Turning the Tide: Real Hope, Real Change($12.75Value)

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Now in paperback— New York Times bestselling author Charles Stanley shares a thought-provoking, inspirational book calling our nation to get on its knees to pray, then stand up and become involved. Get on Your Knees to Pray... Then Get Up and Take ACTION There is a tidal wave threatening our nation, and its unrelenting surge is changing American life as we’ve known it . . . and as our Founding Fathers intended it to be. In the midst of the politically charged atmosphere in our country, Dr. Charles Stanley stands tall with a refreshingly calm yet bold call to action. Insisting we can make a difference, Dr. Stanley makes a passionate plea for Christians to get on their knees to pray, and then stand up and become involved. With wisdom and biblical teaching, he insists that if we will turn to God and obey Him, we can: * Reverse the course of our financial troubles * Stop the onslaught of increasingly burdensome taxation * Halt the advancement of socialism in public policy * Return respect for the sanctity of life to the national discourse In this revolutionary book, bestselling author Dr. Charles Stanley also offers a step-by-step twenty-week prayer guide to help Christians pray for real change. It’s time, Dr. Stanley says, for us to take responsibility for the direction of our country and become involved both at the civic level and through fervent prayer. Dr. Charles F. Stanley (1932–2023) was a New York Times bestselling author who wrote more than sixty books, with sales of more than ten million copies. He had been senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and his outreach ministry—In Touch—reached more than 2,800 radio and television outlets in more than fifty languages. Dr. Stanley was inducted into the National Religious Broadcaster’s (NRB) Hall of Fame in 1988. Dr. Stanley’s goal was best represented by In Touch Ministries’ mission statement: to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to strengthen the local church. This is because, as he said, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.” CHAPTER 1 THE RISING TIDE The Danger in Failing to Recognize the Storms Over the years, I have been privileged to see and walk along some of the most magnificent beaches in the world. Not long ago, I was at a Hawaiian seashore known for its tremendous waves—ones worthy of surfing excursions—and I was acutely aware of the rise and fall of the tides. On several occasions in the past, this particular coastline has had waves that rose more than twenty feet high. A man at the hotel called those times “an extreme surfer’s paradise.” While the unfurling and crashing of breakers of that magnitude may excite avid surfers, the rest of us, however, are frightened by such an overpowering crush of water—fantastic to look at, perhaps, but only from a distance. As I gazed out at the ocean, knowing the potential danger for great waves, my thoughts turned to the painful reality of the tsunami that crashed into Japan in 2011. The devastation in terms of lives and property loss was enormous. I then began to think about the riptides that can periodically make a beach too dangerous for swimming. Although these tides can be identified by lifeguards and experts as they watch from elevated perches, they are not as easily recognized by beachgoers on the shore or those already in the water. Once an innocent swimmer has been caught in the clutches of such a powerful current, escape is extremely difficult. Rescue is often perilous for those who seek to help. Death is frequently the result. I considered the rising floodwaters that have devastated many areas in our nation. We live in an age where it is not at all unusual to hear a newscaster report, “Nothing of this magnitude has ever been experienced here before.” I asked myself, What makes tides go from beautiful to dangerous? What causes the sea to swell and produce a wave that washes away beaches and cities? What creates those waves? The answer in many cases is storms. Some of the squalls pound on the surface of the waters, while others occur far away, causing a ripple effect throughout the ocean. Some tempests involve fierce winds; and others, a seemingly endless amount of heavy rain. Regardless of how these whirlwinds and downpours occur or where they originate, they cause seismic shifts in the waters—and the tides rise with immensely destructive power. These observations of nature started me thinking about the issues I will discuss in this book—tempests that occur in our nation and also in our personal lives. These storms don’t necessarily have anything to do with weather. They are situations in our lives that devastate us just like a category-five hurricane that ravages a coastal village. They may arise due to our finances, a broken relationship, a lost job, a crippling illness, or any number of distressing circumstances. The dark, threate