Books published by Resource Publications (CA)

Philip Andrews arrives on the mission field with outwardly impeccable credentials. He's a preacher's kid and a lifelong evangelical Protestant who has been recruited to teach the seventh and eighth grade children of missionaries in the Philippines. What none of the missionaries who welcome him to Ilusan know is that he's also been expelled from Bible college for his relationship with the daughter of a prominent evangelist. Despite his shoulder-length hair, which causes him to be mistaken for both a woman and Jesus before he's been at the mission center for twenty-four hours, Philip's easy-going charm and skill at speaking "evangelicalese" soon win him a following, especially among the school children. But is Philip a bad seed, a wolf in sheep's clothing? Or is he an earnest seeker simply trying to find his way? Before this hilarious novel, which one evangelical literary agent said would never be published, reaches its shocking conclusion, every missionary at Ilusan and Philip himself will have to answer that question.

Most Evangelical Christians only know and thoroughly believe the traditional doctrine of eternal torment in Hell for the lost and eternal bliss in Heaven for the saved. As a result, they neglect scores of Bible verses with that provide an alternative teaching. This book veers from some long-held assumptions while reinforcing others, as it humbly attempts to discover the truth of what the Bible teaches about the hereafter. Written for the serious layman, scripturally founded clergy, and open-minded scholar, Dead Soul Syndrome provides wisdom and thought-provoking insight for those interested in thinking anew about heaven and hell.

""Revelation is sooo complicated!"" Wait a minute! If a Jewish fisherman understood what his Rabbi showed him, then it shouldn't be hard for us, either. We just need his tools. Fortunately, God left them for us in the same place John found them: the Bible.This Primer uses the rest of the Bible to explain Revelation in plain language. We've banned the big words professors use. We've thrown out their multi-part sentences, and we don't waste time explaining why we disagree with somebody. Instead, we try to let the text speak for itself.When you read this Primer, you'll see that it was written for you with great respect for God's word. By the way, Revelation isn't that complicated. After all, it's ""the revealing of Jesus Christ.""

More than at any time in the past, today's evangelicals struggle to understand what the essence of the Christian faith really is. The basic teachings of Jesus Christ have been lost in many pulpits and have been replaced with feel good doctrines foreign to God's Word. Christians who want to defend their faith must first have a basic understanding of what it is and how to support it with Scriptural proofs. This book assembles the fundamentals of the Christian religion in an easy-to-read, question-and-answer format. Whether you are continuing your pursuit of biblical knowledge or just beginning, this little instructional book will go a long way toward achieving your goal.

The Gospel of Mark has long been regarded as "The Gospel of Action." It contains more miracles and supernatural phenomena than Matthew, Luke, or John. In fact, a third of Mark's Gospel is centered on the miraculous deeds of Jesus. Mark is clearly more concerned with what Jesus did than with what He said. From the vision that Jesus experienced at His baptism to the supernatural events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection, Dr. Spell will take the reader on a journey of exploration through the pages of Mark's Gospel. The miracles of Jesus are as profoundly important for us today as they were for those who experienced them. This study will help to guide readers in finding insights for their own lives.

For centuries Christians believed that God granted humanity dominion over the animal kingdom, meaning that we had a moral right to kill, manage, and eat animals including wildlife. Recently, however, environmental and animal rights activists have assaulted this traditional perspective. They argue that dominion as expressed in meat eating and hunting has resulted in species extinction and environmental degradation. Christian Animal Rights (CAR) activists suggest that the church must reevaluate its traditional beliefs in light of the fact that God's original creation was free of human on animal violence. God, they argue, did not want man's dominion to be expressed through trapping, killing, and eating of animals. These violent activities only came about after the Fall, as God condescended to our hardness of heart. CAR activists point to Christ's sacrificial work of reconciliation as a model for modern Christian behavior: as Christ sacrificed for us, we should avoid eating meat and hunting as ways we can participate in Christ's non-violent work of reconciling creation to himself. In this book, Stephen Vantassel investigates the biblical, ethical, and scientific arguments employed by the CAR movement concerning human-wildlife relations. In this regard, the book engages in practical theology by addressing several important questions: How should Christians treat our wildlife neighbors? Has the Church been wrong in its understanding of human dominion? Does God want Christians to avoid hunting, trapping, fishing, and adopt a vegetarian lifestyle? This book provides answers to these questions by detailing a theology the author calls, ""Shepherdism.""

