Conspiracy Theory: When God is Seemingly Against Us
ISBN: 9781527107267If you have ever struggled with deep disappointments, unanswered prayers, or found your life crumbling around you, Conspiracy Theory was written just for you!
The world of social media shows us with real clarity the desire that people have to be connected to each other, but with the safety of an off switch. Real world intimacy can be very different - much better, but without the off switch. The greatest intimacy however is with God, whether we realise it or not. It can be difficult to take in the fact that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and that his love is bigger than anything we have ever experienced, yet not out of reach. Just as at the airport when we see through our luggage on the x-ray, nothing is hidden from Him nor do we have to hide anything. Not only that, but He reveals himself as so much bigger than us and also everything we need, which can free us from the bondage of being obsessed with ourselves - true liberation!
The roadmap for this book travels through one of the most loved and popular portions in the Bible - Psalm 139. It takes you on a journey from the heights of intimacy to the inevitable lows that life brings us, especially the ones that leave us saying 'WOW - I never saw that coming.' But that is when the need for intimacy with God can hit us like a brick. What if God is behind the WOW? What if we need to forgive and just cannot, or just do not understand what is going on, or feel that change is overwhelming?
Whether these situations are personal, physical, relational, or even bigger, when they arrive, it seems we realise then that we alone are not enough. Real intimacy with God is incredible but will require honesty, wrestling with difficult issues and asking challenging questions. Come along on this possibly life-transforming journey - it's well worth the trip.
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Author: Richard Gibbons is the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He holds joint honors in Ecclesiastical History and Systematic Theology, and a DMin. Richard and his wife Ruth have one son, Michael. He was the chair of the ECO Denomination's Theology Task Force, and the Chaplain of the Day for the U.S. Senate in 2018. Endorsements: "This is a warm, practical, encouraging Bible-soaked book for any believer about what used to be regarded as elements of a 'normal' Christian life - in other words, one with perplexity, challenge, heartache and darkness, but nonetheless a trust that God is somehow at work even when we don't understand what is happening to us." "… winsome … full of wise exposition and application of Psalm 139. Richard not only takes us through the text a few verses at a time but also draws on the whole of Scripture, like all good Christian writers and teachers ought to." "This book winsomely reveals that God is not against us but for us and ever working to shape us into his beloved children. I sincerely wish I had had this book to give to the countless number of people who came needing to hear its message of God's loving presence and constant care." "With warm and wise reflections on one of the greatest songs ever written, coupled with engaging examples from across scripture, Dr Gibbons applies key truths about God's character and purposes in ways which are profound yet personal, and challenging yet life-changing, showing us how much God knows, cares, acts and loves." "… warm devotion and faithful doctrine take us deeper and deeper into each verse of this transformational Psalm, growing our confidence that God is good even when life is hard."
--David Baker, Editor, Evangelicals Now
--Alistair Purss, Lead Pastor, Dumfries Baptist Church, Scotland
--Mark R. Patterson, Director, Flourish Institute: School of Ministry
--Jonathan Lamb, Minister-at-large for Keswick Ministries, IFES Vice President, and former Director, Langham Preaching
--Tim McConnell, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs, Colrado and author of Happy Church: Pursuing Radical Joy as the People of God
Additional Information:
| Cover: | Softcover |
| Number of Pages: | 208 |
| Publisher: | Christian Focus Publications |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Discussion Questions: | Included |