Maybe you’ve seen him as the charismatic host of Star of Zion’s
StarCast. Perhaps you saw him as the host of
Zion’s Finest. Maybe you’ve seen him as a pastor, mentor, or acolyte director, but you’ve seen him;
Rev. Dr. R.J. Chandler is a familiar face in our beloved Zion.
A.M.E. Zion, from birth, Dr. Chandler became an acolyte at the age of eight under the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Brown Sr. An Acolyte is entrusted and commissioned with lighting and extinguishing the altar candles. This sacred practice acknowledges God’s presence in worship. At the pastor’s discretion, acolytes are also given the opportunity to serve clergy within the altar area and lead formal processionals and recessionals.
As Dr. Chandler grew up, he took every opportunity to learn about different departments within the church. No doubt, serving in the chancel area and having access to the wisdom of the sages of the church strengthened a young Chandler and gave him a different perspective of what intimacy with God looks like. For Dr. Chandler, this provided the structure and discipline it takes to succeed in any field of study/career. And Dr. Chandler has done just that. I was given the opportunity to speak with Dr. Chandler to discuss his book: “
The Power of Intentional Intimacy: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting Will Make a Difference.” For Dr. Chandler, this is not just an excellent biblical principle; it is a way of life, as this book evidences:
Fasting and Prayer are the keys by which Christians unlock the doors of revelation from God. Fasting helps us get ready for God’s arrival, His presence, and manifestation. It puts us in a mindset to clean up what we can in our lives and put forth our best effort in presenting ourselves empty so that God can fill us. This devotional supports spiritual development as one grows closer to God through fasting and prayer.
Dr. Chandler is the quintessential example of how a child, trained up in the way that he should go, will not depart when he is older. Over the years, Dr. Chandler has matriculated through the various youth organizations in the church, learning, serving, and growing along the way. The training that Dr. Chandler received at a young age is undoubtedly the foundation of his desire to be intentionally intimate with God. The instructor, Dr. Chandler, allows us to take 21 days and begin the practice of intentional intimacy that will undoubtedly lead to a life impactful through the Power of God.
The power of intentional intimacy 21 days of prayer and fasting will make a difference and is a welcomed contribution to the resources available to Christians who authentically seek deeper intimacy with God in this culture of complacency and superficiality. Dr. R. J. Chandler Sr. invites us to go beyond a casual self-centered spirituality and yearn to grow in our knowledge of Jesus and ourselves.
– Bishop W. Darin Moore Presiding Prelate, Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District99th Bishop in Line of Succession of The A.M.E. Zion Church
The Power of Intentional Intimacy is a necessary book that every Christian ought to have in their toolbox for spiritual growth and development. It is a 21-day guide to a more profound and trusting relationship with God. Trust is a two-way enterprise. By faith and the knowledge of the word of God through life experience, we learn to trust God. God desires to trust us as well resulting from our spiritual obedience. Fasting is an exercise in spiritual obedience. Please read the foreword and introduction to this book carefully, or you will miss the whole substance of the 21-day guide.
– The Right Reverend Sylvester Scott BeamanPresiding Prelate of the 15th Episcopal DistrictAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church South Africa, Namibia, and Angola
Zion, let us purchase this book not just to support Dr. Chandler but so that we, too, can begin the journey of becoming intentionally intimate with God.
For more information or to purchase the book www.revrjchandler.com
