The Return Of All That Is Good


Book Description

Mr. Banta Algthrop and his friend Phlewellen, two Oglanders, grew up in a universe different from ours on a planet named Oglantia. Oglanders are a people we know here on earth as Tardigrades or Water Bears - small creatures who live in dewdrops and have been found by scientist to be considerably resilient. When they venture outside their dewdrop environment, they reach heights of fourteen to twenty feet. Like our people, they struggled through the ages for spiritual growth. After they attained fulfillment, they traveled throughout the stars of their universe upon a great ship named Homeward Bound Always seeking ever greater knowledge, maturity, and wisdom. Suddenly, in a burst of great light, the Spirit of Creation pulled the Oglanders and their great ship into our universe. They traveled through the stars until they reached our small planet. Their purpose here was to maintain the earth and its primary inhabitants, the creatures who were the embryos of the Spirit. The Return Of All That Is Good tells a tale that begins with a small girl, Annabelle, who is running for her life from a great tiger with long fangs. Annabelle scampers up an ancient tree hoping to escape certain death. At the instant she feared she may be lost, the Spirit rises from a dewdrop and engulfs the three characters in a great tornadic, spiritual event that separates them from all the world so that Annabelle, the great beast of the forest, and the ancient tree were surrounded by an impenetrable wall of wind. Within the protection of the Spirit, the three characters instantly become friends who can clearly communicate with each other. Banta suddenly stands amid the confused group and is immediately recognized by the great beast and the ancient tree. Under the influence of the Spirit, they remembered previous times when Banta influenced their lives. The story continues with Banta returning Annabelle to her parents and altering the spirits within the beast and the ancient tree so that they would always be friends on an unconscious level. The purpose instilled within them was to protect Annabelle throughout her life, so she could fulfill the purpose of the Spirit. Banta wields spiritual power throughout the times of the earth. We are given glimpses of how Water Bears work among human beings with stories like Annabelle's, the Bensond family during the period that America is being settled, and the later story of the children who struggle on this world just prior to the return of the Great King. The story threads many events from around the world that occur just prior to the King's return. I have come to believe that during the end times, there is no great, powerful nation on the other side of the world that protects Israel from its enemies who use its country as a staging area for all the lust of war that engulfs them. So, I build a potential scenario for why that is. We are bombarded with evidence that alien ships and their occupants fly above us, walk among us, and even die on the surface of our planet. For me, there is a most obvious answer as to why. The book ties together the great powers of earth in a time prior to our King's return. The armies march from far distances to meet at a place prophesied long ago. They cannot help themselves but struggle with all their might to meet their goal of world dominance. But in the end, the Good King steps upon the earth and meets His good friends, the Water Bears who have served Him from the beginning.




No More Faking Fine


Book Description

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.




Let the Nations be Glad


Book Description

'Mission is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate.' John Piper's contemporary classic draws on key biblical texts to demonstrate that worship is the ultimate goal of the church and that proper worship fuels missionary outreach. Piper offers a biblical defence of God's supremacy in all things, providing a sound theological foundation for missions. He examines whether Jesus is the only way to salvation and issues a passionate plea for God-centredness in the missionary enterprise, seeking to define the scope of the task and the means for reaching 'all nations'. Let the Nations Be Glad! is a trusted resource for missionaries, pastors, church leaders, youth workers, seminary students, and all who want to connect their labours to God's global purposes. This third edition has been revised and expanded throughout and includes new material on the 'prosperity gospel'.




Sparkling Gems from the Greek


Book Description

Rick Renner unearths a rich treasure trove of truths in his remarkable devotional. Drawing from an extensive study of both the English Bible and New Testament Greek, Rick illuminates 365 passages with more than 1,285 in-depth Greek word studies. Far from intellectualizing, he blends his solid instruction with practical applications and refreshing insights. Find challenge, reassurance, comfort, and reminders of God's abiding love and healing every day of the year.




Revelation


Book Description

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.




Holy Bible (NIV)


Book Description

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.




The Return of the Prodigal Son


Book Description

With over a million copies sold, this classic work is essential reading for all who ask, “Where has my struggle led me?” A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son catapulted Henri Nouwen on an unforgettable spiritual adventure. Here he shares the deeply personal and resonant meditation that led him to discover the place within where God has chosen to dwell. As Nouwen reflects on Rembrandt’s painting in light of his own life journey, he evokes a powerful drama of the classic parable in a rich, captivating way that is sure to reverberate in the hearts of readers. Nouwen probes the several movements of the parable: the younger son’s return, the father’s restoration of sonship, the elder son’s resentfulness, and the father’s compassion. The themes of homecoming, affirmation, and reconciliation will be newly discovered by all who have known loneliness, dejection, jealousy, or anger. The challenge to love as God loves, and to be loved as God’s beloved, will be seen as the ultimate revelation of the parable known to Christians throughout time, and is here represented with a vigor and power fresh for our times.




A Return to Love


Book Description

Is it possible to propose a world formed by love and interpreted from a feeling of wonder without falling into the doctrines inherent in the different religious languages?




The Message Stone and Purple Lthr Look


Book Description

The Message's unique verse-numbering system makes it an ideal Bible study companion.




The Second Coming


Book Description

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:3 ESV Jesus Christ was very clear: One day He will return-and none of us knows when. Vocal fanatics claim to know the details of the Second Coming, causing many Christians to all but ignore the good news that Jesus is coming again. Yet God's own Word commands us to know the signs of the times, to remain watchful, and to be ready-whenever Christ comes. This book is a straightforward, in-depth exploration of the key biblical texts regarding the Second Coming; most notably, Christ's longest and most important eschatological message, the Olivet Discourse. As you study what the Word of God says about these matters, it will stir in your heart an earnest longing for Christ's return-as well as a certainty about how to live expectantly until He comes again.