2019 | CLC Publications

Navigating Noel [Giveaway]

December 11, 2019/0 Comments/in News, Recommendations /by Marcia Hartman

For many, celebrating the holidays surrounded by family and friends is the highlight of the season. While our relatives have their charms, they can also have their challenges. The reality is that we are still sinners underneath the tinsel and wrapping paper. In the midst of all of that good cheer there will also be bitterness, brokenness, and addiction, which can lead to hurtful comments and behaviors.

As you prepare for the holidays, include these CLC Publications on your “To Read” list to help you minister to those around you who are in pain—or causing it.

Stop Your Complaining: From Grumbling To Gratitude
by Ronnie Martin

We whine. We nag. We complain about practically everything. Stop Your Complaining boldly dissects this oft-overlooked and all too familiar sin. Ronnie Martin references stories of the Bible, like the Old Testament grumblings of the Israelites, and adds a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor to explain how Christians can trade an attitude of grumbling for one of gratitude. Stop Your Complaining teaches that God’s grace and his word will radically change what we feel in our hearts and say with our mouths.

Too Blessed To Say Yes: When The American Dream Keeps Us From Surrendering To God
by Jenny Day Jones

Material blessings often prevent us from saying “yes” to what God wants. With flair and authenticity, Jenny Day Jones shows how realizing this truth completely transformed her family. Through studies of the Beatitudes and the Rich Young Ruler, as well as personal narratives, Jones reveals how we can put aside ourselves and live a life defined only by God’s grace.

Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue
by Matthew C. Mitchell

Hey, have you heard about… Gossip. It’s on Facebook, on the television, in the break room, and even in our churches. With gossip being so prevalent in our culture, it can be hard to resist listening to and sharing stories about other people’s business. But what does God say about gossip? And is it possible to follow his instructions? In Resisting Gossip Pastor Matt Mitchell not only outlines the scriptural warnings against gossip, but also demonstrates how the truth of the gospel can deliver believers from this temptation.

Crossing The Jordan: Living Victoriously in Difficult Relationships
by Diane Hunt

Do you seem to always be in a bad mood? Has someone sinned against you? Is your loved one struggling with addiction? Just like the Jordan River prevented the Israelites from entering the promised land of milk and honey, obstacles in your life—including your own attitude—may be keeping you from living in Christ’s full victory. This workbook targets key heart issues and is designed to be completed in fourteen to sixteen weeks. If you diligently apply these biblical concepts and seek the illumination of the Holy Spirit, Crossing the Jordan will change you, renew you and help you grow.

Why Is This Happening To Me? How God Brings Blessing From Our Pain
by Wayne Monbleau

Why are some people able to transcend the most terrible of circumstances while others seem overwhelmed by lesser troubles? How do some seem to gain new strength from their adversities while others fall into deep bitterness as a result of their suffering? Wayne Monbleau faces the issue of suffering and dares us to see it afresh. Trials, he writes, can actually be God’s means of lifting us into a higher life. But ourresponse to suffering determines its outcome. Will we find courage to accept God’s method of growth in our lives? Addressing issues that often frustrate or discourage us, Monbleau uses stories and keen biblical insight to convey the message that God intends life to come out of death. If we allow Him, He will take our wounds and use them for healing; both for us and for others.

Giveaway

Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media for a chance to win a copy of all five of our “Navigating Noel” book recommendations! The contest runs through Wednesday, December 18. The winner will be announced on December 20.

Put Life Into Someone’s Hands

November 21, 2019/0 Comments/in News, Uncategorized /by CLC Pub Staff

The CLC phone rang, and Mary explained that she wanted to order a book from us. She was replacing a book that someone had borrowed from her but hadn’t returned. CLC representative Marcia told her that God has a way of putting books into the hands of people who need them, and although she was out a book, the person who borrowed it may now have a changed life because of it.

“Let me tell you a story about God putting a book into my hands and how it changed me!” Mary replied with excitement.

Several years back, Mary and her husband were putting their dairy farm on the market and had chosen a real estate agent to handle the sale. He was a committed Christian and made it a practice of giving a Bible to all of his clients.

“When he asked me if I was open to receiving one,” Mary continued, “I agreed to it, although I had never had a Bible before.” Mary said that she began to read that Bible, which led her to a relationship with Christ. Three years later her husband, too, was saved!

Mary was choked with emotion as she talked about the Bible that had been placed into her hands and the difference that it made in her life. She said, “You probably hear stories like this all the time; you’ll never know the importance of what you do.”

What a wonderful reminder that you and I can put life into someone’s hands today. As we come into the holiday season, will you consider how you can give a Christian book or Bible to someone in your life? A family member or friend? A business associate or customer? Maybe an international student or someone who is a visitor to our country.

We’d love to take your call and help you change someone’s eternity!

‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’
Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.

Luke 15: 6-7 The Message

Las 7 Llagas de Cristo (The Seven Wounds of Christ) – An Excerpt

October 27, 2019/0 Comments/in Recommendations /by CLC Pub Staff

Las 7 Llagas de Cristo por Fred Hartley

Zona cero: El lugar en la superficie de la tierra por encima y por debajo donde impacta una bomba nuclear. El punto central de una idea con cambios acelerados o de actividad intensa.

La cruz de Cristo indica la zona cero para todo el género humano, a lo largo de la historia de la humanidad. Los sufrimientos de Jesús, cuando Él recorrió la Vía Dolorosa, el camino del dolor, hasta el lugar de su crucifixión, formaron una explosión nuclear de proporciones épicas e impactaron todo por encima de la cruz y por debajo de ella: la justicia y la misericordia de Dios por encima, y las desesperadas heridas de la humanidad por debajo. Recorreremos en este libro los lugares donde se produjeron las 7 llagas de Cristo y descubriremos la obra explosiva de Cristo que no destruye, sino que sana a las personas heridas, que han sufrido un trato despiadado. La combinación de las heridas de Cristo constituye el punto central de la redención que produce el cambio de vida más acelerado y la más intensa actividad de sanidad en cualquier parte del planeta.

Reconozcámoslo: estamos heridos y nos desangramos. Cada uno de nosotros hemos recorrido nuestra propia vía dolorosa y tenemos nuestras propias formas de enfrentar el sufrimiento, aunque las heridas nos lleguen de maneras despiadadas e inesperadas —ya sea de tipo financiero, emocional, matrimonial, moral o físico—. Algunos de nosotros nos rascamos obsesivamente las costras solo para hacerlas sangrar nuevamente, mientras que otros tratamos de apartar la mirada en señal de negación. Tal como escribió sabiamente C.S. Lewis: “El dolor insiste en ser atendido. Dios nos susurra en nuestros placeres, nos habla a nuestra conciencia, pero grita en nuestros dolores: que son el megáfono que Él usa para despertar a un mundo sordo”.1 Tenemos que enfrentarnos tarde o temprano a la sinfonía, sin importar cuán mal suene. Las heridas requieren atención.

Siempre es más fácil enfrentar nuestras heridas, cuando sabemos que hay una cura. Las llagas de Jesús hacen justamente eso. Las heridas de Jesús no son para las personas religiosas, sino para los heridos. No hay nada religioso en la cruz. Jesús no fue crucificado en una iglesia entre dos candelabros; Él fue clavado en una cruz que se interponía entre dos ladrones. Por esta razón, este libro no es tanto para las personas religiosas sino para aquellas que están dispuestas a afrontar sus heridas. Las palabras del profeta hebreo Isaías explican bien la verdad sobre las heridas de Jesús que tenían la intención de sanar las nuestras: “Ciertamente El cargó con nuestras enfermedades / y soportó nuestros dolores… Él fue traspasado por nuestras rebeliones, / y molido por nuestras iniquidades”2. Las heridas de Jesús son nuestras heridas, y Sus heridas son para nuestra sanidad. De alguna manera, nuestros caminos de dolor convergen con su camino de dolor, mientras recorremos la Vía Dolorosa. ¡Pero no nos adelantemos! Descubriremos nuestra sanidad a medida que avancemos un paso y una herida a la vez.

No se equivoque: ¡la cruz es un escándalo! Incluso el predicador del primer siglo, Pablo, dijo que predicó “a Cristo crucificado. Este mensaje es motivo de tropiezo [skandalon]”.3 Un skandalon era un trozo de madera móvil que servía de gatillo en una trampa. Era

como un retoño de árbol oculto y doblado que se usaba para atrapar las presas. Aquellos de nosotros que alguna vez nos hemos sentido estafados, engañados y escandalizados en la vida, descubriremos que contamos con un amigo que es Jesús, quien fue víctima del mayor escándalo que alguno de nosotros se pueda imaginar. No importa cuán profundas sean nuestras heridas o cuán agudo sea nuestro dolor, las heridas de Jesús son más profundas.

