Book Review — Respectable Sins
August 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Again, sorry blogging has been very light. I’m in the midst of another busy week, but I wanted to post this book review. I just wrote it for my church’s bi-monthly newsletter, and thought I would post it here as well.
In Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges attempts to expose the subtle sins that we often justify in ourselves, even while we lament how godless and immoral the culture is around us. Among the sins that Christians often tolerate, Bridges takes a closer look at anxiety, jealousy, pride, ingratitude, judgmentalism and anger, to name a few. Before examining the ‘respectable’ sins, Bridges spends six chapters of the book giving general instructions on sin and the power of the gospel to destroy both the penalty and the power of sin.
I could go on and on writing about what a valuable resource this book is. So I will confine myself to sharing with you four reasons I found this book so helpful:
It is Gospel-Saturated – In chapter after chapter, Bridges explains that the remedy to the respectable sins is not through exercising greater will-power, but through the power of the gospel. It is only when we know that Christ has died to free us from the wages of our sin, that we can truly find the freedom and joy we need to put these persistent sins to death.
It is full of Scripture to empower you to fight these sins – Sin is appealing because it promises us satisfaction, and the only way to fight its deceitful promises is with a superior satisfaction in God. By filling his book with promises from God’s Word revealing the nature and character of the God we worship, Bridges gives us just what we need to make war on sin.
It beautifully mingles toughness and tenderness – Bridges is not shy about calling sin what it is: ugly, treasonous, and a stench in the nostrils of a holy God. He writes many things that pierced my heart as I saw just how serious my sin is. Yet Bridges does not write like a man who has conquered sin, but as one who is fighting with us. This book is humbly written by a man who has looked deeply at his own heart.
It encourages people to fight sin in community – In just about every chapter, Bridges urges the reader to speak with a spouse or close friend(s) for help in identifying and being held accountable for the sins we are struggling with. As the writer of Hebrews said, “Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.“ Fighting sin is a community project, and Bridges repeatedly encourages the reader to elicit the help of other Christians as we fight sin.
I am confident that any Christian will profit immensely from reading and applying the contents of this book. May we be known as a people who make war on sin, even the ‘respectable’ ones.
Book Review — Chameleon Christianity
June 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Yesterday I finished a book called Chameleon Christianity, by Dick Keyes. While the price of this book was disappointing ($16 for a paperback that is only 100 pages), I enjoyed what I read. The book’s aims to expose and correct a two-edged sword that often cuts off a healthy Christian witness to the world. Jesus addressed the danger of this two-edged sword in the Sermon on the Mount:
13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The one side of the sword is the image of saltless salt. In the region of the Dead Sea, the salt was often so diluted by other chemicals that though it looked like salt, it no longer functioned or tasted like salt. This is the professing Christian who blends in to society just as a chameleon changes its color to blend in with its surroundings (hence the name Chameleon Christianity). So as to avoid conflict with the world, the chameleon disregards and rejects theological and ethical principles when those principles jar against the accepted norms of society. They do not bring transformation to society, because they conform to all of the world’s wicked ways. This is saltless salt.
On the other hand, there is hidden light. These are people who resist the evil ways of the world, but to do so they establish what is in essence a Christian tribe that does not venture out from the safe confines of its ghetto where everyone thinks like they do. They have their own education, music, television programming, even yellow pages, all so that they never have to interact with the sinful world around them. In the name of protecting themselves from the world (which is in itself a good thing commanded in Scripture), they totally isolate themselves from the world, thus abandoning Jesus’ call to shine light into the world. They take the light that they have and hide it under a basket, where it is worthless. Bright light covered by an opaque box is still darkness.
Christians who are true to their calling do not conform to the world nor isolate themselves from it. Keyes spends the first few chapters unpacking the danger of these two extremes. And if we are honest with ourselves, we all tend toward one of these extremes. Perhaps there are even different areas of our lives which are on each end of the spectrum. But to be salt and light means that we will recognize our calling to be in the world, but not of it. We will strive to have a positive, transforming influence on society while at the same time maintaining our unique Christian identity.
