THE ARK AND THE DOVE

THE ARK AND THE DOVE

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Reviewer: Cris Hoxie

Review: This was a very good book which kept my attention throughout the whole thing. There was just one thing that did not set well with me, which was the idea that dinosaurs were on the ark. As I know dinosaurs were gone way before this timeline, I feel this was inaccurate. But other than that, it was very good.

We know that the flood was God destroying everything and everyone on the earth except for Noah and his family. This was to rid the whole earth of evil. But did evil follow them?

This story deal with before the flood with the building of the ark, which did take about half of the book. Then most of the rest of the book dealt with life on the ark. And just a few chapters at the end dealt with afterwards, which was many years and ending with the tower of Babel.

Yes, I do recommend this book. I enjoyed it immensely.

Synopsis: Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge–and it’s about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction. And when the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

Bio: Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, Wives of the Patriarchs, Daughters of the Promised Land, The Heart of a King, Star of Persia, Miriam’s Song, and the nonfiction When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams, and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Ark and the Dove from the publisher for my honest review.

The Ark and the Dove became available February 27, 2024.

THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEMITAH

THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEMITAH

Author: Jonathan Cahn

Reviewed by: Cris Hoxie

Review: This was a very good informative book. Yes, it was difficult for me to read all at once for there was so much to it! This shows the financial and spiritual reasons behind what is going on. It also shows that the timing goes along with the year of Shemitah, which comes along every 7 years. This helps you understand exactly what has been going on, including 9/11. It is surprising how everything that has been going on goes along with ancient Israel. I consider this a must read, but do it a little at a time or it can be too much hitting you all at once.

Synopsis: The book you can’t afford NOT to read.
It is already affecting your life…
And it WILL affect your future

Is it possible that there exists a three-thousand-year-old mystery that…

– Has been determining the course of your life without your knowing it?
– Foretells current events before they happen?
– Revealed the dates and the hours of the greatest crashes in Wall Street history before they happened?
– Determined the timing of 9/11?
– Lies behind the rise of America to global superpower… and its fall?
– Has forecast the rising and falling of the world’s stock market throughout modern times?
– Lies behind world wars and the collapse of nations, world powers, and empires?
– Holds key to what lies ahead for the world and for your life?
– And much more.…

Bio: Jonathan Cahn caused a worldwide stir with the release of his explosive first book, The Harbinger, which became an instant New York Times best seller and brought him to national and international prominence. Every one of his books since then has become a New York Times best seller, including The Mystery of the Shemitah, The Book of Mysteries, The Oracle, The Harbinger II, and The Return of the Gods. Long before writing these books, he was known for opening the deep mysteries of Scripture and bringing forth messages of prophetic import. He leads Hope of the World, an international outreach of the Word, teachings, and compassion projects for the needy around the world. He also leads the Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel, made up of people of all backgrounds, just outside New York City, in Wayne, New Jersey. Called the prophetic voice of this generation, Cahn is a much-sought-after speaker and has been highlighted in the New York Times as well as in many national and international media. He has spoken at the United Nations, on Capitol Hill, and to millions of people around the world.

Notes: There is an updated version of this book, which I do not have. As this was written in 2014, I can pretty much figure that it has information in it of what has happened within the past few years.

WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY

Footprints in the Sand is my favorite poem. It shows life, but the best part was when only one set of footprints was seen.

Have you felt as if God is very far away? Difficult to pray, as if you are talking to empty air? How about hard to read the Bible? Does it seem as if the words are all scrambled where it get to the point of why try? I bet I can say we have all felt that way at one time or another. But here’s the clue. God is not far away. As I mentioned on Friday, He never leaves us.

Hebrews 13:5B AMP

. . . for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”

I like how the amplified has put it: He will not relax His hold on us. He’s got us! Wow! So then why do we feel so far apart from Him at times? The best way I can put that is we have an enemy out there. He will do anything he can to get us to turn our backs on God. He does not like strong Christians. If he starts coming up against you, he must be afraid of you for a reason.

Another reason may just be us. Had God asked you to do something and you said no? Had you messed up some place? That’s when you do an inward inventory. That is the time to go back and fix that mess, confess it to the Lord and do what He asks.

As I think on this, it reminds me of Jonah. He paid dearly – almost his life – for disobeying God. In Jonah 2 is his confession while he was in the fish. Then comes the command again in chapter 3:

Jonah 3:1-4 NASB

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

We can get ourselves in the way, and we just need to lean in to God. Take that first step.

Let’s look again at our poem. When there was only one set of footprints, that’s when God was carrying us. What a comfort to know that He carries us when we are at our weakest and lowest.

Self Examination

As we go throughout this day, let us do our inner inventory. If we are having problems connecting with God, we may just need to see where we messed up. We can’t blame everything on the devil, but he may just be at the core of that to get us away from God. Let us all confess of our wavering and come back to Him.

ARE YOU WEAK?

There is one little phrase in the thorn of the flesh discourse that always speaks to me.

2 Corinthians 12:10B NKJV

10 For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Now I always thought it said “He is strong”. But let’s go with the scripture, not what we have heard over the decades.

How could Paul say that when he was we that he was strong? How could that be? Can we say that ourselves? Here is my thinking of that. We are strong because when we are weak, we are leaning onto Abba. We are unable to lean onto ourselves. We know we can’t do it.

Let’s look at a few instances. How about you are unable to pray? I think we all have gone through that at least once in our lives. That right there will make you weak. But if you were weak already, and then neglect to pray, that will make you even weaker. I understand, it may be very difficult. It may seem as if you are talking against a brick wall. That is the enemy putting that wall up. Break through it.

Another aspect is when it’s difficult to read the Bible. I know how that is personally. There are times I just need to push through. I have to tell myself that I need to do that – for me. I have found a plan that makes it easy for me to do, as it is Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs – all in one day. That way you don’t get the dull-drums of the “begats”. But even with doing it this way, there are days I just don’t get to it. Then the next day is easier to not do it, and then it becomes a habit of just not getting into the Word.

And another one is not going to church. We are directed to not forsake the assembly of believers.

Hebrews 10:25 NKJV

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

We do need to be in church, as it not only helps us, but it helps the others who are there. Another way is to be part of a small group. I am in three of those, with one meeting only once a month. You can develop new friendships and you may just find you have something in common with some of them.

So why have I brought up all of these? When we neglect these, they do make us weak. So when we are weak, how do we become strong? The best way to say that is to look at these. First, we have prayer, then the Word, the church. Who else is in all of these? Right, it’s Abba. God is with you, no matter what you are doing or wherever you are. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is always with us.

Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In Conclusion

As I look back here and see what has been written, I pray that none of you are going through this, but if you are, I implore you to take that first step. That is all that is asked of you. Take that first step – in faith – and Abba is right there with you. He will take hold of your hand and go the rest of the way with you.