Practical Help for Recognizing and Listening to God's Voice Bestselling author James Goll takes readers on an adventure into the heart of what it means to hear God, and how to do it. Over the course of this journey, both beginners and those who have been listening to God for years will explore biblical principles about prayer, starting from square one. Real-life illustrations inspire and excite readers to have expectant hearts by learning to: * draw near to God * trust that he wants to speak * overcome obstacles that block his voice * avoid being misled by words not coming from him * cultivate a lifestyle of hearing him God is speaking to you--today. Grow in assurance that he wants you to hear.

In Azusa Street Mission and Revival, Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. brings to bear expertise from decades of focused study in church history to reveal the captivating story of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Los Angeles, which became known as the Azusa Street Mission. From humble beginnings with few resources, this small uniquely diverse and inclusive congregation led by William J. Seymour ignited a fire that quickly grew into a blaze and spread across the world giving rise to the global Pentecostal movement. Sifting through newspaper reports and other written accounts of the time as well as the mission's own publications, and through personal interaction with some of those blessed to stand very near to the fire that began at the mission, Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. relates not only the historical significance of the revival but also captures the movement of the Holy Spirit that changed the face of modern Christianity.

Most of the early twentieth-century Pentecostal denominations were peace churches that encouraged a stance of conscientious objection. However, since the Second World War Pentecostals have largely abandoned their pacifist viewpoint as they have taken on a more literal Biblical hermeneutic from their interaction with Evangelical denominations. This book traces the history of nonviolence in Pentecostalism and suggests that a new hermeneutic of the Bible is needed by today's Pentecostals in order for them to rediscover their pacifist roots and effect positive social change. The book focuses on how Pentecostalism has manifested in South Africa during the twentieth century. Much of the available academic literature on hermeneutics and exegesis in the field of Pentecostal Studies is of an American or British-European origin. This book redresses this imbalance by exploring how the Bible has been used amongst African Pentecostals to teach on the apparent paradox of a simultaneously wrathful and loving God. It then goes onto suggest that how the Bible is read directly affects how Pentecostals view their role as potential reformers of society. So, it must be engaged seriously and thoughtfully. By bringing Pentecostalism's function in South African society to the fore, this book adds a fresh perspective on the issue of pacifism in world Christianity. As such it will be of great use to scholars of Pentecostal Studies, Theology, and Religion and Violence as well as those working in African Studies.

New Look for Landmark Teaching on Living the Spirit-Empowered Life In our instant-gratification culture, we consume a fleeting, shallow diet of media, relationships, entertainment, and spirituality. Our souls go hungry, longing for a fuller, more satisfying life. Bestselling author and beloved pastor Jack Hayford shows, in what has become a modern-day classic, how we can feed our deepest places with the sustaining Bread of Life. With warmth and wisdom, he reveals how we can link our souls to timeless practices and principles set forth in Scripture. He invites you to rediscover the power and blessing of these spiritual disciplines--of true Spirit-fullness. Even more, he shows how these spiritual disciplines are relevant for today and how we can practice them in our quick-paced, surface-level culture. When we take time to fast and pray, worship daily, feed on God's Word, and more, we fully enter the rich adventure of becoming an effective disciple of Christ--ensuring that our souls will never go hungry.

Popular Evangelicalism in American Culture explores the controversies, complexities, and historical development of the evangelical movement in America and its impact on American culture. Evangelicalism is one of the most dynamic and growing religious movements in America and has been both a major force in shaping American society and likewise a group which has resisted aspects of the modern world. Organised thematically this book demonstrates the impact of American culture on popular evangelicalism by exploring the following topics: politics; economics; salvation; millennialism; the megachurch and electronic churches; and popular culture. This accessible and thought-provoking volume will interest anyone concerned with the modern-day success of the Evangelical movement in America.

