Unbreakable Joy: The Final Quest: A Blessing in the Midst of Controversy

Sunday, June 22, 2008

The Final Quest: A Blessing in the Midst of Controversy

I have been considering the controversial nature of some of God's people. Isn't it interesting that His people throughout history have been often embroiled in great controversy. Some people love them and some people hate them. The prophets in the Scriptures were often abused, jailed, and even killed in the midst of such controversy.

I can truly think of no more controversial person in history than Jesus of Nazareth. This One who so impacted history that even history itself is delineated by reference to Him (B.C. & A.D.). Jesus confronted the religious people of the day and turned the tables at the temple. Jesus was then and still is very controversial.

That said, I realize that somebody being controversial, is not therefore justified by being in such a state - the controversy it self does not prove that they are in the right. There are others throughout history who have been controversial but not in such ways as those of Jesus or the prophets.

Matthew 5:11-12
5:11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Luke 6:26
"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

These two statements of Jesus should remind us to keep a tight reign upon our mouths, lest we take part in persecution which may in fact be unjust.

All that was introduction to this controversial subject.

I seem to find myself in the midst of a controversial conundrum of sorts. My background with the more charismatic side of Christianity and my being impacted by reformed theology have stirred up fairly unusual mix as far as Christianity goes. Basically I'm a mut... In the midst of my "mut"ness I find myself not always fitting in (not that one has to always fit in: God seems to have displayed His enjoyment of diversity in its vast display throughout His creation).

So here I go with what will most likely be a very controversial book recommendation.

I have just finished reading The Final Quest, by Rick Joyner (for at least the 3rd time). I have read it's sequel, The Call, a few times and am about to dive into it again. These books have had tremendous and very positive impact upon me in several ways. These books have had a drastic impact on my understanding of humility and the spiritual war - called life. Though I will not now (for sake of time) go into further detail as to what I have gleaned from these books I can say that it is unusual for me to revisit a book for a third time unless I find it very beneficial.

So why is this so controversial? The author is from a charismatic background. He relays, admittedly to his best recollection, several dreams and visions he experienced. The focus of these dreams and visions highlight the Christian life and the spiritual battle that Christians are involved in.

In certain circles of Christianity dreams and visions are looked upon with great scepticism. In the defense of those who carry this scepticism, I would certainly agree there has been an overabundance of abuse of such things. However, just because there has been abuse does not negate any possibility that there may in fact be God given dreams and visions (as is displayed in both the Old and New Testaments). Just because there are counterfeit twenty dollar bills does not negate the fact that there are genuine twenty dollar bills.

To Christianity's great shame, it is not very difficult to find someone who is saying (or writing) something negative about almost anybody. This should not be the case. That said, a doctrinal issue may be addressed with love while the individual propounding such an issue is treated with all due love and respect.

All things considered I gladly give these books my highest recommendation. These books may push you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it is very good to be pushed outside of comfort zones.

3 comments:

mwh said...: Thanks for sharing this Ben. I can really sympathize with you concerning the distastefulness of controversy, the feeling of being an outside, and the sickness that comes from watching brothers and sisters in Christ bash each other over doctrinal differences. Lamentable!

I've not read any of Joyner's books, but I've heard about them. I know they're controversial, but you can't judge a book by what other people say about it. I liked what you said about the $20 bills--a doctrine, position, movement, etc... shouldn't be judged by it's most extreme, fringe aberrations. Even Jonathan Edwards argued this during the first Great Awakening.

Thanks again. I've been out of the blogosphere for a week or so, so I'm behind on reading your posts. I'm catching up today.; June 23, 2008 at 8:54 AM
cgl said...: I will take you up on the offer to borrow the one you aren't reading. If you found it intriguing enough to read it three times, I would like to read it.; June 23, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Unbreakable Joy said...: I just stumbled onto a blog post by Sam Storms about influential books. Storms had this comment to say about The Final Quest:

"The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. Few non-charismatics will have read this book (and that’s o.k.), but its impact on the Pentecostal, charismatic, and third-wave world has been incalculable."

found at:
http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/the-most-influential-books-of-the-past-50-years; July 2, 2008 at 8:17 AM

Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards