"The Authority of the Believer," by John A. MacMillan

If you question your authority as a believer, an intercessor, prayer warrior, just plain good Christian saved by grace, this book is for you! MacMillan has actually combined two books in one here. The last half is about demon warfare. MacMillan spent years in the Phillipines where demon possession was rampant.
Not a challenging read, the first half of "The Authority of the Believer," merely confirms everything we've learned at Word Alive about our authority. The devil may have some power, but NO authority!

One statement MacMillan makes about a common phrase heard in the church -- "Lord Willin'" -- made me swing my head around! Awesome!

To learn more and to be thoroughly rooted and grounded in what we've been given as born-again believers, pick up this great instructional by MacMillan today at the Word Alive Bookstore!

Happy Reading!

"Commanding Your Morning" by Cindy Trimm

In the first chapter, Ms. Trimm states 'we don't have to go mindlessly groping in the dark for the right path through life. We can take control of our lives and experience divine sucess and prosperity by following God's directions oulined in His Word'.

Read her accounts of, for example, how Jesus' brother, James tells us how to be successful, recounting James 3:2-5, and watching how we speak.

She talks about Ezekiel and how the Lord brought him into the spirit of the Lord.

Trimm reminds of who has control of our battles. Are you in control of your battles? Huh? I think not!!

'Rise early and command your morning' says Trimm - "Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitatns of the world will learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:9.

And then.......the portal into which we descend...she shows us how to become an overnight sucess!

Happy reading,

KD

10 Things Jesus Never Said: And Why We Should Stop Believing Them

Will Davis, Jr., hits it right on the head! (sssh - he's a recovering legalist!!!)

Some of these 'things' Jesus didn't say, I've heard all my life. Wow, what a lie this one is: "This wouldn't be happening if you were a better Christian." Ouch! Have you ever said that? I have and I am convicted of it again even now.

This book also has study guide questions after each chapter. And this....I love this...Jesus has a guest list: all who are tired and burdened. Wow, I'm on his guest list! Awesome.

What about this lie? "It's okay not to love certain people." ooh, that got me right in the gut.

Learn truth from lies in Davis' easy-reading book, "10 Things Jesus Never Said." He tells real-life stories about trust vs. lie - truth always wins out. Our/His Word is truth.

The other day a lady I work with said, "Well, you know - whatever goes around comes around." I stopped for a minute - almost had it out of my mouth to agree, when out came this: 'Ann, that's not even Biblical.' The truth will always set you free, right? She meant something else, but that lie we hear every day, don't you?

Just because I was a sorry Christian for several years of my life, doesn't mean that sorry things are going to happen to me and that I am sorry now. I'm born again! I have the promises of God Who is our Defender?

Jesus never said, "I'm so disappointed in you." Wow, that one hit me like a brick. For 17 or more years, I never went to church because I really did think He didn't love me anymore, and that He was disappointed in me. Man will lie, man will be disappointed - but God is not a man that He would lie! He's God! He loves us unconditionally. He's our Defender. He's our Provider. He's our Peace, and so much more. Who hooo!

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 3: "Im So Disappointed in You." The Lie: You are constantly letting God down. With every new day, he has a fresh and full slate of hopes and dreams for your life., but by the end of each day, he's facing the ugly reality that you've failed to be all that he hoped you would. Once again you haven't lived up to God's expectations.
If you think about that last statement, the reasoning does make sense. Davis says, "We're human and sinful...BUT -- the Truth is: God has never been disappointed in you. Not once ever. The emotion of disappointment is something that he can never feel. Our enemy, the devil, is skilled at painting a picture of God as the brokenhearted--or worse, angry--deity who has been failed one time too many by us. But that simply isn't true. God has never been and never will be disappointed with you. Let's find out why. Now you need to finish reading this chapter to conclusively know that you know that you know -- God is never going to be disappointed in you!! Yaay!
I know from listening to Pastor Kent that God is not up in heaven wringing his hands saying, "Oh Me, there she goes again--I'm so worried about her!"

God's knowledge is limitless. God's mind is infinite. God doesn't just know it, he created it!

Get your copy today in the Connection Bookstore at WAIO!
Happy Reading.

Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer

Pastor Bev Mattox uses Ms. Shirer's book, "Discerning the Voice of God," in her Friday morning studies.

Learning to hear His voice...listening in the spirit...how to hear Him. What do you do when you think you've heard His voice? Does He only talk? What does He sound like?

This is a fascinating study and a chance to get closer to your God....the God of wonders and majesty and that He loves you so much He'll speak to you!