Este libro nos llevará a un viaje paso a paso a lo largo de la Vía Dolorosa, donde examinaremos cada una de las siete llagas de Jesús en los lugares donde Él las recibió. Comenzaremos nuestra discusión sobre cada llaga con una explicación médica de lo que Jesús experimentó. Sí, una explicación científica realista. Primero queremos comprender cómo era Jesús, como hombre del primer siglo, con el fin de mantener la objetividad de nuestro estudio.

Cada capítulo contiene tres secciones. La primera se titula La entrega de Cristo. Agrupamos con demasiada frecuencia las llagas de Cristo en un solo incidente violento e injusto y, por lo tanto, perdemos el impacto más amplio de su sufrimiento. En realidad, cada una de las heridas de Jesús corresponde a una decisión voluntaria e individual de sometimiento por parte de Cristo. Él se sometió voluntariamente a siete experiencias distintas de dolor extraordinario, cada una con un propósito redentor particular.

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Sobre el autor

Fred Hartley

Fred Hartley es pastor principal en Atlanta, Georgia y Presidente del Colegio de Oración Internacional. Ha escrito veinte libros incluyendo Oración en Fuego y Dios en Fuego. Conducir a la gente a un encuentro con la presencia manifiesta de Cristo es su pasión. También disfruta corer, jugar al golf y pasar tiempo jugando con sus nietos.

Sobre el libro

Las 7 Llagas de Cristo

Fred Hartley comparte cómo las llagas de Cristo en la cruz representan la totalidad de su expiación y cómo cada una corresponde de manera individual a una sanidad obvia en nosotros, en su libro Las 7 llagas de Cristo.

Spanish Bible Project

October 6, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Your purchases at CLC bookshops and online store help us to distribute Bibles, Christian books and resources in 48 countries worldwide. THANK YOU!

However, access to these resources is not as easy in some places as it is in most Western countries. Just try for a moment to imagine your life, and your Christian journey, without a Bible!
There is a huge need for Bibles in a number of Spanish-speaking countries.

At the moment, CLC International is raising funds for the CLC Spanish Bible Project. In particular, there’s a huge need for affordable Bibles in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Spain! These three countries have been severely affected by the economic crisis and/or political and social turmoil. Printing and purchasing even an economic Bible in these countries is often a financial burden, precisely at a time that the Word of God needs to be distributed widely. In particular, CLC is still able to get Christian books and Bibles into Venezuela, which is going from one crisis to another. The time to act is now.

CLC’s Spanish Bible Project that will make the Bible very accessible for everyone. This important project will also help to sustain the CLC ministry in these countries.

Our goal was to print a total of 45,000 economical Bibles in Spanish to promote and facilitate evangelism (20,000 for Venezuela, 5,000 for Bolivia and 20,000 for Spain). The estimated budget for this important and ambitious project, including printing and shipping costs, was $77,000 USD. Praise God with us that about $70,000 has now been raised! We’re so close — less than $7,000 to go!

How can you help? We invite you to pray for this need and then consider helping us by donating to make this project become a reality. Each Bible costs only $1.70 USD. Perhaps you or your church could donate the equivalent of just 1 or 10 or even 1,000 Bibles!

Thank you for helping CLC International spread the Word of God in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Spain!

To learn how to make a donation to this Bible project, please contact us here. You can also give us a call at 215-542-1242

DONATE NOW

The First Temple Child – An excerpt from Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur

September 8, 2019/0 Comments/in News, Recommendations /by CLC Pub Staff

On the sixth day of the month, at evening, the Dohnavur Family meets in the House of Prayer. Any little ones who have joined the Family in the preceding month are brought to the leader of the meeting and dedicated to the Lord, through whose mighty power they have been rescued from an environment in which they could not have grown up pure and good. Then there is a time of prayer for children in danger. In quick succession, but not hastily or carelessly, members of the Family mention the names of temple towns in southern India, and as each name is spoken all join in the petition, “Lord, save the children there!”

Many hundreds have been saved in answer to those prayers, including the great majority of those who take part in them. The custom—but the word sounds far too formal—dates back to January 6, 1905, when it seemed as if Amma’s hopes of saving temple children were fading into nothingness. But it is linked also with an earlier date—March 6, 1901—when the first temple child escaped, and was brought next morning to the bungalow at Pannaivilai.28 She was seven years old when she left the house of the temple woman at Great Lake, crossed the water to Pannaivilai, and was found by a Christian woman outside the church. It was already dusk, and when the woman found that the child came from a temple woman’s house, and that she begged not to be taken back, she took her to her own home for the night. She went hungry to bed because she was a high-caste child and would not break caste by eating the kind woman’s food. Preena—for that is her name—finds it difficult to remember how long she had lived in the temple woman’s house.

Once already she had escaped and made her way to Tuticorin, 138 Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur where her mother lived. But the temple women had followed her, and her mother unloosed her clinging arms and gave her back to them. They branded her little hands with hot irons as a punishment for attempting to escape. Then she gradually understood that she was to be “married to the god,” and though she was too young to appreciate what was involved, and that the training in singing and dancing was the prelude to a life of shame—“deified sin,” as Amma calls it—she knew enough to shrink from it all. Could she find her mother again and persuade her not to send her back? The temple women had tried to scare her with talk of the “child-catching Missie Ammal,” and, in a dim, confused sort of way, perhaps she felt that to be “caught” by her would at least mean escape from the clutches of the temple women. But it was surely her angel who led her first to a Christian woman, and then the next morning to Amma.

After that there was no more to be said. She loved Amma from that moment. Fifty years later, when Amma was with the Lord, she wrote: When I first came it was the early morning of March 7, 1901, about 6:30 a.m. Our precious Ammai was having her morning chota. When she saw me, the first thing she did was to put me on her lap and kiss me. I thought, “My mother used to put me on her lap and kiss me—who is this person who kisses me like my mother?” From that day she became my mother, body and soul. Now the Walkers and Amma, and the Starry Cluster, had been away from Pannaivilai for about a year.

Walker had paid his first visit to the convention of the Reformed Syrian Church in Travancore, while the rest of the family had been spending the whole time in Dohnavur and the surrounding villages. Who planned it that they should return to their old home in Pannaivilai on the very day when Preena took courage and escaped from the temple woman’s house? The devil raged, for this was a child whom he had ensnared, but what would have been his fury if he had known that this incident would lead to the deliverance of hundreds of others, of boys (eventually) as well as girls, and to the establishment of a work whose ultimate value to the cause of Christ in India, and in the world, only God Himself can measure?

Want to read more? Learn more about the life and ministry of Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur

India’s Temple Children

The devadasi system of dedicating young girls like Preena to be used as temple prostitutes was banned by the government of India in 1982 but the practice still occurs today amongst the most vulnerable and impoverished. In the Hindu religion, the only hope for a better life for these women is reincarnation.

Throughout the world, people are experiencing the devastation of abuse and exploitation through sex trafficking, domestic servitude, and forced labor. Reports indicate that human trafficking is a $150 billion dollar industry that holds 40.3 million victims hostage around the world (Polaris Project).

On September 22nd, “Freedom Sunday”, churches around the world will worship and pray to bring an end to human trafficking across the globe. In Jesus Christ, there is hope for a better life now and in eternity for these victims. Amy Carmichael knew that truth and acted on it.

Will you?

Here are some CLC publications that we believe will help you prepare your heart to fight for freedom in Christ for those who are forced to remain silent.

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

-Proverbs 31:8-9 ESV

Sources:

“The Facts.” Polaris, polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/facts.

Healing for Hurting Hearts

A Handbook for Counseling Children and Youth in Crisis The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. – Psalm 34:18 (NLT)

Of the 2.2 billion children in the world, 1.5 billion-two-thirds-are children at risk or in crisis.

The strategies and methods outlined in Healing for Hurting Hearts are imbued with faith in the Healer who mends broken hearts.

Kohila

The Shaping of an Indian Nurse Recounts the shaping of an Indian nurse. No work that is set on following the Crucified escapes the cross. Those who do not weaken on some point of loyalty to Truth find themselves bearing the reproach of Christ.

Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur

Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur tells the powerful testimony of a woman who gave herself unconditionally to Christ and ministry in India.

“We went to see an old lady who was very ill. She had not heard the Gospel before, but was willing and eager to listen… It was cold weather and I had on fur gloves. `What are these?’ she asked, stretching out her hand and touching mine. She was old and ill and easily distracted. I cannot remember whether or not we were able to recall her to what mattered so much more than gloves. But this I do remember. I went home, took off my English clothes, put on my Japanese kimono, and never again, I trust, risked so very much for the sake of so little.”

The Broken Curse

A cruel remark or a biting criticism can become like a curse. It has the power to set the course of your life. But, in Christ, there is freedom from that curse. Tom Elliff knows this from personal experience. In The Broken Curse, he shares his story of personal deliverance, along with God’s “secret” for breaking the curse of words.

Some helpful resources on Human trafficking:

About Freedom Sunday: IJM Freedom Sunday

FAST Freedom Sunday

Recognize Human Trafficking around you: A21’s “Can you See Me”

Never Stop Learning!

