I’ve been a little apprehensive to pick up new books lately as I already have a monumental stack of unfinished literature that seems to be growing faster than it diminishes. But if the cover or the back blurb of a new book grabs my attention enough, I’ll usually forget other books and jump straight in. It was like that with Face to Face with God, the first of Bill Johnson I have read.
With a catch title like “The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence”, and a reputable author like Bill Johnson, I knew I was in for a good ride, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Face to Face with God kicks off with an introduction of sorts aimed at letting you know what you’re in for, why it will cause some people to frown, but more importantly, how it will revolutionise the way you seek relationship with God.
Like most teaching books, this isn’t something you can truly devour in one sitting if you want to get the most out of it that you can. It’s one of those books you can read a sentence, but not really grasp the full revelation of what you just read until such time as you reread and then reread again, meditating on each thought. A timely process, given, but a beneficial one.
One of my favourite chapters is when Bill tackles the favour of God and why it is important to seek it, attain it, and use it in drawing closer to Him. The children of Israel knew God’s acts, but Moses knew His ways, and it was the favour of God that Moses sought out for his life which won him that reward. Favour comes from wisdom, but it also comes from being close to God, and Bill draws upon many years of personal physical encounters with the love and goodness of God to write from the viewpoint of firsthand experience.
Which brings me to my next point: written or spoken word always pales to personal experience and the power of testimony, and thankfully, Bill more than realised that fact when writing this book. All that gets discussed and talked about in this book, although it is a great supply of tools for equipping you to press closer to find this experience, could not be truly appreciated if Bill had not included some of his own personal encounters with God to back up what he is saying. Bill talks of being kept awake in the late hours of the night, physically shaking with God’s presence; he talks about feeling the pull of the Spirit to come away and be alone with Him; and he talks of the deep, revelatory knowing that God is with you all the time, and the weight of living out of that revelation and knowledge.
Like many Christians, Bill’s greatest intimacy and true source of inspiration has been drawn from the secret place. He realises the importance of stealing yourself away from distractions just to spend unplanned moments with God, and he has written extensively on it in this book, of which I was only too pleased to see. What Bill has to say about it, while greatly encouraging, is also very profound. It’s worth reading the book just for these moments.
If you lack inspiration or motivation for drawing closer to God, then this is the perfect book for you. Unlike many teaching books, Face to Face with God is not too cumbersome, yet in no way frivolous or airy-fairy. It’s the perfect companion, as I found, for some early morning reading while watching the sun rise. It sure got me inspired, and any book which does that is, in my opinion, worth the effort.
- Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul by Stephen Garton
- Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Stephen Garton
- A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Stephen Garton
- Your Love Never Fails by Stephen Garton
