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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A slightly more balanced view, October 2, 2000
I read this book about a year ago and I admit I did enjoy it. However, I did not experience all the things that I had hoped for when I bought it i.e. closer relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Father etc. Nor did I see the power start to flow in my life. I have been a Christian pretty much all my life and have parents who were involved in or saw first hand amazing miracles, deliverances from demons and other things. However, I have grown up in a different generation. The Charismatic movement and the Indonesian Revival has long since past. We need something new for a new generation. That is why I had hoped Benny Hinn's book would have aided me with what I am searching for. A closer relationship with God, and an experience first hand of the power of God. I have heard what Benny Hinn has to say about the Trinity, and the 9 Spirits of God and I know a lot of his teaching. He is someone I respect. However, most people judge, based on what a friend of a friend of theirs heard. You may call him a heretic if you want, but at least don't do it without some amount of first-hand factual knowledge of him to back up what you say. He has never said that there is no Trinity. To do so would be obvious heresy. However he has talked about the 9 Spirits of God which appear in the Book of Revelation. However, you must understand what he is trying to say. Anyway, this is a book review and not a discourse on the validity of Benny Hinn. In a nutshell, you can split the book up into two halves. The first half is like a brief biography of his life, where he was born, catholic upbringing, becoming a born again Christian and experiencing the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" (Charismatic understanding). And continues on to how he experiences the presence of the Holy Spirit in his daily life. It is his testimony, and his experience of how the Holy Spirit started relating with him. The second half of the book starts concentrating more on the Biblical theology behind what he says. i.e. mainly a more intimate fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. However, what is stressed more is the active relationship that any Christian can have with the Holy Spirit. Readers will see the Hinn points out that the Holy Spirit will always glorify Christ and never Himself, as Hinn provides examples of mistakes he has made with the Holy Spirit. One example is when he has had such a great time with the Holy Spirit, that he starts praising Him and glorifying Him. The Spirit then stops him in his tracks and corrects him on who he should be glorifying. One can tell that a few reviewers here have never actually read the book but have merely scanned it or maybe just looked at the chapter titles on the contents page while in a bookshop. And this is how the Second half carries on, providing a few eye-opening Biblical concepts on the Holy Spirit and our relationship with Him. Thoroughly grounded in the Word of God, I would highly recommend this book for those seeking to understand our relationship with the Holy Spirit to a higher degree. I would give it 5 stars for being a good book. However, the book promises that "you too can experience the same". And I would give it a 1 star for failing that promise. One must understand however, that different people may experience things differently, as others who have reviewed can testify to this fact. Do not put your hopes in a book. Ultimately, if you want everything the book says is available, you must have faith in God...and wait. To all sceptics, remain open. And to all believers, don't beleieve everything you hear, but test everything by the Word of God.
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