This is no easy task. Keyes suggest that two vital ways to recover this calling are a renewed focus on apologetics, and the development of authentic Christian community. As we engage the common objections to Christianity, and as we form communities that show others what life in the Kingdom is to look like, Christians can again become the salt and light that Jesus has called us to be.
Few things are more important than the Church’s thinking and praying hard about how to obey Jesus’ commands to be salt and light. In reality, they are not commands, but statements of fact about what Christians are. This is quite humbling to those who either look just like the world, or who are so aloof and detached from the world that they have no interaction with it. In my estimation Keyes’ book is a helpful one (though not earth-shattering, by any means) in striving to find that healthy balance between being in the world, but not of it.
Larry
Book Review — Kingdom Come
April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Kingdom Come, by Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi
In our discussion of music last week, Joe warned us about the danger of throwing out the gold along with the dross. In thinking about the Kingdom of God, I think many lovers of Christ have done just that. We live in a day in which the ‘Emergent Church’ is growing in popularity by preaching a form of the gospel which is not truly the gospel. It is not really new, but it is a continuation of the social gospel that has been prominent for decades. In essence, they focus their attention on making the world a better place, caring for the environment, and fighting for issues of social justice. When these things are happening, we are bringing about the Kingdom of God. Human depravity, substitutionary atonement, hell, these are things that the emergents can do without, impediments to doing the real work of the Kingdom.
This is plain heresy. But it is heresy not because of what they care about (creation, social justice, etc.), but because of what they ignore. Yet it seems to me that many Christians have thrown out the gold with the dross. When someone speaks about the importance of fighting for the rights of the poor and marginalized, when they emphasize God’s commitment to His whole creation, not just human souls, many Christians cringe and cry out, ‘Emergent!’
Because of this tendency, I think some people who read Kingdom Come will feel uncomfortable that parts of it sound emergent. But in my opinion, this book wisely, simply and accurately brings out a much needed emphasis for Christians to consider as we ponder the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. To be as clear as I can be, this book is not emergent. I think this quote from the back of the book summarizes well Wakabayashi’s thesis:
God is up to something! And his plans are far greater than we might imagine. Christianity is not merely about isolated individuals going to heaven. It’s about God transforming the entire world and making things right. Sicknesses will be healed, sins will be forgiven, injustice will be eradicated, and all creation will be redeemed. But this is not merely a distant future. It’s happening now through what Jesus came to establish — the Kingdom of God.
I can’t capture the content of this book better than that summary. I thought this was an excellent introduction to this often neglected theme of God’s Kingdom. For too long I have considered God’s work in the world as limited to bringing humans the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. In reality God’s work is much more than this. For the Church to be the Church, we must do more than just tell people about how Jesus died for their sins. To be sure, we must do that! But being a Christian, and seeking first the Kingdom of God, means more than just this. I think our tendency to minimize the scope of Christ’s redemption to human souls is a symptom of our inherent man-centeredness. Wakabayashi helped me to recover a truly God-centered picture of redemption and the Kingdom of God.
As I read this book (and others with a similar theme, as future book reviews will communicate), I have found myself more in awe of the cosmic scope of what Jesus accomplished by His death on the Cross. For that, I am very grateful. And if you are interested in reading more about this topic, I think this book is a great place to start, because of its length (170 pages) and readability.
Can this book be construed as emergent? Yes, it can. But that is not because of the content of the book, but only because of the worldview that a potential reader might bring to the book. For those who bring a thoroughly biblical view of Christian doctrine, you will not find this to be an ‘emergent’ book. And to ignore its message because of the possibility that it might sound emergent would be to throw out the gold along with the dross.
Many thanks to Gino for sending this book my way!
Larry
Book Review — City on a Hill
April 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
City on a Hill, by Philip Ryken
I picked up this book off of Joe’s bookcase because of the title. I have been thinking a lot lately about the role of the Church in the world, and how to truly and faithfully live out the calling of Jesus to be the light of the world, a city on a hill. I hoped that this book would bring clarity on what it means to truly living out that calling in the world.
