Jesus Ascended. What Does That Mean?


Scott Douglas - 2020
    But Christ didn't just rise from the dead. He ascended to Heaven.We hear the stories about Peter and John and all the heroes of the New Testament, and they're unstoppable Christians--fearless and bold. And sometimes we wrongly assume that they just got that way. That Christ died for their sins, and bam! They're instantly changed! On the contrary, the disciples were actually quite cowardly in their actions after the Resurrection.It wasn't until after the Ascension that they were on fire for Christ. So, what happened during the forty days? Something happened.There's more written about Christ's ministry before his death than the events that happened after his Resurrection, but when we look at Ascension, we begin to see that there's power in small details. We begin to see that something happened after the Resurrection--something happened to transform the lives of believers and make them more than followers.Looking at what happened after the Resurrection, and further at the Ascension of Christ, we start to see what happened to transform the followers--and in seeing this we might just be transformed ourselves.Something did indeed happen during the forty days. Jesus was not done teaching.

Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities


Reza Aslan - 2011
    Yet, despite their relatively small numbers, the members of these two minority groups often find themselves the focus of a disproportionate amount of media attention, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beyond such international issues, American Jews and American Muslims find themselves struggling with similar inter-communal concerns when it comes to matters like education (for example tensions between student populations of Jews and Muslims on university campuses), politics (such as the swearing in of the first Muslim Congressman in the House of Representatives, Keith Ellison, or the omnipresent emails and robo-calls linking President Obama to the Muslim community that emerged during the 2008 Presidential election), or even pop culture (think of such recent Hollywood productions as Kingdom in Heaven, Munich, Paradise Now, and Traitor, to name but a few). In all of these matters, American Jews and American Muslims have consistently engaged each other in conversation – whether directly or indirectly; constructive or not – in ways that have usually eluded their co-religionists throughout the rest of the world. This has partly to do with America’s ethos as a “melting pot” of different religions, ethnicities, and cultures. But it also has to do with the innovative ways in which Judaism and Islam have absorbed, and been radically altered, by the so-called “American experience.”This book is an exploration of contemporary Jewish-Muslim relations in the United States and the distinct and often creative ways in which these two communities interact with one another in the American context. Each essay discusses a different episode from the recent twentieth and current twenty-first century American milieu that links these two groups together. Some deal with case examples of local inter-communal interaction, such as “dialogue groups,” which can help us better understand national trends of similar activities in other parts of the country. Others focus on national trends themselves, thus giving us greater insights into individual incidents.

My Craziest Adventures With God - Volume 1: The Spiritual Journal of a Former Atheist Paramedic


Praying Medic - 2014
    After losing his job, being divorced and being kicked out of his church, it seemed like his entire world was going up in flames. Then one night in a dream, God asked him to pray for his patients. When he awoke in the morning he knew nothing would ever be the same. Come along on these intriguing adventures as an ordinary paramedic confronts his own skepticism and fear and learns how to hear the voice of God. Get to know Praying Medic, the author, right from the stories in his personal spiritual diary. Watch as he learns how to pray for his patients and for strangers in the marketplace. You may find yourself laughing one minute and crying the next as God’s goodness and sense of humor are revealed in these true stories. And you’ll witness the transformational power of God as it changes a hardened skeptic into a man of real faith. These true stories won’t just encourage you—they’ll act as a guidebook on how to live daily in the fullness of God’s kingdom.

Mail Order Melody (Brides of Seattle #5)


Cynthia Woolf - 2018
    So why does one woman occupy his mind night and day? He is being trusted to deliver a group of mail-order brides from Massachusetts all the way to the Washington Territory. Karen is one of them. She's beautiful, smart and has two young children that should scare Adam off faster than an angry rattlesnake. He was burned at the alter, left standing with his heart broken and the whole world laughing when his fiancee eloped with his best friend. A woman is more trouble than he needs. But he's the moth and she's the flame. He knows he's going to get burned. But allowing her to marry another is out of the question. And when a deranged woman from Karen's past threatens the soft-hearted woman he can't help but fall in love with--and her two precious little ones--Adam discovers that walking through fire doesn't burn anymore, not if it gets him what he really needs...his own family.

