Fresh Power: Experiencing the Vast Resources of the Spirit of God (Hardcover)

by Jim Cymbala (Author), Dean Merrill (Author) "IN THE FALL OF 1994 I was invited to speak at a Christian music gathering in Indianapolis..." (more)
Key Phrases: something from heaven, fresh power, Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, must be one fantastic sermon-giver. He's got it all: great storytelling skills, the willingness to be humble and vulnerable as he admits his owns frailties, an excellent command of Bible passages, and the ability to weave it all together into a spiritual shawl that warms the soul long after the words have ended. In Fresh Power, Cymbala once again draws upon his life and the lives of his church members to bring forth a new lesson. This time Cymbala speaks to how Christians can embrace the biblical meaning of "Holy Spirit" and follow the words of the scripture to revitalize their faith as well as their church.

From Publishers Weekly
This third book in Cymbala's bestselling trilogy (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Fresh Faith) explores the third person in the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. Like its award-winning predecessors, it combines unforgettable anecdotes culled from Cymbala's ministry as pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle with deep theological and biblical truths, many of which are not easy to hear. It is clearly the edgiest, most cutting book of the series, with Cymbala's passionate voice urging Christians to abandon their comfort zones in favor of the unpredictable leadings of the Spirit. He criticizes churchgoers who neglect the power of the Spirit, chastising, for example, Christians who are so fixated on end-time prophecies that they neglect God's work in the here and now. His harshest words are reserved for the "the disastrous 'church-growth' movement," which, he says, has convinced Christians everywhere that worship must be entertaining and inoffensive. Cymbala utilizes the Book of Acts to explore the early Church's practice of complete dependence upon the Spirit, citing not just the famous Pentecost scene of Acts 2 but also many other examples of transformation throughout the book (particularly Peter's metamorphosis from a fair-weather friend of Jesus into a committed, Spirit-led apostle). Some readers may be made uneasy by Cymbala's hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners approach, but others will cheer his prophetic call to reformationDand, more importantly, be changed by it. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031023008X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310230083
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #675,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Power to Ignite Your Soul, January 13, 2001

By	"wilund" (west columbia, sc United States) - See all my reviews

Like its predeccesors Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Fresh Faith, Fresh Power will stir your soul and cause you to say, "YES! That's what I need!" Fresh Power is a fresh look at the timeless and essential work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian's life. It is not some new twist on the Holy Spirit for the contemporary church, but a refocusing on the same Power who has always been available to every Christian just as He was to the apostles and all the believers in the first church. This Power changed lives by the scores and it is still changing lives when believers turn to the Him and allow Him to work in and through their lives. Cymbala once again fills his book with testimony after testimony to affirm these truths he is sharing, and these testimonies are as compelling as the stories recorded in Acts. This is the same Power who causes non-believers to stop and take notice, "Wow, there IS a difference when Christ enters a life." This is the Power who causes a fellow Christian to be able to say, "If she could get the victory then I know I can too! I surrender control to You, Holy Spirit." Every day God offers us Fresh Power through His eternal Holy Spirit ....read this book and you too will shout "YES" to His offer to fill you to overflowing with His fresh Power!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book!, February 13, 2001

By	Sheryl Hiatt (Moline, IL USA) - See all my reviews

If you read only one Christian book this year, make this book be the one! Jim Cymbala has done it again with this 3rd book in his series. This book is about finding "Fresh Power" given to you by the Holy Spirit. I had to stop reading after every chapter just to reflect and breathe. This book is that powerful, and that inspiring. Thank you Pastor Jim for this gift from God.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best to date..., June 7, 2004

By	James T Humphrey II (Huntersville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read on the power of God, and how we should desire it for the callings God has placed on each of our lives. This book will perhaps make non-Pentecostals much more uncomfortable than the previous two books in this series... but at the same time it will probably challenge many Pentecostals/Charismatics as well.

As Cymbala walks us through the book of Acts, he calls us to earnestly seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and subsequent refillings. Cymbala says we should not focus on what manifestation occurs with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures do not limit it to tongues specifically. Rather, what the Scripture was concerned about was a demonstration of the power of God. Legitimiate demonstrations of that power... not the many things that are counterfeits passed off as God's power. This power is not to be confused with emotionalism. Rather, it is to be the power God uses to demonstrate that Christ is alive and on the throne today. A power that changes the lives of others.

It's a shame that this book hasn't received as much attention as Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. This book is probably just as good as the first book of this series, if perhaps not better. Cymbala's comments regarding the Church Growth movement is especially insightful. I hope this book finds its way into many Bible Colleges, Pastors, and the traditional pew dwellers.

If you have enjoyed books by such individuals as Leonard Ravehill (author of 'Why Revival Tarries,' 'Sodom Had No Bible,' etc.), then you will greatly enjoy this book, and the entire 'Fresh...' series.