Mark Watson

Between the love of my new Kindle and the fact that I’m out of town most everyday, reading has become my comfort.  I’ve read three (almost 4) books the past couple of weeks.  Two of the books were good, the other one was a chore to even finish.  The choice of my books may give you a clue to my state of mind right now, but I’ll save that for another time. 

The first good book that I will give 4 out of 5 stars was O Me of Little Faith by Jason Boyett.  If you struggle with your faith at times like I do, this book will give you new hope.  I love the honesty and candor as Jason talks about his own doubts and struggles.  The nugget I got from the book is there can be no faith without doubt.  Doubt makes faith possible.  

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The second good book (I might even say great!) was In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.  The book is taken from an obscure passage in 2 Samuel 23:20-21.   The cool thing about this passage is I had just read this in my One Year Bible reading plan.  Even though I read the story and posted on my readings, I never mentioned the story of Benaiah.  The verses reads like this:

  ^20-21Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear. (The Message)

Did you get the part where on a snowy day, he climbed down in a pit and killed a lion?  He didn’t run from the Lion.  He chased the lion into the pit to kill it!  The nuggets I got from this book is this:

1. What is the lion in my life right now?
2. Am I complaining about the lion or am I chasing it to kill it?
3. Could the lion in my life right now be there to prepare me for a great challenge/opportunity yet to come?

I highly recommend both books.  They are both challenging but in a good way.  Give them a try and tell me what you think.

The last book and quite possibly the worst Christian book I’ve ever read in my life was The Christain Atheist by Craig Groeschel.  If you weren’t an atheist before you read this book, my fear is that you would be by the time you finished.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to hear Craig Groeshel speak but this book (in my opinion) should have never been put in print.  The book came off arrogant and self promotional.  This is not the real Craig Groeshel.  Here were the negative points I got:

1. Craig is handsome.  He looks like Tom Cruise.
2. He was major cool in high school and college and had his way with the girls.
3. He is successful and has a perfect family.
4. Blah, blah, blah.

I don’t normally write negative book reviews.  Maybe this says more about me and my state of mind than it does about the book.  It just didn’t work for me.

The first book I read on my new Kindle was Plan B by Pete Wilson.  When I was looking for a book to download, the title and description piqued my interest.  But I have to be honest, taking advice from a 30 something made me take pause.

I know Pete only through Twitter.  We’ve even exchanged a couple of tweets.  I have great respect for him as a father, Pastor and church planter but me being 51 years of age, was thinking what could a young Pastor know about my Plan B?  Maybe more than I thought. . . .

The book allows the reader to take a look at the bad and unplanned events that happen in our lives that derail our plans.  Things such as illness, job loss, divorce, and heartbreak that make us question, is God really watching over me?  Why am I going through this pain?  Did I do something wrong and now I’m being punished?  I need a new plan.  I need Plan B.

Do you know those people that everything just seems to go right?  It seems they’ve never been faced with any challenge or heartbreak?  They are the ones on Facebook that post after their vacation trip to the Bahamas, “God is good.”  It makes those of us who are facing problems in our families, jobs, or health just want to puke. 

I can remember shortly after our son Tate was born with Down’s Syndrome, sitting in a Sunday School class when one of these pompous asses actually said, “bad things happen in people’s families when they have sin in their life.”  I didn’t know what to call it then, but Stacie and I had started Plan B.  We’ve actually had several Plan B’s in our lives over the years.

Has your life turned out just as you planned?  Have you faced disappointments that don’t make sense and make you question if God really watches over the little people?  Have you had to adjust your life plans now that X has happened in your life?  If this is you, give Plan B a try.  It won’t solve your problems but it will give you reflection and understanding.  It may even make you think that God may love us Plan B’rs best of all!

Pete Wilson is the teaching Pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee.  He blogs at WithoutWax.tv.

I haven’t posted on any books I’ve been reading in quite a while.  I’m not sure if it’s just me or there just haven’t been that many good books lately.  It seems like once I like an author they get pressured to start publishing so much that the books get pretty weak.

Probably due to the discontent of my own job, this one caught my eye on Amazon last week.  The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working by Tony Schwartz is an outstanding read and should be read by Leadership in any organization.  Even if you don’t like to to read, at least read the first chapter.  That should be enough to make you say “Amen!”

In America today, the land of excess, it is always more, more, more!  We are pushed for more productivity, more sales, more profit, more everything except quality of life.  This book touches on why it is important to achieve balance in all areas of our lives.  An imbalance in any area forces us into a dysfunctional behavior that will eventually rob us of our quality of life.

