Where’s God when times are hard? He’s winking to let us know He’s with us! Life is mysterious and cryptic. It defies explanation, especially in times of suffering and distress. We wonder, Where is God in all of this? He’s with us—and the Scriptures wink to show us His redemptive activity unfolding in our lives. In Winks from Scripture, Chris Palmer takes you through familiar New Testament stories and points out unfamiliar features that have the effect of a punchline. When the Scriptures wink, you’ll be surprised, delighted, and challenged not to give up hope. “Biblical stories are loaded with mystery,” Chris says. “That mystery keeps us asking questions about the story’s details. In doing so, little ironies and nuances emerge that we hadn’t seen before. This is God winking at us, letting us know He’s there, guiding our lives.” In Winks from Scripture, you will: • Come to embrace mystery • Learn how to appreciate uncertainty and integrate it into a vibrant life of faith • Discover how God triumphs over suffering • Observe how the New Testament writers understood the Old Testament through Jesus • Renew your hope in God’s beautiful plan of creation and redemption Guided by careful scholarship and heartfelt, pastoral reflection, these thirty studies offer a fresh perspective to the most difficult questions of the Christian faith, certain to bring comfort to your soul.
Some say there were two thieves crucified on Golgotha, but I believe there were Three . “Gutsy. Unexpected. Refreshing. Chris Durso explains the story of saving Grace in a language that both the world and the Church, sinners and so-called saints, can understand. The Heist walks us down the road with the prodigal son, inviting us to come home to the One who has a grace-party waiting. Fresh and accessible, I believe this book will help many live fully and freely in Jesus.” —Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church, founder of Passion Conferences, author of Goliath Must Fall In the ultimate act of sacrifice, Jesus robbed the Enemy of every claim he ever had on our lives. He stole all our shame and guilt, and gave us back our lives so that we could live in true freedom. The real scandal of Jesus’ work on the cross is found not only in what it gives but also in what it steals. The Grace of God robs the enemy of his ability to shame us. It robs death of its sting. And it robs sin of its power to destroy. We’ve all felt the weight of shame and brokenness. Like the prodigal son, we’ve pursued our own path only to find ourselves far from home and out of options. We long for a fresh start, but what we need most is the ability to see ourselves through God’s eyes of grace. New York City pastor Chris Durso believes grace is the central message of all Scripture. While there have been some daring heists and cunning capers throughout history, this book is about the greatest heist the world has ever seen…a daring raid where God’s son took back what the enemy had stolen, freeing us from the power of shame, sin, and Satan. Through a fresh take on the parable of the prodigal son, and the fascinating account of a true modern day diamond heist, The Heist offers a bold invitation into God’s boundless grace.
The spiritual encounter with the 'otherness' that Christians call God is often seen as the province of the very holy, or is simply dismissed in our rational, scientific culture - but it is part of the experience of being human, recognised down the ages. I
Imagine finding joy unspeakable through a simple hunt in the mountains. It is a beautiful, crisp late October morning. With shotgun in hand, Chris and his young Brittany bird dog, Maddie, head into the mountains. Maddie's excitement boils over as grouse season has finally begun after a long dry summer. The beauty of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and the vibrant autumn leaves teach us that there is an Almighty God who created all things. As we search the mind of our Creator, we see that he is a loving God who desires for all mankind to be saved--and has provided a way. While hunting truth, we find that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As that relationship grows, we learn His plan and His purpose through nature and through the experiences along the way. These help us grow as Christians, and by knowing His will for our lives, we can find that unspeakable joy.
