Bible-Believing Christians
Providing resources to help Christians trust the Bible, build confidence in Gospel conversations, and learn about the Rapture of the Church; through books, youtube videos, and songs.
Phil Layton
BOOKS
Paperback: £8.99
E-Book: £7.93
To buy this book now and have it delivered to you from Amazon simply click here!
Gospel Conversations: Building Confidence through Christian Apologetics
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Is there a God? ...Who made God?...Why does God allow suffering and evil?
Is Jesus God?....What about the Trinity?...Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
and more...
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A guide for learning and articulating rationale for core Christian beliefs
so that, when challenged, the follower of Jesus can provide a reason to believe,
and from that platform turn the conversation around
to seize the opportunity for Gospel evangelism.
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Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have.
1 Peter 3:15
With forewords by:
General Lyndon Buckingham & Commissioner (Dr) William W. Francis
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This book by Phil Layton directly addresses those fears which may deter us from sharing the Gospel, and builds confidence through providing easy-to-remember logical arguments to some of the most common questions which face Christians today.
General Lyndon Buckingham
World Leader of The Salvation Army
My friend and respected colleague, Phil Layton, has masterfully provided biblically based answers to the perplexing questions every Christian has both personally pondered and been asked directly by others.
Commissioner (Dr) William W. Francis
Former Chair of the International Doctrine Council
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The Rapture of the Church: What does the Bible say?
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A clear, calm, and comprehensive study
of the Rapture of the Church,
using over 100 different Bible references
to reveal why Jesus may come
to take His bride Home at any moment,
and why this is so relevant for the Church today!
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With forewords by:
Tim & Christianne Swansbury / Kingsley S. Layton / Dr William W. Francis
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Phil Layton presents a clear and compelling study, approaching the topic with understanding and respectful consideration for alternative points of view... We commend to you this excellent resource, in which Phil has taken great care to resolve the questions which surround this important theological subject.
Captains Tim & Christianne Swansbury (UK)
Officers of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom
Paperback: £5.95
E-Book: £2.99
To buy this book now and have it delivered from Amazon simply click here!
Bible-Believing Christians is a book that asks (and answers) the following questions:
How can trusting the Bible be problematic? ...Is the Bible open to interpretation?
Is it just another religious book?...Is it a loaded Canon?
Is it God’s revelation? ...Is the Bible inerrant?
Is it the Christian’s primary authority? ...Is it the Word of God?
Is it understandable? ...and how can we solve apparent contradictions or difficulties?
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This book outlines how the Bible can be trusted, how traditions must be tested,
and provides careful instruction and examples of how
apparent difficulties can be resolved!
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With forewords by:
General André Cox (R) & Major Amy Reardon
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Phil Layton in this useful book brings to us a timely reminder of the importance of the Bible for all Christians.
General André Cox
World Leader of The Salvation Army
Phil Layton is of the spiritual lineage of John Wesley, and he has proven it. He is committed to Scripture as the primary authority for Christian faith and practice.
Captain Layton, devoted to God’s word and its veracity, will not rest easy when he finds contradiction in the Bible.
And so Layton has settled upon an approach to the Bible that, first of all, assumes it is accurate, and any perceived error is due to our misunderstanding. This approach is explained well in the book. He teaches the reader to explore, to probe. He lists the types of things the reader must consider. And best of all, he goes the distance in pulling apart a problematic passage, as an example of how it should be done.
Major Amy Reardon (USA)
Member of the International Doctrine Council
If you are troubled by the apparent contradictions in the Bible,
Phil Layton's book may be what you have been looking for.
Convinced of the accuracy of the Bible, he seeks to show how we need to ensure that we read the difficult texts in their context with great care and examine the issues more closely.
He recognises that sometimes our preconceived ideas, or the accepted wisdom of others, or the traditional views of the church are the cause of what appears to be discrepancies. He gives examples and then shows the reader how to analyse and resolve such problems, adding that because one cannot always find the answer to the problem immediately, it doesn't mean that there isn't an answer.
