Hijacked Idols In Disguise

Anything or anyone is a potential idol the moment our affection is diverted from God. Deep down, none of us desire to suffer bondage or intentionally act against the will of God. To avert the danger of something or someone becoming an idol, and to fight any idol that besets us, we must resist that object of our obsession and put it in its rightful place. As idolatry has engulfed us, are we, Western Christians ready to stand in Christ in the face of increasing hostility towards Christianity? Can the secular world see a difference in our daily lives; in the living out of our faith? Hijacked! Idols in Disguise explores the snares that have mesmerized and captivated Western Christians. Consider what redemption would look like if our choices were imbued by a concern for Kingdom values; contrition, confession, repentance, and reconciliation leads to spiritual healing and renews our faith commitment to Christ. Meet the Idol Slayer and join in the journey to breaking the strongholds, to falling in love with God again; standing firm in faith, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God by example and love.

Anything or anyone is a potential idol the moment our affection is diverted from God. Deep down, none of us desire to suffer bondage or intentionally act against the will of God. To avert the danger of something or someone becoming an idol, and to fight any idol that besets us, we must resist that object of our obsession and put it in its rightful place. As idolatry has engulfed us, are we, Western Christians ready to stand in Christ in the face of increasing hostility towards Christianity? Can the secular world see a difference in our daily lives; in the living out of our faith? Hijacked! Idols in Disguise explores the snares that have mesmerized and captivated Western Christians. Consider what redemption would look like if our choices were imbued by a concern for Kingdom values; contrition, confession, repentance, and reconciliation leads to spiritual healing and renews our faith commitment to Christ. Meet the Idol Slayer and join in the journey to breaking the strongholds, to falling in love with God again; standing firm in faith, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God by example and love.

Jenica has her life planned out. Study abroad in China for a year, complete her degree in international studies, then maybe become a professor. What Jenica doesn't foresee is Woon. Maybe he’s good-looking and sweet, but from the moment they meet it’s obvious he’s in trouble, and Jenica doesn’t do trouble. If only his face isn't plastered all over billboards, magazines, and every television in the whole of China, she might be able to forget him. It’s not until they meet again that Jenica realizes her position as a civilian makes her the best person to help Woon out of trouble. Now Jenica’s forced to make a choice. Focus on her studies and leave Woon behind, or take a risk for once—and maybe find love along the way.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

The City of Towers launches a brand new novel line set in the world of Eberron, Wizards of the Coast’s newest D&D® campaign setting. Author Keith Baker’s proposal for the exciting world of Eberron was chosen from 11,000 submissions, and he is the co-author of the Eberron Campaign Setting, the RPG product that launched the setting. The Eberron world will continue to grow through new roleplaying game products, novels, miniatures, and electronic games. AUTHOR BIO: Keith Baker is a freelance writer and game designer. In 2003 his proposal for the world of Eberron was selected as the winner in the Wizards of the Coast fantasy setting search. From the Paperback edition.

Isaiah is widely considered the deepest, richest, and most theologically significant book in the Old Testament. It is, without question, a profound statement by God about his own sovereignty and majesty spoken through his chosen spokesman, the prophet Isaiah. In this expository commentary on the book of Isaiah, Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., argues that Isaiah imparts a single vision of God throughout all sixty-six chapters. It is a unified, woven whole presenting God's revelation of himself to mankind, breaking through our pretense and clashing "with our intuitive sense of things." Ortlund makes a point of man's uninterest in God and his unfailing inclination to disbelief, and thus the need for God to "interrupt our familiar ways of thinking." The emphasis of this addition to the Preaching the Word series is this: God saves sinners. He saves them willfully and powerfully and needs no help from us, presenting himself in all his unmistakable glory. The message of Isaiah, shown thoroughly and thoughtfully in this commentary, will reignite a passion for the glory of God in the hearts of believers and will present that glory clearly and potently to those who have yet to be brought to saving faith. Part of the Preaching the Word series. Part of the Preaching the Word series.

When Zoom worship emerged in Britain during the COVID lockdown of 2020, Christians quickly turned to an art form, a form of theater, to deliver their worship. It was a quest for immanence, the very thing the Reformation dealt with by the elevation of transcendence. What an intriguing thought: Could John Calvin with his dictum regarding piety have practiced Zoom worship? Served as he was with the principle that the finite cannot contain the infinite, we must admit it looks very unlikely! At least in this Calvin saw eye-to-eye with Erasmus, but what of Luther? He may have been a comfortable Zoom worshiper, with his views that “Religious artworks are neither here nor there” and “We may have them or not as we please.” Little did the church realize that it would be a step back into the past, because “what you permit you promote.” The desire to use images was much more sinister than in Medieval times, as these were now images of ourselves! Regardless of the age, the image reigns supreme. What had caused the demise? Was it bereavement? It could not be bereavement of God; rather, it was the loss of the social, the bereavement of “one another.” The need for “one-anothering” had forced the hand of Christians to turn to a practice completely untested. Zoom worship was born—the genie is out, and will never go back in. But in the face of the now-acceptable force of contemporary narcissism, who cares?

Private Inquisitor Jak Barley needs a break after a string of perilous investigations involving evil viper mages, rampaging dragons, stolen fairy gold and very annoyed assassins. So what could go wrong with helping a kindly old woman find her missing pet wyvern? Plenty. His search takes a deadly turn when it leads him to a secret society and the survivor of an ancient race of malevolent beings. And once again Lorenzo Spasm, a friend who claims to be from an alternative world where magic does not exist, pulls him into a tangle of conspiracies involving a palace coup, deadly magical artifacts and a kidnapping. Luckily for Jak, he also has the aid of his intended, the young witch Morgana.