Although Jesus encouraged his followers to draw strength from him, the "living water" of God, most Christians are content to occasionally dip their toes into that living water. In contrast, Edwards boldly exhorts them to settle for nothing less than complete and continuing immersion. Unveiling the hidden reasons why so many followers of Christ subsist on just enough God to get by, Edwards (Revolution Within; Experiencing Christ Within) exposes such mediocre fellowship in a brutally honest way. Citing the early Christians as prime examples of those who were completely dependent upon God's supernatural intervention and power, Edwards notes that these believers exhibited joy that couldn't be explained, peace that transcended their worldly events and a love so genuine it couldn't be matched or imitated. All these elements combined to create spirit-led, God-empowered Christians who rocked the first-century world with the message of Jesus' redemptive work on the cross. Edwards's pet name for such effective witnesses is "heavenly connoisseurs"—those who delight in God's presence and seek after him with such passion that every other pursuit falls by the wayside. The book is not just emotionally charged hoopla: Edwards sets out practical application parameters for keeping priorities intact, understanding each individual's intrinsic value as a child of God, weeding out sinful habits and enlarging the vision for this journey of faith. His lively, engaging, and worthwhile prose will find its place among other well-received evangelical writers such as John Eldredge and Max Lucado (who provides the foreword here). (Oct.)
