PRACTICING THE POWER by Sam Storms

PRACTICING THE POWER- Welcoming the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life by Sam Storms is an interesting book that discusses the availability and purpose of the Spirit of God. The 269 page book discusses the authors understanding of the gifts of the spirit including that of prophecy.

In some instances PRACTICING THE POWER seems to focus more on the technical aspects of the presence of the Holy Spirit than the natural flow in a person’s life. Perhaps this personal interpretation of the authors words has to do with the extent in which the author goes to explain the manifestation of the gifts within the church whereas my focus on the Holy Spirit has always been how He reveals himself when a Believer is in need of Father God.

It is true, as the author writes, it is important that the gifts of the Spirit manifest in an orderly fashion in church. It is necessary that the release of a Prophetic word be done properly, though I have witnessed a person speaking in tongues in the church ‘out of order’ I have not seen, as the author discusses, security guards on standby to escort such individuals out of the building. In my experience, either the Pastor has been able to stop an individual before he or she becomes to disruptive or an usher or nearby minister has been able to quiet the person. The incident then becomes a teaching moment for the body of believers.

One of the things that struck me as I read PRACTICING THE POWER was the almost apologetic way the author presented information. He seemed to be making excuses as to why he believed what he believed which took away from the credibility of his words. On page 148 he writes: “I know that some of you reading this book will be tempted to skip this chapter.” Since this sentence is halfway through the book the reader should not be tempted to do anything but read more; the assumption is the reader is still not convinced as to the validity of the authors words.

On page 162 there was a sentence that I found peculiar: “Regardless of the exact meaning of the word;” in the previous paragraph he uses the word “perhaps.”  The word “regardless” has a take it or leave it connotation, or as the children might say “whatever!” And the term “perhaps” implies that it might not be. My suggestion: When in doubt leave it out. Such an ambiguous phrase on such an important subject can lead some to not seek the power.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it will probably be my last however there is something to glean from the book which makes it an OK read.  xxx written by Marsha L F Randolph

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

KJV WORD STUDY BIBLE

In the year 2017 there are Bible purest who will only read a King James Bible translation, I am not one of them. However, I do love the King James version of the Bible and it is with great excitement that I am reviewing the KJV WORD STUDY BIBLE. Thomas Nelson Publisher.

My first impression is that it is a beautiful imitation leather Bible. The weight would make it prohibitive to carry around but the print is definitely readable, even the notes use a font that is pleasant to the eye.

Word study Bibles are excellent and for beginners the KJV WORD STUDY BIBLE might be worth owning. However, if you are have ever owned a Thompson chain study Bible you will be disappointed with this; the word study is not as extensive.

Let’s use the book of John as an example:

• There is not the usual book over view that you find in most study Bibles. The brief introduction skims through what the reader can expect. No historical perspective.
• The “WATCH WORDS” ARE- word, love, miracle, know see; the definitions do not reflect what you would find in a concordance. 
• Some of the words underlined in the chapter include: darkness, witness, flesh, dwelt, only begotten, glory; I am sure there are more. 

So what do you do with these words? Within the book there are text boxes with notes on a specific word. As I read the comments for “only begotten”  I can see how this explanation could lead to confusion.

As I have written, the KJV WORD STUDY BIBLE is good for a person new to Bible study but may create some frustration to an advanced Bible study. The words in this Bible are useless to me personally but might help if I was looking for a subject to teach.

It must be noted that I usually study from the New King James Bible however I often revert back to the King James Bible when doing word study. Not everyone loves the King James Version of the Bible many choose the New King James but if you are, or know someone who is a King James kind of person it is still a good Bible to have, if for no other reason because of the font size. And, yes, it is a good gift idea!

As we get closer to the Resurrection season AKA Easter more Bibles will be available for you to chose from. Bibles make great Baptismal gifts, they are an excellent choice for a person who has graduated from Bible school and they are an excellent wedding present especially if the couples name is engraved on it - I received one and it is cherished.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”