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Choosing Happiness Even When Life is Hard {Book Review}


Softcover: 176 pages 

Language: English 
Product Dimensions: 7.00 X 4.25 inches 
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-272-6 


Yes, I know, I've been so inactive and busy for a very long time, and I haven’t written any blog within that time. Due to some reasons, I have to temporarily refrain from blogging to prioritize my studies. To end this year, I’d like to leave this book review to all of you; for you to secure a copy of this life-changing book, available at CLC Bookstores.

Written by a Doctor of Medicine, Frank Minirth has written this wonderful piece that really changed my outlook in life. After the success of his best-selling book Happiness is a Choice, I must say that this too could reach the top. Noted that it was written by a Doctor, my first impression is it's less of Biblical content.

All around the world, many people commit suicide to ‘resolve’ or ‘end’ their problems. Many people lose their contact with reality in their grief. Knowing that life is sometimes rough and hard, can we really be happy in the midst of it all?

After I finished the book, I was so inspired by everything the author has shared, his insights and stories are so light as if you are having a hand to hand talk with him. I just felt that it really touches the inner being.This book is filled with so much useful insights and even facts. From discouragements to stress, to anxiety and anger, to loneliness and grief, Minirth has so much to say. Never miss any single chapter; His advises are not just biblically based but also medically. His experiences and years of being a doctor is very much manifested in this book, that he always include medical terms (which are not confusing) for illnesses and disorders that will enlighten you to live a physically-healthy life (have a free doctor consultation with it!). This book will help you discover how to start over to live a joyous life. At the latter part of it you’ll find very useful resources including bible scriptures for encouragement (what an awesome add-on!), and a Glossary full of theological, physiological and psychological terms (a medical dictionary at the same time, just WOW!). To sum it all, an emotional, spiritual, and physical guide book in one.

Lasting happiness is within your reach. As John 10:10b Amplified Version declares: “I [Jesus] came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full till it overflows!]” So this life was meant to be a joyous journey. Certainly, you could choose happiness even when life is hard.

Indeed, your happiness depends on you, simply the decision is yours! Decide now and grab a copy of this life changing book! Your life might never be the same again!

For more info, visit: www.CLCPhilippines.com

Have a #HAPPY, blessed and Jesus-centered 2014! :)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Minirth, MD, is president of the Minirth Clinic in Richardson, Texas, and one of only 122 doctors in the U.S. and Canada certified by the prestigious American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. He is the bestselling author of Happiness Is a Choice and can be heard weekly on both local and national radio. 

ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS:
CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines



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Top 10 Christmas Songs of 2013 (New Release Tuesday)

Here's a completely obvious fact that needs restating merely for introductory purposes of this article: There's a TON of Christmas music out there. At some point in just about every long-tenured artist's career, they put aside their regular musical contributions and turn their attention to putting their signature spin on well-loved carols (and creating a few original tunes in hopes that they'll become classics). 
The result—for better or for worse—is an ever-increasinglibrary of tunes out there to enjoy for about four weeks out of the year. Although many people (myself included) are sick of the 12-song rotation that includes Bing, Brenda Lee and the Chipmunks all day long, it's also overwhelming to try to set out on one's own Christmas music quest. 
To help, in some small way, I'm sharing a list of my favorite new Christmas songs released by artists in 2013. Although there's plenty more music out there from various other years, this list provides you with some pretty solid listening choices that are brand-new. (If you have any other must-listens from this calendar year, feel free to post them in the comments below!)
And now, in no particular order, here are my Top 10 Christmas songs from 2013. (If you want to listen to these, check out the "NRT New Christmas 2013" Spotify playlist.)

"Hallelujah Chorus" by John Schlitt
If you're not immediately aware of the name John Schlitt, chances are, you're familiar with his voice. As the current frontman of rock staple Petra, Schlitt's high-octane pipes have been known to make candy canesexplode. Just kidding. But in all seriousness, the opening track of Schlitt's fan-funded The Christmas Project deploys some fantastic arena-rock firepower with some time-tested tunes. It's a rare thing indeed to see Handel's Messiah covered on Christmas albums (compared to some other standards), but when it's covered with distortion and gritty vocals, it's a total win. 
"Joy to the World" by Citizens
Mars Hill worship band Citizens is known for its ability to take hymns and given them a fresh coat of uptempo hipster paint, and that's just what they've done with "Joy to the World." With a killer bass riff and xylophonic chimes opening the first track of their Repeat the Sounding Joy EP, you know you're in for something different on this tune. It's a great blend of the familiar melody line and an inventive, high-energy arrangement.