Take it from a guy who has 70 hours in by Friday at quitting time and hasn’t had more than a few days off in the past 3 years, all in the name of productivity and being on the boss’s “A” team, this book was past due for me.

Pick up a copy and see if you can make some changes to your life.  I know I’m taking some steps to make changes.  Let’s see where it goes!

In the last chapter, chapter 7, Chan challenges the reader and churches to be supernatural.  He states that just because a church is growing and energetic does not mean the Spirit is involved.  The same is true for us as individuals. 

He further clarifies supernatural with the following statement:  ” I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit.  I want people to look at my life and know that  I couldn’t be doing this by my own power.”

Chan goes on to give examples of certain Christian gatherings that resemble the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18 more than Elijah.  We are more concerned with those “performing” than what God is doing in us and in our churches.  Great things may be happening but God is not the one being glorified and lifted up.

Individually this manifests itself by us not acting any differently than those without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  “We worry, strive, and grieve no differently than unbelievers.”   We display no fruits of the Spirit as in Galatians 5:22-23.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  Against such things there is no law.” 

Chan says if we aren’t experiencing these fruits, it’s not a matter of trying harder.  Its a matter of asking for help from the One who has the power to change us.  It is not all us or all Him.  It is a constant pursuit praying desperately and corageously for the Spirit to work in your life.

Chan states toward the end of the chapter, “God wants the praise for what we do in our lives.  But if we never pray audacious, courageous prayers, how can He answer them?  If we never follow Him to positions where we need Him, how can He show up and make His presence known?”

Can you identify times in your life and in your church when you followed that nudge from Him?  What were the results? 

I’ll add some of mine after I read some of your answers.

In chapter 6 Chan points out that saying “I just wish I knew God’s will for my life” can now be misguided thinking.  He points out that few biblical figures received their life plan in advance from God.  He points out Abraham as an example that was just told to “go.”

This too is convicting for me.  I’ve always been jealous of people who say they’ve received such a revelation.  I can honestly say that I’ve only received next steps and never the whole picture.  Some moves I’ve taken in faith, I’m still waiting on the purpose or reason for the move!  More times than not I’ve ignored the gentle nudge in wait for the full picture.

A quote from A.W. Tozer:

And to expect our hearts to truth and consistently refuse or neglect to obey the impulses it arouses is to stymie the motions of life within us and, if persisted in, to grieve the Holy Spirit into silence.

Chan also states that we must be an active participant in the process in order to make change in our lives.  The spirit will only start the process but we must actively participate and engage the spirit to complete the process (Galatians 3:3).

Do you wait on the Spirit to give you your full life plan or are you actively engaging the Holy Spirit?

In chapter 5 Chan discusses having a real relationship with the Spirit.  The quote by Karl Barth at the beginning of the chapter really made me think:

When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer.  But how can he give us an answer when we are well supplied with all sorts of answers on our own?

Chan follows this statement up with:  There’s nothing worse than insecurity.  So many people live in fear because they are uncertain . . . but on the flip side, there’s nothing better than being absolutely sure that the most powerful Being in the universe adores you as His own child.

Chan goes on to say if we don’t have this security there could be two issues, comfort and volume.  By comfort maybe our lives are so comfortable, we don’t long for the Comforter.  If it is volume, it is possible that we’ve made our lives so busy, we don’t leave time for communion with Him to enjoy that security.

I have at different times in my life fallen into the comfort and volume issues.  In the past couple of years we have been unsure where my job is taking us or even keeping me employed at all.  For a long time, I was discouraged, frustrated, and was wondering if God had a plan for me at all.  That status hasn’t changed but finally Stacie and I have found comfort.  Finally we just gave up and gave it to God.  I really didn’t know where the peace came from, but in retrospect, I think I found the Comforter!

At one point in the chapter Chan says it is “breathtaking to picture Almighty God saying, I love Francis Chan.  He is my son.  I love him!”

Can we say with confidence that we can picture God saying that about ourselves?  Or, do we have too much comfort and volume?

This book has generated a lot of conversation around my house and with my friends.  When you have these kind of discussions, you’re never sure what your kids pick up from these conversations.

One of my wife’s tennis friends was telling a story about her grand daughter the other day as it relates to the God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that was so funny I thought I would share it here for a little levity.

