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Spirit Rising by Jim Cymbala




Jim Cymbala is the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York. A couple of years ago I read his book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire which is about how his church got its start. Spirit Rising is about how to keep a church alive.
The premise behind Spirit Rising is how to get more Holy Spirit in your life. There are numerous stories about the workings of the Holy Spirit, as well as plenty of scripture to remind us why we should want the Holy Spirit in our lives.
I really enjoyed this book, because it reminded me of the fact that there have been times in my life when I had more Holy Spirit than in previous months. It served as a jumping off point for my relationship with the Spirit. And as Cymbala makes clear over and over again, if this is something that you want to experience and increase in your life, you’re just going to have to do it. He makes it clear that if you want the Holy Spirit in your life you need to ask God for His Spirit, pray for it, read scripture, and then wait.
My favorite part of Spirit Rising is probably when Cymbala relays stories about the Spirit falling like the dew of heaven. The idea of waiting on the Lord is one of those disciplines that not only have we lost as a culture, but it is also low on the list of priorities of reclaiming. Cymbala reminds us that this should not be.
If you are looking for a reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit today, I would recommend this book. If you are new to the faith or have never experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, I’d also recommend it. This is an invitation to a life on fire for God.

I received a copy of this book from Zondervan for the purpose of reviewing. I was not compensated for my opinions.

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