Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Lately I have been reading 'Forgotten God' by Francis Chan. It's a very informational book, has 117 pages and I first chose it because of the nice quotes of Francis Chan I came across on the internet. As you might have noticed by this post, I have been thinking and studying about the Holy Spirit lately. So this book in particular really spoke to me, more than Chan's other books. So, here we go!
Francis Chan is the best-selling author of books, Crazy Love, Forgotten God, Erasing Hell and the host of the BASIC.series (Who is God & We Are Church). He has also written the children’s books Halfway Herbert, The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village and Ronnie Wilson’s Gift.
Francis is the founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and is the founder of Eternity Bible College. Francis now lives in Northern California with his wife, Lisa, and their five children.
I chose this book, as I said, because of my current interest. But also because it promises to teach you a lot about the Holy Spirit. And it does. Not in a book-wise way, but on a very personal level. Chan always writes clearly, understandably and gives a lot of examples from his own life and from those of people he knows. He is never dull, but sometimes it takes a bit of persistence to read this book. Mostly because, with a subject like this, it's hard to really make a statement without going beyond what the Bible says about it. And of course, it is very important to keep the Bible as a guide. So sometimes it reads more like a very thorough Bible study than anything else. But that is also the beauty of this book. Everything Chan says about the Holy Spirit and His influence on peoples lives is based on Biblical truths. This makes this book a perfect guide of the Biblical view on the Holy Spirit.
Chan's way of writing is thorough, empathic, provocative and filled with humor. He is never dull. Look at this quote, for instance,. It's a great explanation of a Biblical given, but it's also funny:)
Years ago, when a random thought came into my head, I decided to share it with my life. 'Have you ever wondered what caterpillars think about?' I asked. Not suprisingly, she said, 'No'. I then proceeded to tell her about the confusion I imagined the caterpillar must experience. For all its caterpillar life, it crawls around a small patch of dirt and up and down a few plants. Then one day, it takes a nap. A long nap. And then, what in the world? (...) What happened to its dirty, plump little worm body? What does it think when it sees its tiny new body and gorgeous wings? As believers, we ought to experience the same kind of astonishment when the holy Spirit enters our bodies. We should be stunned in disbelief over becoming a 'new creation' with the Spirit living in us. As the caterpillar finds its new ability to fly, we should be thrilled over our Spirit-empowered ability to live differently and faithfully. Isn't this what the Scriptures speak of? Isn't this hat we've all been longing for?`
As you can see, the book talks about the effect the Holy Spirit will have on your life and who He is. Most of it will be known to most Christians, but Chan challenges you to take a better look at your feelings, God's work in your life and the way you react on and listen to the Holy Spirit.
One of the best bits of the book, in my opinion, is the following quote:
In Galatians 3, we read that 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... so that we might recieve the promised Spirit trough faith. (vv 13-14) Wow. (...) Christ redeemed us from the curse we were under so that we could recieve the promise of the Holy Spirit. The 'Promised Spirit' is not a small promise. Jesus suffered a gruelling death so that I could have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. How dare I take this for granted?
Some other inspirational quotes:
Upon foretelling His death, Jesus comforts the disciples by telling them that 'another Counselor' is coming (John 14:16 NIV). In John 16:7 He goes so far as to say it is to their advantage that He leave so the Counbsellor can come. And in Acts 1:4-5, after His death and resurrection, He tells His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. (The sidsciples obey because that's what people do when someone rises from the dead and gives instructions). Jesus' disciples had no idea what or whom they were waiting for, or what it would be like. But they were expectant and trusting because Jesus had instructed them to wait for this good gift. Then in Acts 2, we see the fulfillment of this promise in a way that must have shocked the disciples. The Holy Spirit's power is unleashed like no one had ever seen or experienced before, and Peter shares the amazing promise that this Holy Spirit is available to anyone who believes. The Epistles tell us of the Holy Spirit's amazing power at work in us, our Spirit-enabled ability to put our sin to death trough Him, and the supernatural gifts He gives us.
(...) His gift of the Holy Spirit is really not for our own pleasure or purposes. The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness. The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God's purposes, not ours. When you decide to put to death - to crucify- your flesh, you are by default choosing the way of the Spirit. You are leaving one path and joining another.
Something I missed in this book is a very practical thing. A lot of people won't know simply HOW to hear, see and experience the Holy Spirit. Chan doesn't really explain ways to learn how to do that. Maybe because it's very subjective and there is no biblical way mentioned to do so besides meditation and prayer. But still, some extra experience from believers would have been nice.
All in all I really like this book. It can be a bit dry, but never boring and it's filled with Biblical examples.
The book can be bought online and in a (Christian) bookstores.
