God S Way Not Politics

No subject causes more irritation, frustration, and confusion than issues concerning government. God has timeless truths in the Bible for resolving the conflict between world politics and the righteousness of Gods kingdom. Misunderstanding these truths results in the actions of well-meaning Christians being viewed by the world as offensive, unloving, and hypocritical. The result causes major doubts in the credibility of the Church and limits belief in the loving message of the cross. Gods Way, Not Politics brings a timely revelation to Gods people of truth in His Word, which has been buried by the cares of the world and rationalization of mans action out of ignorance of Gods love for mankind and Gods promises of peace, concerning what He can and wants to do. May the Holy Spirit reveal through honest consideration of His Word what God is saying. It is time for the Church to recognize our significance as empowered citizens of the kingdom of God on earth and be the conduit of loving witnesses for good in achieving the purpose our Creator intends. Acceptance of His plan and ways will unblock our prayers for healing our land and hasten our Lords return.

No subject causes more irritation, frustration, and confusion than issues concerning government. God has timeless truths in the Bible for resolving the conflict between world politics and the righteousness of God's kingdom. Misunderstanding these truths results in the actions of well-meaning Christians being viewed by the world as offensive, unloving, and hypocritical. The result causes major doubts in the credibility of the Church and limits belief in the loving message of the cross. "God's Way, Not Politics" brings a timely revelation to God's people of truth in His Word, which has been buried "by the cares of the world" and rationalization of man's action out of ignorance of God's love for mankind and God's promises of peace, concerning what He can and wants to do. May the Holy Spirit reveal through honest consideration of His Word what God is saying. It is time for the Church to recognize our significance as empowered citizens of the kingdom of God on earth and be the conduit of loving witnesses for good in achieving the purpose our Creator intends. Acceptance of His plan and ways will unblock our prayers for healing our land and hasten our Lord's return.

New York Times bestseller God's Politics struck a chord with Americans disenchanted with how the Right had co-opted all talk about integrating religious values into our politics, and with the Left, who were mute on the subject. Jim Wallis argues that America's separation of church and state does not require banishing moral and religious values from the public square. God's Politics offers a vision for how to convert spiritual values into real social change and has started a grassroots movement to hold our political leaders accountable by incorporating our deepest convictions about war, poverty, racism, abortion, capital punishment, and other moral issues into our nation's public life. Who can change the political wind? Only we can.

In this eagerly awaited book, political theorist Michael Walzer reports his findings after decades of reading and thinking about the politics of the Hebrew Bible. Attentive to nuance while engagingly straightforward, Walzer examines the commentary of the ancient biblical writers and discusses the implications for such urgent modern topics as the nature of political society, hierarchy and justice, the use of political power, the justification for and rules of warfare, and the responsibilities of clerical figures, monarchs, and their subjects./divDIV DIVBecause there are many biblical writers, and because they represent different political views, pluralism is a central feature of biblical politics, Walzer observes. Yet pluralism is never explicitly defended in the Bible—indeed it couldn't be defended since God's word is one. There is, however, an anti-political teaching which recurs in biblical texts: if you have faith in God, you have no need for particular political institutions or prudent political leaders or deliberative assemblies or loyal citizens. And, Walzer finds a strong moral teaching common to the Bible's authors. He identifies God's decree for ethics and investigates its implications for just policymaking in our own times./div

Now includes discussion questions and contemplation exercises for individual study and reading groups. Ana Levy-Lyons, a public theologian who is equally at home in secular and religious worlds, offers a deeply perceptive reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments for our modern lives. The Ten Commandments are a spiritual resource for social justice. A politically and spiritually brazen prescription for living, the Ten Commandments would turn our world upside down if we actually followed them. Far from being only ethical norms on which everyone already agrees or a remnant of a bygone oppressive era, the Commandments are actually countercultural practices. Today the Ten Commandments are a divisive part of American culture. Religious conservatives champion them, even if they don't always practice them. Religious liberals and the nonreligious may bristle at what they perceive as antiquated moral restrictions. But, this ancient code still has vital contemporary relevance. Rev. Levy-Lyons explores ways the Commandments bring us meaning, illuminate our values, and help us navigate through the turbulent waters of social injustice, environmental crises, and societal inequity. No Other Gods looks at each Commandment in new ways, moving beyond interpersonal morality to the global economy and our hyper-connected age. From the first, You Shall Have No Other Gods Besides Me (Dethrone the Modern Deities of Political, Social, and Corporate Power), to the tenth Do Not Covet (Practice Your Liberation-You Have Enough, You Are Enough)-and all those in between-she underscores how the Commandments can produce a bold spiritual consciousness. Whether you are deeply religious or spiritual-but-not-religious, learn how the Ten Commandments can guide you to resist injustice, heal our earth, and find personal dignity amid the free-for-alls of modern life. "We don't have to invent a bunch of new practices for a meaningful way to live out our spirituality and social justice politics," says Levy-Lyons. "There is a perfectly good set of ten of them, all ready to go, with as much progressive firepower as any of us can handle, that has existed for some three thousand years."

