2016 ISSUE 2 | TELLING THE STORY | RECOMMENDED CHRISTIAN RESOURCES
INSPIRING STORIES OF PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS In northern Iraq, radical Muslims (ISIS) spray-painted the Arabic letter ن, or “N,” on the homes and businesses of Christians. The property owners were publicly identified as Christ-followers and given a choice to convert to Islam, leave or die. The courageous believers refused to deny their faith, and more than 100,000 fled with little more than the clothes on their backs. In you-a re-t here dramatic narrative, this inspiring and challenging book shares 50 true stories of Christians facing Islamic extremism. Yousef, whose mother threatened to kill him for having a Bible, now smuggles Bibles the way his family once smuggled drugs. After Parveen’s employer beats her for attending church, Parveen begins to help other young Christian women who work in Muslim houses. Abdulmasi kills hundreds of Christians in northern Nigeria with no remorse—until the day he chooses a new life of faith and sacrifices everything for a God of love. What can we learn from these faith-filled brothers and sisters around the world? How can we pray for them? And what do their remarkable stories teach us about a God whose light shines in a dark world?
SAVE £1
I Am N RRP: £9.99 / 9781434709875 Other titles available upon request: I Am N: Devotional / RRP: £8.99 / 9780781414012 I Am N: CD / RRP: £12.99 / 000768658123
£8.99
SAVE £2
SAVE £1
£5.99 Page 4
£8.99 Page
Evangelism Resources | Save £2
True Stories | Save £1
SAVE £4
6
£22.99 Page 10 New | Inspire NLT Bible
SAVE £1
£4.99
SAVE £1
£3.99 SAVE £1
£4.99
SAVE £1
£3.99 SAVE £1
£4.99
2
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP YOU’RE ENABLING US TO SUPPORT LITERATURE MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
CLC World no 3 2016.indd 1
25/03/2016 10:30
Welcome to Take Note Supporting local Christian bookshops in the UK. Take Note is available at all participating UK Christian bookshops.
Find your nearest bookshop:
Welcome to Take Note! Everyone loves a good story and, as Christians, we have the greatest story of all to share with others. Within the pages of this issue of Take Note we feature a range of exciting books and resources around the theme of ‘telling the story’, from inspiring biographies for children and adults, to resources to help us understand, share and engage with the wonderful story of the gospel. Psalm 107 verse 2 says ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story’ and the psalm goes on to detail many instances where those who ‘cry out to the Lord’ are saved. In our featured biographies you will read stories of persecution, danger, adventure and stepping out in faith, that will inspire you as you witness the amazing way God comes to the aid of those who cry out to him and follow him today.
Take Note is produced by CLC Wholesale, Unit 5, Glendale Avenue, Sandycroft, Deeside, CH5 2QP.
We all too have a story to tell of how the Lord has heard our own cry and showered his amazing grace on us. Overleaf we have selected some books to help you share the gospel story with others, and later in this issue include excellent books for children to help them grasp the truth of the Bible themselves through imaginative story-telling.
Prices correct at time of going to print. Promotional prices valid only while stocks last.
Finally, we give a nod to the current colouring book craze with some books and journaling Bibles to help you engage creatively with the story for yourself.
Offers valid until 30/6/16.
Meet the writer: Richard Wallis
PAGE 5
Daryl Wearring Editor
Colouring Books SAVE £1
Please colour me in!
Journaling Bibles SAVE £3
£18.99 PAGE 10
£5.50 PAGE 9
God’s Big Picture Vaughan Roberts RRP: £8.99 / 9781844743704 Sixty-six books, forty authors, written over nearly 2,000 years, in many different genres. A worldwide best-seller published in countless translations and languages. A book that has been sworn by in court, fought over, and quoted in arguments. Clearly, the Bible is no ordinary book. Color the Promises
of God.indd
AM 12/17/15 11:39
19
So how can we begin to read and understand the Bible as a whole? In this excellent overview, Vaughan Roberts paints the big picture, showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. He offers us tools to read it with confidence, SAVE £1 enthusiasm and understanding. Vaughan points us to the Bible’s supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him.
£7.99
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO SEE IN STORE WE’D LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT BOOK
3
Sharing the story Storytelling Martin Goldsmith RRP: £8.99 / 9781783591558 We all love stories. In a world where people are often hostile to the good news, telling stories is an ideal way to communicate the gospel warmly and winningly. Martin Goldsmith discovered early in his career as a missionary that stories were the most effective way of sharing the gospel - especially in places where evangelism was illegal. But, since then, he’s discovered that they are also often the best way of sharing it with our neighbours in the West, who are suspicious of religious truth and hate being preached at.
