ISBN-13: 9780802482563 Availability: In Stock Series:Moody Classics
Publisher's Description
This package includes the six-volume set of the Moody Classics: The Confessions of St. Augustine, Answers to Prayer, The Imitation of Christ, The True Vine, The Pilgrim's Progress, and How to Pray.
Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.
In The Confessions of St. Augustine, St. Augustine grates hard against "the anatomy of evil" while dealing succinctly and honestly with his own proneness toward sin. From his infatuation with its initial beauty to the discounting of his previously wasted life, Augustine leaves little to the imagination regarding his need to be saved from himself. Most of Augustine's Confessions are spent in a nearly catastrophe tug of war. From insult and injury to passion, lost love, and the arts--this work leads through and beyond a world where God's timing is absolutely perfect. Nothing has really changed since then. Sin is still sin--and God is still God.
In Answers to Prayer, when George Mueller could not get it out of his mind to open a house for orphans in late 1835, he purposed to do so "that God might be magnified by the fact that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith." For over sixty years George Mueller wrote down the details of the Lord's provision. Thousands of orphans depended solely on Mueller, and Mueller, in turn, depended solely on the Lord. Prayer is an urgent matter that always yields crucial results. Through his narrative account, Mueller reveals how powerful and spiritually rewarding prayer can be in your life
In The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis was not a haphazard follower of Jesus. The depth of his masterpiece mirrors the life of a man who did whatever was necessary to imitate his own Savior. A Kempis lived as intentionally as he wrote. We must turn away from the things of this world, we must live sacrificially, we must be inundated with Christ's passionate teaching, and we must pray to be removed from distraction. A classic in every state of the word, The Imitation of Christ places the fruit of one man's single-minded devotion to God's calling on his life within the reach of every reader. May we all commit to be this effective in our emulation of Jesus.
In The True Vine, the author wrote in such a way as to make God's Word clear to anyone who would listen. Andrew Murray was able to reach the young and underprivileged of his day with his straightforward preaching and writing. And as he lived, fully abiding in the Lord, so these words of Christ are made clear for another century. "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." Work for Him. Rest in Him. The Vine is the sole provider for the branch. The branch needs only to obey. The care and nutrients the branch receives from the Vine are more than enough to bear all the fruit it can handle.
In The Pilgrim's Progress, the author presents a story woven through with undeniable truth, great cost, and overwhelming joy. This is not a devotional classic; it is a dangerous tale. It is a call to the high stakes of every Christian's journey. One of the most widely read books of all time, this adventure reveals John Bunyan's intense grasp of the Scriptures. Penned while in prison for refusing to compromise the gospel, The Pilgrim's Progress is a guide for the journey from death to life. The times have changed, but the landmarks and adversaries are very much the same.
In How to Pray, R.A. Torrey deals with the key elements of life-changing prayer, such as praying in the Spirit, abiding in Christ, obstacles to prayer, the best times to pray, seeking revival through prayer, and more. Torrey outlines a practical strategy for living life in conversation with God."The intelligent child of God must be driven to say, 'I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.'" Stunning and forthright, R.A. Torrey's "little book on prayer" is a reflection of the writer who once had it said about him, "One wonders if there has ever lived a man who did so many things well for Christ."
Author Bio
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430) was one of the foremost philosopher-theologians of early Christianity and the leading figure in the church of North Africa. He became bishop of Hippo in 396 and held that position until his death. Before becoming a Christian, Augustine lived a very secular life. His mother Monica prayed for him diligently and at age 32, during a trip to Milan, Augustine heard the preaching of St. Ambrose, was convicted by the Holy Spirit, and became a Christian. His numerous written works, the most important of which are his Confessions and City of God, shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought.
GEORGE MUELLER (1805-1898), evangelist and philanthropist in England, was a man of prayer and strong faith who depended wholly on God for his temporal and spiritual needs. During his time serving as pastor at a church in Bristol, England, his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met. Over his life, he handled more than $8 million, although his own worldly possessions were valued at about $800 at his death. He is author of the book Answers to Prayer.
THOMAS A'KEMPIS (1380-1471) was a Dutch priest, monk, and writer born in Kempen, Germany. He attended a school near Deventer in Holland. Thomas of Kempen, as he was known at school, was so impressed by his teachers that he decided to live his own life according to their ideals. When he was 19, he entered the monastery of Mount St. Agnes and spent the rest of his long life behind the walls of that monastery. Thomas wrote a number of sermons, letters, hymns, and lives of the saints. The most famous of his works, by far, is The Imitation of Christ, a charming instruction on how to love God. The Imitation of Christ has come to be, after the Bible, the most widely translated book in Christian literature.
ANDREW MURRAY (1828-1917) was a church leader, evangelist, and missionary statesman. As a young man, Murray wanted to be a minister, but it was a career choice rather than an act of faith. Not until he had finished his general studies and begun his theological training in the Netherlands, did he experience a conversion of heart. Sixty years of ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, more than 200 books and tracts on Christian spirituality and ministry, extensive social work, and the founding of educational institutions were some of the outward signs of the inward grace that Murray experienced by continually casting himself on Christ. A few of his books include The True Vine, Absolute Surrender, The School of Obedience, Waiting on God, and The Prayer Life.