I know I haven't been on the forum in a long while (not enough time), but I wanted to post a review about a great book by Sam Storms that I just finished reading.
The book, titled
Convergence: Confessions of a Charismatic Calvinist, is basically part auto-biography and part-instructional. The premise of the book is that both cessationists and non-cessationists can learn a lot from each other. Cessationists are those Christians who deny that the "supernatural" gifts (i.e. tongues, healings, prophecy, etc.) are available for the church today. In fact, Storms is a former cessationist.
Don't let the title fool you; the book is
NOT about Calvinism, but it
IS about charismatics. The author happens to be a Calvinist, but he never speaks about or explains Calvinism in his book, except in passing mention.
The whole book looks at the so-called dichotomy in the church today between the intellectual, Word-based evangelicals and the experiential, Spirit-based charismatics. Storms argues that both sides are partially right and partially wrong. The book is extremely honest and self-critical and looks at the faults that both camps need to mend. As I read the book, I kept thinking that Sam Storms must be a very brave man, because what I was reading had the potential to offend those on both sides of the spectrum.
In Part One of the book, Storms talks about his own experiences with the power of the Spirit, such as dreams, visions, healings, and exorcisms he has personally witnessed. Part Two talks about what Storms calls "The Wedding of Word and Spirit," and Part Three talks about how to hear the voice of God. The book is very enjoyable and pretty easy reading (not heavy).
Sam taught at Wheaton College for many years in addition to serving on staff at Metro Christian Fellowship in Kansas City with Mike Bickle (director of International House of Prayer). He now pastors a church in Oklahoma City.
Sam Storms' website, Enjoying God Ministries, has a wealth of helpful articles about many theological and historical studies.
www.enjoyinggodministries.com
I wrote all of this because this book was very encouraging and helpful to me, and it may also be to someone else on this forum. God Bless.
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