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Summary: how do you feel?
Review: Do you customers feel that this book is better than the other 2 popular christian books: "The Purpose driven life"? and "The knowledge of the holy" ? It would be interesting to compare this book to those two.
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Summary: Gimme some of that!
Review: This was an AMAZING book. I intended to stretch it out one chapter at a time during my morning quiet times, but that didn't happen. I couldn't put the thing down! My favorite thing about this book is his focus on prayer. It's importance and significance. This inspires me to pray, to cry out to God, and then to take some action when He calls for it. A MUST READ
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Summary: A blistering call to return to our Christian roots
Review: Jim Cymbala's "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" (with Dean Merrill) is a truly odd book. Part biography, part clarion call to a sleeping Church, it shares more with the Welsh Revival at the dawn of the 20th Century than it does with any modern church tome occupying the Christian bestseller list today. Cymbala traces the history of his church, The Brooklyn Tabernacle, from a down-and-out, nearly dead meatlocker of a church where the "frozen chosen" simply waited for the inevitable closing to a vibrant powerhouse that is packed out every weekend for multiple services. This first half of the book outlines the basic struggle Cymbala and his wife faced as they sought God and cried out for Him to work a miracle in their perishing parish. This first section of the book reads like any pastoral biography: filled with inspiration, miraculous occurances, and hankie-grabbing stories of prodigals restored and lives touched. Despite being soul-stirring, this is not the part of the book that grabbed me. About halfway through, the book changes entirely in tone. The authors shift the emphasis to what is happening in churches across the world. At this point the message becomes more pastoral and enlightening. The message that prayer should be the backbone of the Christian life comes through as Cymbala calls the Church to reevaluate its focus. The fallacies of chasing after church growth and the current trends are pointed out with alarm. It is here that the book picks up power and focus. Cymbala blasts church leaders for forgetting their first love, Christ, amid all the trappings of modern, cultural Christianity. It's not about marketing techniques or clever theologies, but about wholehearted devotion to the Lord of the Universe. The authors' heart for true revival comes through like a laser and is just like the fresh wind and fresh fire of the title. Along the way, Cymbala is not afraid to step on toes. His is a radical revisioning of discipleship, yet has its feet firmly planted on the backs of those associated with the Welsh Revival and its "children". You'll see several references to spiritual greats like Leonard Ravenhill and Duncan Campbell sprinkled through the text - a pleasure for me for certain. Cymbala's unrelenting pleas for sanity to be restored along with a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit rings true in the hearts of those who can accept what he has to say. We need humility, uncompromising faith and commitment to Christ, and a mightiness of spiritual power born of hours on our faces before God, allowing Him to make us the spiritual change agents He so desperately wants us to be. If I didn't know better I'd say that this book was written in the 1950's at about the same time Ravenhill was writing "Why Revival Tarries". It carries the same forcefulness of message. And it is a message we desperately need today as the church finds itself far too ensnared by sentimental Christianity and the pop culture around us. This book would have warranted five stars if it were not such a hydra. It's really two books in one. Being as small as it is - 185 pages in a trade paperback size, though a hardback - there should have been enough here for two good sized books. While I understand that the biographical section does illustrate the points the authors make later, it still feels as if one book starts and another stops part way through the book. Still, two really good books in one may be perceived by some to be a blessing. And no matter how you look at "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" it is just that; a great addition to any Christian library.
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Summary: Seminal book for churches & Christians
Review: This is a wonderful story of a church, of a minister's growth,and of God's work. Don't claim to be interested in where God is working in the world today unless you ahve read this. Cymbala talks about all of us, while remaining on our side. Mostly, he talks about the Savior he follows, and who is willing to help YOUR church. A MUST READ
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Summary: Life Experience
Review: This is one of the books designed to teach from one's personal experience. The author, Jim Cymbala, took a small church in a seedy part of town and, through effective ministry, saw dynamic revival. This is a revitting story that will be a great blessing to you and, if you are a pastor, your church as well. I recommend Kenn Gividen's "THE PRAYER OF HANNAH" for an insightful and enjoyable study of effective praying.
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Summary: The fire will fall in many places because of this book
Review: I hadn't been familiar with the Brooklyn Tabernacle story before reading this book. Perhaps the best thing you can say about the biographical section is that Cymbala is a model of personal humility. The rest of the book is an assertive call to prayer and to obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit, rather than to market-based ideas of what a successful church looks like. Hopefully not many will consider it controversial, because it's based so soildly on Scripture. The message is definitely 'back to the basics.' Our pastoral staff has been greatly influenced by this book and after reading it, I'm glad they are.
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Summary: Change your thinking on prayer today.
Review: If you want to change they way you pray in a great way, this is the book for you. By reading this book you'll find that God's promises are real and he will lift you up...If you lift Him up in prayer. There are amazing transformations in this book that I could never fathom. If you're feeling low read this book and it will help you to trust that God will never change...He will always listen.
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Summary: AWSOME
Review: This book needs to be read by every Christian. This book shows us are desprate need for God. We must seek God if there is to be a revival.
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Summary: Very edifying and uplifting!
Review: Pastor Cymbala's writings are very edifying and uplifting. His works clearly exalt Jesus as the Head of the Church, and they exhort the believer to love Him with all of their heart. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire is an inspirational work that vividly illustrates what can happen when the people of G-d begin to pray and get a burden to do the work of the Lord. This book is a direct challenge to the lukewarm-Christianity that is so prevalent in our churches today.
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Summary: Much Good Material
Review: This book is a witness to the power of prayer. It reminded me of times when my prayers were answered and challenged my prayer life. Definately worth one pass at least. Only down sides are: the book could have been better organized and edited (read like a wandering sermon); and there was a little too much "fluff" for me about the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
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