Get your copy today in the Connection Bookstore!

Happy reading...

NOT a Fan by Kyle Idleman

Kyle Idleman took me on a journey - about fans and followers. Nicodemus was a fan, then a follower. The prostitute who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried his feet with her hair was a follower. She was committed. What are you?
Is He one of many or your one and only? Do you have your Jesus pin, a fish decal on the back of our car, your Bible in one hand and a colored pencil or highlighter in another? Are you a church goer or a participant? Idleman poses lots of thought-provoking questions and gives wonderful examples of followers and fans.
Not a Fan is about who Jesus is; it's about DTR - Determining the Relationship! Are you following Jesus or following the rules? Ouch.
Read about true followers in Matthew. Read about how we can become totally committed and not just a follower. Not a Fan helps you define your relationship with Jesus.
There are great examples of those that are not fans. Short stories about followers grip you and grab you.
Kent will be talking alot about this work by Idleman in the weeks to come. And we'll all be studying it in our small groups. Pick up a copy today in the Connection Bookstore!

Happy Reading...

"Always Enough" - God's Miraculous Provision Among the Poorest Children on Earth by Rolland & Heidi Baker

Okay, I've read only 35 pages of this "hopeful" story of Rolland and Heidi Baker's heart for the poor...then I had to lay it down and thank God for all that I have and to be contrite. I am thankful, too, for Rolland and Heidi Baker who have such great faith and offer so much hope and provision through the Lord's work in them to so many.

Here's just an exerpt: 'There was Harry, with his blood-stained knife, who had run away from an alcoholic rehab center but who found the joy of the Lord. Christina, a venomous, bitter lady on crutches, became a compassionate angel of mercy who would do anything to help people. Malcolm, a crippled alcoholic and diabetic, found his home in Jesus and among our London family. David, who had murdered his ex-wife's boyfriend and then joined the Foreign Legion so he could k ill as many more people as possible, mellowed out under the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter tried to kill himself four times, but jesus let us rescue him from death and hell itself.'

This blogger does not have a ready heart for missions, but does know that there is a mission trip in her life someday soon.

If you love reading about hope; about Jesus' and his love for everyone - read this. If you have a heart for missions - read this.

Bless you...I'm picking it back up now.

Destined to Reign, Joseph Prince

Joseph Prince says, "The secret to effortless success, wholeness and victorious living," because we ARE destined to reign. Why? Let's take a closer look:
If you're going through some challenges right now and, let's face it, we all do - you might ask yourself, ' how can the blood of Jesus bring me healing, prosperity and victory in my marriage?'

Prince gives example after example of how Jesus' blood constantly - that's all the time - 24/7 - cleansed of all your sins. He says, 'once you believe that all your sins are indeed forgiven and that God does not hold anything against you, faith will spring forth.' That's awesome!!

Jesus is pure Grace! Prince says be hot or cold, but not lukewarm. He goes on to tell us how to do that.

Destined to Reign is a great book to increase your faith and build you up. Give it a try next time you're in the Connection Bookstore!!

Until next time readers...

KD

"The Traveler's Gift" by Andy Andrews

Andrew's book, "The Traveler's Gift," was actually written before "The Noticer" reviewed earlier. This book, to me anyway, is about awesome, God-given hope. The story is about our participation in God's plan for our lives...to seek every day His guidance and to be proactive in that search.

It's about God's purpose and plan for your life, no matter what has happened to you in the past or your present. Your future is always better than your present and your past all combined! David Ponder enters another dimension...he spends time with Harry Truman, Anne Frank, Abe Lincoln, Solomon...can you just imagine the impact on your life if you were able to speak to these icons of history? We can learn so much from their wisdom.

"The Traveler's Gift" is a New York Bestseller. OK, I'll buy that. The cover says it is a self-help fiction book. HAHAHA. I find that hysterical...self-help. When I help myself I really get it screwed up! Read it. Be enlightened. Be free.

Then go ahead and read "The Noticer."

Later, readers...KLD

"Forgotten God" - Kent's latest message on the Holy Spirit

"When we forget about the Holy Spirit, we forget about God!"

Kent will be focusing on this book - available in your Connection Bookstore NOW! Only $11.99 - and on the Holy Spirit.

When I first heard about the Holy Spirit, it was Pastor Kent who preached something like this: “On a corner, somewhere, one day there was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…and you were there.” Wow, that really fired me up. I wanted to know who was this Holy Spirit? Did I have Him living in me, too? Was he accessible to me? Then Pastor Bill spoke one Sunday morning and he said, “The Holy Spirit knows everything!” Now that got me thinking…hmmmm….you mean I can call on the Holy Spirit for answers? You betcha!!!