While I enjoyed this book, it was not exactly what I hoped it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good, much-needed book for the Church to consider. Ryken describes what the Church ought to be, the main pillars that make any church what it is supposed to be. Ryken highlights seven main functions of the local church:
Expository Preaching, Corporate Worship, Fellowship, Pastoral Care, Disicpleship, Missions/Evangelism, and Mercy Ministry.
Devoting a chapter to each of these main functions, Ryken describes why each one is of tremendous importance to sustain a healthy local church. I enjoyed reading the book because it reminded me of some basic things that need to be a priority, and challenged me to think about how much of a priority I individually place upon these important characteristics. I think the seven attributes that Ryken mentions will be a useful guide for my prayers for our local church here in Pitman.
In sum, I think this is a good, beginner’s book for understanding the importance of the Church, and how it ought to function. While it did not get into some of the tougher questions of cultural engagement that the title suggested to me, I still enjoyed reading it and believe it is a profitable one for anyone who wants to grow in love for Christ’s Church.
Book Review — The Rise of Christianity
April 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Rise of Christianity, by Rodney Stark
This was a fascinating book for me to read, unlike any that I have read. The subtitle of the book is, ‘How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries.’ Stark’s aim is to explain just that. How did Christianity rise in the Greco-Roman world to be the power that it became, which in turn caused it to spread around the world?
One of the things that made this book such a compelling read for me is that I could not tell (and still am not sure) whether Stark is a Christian. From what I read, it seems that if he is, he has a much more liberal understanding of the Bible than I do. While this made the book a bit difficult to read at points, it also made it very enjoyable for me. Stark explains the rise of Christianity in a way that my atheist father could agree with.
He writes as a sociologist and a historian, not as a theologian, and so he explains the dramatic rise of Christianity in mainly sociological terms. At some points this makes him border on irreverent, as he often explains Christianity as just another religious product consumed because of the right sociological conditions and its ability meet the religious needs of the target audience. Therefore, my dad could read this book and conclude that Christianity rose purely because of humanly-explained, natural, sociological factors that have nothing to do with God.
But believing what I do about the sovereignty of God over all things, I was able to read this rather atheistic explanation of the rise of Christianity with deep awe and admiration for the wisdom and power of God. Stark also described how the unique worldview of Christianity led to its rise and its ability to overthrow paganism. Because of its commitment to true community, hope in heavenly glory, power to love others in the faith and outside of it, and its view toward women and children, Christianity was able to thrive in the Greco-Roman world where other religions could not.
Stark’s conclusion is solid: The ultimate factor in the rise of Christianity was that ‘central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations.’
In sum, I learned a lot by reading this book, and am very glad that I read it. It’s given me a desire to read more about Church history, an area that I am not well-versed in. I would commend this book to others (especially chapters 4, 5 and 7), so long as they read it with the understanding that Stark is not writing a theological account of the rise of Christianity. If one brings a biblically-grounded worldview to this book, I think it will be a greatly enjoyable read that will lead you to worship God for His wisdom and goodness.
How People Change
April 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
As you can see in the right-hand column of the page, I changed my current book to How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. I will finish The Calvinistic Concept of Culture after I read this book, but I had to pick this one up not so much out of curiosity, but out of necessity. I needed food for the soul.
And though I am only three chapters in, it has proved to be a good change of pace. Gospel, gospel, gospel. The book is filled with gospel. Practical examples. Yes. But then gospel. And then some commentary. And then some more gospel. Exactly what I need. Exactly what all of us need.
I’m not sure if you have read it, but I am enjoying it immensely and, of course, highly recommend it. There are not many books that I want (and have) to read again and again, but I already know that this is one. Erin and I are seeing more and more how vital it is for us to become gospel-grounded people. Especially in our relating to one another and to our children, our deficiencies in thought, feeling, and identity are readily apparent. This book is surely a great means to effecting change.
As I mentioned in the last paragraph, however, this is one of those books that I know I have to read again and again. And I am thinking that this will prove true for all of us. For oftentimes we may think that we are becoming more gospel-centered people, when, in fact, we are just cloaking new bad habits in greater gospel garb. Consistent exposure to the teaching offered in How People Change is a necessary antidote to just that.
