Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit's Work in Our Lives

by R.T. Kendall

The Holy Spirit...Greater than your theology, bigger than denominations, beyond all we can imagine, God's gift to the church and to youDebate about the Holy Spirit has been around for a long time. In Holy Fire, best-selling author and respected theologian R. T. Kendall sets the record straight about the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives and in the life of the church.If you want to increase your knowledge of this most misunderstood member of the Trinity, or if you long to experience His presence in your life in a deeper way than ever before, this book is for you. Are you charismatic? He is bigger than your signs-and-wonders events. Are you Reformed? He will not be limited by your theology. As Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “He blows where He will.”

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Audiobook, Spirituality, Faith

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2013

Reviews

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look to be a pretty decent book. I was not sure what the author was trying to balance as he was not weighing possible theological positions. And, I cannot say I thought everything he wrote about the Holy Spirit was biblical.

The first part of the book struck me as a "you should believe this because David Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed this" argument.

It also seemed that every time the author touched on a subject that he had treated more extensively in a different book he made sure you knew it was available for you to purchase.

The overarching thrust seems to be to convince Reformed cessationists that they should reconsider their position and cease being cessationists. In that sense, I did not find the book to be balanced - there is very little effort to explain the cessationist position. In all fairness, the author treats the subject kindly and does not attack anyone.

Most of the common topics related to the Holy Spirit are addressed. The "private prayer language" version of tongues is present, albeit with a careful approach.

The section on the gifts of the Spirit was exceptionally shallow, presenting the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, but little more than a paragraph or two dedicated to most of them.

All in all, this is a decent book. I don't agree with the author on all points. I think he could have given more information on several topics which seemed to be treated on a superficial level.

I'll certainly be looking for other books written about the Holy Spirit to fill in some gaps left by this one.

[Eric Huber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kendall has some wonderful pastorally counsel throughout the book, but I found myself often wondering if he had read the passages he used as proof texts for his positions. They seemed removed from their biblical context.

What surprised me more was his description of cessationists. He created a straw man that no one holding those views would recognize. What is concerning is that he claims to speak as an insider - one who understands Reformed theology. I was left thinking that either he does not understand it as he thinks he does or he is intentionally misleading. I was saddened by either possibility.

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed with this book. It was recommended to me by a young lady at the Christian bookstore.
First issue-referring to the trinity instead of the Godhead, (as scripture says)
pg 14 He is the only Holy Spirit you have! He won't adjust to you, you must adjust to Him. (but the author wrote about things that aren't backed up in scripture, so he's adding/changing to God's word).
pg 15 The Father, the Son, and the Word.
The Word is the Son; the Son is the Word. I think the author meant; The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Second issue-referring to the Holy Spirit as a person.
Third issue-using modern versions, please see pg 14.
pg 17. . . Holy Scripture is closed. It is final. Absolute. Incontrovertible. No word that will come in the future will be equal to the Bible in level of inspiration. This means that any leading, prophetic word, word of knowledge or vision one may have today must cohere with Holy Scripture. If it doesn't, it must be rejected.
See Third issue. The modern versions therefore must be rejected.
pgs52-53 He had to think for months when asked how far he was prepared to go in his commitment to Jesus?
Fourth issue-the amount of times he mentions his opinion.
pg 128 The wording matters, he claims it doesn't. Does it matter if the Holy Spirit descends "like" a dove, or "as" a dove. Wording matters!
pg 129 References of scripture (he claims)show that the baptism with the Spirit is what Jesus does in heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God. This contradicts John 3:5
He also contradicts himself pg 131 and in the intro xxxv of the Pentecostal movement.
Fifth issue-quoting someone like Ghandi in a Christian book. pg 152
I don't understand how someone like Kendall, whom is in the Charismatic denomination, can get so much wrong when writing about the Holy Spirit.
pg. xxxvi people thinking wild fire or strange fire is better than no fire. claiming it's better than dead orthodoxy or formalism. Yikes!
I didn't finish this book, due to all the things wrong with it. What's the point?

