Always going back in time to the really good music era and sticking with love songs for the new year . . . Hope you enjoy this oldie.
Father, we're all desperate for you whether we know it or not. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire
Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God
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Reckoning by J.B. Turner is Book 2 in An American Ghost Thriller Series.
In recent times the average person, who usually hasn't paid a great deal of attention to the agencies of the USA, has become aware of tawdry, lawless, and unconstitutional actions of these agencies. "Deep State" is now a fairly common term used and understood by various media personnel and depicted in films taken from novels such as the Jason Bourne Series created by Robert Ludlum.
In the first book of this series (Rogue), we meet Nathan Stone, and there's nothing to particularly like about him in this state. Nathan Stone was revived after an assignment went badly wrong, redesigned with plastic surgery, trained as – in MK Ultra style (research it and remember the Jason Bourne films) – an assassin at the highest level. In fact, millions of dollars were spent on rebuilding Nathan Stone into the killing machine with no conscience that we read about in our first introduction to him. Juiced and ready for his deadly assignment, he completes his task but then figures out what's about to happen to him. As a result, he does irreparable damage to those who "created" him.
Reckoning picks up after Nathan Stone has disappeared to Florida where his older sister permanently resides in a mental institution for killing their terribly abusive father as a child. She's all that Nathan has in the world, and the facility where she lives takes wonderful care of her. However, when Nathan takes a call he hoped he'd never get, he realizes "they've" found him and got him for another assignment because they've managed to take his sister out of the facility and are holding her captive until this job is done. They've become fully aware of what he exposed to a journalist when he "went rogue" and destroyed their people and the facility where he was taken to be reconstructed and trained.
From that moment on this is a bona fide thriller and details what is called "The Commission" consisting of retired upper military, former and present CIA, and other clandestine members. When he went rogue, he only knew of five members, but he learns the web is intricate with tentacles reaching into every agency of law enforcement.
At the end of Rogue, Stone had the beginnings of a return to a hint of conscience, morality, a line not to be crossed, and a desire to thwart the kind of people who made him what he became. That persona grows in Reckoning along with a new determination to eliminate the kind of evil people who operate under the guise of "loving America" in a globalist-controlled kind of way.
Turner gives the reader a solid picture of what the cabal looks like and how they operate around the world. The story is closer to fact than fiction. If there's a weakness, it's going on the assumption that the Feds can provide us with help and rescue when under attack from this cabal. Reality has shown evidence that the Deep State is alive and well and functioning as intended in all levels of government and beyond.
For thriller lovers, truth lovers, this series is hard and fast, violent and terrifying, sad and sorrowful, but Highly Recommended.
(Lots of profanity.)
Father, you know what it takes to do all that we do. Thank you for giving us our abilities and insights. Apart from you, we can do nothing. Please continue to guard and protect JB in all he does and writes. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
. . .
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Jude: 2, 7 (NIV)
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List five of your absolute favorite male characters: (that you have not created)
Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills)
Roman Velasco (Francine Rivers)
Cole "Tox" Russell (Roni Kendig)
Jon Reznick (JB Turner)
Luke Dempsey (Becky Wade)
Father, you are the Author of Life, the Creator, and you give gifts and talents to your creation. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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If you're a romance lover and a reader of romances and love stories, Sweet Release captures the love stories of six people. Each one has a unique circumstance that brings them together. Each individual wasn't expecting to find the person with whom their love stories began. Sordid pasts, traumatic events, sadness and sorrowful situations, loneliness and confusion, all leading to the one person with whom real love became an honest possibility.
Father, thank you for every story, word, character, and inspiration. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Hard Fire by J. B. Turner is Book 10 in A Jon Reznick Thriller Series.
Jon Reznick is your atypical anti-hero. Unlike some anti-heroes, he is likable for many reasons, and, although he goes his own way and does his own thing, often fueling himself with Dexedrine, there's that sometimes lawless but moral code governing his actions pursuing those who think murder is justified because they can get away with it, or because someone got in their way, owed them money, or was a bargaining chip for what they thought they couldn't have.
When Jon arrives at the home in the aftermath of a brutal double murder of his close friends, he wants to know who's responsible and will not heed his romantic interest and sometimes co-worker FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein when she continues to insist he basically let the FBI handle it and stand down. When Jon points out to her what a hypocritical effort is being used against the discovery of who made the order to kill his friends, Martha's argument is pointless. And when Jon goes on the warpath, no one is safe. He may be only one man, but he's a lethal missile of a man, and no matter how hard they try, he will not be stopped, always willing to suffer the consequences if he has to even if that includes his death.
Knowing this time after he's accomplished part of his goals, he should let this thing go, there's a threat to his daughter Lauren, now an FBI agent. That clinches his decision as he calls his former military associates for help. Along with his ace in the cyber world assisting everything Jon asks him to do, Jon makes a final decision.
Hard Fire is a bona fide thriller and J. B. has written a good one. Definitely making it easy to side with Jon in this pursuit, we can't help but wonder how he's going to manage to make it out alive or not incarcerated. It's one of those novels where you cheer his final actions and feel remorse about Martha's attitude. What it boils down to: When ruthless lawbreakers get away with horrible actions because lawful agencies do deals with devils, something to stop the evil must be done no matter what. That's when you need people like Jon Reznick to step up and do what must be done. It's a fictitious picture of our politics today.
If you enjoy reading the justifiable – but just outside the law – actions of truly likable anti-heroes, A Jon Reznick Thriller Series is Highly Recommended.
(Some profanity.)
Father, you gift writers and authors. May each one know from whom their talent comes. Please continue to bless JB and his family. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Oh yeah. It's only the beginning, right. January 3rd. May it be filled with excellent music and the hope of goodness and mercy.
Father, we depend on you for it all. Everything. Please intervene and fill us with your gift of hope. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Reasoned Resiliency: A Rational Devotional for First Responders by Rodger Ruge and Joseph Courtemanche gives a voice and a hope to those who do what most of us can't or won't to put others before themselves, make the necessary sacrifices, see the things/events most of us can't endure, and wake up each day to do it all over again. It's going to take a toll. This "devotional" asks the important questions, the working questions, the practical questions, and the spiritual questions for a daily confrontation to one's psyche in order to do this life and make it the personal best it can be in spite of whatever horror or challenge each one faces – to be able to sustain a resiliency it takes time and thought to create.
The 3-part daily briefs are under these titles: Thoughts to Ponder, The Reality, and The Hope.
With a spiritual overlook to keying in on what sustains that resiliency, this book puts important occurrences in perspective, giving a voice to the hard, the fearful, the lonely or isolation part of the various jobs, the profitable outlets as opposed to those which damage or diminish a person, tapping into the doable while encouraging and supporting those who face severe challenges on the job.
The two authors tag-team the days giving in their own words, examples, thoughts, and directions to those who face – at the least – hardships every time they're called upon to show up somewhere with potential lives at stake.
Although this devotional is written with first responders in mind, anyone can truly benefit from the wisdom within it.
Highly recommended.
Father, thank you for gifting those whose desire is to uphold honor, save or minister to lives in the most difficult of circumstances. Only you give those gifts to people. Please bless those who help others day in and day out and please minister to them in all of their personal needs that maybe go unseen. You see and know them all. Help them in every way. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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A little while and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for He knows their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
Psalm 37:10-17 (NIV)
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May the Lord intervene and show His Magnificence. God Bless You in Jesus.
Into the Fire 