This is a book that every Bible student who has come across apparent contradictions would do well to read.
Major Howard Webber (UK)
Winning Author of Christianity Magazine's Book of the Year 2010
Paperback: £11.95
E-Book: £3.90
To buy this book now and have it delivered to you from Amazon simply click here!
Paperback: £3.99
E-Book: £1.99
To buy this book now and have it delivered from Amazon simply click here!
The Sacraments and the Bible examines how The Salvation Army (or any other professing Christian) can justify non-adherence to the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist when it seems clear that the vast majority of other denominations regard them as being an intrinsic part of the Christian faith!
Can such a position be defended using the Bible alone?
Phil Layton's short and very readable analysis provides an excellent insight into this interesting topic.
General Shaw Clifton (R) writes:
"My prayer is that this book will be used of God to help a new generation of Salvationists understand and, when called upon to do so, explain the Army’s position; that it will also speak to those in the sacramental traditions, where we find many who, while not adopting our practice, nevertheless understand and affirm us in our teaching; and that Salvationists everywhere will capture anew that gloriously Christ-honouring vision of becoming living proof that, by divine grace, a holy life can be lived without reliance upon outward sacramental ceremony."
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This book has now been translated into 7 languages!
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'This is essential reading if you want to be an informed Salvationist regarding the Army and the sacraments.'
Major Laurie Robertson
On Fire magazine, Australia Southern Territory
'A good, simple, Salvationist, sacramental roadmap'
Commissioner John Swinfen
Salvationist magazine, UK Territory
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'This very concise, readable book will be helpful for those needing an introduction to the Army's biblical point of view.'
Major Ted Horwood
The Officer magazine, International Head Quarters
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'It is an examination of The Salvation Army's position on the sacraments based purely on a scriptural foundation'
New Frontier magazine, USA Western Territory
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'A valuable teaching tool, both for new and not so new Salvationists.'
Pauline Fidoe
Personal Review from former Baptist tradition
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'I was made to reconsider my whole grasp on the subject.'
Andrew Kite
Personal Review from a Salvation Army Local Officer, Canterbury Corps, UK
'What a refreshing, Biblically sound approach to this subject...'
Troy Walker
Personal Review from Newcastle Worship and Community Centre, NSW Australia
Testimonials
Christian Apologetics
Here is a compilation of apologetic teaching videos to help build confidence in why Christians believe the doctrines taught in the Bible, and how these can be used to provide answers to the sincere skeptic, as well as provide a platform on which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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You can also watch this on youtube here:
The Rapture - Free Online Video Bible Study Series
Ideal for personal or group Bible Study, these 24 bite-size videos clearly explain what 'the Rapture' is, what the Bible teaches, and why it is relevant.
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Also available on youtube here:
Ideal for personal or group Bible Study, these 10 short videos clearly explain why the Bible can be trusted!
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Also available on youtube here:
VIDEOS
Why can we trust the Bible?
Free Online Video Bible Study
SONGS
WE BELIEVE
We believe the Holy Bible
Is Gods word, inspired, divine.
May its pages so inspire us
Love with heart, soul, strength and mind.
God Almighty, awesome Saviour;
By His work His power is known
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
May God's love through us be shown.,
( chorus)
We believe in the Holy Bible,
And our faith is in the Lord
We believe Christ died to save us,
Life eternal is our reward.
We believe our sin and weakness
Would keep us from God's design
Jesus died to make us worthy,
I am Gods and He is mine!
Jesus' death saves all who trust Him,
Born again through faith by grace,
Daily trusting and obeying,
'Til at last we see His face.
We believe in resurrection,
Christ will come to take us home.
Set apart a holy people,
Til our work on earth is done.
Sin and death no more may sting me
God is just, in Him we trust,
God, Creator, Judge, Redeemer
Praise His name the First and Last.
'We believe' is a sung theology.