August 26, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

It’s back to school time!

Students of all ages are getting ready to head back to school. For some, this might be their last “first day” as they begin a final year of studies, but learning doesn’t need to end at graduation!

Take advantage of the new school year to continue your own biblical education. Check out these CLC Publications that will help you to grow in your knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Check them out!

CLC Bible Companion

Knowing Jesus – who was the man called Jesus? How does He impact my life today? The Bible Book by Book – an overview of each book of the Bible, summarizing key themes, teaching and background.

Bible Teaching – the essential Bible truths on ten key doctrines including God, Jesus Christ and the Church. Discovering God’s Way – practical advice and Bible studies for people wishing to follow Jesus.

Living the Christian Life – how to work out and apply the message of the Bible.

Resources for the Journey – additional aids, as a dictionary of people and places and a guide to key passages. If you’re only going to own one book other than the Bible, this is it.

It’s a one-volume, full-color reference book that walks you through understanding and applying God’s Word!

Blurry

Blurry brings the Bible into focus with easy-to-use reading strategies, charts, and group discussion questions. No insider language. No cryptic diagrams. No theological speeches. Blurry is a straightforward set of first steps that will propel you into a lifetime of reading and enjoying the Bible.

Some Blurry tips for studying The Word:

These Are the Garments

In this careful and penetrating study of the High Priestly Robes of Aaron, C.W. Slemming vividly reveals the Old Testament roots of Christianity with intensely practical application for today’s believers. He uncovers the deep connections between the spiritual significance of the garments, and the High Priestly Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, we compiled some encouraging quotes for you to use and share with your friends. Enjoy!

Lord, refresh me…

August 18, 2019/0 Comments/in News, Recommendations /by CLC Pub Staff

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.

– Jeremiah 31:25

Who can’t relate to the satisfaction of a cold drink on a hot summer day? In Jeremiah 31:25 God promises that He will “refresh the weary and satisfy the faint”. If you’re looking for some spiritual refreshing this summer, here are some CLC Publications that may revive your parched soul.

Here are some resources that might give you some refreshment today.

A Vision of the Deep

Has your walk with Christ become a duty rather than a passion?

If you want to build a ship, don’t just gather men to collect wood, divide the work and give orders. Rather, teach them to long for the immensity of the sea.

Susan Sutton takes us beyond a sense of obligation and responsibility in the Christian life to give us a “vision of the deep.”
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

If you are dissatisfied with “surface living,” join Susan in this life-altering venture to lose yourself in the fathomless depths of Jesus Christ.

Living the Christ Life

If you’re serious about serving Christ, you’ve probably noticed how difficult it is to be genuinely holy and fruitful. Living the Christ Life combines gems from classic authors like Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Vance Havner to create a practical daily devotional on living for Christ not in our strength, but in His.

Upgrade

From Adequacy to Abundance Your upgrade is now available. In Upgrade, Michael Catt outlines the behaviors and mindsets of immature faith and explains how God equips and empowers us to enjoy the Christ-filled life promised to us in the Epistles. Catt challenges us to accept the “upgrade” offered in Scripture to all Christians-not just an elite few-through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don’t miss out on God’s best! “You can settle for mediocrity, trying to muddle through on your own strength, or you can claim your upgrade and start living up to your potential in Christ,” Catt writes, “The choice is yours.”

Gossip, we all are guilty of it…on some level

August 4, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

We all encounter gossip of some kind on a daily basis, yet most followers of Christ have received very little training on how to deal with it. Matt Mitchell, author of Resisting Gossip, is actively trying to change that. He recently released the audiobook version for the 6-year print anniversary and is still passionately trying to change the way the church thinks about it and handles it.

Gossip. It has disrupted lives, destroyed relationships, ruined friendships, and wrecked churches. What can we, as Christians, do to avoid gossip? Matt Mitchell, pastor of Lanse Evangelical Free Church in central Pennsylvania, shares some of his insights on this problem from his best-selling book released by CLC Publications, Resisting Gossip, which is now available in audiobook format!

Resisting Gossip Audiobook Matt Mitchell

Pastor Matt recording the book.

Why should people read (or now listen to!) this book?

To learn how to win the war of the wagging tongue! I wrote it for Christians who wanted to defeat this sin in their personal lives. I don’t spend a lot of time in the book trying to convince folks that gossip is bad–most of us would already agree with that. Instead, I try to help followers of Christ who desire to live a God-pleasing life but feel stuck and stymied by both the attractiveness of gossip and the confusion that surrounds the problem. I set out to (1) clarify what is and what isn’t gossip and (2) give confidence to ordinary Christians that they do have the resources in Christ to withstand this temptation. There is are also a couple of chapters about what to do when you’re the target of gossip and a bonus chapter for church leaders to help cultivate a gossip-resistant culture in your fellowship.

I’m excited that Resisting Gossip is now available in an audio format! It was fun to read it on tape, and I’m looking forward to hearing how the Lord uses it in people’s lives.

What do people “gain” from gossip that encourages them to continue to do it?

Great question! It really gets at the heart of the problem which is the problem of the heart. Our sinful hearts love to gather and spread gossip for a whole host of icky reasons. For some, it’s a feeling of superiority; for others, it’s just plain revenge. I often find myself gossiping because I like to be seen as someone “in the know.” In chapter 3 of Resisting Gossip, I present a rogue’s gallery of five different kinds of gossiping people–the spy, the grumbler, the backstabber, the chameleon, and the busybody–and then suggest at least 5 different things that the Bible indicates those kind of people might gain from indulging in sinful gossip. And that’s really just scratching the surface. The good news is that there are biblical alternatives for all of them that are actually more satisfying. We just have to remind ourselves of the treasures of the gospel.

Do you believe that gossip in churches has decreased? Why or why not?

Because of my book? I’d like to think so, but I don’t have any delusions. Gossip is a global problem that will be with us until the return of Christ. I hope that those people who have read Resisting Gossip are more prone to recognize it when it’s coming at them or when they are tempted to do it themselves. And as they mature in Christ, I hope that they are increasingly able to say, “No.” I also hope that churches that have studied the book together have an increased commitment to unity, honoring one another, and godly speech. But I doubt that it’s getting any easier. Culture has made it worse, especially with the negative effects of social media. Now is not the time to drop our guard but to stay on our toes, vigilant in this war of the wagging tongue.

What we can do daily to eliminate the urge to gossip?

Commune with Christ. Walking with the Lord in faith is the greatest protection we have against any temptation, including this one. As we abide in Jesus, we will bear much fruit (John 15:1-8). That means personal prayer, of course, both at specific times and on “speakerphone” all day long. One key prayer I use is Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Communion with Christ also means Bible intake–incorporating the truth of Scripture in your mind and heart, storing it up for the Spirit to apply at the needful moments. When my heart is full of good stuff like that, I’m much less prone to turn to the icky candy of sinful gossip. The other daily practice I’d recommend is simply reminding yourself that you are called to live a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2). Gossip is anti-love, so whatever I can do to turn my focus away from pleasing myself and onto the needs of others will redirect both my ears and my tongue.

Resisting Gossip is now an audiobook available narrated by the author.

If you want to learn more, please check all the different resources that we have available on Resisting Gossip.

About Resisting Gossip

Hey, have you heard about… Gossip.

It’s on Facebook, on the television, in the break room, and even in our churches. With gossip being so prevalent in our culture, it can be hard to resist listening to and sharing stories about other people’s business. But what does God say about gossip? And is it possible to follow his instructions? In Resisting Gossip Pastor Matt Mitchell not only outlines the scriptural warnings against gossip, but also demonstrates how the truth of the gospel can deliver believers from this temptation.

About Matt Mitchell

Matt Mitchell is a graduate from Moody Bible Institute and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. In 2012, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in biblical counseling under the leadership of the faculty of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF). His doctoral project included writing his first book – Resisting Gossip.

He is active in his association of churches, the EFCA, serving the awesome Allegheny District as the chairman of the Constitutions and Credentials Board, and as the book review coordinator for EFCA Today. His greatest joy in serving Jesus is passionately communicating scriptural truth and seeing lives changed.

Matt Mitchell has been the pastor of Lanse Evangelical Free Church, a 120+year-old church parked along Interstate 80, since he was a rookie pastor in 1998. He is Heather’s hubby, and Daddy to Robin, Andrew, Peter, and Isaac. They live in the woods of Central Pennsylvania with a flock of free range chickens. They do the “homeschool adventure” thing, cut firewood for their outdoor furnace, love to read great books together, and go for long hikes as a family.

Follow Matt

Matt’s website

Staff Summer Reading list #2

July 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Summer is here! Time for swimming, playing, but most importantly, reading! Reading out in the sun on the porch, or making trips to the library to see if that popular new title is available. Looking for summer reads? Check out some of our CLCers suggestions!

Missed part 1? Check it out here.

