faith in truth

Stand Up Church

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

In this age of free and easy access to answers to our most inane questions and our deepest philosophical quandary’s, the internet, for all its faults and failings is on the forefront providing the answers. For thousands of years, lay people relied on the learned few to share their knowledge and provide us with the answers to our deepest questions. Then one day a few decades ago, the information that we relied on others to provide became readily available to all of us. Sacred texts were now available, holy texts, literary classics, rare – if ever seen manuscripts and scrolls were now ready to be accessed by anyone anywhere that wanted to see them.
It seemed as though all the answers to every question in the universe could now be found. Every question we could ever think to ask could now be answered. Today I can search and find the answer to anything I want to know. Whether I trust the “answer-er” or not, is a topic for another time.
There are several major internet search engines; Google and Bing are the two largest and most accessed. In 2018, there were 5.6 billion searches per day on Google[1] alone.  That’s a bunch of people asking a bunch of questions! So it begs the question, what are they looking for. When it comes to faith, what are the big questions that are in need of an answer? I took a look at the results from my own little blog search results to see some of what folks were asking; the results are clear. This is just a brief list of the taken from this year’s statistics.
  • I didn’t want to give up my sin
  • Bitter truths about rapture
  • Jesus and the Cross
  • What is cherished sin?
  • I believe God hates me
  • The truth about rapture
  • God are you real?
  • Am I saved because of Jesus death
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The Power of the Cross Unveiled

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 2 Comments

The Power of the Cross: One Man Sinned and All Men Died - Another Man Died So All Might LiveThe Power of the Cross: One Man Sinned and All Men Died – Another Man Died So All Might Live by James Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The Catholic Church believes that when Adam sinned (Genesis chapter 3) his trespass caused a reign of death that ruled over all men. That view is correct (Romans 5:17). The Christian churches do not believe God would hold blameless men accountable Adam’s sin, therefore they do not believe Adam’s trespass caused death to reign over anyone. That is why the Christian churches refuse to teach that little babies must be baptized to take away Adam’s sin. That view is absolutely reasonable, true, and correct. How can both views be valid?” Continue reading →

The Power of Right Thinking

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The Power of Right Thinking: Transform Your Thoughts, Transform Your WorldThe Power of Right Thinking: Transform Your Thoughts, Transform Your World by Kerry Kirkwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Let the Holy Spirit Transform Your Thoughts. Is your life everything you would like it to be? Do you feel like you are fulfilling your destiny or do you constantly fight against thoughts of condemnation, fear, hopelessness, or self-doubt?

Many quote the Bible proverb, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Your thoughts direct your words, shape your future, and ultimately determine your destiny. Kirkwood shows you how to let go of destructive thought patterns and exchange them for life-producing thoughts!”
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Praise is My Weapon

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

praise-is-my-weapon-by-dan-willis-1629113409[1]

 

Praise Is My Weapon by Dan Willis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“”I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.” Psalm 9:2

Life is hard. Even as believers, we are constantly barraged by challenges, sickness, attacks, and tragedies. Loved ones die. Good people get hurt. The faithful are besieged. It is no wonder we are often plagued by questions that plant seeds of doubt in our minds.

And yet, we are not powerless or empty-handed in the battle for our faith. As children of God, we are legal authorities in the kingdom of heaven, charged with taking control of our circumstances and enlarging our territory. And one of our greatest weapons in the war is praise.”

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The Country Road through the Book of Matthew

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The Country Road through the Book of MatthewThe Country Road through the Book of Matthew by Mike Lovett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Country Road through the Book of Matthew is just that, a road that travels through the entirety of Matthew with stops along the way where the reader can pause and explore on their own. Desiring to live out Paul’s admonition to Timothy that all scripture is inspired by God and useful to us, Mike keeps the reader on the road in hopes that each day will bring new growth in their relationship with Christ as they read about His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
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Unmasking the Devil

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Unmasking the Devil: Strategies to Defeat Eternity's Greatest EnemyUnmasking the Devil: Strategies to Defeat Eternity’s Greatest Enemy by John Ramirez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Satanist-Turned-Evangelist Gives You the Inside Strategy to Defeat the Devil’s Plans!

Many people, even Christians, deny the devil’s power. John Ramirez doesn’t have that luxury—he experienced the prince of darkness up close and personal.

In the impoverished streets of the South Bronx, John Ramirez found “acceptance” from a family of witches and warlocks. These practitioners of dark arts trained him to be a high-ranking satanic priest—a story told in his first book, Out of the Devil’s Cauldron. However, everything changed when he met the living Christ.”

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Give Yourself a Break

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Give Yourself a Break: Turning Your Inner Critic Into a Compassionate FriendGive Yourself a Break: Turning Your Inner Critic Into a Compassionate Friend by Kim Fredrickson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“It’s time to start treating yourself the way you treat others. As children we’re taught to treat others the way we would like to be treated. But as adults, we often need to turn that old maxim around. We’re good at showing compassion to other people–but many of us have trouble showing that same compassion to ourselves. We say things to ourselves we would never say to a friend. And all this negative self-talk can have a devastating effect on our lives and relationships.”

Why is it that we can overflow with love and care and compassion for those around us, even those on the fringes of our lives, yet when it comes to ourselves – well we are our own worst critic? We rarely show ourselves the love and care that we show others.

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Praying the Prayers of the Bible

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Praying the Prayers of the BiblePraying the Prayers of the Bible by James Banks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” (Psalm 27:8) It can be hard to wrap our minds around the fact that the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of heaven and earth wants to talk with us. What can we tell Him that He doesn’t already know? The thought can leave us speechless. At other times, we’re speechless for other reasons—the sorrow is too much, the pain is too strong.

An amazing thing about our God is that He will never leave us trapped within ourselves, without words or hope. He’s given us His Word, which is full of prayers from His people. When we pray the prayers from God’s Word humbly and expectantly, we open our hearts and lives to deeper faith, renewed strength, fresh blessings, and God’s power to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”
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Abandon Your Life

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Abandon: Laying Aside Your Plan for God's PurposeAbandon: Laying Aside Your Plan for God’s Purpose by Tim Timberlake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Your secret to living the life beyond your wildest dreams! Do you have a vision for how your life should turn out? Big plans? Great dreams?

Get ready to trade it in for something a whole lot bigger and infinitely greater! In Abandon, Tim Timberlake shows you how to exchange your life for God’s life. Obedience to God is not a burden, as many have thought. Instead, obedience is your key to experiencing the life of Heaven right now!”
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Pilgrim’s Progress

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 1 Comment

The Pilgrim's ProgressThe Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Often described as something that would help him, evil accompanies Christian on his journey to the Celestial City. As you walk with him, you’ll begin to identify today’s many religious pitfalls. As you walk with him, you’ll begin to identify today’s many religious pitfalls. These are presented by men such as Pliable, who turns back at the Slough of Despond; and Ignorance, who believes he’s a true follower of Christ when he’s really only trusting in himself. Each character represented in this allegory is intentionally and profoundly accurate in its depiction of what we see all around us, and unfortunately, what we too often see in ourselves. But while Christian is injured and nearly killed, he eventually prevails to the end. So can you.” Continue reading →