EKG Heartbeat of God

a review by Kevin Binkley

"The kingdom of God is everything. And living in the kingdom of God is God's purpose for you. And for me. And for all God's people." Ken Hemphill wrote EKG: Empowering Kingdom Growth--The Heartbeat of God (2004) to prove that statement true. Hemphill believes the kingdom of God is an exciting, life-changing way to live and serve.

Ken resigned at Southwestern Seminary in April of 2003 to take his passion to empower kingdom growth to Southern Baptists all across America. Hemphill speaks with a conviction and determination in his preaching, teaching, seminars, and now in this new book by pleading with Christians to be about kingdom business.

So, what is the kingdom of God? Hemphill says, "The Kingdom of God can be adequately understood just by realizing that [God] is our King and we are His people, that He is our master and we are His servants, that He sets the rules and we simply obey."

Christians today are tired and worn out. They are looking for power to live their lives. They know they can have it, but they can't seem to find it. Hemphill says that the kingdom of God is the heartbeat of God, and the key to empowering kingdom growth in your life, in your family, and in your church, is to understand what God is doing and how he grows and leads his kingdom.

Hemphill progressively leads the reader to understand what God is doing. He takes the willing participant on a journey that begins with the sons and daughters of Israel in the Old Testament, and walks through the Bible to see God's ongoing attention to his kingdom. Hemphill says kingdom people look and act different. He tells us why this is true, and how to be different.

Ken describes the domino effect of disobedience when God's people quit caring about the kingdom. Ken likens our disobedience to smearing God's Holy name in the dirt. "Holiness," he writes, "will always mark someone who has been with God." Holiness is the power of God talking in the life of a kingdom person and God is restoring holiness to his kingdom through restoration and revival.

We need "...the power of God rushing through our veins, restoring the blood flow to our weak and damaged arteries, performing his sovereign act of revival so that his kingdom work can pour forth from us in power." If you feel like the power of God in your life has slipped away unnoticed, this book will help you get you're anchor back.

The power of God operating in the kingdom of God is the heartbeat of God and is also the heartbeat of this book. Hemphill longs to see the heartbeat of God become the heartbeat of the reader.