Acts 9, 10, 16, 18
The whole book of Revelation
If you want to learn more and gain a balanced perspective on all this stuff, you'll probably want to research the broader category of spiritual gifts. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift, and they are important to learn about.
Here is a list of books and websites that will help:
Hearing God's Voice by Henry and Richard Blackaby
What's So Spiritual about Your Gifts? by Henry and Mel Blackaby
Showing the Spirit by D. A. Carson
The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne Grudem
Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? by Wayne Grudem
Keep in Step with the Spirit by J. I. Packer
http://www.expository.org/spiritualgifts.htm
www.enjoyihggodministries.com. Click on Theological Studies Section and choose Controversial Issues. Check out Session 03-04 and 18.
www.desiringgod.org. Click on Online Library and choose Topic Index, then check out Spiritual Gifts. (Note: If you're doing a Google search on spiritual gifts or dreams and visions, please make sure you type in Christian as well. This will help you weed out a lot of deceitful stuff.)
As you continue to research and learn about spiritual gifts, always remember: The bottom line is to focus on the Giver, not the gift. God gives to us so we can glorify Him.
“Signs and wonders are not the saving word of grace; they are God's secondary testimony to the word of his grace. Signs and wonders do not save. They are not the power of God unto salvation. They do not transform the heart—any more than music or art or drama that accompany the gospel. Signs and wonders can be imitated by Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Matthew 24:24), but the gospel is utterly contrary to his nature. What changes the heart and saves the soul is the self-authenticating glory of Christ seen in the message of the gospel (2 Corinthians 3:18-4:6).
But even if signs and wonders can't save the soul, they can, if God pleases, shatter the shell of disinterest; they can shatter the shell of cynicism; they can shatter the shell of false religion. Like every other good witness to the word of grace, they can help the fallen heart to fix its gaze on the gospel where the soul-saving, self-authenticating glory of the Lord shines. Therefore the early church longed for God to stretch forth his hand to heal, and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus.”
—John Piper, Desiring God
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
BAD CONNECTION
published by Multnomah Books, a division of Random House, Inc., and in association with the literary agency of Sara A. Fortenberry
© 2006 by Carlson Management Co., Inc.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Message © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group
Other Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Carlson, Melody.
Bad connection: a novel / Melody Carlson.
p. cm. — (The secret life of Samantha McGregor; bk. 1)
eISBN: 978-0-307-56236-4
1. Teenage girls—Fiction. 2. Missing persons—Fiction. 3. Teenagers—Psychic ability— Fiction. I. Title. II. Series: Carlson, Melody. Secret life of Samantha McGregor; bk. 1.
PS3553.A73257B35 2006
813'.54—dc22
2006013162
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v3.0
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Author's Note
A Word from Samantha
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Discussion Guide
Copyright
Bad Connection Page 19