The book is organized into three divisions, and as the title implies, there is a brief letter in the form of a New Testament epistle to the contemporary church, a portion of which begins each chapter. The first division reexamines the gifts and redemptive possibilities of anger and conflict. The barriers to healthy anger-conflict are considered and addressed. In the second, attention is given to conflicts surrounding the Bible. There is a chapter on conflict and reconciliation in the Bible, followed by suggestions on how people who read the Bible differently from each other can resolve some of those differences. Consideration is also given to discovering biblical priorities for the contemporary church. The third division offers "vistas of change and reconciliation." Parables of hope and promise are provided. Insights from the studies of persons and communities as well as ethics and theology are summarized. There is reflection on those unresolved conflicts that continue in spite of our best efforts. Then moral imagination is engaged to visualize the opportunities for a church that moves beyond its present stalemates.

A Time To Be Deborah is a study of the Biblical Book of Judges focusing on the account of the prophetess Deborah and the Israelite military general, Barak. It is a political and historical work that compares and contrasts today's American political scene with that of the Israelites, circa 1200 B.C., complete with pointed commentary and detailed statistics of the day.This book is a call to arms intended for contemporary Christian women supporting a need for education, activism, and a return to Christian values in our nation. Further, it is a plea for obedience to God's laws and commands coupled with a faithful desire for deliverance.This book reiterates a timeless warning that is as sobering in twenty-first century America as it was in twelfth century B.C. Israel. That warning may very easily herald the removal of God's hand from this land if historical lessons learned are not now applied. Do not consider entering the voting booth without assimilating this information and committing yourself to the prevention of the demise of this great land.

In Lost but Making Excellent Time, Jody Seymour reminds readers that the ways and pace of our fast-track world lead to a place where we discover that we are traveling at breakneck speed but that our spirits are being left behind. Seymour uses prose and poetry to reclaim the ancient cycle of the Christian year as a new way to slow down and discover who we really are. The Christian year becomes a kind of compass to be used so that travelers through our rat-race existence can become aware that we are really fashioned by a Master Hand not to be tourists but pilgrims. The words of this book can become a kind of ""pilgrim's guide"" to keep readers from being lost while making excellent time.

Description:Relationships in their comic and dramatic variety are at the core of this collection of what playwright Victor L. Cahn calls ""chamber plays."" All dramatize relationships between two people: sometimes to find love, sometimes to find self-assurance or power. All are also distinguished by an elegant wit and stylistic sophistication that makes these works literary as well as theatrical delights.Endorsements:About ROSES IN DECEMBER:""Cahn serves up something of a bona fide thriller along with the genuinely wise psychological insights that lie at the heart of ROSES IN DECEMBER, keeping us riveted until the final word has been read.""--nytheatre.comAbout BOTTOM OF THE NINTH:""This is a beautifully written and crafted miniature . . . Rarely have beer and peanuts been so well deserved."" --Clive Barnes, The New York PostAbout SHERLOCK SOLO:"". . . brilliantly acted, exceptionally written, and engages the intellect from start to finish."" --New Theater CorpsAbout the Contributor(s):Victor L. Cahn is Professor of English at Skidmore College. His scripts have been presented Off Broadway and throughout the Capital Region of New York. He has also the author of several books on Shakespeare, critical studies of Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard, and the forthcoming memoir, Classroom Virtuoso: Recollections of a life in Learning.

When Paul came to Corinth he found a culture emerging from the ashes of Roman power. As Julius Caesar rebuilt the fallen city he brought Roman culture to this Greek community. Likewise, Paul's message of salvation in Jesus rebuilt the fallen lives of people dominated by a culture of power. This power was displayed in violence, discrimination, sexuality, and spirituality. As this city emerged from the ashes of humiliation the church emerged, by God's hand, from of the humiliation of Jesus and the cross.Today the church emerges in a culture of power, humiliation, and fear. Paul's challenge for the church is to be mature and practice unconditional love. This love is permanent. This love develops and empowers others. This love causes us to be in relationship with God and others. Through this love God's people see face to face. The church can emerge to radiate love, peace, and empowerment.

