Life as a Vapor
Life as a Vapor

Author: John Piper

Publisher: Multnomah

Published: 2009-01-16

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 0307563863

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31 meditations from the founder of Desiring God that will connect you to a fresh understanding of God and renew your faith. "You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Living knowing that your life is a vapor is different than just living. Things here are passing away. You’ve got to hold on to what will stand. Savor what matters. This collection of thirty-one articles is full of that heart-longing after Christ that distinguishes Piper’s preaching ministry. You will feel as though you have stumbled into a garden as you enter these pages. The Scripture cuts, Christ is exalted in God, and we worship Him. Life Is Short. Eternity Is Long. Live Like It. You will exist forever. You and God are both in the universe to stay—either as friends on His terms, or enemies on yours—which it will be is proven in this life. And this life is a vapor. Two seconds, and we will be gone. In these thirty-one meditations, John Piper will connect you to a fresh understanding of God and a renewed relationship with Him. You’ll find your faith stirred to make every day count for Christ when you consider life as a vapor. Story Behind the Book Time is precious. We are fragile. Life is short. Eternity is long. Every minute counts. Oh, to be a faithful steward of the breath God has given me. Three texts resound in my ears: “Redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:16 ); “It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:2); “His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 ). Surely God means for our minutes on earth to count for something significant. Paul said, “In the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (Philippians 2:16). In the same way, I have good hope from the Lord that my “labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ).

The Mist of God
The Mist of God

Author: Peter Longley

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2011-07-26

Total Pages: 704

ISBN-13: 1462014593

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With vivid prose and compelling characters, The Mist of God offers a captivating glimpse into Biblical times. The destinies of Linus Flavian, Maria of Magdala, and their son, Marcus, play out in this dramatic first-century story that spans the extremities of the known world of that time, from Britannia to India. The Roman Empire is rising to its height while a fledging religious sect of Judaism reconciles itself with the mystery of its crucified leader, Joshua of Nazareth. Growing from a clash between nationalistic Judaism and a messianic universalism, followers from Saul of Tarsus to Simon Cephas take the fledgling faith out to the Gentile world on the trading routes of the House of Arimathea. Their witness, however, differs from the very personal understanding of divinity that Maria believes she learned from her lover, the crucified Lord. Nevertheless, she passes this legacy on to her son, Ben Joshua, the child Joshua never knew. Ben Joshus finds this message enchanced when he travels to India as a partner in the House of Arimatheabut his survival is anything but certain. The third in the dramatic series The Magdala Trilogy, The Mist of God provides a fascinating commentary on the origins of Christianity that is both challenging yet plausible, incorporating traditional beliefs, fictitious thoughts, and new controversial interpretations.

Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers
Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers

Author: Brandon R. Grafius

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-03-20

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1978701217

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The tale of the “zeal” of Phineas, expressed when he killed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman having sex and thus stopped a “plague” of consorting with idolatrous neighbors in the Israelite camp (Numbers 25), has long attracted both interest and revulsion. Scholars have sought to defend the account, to explain it as pious fiction, or to protest its horrific violence. Brandon R. Grafius seeks to understand how the tale expresses the latent anxieties of the Israelite society that produced it, combining the insights of historical criticism with those of contemporary horror and monster theory. Grafius compares Israelite anxieties concerning ethnic boundaries and community organization with similar anxieties apparent in horror films of the 1980s, then finds confirmation for his method in the responses of Roman-period readers who reacted to the tale of Phineas as a tale of horror. The combination of methods allows Grafius to illumine the concern of an ancient priestly class to control unsettled and unsettling community boundaries‒‒and to raise questions of implications for our own time.

Living Life Backward
Living Life Backward

Author: David Gibson

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2017-07-14

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 1433556308

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What if it is death that teaches us how to truly live? Keeping the end in mind shapes how we live our lives in the here and now. Living life backward means taking the one thing in our future that is certain—death—and letting that inform our journey before we get there. Looking to the book of Ecclesiastes for wisdom, Living Life Backward was written to shake up our expectations and priorities for what it means to live "the good life." Considering the reality of death helps us pay attention to our limitations as human beings and receive life as a wondrous gift from God—freeing us to live wisely, generously, and faithfully for God's glory and the good of his world.

In His Presence
In His Presence

Author: Tommy Combs

Publisher: Living Word Books

Published: 2019-03-12

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9781733633406

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There is no touch like God's touch!Each chapter of this book introduces the reader to individuals who gained identity, destiny, and faith through an encounter with God.Meet Biblical heroes like Deborah, Abraham, Dr. Luke, and John the Baptist. You will also discover how the same anointing that fell on the prophets of old descended on men and women such as Smith Wigglesworth and Kathryn Kuhlman. But this book is not just about them . . . it is about you.The ultimate focus of In His Presence is to catapult the reader toward the crucible where the fire of Holy Spirit forges a faith and a passion that are undeniable and irresistible.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die
I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

Author: Sarah J. Robinson

Publisher: WaterBrook

Published: 2021-05-11

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0593193539

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A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Gentle and Lowly
Gentle and Lowly

Author: Dane C. Ortlund

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2020-03-18

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1433566168

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Christians know that God loves them, but can easily feel that he is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. As a result, they focus a lot—and rightly so—on what Jesus has done to appease God’s wrath for sin. But how does Jesus Christ actually feel about his people amid all their sins and failures? This book draws us to Matthew 11, where Jesus describes himself as “gentle and lowly in heart,” longing for his people to find rest in him. The gospel flows from God’s deepest heart for his people, a heart of tender love for the sinful and suffering. These chapters take readers into the depths of Christ’s very heart for sinners, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is and encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. His longing heart for sinners comforts and sustains readers in their up-and-down lives.