SAVE £1
£7.99
If we want to win hearers for the gospel in today’s world, it is vital to become compelling and persuasive tellers of the gospel story once again. This is gripping stuff, showing the power of storytelling. Preachers in this postmodern age should major on stories, but they don’t. Martin shows us how to do it - to patients in a doctor’s waiting room, to Muslims in a bus or drunken youths in Thailand. His extensive missionary experience, his Jewish background and his deep understanding of other faiths have produced one of the most fascinating and important books I have read for years. —Michael Green, speaker and author
Intentional Paul Williams
Honest Evangelism Rico Tice
RRP: £3.99 / 9781910587522
RRP: £7.99 / 9781909919396
If we’re honest none of us find evangelism easy. We’re told we should do it, we might know that we should be doing it, but the reality is often too scary.
Hostility and hunger – that’s the response to the message of Jesus. The first is painful, the second is wonderful, and Rico Tice is honest about both.
Paul Williams is realistic about our fear and guilt, but with gentleness he SAVE £2 shows us that the key to banishing our fear isn’t complex and clever answers, but rather to take our friends to the person of Jesus.
Short, clear, realistic and humorous, this book will challenge you SAVE £2 to be honest in your conversations about Jesus, help you to know how to talk about him, and thrill you that God can and will use ordinary people to change eternal destinies.
£1.99
He gives practical examples of how we can naturally and thoughtfully share how Jesus answers, and is the answer to commonly asked questions. Paul also shares how this simple model has led to greater confidence and joy in his own evangelism. This can be our joy too! 4
£5.99
“A good and timely book that is rich in wisdom, grace and guidance. Challenging, liberating and above all encouraging. Read it!” —J. John, speaker and author
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP YOU’RE ENABLING US TO SUPPORT LITERATURE MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
Inspiring true stories MEET THE WRITER: RICHARD WALLIS Not being a regular author, how did you find writing your experiences and deciding what to include? I enjoyed the writing. I had been sort of ‘pregnant’ with the book for many months and the ‘delivery’ was easy. The challenge was getting from manuscript to book. It is good to leave the reader wanting more at the end of a book, so I selected the best stories. You have likened a couple of your stories to James Bond style escapades and even reference this in the book’s title. Did you have to learn the art of subterfuge, or was this just part of life on the frontline of mission? Good question. No subterfuge required by me. Simply I could think of no other engaging title for the book. This is a mission book but I did not wish it to look like one. OK, maybe that is subterfuge!! You may have noticed that other films are mention in the book too – Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Romancing the Stone and Dr Zhivago. Reading through your many experiences, you often felt ill-equipped for the task ahead, but stepped out in faith anyway. How would you encourage others to do likewise? Possibly suggest they read Matthew 4:18-22. Sometimes, we need to overcome the fear of failure. I quote Theodore Roosevelt in the book ‘Far better it is to dare mighty things even though chequered by failure than to live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.’ Are you still amazed that God can use us ‘ordinary’ men and women for his glory in so many different situations? I still remember vividly my excitement on becoming a Christian in Zambia in 1973. I had a powerful encounter with God and immediately grasped that with God all things are possible. Somehow that truth was squeezed out of me over the next 20 years. God had to re-amaze me in the 1990’s. The mission society I founded is called Mission Possible UK Finally, what is your prayer for the readers of your book? My prayer for Christian readers is that they are encouraged in their daily lives by God’s transforming work around the world. We all need encouragement. My prayer for non-Christian readers is that the book shatters the myth that Christianity is dull and encourages them to explore the Christian faith.
ONLY
£4.99 From Russia to Rwanda with Love Richard Wallis RRP: £4.99 / 9780993535109 At the age of 40, Richard described himself as a ‘tombstone in the pews’ of his church. This is the story of how this midlife crisis led to adventures beyond his wildest dreams. The story will lift your spirits and inspire you. You will experience a mix of emotions from the horror of the genocide in Rwanda to the humour of Richard’s encounters with toilets in Africa. You will meet Besa who was appointed to head a Christian ministry just a few days after becoming a Christian and a couple who smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union. Then there are detours to other ‘exotic places’. Read why Richard was detained by police in Brazil and his encounter with a strongman in the Philippines. This book is neither an autobiography nor an anthology. It is a vibrant mix of the two combining the adventures of an ordinary man with powerful testimonies of people that he is working with in Africa and Eastern Europe. The theme that holds the book together is found in Ephesians 3:20.
