In Practicing the Power Sam Storms addresses issues related to the exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church. The subject of spiritual gifts is not a new topic for him; he has written about them in a couple of his earlier books: The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts and Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist. He also addressed the subject when he contributed to one of the books in the Counterpoints series, Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Storms, who has experience as both a pastor and a professor, brings both a theological mind and a pastoral heart to this text.

The book contains a forward, an introduction, twelve chapters, a conclusion, and two appendixes. In the course of its pages Storms covers a number of topics. While there is certainly some theology in the book the main emphasis in the text is practical. The author has walked the road leading his own church toward the exercise of spiritual gifts; he knows what some of the major issues are.

In the introduction, Storms goes on record saying that he desires to see a local church in the twenty-first century that is committed to the authority of the Bible and the operation of all of the gifts of the Spirit (page 13). In other words, he desires to see a “Word and Spirit” church. A few pages later in chapter one, he states that pursuing spiritual gifts is both pleasing to God and biblical (page 24).

Two ways in which believers who desire spiritual gifts may pursue them are through prayer and fasting. The author devotes a chapter to each of these spiritual disciplines. Both of these disciplines indicate spiritual desire. There is one chapter given to the subject of healing, three to the gift of prophecy, and one to deliverance. All of these chapters contain very clear, practical, and pastoral counsel about how to function in and facilitate/administrate the power of the Spirit. The last three chapters deal with quenching the Sprit, manipulation and ministry, and the importance of worshipping in the Spirit.

I enjoyed Storms honesty about the challenges one may face in seeking to obey the biblical directive to pursue spiritual gifts. In chapter one he warns the reader that there is a cost involved in pursuing spiritual gifts and that their pursuit requires commitment and sacrifice. This is especially true for leaders. The reason for this is that things do not always go well when a church attempts to step out and exercise spiritual gifts. As people venture into new territory problems sometimes arise and these need to be dealt with in a constructive manner. The sometimes “messy” aspects of the gifts can generate negative responses from some in the church. Though the book is given to the pursuit of spiritual gifts Storms acknowledges that we cannot (and should not) force the Spirit. He says “The Holy Spirit wants to be pursued but refuses to be pushed” (page 35). Also, in the chapter on prayer he admits that when they first started to pursue the power and presence of the Spirit, they did not see a radical increase of the supernatural at first; things began to change but slowly (page 46).

One thing I would have liked to have seen in this book is material about some of the other gifts of the Spirit that Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 12.

Practicing the Power is very easy to read. I found it to be very insightful, informative, and pastoral. I believe that it is a good resource to help move local churches into a fuller experience and expression of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Leaders in particular may benefit from this book. It is a great resource; I recommend it.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Publisher’s page: http://www.zondervan.com/practicing-the-power

Jack W. Hayford, “Practicing What We Preach” Ministries Today (Nov/Dec 2003), pages 22–27.

Jack Hayford sees the church in a moral crisis. “Favoritism, greed, shoddy morals and shady ethics have found a comfortable home in the church. At the same time, both inside and outside the church there is a rise in intolerance towards leaders who have been allowed to compromise with impunity their various institutions’ self–declared moral and ethical standards” (pg. 22). Despite this laudable intolerance the evangelical church, with its many denominational and independent groups, has no unified voice when in comes to confronting unethical leaders. “… there has been no standard policy guiding the body of Christ as it deals with its mavericks—the small but growing number of leaders who make their own rules and flaunt the ethical demands of a disciple of Jesus Christ” (pg. 22). It is in this context that he proposes a solution: “… I want to propose the establishment of an International Council for Ethical Accountability (ICEA)—or something with another title, but serving the church with what those words represent … Such a council could provide a starting place for an internationally agreed–on standard concerning basic ethical and moral issues as they pertain to church leadership” (pg. 23).

Jack Hayford / The King’s University

Hayford believes that such a council would allow the church to express a “collective voice” when responding to leadership failings: “While any one of a field of leaders may answer a reporter’s question … without a broad consensus, the public is left with the notion that every spiritual leader is basically a law unto themselves” (pg. 24).

Noting that luxury and extravagance has replaced self denial in many places (pg. 24), and that he has had to quietly withdraw from participation in two ministries because of their “law unto myself” attitudes (pg. 24), Hayford sees the need for judgment to come from within the church, lest it come from outside (pg. 27). “This isn’t a proposal for doctrinal agreement beyond basics, or for ecclesiastical or liturgical conformity. But written on all our hearts is a set of ethical principles that we intuitively know are right, and God’s word affirms a fundamental body of moral expectations that we all affirm. So the question is, do we believe that it possible that we can find a consensus on how we can strengthen one another by speaking with one voice where ethics are involved?” (pg. 27)

Hayford believes the answer is “yes.” How many others feel the same is yet to be seen. I look forward to seeing the responses to his proposal from evangelicals in the United States and abroad.

Reviewed by Mike Dies

Read the original article: http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-leadership/ethics/8215-practicing-what-we-preach