Spck

This title provides an assessment of research into the Jesus of history. The author describes the archeological and manuscript discoveries that are helping scholars to construct an increasingly authentic picutre of Jesus and the world in which he lived and taught.

This title takes into account Qumran material and Gnostic literature, including the Nag Hammadi texts, chapters on Josephus, the Targums and Apocalyptic as well as material from the Greek tragedians, in order to provide a background to the New Testament.

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered." --G.K. Chesterton As even a brief exposure to the New Testament will show, the Christian life is a life of adventure. Every aspect is full of energy and light. Yet too often we stop at one point of interest--evangelism, spiritual disciplines, social justice--and go no further. Interweaving stories from a summer vacation, Jerry Sittser shows how our lives can include all God has in mind for us. In a book that is fun and challenging, Sittser restores wholeness to the adventure of Christian living.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Are you struggling with feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness? Are you feeling depressed and overwhelmed with financial problems, relationship difficulties, the end of a relationship, or the death of a loved one? Are you questioning whether life is even worth living anymore? Almost any unfortunate experience can make someone consider a drastic solution. Would it surprise you to learn that by this time tomorrow, an average of 117 people will have died from suicide? Beyond the deaths that are recorded as completed suicides, an estimated 2,900 people will have attempted to end their lives. In the United States, more than 42,000 people die each year by suicide*. Suicide is a whispered word--a taboo subject. Yet this may be what you are contemplating. If that's the case, the most important thing you can do is tell someone about how you're feeling. Don't become another statistic. People with failed suicide attempts relate that they tried to take their own lives because they couldn't get away from themselves and their disturbing thoughts. They weren't choosing death as much as choosing an end to their seemingly unbearable pain. The first thing you need to know is that you can't solve your problems on your own. GOD UNDERSTANDS He knows when we are losing our grip and on the brink of disaster. He is offering his hand to you this very moment. He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. GOD LISTENS He wants you to pour out your innermost feelings to him. You think life has given you a raw deal? Tell God. You can't endure the grinding poverty, the painful illness, the distressing loneliness, the awfulness of whatever it is that has you so down? God's invitation is: "Come to me . . . and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). THE BIBLE SAYS "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31) GOD SPEAKS The Bible is the sourcebook for help and hope. When we ignore what God wants us to hear, we deprive ourselves of that which can enable us to hang on when the going gets tough. "Fear not, for I am with you," God says. "Be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 51:10). GOD SAVES The Bible assures us that God will not ignore a broken, humble heart (Psalm 41:17). If you truly want to be helped, confess to God that you've wandered from him, and acknowledge that Jesus is the only way back. Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sins, and he rose again to offer you new life. Perhaps you've never accepted the truth about Jesus, but you can trust him now. Ask him to come into your life and give you guidance, strength, wisdom, and right thinking. Turn your life over to Jesus--he will save you, forgive you, and empower you with a new and eternal life. GOD HEALS God changes people and changes situations. When you trust him as your Savior, you can become a truly new person. God keeps his promises. You'll find that the Bible is a magnificent story full of promises that God has made and fulfilled. PROMISE OF PSALM 40 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3) GOD LOVES YOU God's love is best demonstrated through his Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born to Mary, he was human in every form but without sin. By the sacrifice of Jesus's death, we are able to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. God's love is also visible in his people. Seek the help and friendship of other Christians. If you don't know any Christians, find a local Christian church--God will help to place the right people in your path. When you are suicidal, your perspective freezes and logic becomes confused. Many underlying tensions have pulled you down. But the good news is that you don't have to stay that way Whatever has brought you this low will NOT remain forever. By placing yourself in God's care--you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, including a present, a future, and an eternity that will be better because God, and you, are in it. God can change your life if you let him. Call out to God in a prayer such as this: Dear God, I have come to the end of myself.I have nothing left, and I want to turn to you to save me. I believe your only Son, Jesus, died and rose again to pay for my sins. I receive your love and forgiveness based on what he did for me. Help me, God, to become whole, so that I may have a relationship with you and become a new person for eternity. Amen. * Suicide statistics taken from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2016: www.afsp.org.

