Jesus Now E-Book

Tom Phillips

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 281

Beschreibung

God is moving today!   God desires to draw all people to Himself. He is awakening the world through the reconciling love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. What if the Lord was already awakening you, your family, your church, your city? Are you willing to let His Spirit, without warning, sweep through your own life? In Jesus Now, join Dr. Phillips as he explores: - the themes and patterns of previous revivals that are becoming apparent today. - the unpredictable, untamed purposefulness of God to draw His church to Himself through ordinary and anonymous Christians. - how the power of prayer has found extraordinary new expression within Christians who have raised the name of Jesus above a denomination or ministry. - human impediments to God-initiated and sustained spiritual awakening. - ten principles to discern current revivals. - how to seek and follow Jesus, who has promised to do far more than you could ever imagine or request!God is up to something big. What is your place in His great awakening? Because of Jesus, our churches, nation, and lives will never be the same again.

Leseprobe

ENDORSEMENTS

Signs of a coming revival seem to be appearing all around us. Tom Phillips shares some extraordinary insights and encouragement in this “cutting edge” book. Every Christian will be both blessed and challenged by reading it and responding to its message.

—PAUL A. CEDAR

President, Mission America Coalition

At a time when all the tabloids, talk shows, and enemies in high places are slandering our Lord and the gospel, God has been working quietly to undermine their strategies and revive His work. At this very moment, there is a mighty move of God mushrooming to unprecedented levels, eclipsing everything to the contrary. A spirit of anticipation is everywhere.

—DANNY DE LEON

Pastor, Templo Calvario Church, Santa Ana, CA

America’s spiritual history has included significant tides of spiritual awakening that influenced entire generations for Christ. Over and over again, God has rescued us when we have united together in prayer. Following the low spiritual tide of the last few decades, America is once again poised to see an inrushing of God’s presence that will drive away darkness and despair. Dr. Phillips’ new book, Jesus Now, charts a course for your involvement in this new awakening. Together we can see America’s spiritual tide rise again!

—DR. WILLIAM M. WILSON

President, Oral Roberts University

“The Kingdom of God is not going to arrive on Air Force One,” said Chuck Colson. Politicians are not going to save America. Wall Street is not going to save America. If America is to be saved, Tom Phillips’ new book, Jesus Now, points to the cure: Jesus. Jesus Now reinforces Fyodor Dostoevsky’s insight, “The West has lost Christ, and that is why it is dying; that is the only reason.”

—DAVID LANE

American Renewal Project

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of revival is hope—the hope that God is not done with us yet and is preparing to do a new thing in our midst. Tom Phillips gives us that hope powerfully in his new book, Jesus Now. Your prayers for revival will arise on fresh wings of hope after reading this book.

—DR. DAVID BUTTS, CHAIRMAN

America’s National Prayer Committee

In a nation that has its share of bad news, Jesus Now is like a refreshing breeze of hope. Tom Phillips’ passion for revival and awakening will not only inspire you to believe but challenge you to become engaged in this next great move of God in America.

—KAY HORNER

Executive Director, Awakening America Alliance

The title of this book says it all and echoes the hearts of Christians all across this nation: we need Jesus now! In this book, Tom Phillips shows how sparks of revival are already beginning to ignite inside the church, which is our only hope for restoration in America. The principles of God’s Word energized by the power of the Holy Spirit in revived hearts will usher in the greatest revival our nation has ever seen. Our country will then be the key servant-leader God intended it to be, promoting truth, justice, compassion, and love. We enthusiastically endorse Jesus Now.

—DAVID AND JASON BENHAM

authors of Whatever the Cost and Living Among Lions, benhambrothers.com

Do you aspire to be a part of the next great movement of God in our generation? If so, read Tom Phillips’ newest book, Jesus Now, which will inspire you to go deeper with God than ever before. The greatest need in America today is the next Great Awakening! The seeds sown through the pages of this book could potentially lead you into a day of fruitfulness unprecedented in your life. Read it and share it with a friend.

—DR. RONNIE FLOYD

Senior Pastor, Cross Church, and past President, Southern Baptist Convention

I have grave concerns that are addressed so well by my friend, Tom Phillips, in his book Jesus Now. When people’s hearts are awakened, then they will know the value of religious faith and freedom. I highly endorse this book.

