Mike Bickle - 'Growing in the
prophetic'.
Review by Helen
Moses
 In
this helpful and insightful book, Mike Bickle openly shares his journey as
a pastoral church leader working alongside strongly gifted prophetic
ministries. With frank integrity, he tells the story of amazing
revelations encountered and then the painful lessons learned during the
following time of testing and criticism.
Mike honours the
prophetic gift whilst providing a godly framework for it’s use in the body
of Christ. He emphasises the need for grace, humility, unity and good
leadership. His helpful distinction between strong gifting and maturity of
character is supported by practical examples of discipling those with
dramatic gifts and helping them to use these gifts appropriately and find
their place alongside other ministries in the church. Issues such as
“false prophets”, the pressure to speak even when God is silent, the
prophetic call, heart motivation and use of prophecy in public worship are
explored. The chapter on “Revelation, interpretation and application” is
particularly helpful.
This
book is full of applied wisdom born out of biblical knowledge and
practical experience. It is a must read for anyone wanting to develop
their own prophetic gift or have a greater understanding of the prophetic
and how it can operate effectively to build up the body of Christ.
Jim W Goll - 'The Seer -
The Prophetic Power of Visions, Dreams and Open Heavens'
Review by Sandra Duffty
 The
Seer by Jim Goll is an excellent guide for the Body of Christ on the gift
of the Seer amongst the prophetic community of God’s people.
I recommend this book to all who have a desire to move deeper into the
prophetic realm and explore the depths and heights of God. The book is
grounded in the word and carries a balance whilst still seeking to extend
the boundaries.
“Jim couples breathtaking revelation, with
wisdom, piercing insight, high spirituality with balance and
accountability, new knowledge and understanding with exciting mystical
experience.” John Sandford – Elijah House International.
Through this book we see that there are
various prophetic types and styles, each one unique and each adding in
their seeing and revelation to the whole picture of Christ and the body.
This work may help you to identify and gain insight into the leading of
God in your own life and ministry.
“The Holy Spirit will help us and liberate
us to be unique and varied expressions of His wonderful prophetic presence
and yet walk circumspectly with integrity within the church. God has never
been in a box, we are the ones in boxes, it is time to take the lid off
….”
Jim outlines a strong emphasis on
accountability, which is essential if we are to flow in this realm and
below are five basic questions he outlines that we should regularly ask
ourselves:-
1. Am I regularly studying the scriptures?
2. Am I maintaining a life of prayer?
3. Am I seeking purity, cleansing, and holiness in my life?
4. Am I a worshipful member of a local congregation?
5. Am I committed to a few peer relationships that can speak into my life?
God is looking for a people who will be
intimate with Him, a people with whom He can share His secrets, a
prophetic people who will bring about His purpose in the earth. This book
is a tool to assist you in your journey of living a prophetic life.
Tony Wastall - 'From Home to the Throne'
 Tony
Wastall from King’s Community Church Wolverhampton has just published his
second book! Entitled “From Home to the Throne” it traces the
story of Joseph through the four houses he lived in to become governor of
Egypt.
Tony demonstrates how our own lives overlay
Joseph’s life in God’s purpose to have a people ruling and reigning in
Christ.
We all know that life can be unfair at
times. But few have had it as bad as Joseph! Betrayed by jealous brothers
who sold him into Egypt, he faithfully served as a slave in the house of a
high ranking official. There life dealt him another cruel blow; charged
with a crime he didn’t commit he was imprisoned with no hope of release.
But Joseph was no victim! Instead of
allowing bitterness and hatred to destroy him, he learned the keys that
turned adversity into a training ground for his destiny; ruler of Egypt
and deliverer of the world.
Those keys lie hidden in the four houses he
occupied during his life. Each home represented a milestone on his roller
coaster journey to the throne. But more importantly they are the same keys
that will propel you into your destiny. For God is still at work getting
men and women on the throne of life, ruling and reigning with Christ.
Prepare to see hurt, frustration and
injustice in a new light. For here in this timeless and much loved story,
Tony Wastall shows us how to make sense of the non-sense of life and
experience a faith-filled future.
Forward by David Carr, Renewal
Christian Centre
"In this book Tony Wastall speaks
simply, clearly and profoundly over issues that not only surrounded Joseph
but are applicable to all people in every generation.
Many of us recognise pain and anguish
that come through trial yet Tony makes it clear that it is our attitude to
God and the way we are prepared to deal with those issues that finally
releases us into our destiny.
This book makes you read the scriptures
and find the answers for yourself. I recommend it highly".
