The hands that held him were not manicured, but callused and dirty. No silk. No ivory. No hype. No party. No hoopla. God came near, just for you.In God Came Near, Max reminds us that just because we want a calm life doesn't mean we'll have one. The minute you sink down in the easy chair of life, heaven pushes the remote and changes the channel:The financial aid office says "no."A doctor says "pregnant."The boss says "transfer."The test grade reads "F."The auto mechanic says "totaled."Despite the challenges we face on earth, the Bible gives us a chance to be eyewitnesses of Jesus' majesty. We can take on our problems, we can have a fresh start tomorrow, and we can rest assured in the safety of God's embrace. Christ entered our world, and, as a result, we can enter his.God Came Near invites you to travel back in time and celebrate Christ the Son of God as he became man. When you catch a vision of this incredible moment, let it mark the beginning of a new perspective, a new life, and a new appreciation for Jesus. Because when you see the truth of his life, it will change yours forever.

    Corrie's best-selling book The Hiding Place, which recounted how she and her family had hidden Jews during World War II in Holland until their betrayal and arrest by the Nazis, had launched for Corrie a worldwide ministry of travel and speaking. Awed by the spiritual challenge this companionship posed, Pam wondered how she could keep up with the energetic 83-year-old. But God knit a strong bond between the young Englishwoman and the remarkable Dutch evangelist. Then Corrie suffered a stroke. Hospitalization followed; physical therapy; then long, loving hours at home. Corrie regained a little mobility for a time -- until the next strokes hit. She never regained her speech. But the ministry that had touched millions continued as Corrie communicated through her eyes, through elaborate guessing games with those around her, through silent intercession for people God brought to mind. For those five silent years of imprisonment, Corrie's spiritual depth offered mute testimony to her ongoing trust in her heavenly Father. The details of these years will move all who loved Corrie ten Boom. They will encourage those involved with the elderly or handicapped -- and those who are themselves bedridden -- that God is at work mysteriously in and through even the most incapacitated. This book attests to the truth Corrie loved so dearly: that, in spite of everything else, Jesus is always Victor.

    Through this view of a truly sovereign God, readers will see how sinfulness prevents man from choosing God on his own; instead, God must change people's hearts.

    Josemaría’s rich interior life and extensive experience as a pastor. Aphoristic and perfect for meditation, Furrow was written in order to encourage and ease personal prayer. These 1000 points for spiritual reflection are directed toward the whole human person: body and soul, nature and grace. With the skillful hand of an experienced and holy priest, St. Josemaría interweaves the divine and human and helps you see how to bring them into harmony in your own life.

    This provocative minibook shows that believers can learn to yield to the Spirit of God individually and corporately.

    I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? With compelling honesty John Stott confronts this generation with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of the world -- a world now haunted by the memories of Auschwitz, the pain of oppression and the specter of nuclear war. Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? Now from one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of our day comes theology at its readable best, a contemporary restatement of the meaning of the cross. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and the twentieth century. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission. Destined to be a classic study of the center of our faith, Stott's work is the product of a uniquely gifted pastor, scholar and Christian statesman. His penetrating insight, charitable scholarship and pastoral warmth are guaranteed to feed both heart and mind.

    His grasp of Scripture still causes the maturest believer to ponder, yet he brings a simplicity of thought to his preaching that even a child can understand and enjoy.The Cross explains how Christ's crucifixion works for our redemption, and why this even is the cornerstone of the Christian life.From one of this century's greatest preachers, excellent reading for ministers and anyone seeking a closer walk with Christ. Meditative, easily understandable, and biblically sound.

    ‘In the Beginning . . .’ also serves as an excellent homiletic resource for priests and pastors.

    Newman compared the early history of the Church to the opening chords of a symphony when the subjects that will later be brought out one

    In Heretics, Chesterton sets forth one of the most telling critiques of contemporary religious notions ever. The Blatchford Controversies are the spirited public debate which led to the writing of Heretics. Then in Orthodoxy, Chesterton accepts the challenge of his opponents and sets forth his own reasons for accepting the Christian Faith.