So I would encourage us all to make sure that we are consistently exposing ourselves to the gospel. Particularly in our reading and listening. We are desperate for change. But real change cannot come apart from such consistent exposure. C.J. Mahaney, Tim Keller, and these men have proved to be great means of blessing in that respect.
Well, that’s enough for now. I need to do some more reading!
Aiming for greater gospel-centeredness,
Joe
Book Review — Can We Trust the Gospels?
April 4, 2008 | 3 Comments
I will get back to the other two books I read in March, but in keeping with my desire to write these reviews as soon as I finish reading a book, I thought I’d post a review of the book I’ve just finished:
Can we Trust the Gospels? By Mark D. Roberts
I doubt you will be surprised that Mark Roberts’ answer to this question is ‘Yes!’While I knew that would be Roberts’ conclusion, and agreed with it before I read the first page, I think this was a helpful and profitable book.
The book started as a series of blog posts that Roberts wrote (which you can read here), and then developed into a book.Roberts’ aim in the book is to give an introductory level explanation of how the four biblical gospels came to be in the canon of Scripture, and why they can be trusted as accurate accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
In a day when the Gospels are attacked as false everywhere from academia to best-selling novels and movies (The Da Vinci Code), a short, clear and simple defense of the historical reliability of the gospels is quite timely.While many other books dive into this topic with more depth, Roberts’ book is valuable because it can be grasped by a wide audience with no prior background in this field of study.
he sixteen chapters answer very relevant, practical questions like:
- When were the Gospels written?
- Did early Christian oral tradition reliably pass down the truth about Jesus?
- Are there contradictions in the Gospels?
- Did the political agenda of the early Church influence the content of the Gospels?
If you speak with people who doubt the validity of the Gospel records, this is a good book to give to such people, or better yet, to read for yourself so you can be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that you have.Roberts is honest when engaging with doubts, and some of what he says will surprise conservative Christians (For example, Roberts acknowledges that we can’t be absolutely sure that the fourth Gospel was written by the Apostle John), but I think this honesty will resonate with those who have genuine doubts.
Some of my family members have shared their skepticism about the reliability of the Gospels, and I am thankful for how this book helped me to be better prepared to answer those questions with integrity and clarity.
Book Review — Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor
April 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, by Don Carson
One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time. As far as solid encouragement, this book stands out among the biographies that I have read. In this book, Carson shares the life story of his father Tom, who was a pastor for many years in Canada. He also quotes extensively from his father’s journals, which are both ordinary and wonderful at the same time.
I suppose the title really says it all. In our day which is full of mega-pastor personalities with mega-churches, Tom Carson was ordinary. He preached most often to a group of 20 people or so. He saw very little growth in the size of his ministry, but remained faithful in serving the Chief Shepherd. He courageously stood for the truth without compromising the great doctrines of Scripture, and he dealt with a great deal of persecution, discouragement and weariness.
I was simultaneously convicted and encouraged as I read this book. In particular Carson’s commitment to his family. The selfless way in which he served his wife as her health deteriorated with Alzheimer’s was inspiring, and it is clear that he left a great impact on his children. Carson writes that he and his sister could not recall a time where they ever heard their parents speak negatively about another person. Perhaps the best way to describe the value of Tom Carson’s life is to simply quote Don from the last page of the book:
‘Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people in the Outaouais and beyond testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday’s grace was never enough. He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity. He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says, ‘By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you are good administrators.’ His journals have many, many entries bathed in tears of contrition, but his children and grandchildren remember his laughter. Only rarely did he break through his pattern of reserve and speak deeply and intimately with his children, but he modeled Christian virtues to them. He much preferred to avoid controversy than to stir things up, but his own commitments to historic confessionalism were unyielding, and in ethics he was a man of principle. His own ecclesiastical circles were rather small and narrow, but his reading was correspondingly large and expansive. He was not very good at putting people down, except on his prayer list.