[Raina Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Balanced, Biblical Look At The Holy Spirit’s Work In Our Lives (the subtitle) As with a lot of books I review, the subtitle more appropriately tells the subject of the book compared to its title. Especially those two words—balanced and biblical. Those are two of the best words to describe this book. It is balanced by presenting many sides to each argument. It is balanced by talking about the Spirit and the truth. It is biblical with its many verses cited (that did not seem out of context to me). It is biblical in the way he greatly encourages personal regular Bible reading and prayer.

This book is also thorough. No topic related to the main idea has been left out. He talks both about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruits, about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and about cessationism. He also thoroughly discusses every Bible verse related to actual fire, too.

This book is also controversial, in that, not every one will agree with everything that Mr. Kendall has written here. There will be dissenters on both sides of the fence. The author tries to tread lightly but actually steps on toes from both sides of some of the issues discussed. No need to take things personally though as this author does not “name names”. He talks mainly about doctrine and reveals actions but never people’s names.

Throughout I did not feel like Mr. Kendall’s opinions were presented in a bigoted or arrogant way. On the contrary, he was very humble, even revealing times in his life where he was wrong and had to change his mind about some belief related to the Holy Spirit. He also on several occasions admits to not knowing the answers and asking, “you tell me”.

Mr. Kendall’s reasoning was easy to follow and he mixed things up by adding in relevant personal stories, scriptures and quotes and stories from other respected Christian leaders.

He concludes with, “We must pray for the fire of God to fall on us today. But we must equally be faithful to teach the fear of God to be instilled in us today.” (page 191)

I am hard pressed to think of any Christian who can not benefit from reading this book. Even if you know you believe very similar doctrine to Mr. Kendall’s, there will be explanations that you could use to help explain these issues to others. And to cessationists, please, please, buy your own copy of this book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Charisma House Publishers through their blogging for books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Philip Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this. Most interesting to me were the insights into the thinking of the Doctor himself. I really appreciated Kendall's effort to just be biblical and Christian. This makes complete sense to me. I read the New Testament and I see Calvinism. I also see charismatic theology. I'm a huge fan of both. Why shouldn't I be? His critiques of the excesses of both worlds were great, particularly his recounting of his stand against Todd Bentley in 2008. I really admire how he has sought to minister in both the reformed and charismatic worlds. His stuff on assurance and immediate revelations of his justification by the Spirit is interesting. I'd be keen to look more into the differing streams of Puritan thought on this topic. His calls to not grieve God's Spirit were refreshing. Really, I just loved his gusto and evident love for Christianity. It was contagious.

Critiques:
— I'm not with him on Baptism of the Spirit, but I do believe in subsequent to conversion encounters with the Spirit. I'm not sure he portrayed the majority view exactly right, at least not how I would articulate it. I'm happy to say baptism in the Spirit is experiential—conversion is quite an experience. Portraying the traditional view as absolutely saying "you receive all the Spirit when you believe" as though that means there can't be subsequent experiences is surely not what the best of the traditional holds to.
— I thought the oaths stuff was odd exegetically. Maybe I've misunderstood him. Isn't God's oath in Heb 6 to all the "heirs of the promise?"
— I don't think the groanings in Romans 8 are tongues.
— I was confused by the Isaac/Ishmael point towards the end. It seemed like he proved his point with an analogy? Am I missing something? How does he know the charismatic movement is "Ishmael?" On what basis is Scripture being applied to this?

[Matthew Monnin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, not perfect, but really helpful. Recommend reading the physical book, and not listening to the audio. The book is written in such a way that many topics have a 20 points, or 5 things to remember, which can be challenging to take in when the list is purely auditory. The audio book that I had also had a British speaker, which certainly caused some dissonance when the reader talked about growing up in Kentucky with a THICK British accent (which was also kind of fun).

[Maeve Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

RT gives great insight into the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in the lives of Christians. He also instills hope for Jesus’s church to be ever-more Spirit filled. He gives practical instruction on ways we can strive to be more Spirit filled as individuals and encourages this to be all for God’s glory. Practical descriptions of spiritual gifts are also included. Great stories and overviews of how the Holy Spirit has worked throughout his own walk with Jesus.

[Molly Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kendall does such a good job bridging the gap between reformed and charismatic believers. I wish more scripture was utilized as support/proof for points, the quotes from Martin Lloyd-Jones.