IN THIS FAST PACED WORLD, IT'S LIKELY OUR PATHS MAY NEVER CROSS AGAIN. So what if they don't? In a world of cheap promises of wealth, health, and happiness, I've discovered something that has made a lasting difference in my life--and I'd like to share it with you. You don't need to be somebody special to make this discovery yourself. I'm just an ordinary person. But one day I found that there was something more to life than living for weekends, working a lifetime to stay ahead of bills, growing old, and finally . . . death. OUR PURPOSE FOR BEING HERE From the beginning of time, according to a special book called the Bible, life was meant to be a richly satisfying experience. The purpose of life even included friendship with God himself In fact, God created man and woman to enjoy his friendship in a perfect world of love and trust. God created humankind in his own image (Genesis 1:27). He shared with them qualities similar to his own-- intelligence, conscience, personality, speech, the ability to choose. The things that still give our lives meaning today. Despite a great start, there came a time when the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to go against one of God's instructions to them. The consequences were immediate. Their sin--the choice to disobey God--broke their once-close friendship with him (Genesis 3). Even worse, sin's eventual result was physical death. And death opened the door into sin's final outcome, eternal death, separation forever from God. And from their day to ours human history can be summed up this way: "Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death" (Romans 1:21; 3:23; 6:23). Unfortunately, we have all followed the ways of our forefathers. Disobedience. Deceit. Lies. Using others. Loving money. No time for God in our lives. But God had a solution to the disastrous problems of sin. His plan: Have someone who had never done wrong take the place of everyone who had ever done wrong. An innocent substitute for guilty wrongdoers. THE ORIGINAL PLAN RESTORED Two thousand years ago the plan went into action. Jesus Christ, God's Son, became one of us. In his 33-year lifetime as the God-Man, he fulfilled every requirement and expectation God ever hoped for us. He never once sinned against his Father or those around him. In other words, Jesus qualified as the perfect substitute for all the rest of us So his death on a cross was not the tragic end of the world's greatest teacher. Actually, in dying, Jesus carried through with his desire to take the eternal death penalty for us all. One sinless man for all sinful humankind (Romans 5:8) Because he is the one and only God-Man, Jesus's suffering equaled the eternal judgment in hell that we all would otherwise experience. That's how much he wanted to restore God's original purpose for us. The Bible puts it this way: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17). Jesus's resurrection from the dead three days after his burial proved that, in paying the death penalty for us, he had also conquered death, not only for himself, but for all those who believe in him (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). That means those who trust God to forgive their sins will also share in Jesus's resurrection life forever in heaven (John 14:1-4). There's more. Those who admit their sins caused Jesus's death and trust God to save them from eternal judgment, receive that eternal, spiritual life the moment they believe. Jesus put it this way. "I came that they who trust in me] may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). THE CHOICE IS YOURS Those are the basic facts of my most important discovery. Will it make any difference whether or not you agree with me? Look at it this way: If there is no existence after this life on earth, what will you lose by ignoring what I say? Nothing. But if what the Bible says about eternal life and eternal death is true, and you ignore it, you have everything to lose. Even though we may never meet again, I don't have to know you personally to want God's best for you. But it's your decision. What will you choose? If you want to receive God's offer of eternal life, you may want to put your choice into words like these: Dear God, I admit I have sinned against you many times in my life. I'm convinced that Jesus died in my place and took the judgment for sin that I deserved. I receive your offer of forgiveness. I want the new life Jesus promises to those who believe in him. Thank you for providing a way for me to know you.

One Easter as I read through the story of the crucifixion, I spent several hours deliberating over the words of Christ when he cried in anguish from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The idea that the Father would allow his Son to suffer the torture of crucifixion is beyond me--the humiliation of nakedness, the searing pain, the smell of blood and sweat, the agony of tears, the spit of drunken soldiers, the scorn of a laughing, jeering mob. When the crowd thinned and the cowards took shelter from the lashing storm, Jesus was left alone. As tears mingled with blood on his battered face, he cried out to his Father--the one who had not once turned away from him in all of eternity. The reply was cold, unmoving silence. In those horrible moments God himself poured the judgment for our sins upon Jesus. Every sin imaginable: lusting and lying, cheating and coveting, murder and hypocrisy, cruelty and deceit. Of course, Christ had never been guilty of any of those sins. But we are. And every one of your sins and mine was racked up on his account right there on that cross. As the prophet testified: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. . . . But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6) So where was God's goodness in treating Christ so? Where was the Father's kindness in turning his back on his only Son while Jesus cried out in horror and grief? On that terrible, wonderful day, God's goodness and kindness were directed toward you. God forsook his own Son so that he would never have to forsake you And because of those dark hours two thousand years ago, God can say to you and me, "I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. As I pondered that amazing thought, I felt ashamed. The goodness of God was indeed leading me to repentance. To think that God's anger for my sins was poured out on Christ--and that he has no anger left for me You know what that makes me want to do? Praise him. Thank him. Honor him. Obey him with all my heart and soul and mind. Unlike Christ, I will never have to agonize over separation from my Father. And neither will you. God poured the full measure of his wrath--the terrors of eternal hell--on his own Son so that you and I could be adopted into his very family. That's how much he loves you. And me.

Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love. The tragedy is that we often look in the wrong places to fill this deep need and longing. Some substitute lust for love. Others pursue material things or superficial relationships--all in the futile attempt to fill a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart. But there is good news There is a love worth finding and a love worth sharing. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). On the cross of Christ, God's mighty love was revealed and offered unconditionally to all who would be saved. Do you long to know this mighty love? Then I need to ask you the most important question you'll ever be asked: Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are saved and on your way to heaven? The great news is, you can know Let me share with you how to discover the greatest love worth finding. Admit Your Sin. First, you must admit that you are a sinner. The Bible says, "None is righteous, no, not one. . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10, 23). It is our sin that separates us from God and from fulfilling our deepest needs and longings. Sin is an offense against God that carries a serious penalty. According to Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death eternal separation from the love and mercy of God]." Abandon Your Efforts. Second, you must abandon any efforts to save yourself. If we could save ourselves, Jesus's death would have been unnecessary Even "getting religion" cannot get you to heaven. The Bible says it is "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy" that we are saved (Titus 3:5). Salvation is by God's grace, "not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Acknowledge Christ's Payment. What you cannot do for yourself, Jesus Christ has done for you "But God shows his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died on the cross for you and then rose from the dead to prove that his payment was acceptable to God. But you must acknowledge and believe this fact. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Accept Christ as your Savior. Salvation is God's gift to you. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When someone offers you a priceless gift, the wisest thing you can do is accept it This very moment, you can receive Christ's gift of salvation by sincerely praying this simple prayer from your heart: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you love me and want to save me. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, who died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe God raised you from the dead. I now turn from my sin and, by faith, receive you as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, and save me, Lord Jesus. In your name I pray. Amen.

Few people have been more sincere than I in trying-- without success--to find meaning, truth, and purpose in life. At the university I noticed a small group of people--eight students and two faculty members--who seemed different. They seemed to know what they believed and why. I wanted what I saw. Two weeks later, while I was sitting with some of them in the student union, the conversation turned to God. That bothered me, because I thought it was not intellectual. And yet I was curious. Leaning back in my chair, I said to one of the students, "Tell me, what has made you so different from others?" She looked me in the eye with a little smile and said, "Jesus Christ " My response revealed my bias and my ignorance. "Oh, for heaven's sake," I said. "Don't give me that garbage about religion " She replied, "I didn't say 'religion.' I said 'Jesus Christ.'" My new friends challenged me to examine the claims of Christ. I thought most Christians were idiots. But these people were persistent. Finally, I accepted their challenge, but I did so out of pride, to refute them. One of the claims I researched was Christ's resurrection. And after more than one thousand hours of study, I concluded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was either one of the most vicious hoaxes ever foisted upon human minds or the most fantastic fact of history. Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet, claimed to be the Christ prophesied in the Jewish Scriptures. He was arrested, judged a political criminal, and crucified. Three days after his death and burial, some women went to his tomb and found his body gone. His disciples claimed that God had raised him from the dead and that he had appeared to them and to many others at various times before ascending into heaven. In my attempt to refute Christianity, I made some startling observations. Until then, I'd had no idea there was so much historical, literary, and legal testimony supporting the factuality of Christ's resurrection. But the more I investigated, the more evidence I found, including Jesus's foretelling of his resurrection. Prior to his death, he took his disciples aside and told them that he would be condemned to death and handed over to the Romans who would mock him and spit on him, flog him, and kill him. And three days later he would rise from the dead (Mark 10:33-34). The more I studied the Christian faith, the more I realized it is a thinking person's faith. As Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Having set out to refute the resurrection and Christianity, and then having been compelled by the evidence to believe that Jesus Christ was indeed exactly who he claimed to be, I faced a new problem. My mind was saying, "Christianity is true," but my will was saying, "Don't admit it " It came to the point where I couldn't sleep at night. I knew I had to get Jesus off my mind or go out of my mind. Finally, on December 19, 1959, at 8:30 p.m., I became a Christian. I prayed four things that night to establish a relationship with the resurrected, living Christ who has since transformed my life. First, I said, "Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me." Second, I said, "I confess there are things in my life that are not pleasing to you. I ask you to forgive and cleanse me." (The Bible says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow," Isaiah 1:18.) Third, I said, "Right now, in the best way I know how, I open the door of my heart and life, and I trust you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for coming into my life by faith." After I prayed, nothing happened. There was no bolt of lightning. I even said to myself, "Oh, no What'd I get sucked into now?" I felt I'd gone off the deep end. And some of my friends agreed. But I can tell you now that in the months following, I found that I had not gone off the deep end. For one thing, I had finally found mental peace. I had also found control of my temper. And old hatreds were gradually turning to love. You can laugh at Christianity; you can mock and ridicule it. But it changes lives. Christianity cannot be forced on anyone. All I can do is tell you what I've learned. Beyond that, it's your decision. Christ was raised from the dead. He lives. He has the infinite capacity to enter your life, forgive you, and change you from the inside out. Adapted from The Resurrection Factor, published by Here's Life Publishers, San Bernardino, California. Reprinted by permission of Campus Crusade for Christ.

