Speaking of Big…
October 22, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
You are right, a great Tozer quote. Our God is a big and mighty God. There may be no better place in the Scriptures to see just how big God is than the gospel of John (Did you like that segue, brother?). Last night Michelle and I took two hours (I know it’s not easy to find that time for the couple with young kids, but maybe it can be done?) and read through the entire gospel of John. Talking about a recommendation, that is a phenomenal way to spend a couple of hours!
Sometimes I can get so caught up studying the Word slowly and digging into details like conjunctions and verb tenses that I can miss the big picture. Both practices (reading slow and reading fast) can be beneficial, and last night was a very refreshing time with Michelle giving heed to the words of John the Baptist in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” It was sweet to behold Him; John (the Apostle) is one great story-teller! Only this is no made-up drama, it is the truth of the beauty of Jesus Christ, God Almighty incarnated in flesh and blood, dwelling among us and revealing the riches of His glory for our enjoyment.
As we read, I had the thought that it would be a rich experience for us to blog our way through the gospel of John. There would have to be some balance between moving slow and fast, and we could still blog on whatever else God is laying on our hearts, but to systematically move through the gospel of John and share our thoughts with one another (and Blog Nation of course) would be a sweet time in my opinion.
So that’s my proposal, starting with 1:1-4 tomorrow. As is the case now, we may have days where we can write more or less, but tell me your thoughts. I think I can find a way to take twenty minutes or so a day and share my thoughts on a short passage in this great gospel.
Enjoy the rest of your Sabbath,
Larry
PS — Michelle says no one will know what the word ’segue’ means because it’s not spelled like that. But check the dictionary and you’ll see that even though she does have a degree in astro-physics, the journalism major prevails this time!
Sabbath’s Day Quote and Read
October 22, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
Good call on the Christmas gift idea brother. You are planning ahead this year huh? Just so you know though, I already have just a few copies of that book. I could point you to a few others I might like though! Anyhow, I just wanted to share this quote from Tozer today. I receive a Tozer quote each morning. Some days are better (much better) than others. Today was one of those days.
I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.
When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn’t mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don’t make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger….
My brethren, God calls us to magnify Him, to see Him big. A meeting is not big because a lot of people are present. A meeting is big because a number of people see a big God in the meeting. And the bigger God is seen, the greater the meeting. A friend of mine has a little saying, ‘I would rather have a big, little meeting than a little, big meeting.’ There are a lot of big meetings that are little because the God in them is a small God. And there are a lot of little meetings that are big because God is big in the midst of them….
That is the first thing–magnify God. Your ministry will be little, and you will live and die little unless you have a bigger God.
Amen A.W.
As for your Sabbath read, here’s a short one that packs a heavy punch–The Greatness of God by Herman Bavinck.
Enjoying His greatness with you,
Joe
Gift Idea
October 22, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I’ve never been big on buying Christmas gifts (maybe that’s because I grew up in a Jewish family!), but as a recommendation I thought it may be good to point people to a great gift idea for the upcoming holiday. Desiring God is running a special right now on the book Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, which is a great little book which sets forth the beauty of Christ using lots of biblical texts. It is only a little over a hundred pages long, and is a good way to introduce Jesus to an unbeliever. But I believe God will use it to also fan the flame in the hearts of believers for our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Desiring God is selling cases of these books (48 copies) for a dollar a book, plus $17 shipping. That is a lot of gifts for only $65! Here’s the details on this deal.
Also, if you want to preview the book before you make that kind of investment, you can read the entire book online here (Scroll down to the link for Seeing and Savoring, click and then you can open the PDF files by section of the book).
Maybe Joe will even be nice enough to put up a picture of the book (or show me how to do it!).
Larry
Back to Resource Saturday
October 21, 2006 | 1 Comment
Lar,
What do you think about getting back to our recommendations for the weekend? I think we should. Not that we are limited only to that, but I don’t think we can go wrong on this one. Well then, here’s mine for this week: Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God by C.J. Mahaney.
Of course, I have already recommended it to you Lar, but it’s worth reinforcing I think. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it. Naturally, it’s aimed at men, but there are a few words to the women as well–written at the end by his wife, Carolyn (who has a few good books of her own for the ladies). But the bulk of it is to the fellas–and rightfully so. We are the leaders boys and the world is desperate for us to act like it–in a biblical, Jesus-like way.
