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A Guide to God's Perplexing Path
"Tom has written with clarity and insight on a subject of great the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a very worthy read for any who are looking for a reliable guide through the perplexities of life in this broken world which 'God so loves....' " L. Daryle Worley, Jr. Pastor/Teacher, Grace Church of DuPage. Book 5 Out of 5 Stars “Author Payne discusses the love and power of the cross and the purpose it displays within the life of the believer. …This is a very well written book that will enable the believer to grow deeper within their faith and establish their foundation solid and sure in Jesus Christ.” Reviewed by Darin Godby for Readers' Favorite. The Path that leads us into the presence of God is completely contrary to our nature. This makes it perplexing by design. When our minds and hearts insist, "We must turn left!" the Path turns right. Some of history's most revered saints felt lost upon the Path even while they were making their greatest progress. You will meet C. H. Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, C. S. Lewis, and others, as they struggled with their bewilderment in the wilderness phase of the Path. Lesser known saints like Jeremiah Lanphier, Watchman Nee, and Joon Gon Kim, will also appear to illustrate what a life of worship looks like, the irresistible power of love and the privilege of prayer. "The first shall be last," "to save your life you must lose it," are phrases easily repeated by most Christians, but to confront their spiritual reality in life can be perplexing. Therefore, it helps to have a guide.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
116 people want to read
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February 12, 2016
Review Title: The Path of most resistance
Tom Payne is a Goodreads author who sent me a review copy of his book which I finally got a chance to read this week. He examines the path of Christianity through the framework of three major feasts on the Jewish calendar--Passover, Pentecost, and Ingathering. Since the Jewish prophets and Jesus (Himself a Jew) referenced these feasts and their importance to God's covenant with man, this is neither surprising nor unique.
But Payne does provide a valuable well written and easily read description of the Christian path to salvation and growth. The "perplexing" part of his title is how contradictory salvation and the life that follows is to our human expectations. We learn early in life that anything worth having is worth working for, and that we only get what we deserve. Then how do we square that with a salvation that is both unearnable and undeserved? And why is this path Payne writes about so difficult for so many to find and so hard for even more to accept as the path to salvation as described by Jesus and His apostles?
Payne uses a mix of scripture, theology, logic, and examples from history in answering these questions. For most evangelical Christians this will be familiar territory, and it would serve as a good refresher on how and why we should live. It reads like a well prepared series of sermons, and with numerous Bible references in the text or in footnotes, it is clear our pastor Payne is expecting his congregation to have their Bibles in hand.
For a young Christian this could be a good pointer for the path ahead. For the seeker, while Payne is not explicitly apologetic (in the sense of arguing for Christianity as the true religion) after a brief opening comparison of the Christian path to salvation to the other major world religious traditions, this could help direct further reading to understand what makes Christians walk this perplexing path and perhaps find salvation on the same path themselves.
Tom Payne is a Goodreads author who sent me a review copy of his book which I finally got a chance to read this week. He examines the path of Christianity through the framework of three major feasts on the Jewish calendar--Passover, Pentecost, and Ingathering. Since the Jewish prophets and Jesus (Himself a Jew) referenced these feasts and their importance to God's covenant with man, this is neither surprising nor unique.
But Payne does provide a valuable well written and easily read description of the Christian path to salvation and growth. The "perplexing" part of his title is how contradictory salvation and the life that follows is to our human expectations. We learn early in life that anything worth having is worth working for, and that we only get what we deserve. Then how do we square that with a salvation that is both unearnable and undeserved? And why is this path Payne writes about so difficult for so many to find and so hard for even more to accept as the path to salvation as described by Jesus and His apostles?
Payne uses a mix of scripture, theology, logic, and examples from history in answering these questions. For most evangelical Christians this will be familiar territory, and it would serve as a good refresher on how and why we should live. It reads like a well prepared series of sermons, and with numerous Bible references in the text or in footnotes, it is clear our pastor Payne is expecting his congregation to have their Bibles in hand.
For a young Christian this could be a good pointer for the path ahead. For the seeker, while Payne is not explicitly apologetic (in the sense of arguing for Christianity as the true religion) after a brief opening comparison of the Christian path to salvation to the other major world religious traditions, this could help direct further reading to understand what makes Christians walk this perplexing path and perhaps find salvation on the same path themselves.
Displaying 1 of 1 review