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO SEE IN STORE WE’D LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT BOOK
5
SO MUCH FROM SO LITTLE The s tor y of a n ordin a ry g uy wh o d i d ex t rao rd i nary t h i ng s
Read the rollercoaster adventure of one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs and discover why he insists that God must be at the centre of all he does. A gripping story that is also a handbook for would-be entrepreneurs. “Full of invaluable and hard-earned lessons about how to succeed in business without losing your soul...” SAVE £1 REVD CANON J. JOHN
£7.99
PUBLISHED MARCH 2016 RRP £8.99 ISBN 978-1-908393-57-9
More true stories
River ad2.indd 1
07/03/2016 13:33
Under Their Very Eyes Deborah Meroff & Tom Hamblin
If A Wicked Man John Lawson RRP: £9.99 / 9781903905920 John Lawson was not a man to mess with. In Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and London’s Soho his fighting skills and courage made him a man with a reputation among the gangs and violent men running the clubs where drugs and prostitution were rife. Riding with a Biker gang and graduating to ‘debt collecting’ for international racketeers his life was full of brutality and crime.
RRP: £8.99 / 9780857217127
SAVE £1
£8.99
While serving five years for attempted extortion in a Scottish prison a dramatic encounter took place that revolutionised his life and changed him forever. A true crime story with a twist in the tail.
6
From a brutal and impoverished background in Reading, England, Tom Hamblin became a believer as a teenager before serving as a missionary in the Far East. He and his wife Edna spent more than a decade SAVE £1 leading expeditions into the heart of Borneo. Gradually they become convinced that the Lord was calling them to minister in the Arabic peninsula: in particular, to carry in thousands of Bibles in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu. They conveyed shipment after shipment into this region, never losing a copy and surmounting all restrictions. This is the remarkable story of a Bible smuggler to the Arab world that will stir the reader’s spirit.
£7.99
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP YOU’RE ENABLING US TO SUPPORT LITERATURE MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
Classic Biographies Run Baby Run Jamie Buckingham & Nicky Cruz
Chasing the Dragon Jackie Pullinger RRP: £8.99 / 9780340908808
RRP: £8.99 / 9780340861967
Until it was demolished, the Walled City in Hong Kong had forged a reputation as a lawless area where even police felt forbidden to enter. The area had become synonymous with drug dealing, prostitution, murder, blackmail and fear.
SAVE £2
£6.99
In 1966, Jackie Pullinger set sail from Britain with little inclination that she would be ‘called’ by God to the Walled City. Jackie Pullinger’s missionary autobiography tells of how her strong faith encouraged brutal Triad gangsters to convert, prostitutes to quit, and drug addicts to clean up. “Chasing The Dragon” is a testament to selfless commitment and human kindness towards others.
Nicky Cruz’s classic testimony is still compelling reading more than forty years after its first publication. A childhood overshadowed by spiritualism in his Puerto Rican home preceded a harsh and violent adolescence as the SAVE £2 leader of one of New York’s toughest street gangs. Chilling scenes of knife fights, torture and murder dominated the life of a young man proud and feared on the outside, but inwardly running scared.
£6.99
His fears and loneliness were brought to the surface through an encounter with the unlikely character of preacher David Wilkerson, who led Cruz to open his life to Christ – an incredible conversion that amazed all who knew him.
BIBLICAL FICTION FROM FRANCINE RIVERS SAVE £3 A Lineage of Grace Francine Rivers
£8.50
RRP: £11.50 / 9780842356329 Francine Rivers re-tells the amazing stories of the five women chosen by God to bring his kingdom closer to earth through their own example of love, sacrifice and loyalty - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary and their devotion to the people and the God they loved. These stories of courage and compassion empower women today to find God’s purpose for themselves and live to fulfil that calling as God intended.
Sons of Encouragement Francine Rivers
SAVE £3
£8.50
RRP: £11.50 / 9781414348162 Sons of Encouragement is five action driven narratives from one of Christian literatures top selling writers. Each story shows how there’s a vital gift, given by men in God’s service, of encouraging, supporting and enabling others to play their part in Gods greater story. Aaron: the priest, Caleb: the warrior, Jonathan: the prince, Amos: the prophet, and Silas: the scribe.
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO SEE IN STORE WE’D LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT BOOK
7
978-0-85721-696-0, £4.99
978-0-85721-695-3, £4.99
Exquisitely designed, nau tical-inspired art. 64 pages.
