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My staff and I are planning on learning together more about the Holy Spirit...how it moves, works, makes itself available...how it fits into our CRC church culture...how we can better understand and be moved by the Holy Spirit. I'm looking for recommendations on books or articles that we could utilize as we learn together. Does anyone have some suggestions for me? Thanks! Tony Meyer

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Hey, Tony!

I think that Francis Chan has a pretty good series/DVD on the Holy Spirit based on his book "The Forgotten God". I've heard that it can lead to good discussions on where we as a church do or don't leave "spaces", so to speak, for the Spirit to work. (Not like we tend to be over-planners or anything) Hope it works for you!

Jeff B.

I'd look into Gordon Fee's work. He has a massive tome in which he exegetes every Pauline passage ("God's Empowering Presence")--but also a shorter, more "user friendly" book called "Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God."

Bev Sterk on March 5, 2011

In reply to by anonymous_stub (not verified)

Ken, my family would love to meet you/your family...You are in the Lynden area as well?  We would love to hear your testimonies of how the Holy Spirit has been working in your life...please feel free to email us @ [email protected]

God is definitely connecting His body, crossing some traditional barriers...  Thank You Jesus!!   :)  Bev S

For the record, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an it...God in 3 Persons... Blessed Trinity...

I know we all know that, but I just wanted to recognize God for Who He is...Having stated that...I'm very grateful to see that we in the CRC are starting to realize, that One Person of the Trinity has been sadly neglected in our reformed history (and other denominations as well) for various reasons, and that it is time to change that...PTL!!   I have read Gordon Fee, Francis Chan and John Algera's books, as well as the synodical reports from 1973 and 2009 on the 2nd and 3rd wave of pentecostalism.  I also pray and worship with a lot of pentecostals, and learn a lot from these fellow brothers and sisters in the LORD, who have been much more open to the Spirit for a long time, and I think we can learn a lot from them, if we are willing to go beyond our denominational walls.  God says we are a body, that isn't just in our local church, but ALL of His churches, and He designed that we work together.  We are not complete if we are closed to the gifts the Holy Spirit has blessed other denominations with.

You mentioned seeing how the Holy Spirit fits into our CRC culture - have you ever discussed praying in tongues in a CRC crowd?-  Interesting responses, both verbal and non-verbal!  and that's just one "unusual" gift He gives us.  Discussing the gift of prophecy (the prophetic) can also cause quite a stir - especially if you go beyond the definition that it is basically the same as preaching.   The Holy Spirit is not an option/program, in case He doesn't "fit", and we do not want to quench Him/limit Him anymore than we already have...

God is more concerned with how we, the CRC, fit into His Kingdom, then how He fits into our crc "kingdom"...

LORD, forgive us for when we have quenched Your Holy Spirit in the past ...transform our denomination through the power of Your Holy Spirit...

I'm going to be wrapping up this series in Sept. It's a really good study. All materials are free as well.

http://open.lifechurch.tv/group/1431/the-ghost

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