Four Books from People I Know and Love....
"God must love the blues. There’s a whole book in the Bible called Lamentations. The largest swath of Psalms are the laments. And don’t forget the book of Job. God seems ok with suffering. Us? Not so much. Yet, suffering is a required course on the syllabus of following Jesus. The writer of Hebrews says this about Jesus and suffering: "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). If Jesus learned through suffering, how much more is there for us to learn? Currently, we live in a Christian culture that embraces the happy parts of the Gospel (like Heaven), but not so much the promised pain, suffering, and lamenting that come to all who aspire to follow Jesus. In this book, Presence Over Pain, my friend, Doug Rumbold, dares to wrestle with the vexatious topic of suffering. As you will see, he and his wife, Jess, are no strangers to suffering. The cliche’ "God will never give you more than you can handle" is about to be challenged. And yes, there is redemption. So keep turning the pages. This book will point you to hope, whose name is Jesus. And Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." —John 16:33 —Bill Allison, Executive Director of Cadre Missionaries
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