Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Truly Free by Robert Morris



This book is a how to book and the title explains what the book is all about. Robert Morris, the author, is the founding senior pastor of Gateway Church, a multi-campus, evangelistic church considered to be Spirit-empowered. The author's congregation is in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He is featured, weekly, on the show that is called THE BLESSED LIFE. This show is televised to approximately one hundred million homes and in more than two hundred countries around the world. Morris is the best-selling author of eleven books. These books include THE BLESSED LIFE, THE GOD I NEVER KNEW, and THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS. Morris begins this book with an introduction. He launches into a chapter that tells us what the book is all about. The second chapter gives us three warning signs that tell us if we are experiencing the problem this book intends to address. The third chapter introduces us to the strategies of the enemies of our spiritual freedom. Chapters Four to Nine present things that we need to be free from and how to get free. The tenth chapter just sums up all that has been covered in all prior chapters. This book ends with a notes section.

This book is what I expected and is much like other spiritual warfare books that I have read in the past. I read THE BLESSED CHURCH, another book by Robert Morris, who wrote TRULY FREE and so I had an idea where he is coming from. I expected this book to say much about demonic oppression in relation to many of our mental and emotional ills, and it does. I expected it to say much about demonic oppression in relation to life-dominating sins, and it does. I believed he could have gone in more depth about the many subtle (and not so subtle) ways that the spiritual and the physical interact, as in how chemical imbalances can make us more vulnerable to spiritual attack, or how poor nutrition or some medicines can affect our moods and our spiritual motivation to walk by the Holy Spirit and exhibit His fruit in our lives. And he seems to single out three sins without going into sufficient detail into the forms these sins can show up in our lives without our even being aware of it. But it seems that the author wants his book to be an easy, fast read and knows that many people don't have the time or the patience to read much. I'm glad he included some disclaimers that demons are not to blame for all spiritual, mental, or emotional ills. But, sadly, pastors seem to be reluctant to talk about the role of Satan or his underlings, demons. I do not remember ever hearing a sermon on demonic oppression. That is sad because the Bible says that Satan (and his demons by implication) is one of our three enemies. Our flesh (sinful nature and the world (the system) are the other two enemies of the follower of Jesus. Unless we know our enemies and how they operate we cannot overcome them. This book has many valuable tips to overcome the Devil and demons. But in the chapter on greed, this author teaches tithing, giving ten percent to your local congregation. Yes, tithing is clearly taught in the Old Testament. This author, like many pastors, teaches tithing today for all followers of Jesus. The New Testament seems to focus far more on why we give and how we give. Tithing ten percent may cause more affluent worshipers to get complacent because they may think to themselves, "I have tithed my ten percent; God has to be pleased with me." And the teaching on tithing may make poor worshipers feel burdened because ten percent may feel too high of a percentage to them. While the author denies it, this chapter smacks of prosperity especially when he shares about his own giving experiences and how God "gave back to him" in finances. Many other points he makes in this book are worth pondering and applying, with prayer and God's power. If you are not a follower of Jesus, the author includes a brief segment, tips and a prayer (to be prayed in your own words) to become a follower of Jesus, or in the author's words, to be "born again."

I recommend this book to all pastors who minimize or neglect the teachings of demonic oppression and spiritual warfare. But as this book is far from complete or balanced, pastors should use this book only to educate themselves about those teachings so they will be equipped to preach and teach about them. People who struggle with the three sins Morris has chosen for treatment in this book, may find this book helpful, as these three sins are widespread among us. People with certain psychiatric disorders that require medication to reduce spiritual attacks, may find this book triggering and unhelpful. People who struggle with sins other than the three singled out in this book, might not be helped by this book.

I received this book free of charge through Book Look Bloggers in exchange for an honest review of this book. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.

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