A few months ago I was challenged and encouraged by Francis Chan's "Crazy Love." So I was eager to read his latest book, "Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit" (co-authored with Danae Yankoski). On the back cover the book is described as "a compelling invitation to rediscover the Holy Spirit's power in our lives" and I think that's a good description of the content of this convicting, inspiring book.
In fact for many Christians it may serve as an invitation to discover and experience the Spirit's empowering presence for the first time. Chan's exhortations are applied not only to individual Christians, but to churches and congregations, reminding us that it is only as the Spirit works through the Word that the work of God can really be accomplished. And it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can worship God as he wants to be worshiped and serve Him as He wants to be served.
There were places in the book where I'm not sure I entirely agreed with how Chan had expressed certain ideas, and for a more comprehensive and in-depth study of the person and work of the Spirit one could turn to J.I. Packer's "Keep in Step with the Spirit" or Sinclair Ferguson's "The Holy Spirit."
But Chan's book is more accessible for a wider group of readers, and I believe it succeeds very well in calling on professing Christians and churches to experience all that God intends for us by prayerfully and obediently embracing the supernatural enabling of the Spirit of the living God.
1 comment:
I know that we have talked about this book... I am excited to read it myself. The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer has certainly been downsized dramatically from where it is said to be Biblically. Thanks for the plug I will be looking for it.
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