HOW CAN WE KNOW WE'LL GO TO HEAVEN? A recent poll indicated that for every American who believes he or she is going to hell, there are 120 who believe they're going to heaven. This optimism stands in stark contrast to Jesus Christ's words written in the Bible: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14). The truth is that according to the Bible we don't automatically go to heaven. In fact, hell--not heaven--is our default destination. Unless our sin problem is solved once and for all, we can't enter heaven. That's the bad news. But once that's straight in our minds we're ready to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus took upon himself, on the cross, the hell we deserve so that we could experience for eternity the heaven we don't deserve! THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS There are two possible destinations when we die: heaven or hell. Can we really know in advance where we'll go? John, one of the writers of the Bible, said this: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). We can know for sure that we'll go to heaven when we die. Do you? To sin means to fall short of God's holy standards. Sin is what ended paradise in the Garden of Eden. And all of us, like Adam and Eve, are sinners. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from a relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2) and it deceives us and makes us think that wrong is right and right is wrong (Proverbs 14:12). Sin has terrible consequences, but God has provided a solution: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, loved us so much that he left the riches of heaven to become a man and deliver us from our sin. "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). He came to identify with us in our humanity and our weakness, but he did so without being tainted by our sin, self-deception, and moral failings (Hebrews 4:15-16). Jesus died on the cross as the only one worthy to pay the penalty for our sins demanded by the holiness of God: "For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). But in victory over death, God raised Jesus from the grave, defeating the consequences of sin (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 54-57). When Christ died on the cross for us, he said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). In those times "It is finished" was commonly written across certificates of debt when they were canceled. It meant "Paid in full." Christ died so that the certificate of debt consisting of all our sins could once and for all be marked "Paid in full." THE CRITICAL DECISION Only when our sins are dealt with in Christ can we enter heaven. We cannot pay our own way. Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Because of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross on our behalf, God freely offers us forgiveness. To be forgiven, we must recognize and repent of our sins. Forgiveness is not automatic. It's conditioned upon confession: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Christ offers to everyone the gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. "Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price" (Revelation 22:17). There's no righteous deed we can do that will earn us a place in heaven (Titus 3:5). We come to Christ empty-handed. We can take no credit for salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). This gift cannot be worked for, earned, or achieved. It's dependent solely on Christ's generous sacrifice on our behalf. Now is the time to make things right with God. Confess your sinfulness and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on your behalf. You are made for a person and a place. Jesus is the person, and heaven is the place. They are a package-- they come together. You cannot get heaven without Jesus or Jesus without heaven. "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). For all eternity you'll be glad you did. If you understand what God has done to make forgiveness and eternal life possible for you, you may want to express it in words like these: "Dear Lord, I confess that I do not measure up to your perfect standard. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins. I now place my trust in him as my Savior. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life."

Read without strain while you travel with the, The World Belongs To Those Who Read Yellow Glow In The Dark Book Light. The small, compact design with its encouraging sentiment will offer you hours of reading without disturbing fellow travelers.

With three light settings to choose from—bright, dimmed, and pulse, and an adjustable pivoting light bar, this little book light gives you options to find the perfect level of brightness. Just use the clearly marked power button to cycle through the light settings. Eight LED chips, bonded directly into a substrate to form a single module, generate the 45 lumens bright LED light we have all come to appreciate. For your convenience, this book light comes with batteries, so it is ready to use when you take it out of the packaging.

• Compact Book Light
• The World Belongs To Those Who Read
• Rick Holland
• Adjustable Pivoting Light Bar
• 8 LED Chips on Board
• 45 Lumens
• Clip-on
• Magnetic
• Durable
• Lightweight
• Small Parts Choking Hazzard
• NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS
• Packaged on Backing Board with Hanging Tab
• Book Light Dimensions: 81 x 51 x 25mm

Fall under the spell of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Enchanted Forest! This stunning coloring book by Johanna Basford takes readers on an inky quest through an enchanted forest to discover what lies in the castle at its heart. As well as drawings to complete, color, and embellish, there are hidden objects to be found along the way. Can you spot the wild flowers, animals, and birds? What about the lanterns, keys, and treasure chests? Beginning at the entrance to the forest, the journey progresses through woodlands, rocky caves, and tree-lined mazes. Color your way past streams and waterfalls and over treetops, until you finally reach your destination: a secluded, magical castle. Hidden throughout the book are nine symbols. Readers must find all the symbols to unlock the castle door at the end of the quest and discover what lies within. Additional special features include a gate-folded two-page spread and a colorable jacket. Praise for the book and author: The colorists have a queen, and her name is Johanna Basford. --New York Magazine Consider trading in your yoga mat for a set of markers and peruse the gorgeous gardens of Basford's imagination. --The Huffington Post The best coloring book for anxiety. --Teen Vogue This book celebrates the glory of all things green and nature-y in the best way possible: coloring book form! Even if you don't want to add color, the illustrations themselves are frame-worthy loveliness. --Brit+ Co Other popular titles by Johanna Basford include: - Secret Garden - Johanna Basford's Secret Garden Journal - Secret Garden: 20 Postcards - Enchanted Forest: 12 Color-in Notecards - Enchanted Forest: 20 Postcards Fans of Leila Duly, Millie Marotta, and Daisy Fletcher will devour Johanna Basford's intricate scenes of flora and fauna.

