| INTRODUCTION | | | | personal bias (for instance denominational affiliation) |
| The intention of the author is to describe what is | | | | or experience would not influence his selection. The |
| considered as the deepest spiritual experiences of | | | | separate chapters could have been devoted to some |
| the most famous Christians of all ages. He reveals | | | | names like Thomas a Kempis and David Brainerd |
| the impact and influence of the lives of characters in | | | | instead of the general treatment received under the |
| both Old Testament and New Testaments and in the | | | | section ''Other famous Christians''. Injustice is also |
| history of the Church. One has a feel of the | | | | done to many fine female Christian missionaries who |
| message of these characters when the author | | | | are not even mentioned. |
| quotes them extensively. Generally, they believe in | | | | The back cover of the text informs us that one will |
| the spiritual fullness after salvation and that God is | | | | discover how to have every need met. This is one |
| only waiting for Christians to be receptive in order | | | | dangerous prosperity teaching in Nigeria, Sierra Leone |
| for Him to shower His countless blessings on us. | | | | and the universal church. If all our needs can be met, |
| Among other things, the text assists the reader | | | | the issue is what is the place of suffering, the |
| (through the lives of the characters treated) to | | | | wilderness journey, the dark night of the soul etc. in |
| discover how to be filled with the Spirit, obtain | | | | the life of the Christian? |
| victory over sin, grow closer to God than ever | | | | QUOTABLE QUOTES |
| before, acquire boldness to witness for Christ and | | | | "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing |
| find perfect peace and rest. | | | | the change God works in the heart through faith in |
| STRENGTHS | | | | Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed" (133). |
| The author, like the editors of Devotional Classics, | | | | "The Spirit then cleared the subject up so much in |
| was able to realize that no single church or | | | | my mind that it was impossible for me to doubt that |
| denomination has all the answers and impressively | | | | the Spirit of God has taken possession of my soul" |
| identified those whose consecrated lives and deep | | | | (173). |
| spiritual experiences made them a blessing to the | | | | RECOMMENDATIONS |
| body of Christ. | | | | No pastor, lay reader of church member should fail to |
| WEAKNESSES | | | | read this invaluable book which is a clarion call to |
| The text sets out to accomplish (see first sentence | | | | every Christian to have a deeper relationship with |
| in the introduction) a very difficult task of describing | | | | God. It is useful in ministry because it clearly shows |
| experiences of the most famous Christians of all | | | | how Christians from several backgrounds long to |
| ages. One doubts the parameters that any author | | | | know about the spirit-filled and deeper life in Christ. |
| would use to arrive at classification and whether | | | | |