Bible Ministry

There continue to be many questions concerning the "Rapture" of the Church and its apparent contrast with the "Second Coming" of Jesus Christ. Where does this strange view come from? Is the term "rapture" even in the Bible?

Traditionally, the Book of Ruth is viewed as a beautiful love story between Ruth and Boaz. You'll find startling revelations if you dig deeper, revelations like: God makes much of broken lives he calls men and women to serve him together, and hes counting on his daughters to build his kingdom.

Does it ever feel like life is out of control? Could you use the reminder that God is in control? When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado tells us that, though it may not be quick or painless, God will use this mess for good.

What if everything you think you know about Jesus is wrong? In The Jesus Papers, Michael Baigent reveals the truth about Jesus's life and crucifixion. Despite, or rather because of, all the celebration and veneration that have surrounded the figure of Jesus for centuries, Baigent asserts that Jesus and the circumstances leading to his death have been heavily mythologized.

Why does the Bible contain so many stories of hurting people? Though their situations vary, their conditions don't. They have nowhere to turn. Yet before their eyes stands a never-say-die Galilean who majors in stepping in when everyone else steps out. Lucado reminds us that the purpose of these portraits isn't to tell us what Jesus did-but rather to remind us what Jesus still does.

Using Scripture and powerful real-life examples, Joyce Meyer reveals that we, not God, determine our level of intimacy with Him. She reminds us that Moses went alone to visit God on the mountaintop while Joshua and others stood at a distance from Him. And while at least seventy people traveled with Jesus when he preached, only twelve disciples were his close companions. Of the twelve, Peter, James and John were closer still. But only one of the three laid his head on Jesus' breast.

Accessing mindfulness is a therapeutic touchstone for a range of emotional issues, from mild distress to the treatment of trauma, but the term mindfulness has often left Christians wary. Stripped of Christlike spirituality, it sounds self-focused at best, and at worst like a fusion with modern pop-religions of the day. But the quality of mindfulness - of being fully present, aware of ourselves and our situation so that we can better respond to the chaos around us - is a profoundly biblical concept. And it can be used effectively by Christian counselors and healing practitioners.

The end times have seen a great amount of interest within the last two decades. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Arab Spring, ISIS, and the Iranian stand-off have focused us on the future of the Middle East - the center of the Bible's prophecies about the last days. Yet there hasn't been a comprehensive overview of biblical prophecy and eschatology for more than five decades. Mark Hitchcock's book is that comprehensive resource for the 21st-century listener. The End will provide a solid biblical foundation for Christians to explore the essential truths.

Ruth Tucker recounts a harrowing story of abuse at the hands of her husband, a well-educated, charming preacher no less, in hope that her story will help other women caught in a cycle of domestic violence and offer a balanced biblical approach to counter such abuse for pastors and counselors.

There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty. This is a book about those two numbers. It's a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity, It's about what happens when Christians support, animate, and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

It's a wonderful secret the Jewish people have known for centuries. A gift Christians have neglected for far too long. It is the life-transforming power of the "Prophetic Blessing." And in this remarkable audio book by pastor and New York Times best-selling author John Hagee, you'll learn what it is, the way it is presented throughout the narrative of Scripture, and most importantly, how you can release it into the lives of your loved ones and receive it in your own life.

If you're like most small-group leaders, you often feel overwhelmed by the task of finding study material each and every week. Former small-group pastor Ryan Lokkesmoe is here to help. This book has all you need for 16 small-group meetings exploring the concept of biblical community. Each study includes icebreaker questions, key Scripture passages, discussion questions about the text, and a guide for leading your prayer time.

In The Bible as Dream, Murray Stein shares important themes in the biblical narrative that from a psychological perspective, stand out as essential features of the meaning of the Bible for the modern listener...The Bible is a dream that tells the story of how this world was brought into being in space and time and what it means. Don't miss these timeless lectures - a work of respectful and loving interpretation.

Behind the scenes of movies like The Ten Commandments, The Prince of Egypt, or Exodus: Gods and Kings is a complicated, and at times, messy biblical story. In this short guide to the book of Exodus, Biblical scholar Peter Enns doesn't just break down the story for the average person to understand but takes us behind the story - to the history and traditions that led us to the story as we have it today. By asking the important questions, and taking us along Moses's and the Israelite journey, Enns brings the best in biblical scholarship to us everyday people.

This is Leo Tolstoy's integration of the four biblical gospels into a single account of the life of Jesus. The Gospel in Brief is an intriguing fusion of biblical texts and Tolstoy's own religious views. Tolstoy explains that his goal is a “solution to the problem of life," not a theological or historical statement. He therefore ignores issues like Jesus' genealogy and divinity, focusing instead on the words and teachings of Jesus, stripped of what he regarded as the Church's distortions and focus on dogma and ritual.

Look around you. You've noticed it, right? The Christian community seems to be looking more and more like the world around us: Grief, chronic illness, mental health challenges, broken marriages, addiction - aren't these supposed to be the things Jesus sets us free from? And yet, it doesn't seem to be working anymore, does it? Has the Gospel of Jesus somehow lost its' power? Through their personal work and work with hundreds of clients worldwide, the McKean's created the Metanoia Method® to help people understand God's intended connection between the brain, body, and Bible.

The supernatural link between angels of fire and the coming move of God’s glory! The angelic host has been with us from the beginning. While they are not often recognized by the human eye, they have been present all along and are vital to the work of God being fulfilled in the Earth. When you learn how to recognize these unique angels and how they are operating, you will be able to participate with them to bring about the accelerated healing, restoration, purification, and all of the other end-time signs of global Holy Spirit outpouring.

The Commented Bible: Book 44B – Acts Of Apostles is a series of writings on the Book of Acts Of Apostles, in 4 parts. This book in the series is Part 2, and it covers the Bible book of Acts of Apostles Chapters 8-14, covering every verse, with commentary, extensive cross-references and study questions for each verse. It will serve as a learning tool and continuing study reference throughout one's life.

If you'd like to improve your ability to learn, memorize and recall the Psalms of the Bible by as much as 100%, 200%, even 300% (or more)...using simple memory techniques that you can learn in 15-20 minutes (or less), then this may be the most important book that you will ever listen to. Believe it or not, it really doesn't matter if you think you have a good memory or not.

Pete and Geri Scazzero developed The Emotionally Healthy (EH) Relationships Course over a 21-year period to directly address core biblical principles to guide you and others into an experience of discipleship that will deeply change your life. In the EH Relationships Course, everyone will learn eight practical relationship skills to develop mature, loving relationships with others.