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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
If it was possible to give a book 6 stars, I would. Nik Ripken tells the story of his life - how he one day decided he was ready to live for God, and then how he decided he would go for God, until the time he spent among palpable evil started to leave him asking questions about how God could save people in places where it seemed like hell itself.
This book made me bawl - I cried more times than I could count. partially, this was because I related to some of the stories in this book on a personal level. My heritage is Slavic, with both my parents being immigrants that came from the former USSR. The stories Nik encountered were stories I actually grew up hearing from my dad, but just like Nik, I felt that these storied were historical accounts.
Reading about China, and the persecution there, as well as how God has appeared to Muslims reminded me that God is the same today and tomorrow as He was yesterday. It also reminded me not to take for granted all the things we have here in the States. This book reminded me that I need to share the gospel with others all the time. Its something that I sometimes have a hard time with, and yet others in other countries are willing to lose everything, including their lives, to share Jesus with somebody. I pray that I can have that fervor.
I also enjoyed reading about HeartSongs. As someone who is heavily into music ministry and loves music, the stories of songs and praise keeping faith alive were like a balm to my soul.
If you're a believer (or if you aren't and want to know more), I highly highly recommend this book. It will make you revisit your faith and reflect on your circumstances in a deeply moving, touching way.
This book made me bawl - I cried more times than I could count. partially, this was because I related to some of the stories in this book on a personal level. My heritage is Slavic, with both my parents being immigrants that came from the former USSR. The stories Nik encountered were stories I actually grew up hearing from my dad, but just like Nik, I felt that these storied were historical accounts.
Reading about China, and the persecution there, as well as how God has appeared to Muslims reminded me that God is the same today and tomorrow as He was yesterday. It also reminded me not to take for granted all the things we have here in the States. This book reminded me that I need to share the gospel with others all the time. Its something that I sometimes have a hard time with, and yet others in other countries are willing to lose everything, including their lives, to share Jesus with somebody. I pray that I can have that fervor.
I also enjoyed reading about HeartSongs. As someone who is heavily into music ministry and loves music, the stories of songs and praise keeping faith alive were like a balm to my soul.
If you're a believer (or if you aren't and want to know more), I highly highly recommend this book. It will make you revisit your faith and reflect on your circumstances in a deeply moving, touching way.
A compelling story. Some enduring thoughts from this book:
1) The grace of our Lord Jesus makes us strong.
2) His grace is sufficient, absolutely in every circumstance
3) God will find a way to respond to a seeking heart.
4) Heart Songs are powerful both to sustain faith and to witness to it.
5) Persecuted Christians rarely ask us to pray for persecution to cease but for the strength to endure it.
1) The grace of our Lord Jesus makes us strong.
2) His grace is sufficient, absolutely in every circumstance
3) God will find a way to respond to a seeking heart.
4) Heart Songs are powerful both to sustain faith and to witness to it.
5) Persecuted Christians rarely ask us to pray for persecution to cease but for the strength to endure it.
I enjoyed reading about the author’s experiences in Africa and the stories of the people he interviewed in the second half, both interesting and inspiring. But there was a sheen of pretentiousness as the book went on that I made it harder for me to appreciate his message.
Nik Ripken asks himself these questions "What if what the Bible teaches about the power of my faith is not true today?" and "what if the resurrection power available to Jesus' followers in the New Testament is just as real for believers in our world today?"
"The way American believers see persecution is starkly different from the way that believers in Chinese house-church settings see persecution. The suggestion that imprisonment for the faith is equivalent to seminary training, for example is a startling thought for most american believers. Chinese believers had learned something that Jesus plainly taught; that persecution can actually change a persons faith. After persecution the believer might not even look like the same person. And interestingly, the change might be cause for celebration."
Such a fan of this book! Would HIGHLY recommend to everyone! He talks through being a believer in Somalia and trusting the Lord with what He was doing despite seeing "no success" of the increase in Christianity. After tragic loss with the death of his son they leave Somalia and come back to the states to "equip the persecuted church's" in the world. The lessons that he shares having learned from the persecuted churches around the world was eye opening and convicting as a reader. "The network of house churches did not have, or want, church buildings to gather in, or sanctuaries with rows of pews where people could sit and worship on Sunday mornings. But they certainly knew what it meant to love and look after the concerns and needs of their members. They knew what it meant to BE church for one another." This book is full of stories of the Lord moving through his people despite persecution.