The words are a proclamation of faith, written with the intention of encapsulating the primary doctrines of the Bible-believing Christianity.
While it has been sung successfully (without chorus) to the traditional tune of Blaenwern, the writer's preference is for use with a new and contemporary styled tune composed by Wesley Carroll, which has proved to be popular, easy to remember, and which places proper emphasis where required.
This new tune is easy to learn, helping the singer to read, absorb, and memorise the words - which comes back to the writer's aim of trying to facilitate the teaching of doctrine through sung worship.
Music, words, and backing tracks all freely available:
KING of AGES
(Revelation Song)
A Gospel Song based on Revelation (15:3-4)
- The Song of Moses and the Lamb -
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King of Ages
Almighty God
Praise and glory unto Your Name
You are holy
the Righteous One
Hope of Heaven
we come and worship You
(Great and tre are Your ways)
Our hope is that both singers and listeners alike will be lifted in praise and worship as you engage in this offering.
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The words and music are by Phil Layton and Wes Carroll respectively.
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Music and backing tracks freely available:
1.
I want a holy heart, dear God,
A heart from sin kept free,
A heart of gratitude for all
You did at Calvary.
2.
To have a holy mind I yearn,
A mind both quick and pure,
To reason for the hope I have
And in my trials be sure.
3.
More strength I need as on my way
New dangers I shall meet;
Keep pure my actions and each day
Temptation I’ll defeat.
4.
I pray, dear God, my soul to keep
Along the path You tread,
Saved by Christ’s blood, and Spirit filled,
By Your Word now be fed.
5.
My heart and mind are offered, Lord,
For You to use as best,
With all my strength and all my soul,
To live in holiness.
by Phil Layton
(feel free to use without permission)
‘I want a holy heart’
Suggested Tune: ‘Fewster’
Feel free to make use of this song, based on the most important commandment:
Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Mark 12:30
About
Philip Layton has been a keen student of the Bible since his teenage years, with role models from within his family, many of whom being Christian ministers.
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As a result, his love of God, the Bible, and The Salvation Army led to his ordination in 2000, when he was appointed with his wife, Karen, as corps officers (church pastors) to Swanage in Dorset, and then in 2003 to Hythe, Kent, in the United Kingdom.
Within this second appointment Phil also took on a 5-year dual appointment as a New Testament Tutor at William Booth College, London (2005-2010), as well as being a corresponding member of The Salvation Army’s International Doctrine Council (2006-2011), and he was also a member of the Moral and Social Issues Council (2005-2013).
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In 2014, at the request of The Salvation Army, Phil applied to the UK armed forces to become a chaplain in the Royal Air Force (RAF), and entered intensive military officer training at the RAF College Cranwell. His first posting was to RAF Marham, which included two short deployments to Op SHADER at RAF Akrotiri (Cyprus) during the climax of the United Kingdom’s defence against an increasingly bold and violent Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
In 2015 he returned to RAF Cranwell as chaplain to the college and airbase,
as well as taking responsibility for formal teaching of the beliefs, ethics,
and values programme to the officer-cadets. In 2016 he was deployed as Chaplain
to the British Forces in the South Atlantic Islands (based in the Falkland isles),
before being brought back to The Salvation Army as Spiritual Programme Director
at William Booth College. In 2018 Phil and Karen took up an appointment as
church leaders in Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace, South London.
Phil finds greatest fulfilment when proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially on a one-to-one basis.
He has written 4 books which highlight the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus, the reliability of the Bible, and the wisdom in thinking through the reasons why we believe certain doctrines.
Phil has vocational qualifications in Management and in Information Technology, while academic studies include a Bachelor of Arts degree (Religious Studies) from the University of Kent, and a Master of Theology degree from Heythrop College, University of London, in which he focused on uses and abuses of the Bible, ethics, and the Gospels.
Karen and Phil married in 1995 having met at The Salvation Army church in Canterbury, UK.
They have two adult children, Anastasia and Joshua, for whom they thank God, and of whom they are immensely proud!