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| SECRETS of the EARLY CHURCH... What will it take to get back to the Book of Acts? | 
 enlarge | Author: Andrew Strom
Publisher: Revival School
Category: Book
List Price: $8.61
Buy New: $8.52
You Save: $0.09 (1%)
New (13) Used (4) from $8.52
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 504063
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 120
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4
ISBN: 0979907330
EAN: 9780979907333
ASIN: 0979907330
Publication Date: June 11, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New American book. Printed on demand and shipped within the US in 4-7 days (expedited) or about 10-14 days (standard). Standard can occasionally be slower so we advise using expedited if quicker delivery is important!
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| Customer Reviews:
 What a Mess! October 19, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've only read three chapters and I feel ill! Where to start? Well, Mr. Strom fails to see that the book of Acts is a transitional book. Not all believers had the same experience. Mr. Strom also equates the "water" in John 3:5 (Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.) with being baptized! What a mess! If he had read vs. 4 he would have seen the relationship of physical birth and spiritual birth. Mr. Strom, just FYI, but have you ever heard of a pregnate woman's "water breaking"?
This book is just another mess where the author fails to "study" and "rightly divide" the scriptures. You want a church like the book of Acts? Which part? You want to get baptized? which kind? There are at least seven different baptisms in the bible. Personally, I'm baptized under Pauls' baptism, not Peter's (at least in Acts 2). Peter's baptism was a continuation of the only baptism they knew. Who was that? John the Baptist. His baptism was for the Jews only. He preached "Repent and be baptized". Who was Peter preaching to in Acts 2? Jews. And they did NOT ask how to be SAVED? You've gotten more Bible in this review than Mr. Strom has in the first three chapters.
Well, I could go on, but I will finish the book. No doubt he has some truth in there. But let me say if you think you are to repent of your sins, have faith in Jesus AND be baptized to get to Heaven, then you are following a "gospel" of works.
***UPDATE****
The book is finished. Is there any truth in it? Yes. Of course there are problems in the "institutional church". But his premise that because buildings, colleges, etc. are not mentioned in the book of Acts, so therefore they are not needed, or are in error, or the cause of error, is inaccurate. There were doctrinal problems and error and personal sin problems in the early church, and Paul writes about them. Those people were not sinless and perfect either.
The last points I want to make is that Mr. Strom is wrong on the Lord's Supper. His writing seems to make it "almost" a sacrament, with spiritual power. Also, on page 111, Mr. Strom makes the following amazing comment: "But my point was that our buildings are also the CENTER-PIECE of the denominational DIVISIONS that we have today (his emphasis)." This is ridiculous and niaive. The "divisions" we have today are based on DOCTRINE. Paul rebuked Peter over doctrine. Wow, the original Apostles didn't always get along, but Mr. Strom thinks that we can/should.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone because of so many obvious doctrinal and practical errors.
 A must read for any one seeking a true biblical church experience September 24, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is astounding. It holds nothing back and speaks nothing but truth. Even though there are many controversial concepts presented, they are all backed up Biblicaly.
Read this book with an open mind.
Do You Ever Wonder.... July 6, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
In Matthew 15:8, 9 Jesus reiterated what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Do you ever wonder WHY ON EARTH we do what we do when we practice this thing we've called "church"? Just think of it... Do you ever step back, observe, and wonder about our 'church'-culture? There is an interesting verse in Proverbs that says, "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit" (Prov. 14:8). Do we understand our way? Do we even know WHY we do what we do? Or do we live a life that is done in ROTE and in doing this we deceive ourselves?
When we look at the BOOK OF ACTS we see a community of Christ's disciples that absolutely SHOOK their world for Christ, brought the reality of GOD and of ETERNITY down to this earth, were entirely not of this world but totally committed to reaching it, and thousands would get SAVED, FILLED with the Holy Spirit, and baptized daily. On the other hand, when we look at the 'church'-culture (largely in the West) we see almost NONE of that.
WHY IS THIS FRIENDS? What are some of the SECRETS OF THE EARLY CHURCH that we need to get back to???!
As you read this book may the Lord touch your heart and may you be encouraged to break free from the TRADITION OF MAN and return to the TRUTH of the Word; to walk in GRACE, PURITY, UNITY, & TRUTH. Let's go forward, brothers and sisters, as by God's grace and Spirit we turn the tide and move back to TRUE New Testament faith!
May CHRIST BE GLORIFIED in all (Eph 3:21)!
Your brother,
Glenn A. Bolan
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