"You have a call, Elder Wilder." When missionary Micah Wilder set his sights on bringing a Baptist congregation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had no idea that he was the one about to be changed. Yet when he finally came to know the God of the Bible, Micah had no choice but to surrender himself-no matter the consequences. For a passionate young Mormon who had grown up in the Church, finding authentic faith meant giving up all he knew: his community, his ambitions, and his place in the world. Yet as Micah struggled to reconcile the teachings of his Church with the truths revealed in the Bible, he awakened to his need for God's grace. This led him to be summoned to the door of the mission president, terrified but confident in the testimony he knew could cost him everything. Passport to Heaven is a gripping account of Micah's surprising journey from living as a devoted member of a religion based on human works to embracing the divine mercy and freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

The definitive biography One of the best-known and respected public figures of modern times, The Dalai Lama's message of peace and compassion resonates with people of all faiths and none. And yet, for all his worldwide fame, he remains personally elusive.

Alexander Norman, acclaimed Oxford-trained scholar of the history of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas, draws on his thirty years of special access to His Holiness to deliver the definitive biography - unique, revelatory, controversial. Norman gives unparalled insights into the Dalai Lama's life, from being chosen as a young boy, his exile from Tibet and his involvement in political negotiations, to the present day. He confronts a dark history, revealing the spiritual and political leader as never seen before.

Pentecostalism was born at the turn of the twentieth century in a "tumble-down shack" in a rundown semi-industrial area of Los Angeles composed of a tombstone shop, saloons, livery stables and railroad freight yards. One hundred years later Pentecostalism has not only proven to be the most dynamic representative of Christian faith in the past century, but a transnational religious phenomenon as well. In a global context Pentecostalism has attained a membership of 500 million growing at the rate of 20 million new members a year. Aimee Semple McPherson, born on a Canadian farm, was Pentecostalism's first celebrity, its "female Billy Sunday". Arriving in Southern California with her mother, two children and $100.00 in 1920, "Sister Aimee", as she was fondly known, quickly achieved the height of her fame. In 1926, by age 35, "Sister Aimee" would pastor "America's largest 'class A' church", perhaps becoming the country's first mega church pastor. In Los Angeles she quickly became a folk hero and civic institution. Hollywood discovered her when she brilliantly united the sacred with the profane. Anthony Quinn would play in the Temple band and Aimee would baptize Marilyn Monroe, council Jean Harlow and become friends with Charlie Chaplain, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Based on the biographer's first time access to internal church documents and cooperation of Aimee's family and friends, this major biography offers a sympathetic appraisal of her rise to fame, revivals in major cities and influence on American religion and culture in the Jazz Age. The biographer takes the reader behind the scenes of Aimee's fame to the early days of her harsh apprenticeship in revival tents, failed marriages and poverty. Barfoot recreates the career of this "called" and driven woman through oral history, church documents and by a creative use of new source material. Written with warmth and often as dramatic as Aimee, herself, the author successfully captures not only what made Aimee famous but also what transformed Pentecostalism from its meager Azusa Street mission beginnings into a transnational, global religion.

Louis IX of France reigned as king from 1226 to 1270 and was widely considered an exemplary Christian ruler, renowned for his piety, justice, and charity toward the poor. After his death on crusade, he was proclaimed a saint in 1297, and today Saint Louis is regarded as one of the central figures of early French history and the High Middle Ages. In The Sanctity of Louis IX, Larry F. Field offers the first English-language translations of two of the earliest and most important accounts of the king s life: one composed by Geoffrey of Beaulieu, the king s long-time Dominican confessor, and the other by William of Chartres, a secular clerk in Louis s household who eventually joined the Dominican Order himself. Written shortly after Louis s death, these accounts are rich with details and firsthand observations absent from other works, most notably Jean of Joinville s well-known narrative

The introduction by M. Cecilia Gaposchkin and Sean L. Field provides background information on Louis IX and his two biographers, analysis of the historical context of the 1270s, and a thematic introduction to the texts. An appendix traces their manuscript and early printing histories. The Sanctity of Louis IX also features translations of Boniface VIII s bull canonizing Louis and of three shorter letters associated with the earliest push for his canonization. It also contains the most detailed analysis of these texts, their authors, and their manuscript traditions currently available."

When Dr. Reggie Anderson is present at the bedside of a dying patient, something miraculous happens. Sometimes as he sits vigil and holds the patient's hand . . . he can experience what they feel and see as they cross over. Because of these God-given glimpses of the afterlife--his "appointments with heaven"--Reggie knows beyond a doubt that we are closer to the next world than we think. Join him as he shares remarkable stories from his life and practice, including the tragedy that nearly drove him away from faith forever. He reveals how what he's seen, heard, and experienced has shaped what he believes about living and dying; how we can face the passing of our loved ones with the courage and confidence that we will see them again; and how we can each prepare for our own "appointment with heaven." Soul-stirring and hope-filled, "Appointments with Heaven" is a powerful journey into the questions at the very core of your being: "Is there more to life than this? What is heaven like?" And, most important: "Do I believe it enough to let it change me?"

