Ajith Fernando

The church needs The Call to Joy and Pain by Ajith Fernando.

Fernando, a Sri Lankan director for Youth for Christ, has seen suffering throughout his ministry. Serving in spiritually confused nation that has endured multiple civil wars is not an easy task. He has firsthand knowledge of the struggles that Christians in developing countries face. Thankfully, he channels that experience into this 30-chapter devotional.

If Fernando's book were read and his hermeneutic employed, much of the prosperity gospel gibberish that clogs the airwaves would suffocate on its own pompous claims. The Call to Joy and Pain demonstrates the necessity of suffering in the Christian call, the way that suffering is used in the sanctification of believers, and the benefits that suffering brings to individuals as well as the church. Not only does Fernando address oft-overlooked passages of Scripture, but he introduces the reader to probably-unknown heroes of the faith like Billy Bray and E. Stanley Jones.

So this book ticks all of my marks: biblical fidelity, faithful church history, and a willingness to address heresy. I highly recommend this book to you!… (altro)