    This in-depth analysis of the meaning of the virtues and their connection with the Beatitudes also summarizes a scriptural and theological wisdom on leading a holy life. Includes the accumulated wisdom of St. Paul, C.S. Lewis, and many others.

    Asserting that all the tools necessary for self-discovery are inherent within us, he focuses primarily on reason, not as narrowly defined by modern philosophers, but as an openness to existence, a capacity to comprehend and affirm reality in all of its dimensions. Part of the so-called new religious revival, The Religious Sense avoids any sentimental or irrational reduction of the religious experience. It is a forthright and refreshing call to reassess our lives.

    This synthetic and meditative work is theological without being abstract or dry, and spiritual without being sentimental. The pierced heart of Christ must be the heart of theology and Christian life as well.Proceeding from the prayerful dialogue between the Incarnate Son and his Eternal Father, Joseph Ratzinger shows how one can approach the mystery of the Heart of Christ only through the imitation of this prayer. To know and understand Jesus we must participate in his prayer. The prayer of Christ must be the interior life of all who are joined to him in his Body, the Church. Using the Old and New Testaments and the Church Fathers, Ratzinger shows that the ecclesial community (the Church) was born from the pierced Heart of Christ on the Cross.

    Something about the calling or anointed of the teacher, because one of my callings is to be a teacher; the other is to stand in the office of prophet.

    This account of a real and honest personal quest is both engaging and convincing. Written from a deep well of wisdom derived from experience and careful observation, Making Sense Out of Suffering is a book for empty hearts, not full ones. Read it if you are hungry for insight into the mystery of suffering. A Servant Book.

    This book will undoubtedly find its place among the classics of twentieth-century literature." --Grand Rapids PressThe inspirational writings of Henri Nouwen have touched millions of readers all over the world. Much beloved as a lecturer, spiritual guide, and especially as an author, he communicated a profound message of hope that finds great resonance in today's world.In his now classic work Lifesigns, he explores what he saw as three of the most vital aspects of his ministry. The first of these is the Gospel invitation to intimacy, which Nouwen describes as communion with God and relationship with others. The second is the call to fecundity, exhorting us to be open to a fruitful life of change and growth. And the third, the experience of ecstasy, extends the Gospel promise "that your joy may be full." Inspired by L'Arche, the worldwide network of communities where handicapped people and their assistants try to live together in the spirit of the Scriptures, Nouwen shows how these three elements offer the essential key to a life free from the domination of fear and filled instead with hope and love.

    Each day concludes with a prayer from the Saints. Illustrated and printed in two colors. Includes ribbon marker.

    The Laus apparitions, approved in 2008, were the first Marian apparitions approved by the Church in the 21st century.Let Mary's prophetic messages bring comfort and hope to your life in this thorough and compelling presentation of the extraordinary visits of the Mother of God to her children around the world.

    Filled with a wide range of prayer from the rich tradition of the Church-including personal, family, and liturgical prayer and prayer for special occasions. The Catholic Prayer Book serves as a treasury of Catholic worship from ancient times up to the present day. LEATHERETTE EDITION ALSO AVAILABLE— CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. A Servant Book.

    English translation and notes by Joseph Rowe.One of the cache of codices and manuscripts discovered in Nag Hammadi, the Gospel of Thomas, unlike the canonical gospels, does not contain a narrative recording Christ's life and prophecies. Instead it is a collection of his teachings — what he actually said. These 114 logia, or sayings, were collected by Judas Didymus Thomas, whom some claim to be Jesus's closest disciple. No sooner was this gospel uncovered from the sands of Upper Egypt than scholars and theologians began to bury it anew in a host of conflicting interpretations and polemics. While some say it is a hodgepodge from the canonical gospels, for others it is the source text from which all the gospel writers drew their material and inspiration.In this new translation of the Gospel of Thomas, Jean-Yves Leloup shows that the Jesus recorded by the "infinitely skeptical and infinitely believing" Thomas has much in common with gnostics of non-dualistic schools. Like them, Jesus preaches the coming of a new man, the genesis of the man of knowledge. In this gospel, Jesus describes a journey from limited to unlimited consciousness. The Jesus of Thomas invites us to drink deeply from the well of knowledge that lies within, not so that we may become good Christians but so we may attain the self-knowledge that will make each of us, too, a Christ.

