Dear Friends:

One of the means the Father has used to transform our lives more into the image of His Son has been a number of great books on the topic of "Personal Intimacy with Jesus." As with any reading list, you and I may not agree with every point, but we found the overall concepts of religion vs. relationship, communion with God, and the healing of the heart profoundly moving. Here's a list of books with a short summary. Happy reading!

Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive. John Eldredge, Thomas Nelson, 2003.

This inspiring book introduces the reader to the daily spiritual battle we all face with our common enemy, as well as the weapons of our warfare that Jesus has given to us to win the battle. The four weapons are: 1) Discipleship (Walking with God); 2) Counseling (Receiving God’s Intimate Counsel); 3) Healing (Deep Restoration); and 4) Spiritual Warfare.
Also, don’t miss Chapter 11 “Fellowships of the Heart,”describing our God-given desire for small, safe, intimate gatherings of the heart, which is worth the purchase price alone. It’s a fabulous book on the whole subject of why many Christians aren’t experiencing the abundant life Jesus promises and what to do about it, containing the type of new wine we believe Jesus wants in His church. This book continues to have a huge impact on us, as well as our Isaiah 61 House Church.

So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore: An Unexpected Journey into the Reality of the Father’s Family. Jake Colsen, Lifestream, 2006.

Don't let the title fool you - this book isn't down on church, just down on Phariseeism, and pro relationship with Jesus!In a compelling, present-day journal-type narrative, Jake Colsen (a pseudonym for the combined work of Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman) chronicles 13 life-transforming conversations he has with his newfound friend (who he suspects is Jesus’ disciple John). The conversations convict and lead Jake into a radical life-transformation over the course of 4 years, from a desperately dissatisfied religious performance-aholic to a life of Spirit-led spontaneity, joy, and freedom based on his ever-deepening relationship with Jesus and His followers. In the process, Jake faces his darkest fears, struggles through brutal life-circumstances, and wrestles with the difficult God questions that have vexed Christians throughout the ages.

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. William P. Young, Windblown, 2007.
www.theshackbook.com

Mack's youngest daughter Missy has been abducted and the evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that very shack for a weekend visit with Him. In the remainder of this gripping narrative that walks the thin line between this world and the next, Mack personally wrestles with God over the timeless question, "Where are You in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?"
The answers Mack receives will inspire you, and perhaps be an avenue for your healing as much as it was for him. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message writes, "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!"

The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence.

As a 16th Century Carmelite monk, Brother Lawrence learned the secret of daily, moment-by-moment fellowship with God. In this timeless series of autobiographical letters, conversations, and spiritual maxims he writes, "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it."
The book is peppered with Lawrence's failures to remain connected with God followed by his subsequent vulnerable reflections, which we often found as helpful in our walk as his inspiring successes. At the end of the book he adds, "Believe and count as lost all the time that is not spent in loving God." We so agree and have found much help and grace in cultivating a deeper intimacy with Jesus through Brother Lawrence's example.

Letters by a Modern Mystic. Frank Laubach.
http://www.grace-n-truth.com/images/Frank_Laubach_gt_2.pdf

As a 20th Century contemporary who learned to walk intimately with God, Frank Laubach's personal journal entries draw back the curtain even further than Brother Lawrence to reveal his successes and failures in a more user-friendly, "how to" format. This is definitely a helpful companion guide to Lawrence's book for those who want to grow in their personal intimacy with Jesus.

So that's our book “gift” list to you. Our prayer is that you will be continually filled with Jesus' blessed presence.

With much love in Him,

Rich & Kimberly Hagler
Portland, OR
richhagler@comcast.net

August 2007