‘When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on television…But on the other side, all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man – he was, after all, a most ordinary pastor – but because he was a forgiven man. And he heard the voice of him whom he longed to hear saying, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.’
When I finished reading this book, I was deeply grateful to God for Tom Carson. And thankful for his son Don, who has encouraged this ordinary pastor by sharing with us this extraordinary story of an ordinary pastor.In sum, I heartily recommend this book to all readers. You don’t need to be a pastor to be greatly encouraged by this book.
Book Review — Between Two Worlds
April 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Between Two Worlds, by John Stott
I have heard many great endorsements of this book, and so I read this book with great eagerness.On the whole, I was not disappointed.But first I will share one difficulty I had with this book.The first chapter, in my opinion, could be troublesome for any non-preacher to read, and could even be harmful for preachers.The first chapter is devoted to a historical sketch of the significance of preaching in the life of the Church over the past two thousand years. I actually enjoyed this, but there were several statements along the lines of this quote from Will Sangster: ‘Called to preach…could any work be more high and holy!…Is it possible to imagine a work comparable in importance with that of proclaiming the will of God to wayward men?’
Stott’s intention is to recover the dignity of preaching in an age where preaching has been greatly marginalized and belittled.In this respect, the opening chapter was good.Yet I fear that quotes like the one above give the impression that preaching or full-time ministry is really first class Christian living, while all other vocations are second class.This is disastrous for Christians to believe.Preaching is indeed a high and glorious calling…and so is being a garbage collector, if that is what God calls you to.When a preacher reads quote after quote telling him how high his calling is compared to all other callings, I fear it will implicitly make that preacher feel superior to his sheep, and therefore unable to really help them deal with the every day matters of life.So while I would encourage preachers and laypeople to read this book, I felt the need to mention that concern.
On the whole though, I deeply enjoyed this book.It was challenging yet it did not paralyze me with fear about writing my next sermon, which some books on preaching tend to do.Stott writes about how to pick a text, the process of writing the sermon, the importance of studying Scripture and culture, the use of illustrations and humor, and the importance of sincerity and earnestness, courage and humility.It is a terrific book for preachers, and also a good book for non-preachers to know what to be looking for from the pulpit week in and week out.
I recommend the book wholeheartedly; I would only encourage that you keep the first chapter in proper balance, so that the dignity of preaching would be preserved, without belittling the calling of the vast majority of Christians, who will never set foot in a pulpit.
Still three more books to comment on from last month, so I guess I will be doing these a bit slower than in previous months!
Book Reviews — March
April 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I was busy reading this month, finishing 6 books.So I will break up my reviews into three separate posts for the sake of keeping them short.One thing I learned this month is that I really need to write these short reviews immediately after reading the book, and not at the end of the month.I read so much this month that it’s hard for me to remember all that I liked and didn’t like from these books, but I hope that my comments will still be helpful.Beginning in Aprilwill simply post my reviews as I read each book.
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, by Paul Tripp – Simply put, this is an outstanding book that, in my opinion, every Christian should read.The subtitle of this book really says it all: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change.The work of ministry is not for a select few who are paid clergy.Every Christian is called to minister to others, and God’s plan for the Church is brought to completion as all of God’s people work together as instruments of change.
I think what I liked best about this book was how practical it was.In the beginning of the book Tripp spends a few chapters showing the importance of the whole Body of Christ ministering to one another.But in the rest of the book, he details a model for being an instrument of change structured around four stages: love, know, speak and do.Throughout the book, Tripp gives helpful illustrations, charts and questions to drive home his points.
Again, I am really serious when I say that all Christians ought read this book.If God’s people would read and apply the contents of this book, I believe the Church would be served mightily.
Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp – The way I have heard people talk about this book, it is somewhat of the Bible of Christian parenting.Of course God’s Word is sufficient to train us in raising our children, but this book is a valuable resource in communicating the biblical vision of parenting.With my daughter being 8 months old now, it is getting close to the point that Halle is going to start showing herself to be the daughter of Eve that she is.I enjoyed this book because it gave me clear, practical, straightforward advice on how to get the most out of my child.
