Interpreting the Times

Have you ever noticed how often we use the word time in our everday conversation? Not only are we acutely aware of the passage of time,but our speech is also littered with references to it: We kill and waste time. Time flies, or sometimes crawls. We refer to time in countless expressions and figures of speech.In Interpreting the Times, Chuck Pierce tackles the subject of time, specifically as it relates to God and our relationship with Him, addressing such questions as:
•Is there a Creator who transcends and enters time to connect with His children so they efficiently walk in time?
•When we mess up in one season, can He make us capable of redeeming the times or buying back wasted time?
•Can He extend our horizon line and give us a glimpse of what will be in days ahead?

Pierce moves readers from viewing time as a philosophy or a curse to seeing it as a real gift from God, presenting a new reality of space, time, Spirit, and Truth as they advance through the pages.

View your life from God's perspective
What does it look like when a God, who transcends time, steps into our lives to connect with us? When we mess up, can He make us capable of getting back our wasted time? Can He extend our horizon line and give us a glimpse of the future?

These are just some of the questions that Chuck Pierce addresses in this revolutionary book as he tackles the subject of time, specifically as it relates to God and our relationship with Him. After reading this book, you will:
1. Learn a new system of understanding time - the way God sees it.
2. Learn to identify where you are out of step with God's timing and how to get back in step.
3. Understand spiritual warfare in a new way - as it relates to time.

One of the leading prophetic voices of today, Pierce helps us understand how God, who lives beyond the restraints of time as we know it, intersects with our lives and gives us revelation and understanding, enabling us to take our place above the linear timeline and see our lives from God's perspective.

Table of Contents
1 Developing an Understanding of Time.
2 Fear Not! Developing Faith for Your Future.
3 In the Process of Time, God Will Visit!
(Don’t Get Lost in the Process).
4 There Will Come a Day.
5 From One Narrow Transition to Another:
A Kingdom on the Move .
6 A Time to Be Positioned for Your Future.
7 Through to the New: Travail, Order, and Time.
8 Making It Through Narrow Transitions .
Notes.
For a Closer look and a sample chapter go to the link below.
http://www.strangdirect.com/chapters/04-08/91982.pdf

To Purchase this book go to The Arsenal book Store site @ http://arsenalbooks.com/product/Interpreting_the_Times_Chuck_Pierce/36
The Arsenal Bookstore 1-888-563-5150

About the Author
Chuck Pierce serves as president of Glory of Zion International Ministries in Denton, Texas, and Harvest Watchman of Global Harvest Ministries in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He serves on the executive board of several ministries, including the International Coalition of Apostles. He speaks and ministers at many major spiritual events and gatherings around the world. He has a degree in business from Texas A&M, and a doctor of practical ministry diploma from the Wagner Leadership Institute. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books including Possessing Your Inheritance, The Worship Warrior, Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation, One Thing, and God's Unfolding Battle Plan.

Death By Church

I look for those who see a problem and ask God for an answer. Mike Erre has done exactly that in Death by Church. You may differ in your theology or structural understanding of the Church, but this book will make you think and it offers positive options for those looking for them. Not only is this a thought provoking book, but the title certainly will get your attention.

"The church is Jesus’ hands and feet today. But critics see it as hypocritical, irrelevant, and unloving. Materialism and consumerism abound. Mike Erre, teaching pastor and author of Jesus of Suburbia and Why Guys Need God, reveals how this has happened and how Christians can more effectively demonstrate Christ’s presence by again becoming...

1. incarnational—allowing Jesus to live in and through His people
2. eucharistic—reenacting the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus to the world
3. baptismal—dying to old ways of thinking and presenting the resurrection of Jesus as the beginning of the renewal of all things

4. communal—correcting an overly individualistic spirituality by living as the community of God

5. eschatological—presenting a more helpful and hopeful interpretation of the end of our story

Readers will discover how the church can cooperate with Jesus in the world in which they live."

Inside you will find the following topics and Chapters.

Introduction: When Jesus Comes to Church

Part 1: Symptoms—Washing Feet in Dirty Water
Chapter 1: Descent into Irrelevance
Chapter 2: Garage-Sale Jesus

Part 2: Soil—Back to Where We Came From
Chapter 3: The King and His Kingdom
Chapter 4: The Kingdom of the Church or the Church of the Kingdom?
Chapter 5: Interlude: Why This Matters
Chapter 6: More than a Ticket: Why the Four Spiritual Laws Need to Add a Few
Chapter 7: Hammer and Tongs

Part 3: Roots—Followers of the Way
Chapter 8: The Big Story of God’s People
Chapter 9: One Is the Loneliest Number
Chapter 10: The Church at the End of the World
Chapter 11: Missional Church 101

Part 4: Branches—Growing into Who We Already Are
Chapter 12: The Confessional Church and the Subversive Jesus
Chapter 13: Worship in the Upside-Down Church
Chapter 14: Flesh and Blood: The Incarnational Nature of the Church
Chapter 15: Postures of Incarnation Copyrighted material
Chapter 16: Baptism as Civil Disobedience
Chapter 17: Bread and Wine: The Meal of the Kingdom
Chapter 18: The Presence of the Future.
Chapter 19: Beyond Left Behind

Part 5: Fruit—For God So Loved the World
Chapter 20: Election, Exodus, and Diaspora: The Fine Art of Cultural Engagement
Chapter 21: Jesus Wept: Apologies and Apologetics

Postscript for Pastors and Church Leaders:
The Kingdom-Focused Church
Bibliography

Notes

Mike Erre is the pastor of teaching at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa, California, where 5000 people gather weekly. He holds an M.A. in philosophy of religion and ethics from Talbot School of Theology and is the author of The Jesus of Suburbia. He and his wife, Justina, have two children. Follow this link to Mike's site http://www.rockharbor.org/

Death By Church

Link to free chapter http://www.conversantlife.com/god-and-culture/free-chapter-of-death-by-church

Purchase from the publisher at http://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books_nonfictionbook.cfm?ProductID=6924962

To the One Who Conquers

To the One Who Conquers:

50 Daily Meditations on the Seven Letters of Revelation 2-3

By Sam Storms

The seven letters of Revelation 2 and 3 are utterly and unequivocally Christ-centered. To the One Who Conquers brings these first-century letters into the twenty-first century, demonstrating their relevance and practicality for today.Fifty brief meditations inspire in readers a lifetime of faithfulness and Christ-centered living.

