How does healing fit into God's will, especially when God doesn't heal? Our hearts, our bodies, and our world are desperate for healing. We all experience brokenness, and we rightfully look to Jesus for restoration. But many Christians have been taught the lie that God will heal us if our faith is strong enough, and that he is punishing us when bad things happen. Growing up in one of the world's leading faith-healing dynasties, Costi Hinn witnessed the tragedy of people chasing after healing more than the Healer. In this book he provides biblical clarity to some of the most challenging questions of the Christian faith. Does grace guarantee healing? How do we catch ourselves from slipping into the trap of seeking God for what he can do for us and not for who he really is? Beginning with the vivid memory of the night he discovered his son's cancer diagnosis—Costi unpacks the layered feelings and questions we have about God and his healing power, and he provides practical principles for growing closer to Jesus. With gentle clarity and biblical wisdom, he explains how to: Faithfully pray for healing while trusting in God's sovereignty. Navigate tough conversations about the topics of divine healing, love, and justice. Hold on to faith even in the most painful trials. More than chasing after the Jesus we want, this hopeful and encouraging book will guide you to discovering the Jesus we truly need—and the true power and hope that comes from a genuine relationship with him.

We live in a time when leadership and showmanship are seen as far greater virtues than humility and meekness. Even the church has often got it backward. And in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he confronts similar problems in the first-century church. D. A. Carson believes we can learn valuable lessons from Paul's letter about what it really means to be a mature Christian in the face of adversity. In A Model of Christian Maturity he takes the reader step by step through an exposition of 2 Corinthians 10-13 and then helps them apply these Scriptures to everyday life in the church. Perfect for pastors, students, and laypeople, this book highlights the power of weakness in the life of the Christian.

Maturing in Christ focuses on Christian truth that relates to living a successful spiritual life. Before a Christian can realize a consistent victorious spiritual life some basic truths must be understood: 1) the riches given by God at salvation to live Christ-like; 2) who the spiritual enemies are and how they attack; 3) and how to utilize divine enabling when resisting the enemies in order to live a successful Christian life. The Christian has three spiritual enemies: Satan, the world system and the sin nature. Dr. Schafer uses Scripture to identify these adversaries and how to access God's provisions for the strength to be victorious over them. This expository study of the Word is dedicated to Dr. Schafer's lifelong desire for saints to live Christ-like. H. LaVern Schafer served the Lord in several capacities for over 65 years as a Christian. He was pastor for 53 years, seminary professor for 44 years, and director of Dispensational Theological Seminary for 28 years. He earned his Doctorate of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, where his class was one of the last taught by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer. Dr. Schafer practiced a literal interpretation of Scripture. He believed that God's Word is meant to be interpreted literally to determine the exact concepts God is communicating and not what the reader wishes the Word to say. This desire resulted in a dispensational approach while interpreting Scripture with a historical linguistic treatment of the original text. His Christian Life series of booklets have been a blessing to thousands of believers. He went home to be with the Lord in 2008.

The first epistle of Apostle John cites three age groups to describe Christian maturation—childhood, fatherhood, and youth—in an order contrary to the natural order of human gradation. Why does the Bible go from childhood to fatherhood before coming to the third category—youth? In this book, Pastor T. Andoseh expands on these three categories of disciples of Jesus Christ in terms of their spiritual relevance and usefulness. He gives an acute diagnosis of each group's needs and offers an ideal prescription to satisfy each need. The reader is made to see their need for maturity and potential usefulness in the advancement of God's Kingdom. The author demonstrates through contemporary examples that, the pathway to continuous and multiplied victories over temptations, the world, and the works of the enemy is open to all. It is a must-read for every disciple of Jesus Christ and leader of God’s people.

What are the most important lessons the New Testament has to teach us about being a Christian? Sinclair Ferguson shows that a deep-seated concern of the writers of the New Testament was to see Christians grow to spiritual maturity‚"‚€‚"and if that was the concern of the first believers, then it should be our concern too. In clear and logical chapters that are rooted in the reality of the Christian life, the author, who has had long experience in pastoral ministry and seminary teaching, seeks to show what Christian maturity is, and how it is to be obtained. It was the apostle Paul's desire to present those to whom he ministered 'mature in Christ'‚"‚€‚"for such a maturity would lead to stable, servant-hearted Christians, and healthy, fruit-bearing churches. All those who desire to live useful, mature, and consistent Christian lives will gain much wisdom from reading and reflecting upon the contents of this book.

Theologies of justification are too numerous to count. In this book, Gordon Smith synthesizes a lifetime of writing on calling, conversion, discernment and spiritual formation in a comprehensive and compelling theology of sanctification. Smith presents holiness in its christological, sapiential, vocational, social and emotional dimensions.

It seems that much of American Christianity has lost sight of the goal of growing to maturity in Christ. This loss of vision has had serious consequences for the quality of our witness and ministry. In Aiming at Maturity, Steven W. Rankin seeks to bring back into focus key qualities of spiritual maturity and summarizes important biblical passages to show the scriptural foundations that call for spiritual maturity. Rankin also addresses certain tendencies in popular Christian culture to reduce doctrinal truths to sound bites with the laudable but counterproductive goal to make doctrine memorable, therefore applicable. Thinking more expansively about certain key doctrines related to the work of Christ and the impact of grace contributes to growth toward maturity in a way that popular descriptions of these doctrines do not. Finally, Rankin also challenges readers to consider the important role of emotions in developing Christlike dispositions, which contribute toward producing the fruit of a mature Christian life. By looking at relevant modern research, Aiming at Maturity shows the inherent connection between thoughts and feelings that draw us closer to the actual biblical description of the heart.

Editors and authors James Estep and Jonathan Kim have pulled together something often talked about but seldom seen, namely, a thoroughgoing attempt to integrate theology and science, in this case, social science. Their organization, interpretation, and evaluation of mountains of information from both sides has resulted in an expert, yet easily understandable guide to Christian spiritual formation and development. Both academics and practitioners will find help in this volume, one that is certain to be a standard work for years to come.

Biblical guidelines for growing to Christian maturity. It explains the pattern of God's work in the lives of his people and concludes with a brief spiritual check-up. Relevant to all stages of spiritual development, it provides a guide book that will be specially helpful to new Christians.