Ronnie Floyd's Our Last Great Hope Awakening the Great Commission is a book about missionary work and converting nonbelievers into Christians. This book called the task "the Great Commission" and describes it as "our last great hope" because the author believes the two most important things in life are 1) being saved and 2) saving others.
I give this book 1 stars because I think the author is a false teacher, selling his books for money and not living the life he is pressuring everyone else to live - read my complete review and you will see why I say this. Although this book was interesting, it came across sales pitchy and pushy - I don't like the author's message. I also don't agree with the author's emphasis on making missions the number one important thing in your life outside of your own salvation. I do acknowledge the book was well-written and thought-provoking.
In disagreeing with the emphasis on missions, I feel like the emphasis on missions is too strong and I'm not certain the Great Commission was meant to be outside of the disciples of Jesus' time. If it was meant to be outside the disciples time, then why do many bible verses suggest the mission was completed? Also, why did NO CHRISTIAN do any missionary work from the disciples time prior to 70AD all the way up to 1783AD? That's 1700 years of human lives without any missionaries? I think if God wanted missions to be so important, people would have been doing missions before 1783. Also, many conservative presbyterians believe the miracles, healings, tongues etc were only for the time of Jesus and the disciples. Google this and you will find a lot of supporting documentation this subject. It seems pentacostals are among the few who believe the miracles still apply to us today.
Along with emphasis on missions, Floyd is especially pushy about multiplying churches - bragging about what he's done. He writes as if creating 10,000 new churches in America equals saved people and God's will. Sorry but I feel like the current STATE of our churches is much more important than making more. Let's fix the ones that are not producing fruit in line with living like Jesus. We don't need more churches, we need better churches!
This book did make me think about my current views, so I think it is a good book for that. But this book really makes you feel like a crappy Christian or a bad person or even almost an unsaved person if you don't make missions number one in your life. I didn't like that feeling. It's like the author guilts you into missions.
I also looked up the author Ronnie Floyd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Floyd%20) after finishing the book and found he is pastor of CrossChurch, a megachurch (now 3 churches with over 16,000 attendees) and I don't agree with his views. Also there are some negative articles (I don't know how true they are) on him on google about pressuring Christians on tithing while his very own church only gives 2.2% to missions. If missions really is number 1 as he says in this book, why doesn't his own church live this? Why isn't the author living what he is preaching? Probably because he just wants the money from selling his books.
http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/11/ronnie-and-johnny-doggone-it-how-can-we.html
http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/02/floyd-and-gcr-they-are-astounded-at.html
My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson free of charge but I always give honest reviews. I want you to be able to choose the best book based on stars because I know you have limited time and energy to read.
Interesting thoughts. Thanks for posting them.
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