The Ten Commandments need no introduction. In fact, we probably think we know all there is to know about these divine dos and don'ts. But as this imaginative and vivid account reveals, there is a lot more to this ancient biblical code than Moses and Mount Sinai. Situating the Ten Commandments within the context of modern America, prominent historian and engaging story-teller Jenna Weissman Joselit takes the reader from Indian burial mounds in 19th-century Ohio to the sand dunes of 1920s California and into the civic squares of the 1950s to reveal the centrality of the Ten Commandments to the nation's identity. Rich in incident and story and inhabited by a lively cast of characters whose ranks include forgers and filmmakers, architects and archaeologists, ordinary citizens and politicians, this book compels us to take another look at the Ten Commandments and see them afresh. Through a series of deftly-rendered vignettes, this compelling account recasts the cultural impact of the Ten Commandments in American society not as a legal code or theological imperative, but as a physical, material, and visual phenomenon. We come away with the understanding that they are not cast in stone but a fertile repository of American history.

When you talk to God, do you ever feel as if you are not getting through? You're not alone. At some point, most believers find themselves grappling with difficult questions like Would God really talk to me personally? and How do I know it's truly God talking, and not my own thoughts? But here's the good news: Hearing God is simpler than you think. It's possible to have a relationship with God that involves both speaking and listening. In fact, it's God's desire; He wants to talk to you. In this revised and expanded edition of a classic work, author and teacher Steve Sampson shows you how to pray not just wishing you'd hear God's voice--but expecting to hear it. Sampson's uncomplicated, practical perspective will help you cultivate the two-way conversation with God you've always longed for. Before long, you'll hear Him speaking into your circumstances and relationships, expressing His love for you and showing you the next steps to take in your life. Don't settle for a one-sided conversation with God. Break through this barrier and develop a sensitive heart that hears--and responds to--God's still, small voice. "With clarity and humor, Steve takes you on a journey to the place of profound simplicity in Christ where hearing Him is as natural as breathing."--Bishop Mark J. Chironna, M.A., Ph.D., Church on the Living Edge, Orlando, Florida

The Bible teaches us that we are to be filled with God's Spirit and that God's presence and grace is manifested among his people as they serve, love, and minister to one another. Yet some of the gifts that God offers to his people aren't commonly seen in many churches today. Gifts of prophecy, healing, tongues, and other supernatural gifts of God seem to be absent, and many Christians are unsure how to cultivate an atmosphere where God's Spirit can work while remaining committed to the foundational truth of God's Word. How can Christians pursue and implement the miraculous gifts of the Spirit without falling into fanatical excess and splitting the church in the process? In Practicing the Power, pastor and author Sam Storms offers practical steps to understanding and exercising spiritual gifts in a way that remains grounded in the word and centered in the gospel. With examples drawn from his forty years of ministry as a pastor and teachers, Storms offers a guidebook that can help pastors, elders, and church members understand what changes are needed to see God move in supernatural power and to guard against excess and abuse of the spiritual gifts. If you long to see God's Spirit move in your church and life, and aren't sure why that isn't happening or where to begin, this book is for you.

From its origins in nineteenth century Adventism until the present day, the Watch Tower Society has become one of the best known but least understood new religious movements. Resisting the tendency to define the movement in terms of the negative, this volume offers an empathetic account of the Jehovah's Witnesses, without defending or seeking to refute their beliefs. George Chryssides critically examines the historical and theological bases of the organization's teachings and practices, and discusses the changes and continuities which have defined it. The book provides a valuable resource for scholars of new religious movements and contemporary religion.

Why did southern white evangelical Christians resist the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s? Simply put, they believed the Bible told them so. These white Christians entered the battle certain that God was on their side. Ultimately, the civil rights movement triumphed in the 1960s and, with its success, fundamentally transformed American society. But this victory did little to change southern white evangelicals' theological commitment to segregation. Rather than abandoning their segregationist theology in the second half of the 1960s, white evangelicals turned their focus on institutions they still controlled-churches, homes, denominations, and private colleges and secondary schools-and fought on. Focusing on the case of South Carolina, The Bible Told Them So shows how, despite suffering defeat in the public sphere, white evangelicals continued to battle for their own institutions, preaching and practicing a segregationist Christianity they continued to believe reflected God's will. Increasingly caught in the tension between their sincere belief that God desired segregation and their reluctance to give voice to such ideas for fear of being perceived as bigoted or intolerant, by the late 1960s southern white evangelicals embraced the rhetoric of colorblindness and protection of the family as measures to maintain both segregation and respectable social standing. This strategy set southern white evangelicals on an alternative path for race relations in the decades ahead.

