Remember the road we’ve travelled

vietnamIt is 1979. Minh Trang* is three years old. In the cover of darkness, his family boards a makeshift boat on the coast of Vietnam. The boat is meant to hold 20 but 70 frightened people are crushed together, shoulder to shoulder. It is dangerous in the rickety vessel because it can capsize in a heartbeat. But to suffer at the hands of the communist regime is worse. Minh’s parents decide to risk this flight in the dark.

Thus began more than eight months at sea. Minh has never forgotten that terrifying time. Eventually, after many trials and a circuitous route, his family landed in Canada. They had escaped death but not misery. It was a struggle for Minh’s parents to rebuild their lives. They had been doctors in Vietnam but now in Quebec, they had to be re-qualified as Canadian physicians. There was a quota system for foreigners so both parents struggled as they learned French, worked at menial jobs, took care of the children and laboured towards being certified as doctors.

Minh remembers those difficult years. His parents eventually qualified as doctors and inspired by their perseverance, he too has become a physician. But even as life improved, Minh was searching for something more. He wanted answers to what life was all about.

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Why focus on Egyptian religion? — Insight #2

book-of-deadThis series gives an inside view on the structure of By This Name and how it breaks through confusion in our diverse society, bringing clarity to the message of the gospel.

One of the distinctive features of By This Name is the repeated reference to unique characteristics of ancient Egyptian culture, circa 1500 BC. In a book that is intended to provide a clear understanding of the gospel, that raises the natural question “Why?” Consider the following rationale.

Our target audience includes many in our current generation who conceive of God as an impersonal, abstract force that permeates all of nature. It includes those who believe in a multiplicity of gods and goddesses and those who hold to the idea that every person possesses a certain “god-ness.” It is common to find people creating a custom-designed spirituality that best suits their own interests and needs. Still others reject the concept of God in its entirety or, at least, believe that it is impossible to know for certain whether God exists or not.

For those who hold to any of the above views, the Bible presents some major obstacles. Beginning with the very first verse in Genesis, “In the beginning God…” the reader is confronted with the assumption that God exists and this God is seen “in action” in the succeeding pages.

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Give more meaning to your money

phone-seminarMike and MaryAnn were a couple in their 40s who through hard work had accumulated some financial security that allowed them to live a pleasant lifestyle.

Writing a Will had never been a high priority for Mike and MaryAnn. They had never had children, so knowing that if one of them died, the other would inherit the assets was comfort enough for them.

But then one of their favourite charities suggested they meet with a representative from ADVISORS with Purpose. They were encouraged to consider how the assets they were accumulating could take on more meaning both now and after their deaths.

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This one makes sense!

wheelchairLorna* had been bedridden for years. The cold walls of hospitals and nursing homes were all too familiar to her as she lived day after day in a routine of doctor visits and prescriptions. Lorna’s fragile health was the result of years of physical abuse from multiple men in her life and teenage alcoholism. Lorna had come from a traditionally religious background, but she knew so little about hope and freedom. And with few friends and a family who didn’t bother visiting her, each passing day accentuated her loneliness and isolation. She felt like a prisoner in her wheelchair.

Belinda first met Lorna when she was a caregiver in her home. Belinda’s heart broke over Lorna and she did what she could for the older woman but they lost touch soon after. Belinda continued to pray that salvation would come to Lorna and her family and hoped that one day they would reconnect.

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Video preview for “By This Name” Interactive Edition

We live in a world where spirituality is in and the Bible is out.  God is anything we make him out to be and a growing majority believes that he is nothing more than an impersonal force.

Utilizing a seldom used, but solidly biblical method, By This Name powerfully sets apart the God of the Bible from all other forms of spirituality, all the while answering two questions: “Who is Jesus?” and “What are the cross and tomb all about?” It establishes the authority of Scripture and gently compares the biblical worldview to other worldviews in an objective, non-arm-twisting way.

 Supplement your reading by watching video clips accessible via the web and DVD.

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Preacher, can you help me?

Car wreck

It was a warm Sunday in late fall. The church service was over, and Pastor Sam,* his wife Karen, and their seven children enjoyed some time of fellowship with their friends before piling into the van. Sixteen-year-old Andrew hopped into the driver’s seat of the big 15-passenger van, and Pastor Sam settled into the front passenger seat. They only lived a few miles from church, but every little bit of driving practice was good experience for Andrew. Once Karen and the children were settled in, Andrew drove out of the parking lot and onto the highway. It was little Stephanie’s fourth birthday, and they were looking forward to an afternoon party at home with family and friends.

One moment there were the happy sounds of the children talking, then CRASH! The deafening screech of tires was followed instantly by the sickening sound of crunching metal. The children erupted in screams. Sam was disoriented but regained his senses quickly. Glancing back, he was shocked to discover the front of a black pickup actually in the van! It had smashed through the two rear doors.

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Why use the name YAHWEH? — Insight #1

YHWH

This series gives an inside view on the structure of By This Name and how it breaks through confusion in our diverse society, bringing clarity to the message of the gospel.

One of the major distinctives of By This Name is the use of a unique name—Yahweh—in reference to God. It is the name by which God identified himself to Moses in Exodus 3:1-15. So, why does By This Name give a special emphasis to using this name?

First, a bit of background. It is important to understand that the Hebrew word Elohim—translated “God” in English—is a generic term that encompasses all gods, including such pagan gods as those found in Egypt (Exodus 12:12) and other nations (Psalm 96:5). Even Satan himself is referred to as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). All of these gods may also be referred to by another generic Hebrew term—Adonai, meaning lord or master.

There are plenty of contemporary illustrations, as well. In India, for example, there are an immense number of gods and goddesses—some say as many as 330 million, though others would say that each is a manifestation of one Ultimate Reality. Some of these gods are also referred to as lords, e.g., Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, etc.

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They grabbed on to each truth

Chlldren reading The LambStephen and Geraldine* wanted to share their testimony. They wrote us the following email as an encouragement to other families who are going through, or have gone through similar circumstances:

Our family has been so richly blessed by The Lamb. We have been through the book several times with our children and have been excited to see how well they have grasped the gospel at a very early age. My wife and I have also been challenged to reconsider how well we grasped the gospel ourselves and how we can better teach it to others.

However, last year the rubber really met the road when we were faced with the tragic loss of our unborn child 19 weeks into the pregnancy. At that time our children were five, three, two and one years old.

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TERM Seminar: I realized how much the world really has changed

TERM Seminar in Coeur d'Alene, ID

I realized how much the world really has changed… we really can’t just assume people are biblically literate—even those who attend our church every week. I’m going to talk to church leadership about how we can use these tools for outreach… and also with everyone who is already in our church.” – Fletcher, 2015 TERM participant

Fletcher was enthusiastic as he shared with us his evangelism plans. Having finished the one-day TERM Seminar in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, he had caught the vision of how it was possible for an ordinary believer like himself to reach the people in his community with the gospel. He had come to see that in today’s world, believers needed to rethink how to share the unchanging gospel in a way that makes sense to people with little or no knowledge about the Bible.

Fletcher was among 100 attendees who were at the first of our seven seminars being held across the USA this fall. Some of the participants lived right in town. Others came from as far away as Libby, Montana and Seattle, Washington. But the ones who travelled the farthest were those of a church group from British Columbia, Canada!

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