Fifty brief meditations bring these first-century letters into the twenty-first century, demonstrating their enormous relevance and practicality for the church today. The seven letters of Revelation 2 and 3 are utterly and unequivocally Christ-centered in their content. The message is clear: Jesus is to be the center of all church life. When it comes to his church, Jesus cares comparatively little about numbers, cultural relevance, social influence, or financial prosperity. The only thing that ultimately matters is the degree to which a church and the lives of its members are shaped according to the likeness of Jesus. These daily meditations lead readers to ask several questions: Is my church centered on Jesus? Am I? Is Jesus prized above all earthly treasures? To the One Who Conquers will help believers fashion their lives and ministries according to what pleases him, inspiring a lifetime of faithfulness.

Material above from: http://www.crossway.org/product/9781433501388

Sam Storms is a wonderful brother in Christ who's depth in God is clear as you read each page. I met Sam at a conference in KC several years ago and was impressed with the quality of His walk with Jesus, his humility and love for the Lord and His ways.

This book is a great gift idea! For yourself our someone else!
The Equipper

Permission Granted

Permission Granted: To Do Church Differently In The 21st Century!

Did you ever wish you had permission to change the way you “do church”? Well, now you have it. Permission Granted: To Do Church Differently In The 21st Century You have permission to:
1. Welcome His Presence.
2. Grow in Christ as He has desired.
3. Experience a God-orchestrated meeting.
4. Become the Church, not attend the church.
5. Grow in intercessory prayer.

This “how to” book provides proven tactics to move your church into a “Third Day” realm fully committed to worship. Follow along with authors Graham Cooke and Gary Goodell (director of Permission Ministries and a leader of ThirdDayChurches.com) as they share their years of experience developing new ways to welcome His presence into your church, home, community, your life and the lives of those in the congregation.

"Permission is Granted....will provoke new thoughts that will challenge you to change. If you are satisfied with the present condition of the Church, then this book will offend you. But if you are craving for fresh expressions of your personal and corporate faith that are relevant for today and tomorrow's world, then the words in this book will stir you to action. Permission is Granted...., written by Gary Goodell and Graham Cooke, is strategically thought out, Biblically grounded, and filled with vision and faith.

"Take the dare and let your heart run wild; dream a big dream of a Third-Day Church that has both new wineskins and new wine." --James W. Goll, Cofounder of Encounters Network, Author of The Seer, Dream Language, and The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence.

"Gary Goodell has been 'around the block' concerning the religious world. He has operated in traditional churches and seen all manner of flakiness as people seek to come into their spirituality. Consequently, he has a great perspective over what the Third-Day Church should really look like. Permission Is Granted...encourages us that God is bringing great change to what we have known as 'church life.' You will enjoy reading this." --Chuck D. Pierce, Glory of Zion International Ministries, Denton, Texas.

"As the Body of Christ forges ahead in this third millennium, there is great need for pioneers, fathers, and those willing to 'follow the cloud.' Gary Goodell has always been this kind of leader, through his many years in his Pentecostal roots of Foursquare, during the renewal days of Vineyard, and now as the apostolic leader of Third-Day churches. His new book, Permission Is Granted..., is more than a model; it is a mirror of lifestyle that Gary and Jane Goodell, as well as those who God has sovereignly connected to them from around the world, have lived and walked for may years. Thank God for those who are willing to write the story, rather than always reading someone else's. I strongly recommend this prophetic manual to all those whom God is leading into the Third Day." --Jill Austin, Master Potter Ministries, Laguna Hills, California

Graham Cooke has been involved in prophetic ministry since 1974. He founded the School of Prophecy. A popular conference speaker, Graham has established a wide range of training programs that are renowned for their practical application, teaching content, and prophetic impartation.

Gary Goodell has been doing ministry stuff for 40 years. He directs Permission Ministries, a mentoring system for Simple Church and helps lead ThirdDayChurches.com. He is the father of two married children and the grandfather of six. He and his wife, Jane, live in San Diego, California. On several occasions, history has provided the needed critical mass and the synergistic inertia to thrust the church into breaking out of its' box and becoming the force in culture and society that God intended it to be.

Today, the church, in the 21st Century, has once again reached this "critical mass." It is something so big and so obvious that the winds of change demand we look hard at our forms and face the reality that a different church must provide a different response to a postmodern age.

This Third Millennium ("a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day," 2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4), or this "Third Day" requires a "Third Way" of doing and being the church. This book tells the story of one of those churches—a single-cell, Sunday morning, building—driven, pastor-dominated church that has broken out into an empowering network of churches and ministries. It is a must read for anyone who wants to 'do church differently,' in the third millennium.

Learn more at Third Day Churches http://www.thirddaychurches.com/

You can purchase this book at the Arsenal Book Store http://www.arsenalbooks.com/prodinfo.asp?number=0768423805

Simple Church:

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples Author: Thom S. Rainer, Eric Geiger

The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world. Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.

Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.

Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify. Dowload Sample Chapter 27-Page PDF @

http://bhpublishinggroup.com/productDetail.asp?isbn=0805443908
Simple Church Returning to God’s process for Making Disciples By Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger

Simple Church Defined

A simple church is designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth. The leadership and the church are clear about the process (clarity) and are committed to executing it. The process flows logically (movement) and is implemented in each area of the church (alignment). The church abandons everything that is not in the process (focus).

Clarity

Clarity is the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by the people. Understanding always precedes commitment. If people are to embrace and participate in the ministry process, they must be able to internalize it.

Movement

Movement is the sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater areas of commitment. Movement is about handoffs. Movement is what happens in between the programs. Movement is how someone is handed off from one level of commitment to a greater level of commitment.

Alignment

Alignment is the arrangement of all ministries and staff around the same simple process. Alignment to the process means that all ministry departments submit and attach themselves to the same overarching process. When a church is fully aligned, all ministries are operating from the same ministry blueprint. The ministries not only embrace the simple process, but they are engaged in it. Each ministry department mirrors the process in that particular area.

Focus

Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Focus most often means saying "no." Without focus, the church becomes cluttered despite its process. Without focus, the process is buried somewhere underneath a myriad of special events and activities.

Less is More

Fewer programs means: more focus on the programs offered. more excellence. more energy for each program. more money allocated to each program. more people coming to the ones that are offered. more attention from the people in your church. more impact.
Ministries and Programs Ministries are different from programs. Ministries are either entire departments (see ministry expansions) or specific groups (see ministry additions) that help move people through one aspect of the process.

Ministry Expansions

Ministry expansions are new ministries that are geared toward a specific age group or life stage. The church ministry is expanded to focus intentionally on a specific group of people. These groups were formerly a part of a different ministry, now they have their own identity.

Ministry Additions

Ministry additions are new ministries that fulfill a specific function within the simple process. These ministries must be set up to help move people through the process of transformation.

For example, the baptism ministry team make is easy for people to move to baptism.

Four Examples

Cross Church

Immanuel Church

Christ Church

North Pointe Community Church

Cross Church

They have a simple three-step purpose statement that is also its process. "Love God, love others, serve the world." One member said, "The worship service helps me love God more, and my small group is where I learn to really love others. I serve on the greeting team that allows me to serve others."

Measuring Method

Cross Church takes a horizontal attendance measuring approach that allows them to track the percentage of the congregation in each process area. The change in percentages over time gives them a sense of movement within the process.

Measurement Matrix

Immanuel Church

They concluded that fully committed believers would be intimate with God, and other Christians, people who grow in their faith, and are servants in the Kingdom of God. They describe their discipleship focus as a process. They call it Connecting, Growing, Serving. First, Immanuel seeks to connect people to God and others. They desire to see people become "connecting believers." Next they challenge "connecting believers" to become "growing believers" by engaging in opportunities for deeper spiritual growth.

Finally, the process ends with "growing believers" committing to become "serving believers."

Christ Church

God impressed on their pastors’ hearts to focus people on four things: an intimate relationship with God, community with others, serving, and influencing nonbelievers.

They committed to one statement that would feature their simple process:
Connect to God, others, ministry, and the lost.

Discipleship includes being intimate with God (connect to God), living in community with other believers (connect to others), serving the Body of Christ (connect to ministry), and sharing the gospel (connect to the lost). Define it; illustrate it; measure it; discuss it;

Northpointe Community Church The image of a home Foyer is the welcoming place Move to the living room for connections The kitchen is small groups where discipleship occurs Simple Church is NOT Simple It is not a quick fix It is not whacking programs, it is building a culture of simplicity The philosophy is simple implementation is not It shouldn’t be the next fad for church growth (WillowBack 2.0)

What it Takes

Serious praying

Casting vision to create the future

Building consensus amidst diversity

Designing the organizational structure

Managing change biblically

For Additional Resources go to: http://www.arsenalbooks.com/products.asp?dept=1053

Discipleship Essentials

Discipleship has regained notice in the church today. This book will give you some options and formats you may not have thought about yet. In my duties as a professor of Pastoral Ministry and as Discipleship Pastor I have used the previous versions of this book. If you are looking for a great overall book on Discipleship start here. I have used many of the ideas in established churches and believe they adapt well in a variety of church models and theologies.

It is crystal clear that Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. It is shocking that so many churches have either dropped this from their practice and their theology or think of it as only teaching personal evangelism. When we examine the Gospels we see Jesus adapting the Rabbinical School method where by those who have been called by Him and believe His message are taught as He ministers to others, as well as, in times when he directs His efforts directly to them as He includes them as a part of His day to day life and activities. Greg has done all of the work at hammered it out in real life day to day living.

The material below is from intervarsity's web site. There is a link at the end of the article where you can find more materials.

Discipleship Essentials: Discover the fullness of life in Christ.

We grow in Christ as we seek him together. Jesus' own pattern of disciple-making was to be intimately involved with others and allow life to rub against life. By gathering in twos or threes to study the Bible and encourage one another, we most closely follow Jesus' example with the twelve disciples.

This workbook by Greg Ogden is a tool designed to help you follow this pattern Jesus drew for us. Working through it will deepen your knowledge of essential Christian teaching and strengthen your faith.

Each week contains the following elements:

• a core truth presented in a question-answer format
  
• a memory verse and accompanying study
  
• an field-tested inductive Bible study
  
• a reading on the theme for the week
  
• questions to draw out key principles in the reading

This material is designed for groups of three. It has also been used successfully as an individual study program, a one-on-one discipling tool and small group curriculum.

Jesus had a big enough vision to think small. Focusing on a few did not limit his influence. Rather, it expanded it. Discipleship Essentials is designed to help us influence others as Jesus did--by investing in a few.

This Second edition includes a new foreword by the author. These studies are for both individuals and groups.