La iglesia rapidamente esta llegando a las ultimas horas antes del regreso del Senor. Las Escrituras claramente nos revelan que las fuerzas malvadas seran soltadas sobre este mundo. Estas fuerzas demoniacas causaran el mas vicioso impacto de terror y violencia que la humanidad jamas haya experimentado. Como podra sobrevivir el cuerpo de Cristo a tal impacto? Con la ayuda de Sus Angeles La afluencia angelical en nuestras iglesias y en nuestras propias vidas sera una de las mas insolitas caracteristicas de la culminacion de los eventos de los ultimos dias, de acuerdo a la tabla de tiempo de Dios. Los angeles estan viniendo a visitarnos obedeciendo las ordenes de Dios para impartir unciones y repartir regalos reservados para estos los ultimos dias. Al recibir estas sorprendentes visitas de los angeles de Dios, tambien debemos prevenirnos de las represalias que tendra el enemigo contra el cuerpo de Cristo, que empezara, con rivalidad, a hacer divisiones en nuestras propias iglesias. Debemos seguir adelante oyendo a Dios dandoles la bienvenida a Sus angeles; y lo mas importante: Dios quiere que Ministremos con Sus Angeles Esto requiere instruccion, entrenamiento y precaucion. Debemos prepararnos Hay que estar listos Los mas increibles dias de la iglesia estan por venir.

The influence of the Moravian Church on the missionary awakening in England and its contribution to the movement's nature and vitality. The Moravian Church became widely known and respected for its "missions to the heathen", achieving a high reputation among the pious and with government. This study looks at its connections with evangelical networks, and its indirect role in the great debate on the slave trade, as well as the operations of Moravian missionaries in the field. The Moravians' decision, in 1764, to expand and publicise their foreign missions (largely to the British colonies) coincided with the development of relations between their British leaders and evangelicals from various denominations, among whom were those who went on to found, in the last decade of the century, the major societies which were the cornerstone of the modern missionary movement. These men were profoundly influenced by the Moravian Church's apparent progress, unique among Protestants, in making "real" Christians among the heathen overseas, and this led to the adoption of Moravian missionary methods by the new societies. Dr Mason draws on a wide range of primary documents to demonstrate the influences of the Moravian Church on the missionary awakening in England and its contribution to the movement. Dr J.C.S. Mason first became aware of both the International Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) and his La Trobe forebears, who appear in the book, whilst working for his degree as a mature student at Birkbeck College, University of London; he later completed his thesis at King's College London.

As an electoral bloc, contemporary white evangelical Christians maintain a remarkable ideological and partisan conformity, perhaps unmatched by any other community outside of African Americans. Historically, evangelicals have supported various political parties, but their approach to civil religion, or the way that they apply the spiritual to the public realm, has, as Republican Theology argues, been consistent in its substance since the founding of the nation. Put simply, this civil religion holds that limited government and a free-market are essential to the cultivation of Christian virtue, while the livelihood of the republic depends on the virtue of its citizens. While evangelicals have long promoted conservative moral causes, from temperance and anti-obscenity in the nineteenth century to abstinence education in the twentieth, they have also aligned themselves on many other seemingly unrelated agendas: in support of the Revolution in the 1770s, on antislavery in the 1820s, against labor unionism in the 1880s, against the New Deal in the 1930s, on assertive anticommunism in the 1950s (a major theme in Billy Graham's early sermons), and in favor of deregulation and lower taxes in the 1980s.
As Benjamin T. Lynerd contends, the rise of the "New Right" movement at the end of the twentieth century had as much to do with small-government ideology as with a recovery of traditional morality. This libertarian ethos combined with restrictive public moralism is conflicted, and it creates friction both within the New Right alliance and within the church, particularly among evangelicals interested in social justice. Still, it has formed the entire subtext of evangelical participation in American politics from the 1770s into the twenty-first century. Lynerd looks at the evolution of evangelical civil religion, or "republican theology" to demonstrate how evangelicals navigate this logic.