Running with the Big Dogs In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Toto was clearly a dog of character. He knew when to sit still, when to bark, and when to make a fuss. He was simply a real dog with real observations about real situations. And the Oz experience reinforced what his parents taught him as a small pup: Care deeply. Bark only when necessary but then, forcefully. Be curious. Express yourself. Embrace the world and have no fears. The story of Dorothy's journey to Oz has captivated generations of children and adults alike since it was first published by L. Frank Baum in 1900. Dorothy's adventures have been analyzed from virtually every perspective-psychological, historical, economic, and the like-except from the perspective of the only other character that was with her every step of the way: Toto Dorothy's little dog wrote this book and buried his manuscript in a can with an old bone on the original Gale farmstead. Dr. Fickenscher came upon it quite accidently and was given the opportunity to edit Toto's original thoughts on the Leadership Lessons from The Wizard of Oz, which he now shares with you. Of course, there are the usual thoughts on brainpower, heart, and courage, but in this book, there is much, much more. The many lessons of Oz will captivate your imagination and, no doubt, serve as a guide in your quest to become a better leader Toto's Reflections will help you contribute to making a difference in the world, and challenge you to consider what you can do, starting right now, to make the world a better place

Blanche, Augustine, and Genevieve found themselves in the hysteria ward of the Salpetriere Hospital in 1870s Paris, where their care was directed by the prominent neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. They became medical celebrities: every week, eager crowds arrived at the hospital to observe their symptoms; they were photographed, sculpted, painted, and transformed into characters in novels. The remarkable story of their lives as patients in the clinic is a strange amalgam of intimate details and public exposure, science and religion, medicine and the occult, hypnotism, love, and theater. But who were Blanche, Augustine, and Genevieve? What role did they play in their own peculiar form of stardom? And what exactly were they suffering from? Hysteria with its dramatic seizures, hallucinations, and reenactments of past traumas may be an illness of the past, but the notions of femininity that lie behind it offer insights into disorders of the present."

Do our physical bodies really matter in corporate worship? Isn't our soul the most important part of us? Aren't our bodies, at best, negligible to worship and, at worst, a hindrance? The answer to this last question is categorically no, as Christians have attested throughout history and across the global church. The purpose of the body instead is to offer to God in worship what only it can offer--and what must be offered to God. By drawing on the wisdom of the Bible, church history, and theology, and by taking advantage of the unique insights of the arts and sciences, ethics, and spiritual formation, a respected theologian and pastor argues in this book that there is something for our physical bodies to do that decisively forms Christlikeness in us within the context of corporate worship. What we do with our postures, gestures, and movements in worship matter. How our senses of sight, scent, sound, taste, and touch are involved in worship matter. How our spontaneous and prescriptive activities form us in worship matter. All of it matters to faithful and fulsome worship for the sake of a body that is fully alive in the praise of God.

The early followers of Jesus drew from Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions and titles to help them understand and articulate who Jesus was. This book opens a window into the Christology of the first century by helping readers understand the eleven most significant titles for Jesus in the New Testament: Lord, Son of Man, Messiah, Prophet, Suffering Servant, Son of God, Last Adam, Passover Lamb, Savior, Word, and High Priest. The authors trace the history of each title in the Old Testament, Second Temple literature, and Greco-Roman literature and look at the context in which the New Testament writers retrieved these traditions to communicate their understanding of Christ. The result is a robust portrait that is closely tied to the sacred traditions of Israel and beyond that took on new significance in light of Jesus Christ. This accessible and up-to-date exegetical study defends an early "high" Christology and argues that the titles of Jesus invariably point to an understanding of Jesus as God. In the process, it will help readers appreciate the biblical witness to the person of Jesus.

