The internet is a wonderful thing. One of the things I enjoy so much about it is that we have access to news, information, and people we might not even know existed otherwise. Case in point: a couple of weeks ago, I tweeted to fellow word nerd Jeff Kennedy to tell him that I was thoroughly enjoying the articles he was writing for Charisma Magazine. Jeff was extremely gracious, and he told me that the articles were actually excerpts from his first published work, Father, Son, and the Other One. Knowing this, I went ahead and purchased his book the same day.
At the risk of being labeled a charismaniac, I will say that my favorite book written on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit is Benny Hinn’s Good Morning, Holy Spirit. Yes, I’m well aware of the controversies that have arisen over the book (and those surrounding Hinn himself), but while reading, one cannot help but gain the understanding that the Holy Spirit is an active and living Person–a loving Person and member of the Godhead–that lives within us and desires to have a personal relationship with us (or, as the Apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 13:14, to have “communion” or “fellowship” with us).
What I liked so much about Father, Son, and the Other One is that–like Good Morning, Holy Spirit–is that it stresses the fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person that we can have fellowship with, and how vitally important it is for believers to walk in the fullness of the Spirit. Other books I’ve read on this misunderstood third member of the Trinity barely scratch the surface while others remain noncommittal on where they stand in their beliefs on the fullness of the Spirit. And then there are those books that only add to the confusing teaching on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit… like the time we used the book The Forgotten God by Francis Chan in our small group study. To be honest, we spent more time trying to figure out what in the world he was teaching than we actually spent reading the book. Because of this, we ended up reading and studying the old-time Pentecostal classic called The Spirit Himself by Ralph M. Riggs together. While not the most engaging, popular, and witty of books, it effectively explains who the Spirit is, what the fullness of the Spirit is, and the works and gifts and fruit He accomplishes and gives and grows. Call it Holy Spirit 101, if you will.
Another thing I really liked about Kennedy’s book is that while he adeptly explained the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, he managed to write a book that is also witty, engaging and entertaining. Some of his childhood stories are real gut busters (I laughed with you, Jeff). Apparently, Kennedy is also an “Original Crew Only” Trekkie like myself, so he also gets a bonus for that.
For the reasons listed above, I highly recommend adding Father, Son, and the Other One by Jeff Kennedy to your personal library. It is guaranteed to bless, enlighten, and entertain you and your family. And it won’t leave you scratching your head like some of the more “popular” titles on the Holy Spirit that are currently on the market today.
In Christ’s perfect love,
Dwight
The Parson