"Hey Moon" by Sidewalk Prophets
Sidewalk Prophets has a ton of fun on their brand-new (and first) Christmas album, Merry Christmas to You, but on the song "Hey Moon," things get deeper with a song about the Star of David talking to the moon about the birth of Jesus. The lyrically strong, piano-and-strings song, has a few great, memorable lines, such as: "Do you ever get tear in your eye? When you think about the time that God came down / I couldn’t help myself I had to shine so bright," and, "It’s funny how things have changed / I wish they could see the things we’ve seen / Before the colored lights / And Christmas trees."

"Christmas Madness" by The Rocket Summer
In the middle of November, one-man band Bryce Avary announced on his social media outlets that, on a whim, he decided to write, record and release a Christmas EP. The Christmas Madness EP is the result, and the title track is a great song about focusing on the right things in the midst of "Christmas madness." Avary said the song is "about the financial pressures that come with Christmas." It's a driving pop/rock song that is classic The Rocket Summer (or should we say The Rocket Winter?) featuring Avary's high-flying vocals and his playing all of the instruments on the track (except for the sweet saxophone his longtime friend played). 

"Little Drummer Boy" by for KING & COUNTRY
Into the Silent Night EP only has five songs on it (four if you take into account that there are two versions of "Baby Boy"), and the Smallbone brothers waste no time with each track. One of the highlights is the band's fantastic cover of "Little Drummer Boy," a carol that is difficult to pull off with any amount of originality. Plenty of bands have tried; most have failed. Joel and Luke give this B-level Christmas carol a major Brit-rock facelift with driving guitars, twinkling synths and echoing vocals. The delicate first few verses give way to bombastic energetic ending verses, with explosive interludes bridging them all together. Fans of the band know that for KING & COUNTRY loves playing the drums; you can easily picture them hopping around the stage slamming on drums live for this song. (NOTE: "Baby Boy" is clearly the standout on this album, but it was not introduced in 2013.)

"Emmanuel Come (O Come O Come Emmanuel)" by North Point
North Point Music—a part of Atlanta megachurch North Point Church—does a masterful job of taking a well-known Christmas song and giving it a contemporary chorus that enriches the context for today's audiences. They did it well with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/He Has Come For Us" on their first Christmas album, and they do it again with their retelling of "O Come O Come Emmanuel," as sung by Clarissa Gibson on the Let There Be Light album. The song maintains the original's dark feeling of longing for a savior, along with the juxtaposed chorus of hopeful praise. For this song, North Point added a pre-chorus leading into a modified refrain of "Rejoice!" It's a great illustration of the need and the answer.

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Future of Forestry
From Associate Editor Mary Nikkel's review of Advent Christmas Vol. III: One of the decisions that sets the tracklist apart from most other Christmas releases is the inclusion of "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring," sung in its native German. Foreign language pieces are always a gamble, as they run the risk of alienating English speakers who cannot understand the lyrics, but this rendition is tasteful and never overbearing in its presentation of the original Bach piece. The places where the German might seem slightly stilted to native speakers are smoothed over by exceptional instrumentation choices (particularly a notably rich string section) that give this song the most joyful posture of the EP's selections.

"Feliz Navidad" by Unspoken
This is one of those Christmas songs where you can only think of one rendition of it—Jose Feliciano's—and no one else has even come close to mounting a challenge of presenting to the world a viable cover version—until now, thanks to Centricity's Christmas compilation Christmas: Joy to the World. What's immediately noticeable about multicultural pop/rock band Unspoken's version of the song is that there are no horns, the tempo is slightly slower, and there's somewhat of a shuffled/swing beat. Not only that, but the band wrote verses of their own that reflect upon the past year and on Jesus' birth (all in English). The chorus attached to those verses is familiar—"I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"—and the familiar "Feliz Navidad" chorus doesn't come out until 2/3 of the way through the song. A song that once felt like a goofy party song has taken a serious turn with Unspoken, and instead of using the Spanish as a shtick, it comes off as more inclusive of the joyful, reflective message. If you haven't heard this version, be prepared for a complete overhaul of what you expect from the song.

"Just A Girl" by Brandon Heath
Brandon Heath is an incredible songwriter, and on his holiday album, Christmas is Here, he turns his attention to a hypothetical story regarding there being no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn in Bethlehem. He imagines the thought process of the innkeeper—which involves wrongly judging Mary—only to regret his decision later: "He's just a babe / Just minutes old there trembling in the hay / I could have found a room for them to stay / I'm so ashamed / He's just a babe." It's a creative take on the Christmas story, and it focuses on a character that rarely has any screen time. The world didn't expect Jesus to come as He did. The question is, do we accept Him on His terms?

