The Holy Spirit: So, What's the Big Deal?

Short Description (2,000 characters, including spaces) Dr. Jerry Cook spent fifty years as a pastor, teaching and writing about the presence of the Holy Spirit and of Christ in everyday life—including speaking in tongues. But in a conversation with a young pastor he realized the need to explain this topic in a practical, accessible way for those who may have only been exposed to it through “shocking” manifestations of fanaticism. In this conversation, the young pastor wondered what the “big deal” was, and when Cook got over his anger at this dismissive assessment, he tackled the concept head-on. Cook first asserts that "It is possible to be a sane, intellectually honest, biblical, and dynamic Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks in tongues, and effectually ministers the full life of Christ." He does not shy away from his own doubts and struggles in the church and his personal faith, striving not to create an academic, theoretical work but to ask the right questions and provide genuine, compassionate advice. Here, find practical, Biblical answers to the questions of the young pastor and of other Christians who have struggled with this concept. Examine six significant events, from the in-breaking of God through the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, ending with the day of Pentecost. Follow the radical relocation of God from "out there" to "with us" to "in us," and visualize the remarkable implications of this radical move to the Christian's everyday life. Examine the church and the manifestation of Christ in its structure, power, and gathering. Do not wonder what Jesus would do, but ask the radical question of who he would be. What does a practical, post-modern Spirit-filled Christian look like? How is Jesus made visible in everyday living, and why is it important? Who is the church, really? In accessible terms, Cook explains that we are not just to do what Jesus would do, but rather to be who Jesus would be. In this way, we can bring visibility to His presence and access to His life and hope.

Author Biography (1,000 characters, including spaces) Jerry Cook holds a B.A. from Seattle Pacific University, a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Divinity degrees from Life Pacific College and Pacific Life Bible College. He is the author of six books, including the best-selling Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness and Monday Morning Church. With his wife Barbara, he also wrote Choosing to Love, the Odyssey of a Relationship. Jerry was the senior pastor of East Hill Church in Gresham, Oregon, for nineteen years before moving to Kirkland, Washington, where he was associated with Eastside Foursquare Church. Along with his pastoral duties there, he continued writing and traveling as an international convention and conference speaker. The Cooks live in the Seattle area and where the author maintains a teaching and church consulting ministry. When he is not teaching, Cook is often tucked away on his favorite river, stream, or mountain lake, fly-fishing, or spending time with his four children and five grandchildren.