Table of Contents
A Word from the Author
Getting the Most from Discipleship Essentials

Part One: Growing Up in Christ

1 Making Disciples
2 Being a Disciple
3 Quiet Time
4 Bible Study
5 Prayer
6 Worship

Part Two: Understanding the Message of Christ

7 The Three-Person God

8 Made in God’s Image

9 Sin

10 Grace

11 Redemption

12 Justification

13 Adoption

Part Three: Becoming Like Christ
14 Filled with the Holy Spirit
15 Fruit of the Holy Spirit
16 Trust
17 Love
18 Justice
19 Witness

Part Four: Serving Christ

20 The Church

21 Ministry Gifts

22 Spiritual Warfare

23 Walking in Obedience

24 Sharing the Wealth
Bonus Section
25 MoneyAppendix: Building a Discipleship Ministry

• Features & Benefits


• New edition of a bestselling book
  
• Has the same pagination as the original edition for those who want to use their original copy in mentoring
  
• New foreword by the author
  
• Includes 25 sessions
  
• Includes new sessions on stewardship at the back of the book
  
• Great for use in small groups, one on one or in mentoring pairs or triads
  
• Includes material for individual use as well as group discussion
  
• Includes inductive Bible study

http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=1087

Sign Up Troubles

Hello everyone. It seems that my sighup for updates service has been confused of late. When you sighned up for the Equippers Network updates it signed you up for this blog instead.

So if you want updates from http://equippersnetwork.blogspot.com/ please go there and sign up again and you will get those up dates. I believe we have the problem solved.

Thanks

Equipper!

God's Unfolding Battle Plan Revisited

The Spiritual Warfare Movement is not as visible or as distinct an element in the seminar circuit as it once was. Now, it is part of the mainstream of the Third Wave, New Apostolic, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Prophetic Movements and many Evangelical Churches.

We now understand the Battle that rages for the souls and cities of the Earth in a greater way. Knowledge of the importance of prayer walking and strategies for taking cities back from the evil one are well known.
But, what is God unfolding now and in the days ahead? What do we need to know and do in the days ahead to be completely useful to the Lords plan to establish His kingdom in the lives of people and in the Earth in the days ahead?

Chuck Pierce's book will have you crying out for more of God and for His grace and wisdom to take your place in establishing the Kingdom in the exciting and powerful days ahead!

God's Unfolding Battle Plan by Chuck D. Pierce
In this season of war that we have been living in, the Lord has released much revelation.

THE SPIRITUAL WAR AROUND US IS UNFOLDING.
A people without knowledge perish. God's Unfolding Battle Plan and the revised Future War of the Church will help you understand how to stand in victory in the times we are living in. God's Unfolding Battle Plan: A Field Manual for Advancing the Kingdom of God will point you into an understanding of the warfare we are presently fighting and what is ahead for us in the future.

In God's Unfolding Battle Plan, Chuck Pierce continues to empower Christians to face the exciting present (and future) for the Church that he began to lay out in The Future War of the Church. Yes, we are in the midst of a battle that will only increase in strength, but the victory has already been promised. Outlining the next seven-year period of spiritual war (2008-2015), Pierce shows how God will advance His Kingdom, causing the faithful to rise up and God's will to be done here on Earth as it is in heaven.

God's Unfolding Battle Plan offers a glimpse into what's ahead as well as encouragement to triumph over the attending forces of lawlessness, hopelessness and violence.

Discover what God has said to Pierce about the upcoming period and learn how to prosper through strategic intercession, worship warfare and a powerful new weapon of intercession: the four watches of the night.

Remain hopeful, knowing you are a part of God's unfolding battle plan and that the best is still ahead. This book will also give you great insight through the next 20 years and beyond!

The chapters are:
Chapter 1 - Becoming a Warrior in a Season of War
Chapter 2 - The Mind War: Critical Times Require Critical Thinking
Chapter 3 - The Blood War: Empowered in Soul and Spirit
Chapter 4 - The Time War: Praying to Reorder Your Day
Chapter 5 - The Presence-and-Glory War: Is Your Lampstand Burning?
Chapter 6 - The Power War: Who Are You in Agreement With?
Chapter 7 - The Wealth War: Defining Your Boundaries
Chapter 8 - The War of the Nations: Will the Real Ruling Nation Please Rise
Chapter 9 - The Harvest War: Keep Praying and Prophesying

Buy this Book at The Arsenal Book Store.
http://www.arsenalbooks.com/prodinfo.asp?number=9780830744701

Or at the Glory of Zion store,
http://gloryofzion.org/webstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=438

Church As It Has Been and Could Be

Over the last several years there has been a great deal written about believers who are in love with Jesus but not the church. There has been a great exit of believers seeking to find an effective model that is both Biblical and that they find relevant where the life the Bible speaks about can be found among other believers. Some have given up and just stay at home, possibly catching a christian TV show to partially meet their need. Over the next few weeks I want to address this on my Equippers Network Blog http://equippersnetwork.blogspot.com/ and I will be offering brief descriptions of a variety of book on this blog, which address the church, its current state and a variety of solutions being offered by people from a wide variety of theological perspectives.

Many churches have become ineffective at being alive in Christ and in doing what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:1. The Bible tells us that the people of God are destroyed for lack of knowledge and the people perish or (wander aimlessly without hope or purpose) because they have no vision of who God truly is and what He truly desires for us as individuals or as a people.