Now Francis Chan brings truth to us in “Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.” He brings truth through the scriptures. But we all know our Christian life is only made full by the revelation we receive from reading scripture. After all, the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, now didn’t He?

I heard about the Holy Ghost in the Methodist church. Didn’t have a clue who that was. I know it was part of the Holy Trinity, but what did I know about it? Was it accessible to me? Was it scary? Would He see things in me that I didn’t want anyone else to see? Now I know that transparency is the key to letting go of your garbage; the Holy Spirit will show you - gently - what you need to dump!

Chan says, “Reading this book probably won’t be easy. No matter what religious tradition you come from, you likely carry baggage and harbor stereotypes when it comes to the Holy Spirit. It’s going to require laying aside your baggage and stereotypes so you can be open to what God wants to teach you."

Learn more about how the Holy Spirit moves and God gets all the glory. How much evidence of the Holy Spirit do you see in your church? Think about it.

Secrets of the Vine by Jessica F. (bookstore volunteer)

Read Jessica's review of "Secrets of the Vine."
If you are looking for a way to decipher how God is working in you, read "Secret's of the Vine," by Bruce Wilkinson. Throughout his book, you will find out how and why God disciplines and prunes us. This book explains what actions we need to take in order to receive the fruitfulness God has called to our lives.
It starts out talking about how Christians produce little or no fruit in their lives and the steps Christians can take to not only be a fruitful Christian, but a Christian who has an intimate relationship with God.
This book is a "must read" if you are looking for a life of abundance.

"Beyond Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson

Get your copy now in the Connection Bookstore so you can follow along with Pastor Kent as he continues to deliver powerful messages on the prayer of Jabez and how it can impact your life forever!
1 Chronicles 4:10 (Message)

Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, "A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!" Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: "Bless Me, oh bless me. Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection--don't let evil hurt me."

God gave him what he asked.

Pray this every day! Be blessed---as you ARE blessed.

"Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith" by Ron Bell

Coming soon! A review on one of Kent's favorite books, Velvet Elvis

God doesn't change, but times do. Read about how Ron Bell discusses 'how the Christian faith has changed. How Jesus took part in the process by calling people to rethink faith - and love and hope and the Bible and everyting else by inviting them into the endless process of working out how to live as God created us to live.'

Sounds really, good!

"Soul Print" by Mark Batterson

Your soul print is the truest reflection of God's image. It's your true identity, true destiny...and it is so multidimensional! It is who I was, who I am, and who I am becoming. It contains past, present and future.

Batterson says, "Maybe it's time to quit taking the credit so you can stop taking the blame." Maybe it's time to quit proving yourself to people and start proving yourself to God. Maybe it's time to stop building monuments to self and start building altars to God."

God is your almighty advocate! He created you for a purpose! What is YOUR soul print?

Get Soul Print today at the Word Alive Bookstore!

"Through it All...God Was There" - A Review

by Women of God

Have you ever been asked for a divorce after many years of marriage? Have you ever been told you have cancer? Have you ever been involved in a car accident and lost your mother and your sibling? Have you ever been in such a pit of despair so deep that you could barely even whisper the Name of Jesus?

Have you ever felt like Jesus was the only friend you had? Have you ever been abused so badly that all you could do in public was look down at the floor and hope no one would notice you? Have you ever held a Vacation Bible School on your carport? Did you grow up in a dysfunctional family? Have you ever had a child that died? Has the Lord ever told you to do something way out of your comfort zone, and you did it out of sheer obedience rather than sacrifice?

If you can answer a resounding yes to any of these questions, then Through It All...God was There needs to be added to your bookshelf! This collaborative work was written by a group of authors from our area. All of the authors are in a group called Women of God. Women of God is a group of Christ-followers from many denominations and churches and all walks of life. These women do not claim to have their walk with Christ perfected. They are all just sinners saved by God's amazing Grace, and on an amazing journey in which they are continually walking in faith daily to be like Jesus.

Through It All...God Was There is full of stories of encouragement and hope. There are 82 life stories and testimonies by 29 different authors, most of whom are local! Some of the stories will make you cry tears of sadness; others will make you cry tears of joy. Some will make you laugh; others will just give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside…but all of the stories will touch your heart. You can find this book in the Connection Bookstore. Once you begin reading it, you will not want to put it down.

