Bücher veröffentlicht von T2Pneuma Publishers LLC

If the Bible is an outreach document written by and for missionaries, then the Holy Spirit is the instrument of that evangelical call. The Image of the Holy Spirit and the Church examines the Bible's description of the Holy Spirit from before Pentecost and the call the church in view of current challenges. Image of the Holy Spirit and the Church is written in a devotional format with a reflection, prayers, and questions for study. Hear the Words; Walk the Steps; Experience the Joy!

What is the consequence of ignoring one's better judgment and the advice of friends? Luke Stevens believes he is lucky in love, but the path of least resistance leads to disaster at sea and waking up in a North Korea hospital. But Luke is not alone even as he becomes the object of an international manhunt. Will he find his way out of the Hermit Kingdom? Will his love prevail? Will he learn to trust his better instincts? The cover art is called The Good Samaritan by He Qi (www.heqiart.com). Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, Ph.D.) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, author, and volunteer pastor. He lives in Centreville, Virginia with Maryam, his wife of more than thirty-five years. They have three grown children.The Detour is a highly suspenseful story with twists and turns and flavored with deep faith. This read is definitely a page turner.Elizabeth Smith, Author The Detour is an interesting read that will keep you in suspense until the end.Rui Ma This exciting book is perfect for a plane trip or as a break from daily responsibilities.Hyunok Lee The Detour is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that transports readers into the heart of North Korea. With its engaging characters, compelling storyline, and exploration of social issues, this book offers a unique and immersive reading experience. Wilson McMillan This is fascinating story that I think you will love as much as I do.Ann Westerman From the first paragraph, Stephen Hiemstra's novella, The Detour, captures the attention of the reader and holds it securely to the end of the book. Remarkably, he shows the reality of persecutions of Christians in our time, a truly thought-provoking message.Sharron Giambanco

Our image of God reveals not only God's character, but our own. Jesus' parables reveal a God who is intentionally available to those who seek him. They invite the listener to enter the narrative and engage with God one-on-one to expand our understanding of faith and of ourselves.The image of God in the New Testament takes at least three forms: The person of Jesus, Jesus' teaching about the kingdom of God with the parables, and the founding of the church on Pentecost by the Holy Spirit. In this book I will focus on the image of God the Father found in the parables.The authenticity of the parables as Jesus' own words is seldom questioned, in part, because Jesus' parables are unique, a genre unto themselves, but not a typical genre. A typical genre might adhere to a particular structure or story form, but not a parable. Image of God in the Parables is written in a devotional format with a reflection, prayers, and questions for study. Cover art by C. Hiemstra (2023), The Lost Sheep, Used with Permission.Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, Ph.D.) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, author, and volunteer pastor. He lives in Centreville, Virginia with Maryam, his wife of more than thirty-five years. They have three grown children.

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? This is the core question in Christian anthropology and it is surprisingly important in understanding everything else. Anthropology is the study of human beings, the who question of philosophy. As Christians, our identity is found in Jesus Christ, but exactly what does this imply?Because we are created in the image of God, he is familiar and we immediately recognize him (metaphysics). Because we worship the God who created the universe, we expect the universe to be orderly and worthy of scientific study (epistemology). Because God loves us, we can love those around us who make up God's family (ethics). Our anthropology is accordingly an interpretive key that colors how we see everything else.In exploring this question, Image and Illumination offers over forty devotions containing a reflection, prayer, and questions for discussion. These devotions are organized into these chapters: Introduction, Image, Fall from Grace, Illumination, and Restoration.Cover art is by James Tissot (1836-1902): Moses Adores God in the Burning Bush. French Jewish Museum, New York.Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy! Used withh permission.

How do we know what we know? This question challenges the nature of information, how we learn, decision making, who we are, and who this God is that we worship. If this challenge appears optional; it is not-our post-Christian culture questions every assumption. Simple Faith examines these questions and discusses implications for faith and life.An important implication of this study is that faith plays a critical role into how we think, learn, and make decisions in the context of limited resources and an uncertain future. Even scientific inquiry requires faith, which normally gets hidden in untested assumptions and presumptions about what is interesting to investigate. Often the critical arguments driving our decisions are not cold hard facts, but the stories that we tell in the midst of complex decision environments.The timing of this inquiry is critical. The movement from modern to postmodern thinking has upended most institutions, but especially the Christian church. The separation of heart and mind, which characterizes modern thinking, eroded faith leaving the church in a weak position to adapt to the rapid changes accompanying postmodernism. Ironically, postmodern thinking that values storytelling favors Christian faith because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best story around.

God's mercy carries us day in and day out. His love comes to us everyday through simple things-unexpected beauty in a garbage heap; encouragement from a stranger; sunshine bursting through a thunder-shower. Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul admonishes us to pray without ceasing? (1 Thes 5:17) In doing so, we model what was first modeled to us.Prayer might be called the language of the heart. Yet, because emotion and thinking are inseparable in the biblical tradition, our heart's language is both highly emotive and deeply theological. And because our identity is in Christ, our heart's language is also both immanent and transcendent. The Holy Spirit is both the author and recipient of our prayers. Even ordinary prayers can do extra-ordinary things.This book, Everyday Prayers for Everyday People, assembles 99 weekly prayers composed from September 2016 through September 2018 by author, Stephen W. Hiemstra. These prayers have been organized into a dozen topics: presence and protection, faith, church, Sabbath rest, adoration, healing, holidays, strength, family, intercession, seasons, and lamentations. The single longest topic is holidays with fourteen prayers.Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!

Spirituality is lived belief. When we pray, worship, or reach out to our neighbors, we live out our beliefs. Our beliefs structure our spirituality like skin stretched over the bones of our bodies. These beliefs start with faith in God the Father through Jesus Christ as revealed through the Holy Spirit in scripture, in the church, and in daily life. Our Trinitarian theology orders our beliefs. Without a coherent theology, we lose our identity in space and time having no map or compass to guide us on our way. In the end, we focus on ourselves, not God. Christian spirituality starts with God, not with us. A Christian Guide to Spirituality takes the form of 50 daily devotions. Each topic is treated with a scriptural reference, reflection, prayer, and questions for discussion. Occasionally, references are provided for further study. The first four chapters (Introduction, Apostle's Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments) cover 40 days making them suitable as a Lenten study. Ten additional days focus on the spiritual disciplines and a short conclusion.Reading A Christian Guide to Spirituality will help readers understand Christian spirituality better and nurture their faith. There is no such thing as quality time with the Lord; there is only time. The living God speaks to us in many ways, but especially through scripture. These three sources cited (Apostle's Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments) are commonly called the rule of faith (regula fidei) and were utilized for nearly two millennia as a means to apprentice the faith. These sources are the heart of the confessions of most Christian faith communities and denominations.Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, tentmaker, economist, and writer. He lives with Maryam, his wife of 30 years, in Centreville, VA and they have three grown children. The foreword is written by Neal D. Presa. This book might be classified appropriately in spirituality, Christian living, devotion, faith, religion, and theology.******************What people are saying... You have my blessing. It's a book that needed to be written. It will do a lot of good. - Peter John Kreeft, Boston College Stephen provides a helpful, accessible guide using the classic catechetical structure of the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. - David A. Currie, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary This is a book for those who want to understand how best to have a living faith and an ever deepening devotional and experiential knowledge of God. - Stephen Macchia, Pierce Center for Disciple-Building