—FRANK WOLF

former Congressman (Ret. 1981–2014)

In today’s world, many people feel discouraged, fearful, and oppressed. In Jesus Now, this powerful book full of revelation, Tom Phillips inspires Christ-followers to have hope. Countless believers today cry out to the Lord, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you” (Psalm 85:6 ESV)? Tom Phillips is one of the most knowledgeable leaders on the topics of revival and renewal that we have in today’s church. JesusNow describes the moving of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life throughout America and the world. When reading this helpful book, I felt a sense of excitement, anticipation, and revival. I didn’t want to stop reading—rejoicing all the way!

—WAYDE GOODALL

Dean of College Ministry, Professor of Church Leadership, Director of Graduate Programs, and President of Worldwide Family at Northwest University

Dr. Tom Phillips has been at the forefront of Christian service for decades. In his latest book, Jesus Now, he writes with insight, wisdom, and a remarkable understanding of God at work in the church today. If you are seeking to be refreshed and renewed by God’s purposeful initiative in the past and how He continues to work in remarkable ways through the seemingly insignificant and the ordinary, then Jesus Now is for you. But be careful: engaging with God at this level may just change who you are and take you to a deeper relationship with Him.

—REV. DR. RICHARD GIBBONS

Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, South Carolina

Tom Phillips loves Jesus and he loves people. Moreover, he has a great yearning for revival. Reading this book will stir your heart and prod you to believe God for greater things.

—DR. ROBERT E. COLEMAN

Tom Phillips has been a friend and a collaborator of mine in evangelism and revival for over twenty-five years. Jesus Now is his mirror image. It combines his voice as a messenger of hope with his intense desire to see people and cultures transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. For Tom, God’s glorious work today presages an historic work—soon to come, I’m convinced. Jesus Now is infectious. It will focus your priorities, intensify your hunger, and inspire you with confidence.

—DR. BOB BAKKE

Teaching Pastor at Hillside Church of Bloomington and member of OneCry in Buchanan, Michigan

Jesus Now is timely and dynamic and moved my heart deeply. Hunger and thirst for personal and corporate revival drips from every page and echoes the heart cry of so many who are interceding for revival in the church today. Jesus Now should be put in the hands of every church leader in North America.

—JEFF FARMER

President of Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America

Prepare to be inspired and ignited! In his book Jesus Now, Dr. Tom Phillips turns our attention to Jesus’ loving pursuit of us in everyday events we may be missing. People of all generations, color, and backgrounds are responding to Christ’s powerful transformation of their lives with passionate prayer, sacrificial care, and a bold sharing of the gospel. This book shakes us from distraction, disillusionment, and spiritual dozing to the powerful plan that Jesus is awakening His church to reset and revive us to complete the Great Commission.

—KATHY BRANZELL

National Coordinator of LOVE2020

Jesus Now is an extraordinary book—a must-read for all believers who are holding onto hope for awakening in America. Tom’s ability to weave engaging stories, revival history, and practical principles is sheer genius. In times when ordinary has become the norm, Jesus Now awakens readers to the attainability of living a fruitful Christian life. We are on the brink of an outpouring in our nation, and it is an honor to be a part of this Jesus Now Awakening.

—COREY LEE

Pastor of Convergence Church

Tom Phillips is a champion for revival and renewal efforts. His unique perspective, having worked with the Billy Graham organization for decades, has afforded him a rare window on God’s activity in the world. His book is filled with the principles that drive revival and is readable and compelling. It offers a lens through which we better discern God’s work, not only in history but in our times.

—P. DOUGLAS SMALL

President of Project Pray

Having given his life to the cause of revival throughout the world through his work with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Tom Phillips powerfully calls the church in America to a time of increased sensitivity and responsiveness to the ways in which God is currently working. It is a Jesus Now time.

—CLAUDE ALEXANDER

Pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina

Tom Phillips warmly and transparently invites us to seek Jesus for how we might be involved in burgeoning reawakening with Jesus Now— from a personal level of revival to a corporate level of spiritual outpouring—offering “Spirit Empowered Faith” lessons along the way to guide the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus and a greater understanding of his or her role in revival. And we all can have a role!

—DONICA HUDSON

founder and President of In His Presence Global Ministries, Inc., revivalist, and host of Charlotte Alive, YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/user/CharlotteAlive

In two simple but profound words, Tom has captured the heart and hope of God for our day—Jesus Now! Today’s fresh stirrings of awakening as captured in this timely work are all about intimacy with the historical and contemporary person of Jesus. And it’s the urgency of now that makes our pleadings for awakening personal and practical as illustrated in the powerful stories Tom has chronicled for us. Read it and reap great blessings as the Spirit enlists your heart into all He is up to in our day.

