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The Hidden Flame
The Hidden Flame
The Hidden Flame
Audiobook (abridged)7 hours

The Hidden Flame

Written by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn

Narrated by Aimee Lilly

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Abigail had lost everything – home and family – and left with little promise of a normal life. When she discovers the Messiah and joins his followers, she also discovers new meaning and purpose. Maybe she does have a future after all. But increasing persecution is scattering the burgeoning group “to the ends of the earth.” And Abigail may have given her heart to the wrong man. Abigail, an orphan, has found the young brother she had thought was dead. Along the way she also has found a second family – those brave followers of the Jewish prophet Jesus. Under attack from several groups who hate them for their growing influence, these new Christians are spreading out from Jerusalem, taking their life-changing message with them. This further enrages the religious elite, and they engage whomever they can to stamp out this powerful new sect called “The Way.” Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail’s hand in marriage. One is a successful Hebrew merchant and widower, looking for a mother for his children. On the other side is the Roman soldier Linux, who is captivated by her winsome charm and could offer the sanctuary – maybe even the love – for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Stephen, one of the leaders of “The Way,” has a character and a faith that move her deeply, but his outspoken preaching has marked him for assassination. Will her faith and courage withstand a heartbreak beyond comprehension? And then a glimmer of hope appears, one she never would have foreseen.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherOasis Audio
Release dateNov 12, 2009
ISBN9781608145935
The Hidden Flame
Author

Janette Oke

Janette Oke pioneered inspirational fiction and is the leading author in the category today. She has written over forty books, thirty two of which have been translated into fourteen languages. She received the 1992 President's Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for her significant contribution to Christian fiction, and she has been awarded the coveted Gold Medallion Award for Fiction. She and her family make their home in Canada.

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Reviews for The Hidden Flame

Rating: 4.586206896551724 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

29 ratings7 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As I've stated before, I'm a big fan of biblical fiction because I feel that there is more to the story than just what is written in the Bible. I feel that if the author does sufficient research to make sure what they are writing about is historically and culturally accurate, there is no reason to confine the characters to only what is written in the scriptures. That being said, I was looking forward to reading this second book in the new series from Bunn and Oke. As a huge Janette Oke fan, I'm honestly not sure what parts of the book she contributed to but I am a sucker for anything that has her name on it.While the main focus of the story is on Abigail, it really is a different take on the story of Stephen, the first martyr. If you don't know Stephen's story from the Bible, he was stoned to death for his beliefs and the person holding the coats of the stoners was Saul, who later became Saint Paul. The authors take the framework of this story and wrote a lovely narrative around it focusing on the lives of the early believers and their day to day relationships. Pretty much the story of the first part of the book of Acts comes to life. The main character Abigail is a young woman who is one of the early Christians and helps out Martha (sister of Lazarus). Her story shows her growing in her faith as well as finding love.If there's a flaw in the story, it's that I felt too much time was spent on the suitors that the reader knows Abigail does not want to be with. The men are both likable and there's nothing wrong with them but Abigail does not love either men so it feels like time is wasted on these characters only to have them go their separate ways. I appreciated the romantic tension but I don't really like getting invested in a character if they are not going to be a part of the main focus of the story and ending.Overall this is a good biblical fiction story with a nice mesh of romance and historical fiction blended together. It's the second book in the series and while you probably could read it alone, I would suggest reading the first book to fully understand the characters, setting and culture.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Abigail loses everything and is left with little promise of a normal life. When she discovers the Messiah and joins his followers, she also discovers new meaning and purpose. Maybe she does have a future after all. But increasing persecution is scattering the burgeoning group "to the ends of the earth." And Abigail may have given her heart to the wrong man. Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. One is a successful Hebrew merchant and widower looking for a mother for his children. On the other side is the Roman soldier Linux, who is captivated by her winsome charm and could offer the sanctuary--maybe even the love--for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Stephen, one of the leaders of The Way, has a character and a faith that move her deeply, but his outspoken preaching has marked him for assassination. Will her faith and courage withstand a heartbreak beyond comprehension? And then a glimmer of hope appears, one she never would have foreseen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an excellent book to read because I love to read historical fiction. The only thing I hated that really wasn't in the book but it was historical facts, was when people tried to convert people from other religions. Yes spreading the word but what about what cultures believe? What about their own religions? I never understood that. read the rest on momsword.org
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think in my heart this is the way it was for Steven back then. I could sooooo easily see the whole story come to life. God was so praised thru it all, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this story, You have such a gift here, and I thank our Lord that you use it for Him so well. Keep up the good work!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was better than the first one in the series. Lots of plot brought into the biblical narrative that was consistent with scripture. Beautifully done and inspiring.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "The Hidden Flame: Acts of Faith Book 2" is wonderful fiction set just after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection!It really made me think of how things happened after Jesus died. How Peter preached and brought many to new converts to Christ and how they cared for widow. The book brought characters like Peter and Stephen, Gamaliel, Sapphira and Ananias, to life. Very well-written and well done. It follows the Bible stories from the New Testament well and adds great fictional characters like Abigail and Linux.I am currently watching A.D. The Bible Continues on TV and I much prefer reading this book series (Acts of Faith) to the show. The books leave me with how Christianity grew so much, how love and hope spread through those faithful followers of Jesus. A.D. leaves me disgusted with blood and gore, tangled in Rome and Jewish politics. I have an even greater appreciation for Davis Bunn and Janette Oke now. Good job to them for bringing this period in history to life with fiction!!!!!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book as much as I loved the first one in the series, The Centurion's Wife. I felt I could easily relate to the doubts and fears that Abigail dealt with on an almost daily basis, even though her world is far different from mine. Her humility and compassion are something for me to admire and aspire to, and I sympathized with her feelings of helplessness both in her struggle to work and her imminent betrothel. This book helped me to understand better the differences between the Pharisees and the members of the Sanhedrin, as well as the political climate of that time. I cried twice while reading the book, first while reading about Peter's shadow healing the sick and mamed as he walked and then at the point of Stephen's death. Despite the runny nose, I count this as a mark of well-written literature.
    It's exciting to see how all of the names I know so well from Bible scriptures are introduced into the plotline of the novel, and it feels like taking a fresh look at events that I have read and studied over and over again, such as what happened to Ananias and Saphira. I feel like I am looking behind the scenes to what happened in between the lines of scripture, such as the events that led up to Stephen's death, the daily tasks of the members of the fledging church, as well as how the Apostles went about their daily lives, manifesting miracles as easily as shaking hands but still never taking for granted what Power worked through them. I appreciate the delicate nature of interpreting these Scriptures in a fictional text, and while there are some I know that would consider doing such as verging on blasphemous, I feel that such works serve a purpose in the "grand scheme" and hold merit.