Book picks similar to
Five Pioneer Missionaries by John D. Legg


biography
history-biography
christian
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Servant on the Edge of History


Sam James - 2005
    Bombs fall in a nearby shopping district. Enemy soldiers terrorize neighboring homes. Crossfire decimates civilian cars at a roadblock. War infuses every quarter of Vietnam. Most Americans long ago have left for safety. The James family remains. Sam James and his wife, Rachel, and their four children sit tight in ravaged South Vietnam to share Jesus when the Vietnamese most need ministry--as the country falls to communism. Even during the frightening Tet Offensive, Sam communicates Christ's love and peace as he helps Vietnamese believers start churches and gird up spiritually for the dark days ahead. What makes one man willing to stare death in the face to obey God's call to serve the Vietnamese? And what becomes of all the seeds planted among these fledgling Christians as communism oppression advances? Servant on the Edge of History describes the Vietnam War from a perspective seldom heard: from a missionary who loved the Vietnamese people, who refused to become an American spy, but who also loved his own country. James offers insights into where and how God was at work in this war-ravanged country, where he risked all for the sake of the Gospel. About the author: Sam James for 43 years has served with the International Mission Board in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. He has been a church planter, administrator and missionary statesman in troubled areas as well as speaker for retreats and conferences in 100 countries. Sam and his wife, Rachel, are parents of four grown children, two of whom are on the mission field. Today, they reside in Richmond, Virginia.

Sabre Squadron


Cameron Spence - 1997
    Their mission was to destroy Saddam's mobile Scud missiles. This title recounts in graphic detail the story of the successful of those SAS convoys.

Jesus: An Intimate Portrait of the Man, His Land, and His People


Leith Anderson - 2005
    Here is a great introduction to the greatest man who ever lived for those who donbt know much about Him, and a fascinating read for those who have grown up in the church and are very familiar with the Gospel accounts. Leith Anderson's conversational storytelling style makes the book appealing to a wide range of audiences and ages.

Finding God in a Bag of Groceries: Sharing Food, Discovering Grace


Laura Lapins Willis - 2013
    Running a program to help the needy, Laura discovered a world of people she never knew: the lonely and unemployed, chronically poor families, and middle-class folks surprised to be struggling in a great recession. And to each, she offered a bag of groceries, a compassionate ear, and a heart of love. Taking a tiny food pantry and watching it grow to feed hundreds, Laura learned about her own hunger for God and began to discern her own spiritual directions, learning how her calling card a bag of groceries could be a gift to others and to herself of abundance and grace."

Just as I Am


Billy Graham - 1999
    In Just As I Am Graham reveals his life story in what the Chicago Tribune calls "a disarmingly honest autobiography." Now, in this revised and updated edition, we hear from this "lion in winter" (Time) on his role over the past ten years as America's pastor during our national crisis of the Oklahoma bombing and 9/11; his knighthood; his passing of the torch to his son, Franklin, to head the organization that bears his name; and his commitment to do the Lord's work in the years of his and his wife Ruth's physical decline.

Finding Church: What If There Really is Something More?


Wayne Jacobsen - 2014
    Here is straight talk from a man who has sought authentic New Testament community for more than fifty years and who has discovered it in the most unlikely places.

The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem


Marcus J. Borg - 2006
    Borg & John Dominic Crossan reveal a radical & little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to & responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Using Mark's gospel as a guide, they present a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The 1st entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The 2nd heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced herein is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings. The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice & to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged & inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages & invites us to follow him.

Earth's Final Moments: Powerful Insight and Understanding of the Prophetic Signs that Surround Us


John Hagee - 2011
    God is assembling the cast of characters and making preparations for the final scene--a scene so powerfully dramatic that nothing could possibly compare. In Earth’s Final Moments, New York Times best-selling author Pastor John Hagee unveils how biblical prophecy and current world events are intersecting to give us an unparalleled glimpse into our planet’s final days. Aligning prophecy with End Time signs, he describes Israel’s emerging opponent and reveals the shock and awe of God’s coming judgment against those who oppose His people. As the Jewish people return to their homeland and the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, you can’t afford to miss what comes next.

Let Justice Roll Down


John M. Perkins - 1976
    He was beaten and tortured by the sheriff and state police. But through it all he returned good for evil, love for hate, progress for prejudice and brought hope to black and white alike. The story of John Perkins is no ordinary story. Rather, it is a gripping portrayal of what happens when faith thrusts a person into the midst of a struggle against racism, oppression and injustice. It is about the costs of discipleship--the jailings, the floggings, the despair, the sacrifice. And it is about the transforming work of faith that allowed John to respond to such overwhelming indignities with miraculous compassion, vision and hope.