—DR. DAVID FERGUSON

Great Commandment Network

I agree with Tom Phillips. God is indeed moving today. In so many places, people are responding to Him. We should be encouraged and ask God how we can be involved.

—DR. STEVE DOUGLASS

President of Cru

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Dr. Phillips for many years, partnered in ministry with him, and served on various boards together. His passion for God and for revival is consistent and unwavering. Tom’s book, Jesus Now, is an amazing resource born out of a lifetime of his personal hunger, study, experiences, and contending for the authentic. Jesus Now not only inspires us through what God has done in past revivals, but also equips us with practical understanding of their commonalities and potential hindrances. This is a much-needed book with a timely message by a man who truly understands what it will take to see a great awakening and mighty harvest.

—DR. DOUG STRINGER

Founder and President, Somebody Cares America and Somebody Cares International, Houston, Texas

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

JESUS NOW God Is Up to Something Big

Copyright © 2016 Tom Phillips

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5310-5 (softcover)ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5311-2 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, exceptfor brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from thepublisher.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

All emphases in Scripture quotations are those of the author.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

Cover design by Chris Garborg, GarborgDesign.com

Interior design and typeset by Katherine Lloyd, theDESKonline.com

Printed in the United States of America

16 17 18 19 20 5 4 3 2 1

To Ouida,

my partner in the greatest life a man could have.

Thanks, honey, for the consistent encouragement

to write this book and for the support during it.

CONTENTS

Foreword by Billy Graham

Preface

INTRODUCTION

Revival—One Life at a Time

ONE

Ordinary People Living Quiet, Anonymous Lives, Until

TWO

What Is Happening to Our World?

THREE

A Truth We Almost Forgot

FOUR

Pockets of Light Shining out of Darkness

FIVE

Prayer: The Heartbeat of Revival

SIX

Potential Obstacles Ahead

SEVEN

What Might the New Awakening Look Like?

EIGHT

The Most Important Decision of All

NINE

Preparing for Personal Revival

Appendices

APPENDIX 1

Resources

APPENDIX 2

Corporate or Group Intercession

APPENDIX 3

About the Great Commandment Network

APPENDIX 4

A Spirit-Empowered Faith

APPENDIX 5

A Spirit-Empowered Disciple

Acknowledgments

Notes

About the Author

FOREWORD

Is America in the early stages of a spiritual revival, which will overshadow anything we have ever seen before in our nation’s history?

Tom Phillips makes a convincing case that this could be true, as he examines some of the significant new ways God is at work touching lives today. Only history will be able to tell us if his thesis is accurate, for we are too near to these events to judge—but no one can read this book and not be touched by the way God is working today in the lives of countless men and women who formerly gave little thought to Christ.

For many years, Tom Phillips has been a valued member of our team, and I know of few individuals who have a deeper commitment to evangelism and a broader understanding of what is happening spiritually across our land. His book is a vivid and compelling testimony to the truth that the gospel in all of its fullness is still (in Paul’s words) “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” As he recounts, Tom has experienced that truth in his own life, and I believe every reader of his book will experience it too as they open their hearts to the molding and life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

—BILLY GRAHAM

Charlotte, North Carolina

(written for Revival Signs, upon which Jesus Now! is based)

PREFACE

Look among the nations, and see;

wonder and be astounded.

For I am doing a work in your days

that you would not believe if told.

—Habakkuk 1:5 ESV

Not long ago, I went to a local garden center with my wife, Ouida. I needed some help. I couldn’t get anything to grow. When I told this to one of the garden center staff, he said, “You need peppermint!”

“Peppermint?”

“Once it gets going,” he said, “there’s no stopping it. Besides, it’s beautiful.”

“Don’t do it,” Ouida whispered to me. What did she know that I didn’t?

I debated carefully a few seconds and then said, “Sold” to the garden guy. As we walked back to the car with a handful of peppermint plants, Ouida said to me, “You’re going to have to control it.”

“Yes, dear.”

Once back home, I got down on my knees in the dirt. The sweet scent of peppermint was unbelievable. The directions said: “Plant in moist soil. Full sun preferred. Don’t overwater.” I dug some small holes and nestled each peppermint plant in the ground. Then I gave each of them some water, stood up, and wiped the dirt from my knees.

Every day, I came outside and looked at my tiny plants. Soon, they weren’t so little. Maybe my wife was right after all. Once it takes root, nothing can stop peppermint from growing and spreading.