On the way home from preschool one day the girl told her mom that she had been hit by one her friends.  She went on to tell her mom, “Jesus don’t like it when we hit each other.”  To which her mom replied, “That right.”  The little girl went on to say that “Jesus’ daddy don’t like it when we hit each other.”   ”You mean God?” her mom replied.  ”Yea Him . . . and what about that Ghost that lives with them.  What does He think about that?”

We’ve all had a good laugh about the ”Ghost.”  It’s been a long time since I’ve heard the Holy Spirit referred to as the Holy Ghost.  Obviously her day care teacher is an older woman!

In chapter 4 Chan questions our motives.  Why do we really want the Holy Spirit?  This really hit me.  I have to confess I just thought it would make my overall existence easier.  Decisions would be taken out of my hands.  “Doing good” would be easier.

Chan sites I Cor 12:7 as the “right” reason, “manifestations of the Spirit for the common good.”  I’m not sure I ever thought of it that way.  Not only does Chan quote that as the right reason but also as a commandthat we use this manifestation or gift and not deny others by withholding this gift.

Chan also refutes those that claim to have a gift but attention is called to themselves and not to the glory of God.  He sites I Cor 14:23-33 when people with “gifts” were disruptive and God was not exalted.  People were seeking attention for themselves and not to glorify God.

My takeaways for this chapter are as follows:

1. Seeking the Spirit must be for His glory and not ours
2. Miracles can and do happen but only when God is glorified and His purposes are accomplished
3. Withholding our gifts (each Christian has one or more) is sinful and is like a body part refusing to function

I think my personal struggle is many times I don’t like my “gift”.  It’s no fun (for me) and I want to withhold my gift for my own comfort.  Until now, I thought any gifts from the Holy Spirit had to be a miracle like a magic trick and not just a God-given talent.

How many of us are attending church but we are no more than parasites?  We aren’t benefiting the body at all!

In chapter 3 Chan states while it is impossible to fully know God, the Holy Spirit, there are certain qualities we can be sure of.  It is also this mystery that should intrigue us and desire Him even more.  Here are the 7 practical truths listed by Chan:

1. The Holy Spirit is a person
2. The Holy Spirit is God
3. The Holy Spirit is eternal and holy
4. The Holy Spirit has His own mind and prays for us
5. The Spirit has emotions
6. The Holy Spirit has His own desires and will
7. The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient

Here are some of things according to Chan that should be present in your life if the Spirit dwells within you:

1. The Spirit helps us speak in precarious situations
2. The Counselor teaches and reminds us of what we need to know
3. The Spirit enables us to witness to others
4. The Spirit empowers us to put to death the mis-deeds of the body
5. The Spirit gives us an adoption to be God’s children
6. The Spirit convicts us of sin
7. The Spirit brings us life and freedom
8. By the Spirit we abound in hope
9. We are given a manifestation for the common good in community
10. We exhibit the fruits of the spirit

The two list above were very helpful for me in understanding the spirit and helping me recognize presence of the spirit in some one’s life. I was both encouraged and concerned by this chapter.  I can recall times in my life when the Spirit was both active and suppressed.

For me the challenge is to let the Spirit remain in control and me follow Him. 

Your thoughts?

In chapter 2 Chan challenges the reader not to let preconceived notions, upbringing, and religious views taint our study of the Holy Spirit.  He asks us to take a fresh look and use only the scriptures.

He then challenges us to honestly ask ourselves if we really want the Holy Spirit.  Are we afraid the Spirit would guide us where we don’t want to go.  Prompt us to do things we don’t want to do.  Basically, giving up control for Him.

Growing up conservative when it comes to the Holy Spirit, it is difficult for me to think of the Spirit as anything more than a little man whispering on my shoulder.  It was also frowned on in my circles that the Spirit “told” you to do anything. 

I never heard anyone mention such notions until I was 40 years old when  my neighbor Cindy Dean told me she had regular conversations with God and promptings from the Holy Spirit.  To be honest, I thought she was a little naive or at least a little over the top.

Here’s some thoughts I had while reading chapter 2:

1. God, the Spirit will only operate within the space I give Him.  I think I made Him to small.
2. I have really never challenged my own beliefs.
3. My current beliefs are comfortable.  Nothing is required of me.
4. I don’t like not being in control.  Every time I have listened even a little to the Spirit, it cost me something.

For now I’m willing to re-think what I believe.  I want to hear and obey the Spirits leading.  Where are you?

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