Starlite Mist
Starlite Mist

Author: Stefanie Jean Scott

Publisher: Inspiring Voices

Published: 2020-02-21

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 1462407390

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Starlite Mist: A New Beginning is the story of Steffy and her courageous pony, Star. Meet a young girl who went to great lengths to earn a horse of her very own, only to find that the one thing she wanted more than anything else in the entire world needed her even more. Let the desire of a young girl’s heart, the desperate need of an abandoned pony, and the power of God that brought them together encourage you to have the faith of a child. Steffy kindly accepts the challenge of caring for a once-neglected pony. Together they have the courage it takes to survive the impossible, and Steffy accomplishes the most difficult tasks through hard work and the power of prayer. But she is not in this alone; she has many wonderful people working with her to help her find the way to make Star better. Ultimately, it is Steffy’s trust in God and His love that helps her transform Star’s life—and her own. Starlite Mist is a story of unconditional love and trust, in God and each other. “Ten stars for a pony named Star and for my best friend, Stefanie Jean Scott, who loved her. A remarkable, endearing true story of faith and perseverance!” —Carrie Lynn Jones, author of It All Began ... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

Buried Dreams
Buried Dreams

Author: Lindsey R. Dennis

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Published: 2018-09-18

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1501869124

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Finding hope when faced with the devastating loss of your most precious dreams. At 20 weeks pregnant, Lindsey Dennis and her husband were told the child she was carrying would not live due to a fatal diagnosis. Later, in another stunning blow, they were told the same news with her second pregnancy. They chose to celebrate both lives alongside a community, both local and online, of hundreds of thousands as she carried each child to term only to bury them 14 months apart from each other. Through the crushing of their hopes and dreams, they came to know the kind of resurrection hope that can rise from the grave. This experience of infant loss revealed to Dennis how sorrow and suffering are instruments in the hands of God to forge in us a greater joy and hope than one can ever know. This kind of joy can only be discovered when we walk through the deep pain of burying our most precious dreams. Buried Dreams offers an uplifting perspective, sharing how devastating loss of personal dreams can give way to unimaginable hope and how death can give way to life. Framing her own story of staggering loss and soaring hope with biblical perspective, Dennis highlights that we can never plan for the unexpected turns of this life that sometimes lead to great personal suffering, but we can reach for the One who is there with us in the loss. Product Features: Shares how unrealized dreams can give way to unimaginable hope. Shows how sorrow and suffering are instruments in the hands of God. Rekindles hope for those who have experienced loss.

The God Diagnosis
The God Diagnosis

Author: Greg E Viehman

Publisher: Big Mac Publishers

Published: 2010-11-17

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0982355483

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"The God Diagnosis" is the unique journey of a successful surgeon who finds the fulfillment of all his life dreams empty, lonely, and depressing. Embarking on a quest for truth and the answers to life's basic questions, Dr. Viehman finds himself at the epicenter of the most mind blowing diagnosis of his life. In a riveting journey through investigation, testing, and personal struggles Dr. Viehman recounts his journey from death to life in a way that will resonate with anyone seeking the facts and examining the evidence for themselves. Dr. Viehman uses his medical mind to come at these issues in a profound way that is striking, refreshing and fascinating. He is vulnerable, transparent and has the utmost integrity as he sorts out fact from fantasy. This new author is exciting, enjoyable to read and intriguing in his unique approach to this topic. I believe we will hear much more from him and it will shake up many long held beliefs about Christ, Christians and the Church. --- Big Mac Publishers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Viehman was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. He attended and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Delaware. He attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania graduating number one in his class. He completed an Internship in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and a dermatology residency at Duke University Medical Center, where he was chief resident. Dr. Viehman completed his fellowship in skin cancer surgery also at Duke. Dr. Viehman co-founded the Cary Skin Center in Cary, North Carolina, and worked there 1998-2008. He is now in solo private practice at Sea Coast Skin Surgery in Wilmington, NC. Dr. Viehman has lectured nationally on dermatologic surgery and authored several published scientific research articles. He has multiple interests, including, running, cross-fit training, and missionary work for orphans in Ukraine with New Life Ministries, and collecting rare Bibles. Dr. Viehman's family includes his wife Ruth, two sons, Brendan and Cameron, a daughter, Hannah and a border collie named Pepper.