John Crowder - 'Miracle Workers, Reformers
and The New Mystics'
Review by Sandra
Duffty
 I
want to highly recommend this book, “Miracle Workers, Reformers and The
New Mystics” by John Crowder, published by Destiny Image in 2006. In this
book you will learn How to become part of The Supernatural Generation.
In it you will discover the lives of William Branham, William
Seymour, Aimee Semple McPherson, George Whitfield, Sundar Singh, Brother
Lawrence, Charles Finney and so many more…
If you are hungry for more of God, for a
depth of seeing, touching and handling the things of the Kingdom, for your
passion to be fuelled and your desire to see the Kingdom come with power
and signs in our day, then do not miss this.
John Crowder unfolds the workings of God in
mankind throughout history, highlighting men and women who chose not to be
settlers but those who embraced their sonship with all its challenges and
lived a life of sign and wonder and abundance.
He charts the working of the spirit through
the generations, and in so doing stirs up a faith for today, as we,
together with those who have gone on before, pick up our baton and finish
our race, that together we might all receive the prize.
Many radicals are highlighted. Today God is
looking for radicals, those who are so in love with the Christ and are
ready to pursue the Kingdom with all they have within them.
I leave you with a number of quotes
to whet your appetite…
“He is not looking for perfection he is
looking for relationship.”
“Sometimes our greatest sin is
settling for a mundane life…and not stepping out into the unknown. God is
looking for courageous pioneers. He would rather us step out in faith than
sit on the sidelines, afraid of operating in presumption.”
“An active and living faith will always be
marked by paradigm shifts, in which our existing framework of faith is
constantly challenged. No true progress can be attained without opposition
– we have to swim against streams. Only living fish swim against the
current…”
“Keith Green said… he always liked
it when his picture of God was turned upside down. That is the only way
our vision can grow. Unless the idol of our tiny perspective of Jesus is
laid on the altar, there is never room for the real Jesus to enter the
room.”
“Anyone who is called to pursue a life of
abandoned devotion to God must be prepared to have their understanding of
Him totally wrecked.”
“Our perception and the way we
experience God can become a thing of idolatry at times, and He has to
break our shadowy concepts and inner experience of Him in order to take us
to a higher level.”
“It is almost guaranteed that while we are
being broken, we will not be able to see or comprehend the new level of
glory to which we are being taken, until we get there.”
I trust this is enough to make you
hungry…
Bill Johnson - 'The Supernatural Power of a
Transformed Mind'
 The
power of a transformed mind is the second book by Bill Johnson. It covers
the importance of having our mind changed and transformed so we can live
supernaturally, and therefore bring the power of the kingdom to earth.
By the publisher “Moving in the spiritual
realm should be as much a part of a believer’s routine as prayer, worship
and reading Scripture. Yet all too often, Christians practice an
intellectual faith, which lacks any supernatural punch. Healing,
deliverance and signs and wonders are an inheritance for all followers of
Jesus Christ.
The Supernatural Power of a Transformed
Mind teaches you how to remove the blinders of religious limitation to
redeem the lost and transform communities. You too can tap into an
abundance of miracle-working authority and unleash the power of God’s
glory.”
Tony Wastall - 'Your Word is Your World'
Review by Val Hammond
 Never
judge a book by its cover, goes the old maxim. It’s what’s inside that
counts. And what’s inside this book is dynamite. Simply put, it is an
amplified version of Proverbs chapter 18 verse 21: "Death and life are in
the power of the tongue." A truth we know in theory but often have
problems getting to grips with day by day.
The author deals with this subject in such a way
that it jumps up and grips you by the throat!
There are no longwinded sentences to have you
forgetting the beginning before getting to the end. It is plainly written
and easily understood. There are only three pages in the whole book where
the text is not broken up by a sub heading or a scripture reference.
For those of us who lead busy lives, the meaning of
these bite-sized chunks is meat to chew on as we travel to work, walk the
dog, feed the kids, etc.
Read this book, take the God-given advice and your
world will be changed.
To quote the blurb on the back of the book: "Far
from being the victims of circumstance, this book demonstrates how the
power to change our lives is on the tip of our tongue." Those of us who
are dissatisfied with having a mediocre influence on the world around us
need to read it, do it, and see that change come about.
Review by Pete Topliss
I found this to be a helpful and easy to read book,
scriptural but not overbearing, concise but without being ‘lightweight’.
In it Tony steers a biblical course between the two extremes of opinion
about the nature of our words: the ‘name it and claim it’ school of
thought and the ‘mere words are of little importance or consequence’ end
of the spectrum. It is clear from this book that words do have a very real
power for good or ill, but it is also sound in explaining just why and how
we can use them for good.