Strike the Original Match


Charles R. Swindoll - 1980
    Chuck Swindoll draws on the best marriage-survival guide—the Bible—and his many years of marriage to show couples how to survive, flex, grow, forgive, and keep romance alive in their marriage.

Jim Elliot (1927-1956)


Susan Martins Miller - 1995
    Learn more about their exciting and inspiring lives in Barbour's "Heroes of the Faith" series.The seeds of a heretofore impossible ministry were planted when this dedicated and versatile man became a missionary to Ecuador.

For the Glory: Eric Liddell's Journey from Olympic Champion to Modern Martyr


Duncan Hamilton - 2016
    Famously, Liddell would not run on Sunday because of his strict observance of the Christian sabbath, and so he did not compete in his signature event, the 100 meters, at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was the greatest sprinter in the world at the time, and his choice not to run was ridiculed by the British Olympic committee, his fellow athletes, and most of the world press. Yet Liddell triumphed in a new event, winning the 400 meters in Paris.Liddell ran--and lived--for the glory of his God. After winning gold, he dedicated himself to missionary work. He travelled to China to work in a local school and as a missionary. He married and had children there. By the time he could see war on the horizon, Liddell put Florence, his pregnant wife, and children on a boat to Canada, while he stayed behind, his conscience compelling him to stay among the Chinese. He and thousands of other westerners were eventually interned at a Japanese work camp.Once imprisoned, Liddell did what he was born to do, practice his faith and his sport. He became the moral center of an unbearable world. He was the hardest worker in the camp, he counseled many of the other prisoners, he gave up his own meager portion of meals many days, and he organized games for the children there. He even raced again. For his ailing, malnourished body, it was all too much. Liddell died of a brain tumor just before the end of the war. His passing was mourned around the world, and his story still inspires.In the spirit of The Boys in the Boat and Unbroken, For the Glory is both a compelling narrative of athletic heroism and a gripping story of faith in the darkest circumstances.

Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues


Craig Ott - 2010
    It offers creative approaches to answering some of the most pressing questions in theology of mission and missionary practice today. The authors, who are leading mission experts, discuss biblical theology of mission, provide historical overviews of the development of various viewpoints, and address theologically current issues in global mission from an evangelical perspective. This readable yet thorough text integrates current views of the kingdom of God and holistic mission with traditional views of evangelism and church planting. It also brings theology of mission into conversation with ecclesiology and eschatology. Topics covered include contextualization, the missionary vocation, church and mission, and theology of religions. Sidebars and case studies enable readers to see how theology of mission touches real-life mission practice.

Revelation: Unveiling the Signs and Symbols, Sampler


Russell M. Stendal - 2015
    It describes not only the persecution that originates from Satan, but also announces the day when God will intervene and cleanse the earth. This is definitely something to look forward to if we are right with him. Not so much for those living for themselves. Sadly, many commentaries on Revelation ignore the need to have a clean heart in order to survive what’s coming. In this edition, we dig deep into the signs, the wonders, and the genuine Christian’s role in the soon-to-be-fulfilled book of Revelation. We even go back to the prophets to help clarify what is the most important message to Christians today. About the Author Russell Stendal, a former hostage of Colombian rebels, is a lifelong missionary to that same group in the jungles of Colombia. He is an influential friend to military and government leaders in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. Russell’s ministry shares the gospel via twelve radio stations, hundreds of thousands of Bibles, books, and movies distributed through airplane parachute drops and numerous speaking engagements for groups of leaders, prisoners, and individuals. Russell goes wherever the Lord leads, whether it’s to speak with a president or to go deep into the jungle to help an individual in trouble. He has witnessed thousands commit their lives to Christ.

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson


D.A. Carson - 2008
    A. Carson's father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. But still, an ordinary pastor-except that he ministered during the decades that brought French Canada from the brutal challenges of persecution and imprisonment for Baptist ministers to spectacular growth and revival in the 1970s.It is a story, and an era, that few in the English-speaking world know anything about. But through Tom Carson's journals and written prayers, and the narrative and historical background supplied by his son, readers will be given a firsthand account of not only this trying time in North American church history, but of one pastor's life and times, dreams and disappointments. With words that will ring true for every person who has devoted themselves to the Lord's work, this unique book serves to remind readers that though the sacrifices of serving God are great, the sweetness of living a faithful, obedient life is greater still.