Life in Tension

Reflections on the Beatitudes Revised

Life_in_Tension_revision_front_20201111
Part of the Christian Spirituality series:
Editions:Paperback: $ 16.95
ISBN: 9781942199045
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 304
Kindle: $ 4.95
ISBN: B01KW0ICY8 / 9781942199076
Pages: 306
Nook: $ 4.95
ISBN: B01KW0ICY8 / 9781942199076
Pages: 273

Life in Tension reflects on Jesus' Beatitudes in the context of scripture. The Beatitudes serve as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and lay out Jesus' priorities in teaching his disciples. Because the sermon serves as a kind of ordination service for the Apostles, the importance of the Beatitudes for the early church, Christian spirituality, and discipleship today cannot be overstated.

When God enters our lives, we change.

Our new identity is in Christ comes into tension with our old identity in ourselves as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and minds. This tension arises between who we were and who God created us to be, between us and God, and between us and those around us. The Apostle Paul calls the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives sanctification.

Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!

This revised edition facilitates ease of reading. It has an updated cover, fewer Greek and Hebrew references, and fewer footnotes than the original edition. Some editing to enhance clarity has also been done.

Categories:  Spirituality and Spiritual growth

Keywords: Beatitudes, Christianity, spirituality, Jesus, Bible, devotion, prayer, spiritual growth, discipling, Christian spirituality, devotional, sanctification, and faith.

Published:
Publisher: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC
Editors:
Reid Satterfield, Sarah Hamaker

Genres:
devotional

Tags:
devotional

Reviews:Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary wrote:

We live in a fallen world. It leads to life in tension, and sometimes a life full of stress. Stephen Hiemstra takes us on a needed tour of the kind of character it takes to face such a life.

Sarah Hamaker, Author wrote:

We don't often think of our life as one lived in tension, but as believers that's exactly how we live. Stephen Hiemstra's Life in Tension takes us through the Beatitudes and provides a blueprint for Christians to navigate this tension with ourselves, with the world, and with Christ.

Stephen Macchia, Pierce Center for Disciple-Building wrote:

The Christian life is filled with tension, paradox, and upside down requisites for obedience to the biblical text and the clarion call of God.

Jonathan Jenkins, Pastor wrote:

Stephen Hiemstra's Life in Tension reminds me of Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship, because it is an earnest, personal effort to hear and follow the voice of Jesus here and now.

Percy Burns, Pastor, Charlotte, NC wrote:

I recommend Stephen Hiemstra's book, Life In Tension, to readers who want solutions to the stresses and burdens of life. It is generally accepted among Christians and even secular people that our lives have too much tension and too little peace. Surely, our Lord speaks with great wisdom as He gives answers for these dilemmas of life. He had better plans for us than most of us have yet consistently experienced. Stephen with courage gives practical answers for applying the profound truths of the Lord's words to our every day lives.


Forward by Nathanael Snow.

Prayers of a Life in Tension

prayers of a life in tension
Editions:Kindle: $ 0.99
ISBN: B01LYC15HQ / 9781942199168
Pages: 67
Nook: $ 1.00
ISBN: B01LYC15HQ / 9781942199168
Pages: 83

In the fall of 2014, I was invited to speak at a local mosque about my book, A Christian Guide to Spirituality. Speaking at a mosque was new to me and anticipating this visit I spent three days fasting and praying for guidance. Instead of guidance on the mosque visit, God inspired me to write Life in Tension: Reflections on the Beatitudes from which this prayer book is taken.

When God comes into our lives, we change.

Our new identity is in Christ comes into tension with our old identity in ourselves as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and minds. This tension arises between who we were and who God created us to be, between us and God, and between us and those around us. The Apostle Paul calls the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives sanctification.

Life in Tension reflects on Jesus' Beatitudes in the context of scripture. The Beatitudes serve as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and lay out Jesus' priorities in teaching his disciples. Because the sermon serves as a kind of ordination service for the Apostles, the importance of the Beatitudes for the early church, Christian spirituality, and discipleship today cannot be overstated.

Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!

Published:
Publisher: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC
Genres:
Prayer

Tags:
prayerbook

A Christian Guide to Spirituality

Foundations for Disciples

Book Cover: A Christian Guide to Spirituality
Part of the Christian Spirituality series:
Editions:Paperback: $ 12.95
ISBN: 9781942199069
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 236
Kindle: $ 4.95
ISBN: 9781942199991
Pages: 236
Nook: $ 4.95
ISBN: 9781942199991
Pages: 236

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. Fifty days of study allow an Easter study running through Pentecost.

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!

Categories:  Spirituality and Devotional

Published:
Publisher: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC
Editors:
Reid Satterfield

Genres:
devotional

Tags:
devotional

Reviews:Dr. Peter John Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College wrote:

You have my blessing. It's a book that needed to be written. It will do a lot of good.

Rev. David A. Currie, Ph.D. Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary wrote:

Spirituality can seem like anamorphous, impractical, and un-Presbyterian pursuit. But historically nothing could be farther from the truth. For anyone seeking to explore the 'how's' of the Christian life, Stephen Hiemstra has provided a helpful, accessible guide using the classic catechetical structure of the the Apostles' Creed (how Christians should believe), the Lord's Prayer (how Christians should pray), and Ten Commandments (how Christians should live).

Dr. Stephen Macchia Founder and president of Leadership Transformations and director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary wrote:

With the rule of faith--Apostles Creed, Lord's Prayer and 10 Commandments--as his backdrop, Hiemstra opens up the subject of Christian spirituality with theological acumen and practical application. 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.


Forward written by Neal D. Presa, past Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

This book might be classified appropriately in spirituality, Christian living, devotion, faith, religion, and theology.