Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ


Book Description

The monasteries of the Jerusalem desert were famous throughout the Byzantine Christian world. Yet whilst much has been written about their counterparts in Egypt and Syria, this book is the first to provide a comprehensive study of the monastic movement in Palestine during the Byzantineperiod, from the accession of Constantine to the fall of Jerusalem to the Persians in 614. The book is divided into three parts. The first examines the lives of the holy men of the desert, using contemporary source material, and looks at the culture which produced them. The second describes the environment, including chapters on Jerusalem and the expansion of monasticism into otherurban centres. The third section presents some of the main themes of the saints' lives, with chapters on the historical development, doctrinal debate, and spirituality. This is an important and valuable contribution to the study of ancient spirituality and desert monasticism, and should be ofinterest both to historians and scholars of patristics and theology.




True Identity


Book Description

Teens' Guide to Identity from FamilyLife All teens wrestle with the question "Who am I?" and wonder, What makes me special? Though these questions linger for life, they are most intense in the teen years, where confusion, awkwardness, and a desperate grab for identity reign. So how does a young person answer these critical questions? Where do young men and women find their significance, worth, and value? True Identity is perfect for parents and youth workers to give to the teenagers (14-16) in their lives to help them in their journey. Drawing on experiences and wisdom from a wide array of experts, the book provides compassionate answers to help teens discover who they really are, emphasizing their identity in Christ above all other ways our culture defines them. As the book walks teens through the steps to make their faith their own, it highlights healthy independence and God-honoring relationships. The Passport2Identity curriculum launched in April 2016, and True Identity is its trade book companion.




How People Change


Book Description

What does it take for lasting change to take root in your life? If you've ever tried, failed, and wondered what you could do differently, you need to read How People Change. In the book, biblical counseling experts Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp explain the biblical pattern for change in a clear, practical way you can apply to the challenges of daily life. But change involves much more than just a biblical formula: you will see how God is at work to make you the person you were created to be. That powerful, loving, redemptive relationship is at the heart of all positive change you experience. A changed heart is the bright promise of the gospel, but many of us wonder if we'll ever see lasting change take root in our lives. When the Bible talks about the gift of a new heart, it doesn't mean a heart that is immediately perfected, but a heart that is capable of being changed. Jesus's work on the cross targets our hearts, our core desires and motivations, and when our hearts change, our behavior changes. How People Change targets the root of a person: the heart. When our core desires and motivations change, only then will behavior follow. Using a biblical model of Heat, Thorns, Cross, and Fruit, Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane reveal how lasting change is possible. You don't need to be stuck anymore. In Christ, you are a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. Includes a foreword by David Powlison.




Ambassadors for Christ


Book Description

This book profiles Christians whose service for the Lord has ignited the flame of love and hope throughout the world. Within these pages, readers can find the fascinating stories of less-then-perfect Christians who overcame life's hardships and disappointments to bring God's message of reconciliation to their hopeless, turbulent world.




Evangelism


Book Description

Christians often struggle to know where to start when it comes to telling others about God, Jesus, sin, and salvation. In this short book, J. Mack Stiles challenges us to view evangelism as something we do together instead of something we do alone, helping churches cultivate a culture of evangelism that goes beyond simply creating new programs or adopting the latest method. The seventh volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this book will help Christians joyfully embrace evangelism as a way of life as it equips them to share their faith with those who don't yet know Jesus. Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.




Christ's Ambassadors


Book Description

From what we see around us, we can conclude our beloved country is going in the wrong direction. We have felt safe while Christians around the world have been suffering incredible religious persecution. It is catching up to us. There is a growing cooperative relation between the government and several private groups to repress any Christian expression. Openly practicing our faith is under attack. God has appointed His believers to be His ambassadors to this world and has called us to stand up and defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:20). This book examines the forces that resist our openly witnessing for the faith. We will examine the world, the flesh, and the Devil and look at their interaction with man. Hopefully, we will open a supportive dialogue between ambassadors. Dr. Edward Jones is a seventy-five-year-old man living in a senior complex in central Florida. He led an active life prior to 1995 when he became disabled. Writing replaced preaching. In addition to his books, he writes for the Crossroads Bible Institute and is chairmen of his churchs prison ministry. He brings to his writing a unique balance between the spiritual and the secular. His books reflect the interplay of the two. Other books include Come up Hither and The Joy of Fellowship. Christs Ambassadors is his third book. All his books reflect his deep commitment to Biblical inerrancy.




