Miracle Workers, Reformers, and the New Mystics

I must say all of John Crowder's books are good. You can't go wrong on them. John Crowder particularly to me is an outstanding writer and that is needed to accurately articulate and express such in depth history of the church weaved in with succeeding themes with clarity and eloquence. I like his "Ecstasy of Loving God" book much better than this but I knew after reading that one I would enjoy reading this one as well and I did. Let me tell you if I can read through an 300 and more page book in an few days then you got an good book. Although most of the biographies I had already heard but I wanted to hear it from the author's perspective and the message about their lives. The book is not just about biographies. The author doesn't go extensively in depth with the peoples lives like an timeline let me tell you that but he maps out an blueprint on how God is inviting us to walk in what they did and make their ceiling our floor.

Other reviewers correctly point out that John Crowder has focused more on the finished work of the cross in recent years, and some of his language about being "in process" in this book no longer fits that narrative. However, as a history book, it is superb. It opens up many historic events that aren't easily found in modern history books, complete with references to John's sources so you can go deeper in your own research. I'm about halfway through right now, and I can hardly put this book down

I read a lot of books but this book is the first one that has motivated me to write a review. I can not speak highly enough of the author and the wisdom it contains. It speaks to this generation while also encouraging those who are older that God has not passed them by. If you are hungry for more of God and dont want to settle for the status quo any longer this book may just be the one that will increase your faith and motivate you to begin again to seek and wait on God for his glory to enlarge you from the inside. The many examples of our forefathers(a lot whom I have never heard of) in the faith who've developed their relationship with God by setting time aside and waiting on him with resulting with signs and wonders following are absolutley astounding, better still we can have it too! History is someting we can all learn from but history in God has no time, is always current so dig those wells again and move forward with God. You can do it!!

Very interesting and inspiring book

Crowder did a lot of research to compile this book. Very informational. It's about the lives of great people in the church in the past and those that God is using in more modern times. Although Crowder is a little nutty, this book is very good and inspirational. Presenting little clips of very many saints.

Historic and up-to-date with current ideas and movements of Christianity! All proving that God is the Unchangeable God! And His plan to use His people has not changed either! Signs and wonders will accompany those who believe in Christ's Name! And He is still the God of Power and Encounter!

Other than it was a bit wordy in places, it was excellent! Wonderful and accurate history of mystic lovers of Jesus. The author's vulnerability to share his own mystical experiences were enticing. The book was part of my morning prayer sessions. Love it all!

John Crowder is the ultimate in gospel, on the cutting edge and even better than apostle Paul himself... since he is alive and is able to talk in modern english. He wrote this book and all his books are good, but get his book 'Mystical Union' first to get the basic nuts and bolts, and then get this one after if you want.

This book is a riveting read, full of stories of the lives of remarkable people of faith down through the ages, who went beyond convention and proved God in their lives and experience. I find their stories challenging and used to provoke me to a greater place of belief and it has extended my understanding of what is possible when we have faith. I highly recommend it to those who wish to be challenged to go to greater heights in their walk with God

covered a wide range of material and better than I expected.

Wer sich mit den letztlich erschienen Bücher von John Crowder auskennt, wird ihn hier nicht wiedererkennen. Es ist eindeutig, dass er zu dieser Zeit als er dieses Buch geschrieben hat (2006) noch nicht dieselbe Offenbarung über Gnade und Einheit mit der Gottheit besass. Trotzdem konnte ich bei der Lektüre einige sehr interessante Dinge mitnehmen und das Lesen bereitete mir stets viel Spass.

The understanding in this book will enhance everyone's lives. To understand, or even just know of, the people who have impacted our history will deepen faith immensely. The awareness of Joel's army gives us all who are older a clear direction in teaching and equipping our younger saints to walk powerfully in Him. This book should be compulsory reading for every Christian and especially new ones!

I'm hungering for a lot more of God's tangible presence as time goes by - to the point of setting repenting of biases, fears, and disappointments because of the falseness and excess we witness in this area - and so I bought this book to feed my hunger and build faith. Crowder brings out some very good faith-building points, but i was quite unsettled by two major points:1. Crowder presents as absolute fact those shifts/movements that he personally believes God is bringing about. I believe that prophets need to genuinely hear from God to the point where they're willing to stand by their convictions, but I believe that when prophecies which are not based on biblical revelation but personal revelation get as detailed and absolute as his do, we might do well to say "I believe God is doing xyz" rather than "God is doing this". In making the huge claims with the dogmatism that he does, Crowder had better accept rebuke and discipline should he prove to have prophesied presumptuously down the road.2. I'm learning to love prophetic ministry, appreciate prophets and pursue prophecy, but we dare not neglect the biblical command to discern spirits and judge ministries. He cites many individuals with dynamic results who later went radically off track, but always excuses them as victims of success, untransformed character, or jezebelian influences. It seems that few of those who flow in prophetic movements want to face the fact that false prophets exist, that God himself tells us that there are those who do miracles "in Jesus' name" but who are unknown by Him, etc ? When prophetic movements skirt the hard truths, set aside discernment, they fall prey to deceit. That devalues a great work of God and increases skepticism toward prophetic ministry.3. Many of the mini-bios Crowder offered were valuable and enlightening. Many of the obscure historical accounts of God's work were exciting, but I did find his observations/interpretations on the early hermits and monastic movements to be extremely superficial and discoloured by the superstitioun and spurious reporting of the era, however. Many of his own prophecies about the emerging generation of prophets fit my own observations and dreams. Keep the gold and throw out the fluff.