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Family (Firstborn Series 04)  Family (Firstborn Series 04)

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  • Author: Karen Kingsbury
  • Size: 1.41MB | 206 pages
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About the Book


In "Family," the fourth book in Karen Kingsbury's Firstborn series, the Baxter family faces new challenges as they navigate through issues of love, loss, and forgiveness. As their family grows and changes, they must learn to lean on each other and their faith in order to overcome the obstacles placed in their path. Ultimately, they discover the true meaning of family and the importance of standing united in the face of adversity.

William Tyndale

William Tyndale William Tyndale (1494 – 1536) was a scholar and theologian who made one of the first printed translations of the Bible in English. Executed for heresy, his English translations would later be published and form a significant part of modern Bible translations. “I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to stablish the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text.” William Tyndale was born in 1494 in Gloucestershire, England. In 1506 he began studying at Magdalen Hall (later Hertford College), Oxford University. After gaining a B.A. and M.A., Tyndale was able to study the subject which most interested him – Theology. But, he was highly critical of the idea that one had to study for a long time before actually being allowed to study the Bible. During his time at Oxford, he sought to create Bible study groups with like-minded friends. William Tyndale was a gifted linguist and scholar, and known as a man of virtue and good character. However, influenced by ideas of the Reformation, he increasingly became known as a man of unorthodox and radical religious views. In particular, Tyndale was keen to translate the New Testament into English. He believed this would help ordinary people understand scripture directly and not through the filter of the church. In this, Tyndale was influenced by the reformation ideas of Martin Luther. Tyndale would claim that the Bible did not support the church’s view that they were the body of Christ on earth. After studying at Oxford, he also went to Cambridge where he added to his growing range of languages and became a leading professor of Greek. After leaving Cambridge in 1521, he became a chaplain in Little Sodbury, but he was soon criticised by fellow churchmen for his radical viewpoints. In 1523, he left for London hoping to translate the Bible into English. However, he struggled to receive any support or backing, and so he left for the continent. During his time on the continent, he visited Martin Luther and wrote extensively on scriptures and continued his translations of the Bible. “I never altered one syllable of God’s Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me.” In 1525, a first English translation was published in Worms. By 1526, copies had been smuggled into England where they were soon denounced as heretical and even burnt in public. Cardinal Wolsey denounced Tyndale as a heretic in 1529. In 1530, he wrote a treatise critical of Henry VIII’s divorce. When the English King found out, he was furious and sought his extradition. After being in hiding for several years, in 1535, Tyndale was betrayed and handed over to the imperial authorities in Belgium. After being held in a castle in Brussels, he was tried and convicted of heresy. He was strangled and his body burnt at the stake. His last words were reported to be: “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes” Tyndale is best remembered for his hope that the Bible would be translated into English to allow the common people to be able to read the Holy Scriptures. His translations also proved to be quite popular, becoming the basis of key future Bible translations. It is estimated that around 80% of the King James Bible is Tyndale’s work. Four years after his death, King Henry VIII asked for English translations of the Bible to be published. These were heavily based on Tyndale’s original translations. Tyndale introduced new phrases and words into the English translations. When criticised for his translations, Tyndale replied that he sought to translate the essence and spirit of the original Greek versions and avoid the tendency to follow the dogma of the church. Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of William Tyndale”, Oxford, UK – www.biographyonline.net. Published 5 August 2014. Last updated 7 February 2018. Phrases from Tyndale’s Bible lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil knock and it shall be opened unto you fashion not yourselves to the world seek and you shall find ask and it shall be given you judge not that you not be judged the word of God which liveth and lasteth forever let there be light the powers that be my brother’s keeper the salt of the earth a law unto themselves filthy lucre it came to pass gave up the ghost the signs of the times the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

"A Dream Reveals God's Healing Power of Love"

