Jonathan F. Bayes – författare

Is it right to pray for revival? Why are so many of the Scriptures used to support the idea of praying for revival taken from the Old Testament? Has the New Testament nothing to say on the subject? Isn''t revival an Old Testament concept, completely fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ? These are genuine questions that some people raise, and this book seeks to address them. The author demonstrates that, even though "revival" is not a New Testament word, the reality to which the word points is definitely a New Testament theme. He also shows that it is impossible to divide the testaments, as the questions above imply, because the New Testament constantly draws Old Testament material into its own theology. Consequently, he concludes, prayer for revival today is clearly mandated by the New Testament.

Throughout the centuries churches all over the world have confessed their faith in the words of The Apostle''s Creed. The Creed is a brilliant summary of the essence of biblical truth. But, as this book shows, the Creed is not just a dry statement of abstract doctrines. It is an expression of passion. As they composed the Creed, the earliest Christians were giving voice to their passion for the God who has made himself known in the person of Jesus Christ. The Creed stands as an invitation to believers of every generation to that same passionate commitment which has marked our predecessors in the faith.This book expounds the Creed phrase by phrase, and seeks at every point to apply its teaching to the life of believers in the world of today. Taking the Creed as his starting point and framework, Jonathan Bayes presents a wide-ranging account of Christian theology. His reflections on the Creed lead to some challenging and stimulating meditations on various aspects of biblical teaching.

Sex is worth celebrating. It is one of God''s loveliest gifts to the human race. But the loveliness of sex is ruined whenever it is found outside the proper context of marriage. And God knows what powerful temptations come our way in the area of sex.The Song of Solomon is a celebration of sex and love within marriage, as this book explains. Jonathan Bayes draws out the practical advice implicit in the Song for husbands, for wives, and for courting couples. He points out the warnings in the Song against sex outside the context of marriage. The Song of Solomon has often been read as an allegory of the relationship between Christ and his people. Jonathan Bayes does not see this as the main purpose of the Song, but agrees that human relationships are a reflection of that highest love of all. In Sex, Love, and Marriage--A Celebration, Bayes brings out the interplay between heaven and earth. We are directed upwards from human love to learn about that Love divine, all loves excelling. Then we are brought back down to earth to make God''s love for us in Christ the model, which we seek to imitate in our human relationships.

The marriage of a man to a woman is a wonderful gift of God to the human race--a gift worth celebrating. The Song of Solomon is a song cycle which sings of the joys of married love. It is realistic, recognizing how every married couple has to contend with the effects of sin on their relationship, and it demonstrates how the difficulties may be resolved when things do go wrong. But the Song also points us upwards to consider and to celebrate the model love relationship--that exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ in his love for his bride, the church.