Francis Chan’s book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
, seems to be aimed at the non-Charismatic/non Pentecostal segments of the Church. It provides a basic theological and practical introduction to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The heart of Chan’s message is that the Church as a whole has neglected the Holy Spirit in the lives of their churches and that people have neglected him in their individual lives.
Chan argues that the Holy Spirit has been ignored in many traditional churches in the sense that the church services are carefully packaged and leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move. Other, more non-traditional services have ignored the Holy Spirit as well, substituting flashy programs and ministries instead of a dependence on Him and His power.
In my opinion, one of the strongest areas of the book is Chan’s discussion of being led by the Spirit. He urges the reader to not, “worry about God’s will for your life. Instead, concentrate on being led by the Spirit today.” If we learn how to be led by the Spirit, we will naturally fall in line with God’s will. Chan makes a strong case for the individual Christian to make time for the Holy Spirit in their life. This is accomplished through prayer, worship, Bible study, and developing the ability to hear the Spirit speak.
To be Continued…