"Light of the World" by Lauren Daigle
New Centricity Records signee Lauren Daigle is introduced to the world in a big way with her first single on the Centricity Christmas compilation album, Christmas: Joy to the World. Daigle's voice is at times rough and at times pure and smooth; it's powerful and peaceful. With hints of Kim Walker-Smith, Dara MacLean and even Katy Perry in her voice, there's a distinct quality to her voice that lends some extra drama to this song about longing for Jesus. Daigle sings about real-life issues where people need peace and hope, and presents Heaven's answer: Jesus. The original tune isn't a take on "O Come O Come Emmanuel," but it's certainly a thematic cousin: "The world waits for a miracle / The heart longs for a little bit of hope / O come, o come, Emmanuel / A child prays for peace on Earth and she's calling out from a sea of hurt/ O come, o come, Emmanuel / And can you hear the angels sing it? / Glory, the light of the world is here."

BONUS: "Miraculum (LIVE)" by Lincoln Brewster
Check out this instrumental track from by one of the greatest electric guitar players on the scene today. With some familiar melodies and plenty of musical interest throughout, this is a great track to put on while you're making cookies, wrapping presents, decking your halls or whatever else you do that's Christmassy. What's more impressive than the song itself is the fact that Lincoln played this live—that's right, in one take. Enjoy the musicianship, as presented on Joy to the World: Deluxe Edition.

Posted December 03, 2013 | Editor-in-Chief Marcus Hathcock has been a newspaper reporter, an editor and a church staff member. He's also been involved in opera, acappella, a CCM group and now is a songwriter and the worship leader at his home church in the Portland, Ore. area. Follow his journey atwww.mheternal.com.

SOURCE
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Understanding Your Bible in 15 Minutes a Day {Book Review}

Softcover: 160 pages 
Language: English 
Product Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 inches 
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-269-6 

The Bible is the perfect way to know the message of God. Through this, God communicate with us. As the book of Second Timothy 3:16-17 declares: "All Scripture is GOD-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of GOD may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Some may look at it as an ordinary history book and feel bored about it. And we, as Christians may sometimes be overwhelmed with it. We have so many questions and we don't know where to start. There are so much books about the Bible, but sometimes it leaves you without much time to read the Bible itself.

In this book of Daryl Aaron, he answers our questions about the Bible. The cover describes it best. You don't have to use a lot of your time just reading the book itself, unlike any other books of its kind. Say no to very complicated thoughts and other technicalities. Concise and coherent, and a very good tool for discipleship, specially for beginners/ new Christians. Every insights in this book will help you understand the Bible and will make you enjoy reading it. This book will not leave your questions unanswered. Get a daily dose of it and use each to bring you more deeper in your relationship with God.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Daryl Aaron earned his ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary and his PhD at Graduate Theological Foundation. He spent fourteen years in pastoral ministry before coming to Northwestern College to teach theology and Bible. Dr. Aaron lives in Mounds View, Minnesota, with his wife. 

ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS:
CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines

For more info. visit: http://www.clcphilippines.com/

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Jaci Velasquez Kicks Off 2013 Christmas Tour


NEWS SOURCE: TKO Marketing
December 5, 2013
NASHVILLE, Tenn., (December 4, 2013) - Award-Winning Recording Artist Jaci Velasquez kicks off her 2013 Christmas tour this week. The tour begins in Bloomington, Minn. on December 6. For more details on tickets, visithttps://www.facebook.com/JaciVelasquezOfficial.
Christmas Tour Dates:
Friday, December 6
Women In Ministry Brunch
11am-1pm
Embassy Suites Minneapolis-Airport
7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN
Register for the event:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/kkms-women-in-ministry-luncheon-tickets-8515131989
Friday, December 6
Jaci Velasquez Christmas Concert
7pm
Edinbrook Church
4300 Edinbrook Pkwy, Brooklyn Park, MN
Tickets: http://www.kkms.com/ContentPages/4131/wide/
Saturday, December 7
Jaci Velasquez Christmas Concert (in Spanish)
7:30 pm
Bell Shoals Baptist Church
2102 Bell Shoals Rd, Brandon, FL
Tickets: http://www.bellshoals.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=289424
Monday, December 9 
JOY Concert-featuring Jaci V., Wayne Watson, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
McLean Bible Church
8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
Tuesday, December 10
JOY Concert-featuring Jaci V., Wayne Watson, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris
McLean Bible Church
8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
About Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez has three RIAA® certified Platinum® albums, three RIAA® certified Gold® albums, 16 number one singles, 6 singles in the top 10, 7 Dove Awards, has graced more than 50 magazine covers, appeared in ads for Pepsi, Doritos, Target, and is the co-host of the syndicated morning show, "The Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug and Jaci Velasquez" on Today's Christian Music Radio Network with more than 1.5 million listeners. To learn more, visithttps://www.facebook.com/JaciVelasquezOfficial.
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Life on Purpose for Women {Book Review}



Softcover: 224 pages 
Language: English 
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.5 inches 
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-159-0 

Daily encounters and personal quality time with the Lord through bible reading and reflection is very essential for spiritual growth. Reading of devotional books is a very good supplement to it. I've been using two different devotional books for sometime now: Revealing Jesus by Darlene Zschech in the morning, and Lift Up Your Eyes by Christopher Shaw in the evening; both are 365 day devotional books.

