Dead men do not rise!
Many times in my life, I’ve been angry and frustrated with God. I’ve wanted to stop being a Christian. I’ve experienced doubts. But I’ve only rarely doubted the facts.
One time I did was in my third year at university. I was studying Philosophy as part of my course, and I left a session with one of the lecturers with serious questions about whether or not Jesus rose from the dead.
The problem the lecturer posed me, and that I struggled with, was this: no amount of evidence should ever make you believe in something that’s impossible. If something’s impossible, then even if the evidence for it is strong, it can’t be true. Pigs don’t fly. So if you see a pig in the sky, then even if it looks just like a pig, you must be mistaken. It must be a balloon painted to look like a pig, or a very oddly shaped cloud in red sunlight. Pigs just can’t fly, so it certainly isn’t a pig.... continue reading
Some people find it easy to understand the Father and Jesus, but struggle to understand quite how and where the Holy Spirit fits into the picture. Who exactly is he? And how does he work in our lives?
The Bible tells us that we need to be led by the Holy Spirit (see for example Romans 8:12-14 and Galatians 5:16-25). Hearing the Spirit by Christopher Ash is for those who are 'thirsty for a deeper experience of the Spirit of God'.
There is much confusion about how Jesus relates to the Holy Spirit, how Jesus the Eternal Word relates to the Bible. People say, 'You have too much Bible and not enough of the Spirit' or it "It all very well talking about the Spirit but where's the Bible?' Whatever our background, we tend to fall back on untested prejudices or worry about unexamined doubts. This careful biblical argument, drawing mainly from John's gospel, helps us to see the answers to these questions in a firmly Trinitarian understanding. Hearing the Spirit is the way we know the Father through the Spirit. By asking where the Bible fits in this process, this helps us listen more deeply to the words of God.
Read more and get the ebook HERE for just £4.99 until midday Thursday - quote code htse1014 at the checkout.
“I want a book to give to students who are willing to give Christianity a look but don’t want to be told they’re wrong, or stupid.”
“I want a book to give to a thoughtful 15-year-old that answers some of his questions about Christianity in a way that doesn’t patronise him, but doesn’t assume he’s about to get A*s in his GCSEs.”
“I know some of my young adult/student/older teen group are struggling with some big questions about faith, and I wish there were something they could read that would encourage them to keep trusting Christ.”
What book would you give these people?
We haven’t known how to answer these questions. Which is why we’re thrilled that Tricky has been written. Yes, we’re biased (we’re the publisher). But Becky Pippert, Rico Tice, Glen Scrivener, Nick McDonald and Jonty Allcock aren’t biased, and they’re excited about it, too.... continue reading
‘Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
and have carried since you were born.
Even to your old age and grey hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.'
Isaiah 46:3-4
I’m sure, like me, you’ve been watching with concern as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa worsens week on week. Just today, a man in New York has been tested positive for the disease. But from some corners, there’s been criticism that the media coverage has been so focused on European and American victims.
It should come as no surprise to us that the instinct for (self-interested) fear runs deeper than humanitarian empathy for people living far away. But what is it that scares us so much about Ebola? Not, I don’t think, the thought of the symptoms themselves (horrific though they are). It’s the perceived lack of control that terrifies us: the thought that this invisible threat could sneak undetected onto our little island and pass unseen from person to person; the idea that one day soon the coughing colleague at the desk to my right could be carrying something significantly more sinister than a common cold. However small that likelihood is, fear is certainly a powerful emotion.... continue reading
Once again in recent weeks the world has come under attack.
The barbaric and very public execution of innocent men has already been well documented. Even more disturbing are the stories of the murdering of Christian children in front of their families - barbaric acts aimed at undermining the Christian community.
All people (Christians and non-Christians alike) will no doubt be asking: Where is God in all of this? Is God really in control? How can things like this be allowed to happen?
Best selling author Jerry Bridges helps us wrestle with those questions under the focus of the Bible in his book, Is God Really in Control?
Delve in to God's own word and hear what he has to say about his real power and love for us even through disappointments, tragedies and terrorist outrages. Maybe a read of Exodus chapters 5 to 7 might help too - where God restates his plans and shows Pharaoh that no one is more powerful or above God himself.
Is God Really in Control? is on offer until midday on Monday for just £5.39 (40% off). Just order using code control1014 at the checkout.
Christian school 'downgraded for failing to invite an imam to lead assembly'
Pakistani court upholds death sentence for Christian woman accused of insulting Islam
Divisive Pastor Quits Post at Seattle Church
Refugee misery for Iraqi Christians who have fled IS
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Here’s another sample story from our new release Play through the Bible, introducing pre-schoolers to Jesus through Luke’s Gospel. It is followed by a selection of the play activities included in the book. Each story is supported by a wide range of activities - some very short and simple, some needing props or play equipment, and some very, very messy!
This story is from Luke 5:1-11.
Link:
Lots of people came to Jesus because they knew he could make them feel better. Even more people came to Jesus because they loved to hear him tell them all about God! In today's story Jesus has borrowed a boat. Jesus is sitting in the boat telling lots and lots of people all about God.... continue reading
We're called to grow - to bear fruit for the gospel (John 15:8). And we're called to help our brothers and sisters do the same (Hebrews 10:24). But there are some great ways to ensure we duck our responsibilities ... here are just five. Maybe you can spot your tendency in the mix:... continue reading
