Open Letter to Bruce Wilkinson #0.000
Dear Bruce,
Hello again. Today we’re looking at the title, subtitle and Table of Contents page of your new text, You Were Born for This. Again, for your sake and the sake of those reading today, the goal is not to rip you or your book to shreds. The goal is simply to hold up what you’ve written against the infallible Word of God and see how well you did. Hopefully, all who read will be encouraged and better equipped for their Christian walk.
Let the evaluation begin!
Chris
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Title
+ / ? / - You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles
Born for a particular purpose? Absolutely. From the Westminster Confession of Faith:
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” (For biblical support, click here.)
Does God teach in His Word that there are “keys” (or truths) that “unlock” (or show us) how we as believers ought to live? Absolutely. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (KJV)
Is there such a thing as “predictable miracles?” Great question. Putting my limited memory to the test…processing…
To my understanding (and I could be mistaken), there’s not a single time in the Bible where a miracle was predicted (by anyone, of course, but the prophet who said it would come to pass).
A real mixed bag, this title and sub-title. Wondering to what degree it reflects the book’s content…
Table of Contents
- “Welcome to Everyday Miracle Territory”
Got my attention right away, this one did. The reference to “territory” is obviously a nod to your most popular book to date, The Prayer of Jabez, wherein you challenge people to pray that God might “enlarge their territory” for Him.
The subject of miracles is too big to adequately cover here in the space provided here, but you know the cliché:
“If they happened every day, they wouldn’t be miracles.”
(Sorry. The skeptic in me. I will strive to stay open-minded.)
+ “A New Way to See the World: You were born to expect a miracle today”
You are exactly right when you say that it would be a new way to see things if one expected a miracle each day. Looking forward to the explanation…
? “Behind the Veil of Heaven: You were born to be a living link between Heaven and earth”
Red flag. It is true that God desires for believers in Christ to be his living representatives to an unsaved world. The term, “living link,” though, is vague enough to be troublesome.
We would agree that Jesus, the Son of God, provided planet Earth with the kind of “living link” you’re talking about. Many would say – based on what we read in Acts and Paul’s epistles – that, since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit (and only the Holy Spirit) has served as “a living link” between Heaven and Earth.
? “The Master Key: You were born to be sent on miracle missions”
What about the believer who happens to be so physically disabled that they’re not physically going anywhere? (Sorry, but I have to press the point a bit, even on my first day back.)
+ / - “The People Key: You were born to share God’s heart for people”
There is truth in this…for the believer. Ezekiel 11:19-20 says:
“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (ESV)
It would be fallacious to say, “You were born to share God’s heart for people,” though, to someone who is not regenerate. The unbeliever does not “share God’s heart” for anyone or anything, we understand, but by faith in Jesus Christ they may.
I’ll stop for today, as the rest get somewhat repetitive:
The Spirit Key: You were born to share God’s heart for people
The Risk Key: You were born to take risks of faith in dependence on God
The Five Signals That Guide a Miracle Delivery: You were born to understand and respond to miracle-related signals
The Five Steps That Lead to a Miracle Delivery: You were born to know and follow miracle-related delivery steps
The Money Key: You were born to deliver miracles of financial provision
The Dream Key: You were born to deliver miracles of life purpose
The Forgiveness Key: You were born to deliver miracles of forgiveness
Very formulaic these are. Address in more detail as we proceed I will.
Good night for now,
Chris
