Book Reviews: Naaman's Redemption by Trevor Kincade

Greetings, 

Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

War was the only thing He ever knew, until war became the one thing he had to prevent.

In ancient Aram, the revered warrior Naaman is running out of hope. Nobody has been able to stop the scourge of leprosy from spreading across his skin and wrecking his body. On the brink of despair, he hears from an unexpected source that there is a prophet in Israel who can heal him. The only problem is the nations of Aram and Israel are hostile enemies.

During his quest to find healing from the prophet Elisha and Israel’s God, political currents change, and loyalties are questioned. Naaman soon discovers that he is not only trying to save his own life, but the lives of his family, and countless others as Aram and Israel teeter on the brink of war. As pressure mounts, he senses that there are spiritual forces at work, but he is unsure as to what destiny they are guiding him. Naaman must demonstrate a warrior’s courage and a diplomat’s wisdom if he hopes to not only find healing but redemption.

My Review:

Trevor's book is a very descriptive and wholesome story that draws you in and keeps the reader entertained with some intriguing twists and turns along the way. There are few stories that actually captivate me and I have to say, I was unexpectedly surprised with how well this story continually brought me back into the journey that was written.

I have enjoyed reading the story Trevor has written about Naaman and look forward to reading more of his creative mind in the future. As an author who has read multiple advanced reader copies of Historical Writing based on Scripture, I can honestly say this one was well-written and researched. This is one author I will definitely keep on my radar.

Finding Philemon: Research Required

 One of the best things about being a historical fiction writer is all the research I get to do to build one of my stories. I can honestly say that researching everything for Finding Philemon was a ton of fun. Everything from the character backstories to the weather patterns of the story's origins, from the traditions of the time to clothing that could have been worn. All of this was fascinating to me and it drives my creative process. When I develop an idea for something to write, I tend to get so pulled into the concept that I just can't stop researching it.

Finding Philemon: The Foundation

Greetings, 

One of the Questions I've been asked about Finding Philemon is "How did you even come up with this story?" Let me tell you, that is two long stories in itself to write in a blog post like this, but I did want to hit the highlights for those who are interested in my process. There were several contributing factors in how this all came to be, but it all started back in 2015. 

Building The World of Kedoshim - Part Three (Tying Everything Together)

Greetings, 

This is the final posting on The World of Kedoshim for the time being. I'm sure there will be more as time allows, but once this is published, I have a number of other blogs to write about Finding Philemon, my Episodic Series, and other stories. If you have not read Part One and Part Two of this series, I encourage you to do so. There is so much to this world to build and those posts will give you a pretty good idea of where it all came from. Today, I'm going to share some information about the future of Kedoshim.

Building The World of Kedoshim - Part Two (What is Kedoshim?)

Greetings, 

I fully intended on writing this post much sooner than right now, but honestly, I got pulled so far into this world, that I actually just completed the next story in 'The World of Kedoshim.'  Finding Philemon has been completed for some time, but during the month of November I challenged myself to write 50,000 words before the end of the month. Shocking even myself, I wrote a whole story; The Cyprus Journal. This is a story about John Mark and Barnabas in, you guessed it, The Island of Cyprus! 

That, my dear readers, is for another post though. This post is about the Origins of Kedoshim. I've had this in my head just bursting to get out since I posted part one of this series, Building The World of Kedoshim - Part One (Introductions). Please feel free to read that post before continuing to read on. 

The Cyprus Journal: Book Description

One Young Man. His Significant Story. A Witness of the Early Church.

A young man once called John, now much older and called Mark, spent years serving those close to the one called Savior. His life, seemingly insignificant, had more purpose than most may realize. Was he one of the Original Founders? No, but he was with them and earned his place among them. This is where his story began, and also where it may have ended.

Book Review: And Their Numbers Grew by Naomi Craig and Donna E. Lane

Greetings, 

Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Four lives. Four destinies. One gospel.

Rumors of the risen Christ spread through Jerusalem like a wildfire—and the Sanhedrin is paying attention.

Their efforts to stifle the name of Jesus only fuel the cause until a young Pharisee gets involved, breathing threats of imprisonment—or worse. Stephen’s brutal stoning accelerates the persecution and sends the faithful fleeing the city for their lives.

They are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. As the fledgling church disperses, their numbers continue to grow. Now, the apostles must train the new believers in the ways and words of Jesus—and what it means to live in God's Kingdom here on earth.