Have you ever had an experience so exceptional you hesitated to share it with others who might not believe it? In the mid-1970s, I worked for a Knoxville company, selling to grocery stores, campgrounds, etc. My route often took me to Chattanooga, where one of my customers lived and was a Christian. We would often share our views and testimonies. One day, after he had shared a beautiful Spiritual experience with me, without thinking, I said, "Wow, is that for real?" He instantly turned away and tartly said, "I don't share this with everyone because I know they won't believe, but I thought you would!" But we were fine; I apologized and explained that it was only a reaction, and I didn't doubt his word. The following article is about a vision I have shared with only a few who I thought would believe. God's Healing Power of Love In 1996 during an incredibly stressful situation, my personal and home life were crashing, and there seemed to be nothing I could do. I was depressed, and Satan repeatedly taunted me with self-harm suggestions. I knew he was a liar, but he always attacks our weakest points. Even those closest to me were unaware that I had encountered one of the lowest points in my life. Our problems and troubles always seem worse at night, don't they? One night in the wee hours, awake and leaning against my pillow, suffering from what I now know was another brutal satanic attack, something happened that changed my life forever. My Vision Suddenly I was sitting in the drivers' seat of a large truck; it had been in an accident, and everything around me was in small broken pieces. The windshield was gone, broken glass and large shreds of sharp metal dangled from the ceiling and were scattered all around. Observing my injured body, I said, I must have been in a fatal accident! Just then, a kind-looking a well-dressed man calmly opened the smashed passenger door and stepped up to the truck. Reaching through the debris, he caught my hand, and I miraculously passed through the twisted metal, glass, and shredded material and out the passenger door to the ground. As I stepped out, I realized how well I felt, no aches or pains, and no depression. I was amazingly well! We started walking, and after about 50 yards, I saw what can only be described as a place or an opening. What I saw/experienced inside cannot accurately be put into words, but I will try. As we drew closer, I became aware of an unspeakable beauty; colors I had never seen, and music that radiated beauty, peace, and healing. Even more were the penetrating feelings of joy, total acceptance, and sense of well-being. The emotional and Spiritual healing powers were beyond what I thought possible. I stood as though glued to the ground, as I was repeatedly bathed with wave after wave of blissful sensations of healing, love, and total acceptance, powerless to move. I am convinced it could only have been a glimpse of Heaven. The power was so penetrating and extreme that I do not believe if it had occurred outside the vision, I could have remained standing. I do not know how long we were there, but perhaps only a few minutes when my friend indicated it was time to leave. We quietly walked back to the front of the wrecked truck. Then, as quickly as the vision started, it ended, and I was again sitting up in bed, awake. But the sensations remained. I trembled as my heart pounded, and the beauty and euphoria from the vision replayed in my mind. I knew without a doubt this was from God; it could not have been anything else. Again, I cannot put this into words, but it was so powerful that I would have knowingly gone through an actual truck wreck and even death to have this experience again. As I sat there searching for understanding, and wondering aloud I asked, "does this means that I am going to lose my life in a terrible accident?" Then a powerful and comforting Spiritual voice immediately responded, "No, I just wanted you to know that I love you and for you to experience the healing power of my love." I was instantly and permanently healed, and my days were once again enjoyable. Although it was winter and in the northern U.S., I would walk through the snow conducting business humming or whistling, and nothing could cause me the slightest bit of worry. The problems in my life did not change, but I did. The things I was so anxious about happened anyway, but I was okay because this miracle from God had brought total healing. God healed and removed me from the most miserable time in my life! It was a miracle that brought healing, joy, and hope for the future, and, most of all, newfound confidence in God. I was laughing and talking with my co-workers again. I didn't discuss my experience with them because some were not Christians, and I was concerned that they could not understand, and it was so precious and powerful that I didn't want to take the chance of someone not believing. This miracle was a token of God's love, and it did more for me than a truckload of pills. It was only a small sample of God's healing power of love but has remained one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The Apostle Paul's actual visit to Heaven and the things he saw and experienced were so wondrous that God would not allow him to speak of them. Paul was so captivated by his Glorious Visit that the only reason he would willingly return to earth was to complete God's message to the world. Twenty-Five Years Later Twenty-five years later, I still remember that experience in detail but can only now understand how much it changed my life. This vision, and a couple of others, are mostly responsible for establishing this ministry and website. I would never again doubt God's reality or wonder about His healing power, and it has given me faith for the countless times I have prayed with others. Now, when troubles and depression try to return, all I need to do is recall that vision, and the healing powers return. No matter how discouraging things become, or how trying the circumstances, remember that nothing is impossible with God; the healing power of God's love is enough to overcome them all. Samuel Mills

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