As far as content, the title really says it all: the work of parenting is to shepherd the heart of your child.Too many parents aim only at behavior modification, not real heart change.Actions and words come out of the heart, and so truly dealing with the sinful conduct of our children will mean helping them to understand the desires of their hearts.When we focus on the heart instead of behavior, we can properly minister the gospel of grace to them.
Tripp does a nice job of interacting with other contemporary models of parenting, and shows how they deviate from biblical truth.While the Bible is indeed sufficient to equip parents for the high calling of raising children, this book is an excellent resource in communicating the biblical principles clearly and concisely.
Book Reviews — February, Part 2
March 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Yesterday I posted two reviews of my February reading, and here are the final two:
Heaven, by Randy Alcorn – I started this book a couple of years ago but only read about a third of it, and I had a renewed interest in reading this book. I would say that I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. What I liked most about it is that it gave me a greater, more awe-inspiring view of the cosmic scope of the redemption that Jesus purchased on the Cross.
The most important section of the book for me personally was the section, ‘Grasping Redemption’s Far Reach’. I think many people in the church view Christ’s redemptive work only in terms of human souls. While this of course is very precious, it is not all that Jesus came to redeem. He did not only come to redeem people, but all of creation that was marred by the Fall. As I read the chapters on this subject, it gave me a greater sense of admiration for all that Christ really accomplished on the Cross. This alone is worth the time to read the book!
The downside of this book (in my opinion) is that a great deal of it is speculative. There are so many points in the book where Alcorn says, ‘Is it possible that…’ or, ‘It may be that…’ or ‘We have no reason to think that such and such will not be in heaven…’ At one point in the margin I wrote, ‘Can Alcorn say anything definitively?’ This is not so much a criticism of Alcorn’s theology, because the Bible doesn’t tell us everything we would like to know about heaven. But I think maybe he was trying to do a bit too much with this book. At nearly 500 pages, I think Alcorn might have written a better book in 250-300 pages where he didn’t have to speculate so much. But I know his intention was to help people use their ‘biblically-informed imagination’, which I do agree is a good thing.
Overall a good book, though a bit longer than it probably needed to be.
The Call, by Os Guiness – Another Joe recommendation. I had mixed thoughts about this book. As I wrote yesterday, I still have about a third of this book to read, but what I did read left something to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of great content in this book. Guiness writes with great insight into the culture and what it means to be in the world, but not of it. He helps the reader discover the ways in which God has uniquely equipped us to serve Him and others with our gifts, and the major threats to fulfilling that call.
What I had a tough time with was the lack of consistent flow with this book. Each chapter stands alone, which I had a hard time with. For the first hundred pages I was making myself crazy trying to figure out how each chapter fit with the last; it seemed like a completely random assortment of scattered thoughts about the nature of God’s call on human lives. As a result, I read a lot of good stuff, but had a hard time staying focused on the main point(s) Guiness was trying to make. It all seemed a bit abstract and disconnected.
Then after a hundred pages I noticed something I hadn’t seen in the Table of Contents: ‘Note: These chapters have been written as a series of individual meditations, to be read one day at a time.’ Now I understood why I was finding no continuity! I guess stylistically I just don’t care too much for that format. I’d rather read a book that builds a consistent argument that I can follow a little easier. Again, since I haven’t read the whole book I want to suspend judgment on it. I hope to read the rest of it this month, and if I want to make any amendments to this review I will do so then.
Book Reviews — February
March 4, 2008 | 1 Comment
I expected February to kick my butt a little bit with reading. I was in Indiana for a week at a counseling conference, then had a pretty intense week of preparation for our annual Men’s Advance, where I preached twice. I was actually supposed to preach three times, but got sick during my week of preparation and couldn’t write the third one. So it was tough to get a ton of reading in. Nevertheless, I was able to read two books in their entirety, and another two enough to write a review. So here’s a short review of the two I read entirely, and tomorrow I’ll post on the two I read most of.