One of the primary reasons God elected and kept you alive today is for you to stand for Him in a times of affliction, war, famine, in the time of plenty and in a time lack when people refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. God wants you to stand for Him in FAITH, BELIEF, TRUST, OBEDIENCE, AND WORSHIP. There has never been a time in the history of the church that God needed His elect to stand in obedience to all His commandments such as it is now. There’s a sudden, mysterious wave of evil occurrences chiefly trying to undermine the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus which the church represents. Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:11, said, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to STAND against the wiles of the devil.” This book, “Standing for God,” is one of the desired Christian classics which reminds the church to stand solidly in obedience to God’s commandments as we pass through sets of turbulent periods in our lives. Beloved, let us take the word of Moses to the Jews for our comfort: ”Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall see again no more.” Exodus 14:13 As you go through this book, may the Holy Spirit help in your wilderness experience to stand and proclaim the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. Dr. Chris Okeke March 15, 2023
- From Pride to Humility - From Gluttony to Trust - From Anger to Gentleness - From Envy to Blessing - From Sloth to Passion - From Greed to Sacrifice - From Lust to Love
The Song of Solomon or "Song of Songs" is a story of intimacy between King Solomon and a Schulamite girl, his bride. It has also been interpreted by some to be an allegory of the love relationship between Christ and His Bride. However you choose to interpret this book, no one can deny the passion and intimacy that the king and his bride enjoy together. In the book Staircase to Transformation, we will take a journey with the Schulamite girl as her groom leads her into intimacy with him, and changes her into a strong woman of God. By following her journey, may your relationship with Christ become closer than ever, and may you be transformed into that woman of God you were created to be. Solomon 2:10 "Arise my darling, my beautiful one and come along." Chris Louer is a native born Californian who lives in Mission Viejo, California. Chris, a Bible teacher, received the Lord at the age of seven, and has been teaching and ministering to women for seventeen years. God's faithfulness to His Word is a reality to Chris and the gentle, practical way she encourages women, has won her the loving respect of women she has ministered to in Bible Studies, retreats and conferences, and individually over the past seventeen years. Chris and her husband Ron have been married for thirty-five years. They have two grown married daughters, Melissa and Adrianne, four grandchildren, as well as two godly son-in-laws, Shane and Aron. With boldness and practical teaching, Chris delivers the Word to this current generation, alerting the Body of Christ to what God requires to remain overcomers in these days.
The Author of this book, Chris Briscoe, wrote this to help us all come closer to answering that great mystery, "Is there a God?" Chris invites us to approach this problem from a different angle. For example, when scientists discovered six billion chemical-codes written on our double-threads of DNA (the double-helix- "double- spiral staircase") - it forces us to ask the question, "How could nature have written all that code when nature does not have a mind - it does not have real intelligence but works according to commands, so how could nature have written all that code or even inspired itself to write the code; which our bodies need to build the trillions of molecular machinery our bodies need, let alone which the first supposed cell needed when it arrived here on the earth. Scientists, engineers and architects today acknowledge that those molecular machines are actually the epitome of perfectly design and function; therefore, they are the strongest evidence that there must be a most intelligent mind and molecular scientist behind nature to have been inspired and designed every organism. Chris' premise is that when we look into the world of the cell and even the most "rudimentary" organism, it reveals a level of design element and complexity which could not have possibily originated in nature, alone. In other words, there must be a mind behind nature, the most intelligent molecular mind, just as there has to be a programmer behind computer program made. (Book's Index: Christian Apologetics)
Pastor Chris does some really neat Bible Studies; when he taught one on the gospel stories that are unique to Luke, I thought he should write a book about it. He said yes, if I include my thought in it as well. The Young Pastor-Pastor Chris Halverson is currently the Pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran, South Plainfield, NJ. He came here directly from Seminary at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Before that he was a Missionary in England and did an M. Phil. in Intertestamental Studies at the University of Cambridge (St. Edmund's College). The Not So Young Parishioner-Linda Nietman, a life long Lutheran is a retired Navy Nurse. She worked at the bedside and as a nursing instructor for 25 years. While she at one time considered the ministry, she had found her true calling as a nurse and as an active parishioner.
As a complete, regenerated servant of GOD, whose life has been transformed to live in heaven on earth, I'm troubled when I see majority of my fellow believers deprived and highly relegated to the lowest ebb in this solid earth. For this reason, in the past four years I've engaged in spiritual research and investigative works, in order to find a once and for all solution to problems of my fellow brethren. It's against this backdrop I have written this great book, which is not just an ordinary inspiration book, but a practical approach to becoming adept in biblical spirituality and take advantage of the power gained to live a life of total liberty and fulfillment. It's a great book for this generation where majority, in their ignorance, have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the jailhouse of spirituality by the prince of darkness. This book will help unlock spiritual padlocks and chains, and provide total emancipation of spiritual slaveries in the lives of all who choose to attain greatness.
The Core Meaning is the result of an extended walk with God. We always hear that we question our faith when life's struggles hit us hard. I am no different than any of you in that regard. Life has offered me many challenges over the last 10 years. During a few of them I was not sure I would overcome the obstacles that stood in my way. Yet my faith in God and my willingness to accept His priorities rather than my own allowed every door necessary to open. Those openings showed me the opportunities that can occur when we are following His purpose for our lives. This devotional is a guided tour of that journey.
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