Bill’s suggestions:

I really have appreciated “The Calvary Road” since I joined CLC in 1966.

This book needs to be read often. The big “I” needs to become a bent “C”.

This lesson on humility has been very important in my life.

Calvary Road has been printed in the millions. I recommend this great book to all Christians.

I also appreciated “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee. I found this to be a very practical book.

Marcia’s suggestions:

Working in the Customer Service Department of CLC Publications, I get to hear from our customers about what their favorite books are. This week I spoke with three different customers who list Watchman Nee books as their favorites because of their emphasis on Biblical truth that can be applied to the daily Christian life. Love Not The World: A Prophetic Call to Holy Living andSong of Songs: Unveiling the Mystery of Passionate intimacy with Christ are both books on my reading list this summer because of customer recommendations.

What is the Upper Room?

July 11, 2019/2 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

What is the Upper Room?

In the upper room we gather to encounter Christ, and, more importantly, it is where Christ encounters us. From the moment we are born again by the Holy Spirit, the upper room is home. It becomes the due north on our internal compass, and sooner or later we will find our way there. In the upper room we meet with the Father, and there we are more ourselves than anywhere else on earth—no masks, no pretense, no posing. In the upper room, we experience firsthand the unconditional love of the Father, and there He breaks off from us rejection, alienation, loneliness, abandonment, self-hatred, anxiety, fear, and insignificance; more importantly, it is there He convinces us of our acceptance, security, and significance in Christ. For this reason, it is in the upper room where we receive our life calling and discover the reason we were born.

Let’s be honest, when we hear upper room, we might think of an attic storage space where we put our junk—all the stuff we will never use again but we don’t want to throw away. In the western world, the upper room is a rarely visited place, essentially irrelevant to day-to-day life. For most of the rest of the world, however, and particularly in the first-century Holy Land, the upper room was the family room, the man cave, the preferred action spot in the home. It was an open-air social space on the roof where family and friends would gather at the end of a long day to tell stories, laugh at jokes, sip tea, and reflect on life. The typical Mediterranean square building architecture provided a rooftop that was ideal for an outdoor bonus room that was private and protected. To this day, particularly in a land where virtually every other room in the house is already maxed-out and where the climate is normally comfortable, the open-air upper room is not only useful but refreshing.

It was this upper room that Jesus utilized as his go-to gathering place with His disciples. Here Jesus got His hands dirty washing the disciples’ feet and eating delicious lamb chops at their final Passover meal. Even following His brutal murder, the back-to-life Jesus once again met with His disciples in this same upper room. But this was only the beginning; Christ is about to elevate the upper room to an even higher level of importance. The upper room was about to become the only place on earth where Father God would pour out His conspicuous presence. This upper room was the crown jewel of Jesus’ discipleship ministry…

COMMON PLACE It is just like God to pick the common, everyday, familiar things in life, like a Middle Eastern upper room, and make it extraordinary. Virtually every building in the Holy Land had an upper room. You could say upper rooms are like navels— everyone has one! Yet, what changed the upper room forever was the manifest presence of Christ. Don’t miss this upper room principle: It’s not the place, but the presence that makes the upper room.

The first upper room in Jerusalem documented in the first two chapters of the book of Acts is just one of many upper rooms in the book of Acts and throughout the rest of the New Testament.1 Church history, right up until this very day, is actually full of upper-room encounters with Christ, and as we will discover, it is the upper-room encounters with Christ that trigger the greatest advancement of church growth throughout the ages.

Most upper rooms today are not on rooftops. They meet in office buildings, classrooms, and back porches—wherever hungry Christians can gather without interruption to pray toward a fresh encounter with the ascended Christ. I have knelt on dirt barnyard floors for hours with hundreds of Chinese Christians in their upper room. I have danced until I was dripping with sweat in an Israeli hotel with both fervent Jewish and Palestinian Christians in their upper room. I have wept with some of the most persecuted believers on earth in the middle of the Sahara Desert at midnight in their upper room. But each of these upper rooms all have one thing in common—they encounter the manifest presence of Christ, and they are hungry for more. These precious believers have taught me more in the trenches about the reality of the upper room than all the sermons I have ever heard and all the books in my library.

As you may have realized, for our purposes the upper room is merely a metaphor or word picture rather than a literal place. What started in Jesus’ day as being upper in elevation or proximity is now located virtually anywhere hungry Jesus-seekers can gather. What originally started as a physical location is now a metaphor that represents a significant spiritual reality: The upper room is the place where Christ encounters His people. The manifest presence of Christ is what takes the common, every-one-has-one prayer meeting and transforms it into the most extraordinary place on earth. This means that the same manifest presence of Christ can transform your common everyday prayer life into something extraordinary as well.

This excerpt is taken from Ignite, by Fred Hartley.

About the Author

Fred Hartley is a Lead Pastor in Atlanta, Georgia, and President of the College of Prayer International. He has written twenty books including Prayer on Fire and God on Fire. Leading people to an encounter with the manifest presence of Christ is his life’s passion. He also enjoys running, golf, and playing with his grandchildren.

About Ignite: Carrying the Flame from the Upper Room to the Nations

Ignite is brimming with kingdom-building prayer principles that have stood the test of time. Explore the five Upper Room miracles that are the marks of every healthy church, and learn field-tested strategies to mobilize missional prayer in your church, your family, and your own life.

CLC Publications Spring/Summer Releases!

June 28, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Check out our latest releases!

The Secret of Fellowship

Part of his classic Secret Series devotionals, Andrew Murray wrote this month-long devotional to emphasize the necessity of daily fellowship with God. He teaches in The Secret of Fellowship that without taking this daily time to come into His presence, feel your weakness and need, and wait upon the Lord, you cannot fully experience the joy and power of God’s Holy Spirit in your daily life.

The Secret of Inspiration

Part of Andrew Murray’s classic Secret Series devotionals, The Secret of Inspiration includes extracts from the writings of William Law along with Murray’s own challenging messages and thoughtful prayers. Murray wrote this book with the intention that God would teach His church, and every reader, the threefold blessing of the power of the Spirit of God, the spirit of love, and the spirit of prayer.

The Secret of the Cross

Part of his classic Secret Series devotionals, Andrew Murray wrote this month-long devotional to help Christians discover the truth that death to self and the world is necessary for a life in the love and joy of Christ. Murray teaches in The Secret of the Cross that without this death God’s love and holiness cannot have their dwelling place in our hearts.

Bitter Water to Fine Wine: Turning Setbacks into Setups

Do you need a miracle? Let Bishop Grannum’s story inspire you to trust God in your bitter waters.

No matter who we are or what stage of life we’re in, life is always a little different than we expect it to be. People disappoint, circumstances change, and we’re left wondering what God is up to during all of this.

Bishop Milton C. Grannum understands this well. But he’s also had experiences that prove God is not absent during these times, but instead, is working in the background to do a great miracle. Using the Wedding in Cana as a starting point, Bishop Grannum shows how Christ can change the bitterest setbacks of life into sweet setups for victory and growth—but only if we let go and give Him full control.

Jessie Penn-Lewis: A Life Molded by the Cross

As a physically weak child, there was no indication of the great ways God would use Jessie Penn-Lewis. Over the course of Jessie’s incredible life, she was involved in the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, founded the Overcomer magazine, traveled around the world teaching her message, and wrote more than twenty books. The main aim of Jessie Penn-Lewis – A Life Molded by the Cross is to show how God dealt with and poured life through His servant—and how He longs to do the same for you and me.

Life in the Spirit

In this book, author Jessie Penn-Lewis seeks to give readers a better understanding of how to live in the Spirit, and what that means, to obtain victory in life, as well as exposing some of the methods of the enemy.

Ignite: Carrying the Flame from the Upper Room to the Nations

Ignite is brimming with kingdom-building prayer principles that have stood the test of time. Explore the five Upper Room miracles that are the marks of every healthy church, and learn field-tested strategies to mobilize missional prayer in your church, your family, and your own life.

Happy Father’s day!

June 13, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9

Happy Father’s day from your friends at CLC Publications!

Here are some reading suggestions for the father figure in your life:

The Parent Map

Harold J. Sala, author of over twenty books on marriage, presents a new book that focuses on equipping parents to raise godly children in the face of today’s unique cultural and social challenges. In straightforward language, Sala examines different parenting styles, focusing on both the mother and father’s role in the parenting process.

Faith That Lasts

In a society where many young adults flee the church, Jon Nielson helps parents raise their children with the Christian faith that does not fade with time. Through practical advice and five biblically-based principles, Nielson provides guidance for the church, parents of children at every stage, and especially parents of children who have left the church.

God in Sandals

Transformational encounters with the Word made flesh God in Sandals leads the reader to daily encounters in the Gospels, bringing a fresh approach to the Person of Jesus. Christopher Shaw resists the temptation to provide a finished portrait of Jesus, instead inviting you to join the people who walked with Him daily and who were surprised again and again by the extraordinary mystery of the Word made flesh. The resulting adventure will not only allow you to enjoy Jesus as never before but will deeply stir your soul and plant the seeds of a genuine and dramatic spiritual transformation.