Such a great view on our need for Spirit power and the proper use for spirit-given gifts.

[George Laymark · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book blessed me in so many levels. my relationship with the Holy Spirit will definitely improve. this is a great read

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just because I didn't love this book doesn't mean that I missed the importance of it. This could be one of the most significant Christian books I've read. I don't know much about RT Kendall, and I haven't read anything else he's written, but I do find his journey compelling. Although I struggled with quite a bit at the start of this book, his personal testimony in chapter 7 was a game changer in more ways than one.

[James Ramelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I hover my mouse over Goodreads' 2 stars, it says "it was ok". I wish it instead said, "It was painful, but there were some upsides, I guess.."

As someone who is new to a church that is faithful to the gospel, and yet open to certain gifts of the Spirit being for today, I was more open than I've ever been to believing this to be true. I was recommended this book, and told that if I'm going to read one book that might change my mind from being a cessationist, this was going to be it. So I REALLY wanted to like this book, and be convinced. In fact, I've been praying for years, "God, if I'm wrong about this, show me from your Word". I prayed this way because I've often been surrounded by people who tried convincing me by telling fanciful stories.

However, more so than anything, this book has convinced me to RECONSIDER cessationism, although I wouldn't go as far as John MacArthur on his views. I'd consider him to be extreme. At any rate, with the book I was hoping that he'd address MacArthur's arguments from his "Strange Fire" book since it was written shortly after. I was also expecting biblical expositions of passages that I might have previously misunderstood. I was expecting R.T. to refute, point by point, why cessationism is not true.

Instead, what we have is a lot of rambling, a lot of misrepresentation, a lot of assertions, a lot of stories, and you come away thinking, "For a supposed "Reformed" Charismatic, he sure doesn't seem to understand basic arguments". He totally mischaracterizes views at a number of points. He also repeats himself a countless number of times. He likes to insert comments or stories, here and there, tongue-in-cheek, so as to discredit cessationists altogether.

He has a chapter called, "Sensitivity of the Spirit" and he makes this grand case about the Holy Spirit being sensitive solely on the fact that the Holy Spirit is pictured as a dove. That's it. No other verses required. His other argument is that Martin Lloyd Jones, who is well-respected by many reformed people, is himself a Charismatic. So what? That's not a point. I could point to many heretical things that Luther believes, or other solid reformers. I'm not sure of anyone who believes everything any preacher says. If so, I'd be concerned.

Does R.T. know that we need to be convinced scripturally? I'm not sure. He poses that cessationists don't believe in the miraculous at all, and that they're the "I'll believe it when I see it" type. He wants us to cut out all the miraculous verses of the Bible and see what we have left. He also says that Reformed people are closet charismatics, since we pray for healing when something goes wrong. Seriously?

Which reformer argues against the miraculous? Which reformer argues against God's healing? Does R.T. not understand that we simply have a different way of understanding it? Praying for healing has nothing to do with gifts. MacArthur even has a book called, "Miracles". Reformers believe in the Holy Spirit is active today, absolutely. And He works in a variety of ways. R.T. seems to limit the Spirit's work to certain gifts only. And yes, we'll believe it when we see it.... in the SCRIPTURES. He says that Hebrews 13:8, that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, is a solid proof-text, since it matches the context of doctrinal teaching, which he assumes is his view.

His best chapter is easily the one called, "Strange Fire". I appreciate that he has his head on his shoulders when it comes to the extreme abuses. He warns against showmanship, prosperity teaching, Open Theism, and other forms of heresies that have sprung up through Pentecostal offshoots. Finally, a Pentecostal standing up against that. We've been waiting for it.

Again, I wanted to like this book. I wanted to be convinced. I'm totally open to being wrong about this, and I'm certainly no full-fledged cessationist. I believe R.T. when he says that we need an emphasis on the spiritual, and not just on being intellectual. 100%! But that doesn't come at the cost of Scripture. Maybe there's going to be another book out there one day that addresses actual arguments, and I'll be convinced then. However, if you're expecting to get that from this book, you'll end up wasting your time like I did.