    Worshipful meditations that focus upon Jesus Christ throughout the church year.

    Wade, an old truth started gaining new life in America.It was the truth that had once made America great, but one which she had forgotten—that the Bible is not a collection of disconnected moralisms for private application, but rather a comprehensive guide for all of life, a blueprint for the private and public conduct of all individuals and nations.In 1982, the three-volume God and Government series fanned the flames of this national worldview awakening, establishing that the character of a nation and its people depends on their relationship with God as revealed in Holy Scripture.Relying on clear historical and biblical research, author Gary DeMar demonstrated how America had been great and how she could be great again.The series quickly became a staple in the Christian curriculum. For decades, in the hands of countless teachers, parents, and students, the books educated minds young and old in the Christian history of America, the origin and foundation of government, the biblical principles of authority, and the basis and necessity of Christian political activism.But the work of reviving America is far from finished, and Americans need to hear—now more than ever—the biblical and historical truths explained in God and Government.Now thirty years later, American Vision has thoroughly renovated, revised, and updated Gary DeMar’s monumental work into this beautiful one-volume hardback.With a fresh new look, more images, an extensive subject and scripture index, and an updated bibliography, God and Government is ready to prepare a whole new generation to take on the political and religious battles confronting Christians today.May it be used in a new awakening of Christians in America—not just to inform minds, but to stimulate action and secure a better tomorrow for our posterity.Hardback, 700+ pages with dozens of carefully selected corresponding images, extensive subject and Scripture index, verified quotes and bibliographyTable of Contents:Part 1: Defining Government * 1: Self-Government and Family Government * 2: Ecclesiastical and Civil Governments * 3: The Origin and Development of Civil Government * 4: The Purpose and Function of Civil Government * 5: The Biblical Form of Civil Government * 6: Jesus and Civil Government * 7: The Christian History of The United States * 8: The Purpose of the United States Constitution * 9: The Relationship of Church and State In the Bible * 10: The Relationship of Church and State In the First Amendment Part 2: Issues in Biblical Perspective * 11: Developing a Biblical Worldview * 12: Worldviews in Conflict * 13: Sovereignty and Dominion * 14: Sovereignty and Ownership * 15: Financing the Work of God’s Kingdom * 16: Financing the Responsibilities of the State * 17: Biblical Economics * 18: The Enemies of Biblical Economics * 19: The Causes of Poverty * 20: The Conquest of Poverty Part 3: The Restoration of the Republic * 21: The Biblical View of Authority * 22: The Enemies of Biblical Authority * 23: God’s Sovereignty Over the Nations * 24: Establishing Christian Leadership * 25: The Restoration of the Republic * 26: The Foundation of Law * 27: The Administration of Justice * 28: Human Rights and Responsibilities * 29: Sovereignty and Education * 30: The Future of Government * Appendix: What is Government? * Scripture Index * Topical Index * Recommended Reading

    In the midst of the terrors which unfettered Enlightenment ideology unleashed on the West, Christian hope arose anew to bring true light to one of history’s darkest hours.

    The author shows how to enjoy close communion with the Father through understanding the fear of the Lord.

    More than forty popular Novenas carefully arranged for private prayer in accord with the Liturgical Year on the Feasts of Jesus, Mary, and favorite Saints.