Written by Sherri Cleghorn Williams and submitted/edited by Kathy Douglas

"Piercing the Darkness" by Jack Hayford

Learn how to "loose", "bind together", and "intercede" for others and pierce the darkness. Find your power of the Cross against unseen evil.

Be an 'intervener' - circumstances, people, whatever! Hayford gives excellent examples of how the Cross impacted his life and how it can impact yours.

Understand the weapons in your arsenal! Make your own personal battle plan.....Wow - love that.

Later Connection friends!

Grace of God by Andy Stanley

"Grace of God' - There are alot of books about Grace, true. But this one talks about 'how we don't deserve it. We can't earn it. It can't be qualified. But God gives it to us anyway because he loves us unconditonally'. Grace didn't begin with Abraham, it didn't even begin with Moses! It certainly didn't BEGIN when Christ died for us - of course to me that's ultimate grace - it began long before the world was formed. Andy Stanley tells 'grace' stories from the Bible - about Joseph and Judah, about the ten commandments, about Joshua, Rahab, Leban, Adam and Eve, the woman at the well...the list goes on. I love this statement in his chapter on Sustained by Grace: 'Fortunately for those of us who have been given much and are thus responsible for much, there is much grace.' Ahh, isn't that a breath of fresh air to the soul?!

After Jesus talks with the woman at the well and Andy Stanley talks about how Jesus opened the woman up and showed her vulnerability, Stanley states, 'Apparently Jesus knew that for the exchange to be complete, He had to dredge up all the old so that it could be replaced once and for all".

Here's a little taste of this great book of stories about hope and the thirst our soul was designed to thirst for: a relationship.

A Survey of the New Testament..by Gundry

Review by Michael Garrett - WAIO - 3-19-11

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This is a great study book with very good insight. But pray and medeitate on the scriptures after you ready and study them to see what the Lord will show you.

Seven Power Principles I Didn't Learn in Seminary- C. Peter Wagner

Review by Michael Garrett of WAIO 3-19-11

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This book is a great and excellent read. Knowing that we have a great call on our lives, and when we recognize that call or that we can't settle for the norm, we have a different spirit. Like Caleb (Numbers 14:24), we see things from the "BIG" picture: God's Vision, God's Will and God's will for the people and for ourselves. And we will draw from that Vision, establish our mindset and live within that vision and walk that vision out in our lives.

When we become a part of that picture, we paint (or allow God to create) that picture in the world around us. The world around us becomes a 'canvas' on which we that we paint the Will of God.

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This book is about the power of God and how it works - ask Michael Garrett to tell you how it impacted his life!

"The Noticer," by Andy Andrews

Grab your favorite beverage,get into your favorite chair and kick back -- start reading -- you won't want to put this one down for anything....do you like a good story? Do you also want to learn something from what you read - even if it's by accident?

It's about hope, it's about encouraging one another - changing your mindset...planting seeds and having "perspective."

The first story is about a man named "Jones" who meets a twenty-three year old young man who feels betrayed, alone, bitter and angry. He was living under a pier!

Weren't you just a little belligerent in your twenties? Did you have bad things happen to you?


Sometimes all you need is 'a little perspective', said "Jones." He says - you're 'right where you should be' for now.


Who is this Jones guy anyway? Is he the people's version of Aslan in Narnia? Is he a disciple? Or does he just notice things?



I'll want to know what you think - and I know it'll be soon enough. Have you known a "Jones" in your life? Are you a "Jones, " giving new perspective? Are you planting seeds? Did you keep your fork?

The first page is a "grabber" - hey, I am a little hungry here - but I skipped lunch and dinner while I read this one. It's good food for the soul! Here's a short paragraph or two from Andrews' The Noticer...enjoy!

The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory

Susan Gregory not only discusses why we should fast, or how we should fast, but she gives us nearly 1/2 a book on recipes and preparation! - Recipes that are easy and tasty, too!

Giving up activities is great, as long as you 'realize that giving up specific activites is not a replacement for a true fast'. Fasting always has to do with your spiritual life.

Now, if you do happen to mess up a little bit, forgive yourself, pray and get back on the fast! As a corporate body, we can and WILL see powerful, supernatural events come from it!

If you've read "Return to Simplicity" by Chuck and Pam Pierce, simplify your eating - fasting IS about food - by cutting out all fried foods, caffeine, sugar, sugar substitutes, animal fats, etc. Gregory is specific about the foods and shows you how to do shop, prepare and execute! She also guides you after the fast is over by not 'gorging' on the foods you have given up for 21 days.