Ambassadors of Christ Handbook


Book Description

Written by myself and inspired by God's Holy Spirit, this book is designed to uplift the reader's spirits and confidence. There are fourteen inspired chapters depicting God's gracious plans that are used to enhance Christ-like growth. The first seven chapters represent Gods holy number Seven. Seven represents God's completion. My life-lived testimony has allowed me to relate to many afflicted men and women. The accumulated power that God has invested in my life motivates me to pray for complete wholeness for the body of Christ. Together, we can accomplish God's perfect will and purpose for our lives. The goal of this book is to teach, inform, correct and edify those who are dedicated to becoming mature Christians. From the beginning of time our omnipotent God, who is all-powerful, has established the structure of dominionship, which is essential to the body of Christ. God the Father and the Son of God Jesus, are co-equal, as is the Holy Spirit. These three-in-one have power and full dominionship over all creation. As you study God's Word, you will see that God had given authority to man (Adam) on earth; man gave it to Lucifer; Lucifer gave it back to man (Jesus); and now though Jesus Christ our Lord we the Church have free range to rule and reign in this earth. We, the chosen vessels of God, must realize that we have power in Christ to be victorious over Satan. Satan only comes seeking to steal, kill and destroy all righteousness lived in Christ. As you read this God inspired book, my prayer is that you will claim and walk in your own dominionship and use the power given to you by God though our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory and honor goes to God Andre Valentino Curtis




Tactics


Book Description

Tired of finding yourself flat-footed and intimidated in conversations? Want to increase your confidence and skill in discussions with family, friends, and coworkers? Gregory Koukl offers practical strategies to help you stay in the driver's seat as you maneuver comfortably and graciously in any conversation about your Christian convictions.




Heaven's Ambassadors in the Making


Book Description

The parable of the Prodigal Son speaks of the wayward son coming to his right mind while working among the pigs. Unfortunately, many people don't have a right mind to come to because they have not had Godly people in their lives to teach them what is right. Words like faith, hope, and love often don't have much meaning to people unless someone has provided them with examples. Ambassadors in the Making provides examples of what it means to follow Christ's commandments to serve, trust, and be generous. These examples allow people to reclaim the holy existence God has already given them. This book tells the stories of two ministries on opposite sides of the world that both transformed lives of individuals who were once spiritually lost. The transition houses, orphanages, schools, and hospitals in the ministries are considered Embassies of Heaven, outposts in a foreign land, staffed by Ambassadors for Christ. Readers will be inspired to become Ambassadors who partner with the Holy Spirit to enable the hurting souls around them to become all that they were created to be.




Exiles on Mission


Book Description

Many Christians in the West sense that traditional Christian teaching is losing traction in the public square. What does faithful Christian witness look like in a post-Christian culture? Paul Williams, the CEO of one of the world's largest and oldest Bible societies, interprets the dissonance Christians often experience while trying to live out their faith in the 21st century. He provides constructive tools to help readers understand culture in myriad contexts and offer a missional response. Williams calls for a truly missional understanding of post-Christendom Christianity whereby local churches are reimagined as embassies of the kingdom of God and Christians serve as ambassadors in all spheres of life and work. This book invites readers to embrace the language of exile and imagine a hopeful mission of the scattered and gathered church in the post-Christian West. It shows a clear pathway for fruitful missional engagement for the whole people of God, helping Christians make sense of the world in which they live, more authentically integrate faith with everyday life, and orient all of their efforts within God's missional purpose for the world.