Mahaney covers this need to lead quite well. He is frank and faithful and funny throughout the whole of the book. He doesn’t cover everything pertaining to marriage, but he doesn’t leave the main stones unturned (w/ one of those main things being sex of course). I recommend it for any and every husband. In fact, if you are the head of the household, I think you should consider it a must read. And that–soon. Maybe even now! You won’t be comfortable while reading, but if you are looking for comfort, you definitely don’t want to follow Jesus. It’s not comfortable leading and loving our wives like Jesus does the church, but it is biblical and vital and joyful. Let’s go for it men. Pick up this book and let it stir you to greater heights of living and loving in marriage. You won’t regret it. That is for sure. And neither will your wife!
Enough for now. Looking forward to what you are going to bring to the table Lar.
Seeking Him,
Joe
Praying in Faith
October 20, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I’m currently reading What Jesus Demands from the World by Piper. Lar, I know you already read it, but I don’t think you will mind reading some good quotes again. This one spoke to me.
Praying in faith does not always mean being sure that the very things we ask will happen. But it does always mean that because of Jesus we trust God to hear us and help us in the way that seems best to him. It may mean that he gives us just what we ask, or that he gives us something better. Will a father give a son a stone if he asks him for bread? No. But neither will he give him bread if it is moldy. He may give him cake. Sometimes God’s answers will overwhelm us with their excess. Other times they taste more like medicine than food and will test our faith that this medicine is really what we need.”
Al Mohler on Preaching
October 20, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I know that I tend to post a lot of quotes/thoughts on preaching, but that is what my heart burns most for. Here are some thoughts from Al Mohler via Tim Challies on some alarming trends in contemporary preaching. Mohler considers five points relevant to the downgrade of preaching:
A loss of confidence in the power of the Word - Our culture is gravitating towards images as the preferred mode of communication. Words are, then, necessarily losing their power and this in turns impacts preaching. But “the audacious claim of Christian preaching is that the faithful declaration of the Word of God, spoken through the preacher’s voice, is even more powerful than anything music or image can deliver.”
An infatuation with technology - “We live in a day of technological hubris and the ubiquity of technological assistance. For most of us, the use of these technologies comes with little attentiveness to how the technology reshapes the task and the experience. The same is true for preachers who have rushed to incorporate visual technology and media in the preaching event.” While technology is not inherently bad, it has allowed the visual to overcome the verbal. And yet God has chosen to be heard and not seen. We know God not through what we see but what we read and hear. We know God through the Word.
An embarrassment before the biblical text - “Many preachers simply disregard and ignore vast sections of Scripture, focusing instead on texts that are more comfortable, palatable and non-confrontational to the modern mind.” There is much in the Bible that makes us uncomfortable and maybe even a little bit embarrassed. But the Bible, from cover to cover, is the Word of God and must be taught. It all exists for our edification and we must not dismiss those parts that are more difficult to understand and reconcile.
An evacuation of biblical content - “Another problem that leads to an evacuation of biblical content is a loss of the “big picture” of Scripture.” Rather than preaching the big picture of the Bible and rather than pointing to the story of redemption, many preachers focus instead on only individual passages, treating them much like fortune cookies and acting as if they are disconnected from the rest of Scripture.
An absence of the Gospel- “The clear presentation of the Gospel must be a part of the sermon, no matter the text. As Charles Spurgeon expressed this so eloquently, preach the Word, place it in its canonical context and ‘make a bee-line to the cross.’” Too few preachers speak of issues of morality and practical living, but omit a clear presentation of the gospel. In so doing they eviscerate the power of preaching.
Too many churches and too many preachers have made preaching something it was never meant to be. Mohler’s conclusion presents the simplicity of preaching. “In the end, the Christian preacher simply must confront the congregation with the Word of God. That confrontation will be at times awkward, challenging and difficult. After all, this is the Word that pierces us like a sword. The evangelical preacher must set his aim at letting the sword loose, neither hiding it nor dulling its edge.”
Read the whole article here.
Larry
Clean Mangers or Abundant Crops
October 20, 2006 | 3 Comments
Lar,
As I said some time ago, I am in the midst of reading Proverbs (among some other books) in my daily reading routine. Well, I figured it might be helpful to both myself and the whole of Blog Nation to post some reflections on some of these verses. I hope that is the case. I’ll begin with Proverbs 14:4.
