Will You Be Complicit, Complacent, or Courageous? In a culture with an ever-narrowing definition of tolerance, Christians can no longer stay silent about the divide between the Bible's truth and the world's lies. From bestselling author Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, No Reason to Hide examines the toxic roots behind the alarming symptoms of a nation in spiritual freefall-and why your faith must empower you to engage rather than hide. As you read, you'll be equipped to defend your biblical beliefs with confidence and compassion. You'll also identify how you can respond to the battleground issues of today, including identity-driven social justice ideologies that seek to divide rather than unite cultural attacks on the definitions of sex and gender that turn language into a war progressive pushes within the church that ultimately desecrate the Bible's teachings A call for believers to standing firm in today's oppressive world, No Reason to Hide is a rallying reminder that will ready Christians everywhere to have the courage to proclaim Scripture's truth to a culture in desperate need of what only God can offer.

2005 Gold Medallion Award finalist!
Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene? Did they actually have children who intermarried with the French royal family? Has the church been hiding the truth for centuries? In his best-selling work of fiction "The Da Vinci Code," Dan Brown blurs the lines between history and fiction, giving the impression they are one and the same and that Christianity is based on a lie. In "The Da Vinci Deception," Dr. Erwin Lutzer, well-known theologian and pastor of the world-famous Moody Church in Chicago, examines the " facts" behind the best-selling novel, clarifies the issues involved in the deception, and equips readers with the truth.

One minute after you die you will either be enjoying a personal welcome from Christ or catching your first glimpse of gloom as you have never known it. Either way, your future will be irrevocably fixed and eternally unchangeable. Those who find themselves in heaven will be surrounded with many friends they have known on earth. Every description of heaven they have ever heard will pale in light of reality. But others will find themselves shrouded in darkness in a region of deprivation and unending regret. For them, death will be far worse than they ever imagined. So while relatives and friends plan your funeral, you will be more alive than you have ever been. You will either see God on His throne surrounded by angels and redeemed humanity, or you will feel an indescribable weight of guilt and abandonment. There is no destination midway between these extremes. Unaware of Danger I once read a tragic account about people enjoying themselves on the top stories of a tall apartment building not knowing that there was a fire burning on the lower floors. In a similar way, many people are enjoying life now, comfortably ignoring the fact that their death is not only inevitable, but much nearer than they think. Indeed, this world and all we have accumulated will eventually be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). Don't imagine for a moment that you will get to heaven without the right credentials. You will not be there because your wife has a right to enter. You will not be there because you have a child who is already there. No, this is an individual matter, and only those with the right credentials will be allowed entry. Our problem, of course, is that God will not accept us on our terms. We cannot arrive at heaven's gates hoping for leniency. "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). We cannot come pleading for special favors once we have slipped from this life into eternity. Our Only Hope Our only hope is for God to give us credit for righteous perfection we could never attain on our own. Once such righteousness is credited to our account we can enter heaven immediately at death without so much as an intermediate stop. As the Bible says, "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Here's how that's possible: When Christ died on the cross, He offered himself as a sacrifice for sinners, which God accepted. "For our sake he [God] made him [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Though Christ was perfect, God made Him legally guilty of all of our sins. In turn, those who believe that Christ did this for them receive credit for his righteousness before God. Christ was considered to be a sinner when he took our sins on himself. In turn God considers us to be saints when we receive Christ's righteousness. God has exceedingly high standards, but thanks to him, he meets them for us through this amazing exchange. It's the only way we could ever enter God's heaven! A New Nature When we receive Christ's righteousness, God also changes our whole perspective. Christ said, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). So, how can we receive the gift of righteousness and be "born again"? The answer is to admit our helplessness and sinfulness to God, and to acknowledge that we are dependent on his mercy. We must have a complete change of mind about whatever we were believing would make us acceptable to God. Instead we must transfer all of our trust to Christ as our sin-bearer. We must believe in Him as the One who did all that we will ever need to stand in God's holy presence. To "believe in Christ" means that as best we know, we trust Him alone for all that we need to please God in this life and to live with him forever in heaven. Here is a prayer that you may want to use if you desire to transfer your trust to Christ alone for your eternal salvation. And if you pray in faith, God will receive you. Dear God, I know I'm a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who took on all my sins when he died on the cross. I believe that he did everything necessary for me to live someday in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead. As best as I know how, I transfer my trust to him. I am grateful that you have promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank You that I can face death now that Christ is my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through death's door. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus' name, amen." Where will you be...one minute after you die?