Beautifully designed Scripture art to colour in. 64 pages.
32 wonderful pages to colour. Includes a calendar.
8
Take Note Ad.indd 1
978-0-85721-762-2, £6.99
978-0-85721-761-5, £6.99
! g n i r u o l Keep co
32 beautiful pages to colour. Includes four pages of postcards.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP YOU’RE ENABLING US TO SUPPORT LITERATURE MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
06/04/2016 16:38
Colour the story
Please colour me in!
Looking for a fun and easy way to calm your busy mind and let God’s Word penetrate your heart?
SAVE £1
£5.50 EACH
Color the Names of God Color the Promises of God.indd 19 Marie Michaels RRP: £6.50 / 9780736968539
Color the Promises of God Lori Siebert
A great resource for quiet meditation, creative expression, or personal devotion, these unique collections of beautifully rendered Bible verses invite you to fill the pages with colour as you meditate on the names of God and the promises of God. Try one for yourself here!
12/17/15 11:39 AM
RRP: £6.50 / 9780736968355
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO SEE IN STORE WE’D LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT BOOK
9
Journal the story Inspire is a new single-column, wide-margin NLT Bible that will be a cherished resource for creative art journaling. It is the first Bible of its kind –with over 400 beautiful line-art illustrations spread throughout the Bible. Every page of Scripture has two-inch-wide margins, with either Scripture line-art or ruled space for writing notes and reflections, or to draw and create. The generous font ensures optimal readability, and quality cream Bible paper is great for creative art journaling. Inspire is designed uniquely to appeal to art-journaling and adult colouring book enthusiasts.
SAVE £4
£22.99
Also available on request:
NLT Inspire Bible
NLT Inspire Bible – leatherlike
Hardback / RRP: £26.99 / 9781496413741
Wide-margin
Journaling NIV Bibles
RRP: £32.99 / 9781496413734
SAVE £3
£18.99 SAVE £3
£22.99 NIV Journaling Bible Mint Polka Dot HB RRP: £21.99 / 9781444745634
NIV Journaling Bible Brown Imitation Leather RRP: £25.99 / 9781473607729
For Bible readers who love to add their own notes, references and personal reflections, these beautiful journaling Bibles with wide margins and ruled lines are perfect. Beautifully designed, cloth-bound journaling Bible with high quality paper and extra wide ruled margins for note taking and referencing. 10
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP YOU’RE ENABLING US TO SUPPORT LITERATURE MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
New Devotionals for Young People Beautifully Brave
Ideal for ages 11–15
Delve into topics such as living daringly, using the armour of God, being empowered through praise, and being unified with other girls and women of God. ISBN: 978-1-78259-520-5
Take Courage Learn about prayer, how to overcome doubts and fears, and all about David – a young man who needed courage from the day he stood up to Goliath right through his life.
£1 OFF Now £3.99 each
ISBN: 978-1-78259-519-9
RRP £4.99
Various authors
The Lost Series by Bob Hartman Ideal for ages 3–6 A brand new series of colourful story books based on parables for young readers.
Have You Seen My Coin? ISBN: 978-1-78259-451-2
Have You Seen My Son? ISBN: 978-1-78259-453-6
Have You Seen My Sheep? ISBN: 978-178259-452-9
Take Note.indd 1
THERE’S MUCH MORE TO SEE IN STORE WE’D LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT BOOK
£1 OFF Now £4.99 each RRP £5.99
23/03/2016 09:40 11
Teaching little ones the Bible's
BIG story!
The Garden, The Curtain And The Cross Carl Laferton & Catalina Echeverri £8.99 | ISBN: 9781784980122 This stunningly illustrated hardback storybook for 3-6 year olds is a gospel presentation that focuses on the significance of the temple curtain. God said “because of your sin you can’t come in”, but the moment the curtain tore in two, everything changed...
SAVE £2
£6.99
SAVE £2
£6.99 £8.99 | ISBN: 9781910307960
Other books in the Tales That Tell The Truth range retell Jesus calming the storm from SAVE £2 Mark 4, and Jesus healing the £6.99 official’s son from John 4. Both feature stunning illustrations by Catalina Echeverri. £8.99 | ISBN: 9781910307434
393-t5garden-TN-Advert.indd 1 Find your nearest Christian bookshop here: blog.clcwholesale.com/participating-shops
Your local Christian bookshop is:
Bringing glory to God by making Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ. CLC is a registered charity: England & Wales (1015793) / Scotland (SCO37939)
16/03/2016 16:10