Jim Cymbala wants believers to fully embrace the power of the Holy Spirit, without which, he says, “Christianity is impossible.” Anxious for the church to live in that vitality, the best-selling author and pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle offers Spirit Rising: Tapping Into the Power of the Holy Spirit (978-0-310-24125-6, $19.99), written with Jennifer Schuchmann and releasing from Zondervan this month.

Observing that one side of the church emphasizes the Word over the Spirit and the other may attribute every manifestation to God’s Third Person, Cymbala writes: “The Holy Spirit is underappreciated and underpreached by the twenty-first-century church. There is a prejudice of sorts against the Holy Spirit that impedes many from learning more about him.”

But, he asserts, truly following the Scriptures means that faith should be both grounded in the Word and full of the Spirit—the kind of faith he has taught in previous best-sellers such as Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Fresh Power.

Cymbala shares testimonies of individuals such as Roma Black, a former “player” in New York City’s drug scene who was radically transformed by God, and Terry Kehm, led out of a life of promiscuity.

Teaching that it takes more than having daily devotions, listening to preachers and going to worship services, Cymbala shows believers how to connect with the Spirit and what that looks like—a life filled with joy, power, love, overcoming fear and more.

Joy makes the believer distinctive in this world, Cymbala argues. “All joy comes from the Holy Spirit,” he writes. “We can’t manufacture it, call it up, try harder to get it, or make it happen on our own.”

To order Spirit Rising, call 800-727-1309, or visit www.zondervan.com.

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