Strange Kingdom: Meditations on the Cross to Transform Your Day to Day Life

by Ken Costa

Experience how the power of the cross unleashes meaning and purpose in the midst of your daily life. This meditative and spiritual reflection by Ken Costa considers the cross and the king who died upon it. Christ’s work on the cross established a kingdom that is strange indeed, if a king died on the cross in order to establish it. It is a kingdom where suffering and abandonment are transformed into the power of presence and live, a kingdom where a King exchanges gifts of great value for worthless dross, where a robber becomes righteous, and a criminal becomes the first citizen of heaven. Spend some time as Easter draws near considering the strange, upside-down kingdom, where broken things are made whole. “A king who dies on the cross must be the king of a rather strange kingdom.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer " Strange Kingdom is a joy. In my 47 years in the Christian publishing business, Ken Costa’s compelling and inspirational reflections are unique on the meaning and purpose of the cross of Christ. A must-read for every Christian and a revelation for the spiritually curious.”—Joey Paul, Senior Editor, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Nashville, TN “Ken Costa masterfully and meticulously gives us an in-depth look at the cross of Jesus and what it means to us in our everyday lives.” —Robert Morris, Senior Pastor, Gateway Church, Southlake, TX “Ken Costa’s deep love for God and unashamed defense of the cross of Jesus Christ is mirrored in this book. The perspective of a banker, the mind of a scholar, and the heart of a Christian who wants people to love Christ radiates on every page.” —R. T. Kendall, author and former minister of Westminster Chapel, England “. . . a fresh revelation of Christ and the power of the cross.”—Joseph Prince, Senior Pastor, New Creation Church, Singapore “Not since John Stott’s The Cross of Christ have I read a book on the saving work of Jesus that I want to return to again and again as much as this one.” —Miles Toulmin, Vicar, HTBB, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia “This book will encourage your faith and deepen your understanding of what the cross means to people in their day-to-day lives.” —Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor, Free Chapel, Gainesville, GA “His honesty opens a window onto the meaning of the cross and the upside-down world it invites us in.” —Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, England

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2018

Reviews

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Dieter Bonhoeffer: “A king who dies on the cross must be the king of a rather strange kingdom”

Nine chapters on different aspects or implications of the cross, each finishing with a series of reflections, a prayer and two musical suggestions (one classic, one contemporary) some of which are referenced in the chapter. The book also finishes with a chapter by chapter series of quotes which can be used to added to a study/meditation.

Foolishness https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C6jXqdt...
Forsaken https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OV7oISJ...
Finished https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xHEal_S...
Forgiven https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bUZj1...
Friendship https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8z98MK1...
Freedom https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8d7dHG...
Forlorn https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r49V9Qc...
Fulfilled https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbqTR-R...
Flourishing https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf8Zzn4...

Very readable book - best read as nine separate meditations (which is in fact what the author recommends) rather than in one sitting.

[Daunavan Buyer]

Good Book

Reading this book during advent was quite interesting. As I ponder Christs first coming and birth, how much of this pointed to and was culminated in His death and resurrection?
Each of the meditations dives deeply into a different element of Christ’s death on the cross. There was a lot of profound insight and practical application in this book. I would say it dealt with the subject matter at a devotional level and it’s very accessible.

[Shea Cummings]

Really enjoyed reading Ken's thoughts on the importance of the cross, and the implications of what it means for us today! Highly recommend this book!