James K. Stewart – författare

Abraham is the first of an exciting new four-part series titled Ghosts of the Shephelah. It will take you inside the stories that built our faith. On that journey, you will meet the people, experience the trials, hardships, and prejudice faced by a foreign people in a new land. You will laugh with the truly universal questions children will ask and cry with the hate that has ever tried to pit man against man.In an effort to retain Israel''s history for future generations, Moshe instructs Miryam to begin training Levite storytellers to commit to memory the life story of Abraham. The narrative weaves back and forth between the major events of both the Exodus and the travels of Abraham and Sarah. Using biblical facts, the author has made sense of the many issues the church continually fails to acknowledge. Some facts will surprise, others will astonish, while still others will enlighten the reader. Above all, the reader will gain an understanding of how God''s neverending love for all creation has the ability to forgive, and how God''s determination to continue to offer forgiveness is culminated in the gift of Christ Jesus, the son of God.

Next to the apostle Paul, Luke is the best-known author in the New Testament. Yet, he is more than likely the one we know the least. As a physician, we know Luke was from a well-to-do family. Excellence in Greek grammar demonstrates he was well educated. How and where he came into the company of Paul, we know not. We do know that by the time Paul arrived in Troas, Luke was part of the entourage. This fact is evinced when Luke''s writing turns from third person to first person omniscient in Acts 16:10. From that point on, Luke writes from firsthand experience. His desire to put forth an accurate account of the life of Christ displays a deep commitment by witnessing his faith in the risen Lord. How and where he researched his gospel information is unknown as Jesus'' parents would most certainly have passed away by the time he met Paul. Did Luke marry? Was he ever married? How did he come to witness the life of Christ to Theopolis? Join Luke in a journey into the past and discover a life most fascinating. Relive the events and forces that endeavored to eradicate our faith.

The life of King David was anything but uneventful. Born of a mother accused of adultery and raised as the bastard son of a tribal leader, no one ever expected this boy to become Israel''s greatest warrior and king. Ostracized by his brothers, his youth was spent as an isolated shepherd, honing his skills with sling and lyre. Loneliness, offset by creativity, inspired his many heartfelt psalms of pain and praise to his God.Secure in the confidence that he could slay lion and bear, shielded by the armor of faith, one mighty act transformed David from lowliness to prominence. Two armies watched a single stone from his sling crack open the head of the Philistine giant, Goliath. In an instant, David turned the tide of Israel''s battle from defeat to victory. His fame became a source of jealousy for Saul, his disobedient king. Surviving numerous attempts on his life, David refused to take the life of the LORD''s anointed. Following Saul''s death in battle, David''s lust caused him to do the things kings will do. Adultery led to murder and deceit. Spoiled children were a result of his fall from grace. Come, hear David''s story in his own words.

Following the rape of his mother and her subsequent death, Yoel and two sixteen-year-old friends murder the assailant and flee for their lives. Their story reveals the perils faced during their faith journey and the many life-changing experiences they faced. After saving a young girl from a rapist, the group experiences human compassion when a farmer gives them food for work. Hiding under the very noses of those searching for them teaches them that Roman soldiers are not different from them. Grooming Roman horses to the best of their ability teaches a valuable lesson about honorable labor and pride in workmanship. Encounters with John the Baptist, and the baptism of Jesus, touch their lost souls. Witnessing the erotic dance of Salome opens their eyes to the deprivation behind palace doors. On the run once again, they give water and food to a stranger. The stranger introduces himself as Jesus. Confessing their sins, the group experiences the blessing of redemption. When their friend is stricken with palsy, faith in the healing power of the Son of God brings them to the home of Jesus. Come, join them on a faith journey like no other.