Tony focuses on Christ, the Living Word, as being
foundational to this. As we abide in Him, He enables us to speak wholesome
and beneficial words. From this basis our words can create for us an
atmosphere of faith in which God can move in power. The distinction
between facts and truth that Tony explains will liberate many to live the
life of faith in a practical way.
He expands the concept of our words having power
through a lifestyle of praise, the pronouncing of blessing and through
prophecy. I particularly like the attention given to the importance of
prophecy and the desperate need for people to be willing to stand in the
counsel of the Lord, so that the prophetic word is authentic.
Tony concludes with a reminder that there is a
fierce battle raging for control of our tongues. He challenges us to live
a Spirit-filled life, reversing every curse and speaking blessing. This is
definitely a challenging and thought-provoking work.
Wolfgang Simson -
'Houses That Change the World: The Return of the House Churches'
Review by Mark Kelly
 " All
those who concern and have a heart for the Kingdom of God and the body of
Christ should read this, and get ready for a paradigm shift."
This book ticks all the boxes for me and I could wax lyrical about it for
a number of pages, but I think the above statement made by someone
reviewing the book on the Amazon website pretty much hits the nail on the
head!
Chris Tomlin - ‘See the Morning'
Review by Gideon Maybury
 ‘How
Can I Keep from Singing’ is a great opening song which displays the heart
of the Davidic worshipper who will not be deterred from praising a God who
loves us so much.
The following track, ‘Made to worship,’
for me sums up the heart of the writer. Our highest calling is to worship
the wonderful and precious Jesus Christ with our whole lives. Again, as
with ‘Arriving’, there is an evident energy and passion as you wander
through the various expressions of worship on this album. ‘Glorious’ is
such an anthem song that you could imagine Bono (U2) singing it to
thousands.
As far as style goes, Chris maintains the
modern American pop / rock vibe which continues to attract many young
worshippers. Most of the songs are really upbeat and full of solid truths.
The backing band also gives a full and contemporary edge. In this
generation where media rules the masses, it is great to hear an artist
pushing out such truths in contemporary style.
Overall
The first time I heard some of Chris’s music was in Spanish. For me
that illustrates what a wide range of peoples these ‘anthem’ style songs
of praise and worship reach.
Chris Tomlin - 'Arriving'
Review by Gideon Maybury
 ‘Arriving’
is a great example of the new wave of worshippers expressing themselves in
current styles. ‘How great is our God’ has already become a classic praise
song in our home church and the various churches that we visit.
There
is a clear passion and energy that shines through the songs on this album
which causes a stir to engage in worship. This is highlighted by the clear
devotion that comes through in Chris’s voice – it’s not only music, it is
worship!
As a worship leader, what makes the music
on this album even more special is that it is easily sung within the
congregational setting. The style is strong but laid back enabling you to
sing with an ‘anthem-like’ style and just open your heart. The lyrics are
also clear and uplifting for a new generation of worshipping followers of
Jesus. ‘It’s a Miracle to Me’ is a clear example of this.
Within this album you will not only find
great music, but also an expression of love for our precious Jesus, which
I’m sure that in the listening we will all find a connection as we
discover our true Identity in Him as we focus on how great He is. This is
where the poignancy of the album’s title kicks in as we find ourselves
‘arriving’ to Him in worship.
Avalon 'Faith: A Hymns Collection'
Review by Gareth Duffty
 What
a find I discovered while looking at iTunes USA, Avalon – Faith: A Hymns
Collection. I feel a little upset that we Brits cannot purchase off the
USA site and make life a little cheaper.
Anyway
as I said, what a find! A collection of hymns that are well known like
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee, Christ Alone and Blessed Assurance - but boy
it ministers.
I am
not qualified to comment on the technical and musical ability of the work,
yet I can tell you that every time I listen to some of the tracks I am
moved into a sense of God being near. The songs are presented in
traditional melodies but with new instruments and therefore carry a
contemporary sound. I cannot help being moved when I listen to the harmony
of I'll Fly Away or even the classic Amazing Grace - it speaks to the
inner person and catches you again in a way that the writer has, for many
years, communicated the truth.
Listening to How Great Thou Art helps me again sore
into the heights. I experienced the power of God in creation, as if
carried along into the nature of God, moved by the music and voices, but
ministered to by the Holy Spirit.
My vote is a big ‘well done’. The music is
tastefully re-mastered and sung and I think it is a must to have on any
time of the day, whether in the background or to sing along to. For those
who do not have a hymnal background I would suggest you invest and enjoy
the richness of the poetry as your experience of God is enlarged. At the
end of the recording you can sing along with It is Well with My Soul.
I must now leave writing the review to once again
climb the heights of experiencing God, while being helped by Avalon - Well
Done.
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