In the face of climate change and other environmental trends, it is easy to be pessimistic about the future. Philosophers, film-makers, environmentalists, politicians and even senior scientists increasingly resort to apocalyptic rhetoric to warn us that a so-called ‘perfect storm’ of factors are coming together in a way that threatens the future of life on earth.
Do these dire predictions amount to nothing more than ideological scaremongering, perhaps hyped-up for political or personal ends? Or are there good reasons for thinking that we may indeed be facing a crisis unprecedented in its scale and in the severity of its effects?
Jonathan Moo and Robert White encourage us to assess the evidence for ourselves. Their own conclusion is that there is in fact plenty of cause for concern. Climate change, they suggest, is potentially the most far-reaching threat that our planet faces in the coming decades, but only the most publicized. There is a wide range of much more obvious, interrelated and damaging impacts that an ever-growing number of people, consuming more and more, are having on the planet upon which we all depend.
Yet if the Christian gospel fundamentally reorientates us in our relationship with God and his world, then there ought to be something radically distinctive about our attitude and approach to such threats. Moo and White therefore reflect on just what difference the Bible’s vision of the future of all of creation makes to how we live now and respond to the challenges facing life on earth.
Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life features the wisdom that spiritual leader and counselor Henri J. M. Nouwen brought to the essential question asked by every Christian and seeker: What should I do with my life?
Nouwen emphasizes listening to the Word of God—in our hearts, in the Bible, in the community of faith, and in the voice of the poor as a way to discern God’s plan.
Although the late Henri J. M. Nouwen counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of discernment were never collected into a single volume. Now, in association with the Nouwen Legacy Trust, Michael Christensen—one of Nouwen’s longtime students—and Rebecca Laird have taken his coursework, journals, and unpublished writings to create this and other books in the series exploring God’s will for your life.
People typically have two ways of thinking about spirituality. Either they have accepted the false reality that they can only know about God, without knowing him personally, or they have romanticized spirituality to such an extent that it becomes far too otherworldly. In either case, expectations are lowered, and they live in spiritual bankruptcy, feeling like spiritual failures.
Pastor and musician Matthew Jacoby sets the Psalms to music as they were intended, performing them with his band, Sons of Korah, for over fifteen years. In the Psalms, he has discovered a portrait of authentic spirituality that helps us journey from deep sadness to profound joy. Jacoby gives readers an in-depth look at the Psalms as a pathway to intimate and satisfying relationship with God.
64
To Heaven and Back A Doctor's Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again
A kayak accident during a South American adventure takes one woman to heaven — where she experienced God’s peace, joy, and angels — and back to life again.
In 1999 in the Los Rios region of southern Chile, orthopedic surgeon, devoted wife, and loving mother Dr. Mary Neal drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall, her kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Mary was underwater for too long, and as a result, died.
To Heaven and Back is Mary’s remarkable story of her life’s spiritual journey and what happened as she moved from life to death to eternal life, and back again. Detailing her feelings and surroundings in heaven, her communication with angels, and her deep sense of sadness when she realized it wasn’t her time, Mary shares the captivating experience of her modern-day miracle.
Mary’s life has been forever changed by her newfound understanding of her purpose on earth, her awareness of God, her closer relationship with Jesus, and her personal spiritual journey suddenly enhanced by a first-hand experience in heaven. To Heaven and Back will reacquaint you with the hope, wonder, and promise of heaven, while enriching you own faith and walk with God.
For Christians, weakness should be a way of life. Yet most of us try desperately to be sufficient on our own, and we resent our limitations and our needs.
Renowned theologian and Bible teacher J. I. Packer reflects on his experience of weakness—having been hit by a bread truck at a young age and now facing the realities of aging—in order to teach us the importance of embracing our own frailty, and also to help us look to Christ for strength, affirmation, and contentment. Find here a path from discouragement to freedom in light of our all-sufficient God.
66
The Marriage Builder Creating True Oneness to Transform Your Marriage
Bestselling author Larry Crabb cuts to the heart of the biblical view of marriage: the 'one-flesh' relationship. He argues convincingly that the deepest needs of human personality---security and significance---ultimately cannot be satisfied by a marriage partner. We need to turn to the Lord, rather than our spouse, to satisfy our needs. This frees both partners for 'soul oneness,' a commitment to minister to our spouse's needs rather than manipulating them to meet our own needs. With 'soul oneness' comes renewed 'body oneness,' where couples enjoy sexual pleasure as an expression and outgrowth of a personal relationship. The Marriage Builder also identifies three building blocks essential to constructing marriage: the grace of God, true marriage commitment, and acceptance of one's mate. Discussion questions are included to aid couples who want to dig into it and apply the principles to their own lives and marriages. The Marriage Builder is for anyone who longs to transform marriage from trial to triumph.