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The God Chasers: "My Soul Follows Hard After Thee

The God Chasers: "My Soul Follows Hard After Thee

List Price: $13.99
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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Fizzle Pop!
Review: Thanks Tommy. A lot more emotional basket cases for us to clean up behind you. Experience with "God" is not a substitute for truth. When I was young an involved in oriental occultism, we prided ourselves on the spiritual presense we felt. Now that I am not a child, I have learned that God's presense is not about a "feel good" experience. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit when he went to the cross. Not a great day for Him. A great day for us. I find this book a marginal read with a confused point of view. Dangerous to the young and easily swayed. Worthless to the mature and stable.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Another Pop Christianity book
Review: I had heard a lot about "The God Chasers" so I picked it up. The first chapter was excellent and I thought I had finally found a good book on experiencing the presence of God, which has been a life-long pursuit. After the initial chapter, the book degrades into a soapbox for Tenney's complaints about the modern church, pats on the back for his spirituality, and paints an Old Testament God that we should seek out of fear (not Godly fear, I'm talking terror here) not out of love. It's not popular to write a negative review on a Christian book but I'm tired of all these pop Christianity books that lack substance. This one is pure motivational drivel and that motivation stems from fear, no less. No thank you.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Emotional Self-Indulgence
Review: Tenney repeats the old emancipation slogan, "Are you tired of that dead, dull boring routine? Are you ready for something new, real, and fresh?" This sentiment is so common a cliché among eccentric religion peddlers as to be laughable. In this case, one gets high off God. I find this a bit irreverent. If one simply comes to a religious meeting seeking a spiritual high, I assert that this is not serious religion. Wild displays of emotion and seeking after that state is not God. This is properly called Emotional Self-Indulgence. It drains the soul of energy. It wastes time. Those who might have made something of themselves direct their energy to this state and become mostly useless in anything else. Proper religion teaches restraint of emotions: a man must control himself. Religion that encourages emotional displays, emotional explosions and emotional self-indulgence is not truly religion. Furthermore, there is no New Testament support for this type of behavior; therefore, one can argue that this is not even Christian. Traditional Christianity always taught restraint, self-control, moderation and such. Prayer is a time of focus upon God, meditation, and soberness. It is not a time to act stupid. Church is not a substitute for a football game or a rock concert. The beginning of the book has a story where in Houston where God struck the pulpit like lightning and split it in half! What next? Shall the Lord descend from heaven like a goose?

One can also see the lack of discipline when he describes the length of the meetings: some go on for hours at a time. What responsible person can spend this much time in emotional self-indulgence? This is irresponsible. A disciplined life requires planning, meditation, family time, time alone, reading, study, and many other things. This is why church meetings lasting over 1.5 hours is the mark of a half-serious people.

Tenney rambles a lot in the book. He needs a better editor or maybe a ghostwriter. The grammar is terrible. The organization of topics is atrocious. He goes from anecdote to "bright idea" to another anecdote without any sense of logical connection in between. I purchased this book because I know a few people who take this stuff seriously. This "God Chasers" is a case of the blind leading the blind chasing after a state of ecstasy.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Can you spell H-E-R-E-S-Y?
Review: There's no other adequate way to describe this. If you believe in experience over Holy Scripture, consider the Bible as the "dusty, moldy, old truth" as Tenney describes it, then jump in!! I'm sure the passage in Matthew 7:22,23 " 'Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you, away from me you evildoers!'" you can also ignore!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The message in this book really touched my heart.
Review: Firstly, I would like to say, that this is possibly the best book I've ever read except the Bible.
I do not think that Tommys writings here goes against the scripture, nor did any of those who've red it in our church.
The book simply talks about how we have to chase God, so He sees that we want Him, and then He'll come and catch us.
It also talks alout about repentance, brokeness and an open heart for God.
I disagree with most of the reviews I read above, because this book has meant a lot to me.
I can't really explain it, but i recomend you to buy this book!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Badly written and unbiblical
Review: I was going to give this book two stars and then I decided on just one because, apart from all the theological and, in my opinion, unbiblical issues in the book, it is just written incredibly badly. I have only read to chapter 4 so far ... .I have no dispute with the basic concept of the book, which is that only those who really hunger after God with a single minded focus that brings constant repentance, humbleness and brokenness can achieve intimacy with God. However, that is not a particularly new or groundbreaking concept and Tenney's expansion on that concept has some serious problems.

The writing style is incredibly repetitive and the logic is downright circular. Stories are told which have no relation to the previous point made or the point to be made or to the section title. And the anecdotal stories end up all being essentially the same and not particularly inspiring at that. As commented by previous reviewers, he also does tend to use verses out of context and I sometimes don't see how the verse is linked to the point he wants to make. Moreover, he frequently makes these very extreme, exaggerated statements; for example, our flesh stinking to God.