Hos 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
NASU
Prov 29:1818

Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man] — blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. [1 Sam 3:1; Amos 8:11,12.] AMP

The passage below reminds us that our assembling or gathering together is important. What is not addressed in these verses is the when, where, and how of our gatherings.
Heb 10:19-2519

Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus, 20 By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh, 21 And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, 22 Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. 23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. 24 And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. AMP

The first book I want to feature along these lines is below. This material is from George Barna's site @ http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Resource&ResourceID=337

Life Without Church
by Brian Sanders
Life without church. It's getting easier to imagine.
And maybe you already left. A leaver, then. Committed to Jesus, not an institution. Perhaps you've left your church in spirit, remaining in the pew. Outwardly silent. Secretly bored. In either case, Brian Sanders has a word for you.
Out of his own experience as a leaver, Brian distills the complex problem into two viable options:
Stay. Remain in your church with the blessing of Christ and in the power of his great vision for the church to come.
Take the path of revolutionary leaving. Move purposefully, seeking the kingdom of God that is beyond institutions.
Whether Sunday mornings find you alone in a one-bedroom apartment or isolated in a church of thousands, Brian reminds you to keep listening for God's call.
Reform the church that is Christ's. Be it from the inside out, or the outside in.
About the Author
Brian Sanders was part of a large group of people who all left churches at the same time. Gradually they realized that while their criticism of the church was prophetic, it wasn't productive.
Brian is now executive director of the Underground Network, a coalition of churches united by a call to biblical justice and love for the poor. And he is the lead pastor of the network's founding church, the Underground Church. The Likewise book Life After Church comes out of Brian's dream for a new kind of church. That dream has been formed in part by his degree in applied theology from Spurgeon's College, where he saw what it would take for a church to become a source of life to a community.

Here are a couple books that have influenced Brian's thinking:

The Shaping of Things to Come by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch and Houses that Change the World by Wolfgang Simson.

The Life in the Spirit Study Bible

Discover the Biblical Foundations of Life in the Spirit
The Life in the Spirit Study Bible will help guide you into a Christ-centered, righteous and Spirit-led lifestyle. Previously titled the Full Life Study Bible, this new edition includes updated and expanded notes, a new word study feature, and a new interior to meet the needs of Spirit-filled Christians today. In a culture that requires believers to depend strongly on God and his Word, this Bible will help you cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit as the source of the Church's power.

Features Include:
Themefinders: 12 icons located by Scripture passages tell at a glance which theme a given passage addresses.

Themes include:
1. Baptized in/Filled with the Holy Spirit,
2. Gifts of the Holy Spirit,
3. Fruit of the Holy Spirit,
4. Healing,
5. Salvation,
6. Witnessing and more.

Study Notes: Updated and expanded, extensive notes offer insights that help you understand and apply the Scriptures.

Articles: 77 articles address a wide variety of topics surrounding life in the Spirit.

Word Studies: This brand-new feature sheds light on the meanings of key words in their original Greek and Hebrew contexts.

Charts: 5 custom-designed mega-charts visually portray:
1. "Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ,"
2. "The Kingdom of God Versus the Kingdom of Satan,"
3. "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit,"
4. "The Work of the Holy Spirit,"
5. "The Last Days of History."

Plus:
1. Book introductions
2. In-text maps and charts
3. Full-color map section
4. Concordance
5. Words of Christ in red
6. Subject and Themefinder indexes
7. Reading plan
8. Tables of content for articles, maps and charts

Wonderful as it is to be saved for all eternity, we also long to walk with the Lord today. We want to hear his voice, know his heart, receive his gifts, and participate in what he is doing. We desire what the early church had that Jesus promised would be ours as well: lives lived in the intimacy, vision and power of his Spirit.

Based on the common underpinnings of Pentecostal and charismatic traditions, the Life in the Spirit Study Bible is designed as an important Biblical resource for all Christians, regardless of church background, who long to deepen their connection with the Holy Spirit. If you are hungry for greater intimacy with Jesus . . . if what you’ve read in the Bible suggests amazing possibilities for your personal relationship with God . . . if you long to experience the message, faith, devotion and power described in the book of Acts . . . then this study Bible will help you build a bedrock of spiritual understanding and faith for living a down-to-earth life equipped with the presence of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Millions of Christians around the world continue to discover what it means to walk in the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. If that is your desire, the Life in the Spirit Study Bible will prove a valuable companion in your spiritual quest.

First published as the Full Life Study Bible, the Life in the Spirit Study Bible has enjoyed a stunning international appeal. Working together, Zondervan and Life Publishers continue to spread the message of this Bible worldwide. All author royalties go directly to missions for the purpose of translating it into other languages. At the time of this printing, well over one million copies have been printed in nine non-English languages, and the process of translation is underway for 24 other languages.

The New International Version (NIV) is today’s most read and most trusted English Bible translation. Since its release in 1973, the NIV has sold over 160 million copies. The goal of the NIV translation team was to produce a contemporary translation whose accuracy, clarity and literary quality would make it ideal for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing and liturgical use. Today the NIV is accepted by more denominations than any other translation and is supported by a library of reference resources unmatched by any other translation.

How to Use the NIV Life in the Spirit Study Bible
The Life in the Spirit Study Bible is designed to help you gain a more thorough understanding of thetruths of God’s Word, whereby you may grow in love, purity and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti 1:5).

The special features and study helps of the Life in the Spirit Study Bible are the following:
Sectional headings
The entire Bible contains sectional headings within the Bible text in order to help you more easilyunderstand the subject and content of each section. NOTE: the standard New International Versionsectional headings have been altered for this particular edition of the NIV. When two or morepassages of Scripture are nearly identical or deal with the same event, this “parallel” is noted atthe sectional headings for those passages. Identical or nearly identical passages are noted with“pp.” Similar passages—those not dealing with the same event—are noted with “Ref.”

