The God I Don't Understand

The God I Don't Understand

Author: Christopher J. H. Wright

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2009-05-26

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0310574358

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Many Christians believe that they have to understand everything about their faith for that faith to be genuine. This isn't true. There are many things we don't understand about God, His Word, and His works. And this is actually one of the greatest things about the Christian faith: that there are areas of mystery that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. Sadly, for many people these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle. But questions, and even doubts, are part of faith. Chris Wright encourages us to face the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. In The God I Don't Understand, he focuses on four of the most mysterious subjects in the Bible and reflects upon why it's important to ask questions without having to provide the answer: The problem of evil and suffering. The genocide of the Canaanites. The cross and the crucifixion. The end of the world. "However strongly we believe in divine revelation, we must acknowledge both that God has not revealed everything and that much of what he has revealed is not plain. It is because Dr. Wright confronts biblical problems with a combination of honesty and humility that I warmly commend this book." —John Stott


Book Synopsis The God I Don't Understand by : Christopher J. H. Wright

Download or read book The God I Don't Understand written by Christopher J. H. Wright and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians believe that they have to understand everything about their faith for that faith to be genuine. This isn't true. There are many things we don't understand about God, His Word, and His works. And this is actually one of the greatest things about the Christian faith: that there are areas of mystery that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. Sadly, for many people these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle. But questions, and even doubts, are part of faith. Chris Wright encourages us to face the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. In The God I Don't Understand, he focuses on four of the most mysterious subjects in the Bible and reflects upon why it's important to ask questions without having to provide the answer: The problem of evil and suffering. The genocide of the Canaanites. The cross and the crucifixion. The end of the world. "However strongly we believe in divine revelation, we must acknowledge both that God has not revealed everything and that much of what he has revealed is not plain. It is because Dr. Wright confronts biblical problems with a combination of honesty and humility that I warmly commend this book." —John Stott


God, I Don't Understand

God, I Don't Understand

Author: Kenneth Boa

Publisher:

Published: 1975

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis God, I Don't Understand by : Kenneth Boa

Download or read book God, I Don't Understand written by Kenneth Boa and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Why?

Why?

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 2005-05-04

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1418519456

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Called "the best preacher in the family," by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and the authority of years spent studying God's Word. In her latest book, Anne shares her heart and God's teachings on the universal problem of suffering. Drawing her characteristically keen insights from the familiar story of Lazarus in the ninth and eleventh chapters of the Gospel of John, Anne offers Jesus' reassuring answers to our heartfelt cries for understanding: Why doesn't God care? Why does He let these things happen? Why me? Why doesn't God answer my prayers? Why didn't He protect me? Why doesn't He perform a miracle? Why? helps us understand and deal with suffering while guiding us to the ultimate answer-the Savior who shares our grief and our tears.


Book Synopsis Why? by : Anne Graham Lotz

Download or read book Why? written by Anne Graham Lotz and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2005-05-04 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Called "the best preacher in the family," by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and the authority of years spent studying God's Word. In her latest book, Anne shares her heart and God's teachings on the universal problem of suffering. Drawing her characteristically keen insights from the familiar story of Lazarus in the ninth and eleventh chapters of the Gospel of John, Anne offers Jesus' reassuring answers to our heartfelt cries for understanding: Why doesn't God care? Why does He let these things happen? Why me? Why doesn't God answer my prayers? Why didn't He protect me? Why doesn't He perform a miracle? Why? helps us understand and deal with suffering while guiding us to the ultimate answer-the Savior who shares our grief and our tears.


Embracing the Mysterious God

Embracing the Mysterious God

Author: James Emery White

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9780830823772

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One of Christianity Today's 2003 Books of the Year! We give ourselves to God and then struggle profoundly with the relationship. We are drawn in and then want to flee in fear. We move from faith to doubt, trust to confusion, intimacy to a feeling of abandonment. Coming to faith is like falling in love. It can be a head-over-heels rush to the altar or a slow acceptance that slips into a heartfelt embrace. Either way, eventually romance crashes headlong into reality. Often we make things worse either by feeling guilty about our struggles with doubt or by trying to dismiss them as unimportant or insignificant. We may even become resentful that God does not simply step in to clear up our confusion.When we find ourselves in any of these predicaments, the only way out is to face our uncertainties about God--deliberately and directly.In Embracing the Mysterious God James Emery White explores these struggles we all face--struggles of heart, soul, mind and strength. And struggles to love our neighbors as ourselves. Here you will find your tough questions about God addressed. Better still, you will find the way to renewed faith.