    Students and pastors will both benefit from this rich source that covers all the major doctrines of Christianity. With scholarly rigor and a pastor's heart, Boice carefully opens the topics of the nature of God, the character of his natural and special revelation, the fall, and the person and the work of Christ. He then goes on to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in justification and sanctification. The book closes with careful discussion of ecclesiology and eschatology. In this revised edition of a formerly four-volume work, Boice maintains a remarkable practicality and thoroughness that will make this a standard reference and text for years to come.

    Originally preached for the congregation of All Saints' Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta, the topics of these sermons range from conversations with Abraham and Moses in the texts of the Hebrew scriptures to our awareness of the communion of saints and how to recognize a miracle when one comes our way.

    How can biblical authority be a reality for those shaped by the modern world? This book treats the First World as a mission field, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between the gospel and current society by presenting an outsider's view of contemporary Western culture.

    This book also includes thoughts on other spiritual and secular themes such as the true nature of peace, why it is difficult for so many to experience joy, the relationship between spirit and matter, vacation and rest, etc. These inspiring insights from the man who became Pope, show how Joseph Ratzinger’s deeply spiritual and theological experience, together with his wide literary and cultural interests are a gift to the Church in the modern world. Here is a shepherd leading the faithful entrusted to his care to deep springs of refreshing, life giving water.Within the pages of this gem of a book, readers from all backgrounds will find helpful and encouraging wisdom which can be referred to again and again. It is a perfect gift, as well as inspirational and instructive spiritual reading for oneself throughout the year.  Includes Silk Ribbon Marker .

    In it, Father Brown treats the Gospels, written thirty to sixty years after the life of Christ, as reflecting considerate theological and dramatic development and not simply as literal accounts of a historical event.

    So how do we address our hearts as well as our words?This book explores the impact our words can have and helps us develop a filter to hold back things we shouldn't say.

    Her exquisitely written volume covers the history, psychology and spirituality of ritual in general and Christian ritual in particular. Enlivened by pithy and insightful examples, many of them drawn from her own family life, Ms. Nelson penetrates to the heart of the meaning of ritual and ceremony in a fresh way. She manages to escape the trap of many writers on this subject--superficial piety--and makes relevant for the modern reader the importance of ritual for connecting us to the meaning and flow of life. I would not have thought in today's rationalistic age that the ceremonies of life could be made vital again as cogently and splendidly as has been don in this book. Sometimes even single sentences speak volumes: 'It is Advent, and we, a people, are pregnant.' This is a book to be read carefully, perhaps only a few pages a day. Reading the book can become a ritual, especially for Christian people to whom it is primarily addressed. Beautiful illustrations by the author add to the expressiveness of this carefully composed work. This book may prove to be a classic treatment of the meaning of ritual for this modern era. --John Sanford +

    But he also brings a message of courage and comfort--a call to return to God with all our hearts and to fulfill God's purposes for us as His beloved children.

    It looks at the issue of obedience in the lives of Bible characters and focuses the reader's attention on the obedience of Christ. Practical as well as inspiring, A Life of Obedience speaks to today's reader as clearly as it did to his audience a century ago.

    Superbly retold and delightfully illustrated by Nick Butterworth and Nick Inkpen, this collection of eight Biblical parables invites young children to experience the simplicity, humor, and inspiration of Jesus’ artful storytelling.Featuring: The Lost SheepThe Precious PearlThe House on the RockThe Two SonsThe Rich FarmerThe Little GateThe Good StrangerTen Silver Coins

    Growing Deep In The Christian Life takes theology out of the ivory tower and enables you to apply it to where you live every day.

    "He removeth kings, and setteth up kings" (Dan. 2:21) and "increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them" (Job 12:23) because the government is on His shoulders: He is the governor among the nations (Isa. 9:7, Ps. 22:28). The need today is for the church to press the crown-rights of Christ the King, confident that His government over all will increase without end: "the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this."This powerful volume sets forth a Biblical theology of the state, tracing in detail the history and consequences of both statist domination and Christian dereliction of duty. By firmly establishing the Biblical alternative to modern Chrisitianity's polytheism, the author alerts us to the pitfalls of the past, and provides Godly counsel for both the present and furture. The crystallization of decades of research, Christianity and the State is a landmark volume of 20th century Christendom.