[Christopher Lewis Kozoriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We can accomplish more in five minutes when the Dove comes down on us than we can achieve in a lifetime trying to work something up." (R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire, Page 85)

I would not say this is an exhaustive book on the Holy Spirit; however, it gives the author's experience, wisdom and knowledge concerning the Holy Spirit. Some of the book is very scholastic and theological. Some of it has real life examples and remember this is not a charismatic pastor who is writing this book, but a reformed theologian.

He does attack Benny Hinn and Todd Bently in this book, although he does not mention their names. He can very critical at times of the way some charismatic ministers do their ministry. For example, he goes on a tangent about a time Benny Hinn came out on stage when the hymn How Great Thou Art is being played. He insinuates that Benny Hinn is saying he is "The Great One". I thought this was utter false. If you read any of Benny Hinn's books and autobiography, you would know that he uses worship as an atmosphere for healing. I thought this was a false judgment. And should not be attacking the anointed of God and the way God has lead them in their ministry.

I liked the last few chapters of this book, they went into the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit. He says that wisdom is the greatest of gifts because it is listed first in 1 Corinthians 12. There are others who would say that prophesy is the greatest of gifts because Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should desire spiritual gifts especially prophecy. However, I have to agree with this author, I also believe gift of wisdom is most likely one of the greatest of gifts and other Scriptures in the Bible would support this.

There is an Appendix at the end of the book that examines the word "fire", as mentioned in the Bible. It teaches on "natural fire", "supernatural fire" and "strange fire" and dicerning between them. I highly recommend the reading of this appendix.

Another tool to help you to understand the Holy Spirit, His personality, His role, His gifts, His fruit and how He works with us to bring glory to God.

[Danny Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy fire is really great in theory but kind of underwhelming in reality.

So Kendall comes across is very solid in reformed theology and at the same time is all in for the spiritual gifts. The best part of his writing was the idea of stigma. He points out that in many circles, even respectable Christian ones, you will face a stigma associated with the gifts of the spirit. And you have to make a decision as to whether it is worth it. That was the most convicting to me.

But then he rambles a bit. He has the analogy of the Holy Spirit as a dove, which I think he pushes further than is warranted. He uses a pigeon as something that looks like a dove, and talks about things that look like the Holy Spirit. Ok. Then he talks about how the spirit is grieved, which is from the Bible. Solid. But then he says the spirit is easily grieved, because pigeons are easily spooked. At that point it is just getting weird.

So there are some redeemable things, and I did like his personal story. Plus, he doesn't just talk about the gifts of the spirit, but has a solid bit about "baptism in the Holy Spirit," which would be especially interesting for Pentecostals. But it just felt kind of long to me, and there are better books on the spiritual gifts.

[Bradley Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend this book for novice Christians. I would recommend this book to those who are further along in the Christian journey. If I could split my rating review I'd give the first half of the book a 4 and the second half 3 stars. It was a challenge to my head and heart on attitudes I personally have held towards charismatic followers of Christ and even, in ways, towards the Holy Spirit's work. As Kendall moved from the middle chapter of his own personal story, to the second half of the book he lapsed into imbalance and poor exegete of scripture. It is not that he didn't make valid conclusions in many places in this half of the book. But Kendall does what so many charismatic preachers/teachers/writers do he turns every scripture text into a Holy Spirit or gifts of the spirit proof text. This can prove dangerous and seems to create a two tier Christianity. Those who are the elite victorious Christian spirit-filled ones and those who have not spoken in tongues, etc. I don't believe this is Kendall's intent but his exegetical style does this non-the -less.

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, then, this is, as the subtitle tempts us, ‘A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives‘. I heartily recommend it to all of those Christians thinking through a biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit. I think Kendall is firm and fair in rebuking/discerning/clarifying both the theology of cessationism (which is often wedded to Reformed theology, in evangelicalism) and the excesses and abuses of Charismatic/Pentecostal forms of Christianity. I hope that this book is widely read in both (and other!) parts of the Church.

https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...

[Mark Dunker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate how he presented some of his arguments, but too often, he made points without supporting them biblically.

Especially strange was making a point from the KJV instead of Greek...he disliked modern translations of the verse but liked how someone in the past interpreted the verse based on the KJV.

