Showing results by author "Barry Clay" in All Categories

Variety is the spice of life we are told. Well, there's a fair amount of variety in this collection of novelettes comprising mystery, humor, science fiction, and horror. In "The Case of the MelRoy Theatre Ghost", Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson tackle a haunting by a ghost of a man who may not be dead. In the winner of the 1984 Samuel Freiberg Memorial award for mystery, a young man discovers that "The Name of the Frame" is his own when he discovers a dead body in his third story apartment. In an all too possible future world, Clone Tank Nurse Susan Bachman learns that her job wasn't...

Discover the truth about the government consuming your tax dollars from a now-retired federal employee of more than thirty-seven years. Chock full of amusing (and sometimes horrific) anecdotes (as well as the author's entertaining cartoons), no one who pays taxes and wonders how their money is being spent should miss this book. It’s only one man’s look at one federal organization’s inefficiency, but are the other ones any better? We can only hope. But if they aren’t and if you read this book, you can also chuckle at the lunacy.

Has someone ever told you (generally with a sneer) that the Bible endorses slavery and then asks how you can believe the Bible because of that? In this excerpt from his book, "Solid Ground," Mr. Clay demonstrates that what you've heard about the Bible and the question of slavery isn't quite true and presents a full picture of what the Bible says, and God really wants.

Many a person has wondered if we are alone in the universe. These two chapters excerpted from the book "Solid Ground" answer this question decisively: we are not alone and never have been. God has created other beings who are very different from us: angels. Billy Graham wrote an entire book just on angels, but Mr. Clay covers the basics of angels and fallen angels, demons, with a detour about the devil along the way. This title is short, but it is also to the point.

Have you ever encountered a Christian whose representation of God struck you as – cruel? In all likelihood, that Christian was Reformed. Christian thought is varied, but among those Christians who take their Bibles seriously, there are two main threads of Christian thought. One is the Calvinist (also called Reformed) camp. It is named after John Calvin, a 16th century French theologian. The other camp is the Arminian camp, named after Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived shortly after Calvin. Christians have been arguing over these two competing views for centuries. Often, non-...

Ever since Christianity began, the Bible has had a special place in the Christian religion. Its teachings span centuries and consist of histories, poetry, laws, proverbs, and letters. No one can understand Christianity without an understanding of the book Christians call the Word of God. This excerpt from the book "Solid Ground' explains the Bible for believers and unbelievers alike, covering who wrote it, under what circumstances, translations, and how to read it to obtain the most benefit from it. Mr. Clay warns against the pitfalls that many unwittingly fall into when trying to read the ...

In our day and age, the concept of "sin" is considered gauche and repugnant, but to the Christian, our tendency to sin is a sorrow. In this excerpt from his book, "Solid Ground," Mr. Clay discusses our propensity to sin and the provision God has made for us to help us to walk in a manner pleasing to him. And he wrestles with a topic most Christians assume they know they answer to: do we have to sin?

The writer of the book of Hebrews in the Bible refers to "elementary teachings." This title explores those "elementary teachings" that Mr. Clay hasn't already explored in other "Solid Ground" titles: repentance from dead works and faith in God, instructions about washings (baptism?), and laying on of hands. Whether your feel these topics are elementary or not, you're sure to benefit from reading Mr. Clay's explanation of them.

It is the early 22nd Century, and Susan Bachman has achieved her goal. She is a CTN - clone tank nurse - a good-paying position matching the needs of people requiring body parts that are harvested from clones grown in tanks. But her world is disturbed when one of the clones opens its eyes and looks at her. She is told that this is a common event and means nothing, but it begins a series of events she cannot control and results in an end she cannot predict. This book combines the novelette "With Whom I Had Been Speaking" and the novella "Knowing with Whom I Had Been Speaking."

When young Thomas Packer returns from work to his rooms on the third story of his apartment building, he finds the dead body of a woman and becomes the prime suspect in the investigation of her murder. With evidence mounting against him, his only hope seems to be the rough-edged, hard smoking Lt. Browne, who believes him innocent. But with all the clues leading to him, will Lt Browne's opinion be enough to exonerate him from a capital crime? Winner of the 1984 Samuel Freiburg Memorial Award for Mystery. This novelette has also been collected in the anthology "A Little Bit of Everything" by ...