Book Synopsis Embracing the Mysterious God by : James Emery White

Download or read book Embracing the Mysterious God written by James Emery White and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Christianity Today's 2003 Books of the Year! We give ourselves to God and then struggle profoundly with the relationship. We are drawn in and then want to flee in fear. We move from faith to doubt, trust to confusion, intimacy to a feeling of abandonment. Coming to faith is like falling in love. It can be a head-over-heels rush to the altar or a slow acceptance that slips into a heartfelt embrace. Either way, eventually romance crashes headlong into reality. Often we make things worse either by feeling guilty about our struggles with doubt or by trying to dismiss them as unimportant or insignificant. We may even become resentful that God does not simply step in to clear up our confusion.When we find ourselves in any of these predicaments, the only way out is to face our uncertainties about God--deliberately and directly.In Embracing the Mysterious God James Emery White explores these struggles we all face--struggles of heart, soul, mind and strength. And struggles to love our neighbors as ourselves. Here you will find your tough questions about God addressed. Better still, you will find the way to renewed faith.


Wrestling with God

Wrestling with God

Author: James Emery White

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2008-05-28

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 0830833633

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James Emery White explores the doubts, confusion and uncertainties about God that we all face. He tackles deliberately and directly our toughest questions. And better still, he leads the way to renewed faith.


Book Synopsis Wrestling with God by : James Emery White

Download or read book Wrestling with God written by James Emery White and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2008-05-28 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Emery White explores the doubts, confusion and uncertainties about God that we all face. He tackles deliberately and directly our toughest questions. And better still, he leads the way to renewed faith.


Only You And God Knows You

Only You And God Knows You

Author: Jerry Manukin

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2021-06-24

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 1098081900

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It was not easy, God knowing me, as the world puts you to a test on the daily basis. I have stumbled at times and even denounced God a few times, but in my heart and soul, he forgave me, and I continued my life a better person. I believe all of us are put on this earth to better our lives and others, and when we return, we will pick up where we left off. As I’ve often said, take care of your body; it is a loaner and belongs to God, and he returns it to dust and gives you a new body, but you will have to keep your soul. If all goes as God planned, I will be reborn, and my soul will return to Earth, and I will again be among the living. (Remember, all lives are important. Maintain your self-respect.) May God guide all of you with his wisdom. In Closing If Jesus gave me three wishes, the first I would give to all of you, so you have a wish. The second wish, I would give to my wife, Judith; son, Jerry; and daughter, Michele. The third and final wish, I would give back to Jesus to give to his Father to thank him for being proud of his son and his adopted children, as I am of my family. Thank you.


Book Synopsis Only You And God Knows You by : Jerry Manukin

Download or read book Only You And God Knows You written by Jerry Manukin and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2021-06-24 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was not easy, God knowing me, as the world puts you to a test on the daily basis. I have stumbled at times and even denounced God a few times, but in my heart and soul, he forgave me, and I continued my life a better person. I believe all of us are put on this earth to better our lives and others, and when we return, we will pick up where we left off. As I’ve often said, take care of your body; it is a loaner and belongs to God, and he returns it to dust and gives you a new body, but you will have to keep your soul. If all goes as God planned, I will be reborn, and my soul will return to Earth, and I will again be among the living. (Remember, all lives are important. Maintain your self-respect.) May God guide all of you with his wisdom. In Closing If Jesus gave me three wishes, the first I would give to all of you, so you have a wish. The second wish, I would give to my wife, Judith; son, Jerry; and daughter, Michele. The third and final wish, I would give back to Jesus to give to his Father to thank him for being proud of his son and his adopted children, as I am of my family. Thank you.


The God Who Is There

The God Who Is There

Author: D. A. Carson

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2010-07-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9781441213853

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It can no longer be assumed that most people--or even most Christians--have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God's story of redemption. In this basic introduction to faith, D. A. Carson takes seekers, new Christians, and small groups through the big story of Scripture. He helps readers to know what they believe and why they believe it. The companion leader's guide helps evangelistic study groups, small groups, and Sunday school classes make the best use of this book in group settings.


Book Synopsis The God Who Is There by : D. A. Carson

Download or read book The God Who Is There written by D. A. Carson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2010-07-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It can no longer be assumed that most people--or even most Christians--have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don't know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God's story of redemption. In this basic introduction to faith, D. A. Carson takes seekers, new Christians, and small groups through the big story of Scripture. He helps readers to know what they believe and why they believe it. The companion leader's guide helps evangelistic study groups, small groups, and Sunday school classes make the best use of this book in group settings.


How God Becomes Real

How God Becomes Real

Author: T.M. Luhrmann

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2022-04-26

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0691234442

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The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.


Book Synopsis How God Becomes Real by : T.M. Luhrmann

Download or read book How God Becomes Real written by T.M. Luhrmann and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-04-26 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.


When I Don't Desire God

When I Don't Desire God

Author: John Piper

Publisher: Crossway

Published:

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 1433544296

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Book Synopsis When I Don't Desire God by : John Piper

Download or read book When I Don't Desire God written by John Piper and published by Crossway. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


No More Faking Fine

No More Faking Fine

Author: Esther Fleece Allen

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2017-01-10

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 0310344778

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Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.


Book Synopsis No More Faking Fine by : Esther Fleece Allen

Download or read book No More Faking Fine written by Esther Fleece Allen and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.