After receiving from CLC Philippines, I'm in doubt that this Life on Purpose Devotional could be as applicable to me as it is with Revealing Jesus and Lift Up Your Eyes, noted that it is for Women. I'm using it for weeks now, and all of my doubts were driven away. I must say that this is more elaborate, personal and intimate. Knowing that this is not for 365-day use, J.M. Farro, the author, maximized all the pages to bring out each word from personal experiences, encounters and God-given revelations.

Furthermore, these book comprises 85 inspiring devotionals wherein each of these has a ''Live Your Purpose Today'' bite-size advise from the author and a prayer to close. These features are seldom found on 365-day devotional books, making it very useful to new believers.

It is ''for women'' maybe because it was written by a female author and has the personal experiences and points of view of a woman, a mother; but minus this inscription at the cover, it is very much applicable to everybody.

In conclusion, this devo book is one of a kind. It is a 'must-have' to any christian (more specifically to women). Grab a bulk today, this makes a very good Christmas present! By the way, take advantage of the 56th Anniversary Sale of CLC Philippines, where books are available for as low as PhP56.00 (until November 30).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
J. M. Farro, gifted writer and author, reaches out to thousands of people through Jesusfreakhideout.com. Since 1996, this popular Web site has grown in scope and outreach beyond the boundaries of the Christian music industry. Their focus is album reviews, artist information, interviews, music news, and ministry through devotionals and prayer. On staff since 1998, J. M. Farro counsels thousands of men and women around the globe each year through her devotionals and prayer ministry. She and her husband, Joe, have two sons. They make their home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. 


ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS

CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines

For more info. visit: http://www.clcphilippines.com/
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102 Fascinating Bible Studies {Book Review}

Softcover: 216 pages
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
ISBN-13: 978-971-789-257-3

Recently, CLC Philippines sent me another set of books to review. I was surprised, for I'm not expecting to receive from them again. This batch of books is larger than the batches they've sent me before, so I had a little problem on choosing the first book to review. Then, I saw this book--102 Fascinating Bible Studies.

This book caught my attention, aside from its nice and attractive cover, it is really fascinating, and impressive--102 Bible topics in a book, exactly what the title describes. It's very ideal for bible study either for group or for personal use.
 
The topics are arranged alphabetically which makes it easier to use. As a life group leader of the teens in our church, I must say that this is very helpful to me. Every topic is given a short introduction by the author and has a list of scriptures/passages to support the topic and to show where each words occur in the bible--making it a bible concordance at the same time. Each bible scripture listed on the topics include questions that will motivate you and your group members to read the bible, to think, and to memorize the passages. One thing that I noticed is some of the questions are not so much connected or focused to the topic, but indeed it is a very good resource--diverse and helpful.

Topics include: Amen, Angels, Anger/Wrath, Antichrist, Baptism, Beatitudes, Bible, Blind/Blindness, Blood, Bold/Boldness, Cheer/Encourage, Children, Church, Comfort, Ten Commandments, Confession, Conflicts/Strife, Cross of Christ, Death (Physical & Spiritual), Depression/Despair, Discernment/Understanding, Dreams/Visions, Evangelism/Witnessing, Faith, Fasting, Fellowship/Partnership, Fools, Forgiveness, Friends, Fruitful/Fruit, Glory/Glorification, God, Gospel, Government/Civic Life, Grace, Health/Healing, Heaven, Hell, Help, Holy Spirit, Hope, Humility, Hunger/Hungry, Husbands/Marriage, Hypocrisy, Inheritance, Jesus' Humanity, Jesus' Deity, Jesus' Death, Jesus' Resurrection, Jesus' Return, Joy, Judging/Judgment, Justify/Justification, Kingdom of God, Eternal Life, Love, Memory/Remember, Mercy, Miracles, Music/Singing, Patience, Peace, Pleasures, Poverty, Praise, Prayer/Praying, Pride, Prisons, Promises, Reconciliation, Redemption, Repentance, Rest, Rewards, Riches, Saints, Salvation, Sanctification, Satan/Devil, Senior Citizens, Sheep/Shepherds, Sin, Sleep, Spiritual Renewal, Suffering & Pain, Tears/Crying, Temptation, Time, Tithes & Offerings, Tongue/Tongues, Trials/Tribulations, Trinity, Vanity, Voices, War/Warfare, Water, Wisdom, Wives/Marriage, Work/Labor, Worship.

