I am grateful for the time, energy and kindness of Prophecy Today’s Tom Lennie this week in reading and reviewing my book, The Glorious Few. Tom has written an accurate and honest review and for that I am very grateful. You can read it here.
It’s potent, thought-provoking, heart-stirring, impactful and at times shocking stuff…
Tom Lennie
Resuscitation
Tom is correct; my book is shocking. But it is shocking because our current juncture as the Body of Christ, worthy of collective lament, is also shocking. We need to be shocked out of our arrhythmia just like a fibrillating heart needs to be electrified out of its terminal spasm rather than being gently massaged into ease. The Body of Christ are not well; our heart is not functioning; we do not need a square meal for our resuscitation as much as a we do an injection of adrenaline and a precordial thump.
“…we do not need a square meal for our resuscitation as much as a we do an injection of adrenaline and a precordial thump.”
My intention in this short blog is not to respond to the review comprehensively (there’s absolutely no need for that) but rather to respond to one point (one paragraph) that I believe is critically important for the Church in order for us to come to realise this loving and merciful resuscitation by God.
His Name is Jealous
There are three issues in particular which weigh strongly on Nick’s heart and where he feels the Church needs to be far more outspoken and active about; these are abortion, transgenderism and LGBT ideology and the corruption of biblical marriage. But while he comes back to these topics repeatedly, there is little sign of similar focus on other prominent biblical issues – such as love, mercy and forgiveness.
Tom Lennie (my emphasis)
Yesterday, just before I read Tom’s kind review, I had just completed a powerful five-day reading of the Pentateuch. One of the observations that impacted me the most as I read this time was the repeated emphasis, amidst covenantal unfaithfulness, of God’s jealousy.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.”
Numbers 25:10-11
What I have written in The Glorious Few (and Body Zero) is shocking because what I see is shocking and, therefore, what I feel by divine pathos is also shocking: the LORD being grossly dishonoured by His covenantal people in ways that are generally not either recognised or acknowledged, (both of which are critical corporate emphases resounding throughout the book of Leviticus).
We do not see where we are; we do not recognise. Our ongoing spiritual adultery has both blinded our eyes and calloused our hearts so that we do not recognise how we really are nor where we are really at.
I think it follows that we do not need reminding of His love and mercy as much as we do that we have squandered such amazing grace. This is why the Church today urgently needs the jolting words of prophetic men and women who have been trained by anguish.
We need shocking; we do not need comforting.
Hence, a Christian book need not have an overt emphasis on the steadfast love of the LORD never ceasing, or of His mercies that are certainly new every morning, for it to be exactly what is required at this time — a prescription that will save.
The truth is that, just like an obese sugar-addict who has lost sight of what is actually good for them, the palate of the Church is intensely and powerfully conditioned to require a ‘balanced’ call to action, if it is not to be rejected outright. In this way, sugar-free delicacies are usually considered disgusting.
Does an earthly parent whisper, coo, mollycoddle and provide extra pocket-money when their child is brazenly rebellious?
Lost in Translation
What is more, not only is our corporate appetite askew, the LORD’s uncompromising holiness, blended with the loving compassion and mercy of His grace, is often ‘lost in translation’ amidst the harsher rebuke. What do I mean? Simply put that God is no less gracious when He disciplines us in fury than when He sings over us in love. It is our personal knowledge of Him that is deficient.
Does an earthly parent whisper, coo, mollycoddle and provide extra pocket-money when their child is brazenly rebellious? Are they any less loving when they don’t? Would they be genuinely loving if they did?
The Glorious Few is not primarily a social or political commentary on the liberal/LGBT agendas of our day, nor is it merely a call to be more outspoken against the wokerati. It is a message that is consumed by the jealousy of the Holy Spirit Himself, for the glory of God Himself, so as to be regarded, if needs be, the worst enemy of the Church.
Oh, that we would rouse. (See Ephesians 5:14).
The blessed hope of the Parousia is unto the preparation for that petrifying Day when He comes. Thus our preparation will be traumatic. (Please see Jeremiah 1:10).
If you read the book that I’ve written all the way to its conclusion, your eyes will land on the prophetic quotes of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, twelve sets of questions of repentance at the end of each chapter to pray through and a biblical call to national repentance for our straightening. You too will be shocked, just as our jealous God intends, into healthy, sinus rhythm.
After all, it’s not just the homosexuals who need help — in one way or another we are all ‘bent out of shape’ and we all need the straightening radicalisation of the Holy Spirit, which is His love and mercy and forgiveness.
I very much appreciate the honesty of Tom Lennie’s review and very genuinely understand the concerns. Nonetheless, this is precisely what we need if we are actually going to be prepared for the return of Christ…rather than just talking about it.
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.
Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:12)
firebrandnotes.com 
I have just finished reading ‘The Glorious Few’ taking several weeks to complete. Having read Nicholas Franks previous book ‘Body Zero’ a few years ago I was not expecting a light read. As stated above the author intends it to be a shocking book but in the sense that the contents make us confront the compromise in our own lives and in the church as a whole when set against the plumb line of the LORD’s holiness and righteousness. This should not be treated as a quick read but best approached by reading one chapter at a time and then thoughtfully think and pray through the topics and issues that are raised in that chapter before moving onto the next one. To this end there are helpful questions for reflection and prayer at the end of each chapter which aim to help us to apply to our own personal situation and the situation and state of the church that we see at this present time. I can see why some may find the tone and style abrasive and might even misunderstand or misconstrue the arguments put forth, but this is all the more reason to let the Holy Spirit do his work of conviction, hence read through slowly and pause and reflect to let his light search out the compromised and disobedient areas of our hearts. Scripture references are provided throughout which any reader can use to check the veracity of the prophetic call in this book, which is for the whole church to repent of its denominational idols and easy compromise with the worlds standards, to prepare a people expectant and ready for Christs return. I would recommend every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ to carefully read through this book and especially engage with the recommendations for reflection and prayer at the end of each chapter.
Many Thanks to Nicholas Franks for publishing this book, I hope it receives a wide readership which results in the desired intent of bringing about true heartfelt repentance before the Lord.
Thank you for your time on this, Peter…both reading as you have and writing this. I’m especially glad the end-of-chapter questions proved helpful. I have no idea if anything I write will have a wide reading but before the Lord this is what I believe to be true for myself and for the Body at large. In Christ, Nick
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