More than two thousand years ago, ordinary Christians were huddled in the Upper Room together. Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, those men spread the Gospel message to all corners of the earth. How did they do it? How did they go from simple, ordinary fishermen and tax collectors to the most famous missionaries in Christian history?
The apostles had something in common with all the saints that have gone before us – a faith in God that affected their daily life.
The apostles weren’t the first examples of faith in the Bible though. In his newest book, Our Journey to God: An African Priest Explores the Power of Faith from Abraham to You, Father Maurice Emelu explores and traces the virtue of faith through the lives of Abraham all the way into today’s culture.
Father Emelu uses biblical figures as “case studies” and weaves their stories together with his personal experiences. He includes African and Western world views, and says that the book was “born out of many years of pastoral ministry.” He wanted to write a book that took a deeper look into how the journey of faith has evolved.
Father Emelu taps into his West African roots and story-telling culture and writes about how Biblical figures such as Abraham, Moses, the apostles, and the Blessed Virgin Mary show how to cultivate a healthy faith life.
The first five chapters of Father Emelu’s book explore the nature of faith. “Drawing from numerous experiences, we discuss the characteristics of faith as lived in the lives of Moses; Abraham; Mary, the Mother of the Lord; and many other figures,” Father Emelu writes. “We pay special attention the obstacles to faith and the tools for overcoming those obstacles as we unveil the paradoxes of the faith journey.” Father Emelu also discusses the importance of the virtues of hope and love.
In the last six chapters of the book, Father Emelu writes about the content of faith. “We zero in on a few attributes distinguishing true objects of faith from false ones, so as to see the benefits of true faith,” he writes. Father Emelu explores the commonality of all Christian believers and shows how faith should unite all Christians.
In addition to a brief salvation history, readers can also read about:
- The four stages of faith life that every Christian journeys through.
- How to foster a deeper relationship with God.
- How our faith life develops from simple to complex.
- How faith is necessary to comprehend the gift of reason.
- How Abraham and the Virgin Mary are the best examples of accepting God’s will.
- How doubt can affect our relationship with God.
- How faith can become a source of unity for all people.
Through Father Emelu’s vivid stories of his own faith life and his incredible knowledge, readers will learn about the deep, rich history of the Christian faith! Check out Father Emelu’s new book today.
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