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FULL GOSPEL

 I initially felt that I was all “booked out”.  I had published  4 short books, and that was the extent of my wisdom. Now, as an octogeneration, I felt spent.  I decided to take a vacation from books, neither writing them nor reading them.  I would simply vegetate.  I would doze on my couch, and when anyone came through the living room with a vacuum cleaner, I would lift my feet.  I figured that I had made my contribution, played my hand, done my part. 

But then I got to thinking.  I had spent my life trying to define and communicate the Gospel, but there are whole libraries of books doing the same.   I suddenly had a desire  to present what I consider the heart of the Good News.  What is the quintessential Gospel?   And with that burning thought in mind, I decided to write a fifth book and entitle it “Full Gospel”.  What follows is a synopsis that is printed on the back cover:

"For years I was taught that the quintessential gospel was clearly summarized in John 3:16. In other words, that single, shining verse providentially represented the whole gospel. Then, during the height of the Charismatic Movement, I became aware of another component of the gospel, a missing piece: the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. I found an appropriate accompanying verse: Luke 3:16.

"But, as time passed, I came to realize that the emphasis on peace and justice was also a valid part of the gospel. I discovered a wonderful key verse: 1 John 3:16. All three 3:16s, taken together, offer us an insight into the heart of God: His love for us, in us, and through us --- into the lives of others. All of this is 'FULL GOSPEL'."

FULL GOSPEL SYNAPSIS

Typically we pastors emphasize only one of these three components of the Gospel, usually John 3:16.  It’s understandable to me that this is, and shall remain,  the main focus of preaching because that verse is foundational to our faith.  If we don’t receive and apprehend God’s love for us, then we will most likely never experience His love in us or through us.  Yet we cannot ignore Luke 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 or else we strip the message of its breadth and depth.

When the Apostle Paul met with the elders at Ephesus, he reminded them that he had tried his best to communicate God’s truth, holding back nothing.  He expressed his wish that he might continue to witness to God’s grace, and then he added: 

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

(Acts 20:27 KJV)

Neither have I.

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Shine Like the Stars

Available for Pre-Order.  Each of us has been given a gift: our life. Someday we must return it to its rightful owner. We are free to use this gift in any way we choose: to glorify God or to glorify ourself. St. Paul used his to glorify God and, in so doing, found the secret of joy. decided to write a devotional commentary on his letter to the fledgling Christian community in Philippi. They too were discovering the secret of genuine joy. I am hoping that the same faith which dazzled them will do the same for you, and that the same joy which filled their hearts will fill yours. Get ready to shine like stars.

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