According to Plan, by Graeme Goldsworthy – I read this book as part of our ‘Seek Him Prep’ which Joe has organized. This is a very good, basic introduction to the idea of Biblical Theology. In essence, Goldsworthy’s goal was to show the reader how the Bible is not a random batch of stories thrown together, but how the whole book – from Genesis to Revelation – is a united story centered on a main theme. If you have ever read through Numbers or 2 Chronicles and wondered how in the world this relates to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is prominent in the New Testament, then this is a great book for you.
While it is a great introductory work, I found a little dry as far as reading goes. It reads more like an academic textbook, which is not a criticism, but a fact. It’s not the most engaging book you’ll ever read. It is simple, to the point, with no extraneous illustrations or stories to engage the reader.
In essence, if you want to study more about the central themes that weave Scripture together, this is a good book for you to read (though I felt that its silence on the theme of God’s commitment to display His own glory was significantly lacking). However, unless you really have an interest in this topic (and I think all Christians who care about the Bible should!), you will probably have a tough time getting through this one.
God at Work, by Gene Veith – Another book that Joe recommended I read (seeing a pattern here?), and this was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. This short book is an introduction to the doctrine of vocation, or calling. Many Christians go through life with a very small view of how God is at work in their life calling, whether in the work force or in the home or in the Church. Many people wrongly think that people who devote their full-time employment to pastoral ministry or missions are doing the real work of the kingdom, and to ‘only’ be a teacher or a garbage collector or a housewife is less meaningful work in God’s eyes. Veith’s book is written to help the ordinary Christian get an extraordinary vision for their lives no matter what field of work God has called them to.
Veith looks at several different callings of the Christian: the calling of employment, of family, of citizenship and of the Church, and looks at all from a Biblical perspective. I think this book ought to be required reading for every Christian. It was very helpful for me – as someone who has been called to the work of ministry – to learn about the great value and worth of every kind of calling on a person’s life. I hope that this book will bear fruit in helping me to minister better to those who aren’t called to such a life, so that they can see how God is at work in His people in the ordinary, mundane things of life.
Book Reviews — January (2)
February 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Step by Step, by James Petty – Joe recommended this book to me when I asked him if he knew of any titles that could help in counseling others who are trying to discern God’s will. Working with 18-25 year-olds, there is a great deal of struggle in that age range to determine what God is leading them to do. ‘I feel God is leading me to do…’ is so easy to say, but how can it be tested? Joe suggested this book would be a good read and he was definitely right.
Petty looks at some different historical approaches to discerning God’s will, and then argues for a discernment that is grounded in God’s equipping people with wisdom by the continual process of renewing the mind. As we grow in spiritual wisdom and discernment generally, we are equipped to apply that wisdom to our individual circumstances to make wise choices. I especially thought the final third of the book was helpful, which is a case study in which Petty puts his approach into the real life example of a man trying to discern God’s will for his career.
I’d especially recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about how God guides His children in the matters of every day life, and anyone who is involved in counseling others.
Why Pro-Life? By Randy Alcorn – The primary reason I read this book was to prepare for a short message I delivered a couple of weeks ago at Koinonia on Sanctity of Life Sunday. Since Michelle and I had our first child last July, my heart has been more gripped with sorrow by the spiritual darkness that leads to abortion. Alcorn’s book was a great blessing to me, primarily in how it equipped me to talk about the pro-life position with a person whose religious beliefs are not like mine.
Many people who opposed the pro-life position wrongly think that the only people who defend the rights of the unborn are people whose religious beliefs define how they view human life (my dad, who vehemently supports a woman’s ‘right to choose,’ said this to me last weekend). This book is a great one to refute such wrong thinking; Alcorn does not argue from Scripture, but from common sense and a little bit of science and medical research.
The book is very short (120 pages), and could be read easily in a few hours. There is an expanded version called Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Questions for those who want to read more thoroughly on this issue. I really believe that this book (the little one, at least) should be read by every Christian. Abortion is a great work of darkness, and God calls His people to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but to expose them (Ephesians 5:11). Alcorn does an excellent job of exposing this dark work.
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