4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Be Daring, June 14, 2007
This review is from: Be Daring (Acts 13-28): Put Your Faith Where the Action Is (The BE Series Commentary) (Paperback)
I love Wiersbe's "Be" series of commentaries. The marterial is outlined well and has chapter titles that make you want to investigate further. He then further fills out the outlines with more interesting sub-titles. His writing is good and captivates your interest without being so deep that a layman can't understand it. I highly recommend it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Really? How about if we just read Acts and let the Holy Spirit heal our doubt., August 11, 2011
I received this book to preview for my church. I didn't read the whole book, but God brought me right to the chapter He wanted me to see to decide if I would teach with this as an aid in my small group. Here is an except from p. 82 of the book
"One of the qualifications of an apostle was that he had seen the risen Christ (Acts 1:22, 1 Cor. 9:1), and since nobody can claim that experience today, there are not apostles in the church. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation for the church (Eph. 2:20), and the pastors, teachers, and evangelists are building on it. If there are no apostles, there can be no "signs of an apostle" as are found in the book of Acts (2 Cor. 12:12)."
Really? Jesus didn't say anything about having to be an "apostle" to do signs and wonders. His definition of an apostle is another assumption. The greek meaning of the word for apostle is "one who is sent forth as a messenger." Does the great commission not apply to anyone but the first generation of believers? What about the priesthood of all believers. Do we have fewer aids available because we now have Gods word? Wiersbe says that we now have the full Bible so we don't need to have confirming signs and wonders. Really?
Here's what Jesus says out of his own mouth in Mark 16:16-18 16
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Scripture records Jesus' words as "those who believe," will have signs follow them, NOT those who have seen Jesus. How many did he expect to believe in the future? Just a few? I would not teach from this book, or even read it in it's entirety. It is altering the truth of scripture and will authorize your pre-existing doubt.
Wiersbe tries to cover his doubt with the statement that God still can do miracles today, but that the need for confirming miracles has passed away. This is another assumption and is NO WHERE confirmed in scripture. I know there is a verse that says "where there are tongues, they will cease, etc...." but I don't believe we can say when or in what context this is. That is also the only verse that talks about gifts ceasing in the New Testament. Do we get to pick and choose what signs God is going to pour out based on what we have seen. "Blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet STILL believe." (I humbly receive correction if I'm in error on that.) There are too many recorded miracles happening today. "In the last days God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh..." You know the verse. Sure, we must be discerning of spirits, but that is why God gives us the gift of discernment. Of course, maybe that ceased too. We preach what people want to hear. The enemy loves to keep us in darkness so he can maintain the grip of the fear of man and the sickness of doubt on his church. Doesn't the Word also say that we are "Seated with Christ in heavenly places." "Whatever you ask in my name, believe that you HAVE received it and it shall be done."
I think the title of the book should be "Be daring- kind of, but don't quite be sure that God will show up if the Holy Spirit leads you to cast out demons, heal the sick or cleanse the lepers." I serve too powerful a God to pass this book on to my friends. It would undo the seeds of faith and that I have seen grow in my prayer group. I think our cry should be "Lord, Heal my unbelief!" Read scripture. It does not read like Wiersbe's book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