Miryam Meira Magdalene is the second in an exciting new four-part series titled Ghosts of the Shephelah. Miryam will take you inside the life story of Jesus, from a woman''s perspective. It will reveal Gabriel''s nervousness; enlighten how the census saved Mary from a possible stoning; expose the need for faith in our endeavors; suggest another reason for the betrayal; uncover the real reason Pilate had Jesus crucified; describe the monstrous way in which crucifixion drains life from the human soul; and explain how Jesus did, in fact, spend three full nights in the grave and rose on the third day as prophesied. Miryam speaks from her heart as she reflects upon an unfortunate early life, tells of her salvation, and helps you to realize just how much God loves creation. Hearing the biblical information in story form, voiced by a female disciple, brings the eyewitness account to life in a way that will touch your heart. Not only will you journey with Miryam and the disciples, you will learn why Jesus'' body could not be touched after sundown. Miryam''s faithful witness will both shock and surprise you.

The phrase "When there was no king in Israel" is used by Hebrew scribes to justify the rejection of God as King in preparation for a long-desired earthly king. All so they could be like everyone else.Deborah''s leadership and Yael''s bravery are explored. "The Levite''s concubine" sheds more light on the distasteful story of human trafficking by giving a voiceless Adina the ability to tell her tale of abuse. The hopeless dilemma of Naomi reveals how women with no rights had to conspire to overcome the adversity faced in trying to obtain justice in a male-dominated society. Naomi demonstrates how the church has "cleaned up" her story to make Ruth appear as a temple of purity and an example of untarnished morals. Finally, Saul is called upon to defeat King Nahash and rescue the people of Yabesh. When the people cry for a king, God relents, and Samuel anoints Saul. Saul calls upon God to give him victory over King Agag, but he disobeys God''s first command. Disobedience leads to Saul''s downfall and sets the stage for David to be anointed, the second king of Israel.

Rebekah''s creativeness and perseverance in obtaining the blessing for Jacob was determined and powerful. This narrative creates a birth scene to equal her awesome entry into the world. Her adult life was far from normal, so an uncharacteristic childhood needed to set the stage for the many skills and abilities she possessed as an adult. The Bible states that Bethuel asked Rebekah to decide if she would become Isaac''s wife. That scene is explosive with her fiery red hair, green eyes, and an outburst uncharacteristic of women of the time. Over the twenty barren years that Rebekah waited to give birth, she became known as a midwife, healer, arbitrator, and counselor. The time to honor Rebekah as the servant of God has come. In this riveting story, you will get to know one of the most vibrant people in Scripture. No longer will a disobedient Isaac overshadow a faithful servant of the LORD. No longer will the frightened Jacob be seen as the deceiver. No longer will Rebekah be regarded as the obedient wife of Isaac but as the faithful servant of our LORD. Come, enjoy the exciting adventures of Rebekah.

Beth, having been given one last chance to keep her job, is transferred to a small town where she is taken under the wing of Rose, the local mystic. An older woman, Rose is believed to have the power to change lives through her biblical storytelling. Each evening, over the course of weeks, Rose prepares a light supper for Beth, which is followed by the telling of a chapter in the life of the matriarch Rebekah. Beth''s will slowly changes as her personality is transformed. Workmates befriend her; she finds a place and prospective husband in Rose''s church; and her dedication and production at work puts her up as a candidate for employee of the year. Finally, Beth finds the courage to reconcile her past differences with her mother.

Join Eve as she recalls waking on that first morning in the garden of Eden; working hand-in-hand with Adam discovering and naming much of God''s creation. Experience the joy of living in paradise before their fateful encounter with Serpent. Learn the hard lesson of free will and why it led to their eviction.Experience the horror of needless death as jealousy claims the life of Abel. Travel with Eve as she reunites with Cain in a new land. Feel the joy of a grandparent as she tells of Enoch and his skill as a builder. Understand God''s sorrow in calling Noah to build an ark, that the earth might be washed clean of rampant immorality and why the sons of Noah were sent to the nations. Identify with her pride as Ham sets out to bring the flood story to Egypt but rescues an Oromo princess and helps her escape to Ethiopia. Sadly, Eve''s ghost watches Nimrod murder his brother and flee to Mesopotamia, to the land where Cain had murdered Abel. Learn how Nimrod built a small army, became king in Ur of the Chaldees through cold-blooded murder, and then challenged the gods.