Can a Christian be possessed? Do God's angels and Satan's demons dwell unseen among us, engaged in spiritual warfare? Are ghosts and spirit manifestations real? How about aliens and UFOs? If you believe in the Bible, you already have faith in the unseen. Unusual experiences are a testimony of sacred Scripture and the gateway to understanding the power of God in your life. Just like in biblical times, mysterious forces are still at work today. The paranormal world isn't merely scary hauntings and occult legends. In The Paranormal Christian, journalist Richard D. Lewis explores his own true spiritual journey and real stories of others to correlate supernatural phenomena and the biblical worldview-without compromising either. In this book, you'll discover: How to trust your intuition and consciously tune into The Voice every day. A mystical examination of the Bible and the history of paranormal and psychic phenomena and prophecy within Christianity. A guide to discerning between the presence of positive and negative entities. True stories of hauntings, spiritual healing and miracles performed by the Holy Spirit. How to protect yourself against the horror of The Swarming - even in your most vulnerable state. You can believe in the Holy Bible as the word of God orchestrated by divine intention and trust the wisdom of the supernatural worldview of the Bible writers and the fact that the mystical never left us. It's time to bring paranormal back into the light where it belongs. If you are searching out real answers for the Church, you will find them here.
Does the Bible really forbid all communication with the dead?-NO!Are ghosts actually demons trying to trick us?-OF COURSE NOT!Is it truly possible to be both a psychic medium and a Christian?-YES! These myths are so pernicious that they've become "common knowledge" even among non-Christians: that the Bible says you can't be involved in the paranormal or communicate with the dead. Period. No! Comma! The Bible doesn't actually forbid any and all communication with the dead. In fact, those activities the Old Testament actually does forbid have not been practice for millennia. Christians are actually commanded by Christ and the Apostles to perform ministry for the dead and to pray in relationship with the dead. The belief that Christians are required to continue their relationship with the dead is by no means a new interpretation of scripture. This teaching of Christ and the Apostles, continued now only in the Catholic Church, was held as sacred and not contradicted until the 1400s. Within the pages of this book, you will discover the truth of what the Bible really teaches about the relationship between the living and the dead. In this well-researched and compelling book, you will learn:* What the Jews, including Jesus and the Apostles, believed happens when we die.* Both Old and New Testament verses that prove we must continue our relationship with the dead.* Jesus' teachings that death simply cannot separate Christians and why any belief that it does is heresy.* Writings from the Apostles and other ancient Christians proving that they believed both in conversing with those in heaven and receiving visits from them. * What the Old Testament verses that seem to forbid communication with the dead actually say and mean.* What the original Hebrew words regarding ghosts and mediums in the Old Testament really mean and why they are always mistranslated.* Why God would give such gifts as mediumship to the living.* And so much more!Whether you are a Bible scholar, a paranormal investigator, or someone with psychic medium gifts who feels attacked by Christians, youwill be as shocked as much by what the Bible doesn't say as by what it does. From Jewish zombies and incantations over pits of blood to rabbinical tales of visits to Gehenna, this book takes you on a journey into an ancient world where the veil between life and death was too thin to see. You will visit a world where life and death existed on a continuum of vitality, from the highest level of life-force to the least. This book will then lead you into the Messianic age that Christ initiated and through a Christian universe in which, to quote St. Paul whether we are living or dead, to God, "all are alive." However, the most important place this book will lead you to is the truth.
Dr. Michael S. Heiser presents fifteen years of research on what the Bible really says about the unseen world of the supernatural, unfiltered by tradition or by theological presuppositions. Who were the sons of God? Who were the Nephilim? Where do angels fit into the supernatural hierarchy? What relation does Jesus bear to the rest of the supernatural world? Heiser tackles these questions and many more as he shines a light on the ancient context of Scripture. After reading this book, you may never read your Bible the same way again. In Supernatural, Heiser takes the core message from his recent best-seller, The Unseen Realm, and presents it for the person in the pew. He offers the same approach to reading and understanding Scripture, but without all the extra footnotes and supporting information needed for the scholarly treatment. “We can’t believe what we don’t understand. In Supernatural, Michael Heiser helps us to do both. It may open your eyes to the scripture in a new way.” —John Ortberg, author of If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat
Mysticism and parapsychology -- Ghosts and apparitions -- Weeping icons and other unusual phenomena -- Prophecy and precognition -- Criteria for genuine visions -- Healings and miracles -- Conclusion: Some theological observations.
Using the riches of traditional liturgical texts and classic hymns, together with the role of the natural world, this book examines the living reality of the liturgical year.
