The Other Book That Changed My Life

Have you ever heard The Brooklyn Tabernacle's story?

You should - it's a story only God could write. Absolutely incredible.

Last week, I was literally bed-ridden from a viral infection that lasted two days. And as I rested in bed, I asked my wife to grab from my bookshelf Jim Cymbala's book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.

The day before, before I even got sick, a close friend called and suggested that I read the book. Interestingly, the book had been sitting on my shelf for years. It was one my wife read as a teenager as preparation for a inner-city missions trip to New Orleans.

As I opened the book and quickly flipped through the pages, I saw the bright yellow highlighter and pencil markings from my wife's study. Just a first sight, I could tell how much it had impacted my her as a teenager. Amazingly, 11 years ago, God began a work in my future wife's life that He was now about to do in me.

Hands down, this book changed my life - forever.

From the first page to the last period, I couldn't put it down. It resonated with me and I strongly sensed God had an appointment to do a powerful work in my life. And He did.

Cymbala's heavy focus on prayer and spending deep, no-agenda-time in God's Presence really challenged me to the core. It was a "fresh" reminder of how desperate we are for the Holy Spirit.

We need the Holy Spirit's power. But that comes from only spending time in His presence. They are completely intertwined.

God has not called us to plan out His agenda and ask Him to bless it. He has called us to seek and worship Him wholeheartedly - and then respond to what He is doing in us. That is God's very agenda - that we would call upon His name.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle's story is one of complete redemption. But more specifically, it's a reflection of what God wants to do in all of us - to remind us of how much we desperately need Him.

Apart from Him, there is no glory, power, wisdom, passion or even life. Without Him, we simply live dead lives.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Not just to pastors, evangelists or missionaries - this is a message we all need to hear. Again and again.