Cross-reference system
The center-column cross-reference system is designed to help you connect one text of the Biblewith others that have a similar theme. By using this system, difficult or obscure passages areclarified by Scripture itself. Cross-references are indicated by raised light italic letters. A corresponding letter in the center-column under the designated verse is followed by a list of appropriate Scripture verses.
When a single word is addressed by both text notes and cross-references, the bold NIV textnoteletter comes first. The cross-references normally appear in the center column and, when necessary, continue at the bottom of the right-hand column preceding the NIV text notes. The NIV cross-reference system resembles a series of interlocking chains with many links.The head, or organizing, link in each concept chain is indicated by the letter “S” (short for “see”).The appearance of a head link in a list of references usually signals another list of referencesthat will cover a slightly different aspect of the concept or word being studied.
The lists of references are in Biblical order with one exception: If reference is made to a verse within the same chapter, that verse (indicated by “ver”) is listed first. If an Old Testament verse is
quoted in the New Testament, the New Testament reference is marked with an asterisk (*).

Study Notes
The study notes at the bottom of nearly every page are written from a Pentecostal perspectiveand with the belief that the full message, standard and experience testified to by Christ and the apostles are forever valid and available for his people today.

The study notes fall into five classes:
(1) Expositional. The notes explain the meaning of words and phrases of many important
passages in the Word of God.
(2) Theological. The notes define and explain the great doctrines and truths of the Bible,
summarizing the Bible’s teachings about baptism, forgiveness, perseverance, repentance, salvation,
sanctification, etc.
(3) Devotional. The notes emphasize the importance of maintaining an intimate and devoted
relationship with God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—through faith, obedience,
prayer and the many means of grace.
(4) Ethical. The notes direct you to unreservedly commit yourself to God’s kingdom and his
righteousness. They emphasize the importance of Biblical principles of self-denial, godly conduct,
following Christ, separation from sin, discernment of good and evil, and obligation to God
and others.
(5) Practical. The notes present useful information on the believer’s daily walk. They contain
practical instruction about healing, the baptism in the Spirit, bringing up godly children, spiritual warfare, overcoming worry, resisting temptations, etc.xiv

The study notes provide extensive Scripture references (usually in parentheses) that confirm
comments made in the notes and help you in further in-depth Bible study. If the Scripture referencein parentheses is from the same chapter, it will normally appear first in the list, with thesymbol “v.” or “vv.” Next will come Scripture references from the same book, usually without mention of the book’s name. Last in the parentheses are passages from other Bible books, given in Bible book order. In many cases, other notes and articles are also cross-referenced.
Articles
The articles deal with important subjects more comprehensively than do the notes. They usuallyappear in close proximity to one of the major texts related to the subject of the article. For a complete list of the articles, see the Table of Contents for Articles on p. viii.
The articles, like the study notes, provide extensive Biblical references in parentheses. In the
articles, the name of each Bible book, in Bible book order, is usually given for each reference. If there is no book mentioned before a Scripture reference, it means that that reference is found in the same book as the previous reference.
Introductions
Each book of the Bible has an introduction, which includes
(1) an outline of the book;
(2) an explanation of the book’s background and historical setting, including information about the author, circumstances and date of writing;
(3) a statement about the original purpose of the book;
(4) a survey of its contents;
(5) a list of the book’s special features and emphases; and
(6) a suggested reading plan for covering the entire Bible in two years (one year for the OT and one yearfor the NT).

Careful reading of the introductions will help you understand each book and its applications
more fully. At the end of each introduction, space is provided for you to write personal
notes on that book.

Themefinders™
On many pages of this Bible you will see one of 12 symbols in the margin, next to a vertical line.Each of these symbols represents a specific theme of importance in the Pentecostal tradition.They are:
The symbol informs you which theme is contained in accompanying verses; at the bottom of
each vertical line is a Bible text, directing you to the next text on that particular theme.
Charts
The NIV Life in the Spirit Study Bible contains various charts that will help you at a glance to
learn more about the Bible and its teachings on such topics as the ministry of Jesus, the kingdomof God versus the kingdom of Satan, the last days of history, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc. See the Table of Contents for Maps and Charts on p. ix for a list of these charts.
1. Baptized in ⁄ Filled with the Holy Spirit
(Begin at Exodus 31:1–6)
2. Gifts of the Holy Spirit
(Begin at Exodus 35:30–35)
3. Fruit of the Holy Spirit
(Begin at Genesis 50:19–21)
4. Healing
(Begin at Genesis 20:17–18)
5. Faith that moves mountains
(Begin at Genesis 15:3–6)
6. Witnessing
(Begin at Exodus 10:1–2)
7. Salvation
(Begin at Genesis 12:1–3)
8. Second Coming
(Begin at Psalm 98:8–9)
9. Victory over Satan and demons
(Begin at Genesis 3:15)
10. Overcoming the world and worldliness
(Begin at Genesis 19:15–26)
11. Praise
(Begin at Exodus 15:1–21)
12. Walking in obedience and righteousness
(Begin at Genesis 5:22)
xv

Word Studies
Significant words have been highlighted in call-out boxes throughout the Scripture text. The
words are explained in light of their original Greek or Hebrew contexts.

Maps
A number of maps have been included within the Bible text to help you understand where the
events written about in the Bible occurred. See the Table of Contents for Maps and Charts on
p. ix for a list of these maps. At the back of this Bible are 16 full-color maps.

Subject Index
The subject index directs you to the most important notes and articles on the many topics and
great doctrines of Scripture. Under each entry in this index, you will find texts of the Bible that have notes on that particular subject. Articles and introductions are also included in this index.

Themefinder™ Index
The Themefinder Index at the back of this Bible lists the Scripture passages assigned to the 12
key themes described earlier in the Themefinder section. Under each pertinent Themefinder you will find the passages in the order in which they are linked.
Reading Plan
The Reading Plan outlined in the back gives you the flexibility of choosing a method of readingthrough the Bible either in one year or in two years. The reading plan found at the end of each book introduction follows the two-year design, listing Old Testament readings for one year and New Testament readings for the second year.

