Does God Have A Strategy

A philosopher and a business leader have a friendly debate about whether it makes sense to speak of God having a strategy for the human race. What might a divine strategy look like, in light of the biblical portrait of God and the historical record of religions that claim to carry out God's strategy? With so much violence in our religious history, can there be a divine strategy of peace rather than war--where our religions do not strategize to defeat their enemies but to bless them? In other words, could God have a strategy that overcomes rather than continues the legacy of Cain and Abel? If so, to what future might it point us?

A philosopher and a business leader have a friendly debate about whether it makes sense to speak of God having a strategy for the human race. What might a divine strategy look like, in light of the biblical portrait of God and the historical record of religions that claim to carry out God's strategy? With so much violence in our religious history, can there be a divine strategy of peace rather than war--where our religions do not strategize to defeat their enemies but to bless them? In other words, could God have a strategy that overcomes rather than continues the legacy of Cain and Abel? If so, to what future might it point us?

"Forster and Marston have delivered a stellar book that attempts to present an exegetical and Scriptural framework for the content presented in the book. Instead of beginning from a set of deductive theological assumptions and then attempting to support that system from Scripture, Forster and Marston examine Scripture and attempt to build their case directly from the text. The authors unabashedly admit that their views are very similar to those of Arminian and Weslyan traditions, but they state in the beginning of the book that they do not want to be labeled with these names, but want to construct a theology that is in line with the teachings of the first 300 years of Christianity. Anyone who reads their appendix will come to understand that the teachings presented in this book were the orthodox consensus of the early Church for the first 300 years, and that it was Augustine who introduced serious deviations into the mainstream orthodox Christianity of his time. Forster and Marston begin by describing the battle that is being waged between God and the spiritual forces that oppose Him. They examine the book of Job and see how this relates to the overall struggle. Then the authors examine the 9th chapter of Romans to see if this book is dealing with election and individual destinies, or God's actions within human history. The authors do an excellent job of arguing for their opinion that this chapter is speaking about God's involvement in human history and it deals with God's choosing of one nation or individual over another nation or individual to accomplish His purpose. Other sections of interest in this book are the sections on foreknowledge and predestination and the chapters on faith and works. The section on faith and works was particularly interesting because it relies on much of the teaching of the new perspective which has shed much light on how a 1st century Palestinian Jew would have approached Scriptural issues. The research, argumenation, and exegesis in this book are solid so every chapter is excellent, but the ones mentioned above were two of my favorites."--Amazon.com.

From the way they speak about God to audiences they visit and policies they support, U.S. politicians increasingly use religion as a partisan weapon. The God Strategy identifies four crucial religious signals used by Republicans and Democrats from Ronald Reagan in 1980 to Barack Obama in 2008.

Business success depends on effective strategic planning and execution. The practice of planning strategy, however, did not originate here on earth with man. "God's Strategic Plan" sets out to establish that the Bible is not a random collection of ancient stories, but is in fact a strategic planning document, which surpasses anything that the corporate world has ever seen. Imbedded in the pages of Scripture is a well thought out, brilliant strategy which not only reveals God's ultimate intent in creating man, but describes the intricate measures He took to establish us as the dominant species on earth. Robert V. Fullerton, an experienced business professional, takes us behind the scenes to examine the objectives, options and tactics of two opposing supernatural beings, God and Satan, as they contend for lives of men and women since the beginning of man's existence. This book provides new insight into the strategies adopted by each side in this unseen battle raging in our midst, and drills down to examine the effect that God's Strategic Plan has on our individual lives and destinies.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the vast majority of Christians have embraced the idea that it is a proper role and function of the civil government to control and guide the education of children. Most Christians believe God doesn’t care, one way or the other, how our children are schooled or what methods are employed. This book will use Scripture to prove otherwise. What you read in this book will radically challenge your assumptions and preconceived ideas. Discover the true purpose of an education and how this affects and influences studentsExplore a truly Biblical philosophy of education and how it compares to traditional schoolingLearn to apply a Biblical worldview strategically and systematically to core subjects of education There is almost no topic that is as relevant to the future of Christianity or as controversial as the education of children. Students in school classrooms spend thousands of hours being instructed by people who are not their parents. There is almost no way to calculate what a powerful force this is for influence. From rules to help students reason to information that will help you be a more effective teacher, this book shows the vital importance of “why” in asking students to learn the “what” and “how” of any subject. The future of your child’s education and, therefore, his or her life is ultimately in your hands as a parent. Open your mind and your heart to God’s Word and His truth. Much is at stake. Ask Him to give you discernment to help you understand how He sees the issue of education.

How did the early church grow so quickly? How can we replicate that success today? The early church gives us the perfect example of how a small group of committed Christians can affect their communities and change the world. The apostles brought a change to the way the people of God lived. Wherever they went, what they believed transformed the culture. In Ordinary People, Extraordinary Power, John Eckhardt helps you understand the purpose and function of today’s spiritual apostles. Using examples from Jesus and the early church, Eckhardt shows you God’s strategy for the apostolic and the biblical foundation for its use and pattern. You will discover... The characteristics of the apostle The proper role and function of the apostolic The ways God uses this gift in the world today Apostles are pioneers. They preach and teach the culture of the kingdom of God--a kingdom of love, humility, power, authority, and service. Through training, teaching, discipleship, and relationship, God begins to empower individuals by the Holy Spirit in preparation for greater service. Our world needs people willing to break free from religion and tradition and be activated to heal, deliver, prophesy, preach, and demonstrate God’s kingdom. It is time to put the apostolic back in the church.

Why Plan Strategy? Is church growth theory incompatible with belief in the sovereignty of God? Does adherence to church growth principles leave out dependency upon the work of the Holy Spirit? C. Peter Wagner answers no to both questions. He further believes that no task could be more crucial than fulfilling the Great Commission in our generation, and how to approach and plan for the execution of this task is the questions of the day. Strategies for Church Growth addresses this key issue in a biblically pragmatic way. It brings together for the first time many principles of evangelism and missions which have proved, through recent research and experience, to be effective in implementing the Great Commission. It also unifies, in concise form, the latest research of the Church Growth Movement, the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization, the U.S. Center for World Mission and numerous other key contributors to the recent explosion of evangelistic technology. Among the topics explored are: - the major components of strategy - choosing the appropriate strategy - advantages of having a strategy - the theology of church growth - the harvest principle and soil testing - why you should aim for church growth - characteristics of good goals - the meaning of mission and evangelism - how to target your outreach