Page 4 - March-April 2022 Together

TOGETHER MARCH – APRIL 2022 Two New Releases

FROM THE PUBLISHER Ordinary People Publishers in 1962, which is today one of from B&H Publishing

Literature Crusade (CLC) and set out on the
table in the chiropodist’s waiting room. The first
the world’s largest independent Christian
publishers of both books and Bibles.
sale was a Bible and the first month’s takings
were £13 19s 6½d. This was the beginning of
St Andrew’s Bookshop, Gt. Missenden, sixty-five
Zettie Clark and Dr Kenneth Taylor
years ago, which today remains one of the UK’s
largest Christian retailers.
were very different, one living in a quiet
Buckinghamshire village and the other in the
Probably everyone’s life story comes with unique challenges, difficulties, bumps
hustle and bustle of Chicago, USA. Where
Dr Kenneth Taylor grew up in a Christian family were ordinary people whose life stories Hope for the Hurting
and bruises that leave you lost and drowning in their wake. It could be a financial
and from an early age read God’s word but their stories connect is that they both shared disaster, a health issue, a broken relationship, or the loss of a loved one.
wrestled with the archaic language of the King the same driving passion to help people
James version. As a father of ten, he was discover faith through the reading of the Bible Tony Evans, understands life’s hardships first-hand in a span of less then two years,
disappointed that there were few books available and Christian books and were willing to follow he lost his brother, sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, father, and wife. At the same
Steve Briars that retold Bible stories for children. When his God’s direction. time both of his daughters received cancer diagnosis. In the wake of all this pain,
children brought home their Sunday School Dr Evans had to put into practice, at the deepest levels, the truths he has preached
Zettie Clark leafed through the pages of a pictures, he wrote the Bible stories to match the I believe within our trade today we have about God for more than forty years.
magazine as she waited to see the chiropodist pictures, using words and phrases they would ordinary people who will also do extraordinary
at 63 High Street, Gt. Missenden. She understand. Realising there was a need for a things for Christian retailing and publishing. Is God’s Word doesn’t promise us a life free from pain and trouble. It promises us
noticed that passers-by often looked at the greater understanding of God’s word for adults, this you? something else – Someone else. Someone who will walk with us through all of
chiropody sales table in the window or when he began paraphrasing the whole Bible from life’s trials and troubles. There is hope for the hurting. His name is Jesus. ISBN 9781087736990/
HB/160 pp/£11.99
they popped in to make an enquiry. A thought the King James text. After several attempts the Stephen J Briars
occurred to her: if Christian books and Bibles Living Letters were published. During the next Publisher & Managing Editor,
were displayed here perhaps people might few years Dr Taylor paraphrased the remainder Together Magazine
look and buy. The first order was placed for of Scripture and it was published as The Living Tony Evans is one of the world’s most respected leaders in evangelical circles. As a pastor,
£10 worth of books and Bibles with Christian Bible. This was the beginning of Tyndale House teacher, author and speaker he serves the body of Christ through his unique ability to
communicate complex theological truths through simple yet profound illustrations.

Lent is Good for Us
REFLECTIONS by Tsh Oxenreider author of Bitter and Sweet. You’re the Worst Person in the World

souls as well; when we indulge our inner lives
Ultimately, we recognise the season of Lent
Are you tired of the unrelenting pressure to be the best at everything? Author
with the sugars of laziness, complacency or
before Easter not because God demands it of
us, not because Christ commanded it to prove
In his letter to the early Christians in Corinth,
our mettle, and not because we must perfect pride, our innermost selves start to atrophy. and speaker Scarlet Hitibidal was too.
For Scarlet, attempting to be the best at pretty much everything was her life story.
ourselves before we’re worthy of Easter. We Saint Paul writes, ‘Athletes exercise self- But in the midst of all her striving and reaching to hit the mark, she somehow
observe Lenten practices because they’re good control in all things; they do it to receive a still couldn’t grab hold of the joy and freedom and life-change that’s supposed
for us. perishable wreath, but we an imperishable to come with the gospel’s good news. That is, until she realized something
one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as revolutionary – instead of the best, she might actually be – the worst. The
Most of us are fine with an occasional though beating the air; but I punish my body ”chief of sinners”. Poor in spirit and gone astray.
indulgence of dessert, pizza for dinner or a and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to
late night out with little sleep. If we miss a day others I myself should not be disqualified’ (1 Instead of hiding from brokenness, this book will help us stare that broken reality
of exercise or drink a bit too much wine for Corinthians 9:25-27). Christ has not called us straight in the face, along with a laugh or two, as we feel the weight of just how
a few days, our surprisingly resilient bodies to a life of ease; we’re called to discipline. absurdly and glaringly off the mark we all are! As we admit our worstness, stop
will recover. The deliciousness of food and trying to be perfect on our own, and simply walk with the One who really is ISBN 9781087709185/
the enjoyment of an evening celebration with As followers of Christ, if we’re athletes using perfect, we’ll find along the way that we are actually changing for the better. PB/240 pp/£14.50
friends are delights of life and God saw fit to our gifts, skills and strengths to aim our lives
create the world with bountiful opportunities for towards an imperishable prize, a practice like
joy and occasional indulgence. But we know Lent could be seen as a season of intense

well what would happen if those indulgences working-out. Like Olympians before the ISBN 9780736985536/Harvest House/HB/ Scarlet Hiltibidal is the author of Afraid of All the ings and He Numbered the Pores on
were mainstays, the normal daily practices of worldwide games, we’re focused, determined 160 pp/£18.50/available from KCLCT My Face. She also writes a regular column for ParentLife Magazine and enjoys speaking to
our ordinary lives. Our bodies would drag with and ready to win. Lent doesn’t earn our place women about the freedom and rest available in Jesus.
the effects of our choices: bloating, headaches, in the game of life, but it makes us more ready
sluggishness, crankiness and worse. Keep up for it. As one writer puts it, ‘It’s the spiritual temporary suffering of Lent is swimming
those choices and eventually our bodies would equivalent of choosing to pick up the kettlebell upstream in a culture that prefers to go with
become addicted to excesses and let us know instead of the Chex Mix, and it will have similar the flow. But as Chesterton quipped, to go
when they demanded more – always more and benefits for your soul.’ against the current is to be alive. We can
more, until we tell our bodies no. choose to live the paradoxical Christian life
In a world that celebrates indulging our whims because we’ve been given new life in Christ, Available from Kingsway-CLC Trust
These physical delights, which can so quickly whenever we want, to practise the traditions which gives us the faith, hope and strength to and CLCWholesale.com
spoil if overused, reflect the fragility of our of Lent is counter-cultural. Welcoming the do so.
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