Could the aroma of peppermint be a living metaphor for the undeniably sweet scent of a gracious Father, redeeming Son, and the fresh empowering Holy Spirit now spreading throughout our land? What if I told you there is a fresh, sweet Spirit of God now growing and spreading throughout churches, neighborhoods, businesses, and schools in our country? What if our prayer for Jesus to revive hearts and renew our land is happening now? This resource is to encourage you and me to join Jesus in what He is already doing. Read just a few examples of what Jesus is doing now:

• A courageous teacher taught her public school, eighthgrade class by introducing them to revered ancient wisdom literature—known as the book of Proverbs

• A former top executive for Apple leveraged his passion for technology into a portal for online evangelism involving 9,000 missionaries in 129 countries, reaching 400 million people daily

• A college student-turned-preacher from North Dakota is at the forefront of an emerging movement among hundreds of thousands of millennials engaging, loving, and serving Jesus through a simple, startling six-word prayer

• A prayer and worship group of older men became young at heart through an influx of teens with a deepening desire to learn intercessory prayer

• A pastor who sought the Lord to reign over his community and who, in the aftermath of a devastating tornado, was invited, out of the blue, by state and county officials to direct the local disaster relief effort—which propelled local churches to new unity in serving the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their hurting neighbors in the name of Jesus

• A wife and mother in South Carolina who found herself face-to-face with the governor of her state invited her state’s highest official to pray together—right then and there

• An East Coast businessman’s life was turned upsidedown as he turned from self-determination and began to lay every care, concern, desire, and need on the altar and into the hands of Jesus Christ

• A woman whose persevering faith and commitment to prayer has been a catalyst for growing numbers of Christian believers and seekers alike in Hollywood to turn to Jesus

As you read these stories, recall the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations” (Ezekiel 20:41 NIV).

In Jesus and through the promised Holy Spirit, a new day of spiritual awakening, fresh as the scent of peppermint, is upon us. “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15–17).

The word has already begun to spread: the sweet scent of revival is in the air. Because of Jesus, our churches, our nation, our lives may never be the same again. Stay with me on this journey, and you’ll catch the passion and possibilities of Jesus now!

INTRODUCTION

Revival—One Life at a Time

God is intent on bringing His people to Himself. Why should this profound truth matter? It should matter because we are living in an extraordinary moment when God is awakening the church through the reconciling love of the Son, Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Only a few times in history has our nation experienced such a “Jesus-Now Awakening.”

What if the Lord was already awakening you, your family, your church, your city? Are you open to the chance that God’s Spirit, without warning, could sweep through your own life? I dearly hope so. That’s why I wrote this book, to encourage and nurture such a hope.

It’s a hope I’ve cherished for a long time. The seed of it was planted when I was a small child, on a country drive near Corinth, Mississippi, where I grew up. I can still see the tiny shacks from the car window and hear myself asking my mother, “Why do the black people live there, Mom?”

“That’s just the way it is, son.” I wept.

Since that country ride with my mother, my increasing understanding of God’s gloriously planned variety of color in people and His wish for our unequivocal acceptance of each other has grown. I sensed then, as I now am certain, that if spiritual awakening is real, then the refreshing winds of the Spirit will touch not just the people in the church pews but also the most remote, insensitive hearts and the many shades of prejudice and hate that segregate us from each other and from God.

Fast-forward twenty years to a small church near the town of Water Valley, Mississippi. Whenever I would come home from college on a short break or for the summer, I would drop off Ouida at our house and then visit “my parish.” I visited each home with the white people and black people, everyone. God had put them there. They were His people, and I loved them in the name of Jesus.

That was when the church deacons pulled me aside and said, “Tom, we need to talk to you about your visitation.”

“Why?”

“You’re visiting black people.”

“Sure,” I said. “They’re no different from any of us. They live here. They’re people. God created them. They’re part His family.”

The deacons just looked at me until one of them said, “Well, this is a white church, and you can’t do this.”

That next Sunday I preached about love, the love of Jesus that embraces all people, all of God’s children—“God is love” (1 John 4:8). I made it clear that anyone coming into the sanctuary would not be stopped, but be welcomed. After the service, I was standing at the front door greeting the people as they left. One deacon, a white gentleman, said to me, “I know what point you were trying to make, but I still love you anyway.”

Yet, something else happened. I noticed that younger people seemed to appreciate the sermon. In fact, the younger the person the more he or she said, “The things you said about Jesus loving all people, regardless of race, are real. It’s what God says.”