    With a revised chapter previously unavailable in the two-volume edition.

    

    Within the context of the whole Gospel message, the author shows the reader that Paul's message is as relevant today as it was in the first century.

    In this introduction to the world of the cloister, Fr Cummings explains the origins, and the continuing value, of monastic practices.

    A complete NIV New Testament text with Psalms and Proverbs, with all translators' footnotes and sectional headings, in clear, readable 6-point type

    How can a being or person who is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc., have become human given that humans are limited in knowledge and beset with weaknesses? Unless this belief in the incarnation is to be dismissed as pious sentimentality, a philosophical case must be made for at least the possible rationality of the idea. Tom Morris makes such an attempt in this book. Indeed, although it claims only to be arguing that the idea of God Incarnate is not impossible, The Logic of God Incarnate confronts the preponderance of modem philosophical argumentation against the incarnation and manages to put the traditional doctrine in a quite plausible light.

    Popular radio speaker, author, and pastor James Montgomery Boice describes what it means to live a life of true discipleship-recognizing Christ's dominion not only as Savior but also as Lord. Dr. Boice explores the meaning, path, cost, and rewards of being a true disciple. As the author asserts in the preface, "I believe that if America could produce a generation of Christians who genuinely affirm and live by these teachings

    Woodhouse emphasizes Plethon's controversy with George Scholarios on the respective meritsof Plato and Aristotle and his important impact on the Italian humanists during the Council of Union at Ferrara and Florence in 1438-9. Though Plethon's ambition to create a new religion based on Neoplatonism was never realized, his ideas had a significant influence on the westernRenaissance.

    Offering many of the same useful features and trim design of the popular Holman Ultra Thin Reference Bible, the NIV Cornerstone Ultra Thin Bible is a great alternative for customers shopping on a limited budget.

    

    St. John Chrysostom's extant works outnumber those of any other Father of the East; in the West, only Augustine produced a larger corpus. Of Chrysostom's more than 600 exegetical homilies, however, only those on the New Testament have previously been translated into English.The Genesis homilies, his richest Old Testament series, reveal a theologian, pastor, and moralist struggling to explain some of the most challenging biblical material to his congregation in Antioch. He admonishes them to "apply yourself diligently to the reading of Sacred Scripture, not only when you come along here, but at home," encourages spiritual discourse, and frequently envisages them leaving church reminiscing on the day's sermon. While critical exegetical details go without mention and Chrysostom was limited to the Greek version of the Old Testament in his studies, his oratory has been judged golden and his theology profound. He was a preacher satisfied with commenting on Scripture with his moral purpose always to the fore.Chrysostom studied the Scriptures with Diodore of Tarsus, a distinguished exegete known from fragments of his commentaries on Genesis and Psalms, and a polemic style developed from his pastoral concern to protect his congregation from the dangerous influences of fourth-century Antioch. Most importantly, he shared the Antiochene school's insistence on the literal sense of Scripture and their unwillingness to engage in allegorical interpretation. As such, his Genesis homilies constitute a milestone in the history of biblical interpretation.This first of several volumes on Genesis contains homilies 1-17, delivered in Antioch before Chrysostom moved to Constantinople in 398. Robert C. Hill's thorough introduction highlights Chrysostom's significance as a scriptural commentator and provides the basis for an interesting comparison with modern commentators, such as Von Rad and Speiser.