Staff Summer Reading List #1

June 1, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Summer is here! Time for swimming, playing, but most importantly, reading! Reading out in the sun on the porch, or making trips to the library to see if that popular new title is available. Throughout the summer, we will be sharing our staff’s favorite CLC Publications books in a couple of posts. This is our first post, but stay tuned! You might discover a new book or two…

Christina’s list: Everything for the Lord!

Surrender has inspired me to takes leaps for the Lord. I have the tendency to shy away from things, or I am very fearful of doing what I may feel like God is calling me to do. This book has encouraged me to surrender not just some parts of me but all of me to God. Surrender my heart, mind, emotions and even fears. When I surrender and leap into what God is calling me to do, I’m never doing it alone. I have all of Heaven backing me up. After reading this book it gave me such a hunger and desire to want to please God in every aspect of my life. While surrendering to God may be scary because of the unknown- he’s a trustworthy father that has great plans in store for me. My goal every day is to surrender to his will and his ways.

The book Still I will Praise inspired me to see God in everything and to thank God in all circumstances. There will be times when things aren’t going right and our problems may not go away right away but Renee demonstrated such faith and perseverance and was able to stand on God’s word in some of her darkest times. She was able to have true peace that only comes from the father. His peace surpassed all understanding. Although she had some up and downs, she was able to thank God through it and feel him carry her through. I know for me I’d rather go through something knowing he’s with me then to struggle all on my own. That comforted me to know that when we go through things he never leaves us or abandons us. This book has impacted my life greatly!

Marge’s list:

A powerful book on prayer

I read REESE HOWELLS INTERCESSOR during our first overseas assignment with CLC in Jamaica. It is such a powerful story of God’s presence and ability to help in any situation. It was a great help as we began our missionary career.

P.S: you can also pick up the companion study guide, to go along with Rees Howells, Intercessor. It’s one of our favs!

A “quick” but very deep read…

Amy Carmichael’s IF is a book that challenges and is a great reminder of our Savior’s love – a book that can be read over and over and a help to keep us focused and growing in our walk with the LORD. God bless and encourage you today!

7 Pieces of Graduation Advice for the Senior in Your Life

May 9, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

With graduation approaching fast, seniors are looking for practical advice on what to do going forward. Adult life at first glance seems confusing, daunting and challenging, so how can we encourage graduates in their season of transition? Here are 7 pieces of advice from our staff; advice they’d wished they had received when they were graduating themselves.

Jim P. brought up the importance of your education path and where time with Jesus fits in:

“When I graduated from high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life besides playing soccer. I ended up going to a Christian University on a soccer scholarship and decided to take extra Bible classes until I got a better understanding of what God wanted me to do. Once in college, I quickly realized that soccer would not carry me any farther, but those Bible classes were SO valuable as I grew in my understanding of the Scriptures. Looking back, I realize more and more how central our walk with Christ is to where God plans to use us vocationally. So my advice? Make your goal be to know God, and your daily goal be to spend time with Him.”

Rachel P. highlighted the importance of playing to your strengths and finding support for your weaknesses:

“I wish I was told that adults don’t have all the answers! I went to college feeling like there would be some magical point that I would reach where suddenly, life just made sense. But then I graduated, got married and started my first job, only to find out a lot of adults were just as lost as I was! I wish someone had encouraged me to focus on one area of my life that came easiest (my career for me!), and find support for all the other areas I was lacking in. Today, I have people that I go to for very specific issues/questions, like marriage, faith, friendships, physical well-being, etc. I am a healthier adult because of these people and am more confident in who I am, because I realized I never have to have it all together as long as I have my God and these friends He’s blessed me with.”

Yaninna S. suggested taking a gap year:

“Something I wish people told me after high school is that everyone’s path looks different. I wish someone would have told me to take one year off and travel, explore, find out new things, learn more about myself and the Lord. After all, deciding what the rest of your life will look like right after high school is not easy.”

Marc S. talked about networking, building a professional identity & brand, and maintaining financial responsibility:

“I wish I had known: (a) Developing honest, solid relationships with professors and instructors and employers greatly increases my marketability for employment. A degree and grades isn’t always enough to get the kind of opportunities I want.

b) Even when employed by someone else, I am working for myself. Almost every job has something for me to learn to do well that I can add to my resume and take to the next opportunity within or outside of my current organization. I am not working only for a paycheck; I am also working to build my own brand.
c) To pay myself first. I’ll always have bills and I’ll need food, clothes, shelter, and a way to get to work. But, I should be working for more than just to get to work the next day. I should save and invest in my own financial future. My current job isn’t promised, nor is the next, so I should always be paying myself for emergencies and any future goals. This may mean I need to be creative or versatile about how I acquire and/or manage my finances.”

Christina M. assures seniors that they don’t have to have it all figured out:

“What I wish I’d known when I graduated was that I didn’t have to go through this next phase of my life by myself. I thought I was “technically” becoming an adult and I’m now “supposed” to know what to go to school for and have all the steps lined up….and if that wasn’t enough pressure, then DO EVERYTHING right! I wish I’d known that I didn’t have to carry that burden. The Father wasn’t asking me to know everything and have all the steps lined up and do everything perfectly. He just asks me to come to him and make sure I’m making him a priority in my daily life. When you do that you open the door for the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you and give you wisdom and direction. Had I known this, I think my life back then would have been a lot easier and less stressful. ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.’ Proverbs 3:9-10”

Marcia H. remembers when devotionals and Bible reading helped serve her through her time in High School:

“When I graduated from high school I received a lot of devotionals from people as gifts. I assumed that it was because they knew that I was a Christian. But when I began buying my own gifts for graduates, I realized that in giving me books that drew me into the Bible, they were giving me the best wisdom, the best support, the best life lessons, and the greatest love that they had to offer me. My advice to graduates is read the Bible; it’s all in there!”

Vandetta H. keeps it simple:

“Matthew 6:33 – A keepsake for me! And it [is the] truth!”

Questions for your senior (or yourself!):

Jim references the importance of Bible college and spending time with God. Have there been any Bible colleges that you or your graduate have considered applying at? Has your graduate been spending enough time with God?
Rachel stresses the importance of having a core group of people to turn to. Is there a core group surrounding your graduate?
Yaninna wished she could have taken a gap year. Could a gap year be the right path?
Marc S. recontextualizes the workplace as an area to develop the right connections with the right people. Is your graduate working a dead-end job or an open opportunity?
Christiana wishes she recognized that nobody has it figured out, and that she needed to rely on the Lord to handle the pressure for her. Is there anything you can confide in your senior about this month? Or any encouragement you can give them?
Marcia realizes that devotionals and similar resources helped her deep-dive into God’s word. Are there any study guides or companion readers helping your senior visualize the God of the Bible?
Vandetta H. gave us a powerful verse that can be directly applied by graduating seniors. Is your senior prepared to take on the world?

Looking for more resources to help serve an upcoming graduate? Here are some titles we recommend for a graduation present!

The Secret of Fellowship by Andrew Murray – recommended by Rachel
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren – recommended by Christina
Love Not The World by Watchman Nee – recommended by Jim
Victory in Christ by Charles Gallaudet Trumbull – recommended by Jim
If by Amy Carmichael – recommended by Yaninna
God in Sandals by Christopher Shaw – recommended by Marcia

Remembering Warren Wiersbe, May 16, 1929 – May 2, 2019

May 4, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Today, we, along with many others around the world, mourn the loss of CLC’s friend and author, Warren Wiersbe. But we rejoice at the race he ran and take comfort in knowing that he has been released from his earthly duties after almost 90 years, and is now with his Savior and Friend in Glory! We are grateful for his friendship over the years and for his trust in allowing us to publish several of his books. Below is a personal note from Jim Pitman, who had the privilege of working with him.

“I first came to know of Warren while working in our CLC Bookstore in Philadelphia. I picked up some of his “Be” series commentaries and found them to be excellent and easy to understand. We recommended them to customers, and they became our best-selling commentary series.

Several years later, when I had transitioned into serving as publisher for CLC, our author and friend Michael Catt suggested I call Warren about publishing some of his books. “Do you think he’d publish with us?” I asked. I figured he must be tied tightly to book deals with others as he had published over a hundred books by that time. I don’t know if Warren used email or not, but it seemed the only way I could reach him was by phone, and I was surprised when he not only took my call but when he agreed to publish with us! We worked on 5 books with Warren including a beautiful coffee table book called Expert Lifemanship which was co-authored and illustrated by photographer Ken Jenkins.

From pastoring at the historic Moody Memorial Church, to teaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, to teaching on the Back to the Bible Radio Ministry, Wiersbe’s life was well-spent for Christ. We are grateful for him.”

