The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit-Lester Sumrall

I shared my little experience in the previous entry because I don't think I can effectively 'review' this profound book.

The book begins with a direct confrontation, "God cannot bless ignorance, He can only bless intelligence"., thereby compelling the reader to understand the need for the importance of information on this subject.He asks the reader "to have an open heart and a consuming desire to know all we can about the nature and role of the Holy Spirit."

The contents are arranged under the following parts,

Part 1-Gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Nature and Role of the Holy Spirit
  
• Charismatic Renewal
  
• Sign Gifts of the Holy Spirit
  
• Two Foundation Stones
  
• Weapons of Our Warfare
  
• God's Gifts to the Church
  
• The Revelation Gifts
  
• The Power Gifts
  
• The Gifts of inspiration
  
• The Gifts in Jesus' Ministry
  
• The Gifts in the Early Church
  
• The gifts in the Apostle Paul
  
• How You can Receive the Gifts
  
• The Devil's Couterfeit
  

Part 2 - Ministries of the Holy Spirit

• The Ninefold Purpose of Ministry Gifts
  
• The Fivefold Ministry Gifts
  
• Elders,Deacons,Helps and Governments
  
• Combinations of Ministries
  

I think the effectiveness of this book is primarily because of the excellent blend of scriptural illustrations and personal experiences. Rev Sumrall elucidates the relevant Scripture as a brilliant narrative and brings out a parallel drawn out from his years of ministry.

The honesty of the book is its speciality, like Rev Sumrall puts it, "The gifts were born, not in a moment of jubilation or victory in my life, but in a moment of great attrition.They were born in a moment when I was downcast and almost broken, which made me realize the greatness and majesty of God."

He examines each category of gift in a teaching approach and not like a preaching.I like the way he explains what each category means,and what gifts are placed in there and who are the bible heroes who were endowed with that gift, how the gift is manifested and how it is often misinterpreted.

Through each page he equips the reader with a solid teaching in a simple straightforward style so that even a newbie like me could understand the depths of the truth.It helps us understand the great value of the free gifts God has prepared for us and ready to give us.It helps us to move from the place where we just think of the gifts as bits of the charismatic revival to the place where we begin to grasp the infinite love of our Heavenly Father.

Whether you are already operating in the gifts of the Spirit for a long time or whether you are longing for receiving it for the first time, this book will definitely speak the Master's voice to your heart.