Thanks for your comments on my book. I am really enjoying the discussion that is coming about. Post your thoughts here.
This comment came in via email so I will post it here:
“Even thought I have been involved in many Protestant churches and Bible Studies over the years, I discovered as a young adult that I really didn’t know the Holy Spirit, that it really was a mystery to me. After a particularly difficult period in my life when I needed to be closer to God and feel his Presence with me, I read several books about the Holy Spirit and I did find that God’s Spirit that was embodied in Jesus, was what Jesus gave us. Prayerfully I asked the Holy Spirit to come into my life, and I felt a basic peace and joy in all facets of my life.
However, as my life situation improved, my prayer life decreased, and although I continued my activity within my church and community, I felt something was missing. I thought then that once I had asked the Holy Spirit to come into my life I didn’t need to do more. When I moved to San Diego, the pastor of my new church had written a book and was preaching a series on the Holy Spirit alive in our lives. After I read his book, I was invited to attend a class led by Mark Cowper-Smith based on his book “Is God Religious?”
Mark’s emphasis is on having an ongoing relationship with God set me thinking. Having a relationship with a spouse, a child, a parent, a friend always involves ongoing dialogue with that person. The lightbulb went on in my brain: having a relationship with the Holy Spirit also involves ongoing dialogue! As Mark states, on p. 220, “…….Jesus’ death on the cross paid for our sins in order to give us the innocence necessary to have a relationship with a holy God, but it is the Spirit within us that makes that relationship real to us day by day.”
I am now trying to keep up this dialogue and ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit daily (there are lapses, however,) and I have experienced more joy in all areas of my life.
Thanks, Mark”
Mark , enjoying the book so much. It’s real godly validation that I actually do have a relationship with my savior. There is really so much judgment that we are off track about not being holy when indeed a simple honest and loving relationship with Jesus is what it is all about. Thank you! I might have to make you a side of beef to enjoy and bring it up to you!
Karen,
Thanks for your comment! I think you hit on something very profound. Our faith it supposed to be something so simple that a child can grasp it. Jesus tells us that we need to be like children to enter the Kingdom of God. I wonder if we also need to be like children to live in the Kingdom of God. Can you imagine a small child trying to understand the Old Testament Law, let alone keep it? How much simpler can our faith be than defining it as a relationship of Father and child? What if holiness is nothing more complicated than what flows from a relationship of intimacy with a perfectly loving God? Bring on the beef!
Mark
Dear Mark,
I reread some passages in the book and on page 97 it says
One of the reasons you may not sense his forgiveness is because God has given his people the authority to forgive sin. It may be that you have never confessed your sin to a brother or sister . He has delegated one of his greatest authorities to his children.
Question… God has given his people the authority to forgive sin BUT isn’t that what the priests in the Catholic church do?/ We would go to them for confession and it would be them acting as our intercessor. When I came to know the Lord I realized and accepted that I go directly to him. This is why the passage confuses me. God is the ultimate forgiver through the blood of Jesus (not other people)
we can certainly forgive one another for sins against us and listen and support others in word and prayer but we can not absolve people of wrong doings??
please clarify for me.
thanks!
Karen
Hi Karen, you are correct. I think maybe I was a little vague in what I said. God has done the forgiving through Jesus death on the cross. We can and should go directly to Him to receive the benefit of that forgiveness. This is the normal way forgiveness works. The problem is that the Enemy will attempt to deny us one of the benefits of His forgiveness which is the certainty that we have, in fact, been forgiven. the Enemy will constantly lie to us to the effect that our sin is too great to forgive or that our repentance was not sincere enough. He will also tell us that since we still feel pain due to the wrong done to us our repentance was ineffective. We often end up believing these lies and living with a sense of shame based upon a lie. One of the great privileges God has delegated to us is to, under His authority and speaking on His behalf, pronounce someone forgiven. We are not doing the forgiving, we are speaking on God’s behalf to pronounce the forgiveness He has already done. It is one of the ways that God honors our connectedness as the Body of Christ on earth here and now. Sometimes we need to hear a flesh and blood person speak on God’s behalf what we have had trouble believing. Does this help?
Thanks so much for writing a book that really caused me to stop and reflect on my spiritual life. Even though I have been a believer all my life and feel I regularly hear from God, your book revealed the difficulty I have in just resting in God’s Presence and not doing anything else! You had some wonderful, fresh analogies that I’ve already shared with some friends. Wonderful book! Thanks so much!
Thanks for the encouraging words! I am always happy when I hear that something I have done or taught really helped someone. We get out to Scottsdale whenever we can and we always like an excuse to come. If you ever want to do a book study group with my book I would be happy to come out and do a day of ministry for anyone who wants it. Thanks for coming to the session we had with Conrad and Joy. God Bless You!
Hi Mark!,
I was wondering why the cover of my book, by the same title, has different artwork? Have you written a second book that I missed? Maybe I’m just anxiously awaiting another book, *hint hint*? Anyway, if you could clarify, I’d appreciate it.
Thanks,
Carla
Hi Carla, sorry to take so long to reply. It is the same book with a different cover. I do have a new book called Reluctantly Supernatural and also am finishing off my third book.