By John Pearson —
In more than 600 book reviews, I’ve featured only a handful of books that required two
reviews. This book also requires two reviews, maybe three.
In 2024, Richard Blackaby announced that his father, Henry Blackaby, had passed away. (Heaven’s gain!) He was 88. (His tribute appeared in Christianity Today.)
The C.T. tribute noted, “Blackaby’s famous summary of how to know and do the will of God—“watch to see where God is working and join him”—has guided numerous people, churches, and ministries to join God’s work. Blackaby’s teaching and influence crossed denominational lines as well as cultural and geographic boundaries.”
That simple principle—“watch to see where God is working and join him”—is at the heart of every short chapter and “the seven realities.” Example: “Reality 1: God is always at work around you.”
WATCH & JOIN!Don’t skip Chapter 5, “Seven Realities of Experiencing God.” Blackaby shares the movement of God in Angola Prison in Louisiana, “one of the largest and most formidable maximum security institutions in the United States.”
The warden’s church had been studying Experiencing God “…and he decided to make the study available to any inmate who wanted to take the course. It was also offered to all those on death row.
“So many prisoners were becoming Christians that seven different congregations were begun throughout the prison with inmates serving as pastors. Violence and drug use in the prison was dramatically curtailed.” Blackaby adds, “Some of the men even sensed God calling them into Christian ministry!”
And get this! The prison became an official satellite campus of a theological seminary and “…wardens from across the country began asking Angola Prison to transfer some of their transformed prisoners to them!”
EXAMPLE: View this remarkable first-person account from Angola Prison inmate Donald “Carolina” Biermann, one of five videos from co-author Claude V. King. Biermann’s story is stunning. (Watch all five videos here.)View Donald “Carolina” Biermann’s experience with God in this 23-minute video from Angola Prison in Louisiana.
WATCH & JOIN! Henry Blackaby wrote, “When I served as a denominational leader in Vancouver, one of our churches believed God was leading it to begin three new mission churches for different language groups. At that time, the church had only seventeen members.” Citing biblical examples, such as Judges 7-8, he adds, “If He ever asks you to do something, He will work through you to do it.” The result: the 17-member church received “a substantial check” from a woman’s estate in California!
WATCH & JOIN! Henry Blackaby cautioned: “Christians talk about ‘open’ and ‘closed doors,’ asking God to close a door if they are not headed the right way. While it is admirable to seek indications of God’s desires, the danger in this thinking lies in assuming that God’s will is always the path of least resistance (i.e., the open door).”
WATCH & JOIN! Henry Blackaby urged readers to “take an inventory of where your life efforts are being spent. How are you investing your time?” What are your priorities? Then ask yourself, ‘What am I presently doing that can only be explained by God’s activity in my life?’ If you cannot think of anything, spend time with your Lord and ask Him why.”
Oh, my. There’s so much more, I may need to write another review in a few months. Thank God for Henry Blackaby and Blackaby Ministries International.