The Curse of Surya


Dev Prasad - 2015
    At the Taj Mahal, she meets Alan Davies, a charming Welshman. But a terrorist attack on Mathura’s renowned Krishna temple turns them into fugitives from justice and the duo must decipher a series of complex cryptographs and unearth the illustrious Shyamantaka that belonged to Surya, the Sun God, to prove their innocence. Joined in their quest by an elderly Frenchman, Anton Blanchard, the duo race against time in helicopters, motor boats and yachts. In hot pursuit are the brilliant and daring SP Nisha Sharma and the most ruthless terrorist organizations. Before she realizes it, Sangeeta is trapped in a world of betrayal, deceit and horror. Fast-paced and gripping, The Curse of Surya will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat while you unravel one of the biggest mysteries in 5000 years.

Great Lent: A School of Repentance Its Meaning for Orthodox Christians


Alexander Schmemann - 2011
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Walking Towards Thunder: The true story of a whistleblowing cop who took on corruption and the Church


Peter Fox - 2019
    A police officer with 36 years' service in the Hunter region, he rose to national prominence in 2012 for his major role in speaking out for the victims of abuse within the church. He had been at the coalface fighting these heinous crimes for decades. He had worked with the victims and supported their families. He knew an enquiry was long overdue. His decision to become a whistle blower helped trigger Prime Minister Julia Gillard's historic decision to establish a far-reaching Royal Commission into the sexual abuse of children in institutions.He had no idea what speaking up would unleash. Peter's dedication and focus cost him his career, his health and also affected his wife's health. He and his family were threatened. Former friends shunned him. But the victims and the families that he supported consider him their champion. To them he is a hero.Walking Towards Thunder details the cumulative horrors our police face every day, it reveals the cover ups and the way sexual predators were moved around. It shows the backlash he faced and the lengths those in power will go to avoid facing the truth. Confronting and inspiring, this is an unforgettable story.

The Singularity Conspiracy Omnibus: The Complete Trilogy


Nicholas Erik - 2014
     Kurt Desmond and Cassie Atwood are private investigators in the sleepy oceanside slum of Seaside Heights, CA. That is, until a stranger comes to town with an offer too good to refuse. But everything in this life comes with strings, and the pair soon find themselves embroiled in a 10,000 year old conspiracy that will reveal the origin of modern civilization. If they survive that long...

The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions within Islam


Jesse Harasta - 2014
    The schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches influenced relationships between nations across Europe, and religious intolerance based on different Christian faiths led to persecution and outright violence across the continent for centuries. The Protestant Reformation split Christianity further, and the results culminated in the incredibly destructive Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century. Today, the most important religious split is between the Sunnis and the Shias (Shiites) within Islam. Unlike divisions in other faiths - between Conservative and Orthodox Jews or Catholic and Protestant Christians - the split between the Sunnis and Shia has existed almost as long as the faith itself, and it quickly emerged out of tensions created by the political crisis after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. In a sense, what are now two different forms of Islam essentially started as political factions within the unified body of Muslim believers. Over the past few centuries, Christians have mostly been able to live alongside their co-religionists, but the split between the Sunnis and Shias is still so pronounced that many adherents of each branch view each other with disdain if not as outright apostates or non-believers. The religious divide is perhaps the most important fault line in the turbulent Middle East today, with Sunni nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia at odds with Shiite nations like Iran. At lower levels, non-state groups like the Islamic State and Hezbollah are fighting each other in ways that cross state lines in places like Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. Although it is technically a split in religion, the divide has had substantial global ramifications for decades, and there seems to be no end in sight. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split traces the origins of the split and the historic effects of the main divide within Islam. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of the Sunnis and Shias like never before, in no time at all.

