Maybe you have found faith to be a struggle. One of the reasons for that may be that, instead of looking back to Christ and His finished work, you have made it about you and your performance or attempts to be right with God. While old Covenant faith looked forward to the day when God would send a Savior who would set things right between God and mankind. New covenant faith looks back to what God has already done through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Faith should be as natural as breathing, when your heart is fixed on Jesus, who He is, what He did for you, and who you have become as a result of believing in Him. This short book will help you move out of the realm of trying to believe and move you into a place of steadfast faith where all things are possible.
Traditionally, the Book of Ruth is viewed as a beautiful love story between Ruth and Boaz. But if you dig deeper, you'll find startling revelations---that God makes much of broken lives, he calls men and women to serve him together, and he's counting on his daughters to build his kingdom. Now in softcover.
When anyone acts in accordance with the devil, they become of a “devilish quality,” (John 6:70). When Christians are enticed by the devil, they are pulled away from God by honors, profits, pleasures, or whatever other things the devil uses to hinder their profiting by the Word, (Luke 8:12). These wicked spirits have such a heinous effect on the world, that the same condemnation that will befall them, will befall those who follow them. The proud fall into the condemnation of the devil, that is, by means of pride and high mindedness they too will be cast into hell fire, in the same manner as the devil will be. In consideration of such vile and wicked practices following the devil and his practices, Gifford directs the reader to resist such assaults and submit before God with the weapon of steadfast faith. His text is a famous one, “Be sober and watch: for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith,” (1 Peter 5:8-9). Gifford expounds on how the Apostle Peter, 1) begins with an admonition or exhortation by which he stirs up all the faithful to sobriety and watchfulness with these words, “Be sober and watch,” 2) why it is important to move all men into this position of sobriety and watchfulness, seeing they have such a terrible and cruel adversary who continually seeks their eternal misery and destruction, “For your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” And, 3) teaching how Christians shall withstand him, overcome him, and put him to flight, that so they may escape from his cruel tyranny, “Whom resist steadfast in the faith.” This is an exceedingly helpful work, that will arm the Christian in due manner to fight steadfastly in the power of Jesus Christ through his Spirit against the works and wiles of the devil. And Gifford will not only show how to do this, but how to do it effectively, with victory, through true Christian faith empowered by God’s Christ.
Continuing a Gold Medallion Award-winning legacy, the completely revised Expositor's Bible Commentary puts world-class biblical scholarship in your hands. A staple for students, teachers, and pastors worldwide, The Expositor's Bible Commentary (EBC) offers comprehensive yet succinct commentary from scholars committed to the authority of the Holy Scriptures. The EBC uses the New International Version of the Bible, but the contributors work from the original Hebrew and Greek languages and refer to other translations when useful. Each section of the commentary includes: An introduction: background information, a short bibliography, and an outline An overview of Scripture to illuminate the big picture The complete NIV text Extensive commentary Notes on textual questions, key words, and concepts Reflections to give expanded thoughts on important issues The series features 56 contributors, who: Believe in the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full authority of the Bible Have demonstrated proficiency in the biblical book that is their specialty Are committed to the church and the pastoral dimension of biblical interpretation Represent geographical and denominational diversity Use a balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion Write from an evangelical viewpoint For insightful exposition, thoughtful discussion, and ease of use—look no further than The Expositor's Bible Commentary.
Since the Second Vatican Council, an exciting array of new theological voices, themes, and venues for reflection has emerged. This addresses the vital question of what exactly is Catholic theology. It considers basic perspectives and principles that characterise Catholic theology and offers criteria by which diverse theologies may be recognised as authentically Catholic.
Profound reflections on the cross that help you to meditate on and marvel at the sacrificial love of Jesus. This book can be used as a devotional, especially during Lent and Easter. These profound reflections on the cross from David Mathis, author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect, will help you to meditate on and marvel at Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and spectacular resurrection-enabling you to treasure anew who Jesus is and what he has done. Many of us are so familiar with the Easter story that it becomes easy to miss subtle details and difficult to really enjoy its meaning. This book will help you to pause and marvel at Jesus, whose now-glorified wounds are a sign of his unfailing love and the decisive victory that he has won: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) This book can be used as a devotional. The chapters on Holy Week make it especially helpful during the Lent season and at Easter.
"Sometimes He wrings the worship from our hearts." There are times when worship overflows easily and effortlessly from a heart full of gratitude and praise. Yet, there are other times when God seems far and we feel we have nothing left to offer. We are tired, or thirsty, or imprisoned in our own chains through our own devices, or caught in the waves of a tumultuous sea. This is when God shows us His steadfast love. He wraps His eternally powerful, ultimately creative, nail-scarred hands around our hearts and squeezes with appropriate might—yielding an honest plea for Him to save us and deliver us from our circumstances, fears, and self control. And He does. He initiates with His steadfast love, and responds with the same. Walk with Lauren as she shares what she has learned of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Useful for either individual or group studies, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude includes suggestions for Bible study leaders, an overview of the history of redemption and revelation, and an overview of what it means to study Christ in all of Scripture.
Winner of a first-place award for English translation editions from The Catholic Media Association. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is a newly discovered work written by St. John Paul II—then Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków—in the years just after Vatican II. He uses St. Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens in Acts 17 as a framework for articulating the faith in a culture of skepticism and unbelief. These thirteen brief reflections provide compelling teaching for Catholics in today’s post-Christian world and give fresh insight into JPII’s pontificate. This is the first English-language publication of this important work. St. John Paul II composed these thirteen reflections at a unique point of convergence in history—the closing of Vatican II in 1965 and the 1966 observance of one thousand years of Christianity in Poland. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is an extended meditation on Acts 17 where Paul speaks to the cultural elite of Athens after he observed an altar of an unknown god in the city. Quoting from both the Bible and the documents of Vatican II, John Paul II draws timely wisdom from the apostle’s mission to bring the truth of the Gospel to a worldly culture of sophistication and disbelief, one not unlike our own. The future pope reveals Paul’s memorable encounter as an enduring framework to boldly present the core truths of Catholic faith to those living under Poland’s communist regime. In so doing, JPII demonstrates how relevant Paul’s words are today and equips us to meet the challenges of proclaiming the faith in our times. Teachings for an Unbelieving World affirms the continuity of Catholic faith about: humanity’s place in God’s creation; our search for meaning, truth, and freedom; addressing a culture of unbelief; the gift of redemption in Jesus Christ; the grace of the Holy Spirit; the role of the Church in the world; the power of the Eucharist; the redemptive and self-giving nature of human love; and the importance of prayer.
The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.