That day, I began to see the differing perspectives of the older and younger generations. The former tended to have remote, insensitive, fearful hearts. Young people, on the other hand, were more open to following the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

How willing are you? How willing am I to do the same? My hunger for personal revival and spiritual awakening across our land is as strong as my desire to be used in the reconciliation between blacks and whites, all peoples. I wrote it down on a yellow pad list, “The Fourteen Things I Hope to Accomplish Before I Die.” I have seen African-American and Asian pastors from Philadelphia confess to each other their racism and then break down weeping. I’ve seen pride broken, sins confessed, and lives restored in the most calloused hearts and in the most unlikely parts of the country. I believe these and other acts of reconciliation and healing are God’s notes on His yellow pad—to give us a peek at the present, unfolding revival.

WHERE’S JESUS NOW?

Is a fresh revival ready to sweep across this nation? Is it already happening? Could God really be about to ignite a holy fire that could kindle the hearts of millions with a holy passion for Himself and His kingdom? While I believe the answer is yes, I know one thing for sure: God sees beyond our crippling human condition to the new life in Christ He desires for every person.

I remember when the wife of a pro-basketball player told her story on the final day of a Billy Graham Crusade in San Diego. She was divorced and hurting. She turned to drugs and became one of Satan’s prized examples of how people build their own prison with chemicals—until Christ set her free. She described how others could also find the freedom she now enjoyed.

After the San Diego crusade, I received a one-page letter with these three lines:

Me full of heroin.

Pockets full of heroin.

And I went forward to receive Jesus.

The letter was signed by Raul Gonzales, who was in the audience that day. He had been a drug addict living on a diet of pills and powder until his self-punishment became too great. After he met Christ, he returned to the people who had managed to survive his real-life nightmare. Raul became a part of the Jesus-Now Awakening, and for over twenty years, he and his group (Teen Challenge, in Hartford, Connecticut) have led pimps and pushers to a Carpenter from Nazareth who has helped them rebuild their lives. “We are seeing revival in our cities,” says Raul. “It is happening with people who have nothing but Christ.”1

Should I have been surprised that one as humble as Raul is actually a crack of light, part of a new spiritual awakening?

Should I have been surprised that God works through the weak, the poor, and the unlikely?

People ask me, “What does revival look like? Will we know it when we see it? What if revival were happening right now?”

What if you and I could be a part of this Jesus-Now Awakening? I wonder what God could do if we all found our place in this new spiritual awakening?

Recently, a man came to my office at the Billy Graham Library. People I greatly trust had told me, “You’ve got to meet this guy.” Bruce Snell played briefly in the NFL before going into business. Out of his growing thirst for Jesus, he was leading a series of prayer meetings. After a friendly greeting, Bruce looked at me and said, “Everywhere I go, to churches and prayer gatherings throughout South Carolina and North Carolina, I keep running into personal revival.”

The power of God soon filled the room. A gentleman, named Wayne, and I waited, attentive to the Spirit. We were ready to go to prayer when Bruce said, “The Lord is telling me to anoint you, Tom, and you, Wayne. Do either of you have oil I can use to anoint you both?”

“I do,” Wayne said. “I got it just two weeks ago.”

Our prayers lasted two hours. We were on our knees, lifting up the Lord, praising the Lord, seeking the Lord for His church, His children, His world. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to wash over us. The Lord’s presence was undeniable.

Our prayer time ended, and we stood up to leave. I stayed in my office, while Bruce and Wayne turned to go out to the parking lot. Not long after, Bruce called to thank me for our visit. I’m glad I was sitting down.

“Tom, this may sound crazy to you, but as Wayne and I were walking out of the building, it looked like Wayne was walking above the ground.” Bruce wasn’t finished talking. “Wayne just called. He said he was so overwhelmed in the Spirit. I said nothing to him about how I saw him walking as if floating. Wayne said, ‘Bruce, as we left Tom’s office, I felt like I was walking on air.’ ”

Continuing, Bruce said: “Recently, I was working in the yard and wanting to put in some new plants. My wife, Karen, said to me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t plant peppermint. It will take over the garden.’ I said, ‘Fine, I’ll plant it in the large pot.’ A few days later, I was talking to a friend who said he and his wife had a similar conversation about the uncontainable, untamed nature of peppermint.”