The shadow of eternity looms over the mind and heart of every reflective Christian. Amidst the constant demands, pressures, and uncertainties of the present world, how necessary it is that the one who knows Jesus Christ be focused on the eternal state and on preparation for that certain future? And yet, how difficult it is to compile all that Scripture says about heaven into a harmonious blend with the ethical and spiritual preparation necessary for the best enjoyment of that great hope.In I to I, Louis Igou Hodges envisions a future context to draw together the various strands of biblical teaching regarding eternity. As he describes heaven from the perspective of a settled, glorified inhabitant, he places himself at the same point where every person will most certainly be one day. This glorified inhabitant describes the experiences of seeing prophecy fulfilled, enduring the Judgment Seat of Christ, and adjusting to life in the new heavens and the new earth.A careful and reflective reading of this book ought to produce a paradigm shift in one's thinking, and should produce a transformation of the reader's values and goals. It ought to motivate the faithful reader to begin to lay up treasures in heaven, to use earthly resources to heavenly advantage, and to walk in such a way that he will hear His Master's, ""Well done, good and faithful servant.""

Success in today's business environment may seem difficult or elusive for those who desire to conduct themselves with integrity. To be genuinely successful, you need more than just talent; you need wisdom that can help conquer any situation or problem that comes your way. But wisdom that brings us real success is not worldly wisdom; we need godly wisdom to succeed in all aspects of our lives. Unlike success, godly wisdom is not elusive; it is readily accessible through prayer and God's written Word. In the Bible, a treasure trove of godly wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs. Solomon Was a Businessman examines the wisdom of those proverbs from a business perspective and presents devotionals that enlighten and encourage. Written by business professionals and based on real-life experiences, this book can be read over and over to reveal new treasures of godly wisdom as your life experiences and spiritual needs change.

In All the Evidence You Will Ever Need scientist Paul Baba expounds on numerous areas of evidence that support the concept of a Creator of the universe, the Bible as a document given to mankind by the Creator, and the process that the Bible teaches as the way to eternal life in Heaven.The purpose of the book is to reach non-believers and seekers with a rationale for the gospel. The book will also be useful in college classes, youth groups, study groups, and Sunday School classes. It will be especially important to parents of students who encounter teachers and professors who seek to undermine faith in a Creator. There are key chapters on the problems with evolution, the case for the Bible as God's word, fulfilled prophecy, the basics of Christianity, transformed lives, and a number of other areas of evidence to support faith.

J. R. O'Neill draws on his experience growing up in an alcoholic family and on his more recent journey through the dark valley of depression to create poetic portraits for psychospiritual growth and maturity. These sanctified memories--together with many other spirit-captivating encounters with God in biblical stories, nature, and community--make this a good read for anyone interested in feeding the soul, and especially for those lost in or emerging from the shadows of depression or addiction.

Description: Coming Out of Egypt is an exodus out of idolatry-the idolatry of ancient Egypt and the idolatry that permeates the church today. Its goal is to make the exodus come alive for the reader-not to just read about the exodus but to experience the exodus, not to just read about the Passover but to experience the Passover, to catapult the reader back through time like a time traveler entering a time portal. The goal of Coming Out of Egypt is to experience redemption, not just to read about redemption, to experience redemption from Pharaoh at the Reed Sea, and witness Yeshua's resurrection. About the Contributor(s): I, the Narrator, belong to the vast crowd known as the mixed multitude. Although I am of Jewish descent, my family assimilated into Christianity many years ago, possibly due to persecution. My ancestors came to the U.S. from northern Germany, the place many Jews settled when they fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. The Jewish blood that flows in my veins, mixed with the blood of the nations, is the blood of Aaron the Kohen (high priest), from the household of Levi. The mixed multitude that followed Moses out of Egypt was partially made up of people like me. Those who have been assimilated may not be able to trace their roots, but they know who they are. Like Richard Dreyfuss in the movie Close Encounters, they are being drawn by the Unseen Force to the Mt. of G-d for a particular purpose. The L-rd G-d, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, ""Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered"" (Isaiah 56:8).