A well-known international Bible conference teacher with a heart for mission, Dr. Warren Wiersbe was a former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. He was associated with Back to the Bible for ten years as a Bible teacher, and served for five of those years as general director. Dr. Wiersbe is the author of more than 150 books, including the best-selling “BE” commentary. He was known as a “pastors’ pastor,” and his speaking, writing and radio ministries brought new understandings of the truths of God’s Word to people around the world.

More Than A Full Basket… How The Empty Tomb Leads to Fullness of Life

April 18, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

This is a guest post by one of our team members – Marcia Hartman. We love her insights into what Easter means.

The students in an ESL class that I teach have been learning opposite word pairs: short and tall, hot and cold, empty and full. We decided that given the choice, we’d all choose full over empty, especially when it comes to our wallets and gas tanks!

As opposites, it’s rare for “full” and “empty” to converge, except in Christ. Colossians 2:9 declares that all the fullness of God was literally embodied in Christ, yet it was in the emptying of Himself, the giving up of divine privilege, that this fullness was made manifest. As the very lifeblood was emptied from that human vessel of divinity, Jesus poured out full forgiveness, full salvation, full access to God, and life to the full for all who choose it.

There will be full baskets this Easter. There will be overflow seating in churches, lawns full of eggs to hunt, and dinner tables filled with food and family. But eventually all of those things will empty, and they may even lead to emptiness.

In contrast, the true celebration of Easter comes from the fulfillment of the promised resurrection evidenced in the empty tomb. Because of what Christ has done for us, God is able to “fill until full” the empty places in our lives that we give to Him. Easter celebrates the choice of full over empty, and it’s a choice that we’ve all been given.

This Easter, take a moment to consider this awe-inspiring choice we were given. How can remembering the connection between the full and the empty change the way you live?

^“Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.”

1 Peter 1:3-4 Good News Translation (GNT)

If you’d like to read more about the fullness of life in Christ, one of these CLC Publications may be the life-changing resource that you’re looking:

The Calvary Road: “Roy Hession teaches that through brokenness, humility, and confession, we can prepare our hearts to receive the fullness God wants for us.”

Victory in Christ: Charles Trumbull “reveals insights into the full reality of our victory in Christ, who has achieved by the power of His work on the cross, the freedom that every believer desires.”

The Two Covenants: “In a series of eighteen meditations contrasting the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, Andrew Murray shows us the blessings God has given us, along with the conditions necessary for the full and continual experiences of those blessings.”

The Seven Wounds of Christ: “Fred Hartley shares how Christ’s wounds on the cross represent the fullness of His atonement and how, individually, each wound corresponds to distinct healing for us.”

FREE Jesus Storybook Printout!

April 9, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Over and over again, we see in Scripture the importance of childlike faith. A faith that comes from understanding the stories in their simplest form, and trusting that what we don’t know, God does.

So how do we gain back our childlike faith? By keeping our eyes on Jesus. Peter learned this lesson the hard way when he tried walking on water with Jesus. How many of us would be willing to get out on the water in a storm? Probably not many adults, but most children would jump at the chance to do something so extraordinary! Like a child, Peter eagerly left the safety of the boat to head towards his Savior, but as soon as he let his childlike excitement be replaced by very adult fears, he began to sink.

But just like Jesus does to all of us, as soon as Peter cried out asking Jesus for help, he received it. What a blessing to know our Savior is ready to reach out and save us!

This Easter season, we invite you to take advantage of a FREE printout of the story of Jesus walking on water to share with the children and adults in your life. Use it as a jumping off point to share your own moments of asking for help and how Jesus responded in your time of need. Allow God to take a simple story and childlike faith to do something extraordinary in your life.

Excerpt taken from The Jesus Storybook which presents the Bible in easy-to-understand, comic-style illustrations, highlighting what Jesus said, what He did, who He was and why He had to come to earth.

DOWNLOAD THE ENGLISH VERSION

DOWNLOAD THE SPANISH VERSION

BUY THE JESUS STORYBOOK TODAY!

Three Truths About Bitter Circumstances That Will Help You Through Them

April 3, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

No matter who we are or what stage of life we’re in, life is always a little different than what we expect it to be. People disappoint, circumstances change, and we’re left wondering what God is up to during this time. But we do have hope, even in the darkest moments, because we can trust that God will always be up to something.

Here are three truths from Bishop Milton C. Grannum’s new book, Bitter Water to Fine Wine, that will help you navigate through your bitter waters and get inspired by what God is doing in the background.

Bitter waters in our lives are often used by God to push us out of our comfort zone and into a better place.

Bishop Grannum shares: “I was pushed out of my home because of my commitment to a church that was perceived to have no meaningful future for me. The pain of that event eventually helped me make some significant decisions and discoveries about life.

After a number of years, efforts, and experiences, I discovered that the true meaning and magic of life does not emerge while one lives in the active pursuit of comfort. Many people spend their best years in the confines of dwindling comfort zones. Our culture wires us for safety and limitations, and away from productive decision-making and risk-taking. False security and social approval have become the objects of the natural drive of many individuals. I chose not to be satisfied with the option of tiptoeing through life.

Pain rightly handled can produce both power and peace. Of course, I always had the option of reacting and wallowing in self-pity. I chose instead to put my faith in God and allow Him to direct my path.

Every setback is a potential setup. God uses our worst experiences to help us grow.

As I look back on my life, I went through may bitter waters. I was beaten by my own family members for the ‘crime’ of attending church. I was ridiculed by other students at school for doing chores for my pastor as a “tithe” to the church. Shortly after arriving in Philadelphia, I was arrested without cause, spent a night in a dirty, smelly jail cell, and released without apology by a judge who told me, ‘Go home and behave yourself.’

We can go through life reflecting and thinking of all the pain, the challenges, the disappointments, the let-downs and the trauma of our journey, or we can believe that turning bitter water into wine is possible, and trust God for the miracles.

As an example, who walks into a donut shop and complains about the holes? No, we buy donuts, knowing that every donut has a hole. The same is true with every experience in life. To focus all our attention on the challenging and painful holes that come our way is to rob ourselves of the personal strength and power of the total experience. Over the decades, my wife and I have sought to stay focused on the donuts, lest we get distracted and overwhelmed by the holes.

Bitter waters point out both areas of need and the subsequent areas for growth.

The shortage of wine was a massive faux pas that did not impact Jesus intimately, but it produced a need that became Jesus’s project. Likewise, meaningful projects and new paths emerge when pressing needs are discovered, regardless of where the needs occur or who they impact.

When bitter waters reveal needs around us, we are forced to make a decision to either address the need or ignore it. We are either pushed forward in growth or backward and downward. We are given the choice which way we move. And oftentimes, our choices impact other people as well as our own future.

For Jesus, the first miracle led to further ministry opportunities and revealed who He was. In our own lives, we sometimes miss the fact that God may very well be the one stirring the waters to push us forward to something miraculous.

Take a moment now and look back at your life. Focus on the faithfulness of God to you, in spite of you, and realize that it was God stirring up the waters, irritating your spirit, creating a change, moving people to push you when all the while you were blaming and rebuking Satan. Satan hates faith. He knows the awesome power of faith. Move forward in faith to change your water into wine. Do it now!”

Still not convinced? Bishop Grannum’s new book, Bitter Water to Fine Wine, further dives into his experiences that prove God is not absent during these times, but instead, is working in the background to do great miracles. Bishop Grannum shows how Christ can change the bitterest setbacks of life into sweet setups for victory and growth—but only if we let go and give Him full control. BUY NOW

A letter from Andrew Murray

March 25, 2019/2 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

An excerpt from The Secret of Fellowship

BELOVED brethren—The more I think of and pray about the state of religion in this country and all over the world, the deeper my conviction becomes that the low state of the spiritual life of Christians is due to the fact that they do not realize that the aim and object of conversion is to bring the soul, even here on earth, to a daily fellowship with the Father in heaven.

This lesson is not always taught at the beginning of the Christian life, nor is it always understood by the [new] convert. He should realize that the grace he has received of the forgiveness of sins, of acceptance as God’s child, of joy in the Holy Spirit, can only be preserved by the daily renewal of fellowship with Jesus Christ Himself.

Many Christians backslide because this truth is not clearly taught. They have never really grasped the secret: The Lord Jesus will every day from heaven continue His work in me. But on one condition—the soul must give Him time each day to impart His love and His grace.

God greatly desires this intimacy with man. But sin has come between man and his God. Even in the Christian who thinks he knows God, there is often great ignorance and even indifference to this personal relationship of love to God. People believe that at conversion their sins are forgiven, that God accepts them so that they may go to heaven, and that they should try to do God’s will. But the idea is strange to them that even as a father and his child on earth have pleasure in companionship, so they may and must each day have this blessed fellowship with God.

