Bøger af Bill Petite

A major portion of the Church in America has succumbed to various forms of entertainment, false teachings, politics, worldly practices and other God lacking forms of worship. Gone are the days of being able to walk into most any type of church and hear the gospel being preached or taught. Many of today's Christians are more involved in the politics of this nation or simply attending the church with the shortest sermon and best form of entertainment. The head of the Church is Jesus, but He is seldom mentioned in many of these churches. Sermons, or lectures, on social issues or problems have replaced any preaching from the Bible. Those in attendance in any church service are not encourages to read or study the Bible and as a result the Church is filled with Biblical illiterates.Some might say this is all too harsh of a description of today's Christians in this country. But it is actually a very good description. The best way to know God is by reading the Bible but Christians don't read their Bible in today's Church. Some will probably hate this book and that's their right, but it would also prove many of the points which are made in this book. This book does point out many of the issues in today's Church which have diminished God's message to us in His word. The saddest note is that many churches in this nation have become nothing more than a community gathering which speaks of many things except God and His word.

What if the Church and Christianity in this country, in your state and in your town were outlawed? What if owning a Bible would get you thrown into jail or prison? This book, The Lost Church, is centered around a fictitious geographical area which has done just this. The Church has been replaced by social justice gatherings that meet on Sunday mornings in place of the church worship service. One of the main characters in this book, Joe Donnelly, is/was a Lead Lecturer at the largest of these gatherings. Donnelly has a life changing experience and goes against the ideologies and mindsets of the area in which he lives. He, with the power of the Holy Spirit breathes life back into the Church in this God hating region. But what if this ever happened right here in your home town?

John Reynolds had returned from deployment with his Marine Raider unit to discover his father had died. While on emergency leave, he discovered some ugly details concerning his father's vehicle accident. This drove Reynolds to leave the Marines and help his mother manage the family construction business. John would soon learn that a small time mobster was responsible for his father's death in that accident.This story moves through the life of John Reynolds' desire to make someone pay for his father's death and the sudden life change this God hating Marine would experience. There are people from his past who begin to show up in his life. Some of them are surprises and some are supportive. One is a girlhood friend of his younger sister who had always had a crush on John. The other is the father of an old girlfriend who is involved with the big time mob. But there is another character who brings threats and trouble into John's and his family's lives. This character is a mystery right up to the end of this story.John Reynolds never stops pursuing answers to questions concerning who caused his father's death and how that person or persons would pay.In the end, it is John's new found faith and the support of family and friends that will bring an end to this mystery. But there is also a surprise to come in John's life and hopefully, readers will endure this saga to the end and discover what it is.

I'm sure there are countless numbers of testimonies concerning the amazing work which God has performed. Regardless if it's personal or ministry, these testimonies are always encouraging. This book is just one of the many testimonies which could be told concerning how God used the lives of many dedicated Christians to accomplish a work which spanned a time of approximately twenty years. This is the story of how God used a group of His people to start a church ministry which would reach the lives of many lost souls. For twenty years, there were different men, women and pastors who attempted to begin a Calvary Chapel ministry in Barstow, CA. In 1985, a Calvary Chapel church plant in Barstow failed after only months. But there was a small group of people in that failed church plant who refused to accept that God would not move forward in this small desert city with a ministry which was needed so badly to reach the lives of so many people. What began as a Bible study, which had joined with a small Home Church group, eventually became Calvary Chapel of Barstow. The road leading to this ministry was one of many adventures. God did amazing things in the adventure which led to the opening of the doors of Calvary Chapel of Barstow. He used many people in many ways and in ways which would be life changing for some. I have attended and been in ministry in various churches (Mostly Calvary Chapel) in the last 35+ years and I have heard some fascinating testimonies of how the Lord did amazing things in the start up work of those churches. This is just one more of those many stories but it is a story of it's own just like all those other stories of church plants are. Testimonies are so encouraging and it is my hope that this one will be encouraging to those who might read this one.

My brother Tom and I were very close throughout our lives. This book tells of some of the events and times we shared. The story begins at childhood and proceeds to tell a story of his and our life events and some of our antics. It is a story from his childhood to and through his school years and the Marines and the story of his life right up to the time of his death. I admit, this is a personal story but one which I would like to tell. The story tells of Tom's amateur wrestling in high school, his time as a Marine, being an accomplished self taught musician and the sacrifices he made for his handicapped daughter. Tom and I were active and every day boys who shared in the antics and trouble makings of most young boys. It's a bittersweet story which tells of the many good times and the very sad times in his life. The loss of parents as a young mid-teen and the troubles he experienced in his early adult life are major contributors to his story. But Tom was a successful person in life according to the best things in a life. He was loved by those who knew him and by his close family. This story can have you in tears and then in laughter. It is a story which can be related to by many who read it. The hope is it can touch your life.

The Book of Acts, as recorded in the Bible, records the events surrounding the birth of the Church and its growth in the first century. This book is written in a format which speaks to the events of Acts and how it relates to us today. This is not a commentary but does have some commentary type writing in it. The purpose of this book is to encourage readers to look at this book of New Testament history and understand how it applies to our Christian lives in the 21st Century. The reader can learn how the Church was started and its purpose in this world. It moves chapter by chapter through Acts and discusses the events and characters which are important in the way they were used by God. For Christians, the Book of Acts is an important record of Church beginnings and growth. We can look around at the Church today and see the many differences from then until now. This book expounds on the way the Church operated in the first century and how it pertains to us, as Christians, today. The theme which should never change is the gospel message even though that message has been set aside in many churches today. This is also addressed in this book.

Have you ever considered what it means to be a Christian man in our current culture? If you are a Christian man, then you know what it is like when you face the world every day. You understand the temptations which are thrown in your direction. You might work in a hostile secular work environment which attempts to wear you down every day. You know what it means to pray about this every morning before you leave your home. Or, maybe you are walking the line between your Christian faith and the world. You might attend church once a week to check the box to say you were there but what did you get out of checking the box? Christian men come in all sizes, colors and attitudes; the one thing they all have in common is they have been saved by Jesus Christ. Some keep as close a walk as possible with Jesus every day while others have set a distance for one reason or another. Some read and study their Bible every day while others might only look at it on Sunday morning when the pastor tells them where to turn. Some have stepped up and answered the call to be the spiritual leader in their homes and others to ministry. But some have never got past just being saved and continue to walk that thin line. Some are prayer warriors and others haven't prayed since they ask Jesus to save them. This book addresses some of the characteristics which a Christian man should have in his life. They are characteristics which should be seen in his life by other Christians but more importantly by those who are not saved. A Christian man is not perfect and without mistakes but he should be a man who seeks after the heart of God daily. Inside this book, some of the characteristics of a Christian man are discussed in a very informal, down to earth manner. A simple, easy to understand discussion of these characteristics are what makes up the writing in this book. It's not easy being a Christian man in any era of time but we are in our era of time and these characteristics are very important to be seen in the life of a Christian man. By the way, these characteristics never change no matter what era of time you live.