Hiding Jewish refugees during WWII landed Corrie ten Boom in a German concentration camp. Released after ten months, she tramped the world with "a burning desire to tell others that Jesus is a reality, that He lives, that He is victor." Join Corrie on a world-wide trip that could only have been planned by God.

This is the history of Prudence Bell's family, going back several generations to set the scene for the missionary couple,Herbert and Elizabeth, who went out to Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China, and were brutally killed in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. It is a thoroughly written historical account,which ends on a high note when Prudence visits the church of the martyrs in 2006, to receive an astonishing welcome, discovering she is the answer to their prayers, and that the church of her great-grandparents has a congregation of over three thousand. Quite harrowing in places, but with an ultimately happy ending, this is an inspiring read for anyone facing the challenges of truly living all-out for Christ in a hostile world.

A True-Life Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless! In the anniversary edition of this electrifying real-life story, readers are gripped from the first page by the harrowing account of a young man who risked his life to smuggle Bibles through the borders of closed nations. Now, sixty years after Brother Andrew first prayed for God's miracle protection, this expanded edition of a classic work encourages new readers to meet this remarkable man and his mission for the first time. Working undercover for God, a mission that continues to this day, has made Brother Andrew one of the all-time heroes of the faith. His narrow escapes from danger to share the love of Jesus will encourage and embolden believers in their own walks of faith.

This is a charming book, describing, in the words of Chris Wright, 'one of the greatest partnerships in church history.' It is a story which John Stott himself hoped would one day be told. It is widely agreed that Stott could not have been half so effective without Frances Whitehead at his side. He invited her to become his Secretary when she was still a young Christian, at that time working for the BBC. Having done secret war work as a mathematician, she brought a good mind as well as determination. Stott relied on her, and she would shoulder responsibility to work on the infrastructure to establish his ideas. She also typed his 50 books from longhand. They are both described (by one of the succession of young graduate Study Assistants) as 'fast, exacting and determined', with Frances matching Stott's gold standard again and again. 'She was as remarkable in her way as John Stott was in his.' They were good friends, and she was named in his Will as 'My friend and Executor'. Neither married and both were completely dedicated to John's ministry. You can't understand his ministry without knowing of Frances Whitehead. This is a very colourful biography looking at Frances Whitehead's ancestry as well as her own interesting life. It includes walk-on parts from George III, Gainsborough, Prince Albert, Florence Nightingale, the Singer family (of Singer sewing Machine fame) and Jacqueline du Pre. It is no ordinary 'Christian biography'. Her family at one stage owned much of Chelsea, including the land on which Harrods now stands. Frances's life story gives us glimpses into the way they worked together, and their shared values. Both were very modest about their contributions, and lived modestly. John Stott lived in a small two-roomed flat, from which he worked. His Study Assistant had a desk in Stott's small bedroom - the desk had been rescued from a skip. Frances worked in a small office looking out onto a brick wall. The book concludes with a summing-up of John Stott's and Frances Whitehead's joint legacy. This includes the founding and establishing of two global movements. Timeline, Family trees, Appendices, and over 30 photographs.

The world was stunned when little-known Karol Wojtyla became the first non-Italian pope for 450 years. As Pope John Paul II, he continued to surprise, directly confronting Communist regimes, flying hundreds of thousands of miles to meet the faithful, and building bridges with other faiths. John Paul II became a bete noire in the eyes of liberals for his staunch refusal to accept contraception or the ordination of women. But for others he was a Churchillian figure who took on the forces of godlessness and moral relativism. He gained a stature that left secular statesmen in his shadow. Love him or loathe him, few could deny that he was a man of rare courage. He survived two assassination attempts, fought off cancer and waged a very public battle with Parkinson's disease. Seven years after his death he continues to exert a hold over the Church and to inspire an almost cult-like devotion.

Offering an inspiring mix of history and biography, Saints on Earth tells the stories of the diverse people commemorated in the Common Worship calendar of Holy Days, with over 250 saints' days, festivals and commemorations that greatly enrich the Christian year. This wide-ranging selection of spiritually significant men and women features Celtic and Catholic saints, Reformers, Tractarians, bishops and missionaries together with poets, writers, martyrs, social reformers, kings and queens. Recent heroes and heroines of faith, both Anglican and from other Christian traditions, are celebrated alongside those who inspired the Early Church. This versatile companion is a rich source of inspiration for preaching and leading prayers and worship throughout the year. It is now updated to include figures added to the Common Worship calendar in recent years.