" ...Definitely worth reading" -Billy Graham "Colson's criticisms of the Religious Right are especially noteworthy...Colson's warnings echo a concern that religious conservatives would be reckless to ignore." -Richard N. Ostling, Religion Editor, Time "The timing could hardly be better for an author with a new book." -Newsweek "Kingdoms in Conflict speaks with wisdom and "guts" to the major issues of our day." -Charles R. Swindoll "Kingdoms in Conflict is a classic that belongs on every Christian's bookshelf." -Dr. James C. Dobson "This was a book waiting for Chuck Colson to write. As no other evangelical author can, Colson brings his political experience, thoroughly changed life, and lucid writing together at just the right time..." -Moody Monthly "The arguments- church-state, the correct admixture between the two- are familiar grist for controversial mills, but Colson does wonderful theatrical instruction in his book..." - William F. Buckley, Jr. "In Kingdoms in Conflict Charles W. Colson masterfully weds the two subjects he knows best- politics and Christian faith." -Russell Chandler "Kingdoms in Conflict offers a welcomed new insight into an age-old question." - Jack Anderson "One cannot be a passive reader of Chuck Colson's Kingdoms in Conflict." -Mark O. Hatfield

Answered Prayer (A Word of Encouragement) No matter how long it takes; God answers prayers according to his will and purpose. Prayer is not a form or fashion, but a way of life. Prayer should be with you at a drop of a hat. In other words, if someone says or ask you to pray, you should be ready and not giving excuses. This is what prayer will do: P.R.A.Y.E.R. Picking up the pieces Restoration of the soul Almighty God at work Yielding to God’s purpose Entering his courts with thanksgiving and praise Resting in his divine presence As you are praying for others; God is restoring you and everything that pertains to you, so that he alone can get the glory out of your life and the lives of those that are around you. So therefore pray without ceasing. There is power in prayer. Remember these three words: Prayer, Praise, & Power. After you have prayed about it, give God the praise and he will show up and show out with all power.

Though the Lord relentlessly proclaimed the law of God, He did not come as a political deliverer or social reformer. He did not issue a call for changes, even by peaceful means. Nor did Jesus rally supporters in a grandiose attempt to "capture the culture" for morality or greater political and religious freedoms. Rather, His divine calling was to rescue the lost souls of individual men and women from sin and hell. "A certain amount of healthy and balanced concern about current trends in government and the community is acceptable, as long as we realize that such interest is not vital to our spiritual lives, our righteous testimony or the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Above all, the believer's political involvement should never displace the priority of preaching and teaching the gospel because the morality and righteousness that God seeks is the result of salvation and sanctification."-John MacArthur In Why Government Can't Save You (An Alternative to Political Activism), author John MacArthur illustrates through Scripture that, regardless of the numerous immoral, unjust, and ungodly failures of secular government, believers are to pray and seek to influence the world for Christ by godly, selfless, and peaceful living under that authority, not by protests against the government or by acts of civil disobedience. Dr. MacArthur will explore these areas: Christians' Responsibility to authority How and why to support our leaders How to live righteously in a pagan culture The principle of paying taxes Jesus' lessons on tax exemptions The biblical purpose of government The principle and reasons for civil obedience "To devote all, or even most, or our time, energy, money, and strategy to putting a facade of morality on the world or the appearance of 'rightness' over our governmental and political institutions is to badly misunderstand our roles as Christians in a spiritually lost world."-John MacArthur In this book find out your Christian responsibility to government and political causes.