LITMIR.BIZ

The Fourth Gospel, otherwise known as the gospel of the beloved disciple of Jesus, has captivated the imagination of myriads of people worldwide. Echoing one of its major themes, namely water, this gospel has been described as one in which a child can wade and an elephant can swim. Of the four gospels in the New Testament, this one stands out from the other three at several levels. In the Fourth Gospel the extraordinary acts of Jesus are labeled consistently as signs, not miracles. In the second major part, however, the signs give way to reality found uniquely in the life and death of Jesus on behalf of benighted humanity. He is the true light that enlightens every one and every thing. There are no parables in the Fourth Gospel. A parable is something that is literally thrown alongside the ordinary world of the day. The Fourth Evangelist focuses on truth, one of its major themes. There are puzzling pieces mixed in with the good news, which serves to make this gospel captivating to the reader. Through all of the complex twists and turns in this gospel the theme of love shines forth brilliantly, especially so in the second half.

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Lukan narrative takes its readers into God's story: how his salvation plan in Jesus began on the slopes of Judea and at the Sea of Galilee, ending on the hill of Calvary and the Mount of Olives, yet moving on and telling how the Spirit descended onto the Temple Mount empowering God's people, who then began to fulfill the given mandate in the presence of the Spirit. Yet, readers of Luke-Acts, throughout the centuries, have had a meandering journey as they have tried to understand the narrative's persuasion and Spirit-references. This book seeks to bring awareness to these challenges by some of the most respected Pentecostal biblical scholars and systematicians. Here their vigorous labor with the questions of hermeneutics and theology in relation to Lukan writings have come to fruition. These contributions have been collected as a Festschrift in honor and celebration of the career of Roger Stronstad, a Pentecostal biblical scholar whose contribution to Lukan studies have moved Pentecostal scholarship from shadows into daylight. The editor of this volume invites the readers of Lukan narrative to journey together on the road to Emmaus, as we continue to ponder the events in the past, the present, and the future.

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How can we make sense of the seismic shift between the Old and New Testament? From the early centuries of Christianity until today, many have wrestled with the complex changes between the Testaments, and how to make sense of them. The discussion and debate is spilling over into new areas today, and shows no sign of slowing down. In this fresh approach, the land, the sword, and the temple are traced from Old to New Testament, in order to find the central reasons for the tremendous changes that took place, and are still impacting the world today. Freely gathered communities of faith in Christ, as seen in their original setting, provide a key focal point for unlocking the radical changes that took place.

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Supernatural encounters are for everyone! God still speaks to his children today. Encounters can include visions, dreams, or a personal encounter, seeing Jesus himself. Each encounter brings revelation and transformation. Once the power of God is experienced, a person is never the same again. What is God speaking to you today? Spending time with Jesus brings about our transformation, which affects the world around us.
This book will: –Share supernatural encounters. Examples are given from the word of God and from personal experiences of my own. –Mention a personal encounter with Jesus himself! –Encourage the reader to answer the call of God on their life.

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Remarkable studies in the New Testament have recovered the fact that the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, was apocalyptic good news–God's redemptive action within history.
Today, for more and more people, the sheer scope of an evolutionary universe renders life on Earth as utterly insignificant, religion as nothing more than superstition. And now, in the Anthropocene, we on the pale blue dot live in an apocalyptic age in which cataclysmic issue after cataclysmic issue threaten the future of the planet.
The faith of the early church was in an apocalyptic cosmic Christ unleashing within history God's good news of a new creation. Set within the world as we now know it, this gives meaning to the cosmos and life wherever it is found around any star.
Screened from view for over a millennium during mission to non-apocalyptic cultures, now is the time for a new paradigm for church, the «apocalyptic church» for an apocalyptic age to replace the denominational church. What a difference this makes to faith, worship, and the role of the church in an apocalyptic future.

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Can I work for an energy company and still be a Christian? This question from a young professional working in the author's London trading department sparked a journey that resulted in this book. Trading With God addresses the relevancy of the Christian faith in today's workplace. Recognizing that Christianity is a 24/7 endeavor, this book provides the framework and tools for the reader to make the critical connection between your actual daily work activities and what God created you to do. This enables Christians to find the most meaning in their jobs and journey of faith. Trading With God delivers in three parts. First, it grounds readers with history, scriptural references, and summarized concepts of faithful work developed over time by various church theologians. Second, a practical threefold model for Christians is introduced for daily application throughout their working lives. And third, the book builds seven steps to apply this model, which are illustrated by personal stories based upon the author's thirty-four years of professional workplace experiences and theological research. Integrating faith and work using these seven steps can infuse more meaning into any vocation and can transform all workers, as well as the workplace and the wider community.

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The growing use and appreciation of the Common Lectionary (Revised) has stimulated renewed attention to the Christian calendar in its fullness and an enrichment of liturgical worship. In this volume, Bruce Taylor offers a collection of theologically rich, sacramentally sensitive, and biblically centered sermons for the Sundays and feast days in the first half of Year A of the Lectionary, featuring Gospel readings from Matthew with attention to the accompanying Old Testament and epistolary texts. Included is a sampling of sermons written as engaging stories, and a sermon presented during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Preachers will find here encouragement for their own homiletical observance of the liturgical year and ecumenical celebrations, and the mutual and intimate relationship between Word and Sacrament. All readers will find a thoughtful and stimulating resource for their own life of faith, witness, and devotion.

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After years in the Reformed church, Nancy began to hunger for something more. Then, snowmageddon hit in Idaho and Nancy and her husband Bobby were looking for a church they could attend closer to home. God providentially directed them to Faith Lutheran, where they soon found that their beliefs regarding the Lord's Supper aligned more closely, and they were soon to find out that baptism really does save. This is their journey out of the Dutch Reformed understanding and into Lutheran theology.

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Service learning teams and short-term mission opportunities have incredible potential to help participants stretch their faith, to help others, and gain a bigger picture of what God is doing in the world. To be effective, and to serve others in ways that are helpful, preparation is essential. This book will help readers think through things such as:
–Deciding whether or not to join a team (and addressing the problem of team members dropping out) –Thinking carefully about fundraising –Anticipating group conflict, and strategies for preventing and managing conflict –Preparing for cross-cultural encounters and cross-cultural reflection –Reentry and reflection
The book is designed for groups (whether for those preparing many teams at once or for individual teams) and for individuals themselves. It includes careful Christian reflection and draws on cross-cultural experience and research. It can be used as a workbook to encourage deliberation about the most pressing issues likely to be faced in preparing for service learning and short-term mission opportunities with the goal of promoting lifelong change.

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This book is meant to illuminate Godlike faith through defining it, giving clarification where it comes from, revealing how to walk in it, and divulging what it is capable of doing. God's soldiers must remember that we are in the army of the Lord. We are fighting a supernatural enemy bent on our destruction. Only Godlike faith knows that Satan has no authority or power over us. That knowledge equips us with the ability to overcome the satanic designs that are aimed at our destruction. However, many Christians are not walking in Godlike faith or living a victorious life in Christ. Many are overwhelmed by defeat and discouragement, and are allowing Satan to take authority or power that he does not have. It's time to walk in the truth that Christ took his authority and gave it to God's soldiers. As we learn to walk in the mind of Christ, we have Godlike faith that gives no place to Satan, his demons, or his diabolical plans to destroy us. By the time this book is read to the end, God's soldiers will take authority over all satanic designs, change the entailment, and live a victorious life through Godlike faith.

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