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Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
 -Joshua 1:8 NIV

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Preston A. Taylor is a retired pastor and missionary to Argentina. He received his BD and ThM degrees from Southwestern Baptist Seminary and his DMin from Luther Rice Seminary. For the past 25 years, he has written a weekly devotional message for newspapers in the towns where he has served as pastor. Dr. Taylor currently lives in Zapata, Texas. 

ABOUT THE CLC PUBLICATIONS
CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message. Some of our better known authors from the past include Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and Roy Hession. Today we are also publishing books by well known authors like Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt.

Many of our books are influenced by the message of the Keswick movement starting in 1875 in England and therefore some of our older authors have British origins or spoke on the Keswick stage at one time or another. While we do not limit our publishing to the theology of this movement, we are certainly excited to be able to convey the message of the Victorious Christian Life to a new generation.
As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Disclosure: A review copy of this book is provided for review by CLCPhilippines

For more info. visit: http://www.clcphilippines.com/

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John Schlitt's Debut Christmas Album Moves To Nov. 19

NEWS SOURCE: McCain & Co. PR
November 11, 2013
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 25, 2013) - Legendary vocalist John Schlitt has announced the name of his upcoming CD and unveiled the artwork for its CD cover. The Christmas Project, the Grammy and Dove Award winner's first recorded collection of Christmas music, will be released October 29.

"When we started working on this CD, we kept calling it The Christmas Project, because we didn't have a name for it yet," Schlitt says. "As the months went by, the name just kind of stuck. I like things that are what they say they are, and in the end, I decided that The Christmas Project was the perfect title."

The inspiration for the album cover is the life of Jesus, according to Schlitt.
"It started out as an idea I had to incorporate all the symbols of Christmas onto a wreath. As my team worked on the cover, we realized that there is one symbol that stands above all: the manger," Schlitt says. "But the manger was only the beginning, because looming ahead was the cross. Christ was born to die. We don't like to think about that at Christmastime, but His whole purpose in coming into this world was to bear our sins on the cross."

"But it didn't end there," Schlitt says. "Our Lord conquered death and the cross by rising on the third day. Without the resurrection, the cross means nothing, just as the manger means nothing without the cross. The cover really tells the whole story of Jesus--from His birth, to His death and on to victory."

Schlitt, who had never previously recorded any Christmas music, neither during his 20-year stint as the lead singer with Petra nor as a solo artist, says he felt "a very strong tug" to make this seasonal record.
The majority of the CD consists of traditional Christmas songs with one new original, all done "John Schlitt style."
Schlitt utilized the popular crowd funding platform Kickstarter to raise financial support for the new album.
For more information on Schlitt and The Christmas Project, visit johnwschlitt.com or follow him on Twitter (@johnwschlitt) or Facebook (facebook.com/johnwschlitt).

About John Schlitt:For more than three decades, John Schlitt has enjoyed a stellar musical career as a solo artist, as the lead singer for Grammy Award-winning Christian band Petra, one of the most successful Christian rock bands of all time, and as the former lead singer for popular '70s mainstream rock band Head East. He has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame as the lead singer of Petra during the years when the band won 10 Dove Awards and four Grammy Awards. Schlitt was named the best rock singer in Christian music history by GospelMusicChannel.com. According to the website, Schlitt "remains one of the most distinctive and impactful men to ever stand behind a microphone." Schlitt was also named Male Vocalist of the Year in About.com's 2011 Readers' Poll in a category that included Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, Brandon Heath and Bebo Norman.

Since Schlitt released his fourth solo CD, The Greater Cause, in May 2012, the legendary vocalist's busy schedule has included appearances on The Mike Huckabee Show, 700 Club Interactive and the Faith & Freedom Celebration--the faith-based kick-off to the Republican National Convention, as well as extensive international touring.


