Living Amazed: The Inaugural Edition

By Al Perrotta Published on January 18, 2017

“Look at the nations, and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5 NRSV) 

That verse rings in my head today, as I think of Stream founder James Robison, particularly the NIV translation of being “utterly amazed.” James has a new book that became available for pre-order this week, called Living Amazed. It’s about how opening yourself fully to God will lead to astonishing encounters that can change the life, indeed, the eternal destiny of others. James practices what he preaches, which explains why he’s about to board a plane to help inaugurate the next President of the United States. 

Yes, it is astonishing how by “living amazed” James obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit (however begrudgingly at first) and ended up ministering to and befriending the soon-to-be-President. Believe me I want to write the movie. Trump/Robison will make Frost/Nixon look like Tom & Jerry.

However, even more astounding are the seemingly small encounters James recounts, as in the story that opens the book. On a long drive home, James feels compelled to get chocolate milk. He ends up in a parking lot of grieving teens who just lost a friend, their faith shattered like a soda bottle under a pick-up truck. Ultimately, as the chain of events unfolded, hundreds give their lives to Christ all because James ignored all the excuses for getting back on the road and instead obeyed the Voice that said, “James, those kids need to hear how much I love them.” 

Amazed at Living Amazed

We’ll be talking more about Living Amazed in the weeks and months ahead, and hopefully hearing your own stories of “living amazed.” You can also bet The Stream will be sharing some jaw-dropping, God-praising tales from this week’s events in Washington.

But I’m calling this “Living Amazed: The Inaugural Edition” for another reason. Starting this week, I’ve been given stewardship over The Stream‘s Inspiration section, and this is my inaugural effort in that role. 

The timing of the Living Amazed pre-order launch serves as both a welcome and a warning to me. Unless I am living amazed, listening to Holy Spirit, sharing what and who God wants us to share β€” if I’m not a sheep hearing the Good Shepherd’s voice β€” this won’t work. The Stream‘s better off just posting cute cat videos and I might as well go back to writing one-liners for radio jocks. 

I don’t think that’s God’s plan, no matter how much fun it is to work all day in sweats.

Besides, if I was working at home in sweats I wouldn’t have just heard the boisterous laugh of Sheila Walsh as she preps for a LIFE Today taping. Sheila isn’t just someone whose wisdom we so gratefully welcome on The Stream at her every opportunity. (Her next piece will post in a couple days.) Her music helped my wife Rusty through some dark days, helping keep her heart dancing and faith strong; a faith she would later share and explore with a Tarot-card reading guy in a Cosby-esque sweater she met at an entertainment industry seminar.

Rusty only signed up for the seminar because she heard God’s Voice say “You have to do this!” “What is this?” she said in response, having not even yet looked at the flyer she’d grabbed out of her mailbox. “You have to do this!” the voice repeated. Despite the cost, and it was considerable, she obeyed. 

You know the rest. The Tarot-cards and the Cosby sweaters ended up in the trash and the guy ended up in the Book of Life.  Score one for Living Amazed. 

When I think that the same Holy Spirit that introduced James Robison to Donald Trump introduced my wife to me, I can only be astonished! 

When I think that the same Holy Spirit that introduced my wife to me introduced me to the King of Kings, I can only be astounded!

And I can only pray that I forever remain living utterly amazed. 

A Prayer

Lord, please show us how to live amazed, how to live aware of those who You bring us into our lives, if only for a moment. 
Lord, let all the words we post on this page be Your words, reliant and faithful on Your Word, delivered with Your love. 
Lord, let all the messages that meet Your standard stream to all who are thirsty.
Lord, let those who drink be empowered, emboldened, encouraged … and when You will it, entertained.
Lord, let us remember that do not live amazed to live for ourselves but for others. 
Likewise, let us not speak for our own glorification but for Yours. 

In Jesus’s mighty name, Amen!

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