by Pastor Keroff

Editor’s Note:  Does this guy’s name ring a bell to you? Yep, that’s right, it’s the very same Pastor Keroff that played the muse for my inaugural blog entry on this site back on March 16th.  It’s kind of like having a celebrity dial in and share his bravehearted thoughts.  I hope you all enjoy!

 

“This book changed my life.  I wish I had read it 20 years ago.” 

This exuberant testimony was given about a book that is sweeping the country like an Oklahoma tornado (and it’s probably just as damaging).  What book could offer such hope and promise of alteration?  What book could guarantee such transformation and earn the accolades of thousands?

The book is simply entitled, “The Shack.”  The Shack, and its author, has been idolized and criticized.   Many articles have been written praising the effects of this book, and many others have been written warning us of its dangers and the heretical underpinnings of the manuscript.  Although I could write a whole article warning the reader, as one Christian leader stated, to “Stay out of the Shack,” I have another purpose in mind for writing.

I am a voracious reader.  I am a seminarian student, so there are some books I have to read.  Then, on occasion, there are some books I get to read.  I have been impacted by many different genres of literature.  In fact a number of publications have inspired, encouraged, and energized my walk with Christ.  I have been influenced by numerous missionary biographies and the true stories of those who have laid down their lives for the advance of God’s Kingdom.  In addition, I love to read books that call for radical commitments of obedience, as well as selected works of Biblically accurate Christian fiction.

Nevertheless, only one book holds the promise of changing lives.  Only one manuscript has the ability to strengthen individuals and keep us free from the power of sin.  Only one volume is absolute Truth and has the capacity to sanctify the heart, soul, and mind.

Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  Did you catch what the verse said?  The word of God is living and active.  The word of God penetrates and discerns.  The word of God has the capacity to do heart surgery and to bring about a metamorphosis in our thoughts, actions and words.

In fact, God said in Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

The passion in which people are consuming the pages of The Shack is somewhat surprising.  The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association lists The Shack as number 2 on their bestsellers list.  Because the book has sold over 1 million copies, it has also been granted the Platinum Award by the ECPA.  Currently, the book is listed as #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list, and has now been on that list for 46 weeks.  According to the author’s website, “The book will soon be appearing in more than 30 languages around the world and in audio versions in many countries as well.”  Pastor and author, Eugene Peterson, says “This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his.  It's that good.”  This fictional account has caused a revival of sorts in the evangelical church world.  Unfortunately, the church tends to be extremely pragmatic.  Truth is often equated with success, size or what appears to be “working.”    

Nevertheless, we need to go back to the testimony with which we started.  “This book has changed my life.”  Something is amiss in our pursuit for transformation.  As a pastor I long for the moment that one of my parishioners would come to me and say, “You know pastor, I was reading the Gospel of John the other day and it changed my life.”  Or, “I was studying the book of Ephesians last week and I have come to a new understanding of who Christ is and who I am in Christ, and I am living more victoriously in my Christian walk.”  However, it appears to me that the Bible is no longer exciting enough for this generation.  And what’s worse is that the person of Jesus is passé.  We need something new, something fresh, something novel.

At Six Flags Amusement Park in St. Louis, Missouri, there is a ride called Mr. Freeze.  Mr. Freeze is a roller coaster that takes the rider from 0-70 in 4 seconds.  After experiencing this roller coaster with my brother in the late 1990s, I had a revelation of sorts.  Various Pentecostal/charismatic revivals were at their full height and frenzy at this time, and it seemed that everyone was trying to outdo each other in regards to strange teachings, bizarre manifestations, and extra-biblical spiritual experiences.

Mr. Freeze is an intense encounter with raw emotion.  I was so scared that I saw my life, and my brother’s life, pass before my eyes.  And then this revelation came to me.  Pretty soon Mr. Freeze will no longer be exciting enough for the masses, and they will have to build something bigger, faster, and more extreme.  Mr. Freeze will need to be outdone.  I wonder if that’s how people in the church think about Jesus and the Word of God.

The Shack will eventually fade into history and other books will take its place.  But it grieves my heart to think that many in the church have not experienced the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10:10.  Perhaps it’s because we have satiated our hunger for God and His Word by filling our minds and hearts with substitute fillers.  Listen to the call of the prophet…hear the pleading of the ancient seer: “Ho!  Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat.  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.  Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you…” (Isaiah 55:1-3).

The Apostle Peter exhorted his readers: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).  I pray our appetite for what truly transforms and satisfies will return.  What we are looking for is in the Secret Place (Psalm 91:1, Matthew 6:6) not in The Shack!

Editor’s Note:  There are possibly hundreds of small town pastors like Spencer Keroff speckled about this nation.  They are salt-of-the-earth bravehearted warriors for the Truth of the Gospel and they carry a big spiritual stick.  Usually these sort of men are overlooked in our modern Christian world because our modern measuring stick of credibility is congregation size and number of published books. But I for one think we should give these humble, small town, bravehearted voices the biggest megaphone.  If you want to get to know Pastor Keroff a little better, his church is in Centerville, Iowa.  If you are in Iowa or just happen to be passing through, you may want to pay his little Assemblies of God Church a visit.  You will quickly discern why I like this guy so much.   Oh, and if you want to take a peek at my blog entry entitled, “Paging Pastor Keroff,” click here. 

PS - You will notice that this was “Part One” which invites the idea that a “Part Two” is on the way.  It is.  It may be a few weeks, but it’s coming.

Please email your thoughts, questions, and encouragements to Pastor Keroff