The spiritual exercise of making decrees finds its precedent in both Old and New Testaments--the practice means simply quoting God's promises back to him, "reminding" him of what he has said. This kind of prayer is one of the most vital forms of intercession. In fact, the practice of decreeing God's Word not only builds our faith but transforms our lives. In this powerful and enlightening book, bestselling author and entrepreneur Patricia King helps readers grasp the power of inspired and finely tuned prayer. King explains how to * find specific texts of Scripture for your need * counter problems with God's Word * speak truth into reality * understand the difference between confessing the Word, proclaiming the Word, and decreeing the Word * and more Join countless believers who love the Word of God and honor its authority through their prayers. Accept the challenge to pray the words of Scripture boldly--in God's timing, for his will and purposes.

Jeremy Kroeker is a Mennonite with a motorcycle. When his seemingly unflinching faith in a Christian worldview begins to shift, Kroeker hops on his bike to seek answers from another perspective. After shipping his ride to Europe, Kroeker discovers that the machine wobbles back and forth worse than his own opinions about spirituality. Still, he caries on, oscillating through Europe--Germany, Austria, Croatia, Albania--and into the Middle East - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and, ultimately, Iran. It is there, in the theocratic nation of Iran, that Kroeker finds himself on a forbidden visit to a holy Muslim Shrine. Once inside, invisible hands reach into his chest and rip from his heart a sincere prayer, his first in many years. And God hears that prayer. For before Kroeker can escape Iran, God steals into his hotel room one night to threaten him with death. At least, that's one way to look at it. In the end, Kroeker comes to accept uncertainty. What does he really know anyway? He may always fear a God that he can't explain. Perhaps if he keeps riding, one of these days God will speak clearly. And that frightens him, too.

Fear is a giant that shouts at us from the battle lines of our lives--a giant adorned in seemingly impenetrable armor. But God has given us supernatural weapons that even fear cannot outrun. Sharing stories from her own life and others', author and speaker Krissy Nelson uncovers a powerful truth: As children of God we are made to live fearlessly. Concealed within the familiar story of David and Goliath are three supernatural weapons David used to slay the giant of fear. These weapons are hidden in plain sight for us to discover--and also to learn to use, because what God gave David, he also gives us. Nelson dives into Scripture and explores how to position yourself to see fear for what it is: a giant that dares defy the army of the living God. It is time to run boldly toward freedom. You are equipped for battle, and you are not alone--God will fight for you!

The spiritual text that forms the basis of Mormonism?in the last edition edited by its founder, Joseph Smith, Jr.
"THE BOOK OF MORMON" is one of the most influential? as well as controversial?religious documents in American history, and is regarded as sacred scripture by followers around the world, including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the fourth-largest religious body in the United States. According to Mormon belief, "The Book of Mormon" was inscribed on golden plates by ancient prophets. I t contains stories of ancient peoples migrating from the Near East to the Americas, and also explains that Jesus Christ appeared to the New World after his resurrection. The golden plates were discovered in upstate New York and translated by Joseph Smith, Jr., under the guidance of an angel, Moroni. From this divine revelation, Smith founded the Mormon sect, which is now comprised of more than 12.5 million members worldwide.

A harmless, unassuming caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen in northern Mexico on 4 November 2019. In a massacre that produced international headlines, nine people were killed and five others gravely injured. The victims were members of the La Mora and LeBaron communities-fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and settled in Mexico when polygamy was outlawed. In The Colony, the best-selling investigative journalist Sally Denton picks up where initial reporting on the killings left off, and in the process tells the violent history of the LeBaron clan and their homestead, from the first polygamist emigration to Mexico in the 1880s to the LeBarons' internal blood feud in the 1970s to the family's recent alliance with the NXIVM sex cult. Drawing on sources within Colonia LeBaron itself, Denton creates a mesmerising work of investigative journalism in the tradition of Under the Banner of Heaven and Going Clear.

