by Sam Storms
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan (February 7, 2017)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0310533848
- ISBN-13: 978-0310533849
I liked this book a lot. It makes you feel: This is what a church should be like, this is what pastors should be teaching their congregation -- the riches of God's grace and the power of God in us who believe.
If you're a Charismatic Christian, you've probably read tons of books on the gifts of the spirit. Usually these books are about the book author's journey and they are often limited to one gift of the spirit. So we have prophets writing books on prophecy, dreamers writing books on dreaming, healers writing books on healing. Those books are all needed because those topics are pretty deep. But there are few books which can be used either for individual study, pastoral study, small groups, or larger communal church groups. This is one of them.
The challenge for anyone --especially a pastor-- who would want to actually practice the Biblically-based counsel in this book is that the church habits, services, and traditions would have to change a little to accommodate them. This means pastors might have to give up their desire to be the main "minister" to the congregation and become more of the one who trains, guides, and orchestrates all members of the church to minister to each other.
For instance, churches that only have the pastor pray for the sick, might have to give up some of their specialness (let's face it, many pastors like being the be-all and end-all and source and like running their little fiefs) and A) be Biblical in letting the elders/deacons pray for the sick and those who have shown that they have some gifts for healing. Although this isn't a book that teaches all aspects of healing (even deliverance is included) or prophesy or all aspects of any of the gifts, its chapters guide the reader into how to practice the gifts decently and in order yet in a way where the Holy is actually present to work.
This book will teach pastors and church members how to guide the prophets, workers of miracles, healers, faithers to develop, recognize, and use their gifts. It will also teach them how to understand how God wishes to work in each church and how each gift is to be used. How many of us have heard some so-called prophetess say something that is supposed to be a prophecy and felt uneasy about it? This book definitely shows the pitfalls of wrong prophets, prophesying, and prophesies. I especially liked the part where the author addresses how to use, understand, recognize spontaneous "spiritual songs" in the middle of the service. This is definitely the kind of book Paul might have given to the Corinthian church.
This book is definitely a challenge, but for those of us who want to be in a church that is as Biblical as possible it's a great book and an easy read. Who doesn't want to be in a church that does church the way God designed it
?
I was given this book free and without charge in exchange for a fair and honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment