The wilful action of obedience, regardless of circumstance, yields a fulfilling life journey. Simple obedience brings multiple blessings. The book in your hand, a product of stringent obedience, seeks to enlighten you in the way of obedience for divine purposes. To obey is not to be obstinate in our own ways, but to yield to God so we are not obsolete. "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life." --Proverbs 4:13
New York Times bestseller How do you hold on to hope when you don’t get the ending you asked for? When Katie Davis Majors moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became the mother of thirteen girls through the miracle of adoption, she determined to weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But joy often gave way to sorrow as she invested her heart fully in walking alongside people in the grip of poverty, addiction, desperation, and disease. After unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? When she turned to Him with her questions, God spoke truth to her heart and drew her even deeper into relationship with Him. Daring to Hope is an invitation to cling to the God of the impossible—the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we want or the miracle doesn’t come. It’s about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes to be ordinary. It’s about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God’s goodness in the least expected places. Though your heartaches and dreams may take a different shape, you will find your own questions echoed in these pages. You’ll be reminded of the gifts of joy in the midst of sorrow. And you’ll hear God’s whisper: Hold on to hope. I will meet you here.
Obedience from First to Last explores the theological significance of the obedience of Jesus Christ in Karl Barth's theology. It does this via a threefold consideration of, first, the nature of Jesus' incarnate obedience; second, the relation of that obedience to the obedience of the second triune person of the eternal Son; and third, the effects Jesus' obedience has on our own obedience. Barth not only affirms the pivotal role Jesus' obedience has within the economy of salvation, but by equating that obedience with that of the eternal Son's, Barth gives Jesus' obedience a pre-eminent place within the immanent being of Godself. The obedience of Jesus Christ is seen to have a co-participatory role in God's determination of his own divine being that arises from the primordial act of divine election. This notion bears on our understanding of freedom and obedience: as divine freedom is expressed in divine obedience, so it is with human freedom and human obedience.
Wise Sheep Among the Wolves All Christian disciples have one thing in common: as they carry the gospel across the ocean and across the street, persecution will become the norm for those who choose to follow Jesus. How believers respond in the face of persecution reveals everything about their level of faith and obedience. The Insanity of Obedience is a bold challenge to global discipleship. Nik Ripken exposes the danger of safe Christianity and calls readers to something greater. The Insanity of Obedience challenges Christians in the same, provocative way that Jesus did. This book dares you—and prepares you—to cross the street and the oceans with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Some of Jesus’ instructions sound uncomfortable and are potentially dangerous. We may be initially encouraged by His declaration, “I am sending you out.” But how are we to respond when He then tells us that He is sending us out “like sheep among wolves"? In light of the words of Jesus, how can modern day believers rest comfortably in the status quo? How can we embrace casual faith in light of the radical commands of Jesus which are anything but casual? Ripken brings decades of ministry experience in some of the most persecuted areas of the world to bear on our understanding of faith in Jesus. The Insanity of Obedience is a call to roll up your sleeves . . . and to follow and partner with Jesus in the toughest places on this planet. "We have the high privilege of answering Jesus’ call to go," Ripken says. "But let us be clear about this: we go on His terms, not ours. If we go at all, we go as sheep among wolves." Jesus gives us Himself. And He gives us the tools necessary for those who dare to journey with Him.
"Loren Cunningham's dream began with a vision--waves of young people moving out across the continents announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Decades later, Loren's vision has grown into an interdenominational movement of Christians from around the world who are dedicated to presenting the gospel to this generation. Loren speaks and teaches internationally, and his missionary travels have taken him to every nation on earth. Loren Cunningham illustrates that trusting God in every area, including finances, is not just for those Christians called into "full-time" ministry. Every Christian, regardless of vocation, can enter into the adventure of living by faith by firmly committing to obey God's will. A Christian who has experienced God's provision will be spoiled for the ordinary.
