Never in the history of the church has there been greater opportunity and greater ability to fully engage each catastrophe God brings. God is moving in the world in amazing ways. He determines the times and places of the nations and peoples of the earth. If God is the initiator of global disasters and wars and they are not random and purposeless acts, we should try to understand why they might be happening rather than ignore or oppose them.

"If Howard Bloom is only ten percent right, we'll have to drastically revise our notions of the universe through the contagious joy of a great mind set loose on the biggest intellectual puzzles humans have ever faced. Whether you're a scientist or hyper-curious layperson, Bloom's argument will rock your world."-Barbara Ehrenreich on Howard Bloom's The God Problem Osama bin Laden called Mohammad "a Prophet of Conquest." Pakistan's Universal Sunnah Foundation brags that under Mohammad's battlefield leadership, "Islam spread an average of 317 square miles per day." Right now ISIS, al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Supreme Leader of Iran know that Islam toppled two of the biggest superpowers in history-Rome and Persia-then took over two-thirds of the inhabited world. Militant Muslims believe that Islam is on the brink of doing it again. The Muhammad Code: How a Desert Prophet Brought You ISIS, al Qaeda, and Boko Haram lays bare the origins of this profoundly dangerous belief. Many contemporary thinkers excuse Islamic violence as a legitimate reaction to Western imperialism. They blame America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the establishment of Israel in 1948. But Jihad was invented in 624 AD by the only prophet ever to call himself "The Prophet of War." And that prophet was not responding to "legitimate grievances," but an ambition for world conquest.

Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill, and it distracts us from the very life we wish we were living. But it doesn't have to be this way. In The More of Less, Joshua Becker helps you: recognize the life-giving benefits of owning lessrealize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreamscraft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and lifeexperience the joys of generositylearn why the best part of minimalism isn't a clean house; it's a full life It's time to own your possessions instead of letting them own you. After all, the beauty of minimalism isn't in what it takes away. It's in what it gives.

"Incredibly rich with wisdom and insight that will leave the reader, whether single or married, feeling uplifted."- The Washington Times Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone-Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged-the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible. Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but merely for now; and that starting over after a divorce is the best solution to seemingly intractable marriage issues. But these modern-day assumptions are wrong. Timothy Keller, with insights from Kathy, his wife of 37 years, shows marriage to be a glorious relationship that is also misunderstood and mysterious.=650 \4

A major new account of the most intensely creative years of Luther's career The Making of Martin Luther takes a provocative look at the intellectual emergence of one of the most original and influential minds of the sixteenth century. Richard Rex traces how, in a concentrated burst of creative energy in the few years surrounding his excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1521, this lecturer at an obscure German university developed a startling new interpretation of the Christian faith that brought to an end the dominance of the Catholic Church in Europe. Luther's personal psychology and cultural context played their parts in the whirlwind of change he unleashed. But for the man himself, it was always about the ideas, the truth, and the Gospel. Focusing on the most intensely important years of Luther's career, Rex teases out the threads of his often paradoxical and counterintuitive ideas from the tangled thickets of his writings, explaining their significance, their interconnections, and the astonishing appeal they so rapidly developed. Yet Rex also sets these ideas firmly in the context of Luther's personal life, the cultural landscape that shaped him, and the traditions of medieval Catholic thought from which his ideas burst forth. Lucidly argued and elegantly written, The Making of Martin Luther is a splendid work of intellectual history that renders Luther's earthshaking yet sometimes challenging ideas accessible to a new generation of readers. Author bio: Richard Rex is professor of Reformation history at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Queens' College. His books include Tudors: The Illustrated History and Henry VIII and the English Reformation. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Cutting through all the white noise, chatter, and superficiality our cell phones and social media cause, one of Tibet's highest and most respected spiritual leaders offers simple and practical advice to help us increase our attentions spans, become better listeners, and strive to appreciate the people around us.In a world of iPhones and connectivity to social media and email, we are all in constant connection with one another. Then why are so many people feeling burned out, distant from colleagues, and abandoned by family and friends? In this new book from the bestselling author of Running with the Mind of Meditation, the Sakyong uses the basic principles of the Shambhala tradition--meditation and a sincere belief in the inherent wisdom, compassion, and courage of all beings--to help readers to listen and speak more mindfuly with loved ones, co-workers, strangers, and even ourselves. In this easy to understand and helpful book, Sakyong Mipham provides inspiring ideas and practical tips on how to be more present in your day-to-day life, helping us to communicate in ways that elevates the dignity of everyone involved. Great for families, employees and employers and everyone who spend too much time on Facebook, Instragram, and feel "disconnected" in our "connected" world, Good Conversation is a journey back to basics.

The tale of friendship between two people, one Israeli and one Palestinian, that symbolizes the hope for peace in the Middle East. "Makes an incredibly complicated topic comprehensible."— School Library Journal In 1967, a twenty-five-year-old refugee named Bashir Khairi traveled from the Palestinian hill town of Ramallah to Ramla, Israel, with a goal: to see the beloved stone house with the lemon tree in its backyard that he and his family had been forced to leave nineteen years earlier. When he arrived, he was greeted by one of its new residents: Dalia Eshkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student whose family had fled Europe following the Holocaust. She had lived in that house since she was eleven months old. On the stoop of this shared house, Dalia and Bashir began a surprising friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and later tested as political tensions ran high and Israelis and Palestinians each asserted their own right to live on this land. Adapted from the award-winning adult book and based on Sandy Tolan's extensive research and reporting, The Lemon Tree is a deeply personal story of two people seeking hope, transformation, and home.

A gifted storyteller and historian and a member of the Sicunga Lakota Sioux, Joseph M. Marshall III, has dedicated his entire life to spiritual fulfillment and to teaching others the essence of Lakota wisdom. In The Lakota Way , Marshall shares his own story and many others imparting the wisdom of the Lakota culture. These stories express the heart of his Native American philosophy and the twelve core qualities that are crucial to the Lakota way of living: bravery, fortitude, generosity, wisdom, respect, honor, perseverance, love, humility, sacrifice, truth, and compassion. Rich with storytelling, history, and folklore, The Lakota Way offers a fresh and compelling outlook on spiritual and ethical living.

In The Knowledge Seeker, Blair Stonechild shares his own sixty-year journey of learning--from residential school to PhD and beyond--looking all the while to find a place for Indigenous spirituality in the classroom. Encouraged by an Elder who insisted sacred information be written down, Stonechild explores the underlying philosophy of his people's teachings to demonstrate that Indigenous spirituality can speak to our urgent, contemporary concerns.