For more information on Schlitt, visit johnwschlitt.com or follow him on Twitter (@johnwschlitt) or Facebook (facebook.com/johnwschlitt).
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Integrity Releases "Stand Up" From Luke Hellebronth

NEWS SOURCE: Integrity Music
November 6, 2013
Integrity Music announces the global release of Stand Up, the debut album from Luke Hellebronth, co-leader of London's Worship Central, a staff member at Holy Trinity Brompton and writer of the song "Spirit Break Out," soon to be featured in a major motion picture.
Stand Up, which is available through digital service providers including iTunes and Amazon, was produced by Hellebronth's fellow Worship Central leader and songwriter Ben Cantelon and executive produced by Tim Hughes. The project features seven studio-recorded songs and two live tracks, all written by Hellebronth with co-writers including Cantelon, Hughes, Nick Herbert and Aaron Keyes.
The album unveils the depth of Hellebronth's talent as a writer with songs that range in tone from urgency and optimism, as in the title track and "Our Generation," to plaintive and personal as with "Miracle of Grace."
… Fully embraced by prodigal love / Wrapped in compassion, I'm held in delight The life in Your laughter, joy in Your wine - "Miracle of Grace"
Also included among the nine tracks is "Spirit Break Out," a song that has quickly moved beyond the UK and Europe thanks to Worship Central's 2011 global release of a live album by that title. Kim Walker-Smith followed this, covering the song for her album Still Believe and Integrity featured it on the iWorship Now/Next collection released earlier this year. The song will reach an even larger audience next spring when it is featured in the Paramount film "Noah," starring Russell Crowe. On Stand Up, Hellebronth and Cantelon give "Spirit Break Out" a stronger, darker treatment, reminding listeners of the fine line between intercession and worship. A live video recording of the song featuring Hellebronth and the Worship Central team can be viewed at "Spirit Break Out".
The complete tracklist for Stand Up is: 1. Stand Up 2. Love Like This 3. Awesome Is He 4. Miracle Of Grace 5. Ready For You 6. Who You Say You Are 7. Spirit Break Out 8. Now Is The Time For Us (Bonus - LIVE) 9. Our Generation (Bonus - LIVE)
Luke Hellebronth serves as worship pastor at London's Holy Trinity Brompton church (creators of the "Alpha" course). He also works with Worship Central, helping train local worship leaders and equip churches around the world. His passion is to use music and lyrics to help people worship and connect with God. Additional information, including acoustic versions of his songs and accompanying chord charts, can be found at http://www.worshipcentral.org.
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Billy Graham to Give ‘Final, Most Important’ Message on His 95th Birthday