He also has written many books. How do I know? "You can read more about this in my book..." and similar comments were present in almost every chapter.

2.5. I would not recommend that someone take the time to read this. Right now, I'm just 40 pages into Horton's Rediscovering the Holy Spirit but I'm finding it much more helpful.

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kendall graciously and biblically thinks through the topic of the Holy Spirit’s personhood and work. Though I would’ve liked to see more reformed sources (since he belongs to that camp), his wisdom is felt and seen in the pages of this book. I love how he takes you into his experience. He has lived through significant church history and it is a privilege to be able to step into the rooms he was in through his writings.

Truly the writings of a man who never separates word and Spirit, but rather converges them.

[Hannah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. If I read this everyday I would’ve finished it sooner but it was so rich that it took a bit to get through. That being said it was phenomenal. Kendall completely changed the way I look at the Holy Spirit and how He moves. This spoke to me, personally, as well as to the church and the rest of the world. I’d venture to say that this would be a book for everyone, no matter what your faith is. I was amazed, educated, convicted, and really brought to a place of being humbled and in awe of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this book.

[Adam James · Rating 4 out of 5]

RT puts into words the closest thing I’ve ever read to my own personal experience(s). And he articulates what I personally believe and desire to see spread throughout the Church and world… Christians and churches who are faithful to the Word and filled with the Spirit. Faithful and filled. In my reading and study of Scripture, this is a Reformed and Charismatic reality. Word & Spirit. That is the sweet spot of revival. And I personally love the connection he brings to Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones. I’m grateful for the testimony and teaching of Dr. Kendall!

[Stanley Jebb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although there are some good things in this book, it seems to me that there is also much error. The author seems to be obsessed with the unusual, spectacular gifts. He is also confused about gifts, for example, confusing the word of knowledge (a teaching gift) with prophecy. I cannot recommend this book.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book about the Holt Spirit. Although some bits do not have direct biblical basis, I can observe some of the manifestations in my life and of others, such as the feeling of peace when the dove descends upon you, or the self-sacrificing love of friends who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, or the disciplined lives of people who know the Holy Spirit well. A good half of the book is about disproving people who are too over zealous that they embrace a strange fire instead of the real thing, as well as people who reject the move of the Holy Spirit as strange fire. I would say I’m blessed to be in a church who teaches us to be balanced in both word and spirit. This book challenged me to set aside more time to let the dove descend while I’m at peace, and not let the hurry of the world sweep me away all the time. I would recommend a summary of the book to friends because I found a good deal of the book irrelevant.

[Emma Jones Mullins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked didn’t love!
This book had a great perspective on the Holy Spirit and what He is doing today. It provided great misconceptions as well as giving a Biblical based understanding to the gifting of the Holy Spirit.

I could have gone with less Martin Lloyd Jones quotes and a little more scripture in my opinion!

Great nuggets of truth though here!

[Hannah Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s good and interesting to read from a viewpoint you don’t totally agree on with a willingness to learn and see. I think he wrote well, but I did not find myself aligning with his views. He said he isn’t charismatic enough for the charismatics and not reformed enough for the reformed but I felt there was a clear direction he leaned.

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

R. T. Kendall expone basado en la Biblia y en testimonios una mirada sobre la manifestación del Espíritu Santo en nuestras vidas. Es un libro que te anima a salir de tu zona de confort y te insta a una búsqueda sin cesar de la presencia de Dios

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kendall produces one of the most autobiographical books I have read of his works. I learned a lot about him personally through this book. There are some things I never understood about him. He began in the Church of the Nazarene denomination, but was kicked out what he spoke in tongues. He ended up moving to the United Kingdom and became a Reformed theologian.

However, when he talks about the Holy Spirit, the baptism in the Spirit, and the gifts, he is very much within the camp of Pentecostalism. He remarks that when he is in the United States, he often is called by Pentecostals and Charismatics to talk about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

The author begins the book by talking about discerning the times and understanding what has been happening lately. There’s separation between the Word people in the Spirit people but they should be. He refers to different teachings that have entered the Church and are not biblical. He talks a lot about one of his father’s in the faith, Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones.

