Religion England

King David was a complicated, conflicted man of flesh. But too often he is viewed as an Americanized shepherd boy on a Sunday school felt board or a New Testament saint alongside the Virgin Mary. Not only does this neglect one of the Bible’s most complex stories of sin and redemption, it also bypasses the gritty, life lessons inherent in the amazing true story of David. Mark Rutland shreds the felt-board character, breaks down the sculpted marble statue, and unearths the real David of the Bible.

Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired Ukranian orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace. Through the narrative of Sasha’s redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.

With such a storied and violent past, it is no surprise Wales has many tales of ghosts. The Ghosts of Wales: A Collection of Ghost Stories Across the Welsh Nation is a collection of such tales, just a few among the thousands of local legends and modern sightings that make people think Wales is one of the most haunted countries in the world.

In this spirit-inspired teaching, respected scholar and theologian R. T. Kendall uses Jesus's parable of the 10 virgins to describe the condition of the church in the last days. Many Charismatics and Pentecostals assume that what we have seen in the 100 years since Azusa Street is the final move of God before the second coming. Kendall explains that this is not so and reveals that a movement of the Holy Spirit 100 times greater than anything we have seen - indeed, the greatest since Pentecost - is about to unfold. It's time to wake up!

People's opinions about and understanding of Jesus shape the very course of their lives. Perhaps that is why Jesus is the most loved and hated, cherished and scorned, figure in human history. This book is ideal for people with questions regarding specific topics, teachings, or actions of Jesus. Whether a longtime believer, someone seeking the truth, or even a skeptic, The Jesus Answer Book provides succinct answers to key questions about the Son of God.

Best-selling author and Pastor John MacArthur brings his deep knowledge of Scripture to this foundational subject. Step by step, he walks through the impact of God's sovereignty, our submission, the characteristics of holy living, and our assurance of salvation. MacArthur makes the case that the Christian life is full and rich - but not easy. It requires sacrifice, perseverance, and transformation in the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. And it is absolutely worth the cost.

Found: God’s Will explores a question vital to every believer: How can I discover God’s plan for my life? Packaged in an easy-to-understand format, this guide shares six powerful principles that will give you direction, fill you with purpose, and give you the confidence to live out His plan for you.

Spiritual seekers throughout history have sought illumination through solitary contemplation. In the Christian tradition, medieval England stands out for its remarkable array of hermits, recluses, and spiritual outsiders -from Cuthbert, Godric of Fichale, and Christina of Markyate to Richard Rolle, Julian of Norwich, and Margery Kempe. In The Secret Within, Wolfgang Riehle offers the first comprehensive history of English medieval mysticism in decades - one that will appeal to anyone fascinated by mysticism as a phenomenon of religious life.

Does anyone really want to forgive? Or admit that we need forgiveness? Whether we're giving or receiving, forgiveness is hard. It seems unfair. It feels unnatural. And as best-selling author and Pastor John MacArthur demonstrates, forgiveness apart from Christ is unnatural. It is only as we understand our need, Christ's power and example, and what it really means to love that we can embrace two of the most liberating acts of love: forgiving and being forgiven.

Insights from Philip Yancey's personal pilgrimage away from and back to the church. Why are there so many more professing Christians than churchgoing Christians? Is it because something is wrong with the church? In his candid, thought-provoking manner, award-winning author Philip Yancey reveals the reasons behind his own journey back from skepticism to wholehearted participation in the church, and weighs the church's human failings against its compelling worth as the body of Christ.

Welcome Homeless is about becoming fully human by being fully present. It is about finally connecting with the disconnected and finding our identity through knowing the true identities of others. Graham wants to engrain the human story in you so deeply that you start being who you were made to be - that you start finally being like the image from which you were made and start empathizing instead of sympathizing with the people around you.

The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It's time to rethink normal. Suffering and exclusion are normal in a believer's life. At least they should be. This was certainly Jesus' experience. And it's the experience of countless Christians around the world today. No matter your social location or set of experiences, the biblical letter of 1 Peter wants to redefine your expectations and reinvigorate your hope.

Rory Noland addresses the challenges of Christian worship head-on, offering practical suggestions gleaned from Scripture on understanding and experiencing vibrant worship. The first half of Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven explores what it means to grow as a private worshiper. The practices of the psalmist David provide insight to help people worship God on their own.

So many voices today tell us that avoiding pain and dodging trouble are the best we can expect from life. Yet God is at work in us. He doesn't call us to a bland vanilla existence but to an exciting quest for the best thing in life—a heart that reflects the character qualities of Jesus Christ. The Quest for Character offers forty encouraging meditations on character qualities that can significantly change your life. Each brief devotional ends with helpful suggestions for refining your character and scripture readings to draw you into God's Word.

You’ve heard the Christmas story time and again. Perhaps it seems there’s nothing new to discover. Take another look, a closer gaze, at the details that reveal God’s love in the gift of a baby who would forever change the world. Six beloved Christian authors - Max Lucado, John Maxwell, Jack Hayford, Bill Hybels, David Jeremiah, and Rick Warren - share from a unique perspective and help you hear afresh the message God wants to whisper to your heart during this holiday. God loves you. God is with you. God is in every detail of your life.

John MacArthur, Jr. believes that peace is not only possible, it's a divine mandate. Drawing from a rich legacy of teaching and ministry, MacArthur puts aside cultural cures to uncover the source of our anxiety and stress. Based on solid Biblical insights, Anxious for Nothing shares how we can overcome uncertainty, defeat doubt, and be truly worry-free.

Lets make love. Lets have sex. Is there a difference? You bet there is! While sex is the joining of two bodies, love is the joining of two souls. Sex without love will never be ultimately satisfying, but sex that grows out of love will take a marriage to a whole new level of satisfaction. In his trademark simple, straightforward style, Dr. Gary Chapman explores the Judeo-Christian teachings on love and sex and teaches couples that if they desire greater sexual satisfaction, they must first learn how to love.

The author of the "dazzling epic" (Lev Grossman, Time) Brilliant delivers an indelible view of the ways silence affects those who seek it and those who have it imposed upon them. Through her original, intertwined histories of the penitentiary and the monastery, Jane Brox illuminates the many ways silence is far more complex than any absolute; how it has influenced ideas of the self, soul, and society.

Why are we feeling so depleted when God has promised us strength equal to our days? Pastor Robert Morgan leads a busy life as a pastor and is also a multitasking caregiver to his disabled wife. Most days he feels exhausted, yet over time God has shown him how to build himself up when he's worn himself out. He has learned to fully embrace Psalm 84, as he moves from strength to strength. The valleys and the weaknesses are inevitable. Our task is to embrace these as we wait for God to take us to our next time of strength.

Veteran disciplemaker LeRoy Eims emphasized the training of laypeople to become laborers in the harvest field. Today author Randy Eims adds words of principle and direction to his father's classic book Laboring in the Harvest. In this revised and updated version, both LeRoy and Randy define a laborer as one who is equipped to reach the lost and edify the saved. Their words offer a job description for laborers, outline the training needed for laboring, and describe the spiritual tools a laborer needs in Christ's harvest.