It has been said that death is one of the last taboos. Even Christians confident of their salvation are often uncomfortable with thoughts of death. With his trademark compassion, pastoral wisdom, and insightful biblical exposition, Dr. Lutzer guides the reader to a deeper understanding of the meaning of the empty tomb.

The Riveting Story of the Reformation and Its Significance Today The Reformation unfolded in the cathedrals and town squares of Europe--in Wittenberg, Worms, Rome, Geneva, and Zurich--and it is a stirring story of courage and cowardice, of betrayal and faith. The story begins with the Catholic Church and its desperate need for reform. The dramatic events that followed are traced from John Wycliffe in England, to the burning of John Hus at the stake in Prague, to the rampant sale of indulgences in the cities and towns of Germany, to Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in 1517, to John Calvin's reform of Geneva. Erwin Lutzer captures the people, places, and big ideas that fueled the Reformation and explains its lasting influence on the church and Western Civilization.

You've been wronged. Have lies have been told about you? Have you been rejected? Maybe you've been the victim of abuse. Perhaps it's a broken promise. Or someone betrayed a confidence. It's only natural that you would be angry. These wounds cry out for justice! But what if justice isn't possible this side of heaven? What if the damage can't be undone? What then? You have a decision to make. You can hold on to your anger until your anguish builds a prison of bitterness. In this cage you will live a diminished and pain-filled life. Or you can choose to forgive. Erwin Lutzer discusses dealing with difficult people such as "spear throwers" and "destroyers," as well as handling conflict among family members and Christians in the courtroom. In this concise, quickly read volume, you'll learn how to move from bitterness to blessing. By choosing forgiveness you are choosing abundant life. It's a decision you can make today!

Maybe you worry you've married the wrong person. Maybe you're carrying the burden of a secret or have gone down a dangerous road. Maybe you've made a life choice that's hurt someone else so badly you feel the relationship can never be restored. But there's good news: you have the opportunity to clear your conscience, make things right with God and others, and get to a place of grace and new beginnings. Join pastor and bestselling author Erwin Lutzer as he shows you how to make the best of even your worst decisions and move forward into a better future.

"If I could, I would put this book into the hands of every Christian in America." -Dr. David Jeremiah "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Each day, you watch America turn further from Christian values and the core principles of liberty. It's frustrating to feel you can't assert biblical truth without facing condemnation, and fearful to witness outrage and victimhood replace respect and reason. Amidst this dissent, how can you not only stay rooted in your own faith, but continue publicly testifying for Jesus? In We Will Not Be Silenced, Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer prepares you to live out your convictions against a growing tide of hostility. Gain a better understanding of nonbelievers' legitimate hurts and concerns regarding issues like racism, sexism, and poverty-and identify the toxic responses secular culture disguises as solutions. In the process, you'll see how you can show compassion and gentleness to those outside of the faith without affirming their beliefs. We Will Not Be Silenced will ready you to move beyond fear and boldly accept the challenge of representing Christ to a watching world that needs Him now more than ever before.

Though most of the Protestant world can trace its roots back to the Reformation, many people today have only a vague knowledge of Martin Luther's writings. "Didn't he write the Ninety-Five Theses?" Jack Kilcrease and Erwin Lutzer step into this vacuum with a carefully selected collection of Luther's works. Centered around the five solas of the Reformation (sola Scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, sola Christus, soli Deo gloria), the selections offer readers an accessible primer on works that are foundational to the theology of Protestantism in all its forms. Introductions to each writing include an explanation of the historical context and the theological significance of the piece. Students of the Bible, pastors, teachers, and seminary students will find this collection an enlightening introduction to Luther in his own words and a useful addition to their libraries.