Pauline Dimech explores whether and to what extent we may attribute authority to the saints, but also how we may ensure that it is the saints, and not the scoundrels, whose influence persists and whose memory endures. The thing that drives her research is the thought that history is full of examples of individuals who held positions of official authority that they did not deserve. Dimech is convinced that Hans Urs von Balthasar can help us clarify the issues surrounding the authority of the saints. Besides establishing Balthasar's involvement with the enterprise, this book tries to establish the theological foundations upon which the authority of the saints would have to be based in theory, and, possibly, already, however implicitly, based in practice.
For too long the body of Christ has been waiting for a revival or the rapture, but let me tell you the good news: The greatest move of God we have all been waiting for is right here in the midst of us. In fact, it started almost two thousand years ago! It is called the kingdom movement.
A Study Guide and a Teacher’s Manual Gospel Principles was written both as a personal study guide and as a teacher’s manual. As you study it, seeking the Spirit of the Lord, you can grow in your understanding and testimony of God the Father, Jesus Christand His Atonement, and the Restoration of the gospel. You can find answers to life’s questions, gain an assurance of your purpose and self-worth, and face personal and family challenges with faith.
Walking In Kingdom Authority is a book written to show you who Christ is and who you are in Christ. The author, Oluwasina Oluwaleke shows vividly and convincingly from the Word of God and personal experiences how to take charge and put the devil where Christ has put him through His death and resurrection. It is a book written to remind you that satan is a defeated foe who must never be given a chance to ride, cheat, and rob you anymore. Coming to Christ from a background of intense battles and spiritual warfare, nothing seemed to interest me more than knowing that Jesus had all authority to sack all the devils harassing my life. I am so grateful to the Lord for those life experiences that He used to forge a vessel in me for His use and glory. This book, 'Walking In Kingdom Authority' is not just another book on the subject of Authority; it is a book coming from the crucible of God's dealings with me over the years, even God who teaches my hands for war! As a believer, you are given authority not because you prayed, you are given authority because you believed and received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. The same goes for ministers of God, as a minister, you are given authority not because you prayed; you are given authority because you are called. You can pray to receive the Holy Spirit and power, but you don't pray to receive authority! Kingdom authority is not exclusively for ministers, it is the common privilege of all of God's saints. You are given authority not for yourself, but that you may represent God and His kingdom accurately and effectively. For long, this honor has been left with the ministers alone, but that shall continue no more. We are under Melchizedek priesthood, which is the priesthood of all believers, not Levitical priesthood, which was for a privileged few, the tribe of Levi. Therefore, kingdom authority is for all believers. What is popularly called deliverance ministry is not a special ministry for men of God who are super-anointed. This is actually where believers should start their ministries. This is one of the signs that must authenticate the fact that you are a believer in Christ Jesus. This is not to say that there are no levels in deliverance ministry. There are deliverances that require higher and stronger authority of a ministry gift. In His earthly ministry, demons cringed and trembled before Jesus. They begged Him not to torment them. That is the kind of authority Jesus gave to us-authority that reduces demons to beggars! Demons are too wild to be tamed by human hand; they only respect and bow to God-kind of authority. If we must function in this authority without bringing disgrace to God and His church; we must stop all these charismatic abracadabra and spiritual razzmatazz and go back to the New Testament order and pattern. This is what this book all about. Among other things, whether you are a believer or a minister of Christ, you will learn in this book: 1How to receive and walk in kingdom authority 2.The pattern for walking in kingdom authority 3.The purpose of kingdom authority 4.The scope of kingdom authority 5.How not to use authority 6.The authority of your calling and ministry 7.How to take territories for God 8.How to be accountable in authority
Some Christians believe strongly in the existence of demons and spiritual warfare. Others downplay or even ignore the idea. With such divergent views, how are Christians supposed to know the truth about demonic forces at work in this world? The Invisible War examines what every believer needs to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare, offering a balanced look at this controversial subject. This provocative book will help Christians understand what the Bible says about these threats and will show them how they can safeguard themselves and their families through prayer. Now repackaged for a new generation, The Invisible War offers a balanced look at what is going on in the spiritual realm and what believers can do to defend themselves.
Voted one of Christianity Today's 1998 Books of the Year! Mormons and evangelicals don't often get along very well, at least not once they begin to discuss their religious beliefs. They often set about trying to convert one another, considering the faith the other holds as defective in some critical way. Unfortunately, much of what they say about one another simply isn't true. False stereotypes abound on both sides, preventing genuine and helpful communication. Having discovered this sad state of affairs, Craig Blomberg, a committed evangelical scholar, and Stephen Robinson, a committed Mormon scholar, set out to listen to one another and to ferret out the real agreements and disagreements between them. In the conversation that develops, you will read what each believes about key theological issues--the nature and bounds of Scripture, the nature of God and deification, the person of Christ and the Trinity, and the essentials of salvation--and see how they interact with one another. What they agree on may surprise you. Though this book does not sweep differences under the rug, it is meant to help Mormons and evangelicals know and tell the truth about one another. It does not expect to end evangelistic efforts from either side. In fact, it may help to promote more effective communication because it can help to get rid of misrepresentations from both sides. In the end, however, you will be able to judge for yourself just how wide the divide between them is.
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
In Suspect Saints and Holy Heretics Janine Larmon Peterson investigates regional saints whose holiness was contested. She scrutinizes the papacy's toleration of unofficial saints' cults and its response when their devotees challenged church authority about a cult's merits or the saint's orthodoxy. As she demonstrates, communities that venerated saints increasingly clashed with popes and inquisitors determined to erode any local claims of religious authority. Local and unsanctioned saints were spiritual and social fixtures in the towns of northern and central Italy in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In some cases, popes allowed these saints' cults; in others, church officials condemned the saint and/or their followers as heretics. Using a wide range of secular and clerical sources—including vitae, inquisitorial and canonization records, chronicles, and civic statutes—Peterson explores who these unofficial saints were, how the phenomenon of disputed sanctity arose, and why communities would be willing to risk punishment by continuing to venerate a local holy man or woman. She argues that the Church increasingly restricted sanctification in the later Middle Ages, which precipitated new debates over who had the authority to recognize sainthood and what evidence should be used to identify holiness and heterodoxy. The case studies she presents detail how the political climate of the Italian peninsula allowed Italian communities to use saints' cults as a tool to negotiate religious and political autonomy in opposition to growing papal bureaucratization.
