Credits

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cultivating Your Inner Life Review

I have been reading a really good book by Rev.Edmund Chan entitled "Cultivating Your Inner Life". It is all about our spiritual formation and what discipleship should really be. I have really enjoyed this book because it is not just something to be read, but it really speaks to one's heart.

The author used his personal life experiences to illustrate his points on christian growth. One of the book's main topic is intimacy with God. The book discussed several myths that people believe  about intimacy with God. Here are the 4 myths:
> Intimacy is the key to blessing
> Intimacy is a prize
> Intimacy with God is optional
> Intimacy is experienced the same way by everyone

Rev. Edmund Chan stated 4 truths to contradict the 4 myths. The 4 truths are:
> God delights in intimacy with us and invited us to it
> Intimacy is a God-given birthright for all
> Intimacy takes trust and not just time
> Intimacy with God results in redemptive acts of love

The book has made me rethink the status of my personal relationship with God. Am I too comfortable or am I intimate with Him?

If you want to re-evaluate your relationship with God, this book is a good companion especially this Lenten season.

This book is published by Covenant Evangelical Free Church.

Note: I have not been paid to write this review. All opinions are personal. 

2 comments:

Carole said...

Very nice blog. You might like this Wordsworth quote about little acts of love and kindness. Acts of Kindness Wordsworth

Jordan Shepherd said...

Some thought provoking principles here. So,to summarise, what your saying, or Chan is saying here, is that: God desires an intimate and deep personal relationship with His children. Intimate means .... loving and caring. Deep means tell me the truth because you love me and want me to change. So effectively, what I think we are talking about here is the ability for us to hear God, understand God, trust God and therefore come to know God? That would require sacrifice and obedience on our part and lots of patience and wisdom on God's part. Two way relationship. Is that it? I understand Chan speaks from personal experience and that's what the Church needs to hear - real testimony and practical application. This is what ministers have failed to deliver on their pulpits because they loaded their sermons with theology and not personal application. Perhaps we will see a revival of ministers because I know heaps of people who share testimony that even babes are not privy to because the have not been facilitated a place within the body of Christ. That's why house Church movement is the fastest growing movement in the world. For people to grow they need doctrine (Bible), impartation (preacher), fellowship (believers) prayer (all) - through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:42). Remember, speaking to one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs - Do Christians have this level of intimacy with one another (and I don't mean nurturing corporate ego). Love God, love one another.