Forgotten God, by Francis Chan (about the Holy Spirit)

In this short work Francis Chan does a wonderful job of explaining the role of the Holy Spirit and our lack of full understanding or commitment to allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Each chapter builds on the work of the Spirit and also builds on why it is that we don't seem to hear from the Spirit or allow him to work. 

What I found really helpful was that Chan at times asks you to stop reading and spend some time with God in prayer or in reading different chapters of scripture. Those exercises make the book even more helpful and future help the reader to work on their relationship with God, specifically with the Holy Spirit. 

One challenge that really resonated with me was the question, "do you love the people of your church?". The issue being that love is one of the major commandments that Christ taught us to include in our lives. But many of us today don't consider the others we worship with, instead we just go to church to get our own selfish desires meet. Those typically are our social needs meet, and also to earn enough good points to go to heaven when we die. 

But God is not concerned with those things. He is concerned with us having a strong relationship with him and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to meet the needs of people around us. 

Do you regularly hear from the Lord? Do you regularly feel the nudging (leading) of the Holy Spirit? If not it is your issue not Gods. He desires to use you, but way to often we are thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit by our own selfishness and stubbornness. Philippians chapter two reminds us that we are to humble ourselves and to look out for the needs of others as more important than our own needs. Chan remindsnus that as we live this selfless life that the Holy Spirit can then do His work. 

The bottom line is this, do you love God and love His church so much that your joy is only complete when the church of God is growing? If thatbis true of your life then you will notice the Holy Spirit working in and through you. 

This book is a great book to keep around and probably one that you should read every year or two as a good reminder of how to allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life. 

Enjoy.