I have read this verse plenty of times, but it never fails to strike me with its force. It reads
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”
That’s a simple verse, a simple truth right? Either we can have a clean manger or abundant crops. There’s our choice. The difference maker is the oxen. If we value a clean manger more than abundant crops, we’ll pass on having them and give them to another. But if we want the abundant crops, we will have to put up with a dirtied up manger. There is a cost to having abundant crops.
So it’s a simple cost/benefit analysis right? Sort of I suppose, but what is its application? Limitless in a sense I believe. One thing that struck me is that it could be speaking to most of us as comfortable Americans. Might it be that we fail to possess an abundance of spiritual fruit (crops) because we are too busy keeping our mangers’ clean? We are so concerned with our house and car and retirement and comfortable little suburban lives that we miss out on the joy and peace that comes from self-sacrificial service for the glory of God. We are so focused on our own personal worlds that we miss out on the joy that comes from forgetting ourselves by pointing others to Jesus.
Maybe the greatest need in the world is for American Christians to stop worrying about the neatness and tidiness of their ‘mangers’ in order for them to strive for abundant crops–that is–true spiritual riches that will last forever. It might mean leaving the suburbs for the plains of Africa or the slums of India or the cities of America. I don’t know, but we can rest assured that we aren’t serving the world well by focusing so much of our attention on keeping our mangers’ clean. We are (I am) way too focused on ourselves. May the Lord grant us mercy, but making us long for an abundance of spiritual fruit.
That’s just one application, but it is worth considering, I believe. Pray for me brother. My manger is way too clean.
In need of some oxen,
Joe
Quote Bandwagon
October 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
Great quotes dude. I appreciate them. I was thinking that we could start a new blog called “The Great Quote Blog.” Maybe we could work on the title a bit. I am not really serious about this (unless you are in considering it or Blog Nation demands it!), but it might be a popular venture. Although, come to think of it, I think we might have some good quotes of our own (or maybe not). Also, if we were to have a quote blog, Jesus needs to get the most words! Actually, maybe a good idea would be to have a quote day (or two) each week. Think about it. Anyhow, here’s another I read today by Piper. Good stuff. Worth some time of thought and meditation.
“The seriousness of sin arises from what it says about God. God is infinitely worthy and honorable. But sin says the opposite. Sin says that other things are more desirable and more worthy. How serious is the? The seriousness of the crime is determined, in part, by the dignity of the person and the office being dishonored. If the person is infinitely worthy and infinitely honorable and infinitely desirable and hods an office of infinite dignity and authority, then rebuffing him is an infinitely outrageous crime. Therefore, it deserves an infinite punishment. The intensity of Jesus’ words about hell are not an overreaction to small offenses. They are a witness to the infinite worth of God and to the outrageous dishonor of human sin.”
Making war with you on all that dishonors our most worthy God,
Joe
A Quote
October 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Here’s a great quote from Jonathan Edwards to muse over:
“Religion [Christianity] brings no new troubles upon man but what have more of pleasure than of trouble.”
Jesus
October 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
That’s a good title for a post, right? Simple and sweet. It’s struck me this week how wild Jesus words’ really are. It is stunning that people actually believe that Jesus was a good moral teacher and a very kind man, but not God. What good, kind man says things like this:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51).
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26)
Truly, in the words of the officers who were sent to arrest Jesus and came back empty-handed, “No one ever spoke like this man!” That’s because He is no mere man!
Enthralled by the Lion-like Lamb,
Larry
Wise Words from A.W. Tozer
October 18, 2006 | Leave a Comment
“The laws of success operate also in the higher field of the soul–
spiritual greatness has its price. Eminence in the things of the
Spirit demands a devotion to these things more complete than most of
us are willing to give. But the law cannot be escaped. If we would be
holy we know the way; the law of holy living is before us. The
prophets of the Old Testament, the apostles of the New and, more than
all, the sublime teachings of Christ are there to tell us how to
succeed….
The amount of loafing practiced by the average Christian in spiritual
things would ruin a concert pianist if he allowed himself to do the
same thing in the field of music. The idle puttering around that we
see in church circles would end the career of a big league pitcher in
one week. No scientist could solve his exacting problem if he took as
little interest in it as the rank and file of Christians take in the
art of being holy. The nation whose soldiers were as soft and
undisciplined as the soldiers of the churches would be conquered by
the first enemy that attacked it. Triumphs are not won by men in
easy chairs. Success is costly.”