Sweet Surrender Historical Boxed Set


Heather Boyd - 2014
    When she learned the truth, Beth settled for the security of a loveless marriage. Now a widow with a son to support, desperation has driven her into service at Romsey Abbey and directly into the path of the man she'd loved and lost.LORD RAKEHELL'S LOVE by Donna Cummings: (The Curse of True Love, Book 1) Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, is attempting to play matchmaker in Regency London. . . only she's placed a curse on the lovers instead. Simon is late to his own wedding, and Georgiana is heartbroken by the scandal. After such a blunder, how can Aphrodite possibly reunite this couple?A GENTLEMAN'S PROMISE by Tamara Gill: (Scandalous Series, Book 1) Charlotte King bows to family duty and marries a man who is not as he seems. Now she is trapped in a marriage of endless pain and fear. Lord Mason Helsing walked away from the one woman he'd always cared for, but upon returning to London, he finds Charlotte is in a loveless & cruel marriage. Can they overcome the strictures of society? Or will they bow to pressure and do as society deems appropriate?EMBRACING SCANDAL by Suzi Love: (Scandalous Siblings, Book 1) Lady Rebecca Jamison, a mathematical genius, saves her siblings from financial ruin by dabbling in the London stock exchange. When a greedy syndicate kills her friend and threatens her family, Becca begs assistance from Cayle, Duke of Sherwyn, her nemesis and previous friend. He successfully defeats the illegal consortium, but can Cayle persuade a self-sufficient spinster to become his duchess?ANGEL'S MASTER by Sandra Sookoo: Ethan Williams is a pirate with a conscience. Though he knows the era of piracy is nearly done, he can't help but enjoy his time to the last. Jacqueline Massey is more than she seems--and she bears a remarkable resemblance to the masthead on the Angel's Fury. Once he takes her hostage on his ship, Ethan struggles to show her his human side.RESCUED BY A VISCOUNT by Wendy Vella: (Regency Rakes, Book 2) When Claire Belmont finds out her brother left something behind in France before he died; she is determined to discover what. However she must seek help to succeed, and from the one man she vowed to avoid. Claire fears that if anyone can disrupt her well-ordered life and see the vulnerable woman behind the polite facade, it will be Viscount Kelkirk and now they are thrown together, she realizes her fears were justified.

Not Peace But a Sword: The Great Chasm Between Christianity and Islam


Robert Spencer - 2013
    A much-needed rejoinder to those who dream of an easy alliance between the two faiths.

Cupid Is a Procrastinator: Making Sense of the Unexpected Single Life


Kate Hurley - 2013
    You are livening up the dance floor with a stirring rendition of YMCA when suddenly, the moment comes that separates the crowd. The slow dance. This one's for pairs. You are not a pair. You thought you would be married much sooner, but it hasn't worked out that way. You are trying to make sense of the unexpected single life.For single young adults who are trying to find balance between contentment with the life they have and a desire to find their match made in heaven, "Cupid is a Procrastinator" is a source of comfort, relief, challenge, and inspiration. Join Kate Hurley in the story of friends who give horrible advice, Amish dating practices, being a bridesmaid more times than anyone should, and learning to trust God when you don't understand His plan.Kate doesn't offer a magic formula that will bring your spouse to you, nor does she ask you to be content with your "gift" of singleness. With candid humor and refreshing honesty, she shares her own struggles and discoveries as a single person and invites you to come with her on a journey toward hope.

He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart


Max Lucado - 2000
    Linger on the hill of Calvary.Rub a finger on the timber and press the nail into your hand.Taste the tinge of cheap wine and feel the scrape of a thorn on your brow.Touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God.Allow the tools of torture to tell their story.Listen as they tell you what God did to win your heart.

Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone


Joyce Meyer - 2002
    Many people suffer from an unhealthy need for affirmation. They are not capable of feeling good about themselves. For some the quest for approval becomes an actual addiction, as they seek self-worth from the outside world because they can't find it within themselves. Joyce Meyer understands the need for seeking approval from others to overcome feelings of rejection and low self-esteem. The good news, she says, is that there is a cure. God provides all the security anyone needs. Her goal is to provide a pathway toward freedom from the approval addiction.

The Power of the Blood


H.A. Maxwell Whyte - 1971
    A. Maxwell Whyte in this revealing exploration of the blessings to be found in Christ’s blood. As you delve deep into this newly revised and expanded version of Whyte’s classic best seller, you will find out how to…Experience God’s complete forgivenessBecome spiritually empowered, equipped, and energizedBreak the terrifying grip of fear and tormentCreate an atmosphere for miraclesDefeat oppression, addictions, and sickness Astounding results can take place in your life once you learn the value of this vital yet little-wielded weapon in the believer’s arsenal and how God wants us to use it in coping with life’s difficult situations. Discover the wonder-working power of the blood for yourself!