Jesus didn't come to earth just to save us from hell. He suffered, died, and rose again for the complete deliverance and healing you long for. Soul wounds affect each of us and leave broken places in our lives that need healing. When we seek inner healing but don't also close demonic doorways to the enemy, we simply mask the issue temporarily and may find ourselves in more bondage than we experienced previously. A respected minister of deliverance, Kathy DeGraw will show you through biblical insights, real-life examples, and practical instruction how you can * discern and destroy the root of fear, anger, addictions, rejection, and other strongholds that just won't go away * use repentance, forgiveness, and robust spiritual warfare prayers and declarations to possess freedom * minister deliverance and inner healing to others * and more The Holy Spirit wants to open your eyes to the strongholds that have kept you stuck. It's time to be unshackled and free!

Formed in 1972, Jesus People USA is an evangelical Christian community that fundamentally transformed the American Christian music industry and the practice of American evangelicalism, which continues to evolve under its influence. In this fascinating ethnographic study, Shawn David Young replays not only the growth and influence of the group over the past three decades but also the left-leaning politics it developed that continue to serve as a catalyst for change. Jesus People USA established a still-thriving Christian commune in downtown Chicago and a ground-breaking music festival that redefined the American Christian rock industry. Rather than join "establishment" evangelicalism and participate in what would become the megachurch movement, this community adopted a modified socialism and embraced forms of activism commonly associated with the New Left. Today the ideological tolerance of Jesus People USA aligns them closer to liberalism than to the religious right, and Young studies the embodiment of this liminality and its challenge to mainstream evangelical belief. He suggests the survival of this group is linked to a growing disenchantment with the separation of public and private, individual and community, and finds echoes of this postmodern faith deep within the evangelical subculture.

The 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, presented the Latter-day Saints with their first opportunity to exhibit the best of Mormonism for a national and an international audience after the abolishment of polygamy in 1890. The Columbian Exposition also marked the dramatic reengagement of the LDS Church with the non-Mormon world after decades of seclusion in the Great Basin.
Between May and October 1893, over seven thousand Latter-day Saints from Utah attended the international spectacle popularly described as the ''White City.'' While many traveled as tourists, oblivious to the opportunities to ''exhibit'' Mormonism, others actively participated to improve their church's public image. Hundreds of congregants helped create, manage, and staff their territory's impressive exhibit hall; most believed their besieged religion would benefit from Utah's increased national profile. Moreover, a good number of Latter-day Saint women represented the female interests and achievements of both Utah and its dominant religion. These women hoped to use the Chicago World's Fair as a platform to improve the social status of their gender and their religion. Additionally, two hundred and fifty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's best singers competed in a Welsh eiseddfodd, a musical competition held in conjunction with the Chicago World's Fair, and Mormon apologist Brigham H. Roberts sought to gain LDS representation at the affiliated Parliament of Religions.
In the first study ever written of Mormon participation at the Chicago World's Fair, Reid L. Neilson explores how Latter-day Saints attempted to ''exhibit'' themselves to the outside world before, during, and after the Columbian Exposition, arguing that their participation in the Exposition was a crucial moment in the Mormon migration to the American mainstream and its leadership's discovery of public relations efforts. After 1893, Mormon leaders sought to exhibit their faith rather than be exhibited by others.

British Christian leader John Stott was one of the most influential figures of the evangelical movement during the second half of the twentieth century. Called the pope of evangelicalism by many, he helped to shape a global religious movement that grew rapidly during his career. He preached to thousands on six continents. Millions bought his books and listened to his sermons. In 2005, Time included him in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Alister Chapman chronicles Stott's rise to global Christian stardom. The story begins in England with an exploration of Stott's conversion and education, then his ministry to students, his work at All Souls Langham Place, London, and his attempts to increase evangelical influence in the Church of England. By the mid-1970s, Stott had an international presence, leading the evangelical Lausanne movement that attracted evangelicals from almost every country in the world. Chapman recounts how Stott challenged evangelicals' habitual conservatism and anti-intellectualism, showing his role in a movement that was as dysfunctional as it was dynamic.
Godly Ambition is the first scholarly biography of Stott. Based on extensive examination of his personal papers, it is a critical yet sympathetic account of a gifted and determined man who did all he could to further God's kingdom and who became a Christian luminary in the process.