Baxter’s Word to the Dudes
October 17, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
Thanks for the wise words regarding the reading of good books. You are right on the money, but I am sure you knew that already (and you should!). The Lord has been gracious to point us to some very good teachers. For that I am thankful.
Richard Baxter is another good one–not a perfect one as we know (he has a few doctrinal convictions that I would go to war with), but a good one. His book, The Reformed Pastor is as good as it gets in my understanding (even though I only got a thrid of the way into it). Well, here’s a good short article for the dudes, a.k.a. the men–particularly men who are husbands. It’s a high call to lead the home. It’s a tough call. But when done as Scripture commands, the fruit is sweet. Let Baxter call you to new heights. Be convicted. Be convinced. Then, by God’s great grace, seek Him and let Him make you the man you need to be.
O yea, and then read this article as well. Little longer, but full of wisdom (by Baxter as well). Ladies, don’t be shy about reading this second one especially. It is addressed to you as well.
Striving to lead in His grace to His glory,
Joe
p.s. I need to credit my beautiful wife Erin for pointing me (and now the whole of Blog Nation) to those articles. Good work love!
Good Stuff
October 17, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Thanks for the longest post ever on your most influential books. You are right, it was fun to think of the stories surrounding each of those books, both the ones you chose and the ones I did. It definitely helps you stand in awe of the grace and providence of God. Particularly, I could never forget your wedding day when ten minutes before exchanging your vows you were ranting and raving about this self-professing “Christian Hedonist”. It confirmed to me what I already know: you were one sick dude! Actually, I was reading Still Sovereign on my wedding day so I am pretty messed up myself!
I also think you were right on with your comments about Piper. We always need to be on guard with the “I follow Apollos” mentality, but there is no denying that I am more zealous for Jesus Christ because I did take a period of time (longer than three or four months, myself) to inundate myself with his way of thinking. Was it Martin Luther who made that comment about how the best way to go deep with God was not to read a little bit on a lot of different things, but to find one or two men who are known to be sound in theology and rich in worship and saturate yourself with that man’s way of thinking? I think it was Luther, but I will look for the quote. Either way, that wisdom has profited me. The time of deepest growth in my spiritual life was the time I spent getting to know and love the thoroughly biblical vision of God which John Piper describes in his books.
It struck me that another objection may be to wonder why we get so worked up about books in general, and why we do not talk about the Scriptures more. Are not the Scriptures sufficient to teach us all we need to know about God? Why bother with Piper, MacArthur, Sproul, Packer, or whoever?
There’s something very right about this response, which is that we should indeed be infinitely more committed to the Word of God than to other, non-biblical books. George Mueller said that for every one page of a non-biblical book, he read ten pages of the Bible. That is indeed convicting, and no human teacher can ever replace devotion to the Holy Scriptures.
But the person who raises this objection that human authors are unimportant fails to give heed to the very Scriptures that he or she claims is so sufficient for everything. In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul writes, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.“
God has given to the church pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to the end that the Church might attain the fullness of Christ. Those teachers preach, and those teachers write. God has prescribed that some men who have the time and the gifts should devote themselves to serving the saints by writing books so as to reach a larger audience than those who sit under the ministry of the Word. Good books are a precious gift of God and a means of our growing into all the fullness of Christ. We must be discerning and test all things according to the Word of God. Any teacher who distorts the Word of God should be dismissed; but to the degree that these pastors and writers are faithful in opening up the Scriptures to us, we should make use of this gift just as we make use of sitting under preaching.
I know I speak for Joe when I say that we are incredibly grateful for the godly men and women who devote so much of their energies to feeding God’s flock through the writing of books. To God alone be all the glory,
Larry
My Top 700 Books
October 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Ok, so I’m just kidding, but Lar, I have to ask: Where did you get ten? Oh, that’s right, you got it from Christianity Today’s survey. I suppose that is legit, but man, how do I narrow it down to ten? You asked for the books that have most influenced us. I am taking that to mean, the books that have most influenced my thinking. I suppose that stretches to not only the way I think, but what I have a burden for and why. So here is approximately ten books. I couldn’t get just ten, but I don’t think you will mind.
1. Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado. Notice that I don’t include a link to this one. Now, I’m not going to bash Lucado or anything. I am sure that he is a very sincere brother. But let’s just say there wasn’t a whole lot of meat eating going on while reading this book. But hey, I was a few months in the Lord. In the Lord’s providence, I took away one emphasis from this book that dictates everything I do, namely, if you want to become more like Jesus, you need to spend time with Him. Profound huh? Well, as you well know, it inundates all my thinking and preaching and living and leading. Spending time with Jesus. Simple, but that is where we need to start and that is where we need to stay. We need to learn to wait upon the Lord, to seek Him. This begins in private; and the Lord used Lucado to show me that need. My prayer is that the Lord might use me to point others to this great, simple need as well–and thus, to point them to God.
2. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Now where do I start? I do think that this has been right at the top of the books that have most influenced my thinking. Tozer’s emphasis on seeking hard after the Lord, and what that is really all about, is something I come back to time and again. I pick it up almost once a year. His prophetic analysis captures my soul; and his ability to point you beneath the surface of things is something that is so needed today. At one point in the book he says something to the effect that we as a church have enough scribes, teachers who can tell us about the Word, but sadly, we have few prophets–men who have been behind the veil, so to speak, men who have caught a true vision of God and who faithfully proclaim what they have tasted and seen. That is a great burden of mine. And I should point out that that concerns not simply preachers, but Christians in general. I don’t want to simply ‘know about’ God. I want to know God with an intimacy and depth so that when people observe how I live and how I speak, they will say, surely that man has seen God. I could go on and on–as Larry alluded to–but I’ll end by saying this: get this book and read this book until you get it.
And don’t think you will get it the first time. The first time I read it, I underlined almost everything and understood almost nothing. But the more I came back, the more I learned. The more my heart was stirred. The more my life was changed. In fact, I am stirred just talking about it. The message there is needed today. It must not go unheeded. Read this book until you get this book. You will not regret it.
3. The Pursuit of Man by A.W. Tozer. I won’t say much on this one, but Tozer wrote this book as a companion to The Pursuit of God. It serves as just that. Before it was renamed, it was entitled The Divine Conquest. I prefer that title actually, pointing to God’s conquest of man’s heart. But The Pursuit of Man does the trick. In particular, Tozer’s emphasis on the need of the Holy Spirit, in both the life of the believer and the church, now burdens my soul.
4. The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur. Before Jeff told me I needed to read this book, I was wrestling for weeks over how people could call themselves believers, but not live like it. Well, MacArthur had the answer. I read the intro about 10 tens in a row. I will never forget it. Then I went up to his bookstore and purchased boxes of good books, some of which follow. There’s a reason why we are confused by people who call themselves Christians, but fail to live like it, namely, many of them aren’t Christians at all. It’s a tough reality to face, but it is reality, and we are always best when we take reality head on.
5. Desiring God by John Piper. I marvel at the providence and grace of God when recounting the stories of these books. His timing is truly perfect! As you will remember Lar, I first picked up this book about 1 hour before marrying Erin. I remember turning to both you and Jeff and telling you that because I was reading this book, our lives would never be the same. And they weren’t were they? I suppose I was flowing in the prophetic! Piper’s introduction in and of itself changed my life and marriage and friendships and ministry. Everything! The reality that God calls me to wholeheartedly pursue my own highest happiness and pleasure (in Him of course) was absolutely freeing. I did carry that burden of duty, duty, duty. And it was a heavy one to say the least. Erin and I spent the whole week of our honeymoon talking about the truths presented in that book. Of course we did some other stuff (like jet skiing and stuff…), but that book definitely got its due.
6. Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. Now the funny part about this, is that this was our second week of marriage! The next week, we were at the Jersey shore when I picked up this book. Needless to say, this forever changed us as well (the Lord was doing a lot during that summer wasn’t He!). Erin, Jeff and Carol thought I was losing my mind, but I stood strong in my relative ignorance and told them firmly that they would see the light when they read this book. Well, they did. Nothing changes you like the doctrines of grace, b/c nothing reveals the fullness and freedom of our great God like those great, central truths. How awesome is our sovereign God!
7. The Pleasures of God by John Piper. I know there are a lot of great books on God out there, but I really do believe that this is one of the best. Why? Because it places God’s delight in God at the center of His being and inundates all His other attributes. No one else does this, you know? I can honestly say that this central vision of God inundates all my other thoughts of God–this vision of Him being infinitely happy in and of His Three Persons and joyously sovereign over all the earth working all things according to the counsel of His will (among other great truths)–and is the ultimate source of my joy. This is the main reason why I point everyone to John Piper. No one else talks about God like this. If you are going to read one book about God, read this one. It’s not an easy read, but what easy thing really benefits you? Again, you are wise to read it until you get it. And when you get it, plan on falling on your face with great awe and joy!