In chapter 2, Kendall tells the reader some of the things that everyone should know about the Holy Spirit. This is a basic biblical theology of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 3, he talks about the difference between the immediate and the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit. This immediate and direct testimony of the Spirit is that inner understanding of your salvation, testified to by the Spirit. It is not something you receive with logic or just reading the Bible. It is the experience of the Spirit in you.

In chapter 4, the author explains the immediate and direct testimony of the Spirit as when God gives an oath. He talks about the sealing of the Spirit. This is a guarantee of the Spirit, and oath given to us by God. In chapter 5, Kendall spends a lot of time explaining the unauthorized, or strange, fire given by Aaron’s sons that angered God. We must be careful to separate the strange fire from the holy fire of the Spirit.

The author continues in chapter 6 about the sensitivity of the Spirit. He has written another book about the sensitivity of the Spirit, so he summarizes what that means. It is a difference between a sensitivity we have toward the Spirit and the Spirit’s sensitivity to sin and other things we might do. He uses the example of the dove is one of the symbols of the Spirit.

Chapter 7 brings Kendall’s personal testimony, which is one of the most interesting things about him, his story of how he came to be the way he is. Chapters 8 and 9 and is when the most interesting chapters of the book because the author deals with Reformed theology and cessationism. He is unusually against cessationism, the belief that the gifts have ceased somewhere around the end of the first century, or the death of the original apostles. He defends the fact that the Bible talks about them, and therefore we must believe in them and practice them. This is staunchly against the Reformed tradition and cessationism in that tradition. I enjoyed his description of the different forms of cessationism.

The author finally moves into talking about the baptism in the Spirit in chapter 10. It is strange to hear a Reformed theologian talk about this subject. He talks about it as a controversy in the last century. But then he gives all the places in the Bible where the baptism in the Spirit is described. This was a great chapter, the gem in the whole book. He continues to talk about how the Holy Spirit works in Christians by addressing the gifts of the Spirit in chapter 11. He especially focuses on glossolalia, the gift of speaking in tongues along with interpretation.

Chapter 12 focuses on Kendall’s ultimate proof of the Spirit. He opens by explaining the real experience of the Spirit by talking about his childhood hero, Joe DiMaggio. He finally got to meet him in person. There such a difference between understanding what the Bible says and having a real experience with the Holy Spirit. He explains for things that prove you have the Holy Spirit.
In chapter 13, the author talks about Isaac and Abraham sacrificing him on the altar. In this final chapter, he prophesies that the Charismatic movement is Ishmael, not Isaac. He believes that the Church will experience a new wave that is coming next. This was a very interesting chapter. I pray that his right, that we will see great things from the Spirit these last days.

Never know what I’m going to receive from Kendall. Sometimes they are great things that make this Pentecostal want to add all his books to my library. Other times, he speaks from such a Reformed foundation that I cannot agree with or follow his arguments. However, this is a book I would have on my shelf gladly. It speaks to the truth in Scripture about the Holy Spirit, the baptism in the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit.

I highly recommend it to anyone who disagrees with what is in Scripture, has a Reformed theology background, or needs to hear someone to lives in a camp of theology against speaking in tongues, but even chides his own camp on this matter. Sometimes the best defenses of biblical doctrines are those whose culture and theological camp are against them, and yet defend them because they are true.

[Otis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Interesting in that the author takes one on a journey with truly having an intimate relationship with the God the Holy Spirit and our individual willingness to surrender unto Him. Recommended.

[Tasha Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read mostly fiction but ran across this one from another recommendation. It’s definitely not my normal (even for a non fiction) but I received a lot from his words. While I may not believe exactly 100% the way he does, I do agree with most of this.

[Christopher-James Neethling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. We are to hunger for the Holy Spirit and all that God has for us, without any compromise on the truth of the Word. The Spirit and truth don’t go together, they fit perfectly together!

[mark Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read and I recommend R.T. Kendall's books. Interesting viewpoint on a number of Christian topics.

[Candy Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything you ever wanted to know about the HS is found in this book. I give it 5 ⭐️ for its content and thorough explanations. It wasn’t always easy to read, but very informative.