Why 21 days? As Pastor Kent told us this morning (March 13), from March 28 - Passover Sunday is exactly 21 days. Then get ready...get ready for breakthroughs, spiritual gifts, hightened senses, uplifted spirit man, more freedom.

In Chapter 5, the author gives us five steps for a successful Daniel Fast: Pray, Plan, Prepare, Participate, and finally, Praise and Process! So pre-pack your lunch and get going!!

Ms. Gregory tells us about persons of the Bible and how they fasted: Daniel, Joshua, Moses, Anna....

On the back cover, Ms. Gregory states, "sometimes you're so hungry that the only way you can be fed is to fast'. Great words...can you do it??

Happy (non) eating - grab a bowl of oatmeal with dried cranberries, apple chunks and soy milk......until next time!

God's Armor Bearer, Serving God's Leaders by Terry Nance

This short but power-packed book in two volumes will speak to you mightily! There are so many wonderful passages; so many nuggets of great, transformational paragraphs throughout that will soar in your spirit man that this reviewer couldn’t decide which good quotes to quote! Volume one, only 79 pages long, talks about the role of the Armorbearer to his leader. Volume two speaks of finishing your course and keeping the faith, as in Paul’s charge to Timothy.

…Just read this: “Whether you are a pastor, an associate pastor, a music director or a layman, each of us has a flock. That flock belongs to us individually, and God expects us to tend it. David’s flock was his assignment from God, and he knew that, although he had been anointed to be king of Israel, his first priority right at the moment was to continue to tend to his first assignment.”

“You see, the giants will come. But if you stay with your assignment, when the time comes you will meet and conquer your giant just as David met and overcame his. Like David, you will be exalted, after you have first proven yourself faithful.”

…Now that really spoke to me; does it speak to you? We often want to speed things up and jump ahead in ‘our’ strength and not follow the line of authority or be patient enough to prove ourselves faithful. Each of us has to understand our anointing. The armorbearer is anointed to carry another man’s shield into battle. His call and duty is to lay down his life for someone else. That is heavy stuff, right?

This reviewer particularly appreciated the chapter 6 discussion on ‘How to Develop the Spirit of the Armorbearer.” Step 1: Free Yourself from Pride; Step 2: Free Yourself from Anger; Step 3: Free Yourself from Immorality and Step 4: Free Yourself from Bitterness.” This reviewer needs to be transparent here and found that I had a spirit of bitterness that I had not yet been thoroughly delivered from. So – I’ve prayed against this, cast it down and replaced it with love. Wow – just from 2 pages of this powerful book! You must read it! The bookstore won’t be able to order enough of them, right?? We are God’s armorbearers! We CAN and WILL go forth to conquer in the power of the Holy Spirit! Whohoo!!

Nance states, “Ours could very well be the generation that rises to meet Jesus in the air. It is time for us to re-evaluate our lives, and our ministries, to make sure that we are where we need to be and doing what we need to be doing.”

One of Nance’s prayers for readers in writing God’s Armor Bearer is that the ‘Holy Spirit will impart into you an Armorbearer spirit with the stability to stand during the good times and the hard.’

Here is a statement of hard truth, “When a portion of the people begin to call out for you to become their new leader – beware. When they are ready to make you captain in place of the pastor, because you will lead them the way they want to go – look out!”

We must put God’s word first. Seek and trust God every day for a ‘spirit of humility, meekness, forgiveness, purity and a clear conscience.’

Nance introduces us to the armorbearers of Saul, David, Jonathan…as they were called to serve a general of God’s army. Whoa! So I’m called to be an armorbearer of my pastor in God’s army?? YES – exactly that. The author speaks to his readers about the relationship between the armorbearer and the leader…'Do not get your feelings hurt if you are not asked to have dinner with the pastor every Friday night’! Okay, now…are you hearing that?

He warns us about getting into rebellion...go to your leadership in love and let them explain why they operate the way they do instead of speaking against the pastor or the leadership. Nance then spends time discussing the Five Structures of Authority. Pray for your employers....that God would get ahead of them and turn them into "gentle masters." He says, stop complaiing and start praying! Then the author's denoument -- the Keys to Teamwork. Totally cool.

I know you will get a lot from this inspiring piece of non-fiction, so carefully and lovingly crafted by author Terry Nance. He is transparent and has the "brave" heart of the armorbearer, as he’s been there and done that! In the author’s words: The Armorbearers of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Until next time.......happy reading.