8. Future Grace by John Piper. Yea, another Piper. Surprise surprise. And guess what, there is one more coming too. Well, when Erin and I were in Greece for five months, we read almost all of Piper’s stuff. It was probably one of the most fruitful seasons of our lives. No one had ever told me that the way to fight against sin was with a superior pleasure. And sadly, few others actually do. The truth unpacked in that book changed the way I fought (and fight) the fight of faith. And I have no doubt that it will change yours.
9. Let the Nations be Glad! by John Piper. I never knew that God was jealous to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea (even though the Scriptures say it). I didn’t understand how passionate God was for the cause of missions, for the cause of gathering in His elect from the four corners of the earth. Well, Piper makes it plain in this book. My heart was enlarged until the furthest reaches of the earth. I began to step out of my little American world and began to think global. And imagine, my joy in God and passion for God and love for the nations increased!
Maybe this is a good spot to say a few words about all these Piper books. I know that some people might struggle with my naming a single author so much. I suppose I can understand. Many might fear putting too much stock in one man, maybe they are afraid of an “I follow Paul, I follow Apollos” mentality. That’s cool. But I will say this: I don’t think there is anything to be afraid of. I mean in my mind it’s really simple: I don’t love Piper so much as I love the God he loves and the God he proclaims. I love him because he loves and proclaims a God-centered God like few actually do. Even the best of teachers today will say the same thing. Few talk about God the way Piper does. Few know Him the way Piper does. So why not sit under the best. I am very thankful that the Lord brought me to sit under Piper’s ministry. I count it an act of His sovereign grace.
I would also ask: does this blog fuel your fire for God at all? I pray that is the case. If it is, don’t be deceived, realize that it is in large part due to Piper’s ministry. Ok, one more thing: after saying all of that, I would encourage you out there to consider taking a season to sit under Piper’s ministry. As I mentioned, Erin and I found those 3 or 4 months in Greece some of the most fruitful in our lives. Get to understand the God he speaks of and writes. Listen to his sermons. Read his books. Maybe only his books for a few months. Then move onto some others. Not to worship Piper (you wouldn’t want to worship him anyway–he’s just a normal guy like Larry’s size who doesn’t even fully understand sports), but to worship the God he proclaims. The Lord has His hand of blessing upon him, and I think He might bless you. Anyhow…back to the task at hand. Two more books.
10. The Unity of the Bible by Daniel Fuller. This is funny, because after saying all that I just said, Fuller was Piper’s teacher in seminary. Anyhow, this book really opened my eyes to the unity of Scripture. It produced in me a great love for Biblical Theology that I continue to pursue to this day. When we begin to see the big picture of Scripture, we can then come to a greater appreciation and understanding of its respective parts. It’s a long one, but as always, well worth the dig.
11. (Or 10 since Lucado’s didn’t really count) Heaven by Randy Alcorn. In my opinion, every single Christian needs to read this book. And I believe every single Christian is capable of doing so. It’s long, but not a hard read. For so long, I thought Heaven was just this abstract place. I was totally ignorant and didn’t really long to go there. Well, after every chapter of Alcorn’s book I would turn to Erin and say, “Hun, I love you so much, and Abigail Lee too, but I can’t wait to die!” And I meant it! Why would we want to go to Heaven if we don’t know what it’s like. Alcorn brought Heaven down before my eyes as it were and made me long for eternal life with our great Lord. It’s a must read.
Well, this is the longest post in blog nation history, but here are a few honorable mentions. Revival and Revivalism by Iain Murry was a life changer. This was used by God to bring to my heart a great burden for revival. So also was his Pentecost–Today?. Ashamed of the Gospel by John MacArthur was used by God to give me a burden for today’s church, in both prayer and action (ministry). Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp taught me the importance and the how-to’s of being a dad. How Then Shall we Live? by Fracis Shaeffer showed me that there was more to Christianity that saving souls and waiting for heaven. Humilty by C.J. Mahaney just confirmed how arrogant I was, but gave me practical steps (and hope) to pursue humility of heart.