    We need to be reminded of this. Moreover, we believers need to be instructed in all aspects of prayer in an age characterized by superficiality and ignorance of God-revealed religion. A key Scripture that presents to us the privilege of spreading our needs before the Lord emphasizes this very thing: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6, ital. mine). Unless we express gratitude for mercies already received and give thanks to our Father for His granting us the continued favor of petitioning Him, how can we expect to obtain His ear and thus to receive answers of peace? Yet prayer, in its highest and fullest sense, rises above thanksgiving for gifts vouchsafed: the heart is drawn out in contemplating the Giver Himself, so that the soul is prostrated before Him in worship and adoration.▶ CONTENTS1. Introduction2. Hebrews 13:20, 213. 1 Peter 1:3-54. 1 Peter 5:10, 115. 2 Peter 1:2, 36. Jude 24, 257. Revelation 1:5, 68. Other Books▶ AUTHORArthur W. Pink was born in Nottingham England in 1886, and born again of the Spirit of God in 1908 at the age of 22. He studied at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, USA, for only six weeks before beginning his pastoral work in Colorado. From there he pastored churches in California, Kentucky, and South Carolina, before moving to Sydney Australia for a brief period, preaching and teaching. In 1934, at 48 years old, he returned to his native England. He took permanent residence in Lewis, Scotland, in 1940, remaining there 12 years until his death at age 66 in 1952.

    Book by MacDonald, George

    He wants it more than anything in the world, but to have enough money to buy it, he must sell everything he owns. What does he do?

    Included are articles on basic ethical concepts; biblical and theological ethics; philosophical traditions; major non-Christian religious traditions; psychological, sociological, political, and other concepts important to Christian ethics; and, finally, substantial problems, such as war, usually including both information and options. With 620 entries cover a spectrum of topics that concern thinking people everywhere, providing clear, concise and accurate information about ethical concerns.

    

    

    Lloyd-Jones wrote this book at the outbreak of the Second World War to a people on the brink of despair. It's message, however, is universal and remarkably relevant today as we seek to understand the crises of our own times. Yet readers will find that the truth it contains is a help for those in the midst of any tragedy, whether personal or national.

    This volume contains sermons 71-114 from Sermons on Several Occasions, as well as 6 additional sermons. Of all the genres in Wesley's prodigious output, his sermons most clearly focus and expound his understanding of Christian existence. Outler's introduction in the first volume concentrates two decades of painstaking research and thought on Wesley. From this he ably sets the stage for a fuller understanding and appreciation of a major Christian heritage, a heritage which can at last be seen as a whole against the background of its sources. The four volumes contain 151 sermons, including a number recovered from Wesley's manuscripts. These constitute the core of Wesley's doctrinal teachings upon which his own evangelical movement was founded. Following Wesley's own ordering, Dr. Outler begins with the familiar Sermons on Several Occasions, which present Wesley's basic teachings on salvation and form the bulk of the first two volumes in the series. Outler masterfully demonstrates the significance of all the subsequent sermons since they exhibit Wesley's entire approach to the Christian life. Each volume is rich with footnotes that include the identification of quotations, elucidation of references, the tracing of key themes, and vital background information on each sermon. Representing the culmination of twenty years of exhaustive research, it is the purpose of these conclusive volumes to keep alive the growing interest in Wesleyan studies for the entire Christian church.

    

    

    This book offers material for a comprehensive study of the Old and New Testaments and the Qur'an from the Baha'i viewpoint.

    Eckhart the teacher is represented by the Commentary on Exodus and by selections from six other commentaries, including the Commentary on Wisdom 7:14, the Commentary on Ecclesiasticus 24:29, and the Commentary on John 14:8.Eckhart's ministry as a preacher was an equally important part of the man, and thus his sermons, from both the Latin and the Middle High German manuscripts, are included. What emerges is a comprehensive picture of the works of this great speculative theologian. Together with Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries and Treatises, this work form the most extensive corpus of Eckhart's writings in English.

    His inspirational words to persevere in the work of Christ tell how to find peace and contentment in a perilous world.Grow in maturity and character as you learn more about spiritual transformation.• Personal study between meetings• 11 sessions• Includes study aids and discussion questions