"The Holy Spirit of the living God had led this young muslim man through his dream and vision and his obedience to the home of one of the three believers in his twenty-four million people group. Stunned, the older man explained the gospel to this young Muslim man and led him to Christ. For the next two weeks, the old man discipled this new convert in the faith. The most important lessons to be learned from my ongoing pilgrimage would come not from the facts and details, but from the stories.... I was desperate to be sure that He was not just a past-tense God who lived and acted there and then, but that He is still showing His power and His love here and now. The stories that I was hearing saved my life. God is indeed still present in this broken world. He is working. He is doing what He has always done."
"The way American believers see persecution is starkly different from the way that believers in Chinese house-church settings see persecution. The suggestion that imprisonment for the faith is equivalent to seminary training, for example is a startling thought for most american believers. Chinese believers had learned something that Jesus plainly taught; that persecution can actually change a persons faith. After persecution the believer might not even look like the same person. And interestingly, the change might be cause for celebration."
Such a fan of this book! Would HIGHLY recommend to everyone! He talks through being a believer in Somalia and trusting the Lord with what He was doing despite seeing "no success" of the increase in Christianity. After tragic loss with the death of his son they leave Somalia and come back to the states to "equip the persecuted church's" in the world. The lessons that he shares having learned from the persecuted churches around the world was eye opening and convicting as a reader. "The network of house churches did not have, or want, church buildings to gather in, or sanctuaries with rows of pews where people could sit and worship on Sunday mornings. But they certainly knew what it meant to love and look after the concerns and needs of their members. They knew what it meant to BE church for one another." This book is full of stories of the Lord moving through his people despite persecution.
"The Holy Spirit of the living God had led this young muslim man through his dream and vision and his obedience to the home of one of the three believers in his twenty-four million people group. Stunned, the older man explained the gospel to this young Muslim man and led him to Christ. For the next two weeks, the old man discipled this new convert in the faith. The most important lessons to be learned from my ongoing pilgrimage would come not from the facts and details, but from the stories.... I was desperate to be sure that He was not just a past-tense God who lived and acted there and then, but that He is still showing His power and His love here and now. The stories that I was hearing saved my life. God is indeed still present in this broken world. He is working. He is doing what He has always done."
I took a ridiculously long time to read this book. It was “assigned” reading for my community group but I think our group discussion lasted for about 10 of its 30+ chapters. Admittedly this is probably not a book I would have picked up on my own. It has been an adjustment for me to process the aggressive focus on world missions in the Southern Baptist denomination and in my own church over the past couple years, and for a variety of reasons, this particular topic has left me a little stressed and fidgety and confused. I will continue to wrestle with it but ultimately I did very much appreciate Ripken’s recounting of his interactions with persecuted Christians around the world during nearly 20 years. I was certainly convicted of how watered down Western faith is but I was also really encouraged by his testimony that God is on the move, even in the darkest places, and he uses us and invites us to participate in his work— but he doesn’t need us. The writing is a bit annoying... tons of short chapters with lots of cheesy “hooks” (“but little did I know that.......”). Ultimately I had to accept that this book was about the content and the writing was merely a means to an end.
reflective
slow-paced
Sobering. Powerful. Intense. Spirit-altering. Challenging.
“...be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” -Revelations 2:10b
“...be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” -Revelations 2:10b
On A Mission
This was an amazing book on missions, world evangelism and travels to preach Jesus.
I was especially fascinated with his mission trips to Africa and China.
One of which you can't really do anymore...
4.4/5
This was an amazing book on missions, world evangelism and travels to preach Jesus.
I was especially fascinated with his mission trips to Africa and China.
One of which you can't really do anymore...
4.4/5
A real eye-opener in regards to the persecuted Church and our freedoms here in the US