With Contributions by John Piper, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, and Helen Roseveare These powerful calls to godly perseverance from four admired Christians elevate the value and necessity of lifelong faithfulness in the lives of God's people. Many people seek to better their lives by leaving, changing, swapping, or modifying their commitments. But God's Word holds up a beautiful value that, while difficult, leads to deep satisfaction and great reward: endurance. Such long, steady, hold-the-course perseverance is especially needed within our vacillating generation. This thoughtful book thus not only elevates the virtue of godly endurance but bears witness to its power in the Christian life through the exhortations of John Piper-who provides the context and overview for the entire book-John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, and Helen Roseveare. Each contributor represents a different kind of endurance: from MacArthur's longtime, faithful shepherding of a church to Alcorn's radical obedience in the culture wars, from Bridges' unswerving patience through suffering to Roseveare's courageous constancy on the war-torn mission field. Stand will awaken and solidify rugged, Christ-exalting endurance in people who are weary in their faith journey or who simply long to remain firm to the end. And for everyone who dreams of a Christian culture-shift from brief trial runs to lifelong commitments, John Piper and Justin Taylor's latest offering is a watershed that will serve to seal that vision in people's minds and hearts.
Explaining how to become a Christian hedonist, a bestselling author offers guidance on how to find spiritual joy to readers who are unsure of where to seek it.
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the first major denomination to spring from the fires of the Azusa Street revival, profoundly affected the history of the black church. Its tremendous influence can be traced to the dynamic spiritual life of its founder, Charles Harrison Mason. The son of a slave and a leader in the holiness movement of his day, Mason traveled to Azusa Street in 1907 where he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Returning home, he discovered that visions, spontaneous healing and deliverance followed him. A new power accompanied his preaching, and he experienced freedom from former limitations. Mason’s vibrant spiritual life enabled him to lead a fledgling movement from its infancy to a powerful, prophetic community over the next fifty years. Beginning in the rural South in the decades following the Reconstruction Era, the denomination gradually moved into urban areas during the 1900’s. No matter where its ministers, however, the COGIC Church holds in tension the dynamics of holiness, spiritual encounter and prophetic Christian social consciousness. Facing the challenges of our generation, the COGIC Church desires to maintain the legacy of its founder as it prepares for another century of work and witness. "Our younger generations need to know the rich legacy bequeathed to them by the pioneers of the Church of God in Christ." Presiding Bishop Chandler D. Owens "Every pastor in our denomination and beyond should have a worn and well read copy of this book." Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. "This valuable book should be in the hands of every member of the Church of God in Christ." Bishop C. L. Anderson "God gave Bishop C. H. Mason an anointing to preach powerfully, to heal the sick, and to sing out in spontaneous worship. May we covet the same anointing that transformed thousands in his day." Bishop J. Neaul Haynes "We are the descendants of a mighty move of God that began at Azusa Street. This book will help us to pass on an equally dynamic spiritual life to our successors, taking the Church of God in Christ into the next century." Bishop P. A. Brooks "Church leaders would do well to emulate the dynamic spiritual life of our founder; Bishop C. H. Mason." Bishop O. T. Jones, Jr. "Bishop Clemmons reminds us that our denomination was forged in the fires of a pentecostal revival that continues to impact our society today." Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson "Our roots establish our legacy and provide the springboard for the future. This documentation is a must for this generation and the generations to come." Mother Emma F. Crouch, Supervisor, Women's Department, Church of God in Christ, President, International Women's Convention "This is must reading for every seminary student preparing to minister in the Church of God in Christ. This will be extremely valuable to students of church history regardless of denomination." Dr. H. Vinson Synan, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Divinity, Regent University "Finally, a documentary written by a black historian/theologian and a lifelong member of the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Clemmons' perspective is insightful, informative, and refreshing." Dr. William C. Turner, Ph.D., Professor of Theology, Duke Divinity School, Duke University "Allow Bishop C. H. Mason's vision to grip you, to challenge you, and to change you." Raymond C. Pierce, J.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
I have designed this book to help Christians who are ready to walk with Jesus. And especially for those who have had some basic training in the elements of NT Discipleship. As you start, if you are extremely blessed, you may become a disciple in 100 days. It took the Apostles over 1000 days in the direct, miraculous, personal presence of God, Himself! That is why 100 days might not be nearly enough time. But, with the Holy Spirit's help, it could be more than enough. And you could even find yourself so blessed that God uses you to start a Disciple Making Movement (DMM), which reaches your entire area for Christ! This has happened before and is happening today. Why not in and through you? God's great love is for you and your region, too!
Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.
The First 100 Years tells the story from 1907 to 2007 of the First Baptist Church of Passtown and the African American Community of Hayti in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The church members and residents tell their stories in words and pictures during the milestone 100th Anniversary of the First Baptist Church of Passtown in 2007. There are many historical Hayti communities throughout the United States. In this Hayti community, families migrating from the South found an oasis and have been neighbors and friends for over 100 years. Whether researching segregated schools in a northern state; or family members who migrated from the South to work in a steel town; or history contained in the books written by Hayti residents; you may find the answer inside, on the pages of this book. The surprise connections fell from the sky. What began as a small, local history of our church and community has yielded so much more historical texture. The years tell us much that the days never knew - Ralph Waldo Emerson Welcome to Hayti and the First Baptist Church of Passtown!
This book is an autobiography. It tells the story of a boy form a poor, insignificant, farm family in Wisconsin. He believed that God called him to be a minister of the gospel. Though many discouraged him, and the way wasnt always easy, he persevered and God blessed him wonderfully. His story, that takes him around the world in his services for the Lord, is a powerful testimony that God still works miracles and is an illustration of Gods power to make anyone successful who is committed to serve Him and to go wherever He calls.
Gracious God is a collection of inspirational and heart-felt invocations offered by Pastor James Ulrikson. Every week, Pastor Ulrikson offers words of prayer at the Fountain Hills Rotary Club, and hopes this book reminds people that true blessings are not found in what we have, but in how we can serve others.