On his 95th birthday Nov. 7, the most famous Protestant evangelist of the 20th century will give what could be his final and most important message to the world.
In the months leading up to the unprecedented event, Billy Graham has declared in an exclusive interview with WND that signs of the end of the age are “converging now for the first time since Jesus made those predictions.”
In his new book, “The Reason for My Hope: Salvation,” Graham wrote the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is “near” and the United States “can’t go on much longer in the sea of immorality without judgment coming.”
Now, in a trailer to “The Cross,” the primary program in the My Hope America with Billy Graham evangelistic outreach, Graham said that with “all my heart I want to leave you with the truth.”
“We have been going down the wrong road for a long time,” Graham told WND. “Seemingly, man has learned to live without God, preoccupied and indifferent toward him and concerned only about material security and pleasure.
“And yet mankind is also adrift morally and spiritually, confused and fearful because he does not know where he is or where he is going. He lives in a world dangerously torn by hate and violence and conflict, and yet he feels powerless to do anything about them. He also knows his own heart is driven by destructive passions and motives he cannot seem to control or change.”
Graham – who has preached to more people, 2.2 billion, than any Protestant in history and has appeared on Gallup’s list of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World” 56 times since 1955, more than any individual on the planet – told WND that people need to repent of their sins, turn to God and “take the narrow road that Jesus talks about in the Bible.”
“The narrow road means that you forsake sin and you obey God, that you live up to the Ten Commandments and that you live up to the Sermon on the Mount desiring to please God in everything. The narrow road is hard and it is difficult; you can’t do that yourself. You need God’s help and that’s the reason we ask people to come to receive Christ because when you receive him, the Holy Spirit comes to live within to help us live the life.
“Our world is desperately seeking answers to the deepest questions of life – answers that can only be found in the Gospel. That is the reason for my hope, that there can be changed hearts and a changed society as we yield ourselves to Christ.”
In what the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association describes as the largest outreach in its six-decade history, Graham will give a powerful pre-recorded message the week of Nov. 7. The “My Hope” programs will be available for viewing online, including on YouTube. “The Cross,” the primary program in the “My Hope” series, will be broadcast on the Fox News Channel, TBN, Christian networks and local television stations in a number of cities. [More information can also be found at the websites or by calling 1-877-7MY-HOPE, or 1-877-769-4673].
More than 25,000 churches – one of every 12 in America – are participating in the outreach along with 2,300 houses of worship in Canada. Participating individuals, called “Matthews” after the disciple who invited guests to his home to introduce them to Jesus, will open up their homes to people they have been praying for. At the gatherings, they will show one of the My Hope evangelistic programs and share their own personal stories of coming to faith in Jesus.
The outreach comes as a number of major evangelists – Graham, his son Franklin Graham, Reinhard Bonnke, Greg Laurie, Luis Palau, Banning Liebscher and others – are turning their attention toward America in the hope of helping to ignite what Graham calls a “fresh spiritual awakening.”
Heartache for America
The movement began after Graham, who provided spiritual counsel to every president from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush, released an open letter to America in the summer of 2012 titled “My Heart Aches for America.”
In the letter, Graham wondered what his late wife, Ruth, would think of a nation where “self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.”
Graham, who has appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, Life, U.S. News and World Report, Parade and numerous other magazines, compared America to the ancient city of Nineveh, the lone superpower of its time. When the prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s warning, the people repented and escaped judgment, Graham wrote, adding he believes the same thing could happen in America now.
Greg Laurie, the senior pastor at the 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., said the letter caught his attention and is certainly an “apt description” of modern-day America. Laurie, president of Harvest Crusades, said Graham “is a prophetic voice and it’s like Isaiah or Jeremiah standing up and telling the nation what they need to do.”
“I’d say, without question, that Billy Graham is the greatest evangelist who has ever lived, not just in our generation, but in any generation,” Laurie said. “No one has even come close to accomplishing what he has. Billy Graham has always been an authoritative voice. One of the best-known phrases that he uses is, ‘The Bible says,’ and I think one of the reasons for Billy Graham’s longevity is he has stood on the Word of God.”
Bill Leonard, a Wake Forest University Divinity School professor, said Graham remains “an American phenomenon, the most enduring and perhaps the most beloved preacher in American religious history.”
“Graham is a major historical figure, not merely to American evangelicals, but to American Christianity in general,” Leonard said. “Although not so well known among a young generation of evangelicals, he remains the closest thing to a national Protestant chaplain that the U.S. has ever had. There really is no one successor. Unashamedly Christian, he demonstrates a graciousness that extends to persons inside and outside the church.”
Graham, who founded Christianity Today and Decision magazines, was reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte, N.C.
Growing up during the Depression, Graham learned the value of hard work on the family farm, but he also found time to spend many hours in the hayloft reading books on a wide variety of subjects.
In 1934, the 15-year-old Graham committed his life to Christ through the ministry of traveling evangelist Mordecai Ham. He was ordained in 1939, graduated from Wheaton College in 1943 and married fellow student Ruth McCue Bell, the daughter of a missionary surgeon who spent the first 17 years of her life in China.
After college, Graham pastored the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Ill., before joining Youth for Christ. He preached throughout the U.S. and Europe after World War II.
But the Los Angeles Crusade in 1949 vaulted Graham into international prominence. At the time, William Randolph Hearst, the publisher of the San Francisco Examiner and many other newspapers, told his editors to “puff Graham.”
Over the ensuing decades, Graham preached at crusades on every continent, from remote African villages to major cities, including a crusade at Madison Square Garden in New York City that ran nightly for 16 weeks.
Hundreds of millions of people have seen him preach at stadiums and arenas around the world, and millions have read his New York Times bestselling books and inspirational classics, including “The Jesus Generation,” “Angels: God’s Secret Agents,” “Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” “Storm Warning,” “The Secret of Happiness,” “How to be Born Again” and “Nearing Home.”