Concordance
A concordance, compiled and edited by John R. Kohlenberger III and Edward W. Goodrick, is included to help you find Bible verses quickly and easily. By looking up key words in a Bible verse,you can find a verse for which you remember a word or two but not its location. For example, if you wanted to find out where the Bible says that the Word of God is “sharper than any doubleedged sword,” you could look up either “sharper,” “double-edged” or “sword” in the concordance
and find that the verse is located at Heb 4:12.

We trust that you will receive a rich blessing from using the NIV Life in the Spirit Study Bible. It is our prayer that your knowledge of God’s Word, your experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and your daily walk with Christ in truth and righteousness will increase through your use of this Bible.

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310922421&QueryStringSite=Zondervan

Reformation Manifesto

Reformation Manifesto
Your Part in God's Plan to Change Nations Today
by Cindy Jacobs
Length: 238 Pages Our Price:

God is raising up New Revolutionaries within His Church to bring about a New Reformation! The Leaders or Captains of these New Revolutionaries have been exposed to the greatest Shift in the work of God that has occurred in centuries. These new revolutionaries want more than revival of what is and have diligently prayed and are working for what God in His Word has promised. They seek the work of His Spirit in this generation with such magnitude that nations are changed and the tide of darkness and the stench of hell and death are cleansed from their cities and nations. These New Revolutionaries are the ones who reject the spirit of religion and passionately embrace the truth and power of God's Word to change what is by into what God desires, a reformation of every village, town and city in the nations of the earth. Our God rejecting world has been imposing their way on the earth and people of God long enough! Now is the time for The New Revolutionaries to bring about a New Reformation!!

These New Revolutionaries embrace many streams of God's work but are more interested in the work God is doing and wants to do than being a part of a particular fellowship, organization or denomination!
By The Equipper

The Material below is from the publisher and The Arsenal Book Store

What is the problem? We have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and yet societies are deteriorating around us. How could there be roughly two billion Christians on the face of the earth today and the major problems of sin, poverty, and disease still plague the plant? Why haven't we figured out solutions to these problems?

The church is at a crossroads - we are in a place of comfort and complacency while the Enemy is making progress - and God is calling His church to a radical change. Revival is no longer enough; we need to reform our nations as well in order to answer the true purpose of the Great Commission. Either the church will respond to God's call, or there will be rapid deterioration.

The prayer movement has been laying the ground for change for many years, and now is the time for believers to step out in faith and be transformed into reformers. This movement of God in the church is as important as Martin Luther's call for reformation was, waking up the sleeping church to hear the voice of God and seeing lives, churches, and even nations changed.
Cindy Jacobs gives a visionary, prophetic call to the church that must be understood and answered.

Table of Contents
Foreword by C. Peter Wagner
Introduction
Chapter 1: Personal Reformation
Chapter 2: Connecting the Generations
Chapter 3: Discipling Nations
Chapter 4: The Just Cause
Chapter 5: Teaching Nations
Chapter 6: Who's the Judge?
Chapter 7: Putting the Government Upon His Shoulders
Chapter 8: Reversing the Genesis Curse: Biblical Economics
Chapter 9: Legislating in the Heavens: Reformation Intercession
Chapter 10: Costly Grace
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgment
Endnotes
Index

Endorsements
1. The book you have in your hands has the potential for igniting the fuel for some crucial booster rockets which will measurably advance the kingdom of God in our generation.
C. Peter Wagner, Presiding Apostle, International Coalition of Apostles

2. The paradigms of the body of Christ would not have been sufficiently transformed twenty, ten, or even five years ago to accept and act on the information The Reformation Manifesto contains. However, the church is now ready for books on reforming cultures and nations.
Dutch Sheets, Senior Pastor, Freedom Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

3. Cindy Jacobs has brought forth the research and revelation to bring reformation to the church. This Reformation Manifesto gives divine directives for the church to fulfill Christ's command for us to pray and work for His kingdom to be demonstrated in every nation and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Bill Hamon, Bishop of Christian International Ministries Network

4. Finally, more than a despairing assessment of eroding social and moral conditions! Cindy found the mind of God in a strategic plan that directs the body of Christ in practical considerations which will return our nation and the nations of the world to hope!
Jim Hennesy, Pastor, Trinity Ministries, Cedar Hill, Texas

About the Author

Cindy Jacobs is one the most visible leaders of the modern prayer movement, calling for intercession, repentance, and renewal as she travels worldwide. She and her husband, Mike, are the founders of Generals International, working to achieve social transformation through intercession and prophetic ministry. Cindy has written several bestselling books, including Possessing the Gates of the Enemy and The Voice of God. Her television program, God Knows, is seen in the U.S. on the God Channel as well as around the world. She travels and speaks internationally to hundreds of thousands each year in churches and large conferences. Cindy and Mike are the parents of two grown children and reside in Dallas, Texas.

The Arsenal Bookstore 1-888-563-5150 © Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.
________________________________________
Other Materials From Cindy Jacobs


Societal Reformation & Transformation
by Cindy Jacobs

Many people talk about transforming their cities and nations; yet few know the practical, biblical steps to bring change. Cindy shares stories from successfully transformed cities and offers strategies for transforming your city or nation. If you long to be a groundbreaking reformer, this series is for you.

Titles Include (4 Disc Series)

1. We are called to Disciple Nations
2. Aspects of Transformation
3. Redeeming the Nations
4. Restoring Governments
5. Biblical Justice
6. Economy, Business and the Power to get Wealth
7. Transformation through the Miraculous


God's Call For Reformation
by Cindy Jacobs


In this powerful teaching, Cindy explains that in order to bring transformation to a nation, we need to deal with the ideological strongholds that are operating in its society. Additionally, it is essential for people to renew their minds according to the mind of Christ. This is God's call for Reformation. Titles included:

1. Call to Uproot Idols of False Ideologies

2. Call to Influence Society

Cindy's Web link

http://www.generals.org/store/display.php?cartid=200807203868358&zid=1&lid=1&psku=S10020&mode=sp

Miracle Workers, Reformers, and the New Mystics

I have always looked for the out working or manifestation of God and His power among people. I spent the first 20 years of my life looking in all the wrong places and then Jesus rescued me from my own searching and transferred me out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred me into the Kingdom of light! Colossians 1:9-14.

