Archive for category: News

Last October, Jim Pitman, who had been filling the role of Publisher for CLC USA on an interim basis, asked Dan Balow to become CLC’s new Director of Publishing. Dan had served on CLC USA’s advisory board for several years, was well acquainted with CLC and our publishing operations, and was happy to join our team in November. 

Dan started in Christian publishing in 1983 with David C. Cook. Over the years, he worked in acquisitions of new books, audio books, digital publishing, marketing, sales, and translation rights management. 

He worked at Tyndale House Publishers from 1992-2006 where he developed a wide-ranging perspective on the industry through his involvement with hundreds of authors, thousands of books and a love for the business. Getting to know and work with Ken Taylor helped him develop a ministry perspective on publishing. 

Dan served on the board of the Evangelical Christian Publisher’s Association and was board chairman of the Global Publishers Alliance, an ECPA group involved in mentoring Christian publishers in other countries. He was also involved with Media Associates International’s LittWorld conferences. 

His current approach for CLC Publications is to establish partnerships with like-minded ministries and publishers to enhance our sales and distribution efforts, to upgrade our audio/ebook efforts, and to arrange publishing agreements with various ministries that align with CLC’s publishing goals. 

“We accomplish more when we find ways to work together to make something more fruitful than if we worked alone,” comments Dan. “CLC’s legacy and reputation makes us a good partner for many ministries.” 

Dan is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois and has been married to Carol for 40+ years. They live in Wheaton, Illinois and have four grown children and six granddaughters. 

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!

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!

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

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.

“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.

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.

1. 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.

2. 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!):

1. 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?
2. Rachel stresses the importance of having a core group of people to turn to. Is there a core group surrounding your graduate?
3. Yaninna wished she could have taken a gap year. Could a gap year be the right path?
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

“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?

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. 

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

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

“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…

Recommended books by title:

A Quiet Center: Living in God’s Place of Rest

Out of the Storm and into God’s Arms: Shelter in Turbulent Times 

No Matter What: Abiding in God’s Faithfulness 

Don’t Waste Your Sorrows: Finding God’s Purpose in the Midst of Pain

Finding the Jewel in Job Loss: Walking by Faith in Unemployment

Why This Waste (Vital Series)

Trusting God’s Heart When You Can’t Trace His Hand 

When Heaven is Silent: Trusting God When It Hurts

Crossing the Jordan: Living Victoriously in Difficult Relationship

Surrender: Learning To Navigate Life’s Deep Waters With Christ As Your Guide

CLC USA is joining her husband and family in grieving the loss of Dianne Desch.  She passed into life eternal on Thursday, May 17, 2018 after a diagnosis with Mesothelioma one year ago.  

Dianne ministered in the Sales Department of CLC Publications as a Customer Service representative and she embodied the “service” part of her title.  She often took time to pray with customers and went out of her way to accommodate them and their needs. She loved Jesus, reflected Jesus, and lived for Jesus, and we rejoice that she is now with Him.