All that aside, it is chapter 4 that really got to me. In that chapter, repentance for specific sins, repentance that leads to salvation, intercessory prayer for the repentance/salvation of people/cities and transformation to Christ's image (although he never actually mentions Christ) that comes from abiding in Him and His word are all mixed up together and intertwined as if they were one thing and interchangeable. In the chapter, he constantly talks about our need to die before we can see God, based on the fact that when Moses asked to see God's glory, God told him that no one could see Him and live. He also talks incessantly about how, in the old testament, they had to tie a rope around the ankle of the high priest when he went into the holy of holies in case he did not survive the encounter with God and they had to pull him out. The serious issue is that he completely ignores, and to my mind actually twists, the two most fundamental tenents of the Christian faith. The first is that by accepting Christ and His death on the cross, we have already died and been born again. We ARE new creatures, freed from the bondage of sin and we don't have to try to die once more to see God. We do have to live out that new life so that we live "not I but Christ in me", but we certainly don't have to strive to die again. Watchman Nee's classic, "Not I but Christ" is an excellent study on Roman 5 - 8 where Paul describes our new situation in Christ. The second fundamental tenent which Tenney ignores is that, covered by the blood of Christ, I have the right to come boldly to the throne of God. I do not "stink" to God because I am covered in the Blood of the Lamb. And regardless of what Tenney thinks, nobody is going to know or see God FULLY until they are physically dead and physically leave this world! We can achieve greater intimacy with God, but it will always be, as Paul puts it, like looking into a mirror, but then, i.e. when we physically die, it will be face to face. Unfortunately, Tenny's interpretation of that verse seems to be that the "then" refers to when we make ourselves die.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Lot of Red Flags Here!!!
Review: Tommy Tenney is passionate about his subject, but there are many red flags. The biggest is his doctrinal background. I would like to see him clearly distance himself from "Oneness" doctrine. It is difficult to see how he can call himself a "third generation" preacher of the gospel when the other two generations are firmly in the "Oneness" movement. This might explain his earlier experience (or lack of experience) with God. If he has finally come out of that movement, perhaps he is on the road to finding God.

We are to pursue God and God is ready to be found--I do not feel Tenny will be helpful to those who truly want to find him and I beleive this book should be read with caution. Really analyze what he says and compare it with Scripture. Also, read some of A. W. Tozer's writings (which Tenney recommends.) I believe you will see a marked difference.

Many more helpful reviews can be found on the Internet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW!!!! THIS BOOK WILL SET YOUR HEART ON FIRE!!
Review: WATCH OUT!!! If you desire a scorching hot relationship with Jesus this book will give you that!! As soon as you read it and apply it, it will totally revolutionize your relationship with God! I speak from personal experience. Tommy's writing will cause you to hunger and thirst for God like no other. The Biblical basis is sensible, but a little shaky for some. The 3rd book in the God Chasers' series "The God Catchers" is more Biblical than this one, but either way, these books will burn your heart for the One. Don't pass this book up simply because of the fear of the unknown. Read it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Loved this book, yet...
Review: I loved this book, it answered a deep yearning of my heart. Yet as a BOOK, it presents a few problems. Yes, Tommy Tenney is wordy, repetetive, redundant in his writing, and you have to get past that to what he's trying to say. Some have leveled the accusation that he tends to "bypass" Jesus Christ in his approach to seeking God. I admit it may appear so, yet such a thing really never occurred to me while reading the book because I already understand that my salvation is based on Jesus alone. Tenney DID clarify this but perhaps out of all the things he repeated too much, this truth wasn't one of them! Others have claimed he is derogatory toward the Word of God, citing the passages where he refers to the Word as moldy love letters and such. He did not mean that is what the Word IS, but rather THAT'S WHAT WE'VE MADE IT! It was obvious to me he was exhorting us to see the Word as vibrant, real, alive and very much for us today, and that experiencing the manifest presence of God can only make the Word come alive in our hearts even more. Then there are those who want to denounce the book as simply chasing after goosebumps and feelings. With Tenney's emphasis on repentance and brokeness, again it was obvious to me that any goosebumps, tears etc. I might feel are not an end in themselves. I must come away CHANGED. Is "chasing God" scriptural? Some think not. Perhaps the problem is simply in Tenney's metaphor. I see the overall theme of the book, which he calls "God chasing," is simply DYING TO OURSELVES, whether gradually or in more concentrated moments (as he describes), and allowing God's Holy Spirit and Living Word unopposed access to make us MORE LIKE JESUS. That is what all Christians are SUPPOSED to be doing, but many want no part of that painful process.
A person's perception of this book will certainly depend on what his Christian experience has been up to this point. For me, it confirmed that the longing in my heart is legitimate. I realize I have been a "God chaser" all along. Tenney gave the spiritual hunger I feel a catchy name and for the time being anyway, made it "popular." Will "God chasing" be the next Christian fad? Possibly. But when the "fad" has blown over, THOSE WHO [truly]HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS will still be around. And Jesus promised we WILL be filled.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A lot of words with no substance
Review: I bought this book based on the title and gerneral comments made by the author. I've been looking for God in a desparate way for the last 3 years. This book was based on the events that occurred at a church in Houson. People falling down, the pulpit breaking apart, crowds pushing their way to the pulpit area, etc. Whether or not all this happened is besides the point of why I am giving it such a low rating. I read about a third of it and it was clear that this author lived by the motto "if you can use 100 words to describe something, why use one?" Also, I didn't get any practical guidance (perhaps he does his later). He talks a lot about who and what God is, but much of his writing is in the abstract. In chapter 4 (the last one I read) he seems to begin talking about how to ascend to this "secret path", but for the life of me, I just could not figure out how to apply it to my daily life. How to find God? Not by reading this book.


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