"There is probably no more enjoyable treatise for a believer to write in a book on doctrine than the one that describes our salvation, its nature, and how we can be saved." This is how Mr. Clay begins this except from his book, Solid Ground. Mr. Clay addresses the question "How can you be saved?" along with " What might prevent you from being saved?" With great pleasure springing from a faith that has lasted for over 50 years, Mr. Clay explores how we are saved, and with great sorrow he explains what prevents people from being saved. If you are believer, this title will provide you with a ...

Almost every Christian denomination practices at least two sacraments: communion and baptism. In this excerpt from the book "Solid Ground", Mr. Clay discusses the different modes of water baptism, and what is important -- and not important -- for the believer to understand. As in all the "Solid Ground" titles, Mr. Clay tackles a difficult topic in a book small enough to be read in one sitting, and yet he discusses the topic thoroughly enough that no other book may be necessary!

Finally, the Cartoon Edition! After years of his wife saying, “You should add your cartoons to your book,” Barry Clay has finally complied. But this doesn’t mean this book is for you. If you have all the answers, do NOT read this book! It is not for you. If your children are consistently well behaved, if potty training is easy and uneventful, if your children eat all the right foods and avoid sugary sweets, if they treat their siblings with respect, just put this book down and walk away. If, however, you are beginning to wonder who the adult in the room is, then – perhaps -- this ...

While the "Solid Ground" titles which were taken from the book "Solid Ground" discuss various aspects of biblical doctrine and why they are important, "Meat and Drink Issues" explore those differences among Christians that aren't really important, how we should handle those differences, and how we can tell the difference between what's important and what isn't.

It should come as no surprise to hear than God had a plan when He created the world. This excerpt from the book "Solid Ground" discusses that plan. It begins with His temporary plan, Moses and the Old Covenant, and ends with the glorious good news of the Gospel. And we talk about the Man who made it possible to move from animal sacrifice and the Ten Commandments to faith in God, Jesus Christ. If you want to understand Christianity better, do not miss reading this excerpt. This is the central portion of the Christian faith. Everything either leads here or comes from here, and every Christian...

In this controversial excerpt from his book "Solid Ground," Mr. Clay enters territory on which, he says, angels fear to tread, and attempts to answer the question: are there God-designed differences between a man and a woman, and, if so, what are they? No matter your opinion on this topic, you are sure to benefit from Mr. Clay's explanation of what the Bible says about men and women, and how their differences are designed to forward the family and the kingdom of God.

It is six years after the events of "With Whom I Had Been Speaking." Susan Bachman has changed her name, her employment, and her city. While she has not escaped the memory of the life she led six years ago, she has left the better part of the pain in her past. Even though her life is solitary, she is content. But when a reporter appears unannounced and unwelcome on her doorstep, her new life is threatened. Aware of the danger, she little knows that this reporter has unwittingly begun a chain of events that will one more time change her life forever -- assuming she survives. This novella is ...

Jesus famously said "You cannot serve God and Mammon." But how do we serve God and not serve Mammon? Don't we work for money and purchase the necessities of life with it? What exactly did Jesus mean? What do we do with our money? This chapter from the book "Solid Ground" explores this topic in a way that is sure to astonish many a Christian. Mr. Clay challenges each believer to return to the Bible and discover what it really says about God and Gold. The answer may surprise you.

Alesio DeLuca receives a phone call from his sister-in-law and leaves Los Angeles that night by plane, for all the DeLuca's have a secret hidden from the world at large and he knows just how much he may be needed. What he doesn't know, though, is what he has not been told -- and it may mean his life. This short story has also been collected in the anthology "Brushes with the Supernatural."

The people of Tyemon's land consider the Antrix a myth -- a story to tell around the fire to frighten children. But Tyemon has discovered that, far from a myth, the Antrix is very real. To his sorrow, he also learns that the stories told of her are not as accurate as he would have liked, and he must now deal with the consequences of approaching her. But correcting his mistake may be impossible. Or is it? This novelette has also been collected in the anthology "Brushes with the Supernatural."