Here is my book report on The Fourth Dimension:
1. What is the main message of the book?
The Fourth Dimension’s message is one of intensive encouragement for believers to come up higher in their faith walk. Dr. Cho points out major barriers to faith that "works", which include mind matters, and erroneous faith, and sin areas that harbour in us. He teaches us about really knowing and communicating intimately with the Father and realizing the inheritance of power resources that we have flowing through us by virtue of simply being a child of the King.
2. Please provide a short summary of each chapter.
Chapter 1 – Incubation: A Law of Faith
The incubation of faith entails the fostering of it so that it gives birth. First, I need a clear objective, a goal. Then I need to ask God for that burning desire to see that vision. Next, pray! Pray until I have the assurance that, yes! I shall have that which I see, even before I "see" it! Then, speak out of that assurance – even so far as commanding with the authority the Holy Spirit gives me, and it shall come to pass.
Chapter 2 – The fourth dimension
The spirit in us (The Holy Spirit in us King’s kids!) is the fourth dimension in us. We possess it. The language of that dimension is in envisioning and dreaming. Take hold of a vision, meditating in prayer over it, speaking of it as accomplished, walking in it as received, and the Holy Spirit is free, then, to work it out for God’s glory. It is, "seeing those things that are not as though they were" in action!
Chapter 3 – The Creative power of the spoken word
The spoken word can create a successful personal life, can be used to bring about God’s purposes, and releases the Presence of Christ into any situation. As the Holy Spirit controls, I may speak boldly, enabling Him to move forth, creating what the words speak.
Chapter 4 – Rhema
Rhema: the specific word of God to a specific situation or issue and person. There are 5 steps to receiving Rhema:
1. Wait on the Lord’s guidance, praying and fasting if necessary.
2. Ask God for the "divine desire" which the Holy Spirit deposits.
3. Check against scripture. Does my desire line up with the Word of God?
4. Ask God for a "signal". Albeit it may be very small, God will give a sure sign in the natural, which will serve as an indicator that this is right.
5. Pray and wait on God’s timing. Peace is the green light to go ahead.
Chapter 5 – The School of Andrew
We need to undergo a lifelong process of the renewal of our minds as believers, if we are going to receive and act on the rhema and live powerfully creative and effective lives for the King!
Faith comes by hearing, and our thoughts need to line up with God’s thoughts in a matter. Faith needs to co-operate with His thoughts. Three ways to change our minds to renewal mode are:
1. Think positively.
2. Train myself to "see" the "impossible" done in Christ.
3. Train my mind to think only in terms of abundance and success: God never loses and God has an abundance of everything!
Chapter 6 – God’s Address
This chapter is a recap, retelling of the need to tap into the Holy Spirit to gain access to His resources to change things and bring about influential, successful and abundant living. Dr. Cho points out 4 sins of the flesh that serve as major blocks that impede the flow of the Holy spirit’s power in us:
1.Hatred: Forgiveness is paramount.
2.Fear: negative faith, based on environment and/or circumstances, and renouncing is necessary.
3.Inferiority complex: result of life experiences that, in the natural, cause pessimism and depression. The Holy Spirit is up for the challenge to impart faith and confidence by revelations of God’s greatness!
4. Guilt: People need to be reassured of their worthiness in their forgiven state.
Dr Cho tells of how He was used by God to bring healing to people through his own words of faith in God, and he himself tapping into the marvelous pool of resources made available to him!
3. Please describe in your own words a single thought or principle from this book that was most meaningful to you.
The most meaningful portion of the book comes from the section on the Spoken word. It has been an important lesson for me and I have been steadily learning to apply it over the past 4 years or thereabouts. There were so many lies I spoke to myself about me that I had always believed were my own thoughts, but have come to realize that they were planted thoughts of Satan. The passage in this book where Dr. Cho had met with a neurosurgeon was revelatory. When the surgeon related to him of a new discovery about the mapping of the human brain and how they have just learned that the nerve networks are ruled by the speech center, I had a major "wow!" moment!
I am working with the Holy Spirit to revamp my language, both verbal and inner speech, to comply with the Word of God and what He says about me. I have already passed this information onto my cell, and will be teaching more and more on these wonderful truths. It is especially important, I believe, for women to have this truth down pat in their early walk with God!
4. Please detail your plan for applying the principles learned from this book in your life.
As I have previously stated, I am amending my use of the tongue in the way I communicate about me and about my circumstances. I am taking on a positive stance in attitude of mind FIRST, not later! In remembering Andrew and his possibility thinking, I am eager to adopt his ways. He presented Jesus with the resources, meager thought they were, for Jesus to use for His own purposes and glory. He doubted, yes, but he went forward anyway!
As long as my desires and dreams are in line with God’s Word, and I am prayerful about them, I am free to speak them, allowing the Holy Spirit to put into action the creative elements to bring them to pass.
I have already done it and God has been awesome in answering and bringing it about. Just yesterday, I was people watching. I asked God to show me who needed His touch and for what. I was thinking perhaps God was going to give me a vision of demons on some people! I was in a bad part of town sitting in my car! Well, immediately, I saw a woman walking, very downtrodden-looking, and I had this knowledge that she needed hope. So, I prayed that God would reveal to her His hope. Next a man was fastidiously gassing his fancy Ford pick-up truck at the gas station across the street. I prayed that he would learn that he loves material things far too much and he is idolizing his possessions. (He was really being overly fastidious!) The next person was a man about 50, dark, dressed in all black, and looked very life-worn. He walked past me and I thought he was headed for the bar, but he went by. I asked God to help him turn back, and turn his life around. Two minutes later, I see him coming out from behind that gas station! He had doubled back on his course of walking and was now walking back the other way! I began to laugh! I knew I was praying for these people in the spiritual, and God was assuring me by causing the natural to respond, that He is hearing and acting! What power we have in us and through us in the Person of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
