Christ S Empowering Presence

We all have deep longings and desires that can only be filled by His empowering presence. While many spiritual classics contain repeated references to a particular spiritual exercise: the cultivation of an ongoing awareness of Christ's empowering presence, Gary Tyra makes the claim that this particular activity is at the heart of Christian spirituality and provides the reader with: A clear vision of what the experience of Christ's empowering presence looks like Citations from the spiritual masters that will serve to inspire them over and over again to make it their intention to live the rest of their lives enjoying Christ's empowering presence A thoughtful discussion of the means by which this key spiritual dynamic can be experienced on a daily, moment-by moment, basis.

"Fee's book is the most comprehensive treatment available of Paul's understanding of the Holy Spirit, a topic that has rarely received sufficient attention in studies of Pauline theology. Fee's method is exemplary: he first analyzes Paul's statements about the Spirit, in each individual letter, and then moves to a synthesis of Paul's general pneumatology. The result is a book that is deeply exegetical, doing justice both to the particularity of Paul's writings and to the fundamental unity of his vision for the Spirit's role in the life of the Christian community. Most importantly, Fee emphasizes insistently that the Holy Spirit must be experienced as a living presence within the church. That message is both faithful to Paul and urgent for the community of faith in our time." and -Richard B. Hays, Professor of New Testament, The Divinity School, Duke University"With the energy and care that is a trademark of his work, Gordon Fee here fills a significant gap in Pauline Studies. Both those who find talk about the Holy Spirit congenial and those who would happily marginalize it will be instructed by this book. Fee makes a genuine contribution as he examines Paul's letters in conversation with both the exegetical tradition of the academy and the pressing needs of the church." and -Beverly R. Gaventa, Professor of New Testament and Exegesis, Princeton Theological Seminary"Fee uniquely combines professional competence as a text critic, an exegete, an author and editor of major commentaries, and a foremost evangelical interpreter of Paul with a lifetime of formation and ministry among the Pentecostals-this century's providential witnesses to the work of the Spirit of God among us. . . . Fee's work offers an enduring encyclopedia of Pauline pneumatological exegesis, easy to consult for next Sunday's sermon, yet substantial enough to take its place near George Ladd's Theology of the New Testament as a must-have, within arm's reach, for serious interpreters of Paul's gospel. . . . Fee's work is the theological crown of a distinguished exegetical career." and -Russell P. Spittler, Senior Professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

This contemporary classic by renowned scholar Gordon Fee explores the Spirit's significant role in Pauline life and thought. After Fee published his magisterial God's Empowering Presence, he was asked to write a more accessible volume that would articulate Paul's priorities for experiencing the life of the Spirit in the church. Fee's bestselling introduction to Paul and the Spirit, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God, went on to sell over 70,000 copies. This book by one of the greatest evangelical and Pentecostal New Testament interpreters of our time argues that the presence of the Spirit is, for Paul and for us, the crucial matter for the Christian life. This repackaged edition features an updated design and packaging, new study questions, and a foreword by Dean Pinter, who commends the book to a new generation of readers.

This work offers an exhaustive study of Pauline Christology by noted Pauline scholar Gordon Fee. The author provides a detailed analysis of the letters of Paul (including those whose authorship is questioned) individually, exploring the Christology of each one, and then attempts a synthesis of the exegetical work into a biblical Christology of Paul. The author's synthesis covers the following themes: Christ's roles as divine Savior and as preexistent and incarnate Savior; Jesus as the Second Adam, the Jewish Messiah, and Son of God; and as the Messiah and exalted Lord. Fee also explores the relationship between Christ and the Spirit and considers the Person and role of the Spirit in Paul's thought. Appendices cover the theme of Christ and Personified Wisdom, and Paul's use of Kurios (Lord) in citations and echoes of the Septuagint. "Anyone who has read even a smattering of Paul's writings recognizes early on that his devotion to Christ was the foremost reality and passion of his life. What he said in one of his later letters serves as a kind of motto for his entire Christian life: 'For me to live is Christ; to die is [to] gain [Christ]' (Phil. 1:21). Christ is the beginning and goal of everything for Paul, and thus is the single great reality along the way."--From the Introduction

God's kingdom isn't about getting more power--it's about being empowered to face life head on and fulfill his purposes for us. For readers who are feeling beaten down and discouraged by constant striving, Kevin Harney points to four surprising and God-given sources of true strength: · suffering, loss, and pain · community · Sabbath and rest · mission and purpose Through biblical and personal stories, he shows how each source daily empowers believers to live boldly, serve humbly, and overcome whatever difficult circumstances they may be facing. Perfect for small group study and individual devotion.

It is impossible to separate our knowing of God and our experience of God. Our knowledge of God is an exact proportion to our experience of Him. Authentic Christianity is a life lived in and through the sweet empowering presence of Jesus. The Holy Spirit as the presence of God in the world has been given to us to make the living Christ experientially knowable. We only know God to the degree that we experience the living person of Jesus. Without experiencing Him Who alone is Life we cannot simply live. It is by the continuous experience of Him that we continue to live and develop into His same image. His presence is not a gift for the holy but a gift to make us holy. Come to Jesus. He will take you, hold you and kill your fears, doubts and rebellious nature with the closeness of His embrace.

It was only a few years ago when God shed his light on me and anointed me with the gift of writing poetry. He opened my eyes to understand from the scripture that I read. A powerful message came down from above and descended here on me. The grace of God bestowed on me the special gift that was given. It burns in my soul and lets the words flow on the paper it was written. May I thank him daily for what he has given to me. May my heart yearn to do his will, to use this gift he placed in me, to see the mighty hand of God, the creator of all things, who used a humble servant and made her a child of the king!