual gifts that is given to us in order to help others. They are special knowledge, great Faith, gift of healing, power to perform miracles, prophesy, discernment about different spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of speaking in tongues, serving others, encouragement, giving, leadership, and kindness. We all have different spiritual gifts and our responsibility is to use our gifts to build up the church. We are also one body in Christ and we’re called to unity.

 

Some of my spiritual gifts that God has blessed me with is wisdom and giving Godly advice and discernment in what people are saying and the truth. This is the reason why I’m majoring in Psychology and I want to be equipped to help children and adults, who struggle with low self-esteem, eating disorders, love and relationship issues, red flags in dating, how to end bullying, preventing suicide, parenting children, marriage problems, overcoming addictions, grief, handling stress in the workplace, how to monitor technology usage with children, how to protect our children from predators, how to help foster children to deal with the trauma experiences of losing or being abandoned by their birth parents, and people who were abused. My goal right now is to become a counselor and to assist people with their concerns.

 

In Ephesians 4:14, Paul stated that mature Christians aren’t tricked with lies that sound like the truth. A key characteristic of a mature believer is speaking the truth in love. This way we will be more like Christ. When each part of the body uses their special gifts, the Kingdom of God is functioning the way God intended it to.

 

What are some of your spiritual gifts?

 

I intensely hope that you will be joining us in this wonderful study of Ephesians by Sue Edwards! Together, we can learn more about Christ and God’s written Word. And also please check back each Friday on my blog through November 18 for more insights into the amazing study!

 

Check out Discover Together Series:

http://www.discovertogetherseries.com/

 

Join the discussion on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverTogetherSeries

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Ephesians Bible Study, check it out on Amazon.com or Christianbook.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Ephesians-Discovering-Identity-Discover-Together/dp/0825443091/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353193859&sr=1-2&keywords=Ephesians+Sue+Edwards

 

http://www.christianbook.com/ephesians-discover-together-bible-study/sue-edwards/9780825443091/pd/443095?product_redirect=1&Ntt=443095&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

 

“Open Book Promotion/ Kregel Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for this study.”

 

 

Check out Ephesians Lesson 5 Video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91d6eIZ0w0E