Biblical separation is the implementation of that scriptural teaching which demands repudiation of any conscious or continuing fellowship with those who deny the doctrines of the historic Christian faith, especially as such fellowship finds expression in organized ecclesiastical structures, and which results in the establishment and nurture of local congregations of believers which are free from contaminating alliances. - p. 10.
GENUINE AND WHOLESOME SPIRITUALITY This is the goal of all Christian living. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Perhaps the principle may be, but living by the principle is another matter altogether. In Balancing the Christian Life, Charles Ryrie reminds you that 'the Bible must be the guide and test for all our experiences in the spiritual life ...and if any experience fails to pass that test, it must be discarded.' He warns that 'an unbalanced application of the doctrines related to spirituality will result in an unbalanced Christian life.' Ryrie examines numerous key issues of spirituality, including The old and the new life Sanctification Using your gifts Routine faithfulness Wiles of the Devil Temptation Confessing and forgiving For more than 25 years, Balancing the Christian Life has been changing lives worldwide. Take time to read this classic study--and allow it to change yours.
This book deals with the doctrine of separation that we in the whole of Scripture can read about. And since it is Scripture that commands us to separate, and since we today have such disdain toward Scripture, it deals very much with Scripture itself. Scripture does self-attestate itself, it self-authenticate itself, and through its history it has been seen as God's perfect Word, inerrant and infallible. All of this is today attacked by the world, but also by Christendom. Nothing is more important than our view of Scripture, and few things are more important in the life of the Christian than to separate himself from the world and unto the Lord. This is an important book for every Christian, it deals with Scripture and obedience. So many today in Christendom say that Scripture contains words from both God and man, this lie is one of the most pernicious that exists within Christendom, and this is repudiated in this book. It calls for the Christian to separate himself from the world, from error, from false Christians, and to separate himself unto the Lord, to be obedient to what God has revealed in Scripture, which is God's perfect Word given to man.
How to behave in the diaspora has been a central problem for Jews over the ages. They have debated whether to assimilate by adopting local customs or whether to remain a God-centered people loyal to their temporal rulers but maintaining the peculiar customs that separated them from their host nations. The question not only of survival, but of the basis for survival, is also a central problem in the Joseph stories of the Book of Genesis. The work shows its readers the grand alternatives of Judaism, instilled in two larger-than-life figures, so its readers can reassess for themselves the road Judaism did not take, and understand why Joseph though admirable in many respects, is left out of the rest of the Bible. The question is answered through the stories about how Joseph, the son of Jacob, saved his people/family from famine by becoming a high-ranking administrator to Pharaoh. By analyzing his behavior to the people over whom he exercises power, Joseph lords it over his brothers, grieves his father, takes lands from Egyptian farmers, and engages in forced deportation. Wildavsky explains why Joseph-the-assimilator is replaced in the Book of Exodus by Moses-the-lawgiver. The book ends by demonstrating that Joseph and Moses are, and are undoubtedly meant to be exact opposites. As in his earlier book on The Nursing Father: Moses as a Political Leader, Wildavsky combines analysis of political and administrative leadership with both traditional and modern study of texts: thematic linkages via plot, grammar, dreams, poetry, and religious doctrine. Thus the chapter on "Joseph the Administrator" is preceded by a chapter on Joseph as The Dream Lord" and followed by an analysis and explanation of why Jacob's obscure blessings to his sons are more like curses. Always the emphasis is on the reciprocal influence of religion and politics, on rival answers to questions about how Hebrews should relate to each other and to outsiders. New, in paperback, the book will be of interest to biblical scholars and readers as well as those concerned with the interaction of religion and political life.
In today's world, women are often rewarded for having type A personalities. Driven, demanding women achieve higher positions, better salaries, and praise for their ambition. They learn to be confident, take-charge leaders who can handle anything on their own. Yet when it comes to their marriages, those same traits can backfire. After all, no one goes into marriage hoping for a promotion. What is a wife to do? April Cassidy knows this struggle firsthand. She thought she was a great Christian wife and begged God to make her passive husband into a more loving, involved, godly leader. Instead, God opened her eyes to changes that she needed to make, such as laying down her desire for control and offering genuine, unconditional respect--not just love--to her husband. The Peaceful Wife focuses on Cassidy's experience and its life-changing properties, providing a template for others to follow. Cassidy's conclusions may be as shocking to readers as they were to her, but she backs up her own tale with stories from her blog readers, and also includes recommendations for further study. She walks through baby steps on how to change, addressing questions such as: -What is respect? -How can you show respect? -How is being respectful different from being loving? In the end, The Peaceful Wife is a powerful path to God's design for women to live in full submission to Christ as Lord.
When your marriage falls apart, where can you turn for hope and help? Linda Rooks, an experienced guide for marriages in crisis, provides biblical wisdom, real-life stories, and practical help for husbands and wives who desire restoration in their marriages. Even if your spouse has turned away, there is hope.
Now an official resource of the nationwide DivorceCare ministry, this new edition of When the Vow Breaks offers practical advice to Christians regarding the top five felt needs and issues that result from facing divorce: kids, finances, anger, depression, and loneliness. In this sensitive and thorough guide, author/attorney Joseph Warren Kniskern recounts the emotions of his own failed marriage and shares a comprehensive study on what the Bible says about marriage and divorce. More important, he shows how God continues to work in people’s lives to provide hope and encouragement in the aftermath of divorce. Kniskern also provides important insights about how to seek reconciliation, secure proper marriage counseling, find a good attorney, and negotiate settlements and custody issues.
Recent years have seen a number of high profile scholars converting to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy while a trend in the laity expresses an eclectic hunger for tradition. The status and role of confessions stands at the center of the debate within evangelicalism today as many resonate with the call to return to Christianity's ancient roots. Carl Trueman offers an analysis of why creeds and confessions are necessary, how they have developed over time, and how they can function in the church of today and tomorrow. He writes primarily for evangelicals who are not particularly confessional in their thinking yet who belong to confessional churches—Baptists, independents, etc.—so that they will see more clearly the usefulness of the church's tradition.
The unfortunate reality is that Christians are separating and divorcing at the same rate as the unbelieving world. But does separation have to mean the end? You may not feel like reconciling. You may not see hope for a reunion. But the biblical ideal for a separated couple is reconciliation. So how do you do it? When doors slam and angry words fly, when things just aren't working out, and even when your spouse has abandoned your trust, there is hope. Hope for the Separated will show you through God's Word that your marriage can be restored. Recognizing that restoration will not happen for everyone, Dr. Chapman also gives insightful advice for those who experience the pain of divorce.