Our Lord, in the last night that He was with His disciples, promised to send the Holy Spirit as a helper. Although His bodily presence was removed, they would realize His presence in them and with them in a wonderful way. The Holy Spirit as God would so reveal Christ in their hearts that they would experience His presence with them continually. The Spirit would glorify Christ and would reveal the glorified Christ in heavenly love and power. How little do Christians understand and believe and experience this glorious truth!

Dear brothers and sisters, [we speak] of the fellowship of love with Christ in the inner chamber. Everything depends on this. Christ came from heaven to love us with the love wherewith the Father loved Him. He suffered and died to win our hearts for this love. His love can be satisfied with nothing less than a deep, personal love on our part.

I urge you to write this down on a piece of paper and remember it continually: The love of Jesus must be all—in the inner chamber, in all my work, in my daily life.

2019 Daytona Bike Week Prayer Warriors

March 4, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Biker Bible

The 2019 Daytona Bike Week is upon us! Bikers from all over the US and other countries will gather for a week at Daytona Beach, FL., giving us a week full of opportunities to reach many for Christ. Some CLC USA team members, Bible for the Nations staff and Christian Bikers from all over the US will come together to give away 20,000 Biker Bibles!

We want the Lord to go before us! This will not be an easy task. Many souls are at stake. Would you join us in prayer for the 2019 Daytona Bike Week? We want as many people as we can praying for this HUGE outreach event.

Just sign up with your email address below and you will receive daily prayer request for the Daytona Bike Week. If you will be joining us in prayer, please let us know! Email us here. and let us know that you will be praying with us. Also, if you wish to give to the Bike Week Project, click here.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

January 31, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

: Valentine’s day is almost here! We have curated a list of books for your special someone this valentine’s day.

: 66 poems gathered from 29 of her books, many now out of print, and arranged under 7 topical headings: Worship, Petition, Surrender, Ministry, Wartime, Encouragement, Youth. Truly a treasure for poetry lovers!

: The Song of Solomon is one of the finest love poems ever written. Over the centuries its beautiful language and sublime imagery have enchanted readers. · But why is this tender love poem included in the Scripture? · How should we interpret it? This is a real mystery to many of us, but Watchman Nee believes it is possible to discover within the poem all the principles needed to develop the spiritual life. In this devotional commentary, he explores the love relationship between the individual believer and the Lord. His insights are for all who long to intensify their love and by so doing find overwhelming joy and complete satisfaction.

: Torn Veil the story of how a Muslim girl, imprisoned by her religion, her strict upbringing, her womanhood and her severe disability, is set free by God. This classic true-life story of Gulshan Esther, who on becoming a Christian was miraculously healed, was first published in 1984 and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

: Is there more than romance to the story of Ruth? Roy Hession says “Yes!” Most of us have missed the subtle details that are key to understanding the significance of this heart-moving book. We need a new vision of the blood of Christ and the grace of God to make the same daring claim on our Nearest Kinsman as Ruth made on hers. Come and learn about the restoration, revival and renewal promised in Ruth, until at last you have the boldness o lie at the feet of your Kinsman with full confidence.

: Following her miraculous release from a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom refused to give into the weakness of anger, claiming, “Forgiveness requires more strength than hatred.” Sharing incredible stories of encounters with people from all walks of life, Corrie illustrates how a childlike faith in the wisdom and love of God pushes us to forgive the seemingly impossible.

Valentine’s day is almost here! Here at CLC Ministries, we love to celebrate with books. If you have a special reader in your life, how about slipping a book in with that bouquet! What better way to celebrate than to gift knowledge?

Here’s a list of books for your special someone this Valentine’s Day.

For the poetry lover in your life…

Mountain Breezes, a collection of poems by Amy Carmichael, is a great place to start. With 66 poems gathered from 29 of her books, many now out of print, and arranged under 7 topical headings: Worship, Petition, Surrender, Ministry, Wartime, Encouragement, and Youth, it is truly a treasure for poetry lovers!

HIS FAITHFULNESS
by Amy Carmichael

O wind of God, blow through the trees;
O birds of God, come sing your song;
For now I know the joy that frees,
The joy that makes the weakest strong.

The vapors march in shining crowds,
High in the trackless roads of air;
I look, and lo, unto the clouds,
His faithfulness is even there!
Pass foolish fears; the fresh winds blow;
O birds of God, come sing with me.
My God is faithful, this I know;
My Father, I have all in Thee.

If you want to dive more into the word this Valentine’s day, we recommend Song of Songs by Watchman Nee.

The Song of Solomon is one of the most excellent love poems ever written. Over the centuries, its beautiful language and dreamy imagery have hooked readers from page 1.

“Why is this tender love poem included in the Scripture?” and “how should we interpret it?” are often questions we ask.

This is a real mystery to many of us, but Watchman Nee believes it is possible to discover within the poem all the principles needed to develop a deeper spiritual life. In this devotional commentary, he explores the love relationship between the individual believer and the Lord. His insights are for all who long to intensify their love for God and by so doing find overwhelming joy and complete satisfaction.

For anyone interested in redemption stories and exploring other cultures, we recommend The Torn Veil.

It tells the story of how a Muslim girl, imprisoned by her religion, her strict upbringing, her womanhood and her severe disability, is set free by God.

This classic true-life story of Gulshan Esther, who on becoming a Christian was miraculously healed, was first published in 1984 and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

For the lovers of a romantic story, we recommend Our Nearest Kinsman by Roy Hession.

Is there more than romance to the story of Ruth? Roy Hession insists “Yes!” Most of us have missed the subtle details that are key to understanding the significance of this heart-moving book. We need a new vision of the blood of Christ and the grace of God to make the same daring claim on our Nearest Kinsman as Ruth made on hers.

Come and learn about the restoration, revival and renewal promised in Ruth, until at last you have the boldness to lie at the feet of your Kinsman with full confidence.

For stirring short stories that capture and are an encouragement to many, we recommend Amazing Love by Corrie Ten Boom.

Following her miraculous release from a Nazi concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom refused to give into the weakness of anger, claiming, “Forgiveness requires more strength than hatred.” Sharing incredible stories of encounters with people from all walks of life, Corrie illustrates how a childlike faith in the wisdom and love of God pushes us to forgive the seemingly impossible.

Don’t let History Repeat Itself – Holocaust Day Remembrance

January 25, 2019/2 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

“Hate is such a bitter emotion, but I know that the Savior with His cleansing blood is near me. The evil spirits cannot win.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Imagine this.

Constant fear…fear of being taken to a special “camp.” Fear of being separated from your family and loved ones. Fear of dying. Fear of the unknown.

Fear of soldiers finding out what you are hiding. Or worse than what, who are you are hiding…

Enter the world of Corrie ten Boom. She was a Dutch woman who, alongside her family, provided a hiding place to dozens of Jews and other refugees during World War II.

She wrote:

“During the last world war, as the German armies rolled over most of Europe, crushing countries in their path, Adolf Hitler set into operation a plan to exterminate all Jews. Many of the people of Holland responded by doing their utmost to help Dutch Jews escape this peril. My own family and my friends and I did all that we could do to save Jewish lives until we were betrayed and arrested.

At that time my father was eighty-four years of age, and friends had often warned him that if he persisted in hiding Jews in his home under the very eye of the occupying armies, he could surely face imprisonment.

‘I am too old for prison life,’ my father replied, “but if that should happen, then it would be, for me, an honor to give my life for God’s ancient people, the Jews.” I recall with great clarity the day, February 28, 1944, that we went down the winding staircase with our whole family and our friends. For some of them, it was the last time they would ever feel the worn staircase railing of the beloved Beje—name for our home, located in the Barteljorisstraat—in their hands.

After an hour’s ride the van door [we had been taken in] opened, and the gates of the prison closed behind us. We were ordered to stand with our faces pressed against the red brick wall. When our names were called, I passed by Father, who was sitting on a chair. He looked up, and we heard him softly saying, ‘The Lord be with you, my daughters.’

From that moment forward, everything in our lives was changed. We did not know what was ahead of us, but I was certain of one thing: that Jesus would never leave us or forsake us and that, for a child of God, no pit could be so deep that Jesus was not deeper still.”

“Soldiers are walking around and the women have to wait a long time, naked. Bep and I put our arms around each other, and we implore, ‘Oh Lord, not that, not that!'”

-Corrie Ten Boom

(Excerpts taken from Corrie Ten Boom’s Prison Letters)

Corrie spent some time in prison until she and her sister were transported to a German concentration camp in Holland. We can’t begin to imagine the pain, the torture and the difficulties Corrie and many of our Jewish brothers and sisters had to endure. Being separated from their families, living in inhumane conditions, being sick, not being able to continue with their daily routines…just for being a Jew or helping them.

They say we learn from history, but do we really? What if the tables were flipped and now Christians are the ones being persecuted and imprisoned just because we follow Christ? Would you be prepared to endure? Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ face this reality already. Being prepared or not being prepared is taken out of the question. Once they become a Christian, a red X is marked on their backs.