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO CHANGE SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF? Have you thought that you might be happier if you had different colored eyes, or if you were a different height or weight? Perhaps you've wished that you had perfect eyesight, that you did not have diabetes, or that you could walk without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair. But did you know that you were created, just the way you are, by God? The Bible says that every person--including you--is "wonderfully made." God "formed" you and "intricately" created you (Psalm 139:13-15). It also says that each of us is like clay, and God is the potter (Isaiah 64:8). Have you ever seen a potter work with clay? It can sometimes take hours of work, with the potter paying very close at-tention to each detail. Every inch of the clay is care-fully formed, not a single part is missed, until the potter creates a masterpiece. Even though potters take great care in their clay creations, God took even more care when he created you Did you also know that the Bible tells us that God is perfect (Matthew 5:48)? That means that he does not make mistakes You were created by a loving and perfect God, and he made you to be completely unique--you are not like anyone else in the world God created you, he loves you, and you are special to him... make no mistake Even though God is perfect, we are not. God knows everything about us. He knows the good things that we do and the bad things that we don't want anyone to know about. The Bible says that we all have done bad things (sins) and that we all deserve to be pun-ished for doing them (Romans 3:23, 6:23). But you and I are so special to God that he sent his very own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and take the punishment we deserve. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son to die for our sins], that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Isn't that great news? Jesus opened up the way for you to have a home in heaven (where one day, every-thing will be perfect) But first, you must agree with God that you've sinned, and trust that Jesus forgave you when he was on the cross. Those who believe in Jesus like this become God's very own children (John 1:12). He wants you to experience his love, be part of his family and to help you every day -- it's why he created you

STEP 1. GOD LOVES YOU God wants you to know Him and live with Him forever. The Bible Says... Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son Jesus], so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. John 3:16 GET IN THE WAY The bad things you think and do are sins. The Bible says... It is your sins that separate you from your God. The Lord turns away from you when he sees them. Isaiah 59:2 STEP 2: JESUS GETS RID OF SIN Jesus Christ saves us from sin and brings us back to God. He died on the cross and rose again to get rid of our sins. The Bible Says... Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and in that way God showed how much he loves us. Romans 5:8 STEP 4. ACCEPT JESUS We accept Jesus when we believe what He said and trust Him to save us. The Bible Says... Everyone who believes in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name. Acts 10:43 Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father God] is through me. John 14:6 HOW TO ACCEPT JESUS 1. Tell Him you need Him. 2. Be sorry for your sin. 3. Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. Go to PRAYER STEP 5. WHAT TO PRAY Dear Jesus, I know that I sin, and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I believe You died on the cross and rose again to pay for my sins. Thank You for putting me back together with God again. Amen. STEP 6. GOD'S GIFT TO YOU The Bible is God's gift to you. God wrote it and has some wonderful things to tell you. The Bible Says... Everyone who trusts in the Lord God will be saved. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13, Romans 8:39 YOUR NEW LIFE When you accept Jesus, you are born into God's family. This is called being "born again." God bless you as you begin your brand new life in Christ.

This is a short book focussing on the relationship between theology and prayer, and their effects on a Christian's life. It sets the reader tasks of self-examination and reflection in the light of Christian teaching.

An Almighty Passion celebrates the God who walks with us in our communities, forever reaching out with his all-embracing love. He is not, as this beautifully narrated collection of real-life stories demonstrates, a God who can easily be tied to a formula. Often we glimpse his glory where we least expect to see it: in the seemingly commonplace events of an ordinary Cambridge housing estate; on the freezing altiplano of Bolivia; in the blistering, dusty heat of the Argentine Chaco. Skilfully but simply, Alan Hargrave relates the great doctrines of the Church - Trinity, Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection - to the pain and the joy, the mundane and the surprising, the dull and the dramatic of the everyday life in which God Incarnate is to be found.

A uniquely wide-ranging selection of prayers and readings drawn from all the major world religions and from over 25 nations.

Meister Eckhart, the fourteenth-century German mystic and theologian, is one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures in the history of the Church. Oliver Davies's evaluation of Eckhart is based on an unrivalled knowledge of the original texts, their historical and theological context, and their place in the Christian mystical tradition.

Discusses questions about biblical authority and inspiration, which are as topical and controversial as ever. Major new edition of a modern classic, fully revised and expanded, with a substantial new chapter on 'The Bible in Practice'.