The Kingdom of God spreads to Damascus, Joppa, Caesarea, Antioch, and Tarsus through the testimonies of Ananias, Tabitha, and Barnabas. While an outraged Saul sets out for Damascus to arrest them all, the followers press on fervently, with the help of the Holy Spirit—though it may cost them their lives.

Four disciples whose lives are intertwined, told in four novellas, chronicling the birth pains of the early church.

My Review:

There are very few books that start off well and continue to get better as I read them. And Their Numbers Grew is one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each of these four Novellas and learned a great deal about what could have happened along the way for the four main characters.

Each story is really well connected together with the others and they tell a much bigger story about the principles of the New Testament Church. The events that are depicted within the pages of this series detailed stories from scripture beautifully and it kept me engaged.

As someone who has read multiple advanced reader copies from my fellow writers, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read this one. I was already intrigued by the story before I received my copy and it truly did not disappoint. Keep up the good work!

The World of Kedoshim: Series Summary

The World of Kedoshim:

Kedoshim (Holy Ones) is a fictional world inspired by Biblical Events. Within Kedoshim, you will discover the stories of historical figures, both well-known and lesser-known, who contributed to building the Early New Testament Church. This is their journey, and the roots of those who are more widely recognized, shaping the world as we know it today.

"Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people." Philemon. 1:7 NLT

Building The World of Kedoshim - Part One (Introductions)

Greetings, 

I am so excited to share this post with you today! I will likely be doing a video on this soon as well for Facebook. But let's lay it out here and now because this is an epic story. 

The Cyprus Journal

  COMING SOON!

Finding Philemon- Character Profiles

I am excited to begin releasing these for my first Episodic Series, Finding Philemon. This story is very close to my heart and I can't wait for all 18 episodes in the series to be out there for the world to read and enjoy. 

The story itself was written back in 2017 and placed on a shelf until 2023 when inspiration struck and I revitalized the entire story.  I will be adding more of these profiles as I finish them. In the meantime feel free to check out the first half of the series on Amazon or check out my Facebook Page.

Finding the Series

Greetings, 

Please feel free to take a look at my New Episodic Series, Finding Philemon. You will find all 18 Episodes on Amazon by clicking on the image below. It will take you directly to the series there. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments in a review or in the comments below. 

Thanks for visiting 'The Gathering Room,'

MJE

Finding Philemon: Series Description

Series Synopsis:

Are you ready to dive into a captivating series that delves into the journey of a young runaway slave who discovers God in his quest for redemption? Finding Philemon is exactly that kind of series. Follow along on the unexpected journey as Onesimus embarks upon his path of faith and new beginnings.

Journey with Acts 2:47

Greetings Everyone, 

They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers. 44.2.47 NCV

These verses and those that come before it are some of my favorite verses in the book of Acts.  In my Bible verses 43-47 are given the title 'The Believers Share'.  I've always been fascinated by these verses as well. I often read through them and wonder how something like this could have actually happened. 

Journey with Acts 2:39

 

Greetings Everyone, 

"This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself." 44.2.39 NCV

The context of this specific verse is something special. In the previous verses we read Peters words about the gift that God gives us by filling us with the Holy Spirit. When you tie in those previous verses, this verse becomes a beautiful reminder of how much God desires to revel His love to us. He wants us to receive this special gift.

Journey with Acts 2:23

 

Greetings Everyone, 

Jesus was given to you, and with the help of those who don’t know the law, you put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen.  44.2.23

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I wonder how often this verse is used to summarize the Christian Faith? It seems like it would be a great one for us to use when we are trying to reach out to those around us.  I often thought about using this verse in a sermon when I was working as a minister, but the preference was more along the lines of using John 3:16. 

Journey with Acts 1:8

 

Greeting Everyone, 

"But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.” 44.1.8 NCV

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It's an interesting thought! 'When the Holy Spirit comes we will receive power.' So often I think we forget about the rest of that verse though, 'you will be my witnesses... in every part of the word.'  Does that mean we have to go someplace else to be considered a witness in every part of the word? Does that mean we have to become foreign missionaries halfway across the word?

Journey with Acts 1:3

 Greetings Everyone, 

Several Years ago, I began a Journey through the New Testament book of Acts that I never actually finished. In anticipation for my upcoming series "Finding Philemon" I wanted to do make sure I kept my focus on my own time with God.   I've been reading through Acts during my personal devotional time and thought, why not commit to that Journey once more. 

Finding Philemon

 COMING SOON!