Tuesday, January 26, 2016

St. Peter's Speech at Solomon's Portico



From The Book of Acts:
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished.  When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?  The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.  But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.  To this we are witnesses.  And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.  And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.  In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.  Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.  Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me.  You must listen to whatever he tells you.  And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’  And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days.  You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’  When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
*  The Harper Collins Study Bible NRSV

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

More Great Reads


1)  S.T.E.A.M.  Island Under Siege
S.T.E.A.M. Island Under Siege is a new graphic novel, written by Ashley Eric Peschel and illustrated by Peter Magro, that takes place on the island of Malta near the end of the second World War.  A gang of renegade soldiers and freedom fighters battles a slew of supernatural villains ranging from ghoulish Nazi officers to fiendish vampires and bloodthirsty werewolves, however now they must face a new and far worse threat—an evil unkillable beast the likes of which they’ve never seen.  Expertly illustrated and skillfully written, this is an entertaining and exciting read for fans of the graphic novel medium.  * some mild bad language and comic book violence.
Available at Amazon
Summary:  Set against the conflict of the Second World War, something terrifying has been released on the small island of Malta.  Realising they are in over their heads, the local authorities request help in tracking a sadistic killer whose body count already stands at five.  A special team is dispatched to deal with the murderer—and so the hunt begins on the war torn island for a killer that the team soon discovers is unlike anything they have encountered before….  If this were not bad enough, the team also have to face off against a mysterious Nazi team, who are also hunting the killer, but for darker reasons.  It all boils down to a 166-page adventure full of action and comedy.  
Author Bio:  Ashley Eric Peschel has been writing since he was a young child and S.T.E.A.M. Island Under Siege is his first graphic novel, it is the result of three years work with artist Peter Magro.  Ashley is also a self-confessed geek who loves everything from Deadpool to Doctor Who.
Book Details:
File Size:  78012 KB
Print Length:  165 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage:  Unlimited
Publisher:  savage piggy publishers (December 15, 2015)
Publication Date:  December 15, 2015
Sold by:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language:  English
ASIN:  B01987NY6W

2)  The Fulfillment
The Fulfillment is an imaginative, fast-paced read about a group of seemingly normal teens who discover they’re in a fight for the life of the world.  Vicki-Ann Bush’s prose is vivid and alive as she weaves a modern myth from the ancient truths found in the Bible.  High school students Luke, Mary, and Jason must prevail over the forces of darkness to fulfill God’s plan and defeat the fallen angels.  An exciting first installment in this series.
Available for Kindle at Amazon
Summary:  Luke Jacob was a typical teenager who enjoyed all the amenities of being the star quarterback on his high school football team and the local hero.  Living in the small town of Boulder City Nevada, life was predictable and comfortable.  With graduation soon approaching his life was on a carefully planned road.  Until he spots a mysterious and beautiful girl in the crowd at one of his games—Mary.  Their lives intertwine and a bond of inseparable love is forged.  Discovering a life changing secret that is revealed to them by their parents, it is then that everything Luke thought about his family, friends, and neighbors is shattered, unearthing a truth that is older than time and greater than anything he could ever imagine.
Author Bio:  I originally came from Floral Park, NY, where I fell in love with writing during a school contest in the eighth grade.  At fourteen, my family moved to California.  And with the huge change in my life, writing became a personal escape that was tucked away in a box.  After several years and encouragement from my daughters, I started sending in submissions.  A small publishing house in Wisconsin, Salt of the Earth Press, was the first to offer a contract for my children's book, Winslow Willow the Woodland Fairy, and afterward, The Queen of It.  But I found my niche with YA fiction.  My YA novelette series, The Dusk Chronicles, is a trilogy that's available individually as E-books and in paperback, featuring a compilation of the three books.  I am currently contracted with Solstice Publishing and my work includes the YA historical romance, The Garden of Two, the paranormal romance novella series, The Fulfillment, and the sci-fi adventure, Room 629.  I love writing and couldn't imagine ever stopping.  There are too many characters floating around in my head. ;)
Book Details:
File Size:  934 KB
Print Length:  59 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage:  Unlimited
Publisher:  Solstice Shadows (November 26, 2014)
Publication Date:  November 26, 2014
Sold by:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language:  English
ASIN:  B00PSJ7DJO

3)  Places and Times
Places and Times, by Arthur Turfa, is a beautiful book, descriptive and revelatory as the poems take us along on travels and adventures in Europe and America.  Walt Whitman and Robert Frost came to mind as I read, although the author's style is unique, expressing at once wisdom, nostalgia, reverence, and humor.  An authentic and inspiring read, I highly recommend this collection.
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Author Bio:  About half of my life has been spent in various parts of Pennsylvania.  Most of the rest has been spent in New Mexico, California, Virginia, South Carolina, and Germany.  My career path has been bivocational; I am a Lutheran pastor and Army chaplain (Retired Reservist with veteran status) and educator on secondary and post-secondary levels.  I wrote a lot of poetry when younger, then I took a 20-year break, and resumed around 2002.  eLectio Publishing released my first book of poetry, Places and Times, in April 2015.  Currently I live in the Midlands of South Carolina with or near my family.
Book Details:
Paperback:  64 pages
Publisher:  eLectio Publishing (April 7, 2015)
Language:  English
ISBN-10:  1632130963
ISBN-13:  978-1632130969