What if God is already spreading the gladness of His unmistakable, refreshing Holy Spirit throughout our land? I believe that’s exactly what He’s doing. Throughout the US, patches of peppermint are growing in cultures where the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is scorned. In countries bereft and barren of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, where darkening confusion, bitterness, and strife are growing—countries like the United States of America!—a new ripening season, a new life-giving harvest, rooted in Jesus is upon us.

I wasn’t quite as eager to receive Brace’s next words.

“Tom, the Lord told me that His followers, His body, the church, are ripe for deception.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Tom, it’s as if Jesus said to me: ‘My people want the things of the Lord. They want the things I have to give, but do you want me? Do you believe that I AM?

You want peace. I am peace.

You want hope. I am hope,

You want forgiveness. I am forgiveness.

You want reconciliation. I am reconciliation.

You want healing. I am healing.

You want new life. I am new life.

You want love. I am love.

Don’t let your pursuit of ministry replace the relationship, the salvation, the hope and the new life in me.’ ”

Can you hear, can you see, can you savor the unconditional, uncontainable love of Jesus in these words? You are not alone. You are like Bruce Snell and others in big cities, small towns, and remote parts across our land, a people of gladness—the gladness of the Lord. Who are some of these people? What can they reveal to us and teach us about the Jesus-Now Awakening that is spreading but yet a sprout; that is fully present and yet budding with potential; that is now and not yet?

There are no words to describe the fresh scent of peppermint.

Breathe in the amazing stories that follow and see what might happen as the fresh gladness of God breathes in you, and then ask yourself: “How do I fit into this Jesus-Now Awakening?”

God’s spiritual awakening has now begun to dawn. The people you will meet in this book are living proof. These people and many others are coming face-to-face with their undeniable need for a personal relationship with God, who can only be found through Jesus Christ. In people such as these, I see a God who can heal our land in a way that could touch every corner of economic, social, and spiritual need.

This God, who has been at work throughout history to bring people to Himself, is once more making history in our time. From national youth gatherings that attract hundreds to prayer meetings in public high schools to small inner-city churches, the God of the Bible is doing something you and I never could have imagined—until now. So let’s join Him!

THE JESUS-NOW AWAKENING

Join the Jesus-Now Awakening as you live out a Spirit-empowered faith. Jesus Now is designed to engage followers of Jesus as they impart both the gospel and their life while living out a relevant, daily faith (1 Thessalonians 2:7–8). Just as the Word became flesh and “moved into the neighborhood,” through the prompting and power of His Spirit, we can live out a Jesus-Now Awakening in our world (John 1:14 MSG).

Jesus Now is unique. It is unlike any of the resources you’ve likely read before because the exercises in each chapter were written with the specific goal of engaging you in the Jesus-Now Awakening. These exercises are created to move beyond seeking to simply know or study God’s truth and move toward actually experiencing it. Why is this important? It’s only an experiential, Spirit-empowered faith that can live out a Jesus-Now Awakening.

You’ll be able to identify the experiential exercises in Jesus Now in the bracketed boxes of the text. They can be used in a variety of settings such as: personal devotions, mentoring relationships, and small groups.

The Jesus-Now resource is designed to foster a Spirit-empowered faith. A framework for spiritual growth has been drawn from a cluster analysis of several Greek and Hebrew words, which declare that Christ’s followers are to be equipped for works of ministry or service. Therefore, within the Jesus-Now resource, you’ll find specific exercises that are designed and organized around four themes. A Spirit-empowered disciple:

• LOVES the LORD (Acts 13:2 NASB) – Exercises designed to strengthen this area of spiritual growth are marked L1–L10.

• LOVES the WORD (Acts 6:4 NASB) – Exercises for building up this aspect of spiritual growth are marked W1–W10.

• LOVES His PEOPLE (Galatians 5:13 NASB) – Exercises intended to equip this area of growth are marked P1–P10.

• LOVES His MISSION (2 Corinthians 5:18 NASB) – Exercises provided to strengthen this area of growth are marked M1–M10.

Imagine this: You’ve just begun a journey in the Jesus Now resource. It’s as if you’re going for a walk. As you read through Jesus Now, we invite you to walk:

• In the light of God’s Son—John 8:12

• In the light of God’s Word—Psalm 119:105

• In the light of God’s people—Matthew 5:14

The bracketed boxes and exercises in them are designed around these three sources of God’s light. They’ll encourage your awakening journey as a Spirit-empowered disciple of Jesus. We’re delighted that you’ve decided to take this walk with us. God’s Word reminds us that it’s vitally important to walk in the light.

“Walk while you have the light” (John 12:35).