In this episode of Now is the Time I talk about John MacArthur's latest book Strange Fire and the controversy surrounding it.

I'm also giving away a free copy of the book, see the instructions below!

You can also listen on  iTunes or on Stitcher

I've always like John MacArthur, in fact I grew up listening to his sermons. My dad used to play them on cassette while we worked on projects around the house, later I listened on the radio. I have read a number of his books and they were always a blessing to me.

When I heard about Strange Fire coming out this past Fall I wanted to see what all the controversy was about. Thankfully the publisher was kind enough to supply me with a free copy for review.
What's in the book
The book focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit and the problematic way many Charismatics and Pentecostals view the Holy Spirit and his work in their lives.  MacArthur goes into detail concerning some of the biggest names in the Charismatic movement but he hits no one harder than Benny Hinn himself.

MacArthur divides his book into 3 sections. In part 1 "Confronting a Counterfeit Revival" he focuses his attention on the root of the problem by asking, whether or not the Charismatic movement really is the work of the Holy Spirit.  He provides helpful historical background on how the movement got started and gives a great set of questions to ask of any movement to determine whether it is from God or not.

Part two is called "Exposing the Counterfeit Gifts" and in MacArthur fashion he talks about the problem of prophets who make false prophecies, tongues that don't make sense and healings that don't really heal.

The final section is called "Rediscovering the Spirit's True Work". Here MacArthur shows from God's Word what it really means to be filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit.

The last chapter is called, "An Open Letter to My Continuationist Friends" and was particularly interesting. It seems that this is really were much of the core of the controversy comes from and it worth the whole book.
Did MacArthur go too far?
When Strange Fire was published many evangelicals cried out that MacArthur had gone too far, that he threw the baby out with the bath water. Some of those who lamented MacArthur's new book were author's who I've also read and been blessed by. This was one of the main reasons I wanted to get my hands on the book because I hate to enter controversies unless I've actually read the book.

Did MacArthur go too far? I'll let you judge for yourself and listen for yourself. I lay out my opinion clearly in the podcast.
Should you buy it?

Yes, you should buy this book. You probably won't agree with 100% of everything MacArthur writes, I know I didn't! However, it is useful in understanding the background of much the Charismatic movement and in establishing a proper Biblical understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit.

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon and feel good about your purchase because a small percentage goes to help support a missionary in Ukraine!
Get a free copy
You can also get a free copy simply by commenting below and then sharing this post on your favorite social network. I'll announce the winner on February 15th!
Question: Have you read Strange Fire?