No King But God

Can faith be an idol? Can the state grant freedom? What about wealth? No King but God takes up the revolutionary cry found on the lips of Jesus and his contemporaries in the first century to argue that we need the same desire to see God as King in all areas of our lives. From the marginal and prophetic perspective of the Isle of Man, and informed by a decade of pioneering work among the homeless, five contemporary idols are unmasked. The church is given a provocative challenge to embody an alternative. The response to the idols of faith, freedom, the state, wealth, and the individual is not right belief or special prayers, but the humble path of walking as Jesus walked. Soaked in scripture and hope, this is a wooing invitation into true humanity, painting a vision of a kingdom of peace and justice founded on the self-giving love of Jesus. It is a call towards, and a glimpse of, lives and a world where there is no King but God. ""Don't read this book if you're not open to lifestyle changes! The author draws deeply on scripture and his experience with the marginalized, to challenge Western Christians on our attitudes--especially our practices--regarding money, sharing, community, and hospitality. What we do might be more important--and more Jesus-centered--than we believe."" --Phil Craine, Isle of Man ""Beautifully written, potently challenging, full of passion, unrelentingly practical, No King But God is a timely call to God's people to live a truly distinctive life. The integrity of Michael's life matches the prophetic challenge of his words. If ten people live out the challenge of this book, the world will be a better place. If ten thousand are shaped by its message, we will have a revolution of love on our hands."" --Bill Leishman, Minister, Broadway Baptist Church, Isle of Man ""Michael Manning's book issues a clarion call to repentance and renewal to Christians who are so embedded within Western materialist culture they fail to recognize their distance from the way of Jesus Christ. Clearly written, passionately argued, and powerfully illustrated, this tract for the times is a sign of a growing movement within the margins of a globalized world which offers hope for the healing of the nations and renewal of the earth."" --David Smith, Honorary Lecturer, University of Aberdeen Michael Manning is a coordinator with Graih, a charity serving the homeless in the Isle of Man. He lives with his family in a shared household.