A basic question in philosophy is, ""how do we know what we think we know? Constructivists answer this question as follows: categories for constructing reality reside in the human mind, so reality cannot escape the mind's limitations. Human beings constantly assimilate new knowledge and experience.Constructivists apply the same logic to the question of truth. What we claim to be true is always provisional. New information and breakthroughs may supplant what we presently hold to be true. Ultimate or absolute truth is unknowable.In The Flipside of Godspeak, John Crosby applies the principles of philosophical and theological constructivism to theistic belief. The idea of God is a constructed idea.We come to think that we know there is a God because we have internalized stories, images, and historical accounts passed on to us by people with authority.In these pages, however, and without reference to an authoritarian deity, Crosby considers questions of ethics and morality. An ethic of eudaemonism or ""well-being is posited to be based on the principles of equality, honesty, and responsibility to self and others. Implications of the meaning and purpose of human existence are considered from the existential perspective, that is, from the viewpoint that we oursleves invent, create, and construct meaning.

DIVINE DISCLOSUREBy Robert Paul RothTable of Contents1. Sounds and Silence, Colors, Touch, and Fragrance2. The Sinking Sadness of Death3. Power and Pain4. Time For, Place Where5. And Gladly Wolde He Lerne and Gladly Teche6. Paradox and Contradiction7. A Water Droplet Yearning8. Two Loves9. God Calling Yet10. Ad Futurum et Mysterium

Two issues in particular engaged me [when studying in seminary and graduate school]. Did God, the sovereign covenant Lord, actually communicate with men in human language? And did this Lord actually enable men to infallibly record in writing what he had made known to them? . . . The result was that I increasingly realized that unless I had confidence that the Scriptures were authentic, authoritative, and wholly reliable I would not have the certainty and conviction needed for preaching and teaching truths that I and all other sinful persons required for the assurance of the forgiveness of sin, salvation and God-honoring service. This book is, in a real sense, my answer to the questions I wrestled with initially. It is a testimony to the assurance and peace I had as I taught in Christian educational institutions. --from the Preface

The author would take his readers on a ride from the Self-Revelation of the I-AM that the Lord God is with Moses, through King David, to the I-AM of the Messiah of Israel and of the Incarnation, and to the I-AM of the Dogma of the Church as the People of God. It is argued that the Grace and Truth of the Lord God cannot rightly be grasped in all of their depth in the world without becoming able to integrate both the continuity and the discontinuities of this Revelation with us, even in our own times.

Portfolio of Painterly Poems: A Pilgrim's Path to God is a collection of poems in a variety of forms that are informed by an artist's eye. Beauty is a lens. Color is sacramental. These poems will appeal to reflective people who feel certain that there are many paths to God, including aesthetic hikes with vistas of beauty and insight. These poems are celebratory without being saccharine and religious without being didactic. While this book is not a self-help manual, it contains hints of hope and healing, glimpses of the good and sightings of spiritual strength.

Prison is a strange land, a land of deep heartache and sadness. Over two million people are serving prison time in America. Millions more are carrying the mark of prison as those who were formerly incarcerated, including large numbers of men and women who have been released on parole. In the midst of such human misery, when ""loosened tongues"" are freed to sing of God's redemptive love, grief is diminished and the prison loses its power.

DO YOU NEED A LIFE COACH?U.S. President Thomas Jefferson did--he called Jesus' teaching:The most sublime Code of Morals ever offered to Man.""This dynamic book echoes Jefferson's sentiment, and coaches its readers by examining fifty core sayings of Jesus, authenticated by the scholars of the Jesus Seminar. This selection reveals the forceful theme of his original teaching. Each saying is carefully considered and then arranged in a unique order to clarify his positive challenge. In every age, followers have followed Jesus' coaching, working for the Good Society which, he asserted, is created by God's loving will. His grassroots approach to personal and social reform is compared with the failed social and political philosophies of our day. The author, Peter Watson Jenkins, has thoughtfully picked the fruits of modern scholarship, making them available for all to ponder, enjoy, and adopt, as Jesus' authentic coaching. He explains how his life as a student changed when, after reading Jesus' authentic message for himself, he chose Jesus as the coach"" for his lifelong marathon.Training for the Marathon of Life is not just a Bible study; it's a call to action--an invitation for us all to play our part in creating the Good Society. This engaging book is designed both for people who have never committed themselves to the church view of Jesus, and also for those who have gladly done so. It will encourage debate by young and old, and inspire great, action-packed sermons, too!