Twenty-three years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. Following the tragedy, their father, John, set out to teach his boys everything about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it. Fans of the blockbuster television phenomenon can rejoice! A one-of-a-kind compilation of all of Sam and Dean's demon-busting knowledge, The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls contains illustrations and detailed descriptions that catalogue the more than two dozen otherworldly enemies that most people believe exist only in folklore, superstition, and nightmares:vampires, ghosts, revenants, reapers, and even bloody clowns. You'll find within these pages Sam and Dean's notes, observations, and memories interwoven with sections of John Winchester's invaluable journal, making this book the perfect companion to every thrilling episode—and an essential weapon in the secret war against the hidden creatures of the darkness!
Hurting people ask heart-felt questions about God and suffering. Some "answers" they receive appeal to mystery: “God’s ways are not our ways”. Some answers say God allows evil for a greater purpose. Some say evil is God's punishment. The usual answers fail. They don't support the truth that God loves everyone all the time. God Can't gives a believable answer to why a good and powerful God doesn't prevent evil. Author Thomas Jay Oord says God’s love is inherently uncontrolling. God loves everyone and everything, so God can't control anyone or anything. This means God cannot prevent evil singlehandedly. God can’t stop evildoers, whether human, animal, organism, or inanimate objects and forces. In God Can't, Oord gives a plausible reason why some are healed, but many others are not. God always works to heal everyone, but sometimes our bodies, organisms, or other creatures do not cooperate with God's healing work. Or the conditions of creation are not right for the healing God wants to do. Some people think God causes or allows suffering to teach us lessons or build our character. God Can't disagrees. Oord says God squeezes good from the evil God didn’t want in the first place. God uses pain and suffering without willing or even allowing it. Most people think God can overcome evil singlehandedly. In God Can't, Oord says God needs cooperation for love to reign now and later. This leads to a better view of the afterlife called “relentless love.” It rejects traditional ideas of heaven, hell, and annihilation. Relentless love holds to the possibility all creatures and all creation will respond to God’s love. God Can't is written in understandable language. As a world-renown theologian, Thomas Jay Oord brings credibility to the book’s radical ideas. He explains these ideas through true stories, illustrations, and scripture. God Can't is for those who want answers to tragedy, abuse, and other evils that make sense! What They're Saying... “If conventional notions of God make less and less sense to you, you’ll find Thomas Jay Oord’s new book a breath of fresh air. Simply put, “God Can’t” presents an understanding of God that thoughtful, ethical people can believe in.” -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration "I did not want this book to end. I wish Dr. Oord had written it 100 years ago, or 1000 years ago... To find your understanding of life and your love for God renewed, read this book." -- Dr. Karen Strand Winslow, Ph.D., Biblical and Jewish Studies Professor of Bible, Azusa Pacific University "As a clinical psychologist working with people in trauma, I owe Thomas Jay Oord an enormous debt of gratitude for recasting the so-called problem of evil in terms that are conceptually satisfying, theologically consistent, and pastorally liberating.” -- Dr Roger Bretherton- Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln (UK), Chair of the British Association of Christians in Psychology “Victims of trauma sometimes hear theological responses that imply their suffering is somehow “God’s will." A more careful theological reflection on the nature of the power of a God who is love can help. Oord gives us a clear and compelling alternative in this profoundly insightful and admirably concrete and accessible book.” -- Dr. Anna Case-Winters, Professor of Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary “I know of no book that speaks to suffering with the depth of theological sophistication and psychological sensitivity as God Can’t. This book is a rare combination of depth and accessibility, truly written for the wounded. I recommend it to my students, parishioners, and therapy clients.” -- Dr. Brad D. Strawn, Professor of the Integration of Psychology and Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Psychics, mediums, and ghosts have become a sensation in our culture today. As a result, there are many confusing and deceptive beliefs presented. Ron Rhodes, respected and popular biblical scholar, tackles the truth about ghosts and those who say they communicate with them and answers the questions: Do ghosts in any shape or form exist? Why is there a rise in psychic phenomena today? What do psychics believe about God, Jesus, and salvation? What is Satan's role with the paranormal? How can parents protect their family from the psychic trend? This reader-friendly presentation of intriguing facts and biblical insights will help Christians know how to respond to this fascination with the ultimate truth.
In this wide-ranging book, Rowan Williams argues that what we say about Jesus Christ is key to understanding what Christian belief says about creator and creation overall. Through detailed discussion of texts from the earliest centuries to the present day, we are shown some of the various and subtle ways in which Christians have discovered in their reflections on Christ the possibility of a deeply affirmative approach to creation, and a set of radical insights in ethics and politics as well. Throughout his life, Rowan Williams has been deeply influenced by thinkers of the Eastern Christian tradition as well as Catholic and Anglican writers. This book draws on insights from Eastern Christianity, from the Western Middle Ages and from Reformed thinkers, from Calvin to Bonhoeffer – as well as considering theological insights sparked by philosophers like Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein. Christ the Heart of Creation concerns fundamental issues for Christian belief and Williams tackles them head-on: he writes with pellucid clarity and shows his gift for putting across what are inevitably complex ideas to a wide audience.
