This is the beginning of a series of reviews about an amazing book our MC (Mission Community) is studying called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Today's review is over chapter one.
I had two initial fears in reading this book:
1) That I'll start mimicking a Pentecostal's actions of jumping wildly in the aisles and screaming like a mad man possibly scaring others away from Jesus.
2) That I'll find out that I really don't understand the Holy Spirit like I should (that I could have read and not understood).
-charles
I loved his opening story about the Jehovah's Witnesses. He drew me in then quickly dropped me down like I needed, great opening.
I definitely feel like there has been a recent draw to understand the Holy Spirit deeper lately before getting the book. One of my cousins wisely asked me, "What is the big deal about the Holy Spirit anyways?" I admit that I didn't really know how to say what I knew scripture said, because I didn't feel the reality of what the scriptures said (to live alive). All I could say was that He was the one that made it so our works were not just filthy rags as they were without Him. So He enabled us to be able to do good finally.
I have thought to myself that it would be better to have Jesus with us physically, leading us, but this is wrong (John 16:7). Why didn't I believe Jesus? It's almost like I'm worshiping the physical reality of today than God's words. My flesh desires his physical presence as a further proof, but Peter expounds on this and agrees that we're still blessed, even if we haven't seen him (1 Peter 1). I feel like I should remind myself daily, "It is 'better' for the Holy Spirit to be with us right now," like an addict trying to get sober I have to let go of my false theology of Jesus being with me physically as being a 'better' situation.
Chan poses a question, "When was the last time I undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around me?"
My answer, "when I was working 80 hours and missed visiting our MC and wrote a quick letter about what we were reading in the book of Mark. I wrote soundly, when I usually don't, as much as I'd like to take the credit. Before that would probably be when I had to apologize to a co-worker for something she misunderstood. I thought I was helping her but she took it as a threat and tried to get me in trouble for it. My anger was almost unbearable. It was the hardest thing I had to do in quite awhile as I was being led (by the Spirit) to show kindness to the ungrateful (Luke 6)."
Some main points:
1) The Spirit makes a change, do we see it?
2) The Spirit will move differently than the world, it will look different, therefore making us look different.
I definitely feel like there has been a recent draw to understand the Holy Spirit deeper lately before getting the book. One of my cousins wisely asked me, "What is the big deal about the Holy Spirit anyways?" I admit that I didn't really know how to say what I knew scripture said, because I didn't feel the reality of what the scriptures said (to live alive). All I could say was that He was the one that made it so our works were not just filthy rags as they were without Him. So He enabled us to be able to do good finally.
I have thought to myself that it would be better to have Jesus with us physically, leading us, but this is wrong (John 16:7). Why didn't I believe Jesus? It's almost like I'm worshiping the physical reality of today than God's words. My flesh desires his physical presence as a further proof, but Peter expounds on this and agrees that we're still blessed, even if we haven't seen him (1 Peter 1). I feel like I should remind myself daily, "It is 'better' for the Holy Spirit to be with us right now," like an addict trying to get sober I have to let go of my false theology of Jesus being with me physically as being a 'better' situation.
Chan poses a question, "When was the last time I undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around me?"
My answer, "when I was working 80 hours and missed visiting our MC and wrote a quick letter about what we were reading in the book of Mark. I wrote soundly, when I usually don't, as much as I'd like to take the credit. Before that would probably be when I had to apologize to a co-worker for something she misunderstood. I thought I was helping her but she took it as a threat and tried to get me in trouble for it. My anger was almost unbearable. It was the hardest thing I had to do in quite awhile as I was being led (by the Spirit) to show kindness to the ungrateful (Luke 6)."
Some main points:
1) The Spirit makes a change, do we see it?
2) The Spirit will move differently than the world, it will look different, therefore making us look different.
This book is amazing so far; chapter 2 is on it's way :)
» » Chapter 1
» » Chapter 2
» » Chapter 3
» » Chapter 4
» » Chapter 5
» » Chapter 6
» » Chapter 7
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