For more than six decades, Graham’s weekly “Hour of Decision” radio program was broadcast around the world. His syndicated newspaper column, “My Answer,” is still carried by newspapers both nationally and internationally.
Test of time
“Billy Graham has stood the test of time, and where others have come and gone and others have had scandal, he has not,” said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research in Nashville, Tenn. “He is a man that Americans and people around the world look up to. They know a man of character, and I think they are interested to know what he’s got to say at this time because, increasingly, society seems to be coming apart at the seams and somebody who has seen it for 90 years, who has been faithful for 90 years and who has preached the Gospel for decades and decades, is worth listening to.”
Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said his father, even at his advanced age, hasn’t quit working or pursuing his lifelong mission to fulfill the Great Commission – the instruction of the resurrected Christ to his disciples to spread his teachings to all the nations of the world.
“At 94, he hasn’t lost his vision,” Franklin Graham said. “At 94, he is still concerned about people being lost and separated from God and spending eternity in hell, and it’s a burden to him. I would just hope that others would see this and do likewise. We need to have that burden for the lost. And my father, even at this age, hasn’t lost that burden.”
Bonnke, an international evangelist whose ministry, Christ for all Nations, has recorded 72 million people responding to the call of salvation in Africa and elsewhere, said Graham is a “true man of God, a wonderful evangelist.”
“Billy Graham has done an outstanding job, and his family is continuing that legacy,” Bonnke said. “But we can’t rest and say, ‘It has all been done.’ We have to get busy to launch out and reach the present generation with the Gospel as well.”
Liebscher, director of Jesus Culture, an international Christian revivalist youth outreach ministry based out of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., said he believes the nation can experience another “awakening,” and he’s greatly encouraged that the “Lord is speaking to some of these generals of the faith … because he’s really trying to stir hope in the church.”
“One of the things that happens is we lose hope and we begin to become hopeless about the state of our nation and when we become hopeless faith isn’t able to grow,” Liebscher said. “I really believe God is turning the hearts of these leaders to this nation, and it’s going ignite hope in the hearts of people that God can do this.”
Liebscher said Graham’s comparison of America to ancient Nineveh – a nation that repented and escaped God’s judgment after hearing the prophet Jonah’s warning – inspires him that “God can still break in and God can still turn a nation.”
“We read in history again and again that as nations would be in decline, moral decline, and there would be violence and sexual immorality and all this stuff, that God would break in, and he would turn a nation, he would turn the hearts of the people,” Liebscher said. “We see it biblically. We see it in history. I think God is speaking again and that hope is coming. Hope is alive.”
David Jeremiah, pastor of the 8,000-member Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., said Graham has watched the nation’s moral decline over many decades and understands the critical, existential point it is at now.
“He’s seen it as we’ve continued to slide downward away from the very principles that our country was founded upon – now at an all-time low in all the years I’ve been doing this,” said Jeremiah, author of “What in the World is Going On?: 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore.” “He’s 25 years ahead of me so he knows.”
While watching the “Defining Moments” video, Jeremiah said it struck him that national repentance is the only hope America has.
“We’ve tried everything else,” Jeremiah said. “There is no other hope. The political process isn’t going to make it happen. We’re not going to elect somebody who is going to immediately turn this thing back. We don’t seem to be able to coalesce as a group of Christians and get anything done together. The Gospel is the power that can change the lives of people, and I believe that’s what Dr. Graham believes in his heart, too.”
Best is yet to come
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that holds the Secret of America’s Future,” said one of the mysteries contained in “The Harbinger” is the parallel between the fall of ancient Israel and the fall of modern America.
“In this ancient template, the nation undergoes a metamorphosis in which those who simply hold true to the ways of God, to that which the nation as a whole once held to, now find themselves increasingly at odds with the culture around them,” said Cahn, whose book has remained on the New York Times bestseller since January 2012.
“The case of Billy Graham reveals this dynamic. Graham is undoubtedly the most famous face of American and world evangelism. Thus his recent statements concerning America are all the more noteworthy. They are increasingly at odds with the direction of American culture and have increasingly taken on a prophetic tone. It is a sign of the times.”
Cahn, the senior rabbi at the nation’s largest messianic congregation, the Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, N.J., and a descendant of Aaron, the brother of the biblical prophet Moses, noted Graham has been known as the “pastor to presidents” and has prayed at numerous presidential inaugurations.
“But had he began his ministry today instead of years ago, holding the same views he has always held, it is likely he would have been banned from praying at the most recent inauguration. This is a sign of how much America has metamorphosed in the past half-century – a sign of how great and deep is its spiritual and moral apostasy.”
Amid this growing immorality, Graham told WND that the greatest hope of the Christian faith is the return of Jesus.
“That promise will someday become literal history, and with God’s help we’re going to be a part of that history that is yet to come,” Graham said. “Only Jesus Christ when he comes back again is going to bring it. He will defeat every enemy. Sin will be eliminated. Death will be eliminated. War will be eliminated. Crime will be eliminated. The hope of the Second Coming of Christ generates energy and sacrifice and faithfulness and diligence and zeal.”
The best is yet to be. Heaven is yet to be, along with eternal life, Graham said.
It is the hope of the Second Coming that “thrills me every day of my life,” Graham said.
“I know that he’s coming again, and I know that he’s going to set up a kingdom of which there will be no end,” Graham said. “In Titus 2 it says, ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.’ Our hope centers in a person, not in circumstances, not in a political party, but in a person.”
An award-winning journalist at the Los Angeles Daily News, The Press-Enterprise and other newspapers for two decades, Troy Anderson writes for Reuters, WND, Charisma and many other media outlets. He’s also the president and editor-in-chief of the World Prophecy Network – An Online Newsmagazine and Community Spreading the Hope of Jesus in the End Times. He lives in Irvine, Calif.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/billy-graham-to-give-final-most-important-message/#kpvCKbPLdgtiwox4.99

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