Some scientific studies suggest that human beings are innately selfish and that Christian virtues like self-sacrifice are a delusion. In this intriguing volume, esteemed theologian Thomas Jay Oord interprets the scientific research and responds from a theological and philosophical standpoint, providing a state-of-the-art overview of love and altruism studies. He offers a definition of love that is scientifically, theologically, and philosophically adequate. As Oord helps readers arrive at a clearer understanding of the definition, recipients, and forms of love, he mounts a case for Christian agape and ultimately for a loving God.

Often this world seems like a nightmare. Human trafficking, young girls trapped in brothels, child soldiers forced to become killers, unchecked plagues and diseases, economic injustice and the oppression of the poor. Millions around the world are trapped in this nightmare, and we may feel helpless to do anything about it. But God has a dream. York Moore paints a vivid picture of how the dream of God is breaking into history to make all things new. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God is bringing an end to the world's nightmare of sin and death. Scripture's vision of Jesus' end-time work shows how the wrongs will be made right, and God's just judgment is good news for the world. Unpacking how the Bible describes the last things, Moore shows how we can partner with God as he brings his dream to reality. Every time a well is dug for a community, food is provided for the hungry or sex traffickers are brought to justice, the dream begins to take hold. This is no mere wishful thinking. The dream of God is more real than your dreams could ever imagine. It is what we were created for. So wake up from the nightmare and join in what God is doing in the world. And flourish as your own dreams are transformed by God's dream for all creation.

The present book contains a course to learn the Greek of the New Testament. 42 lessons are given; every 7th lesson is a repetition. Thanks to modern computer programmes we can offer a unique method, as it was possible to order a vast number of data, so as to present them in a useful fashion. An assimilating learning technique is used. That is to say, one is immersed immediately into the Greek of the N.T., also called Koine. At first one learns simple phrases. Later on these become complete sentences. In this way the student gets used to the Greek of the New Testament from the beginning and gradually is trained to advance. Most grammar and vocabulary has been worked into the sentences and learning those one gets acquainted with the Greek in a playful way. This ia a very useful and commendable book for the beginner of New Testament Greek. For enough grammar and words are learned to set one on his or her way towards reading the New Testament by oneself.

Poetry selection on love and mythical tales, legends; of triolets, sonnets, villanelles, free verse; a journey into nature, emotions and the soul.

Galison's Reindeer Dash Mini Journals are very cute and perfectly portable--just jot and go The jaunty reindeer and snowman were illustrated by Debbie Powell.

From the Yukon to Seattle, the hope of a new beginning waits just around the corner. Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she's sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she's always dreamed of. Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. During the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac, but after the path her life has taken, she's afraid to expose the ugliness of her former life and to move toward the future they had pledged to each other. When her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

2013 Word Guild Award (Academic) How does worship work? How exactly does liturgical formation shape us? What are the dynamics of such transformation? In the second of James K. A. Smith's three-volume theology of culture, the author expands and deepens the analysis of cultural liturgies and Christian worship he developed in his well-received Desiring the Kingdom. He helps us understand and appreciate the bodily basis of habit formation and how liturgical formation--both "secular" and Christian--affects our fundamental orientation to the world. Worship "works" by leveraging our bodies to transform our imagination, and it does this through stories we understand on a register that is closer to body than mind. This has critical implications for how we think about Christian formation. Professors and students will welcome this work as will pastors, worship leaders, and Christian educators. The book includes analyses of popular films, novels, and other cultural phenomena, such as The King's Speech, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and Facebook.

One mindful thought can change your whole day Mindfulness doesn't always come easily, and it can help to be reminded of it from time to time. This deck of 52 cards can be displayed anywhere, to help facilitate and encourage your presence of mind, and to bring small moments of peace and happiness into your day.

Drown out petty complaints with Tiny Violin! This kit includes everything you need to quell those crocodile tears:Plays music: plays a sad tune when the strings button is pressed downViolin replica: Includes a 3 4/5" replica of a real violin with mini bow and chinrestDisplay stand: An elegant vinyl stand included to store and display your violinIllustrated mini book: Includes a 32-page mini book about the origins of "tiniest violin" Perfect gift: humorous gag gift or stocking stuffer

Specifications: 2-1/2-inch vinyl figure of Hedwig with a button that plays Hedwig's sounds from the Harry Potter films. Bonus sticker book: Mini sticker book includes 8 full-colour stickers. Perfect gift: A unique and keepsake item for all fans of Harry Potter. Officially licensed: Authentic collectible. Copyright (c) 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment. WIZARDING WORLD characters, names, and related indicia are (c) & (TM) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB SHIELD: (c) & (TM) WBEI. Publishing Rights (c) JKR. (s23)