Throughout church history God has used a wide variety of people to work among people in miraculous ways. He demonstrates His majesty among us in every generation. The people He uses are not the one we would have picked. Their methods and teachings do not always satisfy us, but one thing they do that we all long for is that they allow themselves to be vessel of His glory, power and mercy to whosoever will say yes to God.

They seem often to operate with reckless abandonment and in the process manage to offend our sense of how, when and through whom God should operate. We should all remember the story of Balaam's donkey in Nu 22:21-35 before we get upset at whom God is using.

I want to recommend that you buy and read this book. Talk about it with other believers in and followers of Jesus the Messiah. May it stir within you and them the hunger for all that God has for you and this generation, so that you cry out even as the prophet Isaiah did in Chapter 6:1-8 of Isaiah, when he was in the temple and the Lord revealed Himself to him , ‘Here I am Lord, send me!’

The book Miracle Workers, Reformers, and the New Mystics
By John Crowder, published by Publisher: Treasures Media Inc. Covers 70 such people whom God used and stirred the hunger in those around them for all that God has for each generation.

Book Overview
Every era has produced extreme spiritual forerunners who have accessed the atmosphere of heaven, demonstrating miracles, signs, wonders and supernatural experiences in their lives. Beginning with the first century apostles, the extraordinary report of God’s kingdom has passed like a baton to the early Desert Fathers, the Christian mystics of the Dark Ages, right up through the healing revivalists and prophetic voices of the past century.

But God has reserved the greatest wave of his Spirit for a radical, postmodern generation that will walk the earth in these last days. The stories of long-forgotten saints are an arsenal for this hour. Fiery men with divine encounters and heavenly visitations. Their individual lives serve as a blueprint for an entire company of warriors who will wear those same ancient power mantles, perform the same bizarre feats and achieve even greater exploits to bring in the end-time harvest of souls.

What will be the characteristics of this new generation of mystics? In this timely work, John Crowder offers a fresh perspective on the miracle workers and visionaries of the past, linking their spiritual DNA to the breed of dread champions that is now picking up that baton.
Who are the New Mystics? They are Joel’s Army. Jacob’s Generation. The Spotless Bride. The Overcoming Church.

The emerging church is throwing off the grave clothes of religion and picking up a dynamic interface with the spiritual realm. Their hearts are aflame with a burning desire for Jesus Christ. And they will not just talk about Him. They will display His power.

The New Mystics contains more than 70 photos, illustrations and biographies of men and women whose lives have demonstrated the phenomenal throughout the ages. Let their stories inspire you to join their ranks as part of this coming revival generation.

The full text of the Bible verses refered to above are listed below.

Col 1:9-14
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NIV

Nu 22:21-3521 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey , and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" 29 Balaam answered the donkey , "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." 30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey , which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?""No," he said. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." 34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back." 35 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. NIV

Isa 6:1-8
6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" NIV

You can purchase this book at your local Family Christian Stores or online at the Arsenal book site link below.

The Arsenal Book Store online at http://www.arsenalbooks.com/
click on Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts, & the Supernatural
AngelsHoly SpiritSpiritual Gifts The Supernatural in the left hand column

When the menu opens click on The Supernatural

PAGAN CHRISTIANITY

Every once in a while I find books that really challenge my thinking. The book below is certainly doing it. You will run to the Word of God repeatedly as you read this book, as Acts 17:11 tells us to.

The Material below is from George Barna's web site with a link at the bottom of the page.

Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we "dress up" for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries?

This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices.

Are we really doing church "by the Book?"
Why does the pastor preach a sermon at every service?

Why do our church services seem so similar week after week?

Why does the congregation sit passively in pews?

Not sure? Pagan Christianity makes an unsettling proposal: Most of what present-day Christians do in church each Sunday is rooted not in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Authors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence and extensive footnotes that document the origins of our modern Christian church practices.

In the process, the authors uncover the problems that emerge when the church functions like a business organization rather than the living organism it was created to be. As you reconsider Christ's revolutionary plan for His church - to be the head of a fully functioning body in which all believers play an active role - you’ll be challenged to decide whether you can ever do church the same way again.

One of the surprise bestsellers of the year has been Pagan Christianity: Exposing the Roots of Our Church Practices by George Barna and Frank Viola. In this well-researched study you will find out why churches do what they do, including aspects such as clothing, preaching, worship habits, staffing, buildings, seminary training, and more. Surprisingly few of today’s church practices are drawn from the Bible. http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Resource&ResourceID=309

The Remnant: Restoring Integrity in American Ministry

The Remnant: Restoring Integrity in American Ministry
by Larry Stockstill

No greater message is needed in todays Churches and to God's leaders than this one.The material below is from the publisher's web site.

God is issuing a call to bring integrity back to American Christianity. The foundational truths in this book will show the way. In this book, Larry Stockstill challenges readers with principles for turning our nation around to integrity and commitment and precluding the judgment of God. There is a new breed of pastors and laypeople who are asking the tough questions: * Where has the glory of God gone in the American church? * When did the simple, pure gospel of the Savior become about "me," "my," and "mine"? * What happened to the transparency and integrity that marked the church for centuries?

To each reader, God is saying, "I want to start with you." Allow this book to shake you to the core and reorganize your family, your ministry, and your future.