Of course there is more, much more, but I can say that these books have been central in my thinking and living, and trust they will be in the days and years to come–if the Lord wills to give me such time. I think it was Charles Spurgeon who said something to the effect that it doesn’t matter so much how much we read, but what we read and whether or not we really get what we should. There is wisdom there. I have enjoyed recounting some of the books that have been central to my thinking and pursuing. I pray that you have benefited from reading this record-setting post!
Books really are a joy, b/c they are used mightily of God to stir us on as we seek Him! I thank Him for His providential kindness and grace.
Seeking Him with you,
Joe
Ten Influential Books
October 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Last Friday I threw out the suggestion to Joe that we consider what are the ten books that have most influenced us. It was not easy to do, because it’s hard to remember so many books that I read four or five years ago which had a great impact on me at the time. But here’s my ten, and maybe as I see Joe’s ten (or when he says to me, “What were you thinking?”) I’ll make some amendments to my list. I couldn’t really place them in order of influence to me, so I am just listing them in alphabetical order:
* Chosen by God, By R.C. Sproul — Not the most thorough book on the doctrine of unconditional election (Still Sovereign, by numerous contributors, is a better book in my opinion), but this is the one that began to open my eyes to some simply magnificent truths in Scripture. Because it was used of God in that way, and because of how the understanding of and rejoicing in this truth has had such an impact on my life and ministry, I put it among the ten most influential for me.
* Future Grace, by John Piper — As with Chosen by God, this book was used of God to help me something so prevalent in Scripture that I don’t know how I missed it: that God motivates us to obedience not by backwards looking gratitude for what God has done for us, but by promises of future reward. The way to fight the fleeting pleasures of sin is by a superior pleasure in the promises of God. Life-changing stuff!
* Knowing God, by J.I. Packer — This is not the most complete book on the character of God, but Packer’s vision of God combined with his humility and reverence before this God is a breath of fresh air. Some books on the character of God are beautiful, but very hard to read. This one is more of a devotional book, yet its vision of God is beautiful.
* The Life and Diary of David Brainerd — Brainerd’s pursuit of and passion for God is awesome. This book may be the most personally convicting book I have ever read. I felt, at times, as though I was unsure if I had ever been converted to Christ in a saving way. Reading Brainerd’s diary is a constant reminder that I have no reason to be proud of any personal holiness of discipline that I have attained.
* Money, Possessions and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn — It is a long one, but worth the read. If you want a shorter version, check out the Treasure Principle. Jesus spoke about money so much because He knew the great power for blessing or destruction that comes with it, depending on how we use it. Alcorn’s book made me want to lay up as much treasure in heaven as possible, and reminded me that this world is not my home, and I need not give into the lies of our society that I should live like it is.
* The Pleasures of God, by John Piper — This is without question the most influential book that I have ever read, apart from the Holy Scriptures. God’s greatest passion is God; that truth has changed my life, and Piper helped me see it. For more of my thoughts on this book, click here.
* Preaching and Preachers, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones — Since preaching is what I believe God has called me to do as a vocation, at least one book on this subject has to be in my top ten. And the one that has most stirred me is this one by Lloyd-Jones. It gave me a great sense of gratitude and awe for this great calling to herald the Word of God.
* The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer — I am sure Joe will have lots to say about this one too, so I’ll just leave that to him. In brief, this book helped me understand Psalm 63:8, “My soul follows hard after You…”
* Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn — Surprising to me that a novel would be on this list, but since this novel was so rooted in fact of what is happening in the Church in China, it had a profound impact on me. I had been aware of the persecuted church long before I read this book, but Alcorn’s books has had a lasting impact on my prayers for these persecuted brothers and sisters of ours around the world, and my gratitude to God for giving us the Bible in our own language.
* What’s So Amazing about Grace, by Philip Yancey — This is probably the controversial pick of mine, but I can remember reading this book in the summer of 2002 and it really changing my understanding of who I am and how weak I am to do anything apart from Him. If I went back and read it again today, I would probably disagree with some (actually, maybe a lot) of what Yancey has to say, so don’t take its placement on this list as a recommendation. But God honors the needle of truth in a haystack of error, and God used this book to show me that my diligence in pursuing God was not the grounds of my acceptance in His sight. I’m not saying that there is a haystack of error in it; but knowing more where Yancey is at theologically, it is amazing that God used one of his books to make a real impact on me.
So there’s my ten. I am eager, Joe, to see yours!
Larry
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