God's Purposes Prevail in The Necessity of an Enemy by Ron Carpenter, Jr.

by Dawn Paoletta

August 11, 2012

@breathoffaith

The Necessity of an Enemy: How the Battle You Face Is Your Best Opportunity

"Sometimes a Goliath has to get in your face to bring about needed changes." Ron Carpenter, JR.

Are you facing an enemy in your life today? Can you identify it? Have you faced enemies before and still are trying to figure out what was the purpose in the scheme of it all? Ron Carpenter, Jr. addresses the reason behind the enemies you are facing and how they have been handpicked specifically to advance you in God's purpose for your life.

Looking at the enemies of the Bible greats such as Moses, Joseph, David, Samson and Jesus, we see how each enemy when confronted ultimately furthered the advancement of God's purposes in time.

If you are feeling discouraged and need a reminder that whatever your are going through now is not for nothing. If you want to see beyond the superficial and immature Christianity that views life as a toy store and God as a super sized Santa Claus. If you feel like you have been facing one setback after another and can't catch your breath. If you want to make sense of some of those circumstances that still have you scratching your head, I think this book will be useful and uplifting to you.

There were a few points that Mr. Carpenter made that I found especially powerful. This is one of those books where you will be mulling over some of your own past experiences with new insight that is really helpful. That was my experience. I hate to use this phrase but, I really had a few "Uh-huh" moments.

The idea that God uses tests as a teacher does was one of those. A teacher test a student not to teach them something BUT to reveal what has been learned already. So often people think God is testing them to teach them something, but Mr. Carpenter makes a subtle but enlightening point! I just loved that. There was a light bulb over my head when I read it, I'm sure of it!

The other point I appreciated and which we recognize as common to believers but sometimes I think it's forgotten in the heat of battle. The enemy is not fighting what we are doing. He is fighting what we are becoming.

Well, in the end, we are reminded that every single painful battle we encounter and enemy we confront brings us closer to the Victor's crown. God has a purpose and plan for each one of us, and His will will be done. "Every conflict, if embraced properly, will reveal itself to you as a necessary step toward purpose and destiny.

The author, shares his own personal journey and battles along the way. Much of what he has learned and shared has shaped the way he lives now and balances his ministry, and family life. He touches candidly on boundaries, misplaced trust and the many other internal and external distractions that can keep you off track in your spiritual journey. I think this book was useful and encouraging pointing out the confidence we can have in God's plan for us for good, even when things look bad.

About the author: Ron Carpenter, senior pastor of Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, South Carolina, is recognized worldwide as a leader of leaders. As both a senior pastor and an entrepreneur, Ron's relentless passion for developing potential in others permeates his organization. After graduation from Emmanuel College, Ron and his wife, Hope, founded their church in 1991 with three members and a passion for breaking down walls of racism, crossing cultural lines, and changing poverty mindsets. Today the congregation numbers over 16,000 and the ministry of the church includes 150 community outreaches, television and web programming, and a worldwide network of over 1,500 affiliated churches, Ministers, and leaders. Visit his website at RWOC.org.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.