When we remember the Holocaust, we often think of it as a terrible thing that happened in a far-off time and place. Something so horrible we could never imagine it in our own society. But is that really the case? Or are we at a new point in history where we are once again allowing our government to decide whose lives hold value? This week, a new law was passed in the state of New York that allows babies to be murdered. And as Faithwire so eloquently points out: “And so, New York State now has legislation that permits murder for convenience.”

How could this have happened? Are we about to let history repeat itself?

And what can we do about it?

We can pray. Pray for endurance for the persecuted. Pray for those making the decisions for our country. Pray that we learn from our history.
Stand with our Jewish brother and sisters. We cannot change history but as Christians, we can come alongside the oppressed communities around us and start opening communication channels.
Read. Stay informed with what’s happening in the culture around you, and learn how to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” as 1 Peter 3:15 says. Take advantage of the resources at your church, or let us know if you need more information on a particular subject.

But don’t let it end there. Most importantly, make sure you’re sharing your faith. Reach out to your government. Don’t let your faith be silent. Don’t allow culture to move around you. Learn to push back at the right time.

Don’t let history repeat itself.

About Corrie It is hard to overestimate the impact of the life of Corrie ten Boom. As a result of hiding Jews in her Holland home in the midst of World War II, Corrie ended up in a Nazi concentration camp where she continued to speak the love of Christ. A miraculous release gave Corrie the chance to begin an international ministry of writing and speaking, sharing Christ, and counseling the hurting as a self-titled “tramp for the Lord.” Corrie died in 1983, on her ninety-first birthday. Among Corrie’s most loved titles are The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord. Find CLC’s full list of Corrie’s books here.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s240

Throw something out this January…and by that, we don’t mean books

January 22, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

Ah, the new year.

Regardless of whether or not last year was our best or worst year yet, we just can’t help but hope and plan that this next one will be better. Right at the beginning, we make all kinds of goals and promises to ourselves.

Things like:

Eat more healthy food!
Exercise more often!
Budget better!
Reorganize the whole house in 30 days!
Read more books!
Have more patience!
Increase joy!
Gain more peace!

Sound familiar?

And yet, by this time, we’re probably already discouraged. We already missed a good week of gym time. We were supposed to have read a whole book by now and we just can’t get into the story. And
forget about healthy meals. We’re so tired from all the cooking and cleaning during the holidays, pizza sounds so much easier. So we consider giving up and we’re only two weeks in!

But look closer… what do you notice about each of these statements? They’re all written in a positive spin. And we think that makes it harder to stick to it and create goals – the goals you need
to accomplish your resolutions.

Think about it. If your plan is to eat healthier and that’s all you say, you might just set a number of calories or meals that need to be “healthy.” But most likely, that number was arbitrary, and its
attainability was probably not taken into consideration. What if you turned it around though? What makes for healthy eating for you? Maybe it’s eating out less? Ordering less pizza? Cooking more
meals from scratch? What if you started by just eliminating one thing? Instead of just telling yourself that to eat more healthily, tell yourself to just throw out one night of mac and cheese and make a healthy alternative.

Well, that you can do! Small actions create a chain reaction! And you can use the same trick for reading more, reorganizing the house, or budgeting better.

But we’re not just about resolutions here. We’re about life-change. So what about the spiritual aspects? What if you tried the same trick for your spiritual life?

If we’re trying to increase joy, we may not know exactly what that looks like, but we do know what DOESN’T bring us joy. What if, to increase something, you had to throw something else out?

With that in mind, what is the Lord calling you to throw out this year? Is there something you’ve been keeping around in a trash bag that you never got around to taking it out? You keep telling yourself: “I’ll get to it soon…” But soon doesn’t work. We both know that. And not only that, but that bag takes up room. So, what are you waiting for?!

If you had to throw one thing out this year…what would that be?

Here are some book recommendations to help you with that

: Mr. Trumbull reveals tremendous insight into the full reality of the victory we have in Christ. He uplifts the Lord Jesus Christ pointing to Him as the Victor who has achieved victory by the power of His divine life and His finished work on the Cross.

: 365 Daily Meditations for Victorious Living 365 Daily Meditations for Victorious Christian Living, from noted authors such as Don Wyrtzen, Glenn Wagner, George Sweeting, Stephen Olford, John Ankerberg, Mark Bailey, Ron Blue, Wesley Duewel, Howard Hendricks, Woodrow Kroll and more with One-Year Bible Reading Plans from Woodrow Kroll and Back to the Bible.

: How do we win over our doubts? How do we reconcile life and faith? Sometimes doubt, fear, and disappointment cause us to lose confidence in God. In this book, Dwayne E. Mercer helps readers see past disappointments through God’s eyes and gain courage from biblical examples of faith. He provides tools for us to take faith-risks for God again, stepping out in courageous faith.

: Stop Your Complaining teaches that God’s grace and his word will radically change what we feel in our hearts and say with our mouths.

Issues you may face in 2019

January 8, 2019/0 Comments/in News /by CLC Pub Staff

We all like victory. We all like being at the top of the mountain, celebrating.

Because nothing beats that feeling of reaching the crest and looking back at the road you had to travel to get there. Sometimes we may want to stay there forever, but it’s just not possible. The next one is just ahead.

As we climb into 2019, some of us ended at a peak, while others of us were stuck in a valley. And as we face the new mountain ahead, we might already feel a little weary, regardless of where we’re starting from. “Didn’t I just face this? Those storm clouds look a little nasty. Maybe God won’t notice if I drag my feet a little bit.” But take heart! We can have confidence even as you meet this year’s challenges on the mountain.

Climbing up the mountain in 2019, you might face:

disappointment – things not turning out the way you want, unmet expectations
life challenges – health, relationships, spiritual, financial
death – either natural and/or spiritual, of friendships, of relationships
change – jobs, relationships, ministry
fears – what the future holds, money, changes in circumstances

You see, climbing a mountain is not easy and you need the right tools for the journey.

But how blessed are those of us in the faith! God has already provided the tools we need in His word and equipped others to teach us how to use them. To help you climb the mountain, we’ve curated a list of books that will help you deal with the climb that 2019 will bring.

In the meantime, here is some encouragement directly from the Lord:

“…’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” Hebrews 13:6

^“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” Psalm 31:24

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

May your 2019 climb be the best one yet!

Click on a book to learn more about it…

: As stress, temptation, and hardship tug and tear at reality, it is often difficult to see that God has a plan for our lives. No Matter What reminds us that God is in control and that we can abide safely in His faithfulness – despite our past and present circumstances. Using the Genesis narrative of Joseph as a backdrop, Marty Berglund challenges readers to live victoriously through God’s steadfastness and love.

: Following the tragic death of his son, Ron Dunn made this shattering discovery: you can trust God and still get hurt. Forced to walk through a painful reality of unanswered questions, he experienced firsthand the processes of grief, guilt and depression.

: A Quiet Center is a refreshing guide to resting in God at all times—even when life refuses to give you a break. Susan Sutton shares tried-and-true lessons (gleaned from her experiences as a leader, wife, mother, and missionary in Chad, South Africa) on trusting the Lord and living from a still dwelling place with Him, a quiet center.

: You may not be facing a literal raging torrent, but you may anxiously be noticing things coming between you and God’s plan for your life. Do you seem to always be in a bad mood? Has someone sinned against you? Is your loved one struggling with addiction? Just like the Jordan River prevented the Israelites from entering the promised land of milk and honey, obstacles in your life—including your own attitude—may be keeping you from living in Christ’s full victory. Crossing the Jordan depicts the life of freedom awaiting those who choose leave the wilderness and cross over into the land of promise.

: Billheimer encourages you not to waste your sorrows, but embrace them with an attitude that will ensure they produce God’s best in you. It will bring a brand-new joy and purpose to every circumstance that comes your way.

: In Surrender, John Stanley encourages readers in the call upon every Christian’s life to daily die to self and surrender—in salvation and in every single circumstance. Expertly weaving together Scripture, personal anecdotes, and a white-water rafting story, John explores what a truly surrendered life can look like, and how that provides a new outlook on what it means to live a satisfied, joyful life.

: With individual/group study questions at the end of each chapter, Out of the Storm and into God’s Arms will help you engage and overcome your pain through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jill reveals that no matter how violently your storm rages or how dark your situation might seem, God is your rock, your shelter, your safe hiding place.

: Walking by Faith in Unemployment Canned. Outsourced. Downsized. Given the boot. No matter what you call it, losing your job hurts. It can hit you at the core of your being, making you question your career, your worth, your identity, even your relationship with God.

: When Mary lovingly poured out upon the feet of Jesus a flask of fragrant oil, the disciples criticized her sharply. “Why this waste?” they asked. But Jesus commended her. Nee asks: Have our eyes been opened to see the preciousness of the One whom we are serving?

: Through the ancient biblical account of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, God prophetically enacts the story of the Cross: for it’s in the Cross that the question of God’s love is forever settled.