6 Jan 2011

Book Review: J I Packer’s Praying the Lord’s Prayer (Crossway)

by | posted in: Bible, Books | 0

Of course during the new year time we see a lot about New Year’s resolutions and most from what I’ve seen this year have to do with reading and memorizing the Word more.  These are crucial to a Christian’s growth.  Another key discipline in the life of a Christian is prayer.  I’ve been flipping through this little gem of a book for a while now, but then decided to sit down and read it.  J I Packer is usually known for his deep theology books like Knowing God (which I also love).  But, this one, though rich in theology, is more pastoral and practical than other ones I’ve read by him. 

He walks through each phrase of the Lord’s prayer which has taught me more ways that I can pray like Jesus, and reminding me of the hope there is in praying the very words of Christ.  My life verse, Colossians 3:16, says to let the words of Christ dwell richly…how much more so in my prayer life?

At the end of each short, read-in-one-sitting, chapter has a list of study questions (perfect to use in a small group setting) and a few other passages of Scripture to broaden your understanding of the subject matter.

In matters of adoption: “Jesus directs us, however, to do it – in other words, to seek access and welcome to God’s presence on the ground that we are children in his family and he looks on us with a father’s love.” (21)

In the matter of sinful nature: “Were we left to ourselves, any praying we did would both start and end with ourselves, for our natural self-centeredness knows no bounds.” (41)

“I cannot sincerely ask for the doing of God’s will without denying myself, for when we get down to the business of everyday living, we regularly find that it is our will rather than his that we want to do, or to see happen.” (58)

On matters of food: “The Christian way is not to deify them (bodies), making health and beauty ends in themselves, as modern pagans do, nor it is to despise them, making scruffiness a virtue, as some ancient pagans once did.  It is rather to accept one’s body as part of God’s good creation, to act as its steward and manager, and gratefully to enjoy it as one does so.  Thus we honor its Maker.  Such enjoyment is in no way unspiritual for Christ’s disciples, for them, it is like their salvation, the Lord’s free gift.” (73)

On the will of God: “Christians look at their lives God-centeredly.  They see God as the one whose action has been the decisive factor shaping their lives, and as the only one who is able to assess what they have achieved.” (96)

Photo Source: http://www.ccftucson.org/

18 Dec 2010

Book Review: Living in God's Two Kingdoms

by | posted in: Books, ethics | 0

I was really excited when I saw this book on the new release list. I had been in recent conversations with friends about how they were personally engaging the culture, and I attend a church that seeks to “engage the city”, and used to attend a church (before I moved) that modeled engaging the city and culture very well. I was intrigued to see what David VanDrunen had to say about Living in God’s Two Kingdomws (btw, the cover design is really cool).
VanDrunen does a good job at laying out the outline of his book, telling you exactly where he is heading. He engages some of the opposing views and arguments that basically are the foundation of this new “area of theological discussion” (Neo-Calvinism, Emerging Churches, but this is not exhaustive).
I personally do not fully agree with either side. I think one side takes it too far, and one side doesn’t go far enough. Finally, though, the author basically states three ways that Christians are to engage the culture, how a Christian should live successfully as sojourners in this land we call “culture” .
1. “Christians should pursue cultural activities not with a spirit of triumph and conquest over their neighbors but with a spirit of love and service toward them.” (p 124). Wow – I think this is probably the toughest one of his three and I wholeheartedly agree. Even our redeemed status doesn’t make us perfect yet, and I personally often struggle with motive.
2. “The New Testament calls us to critical engagement with human culture.” (p 126) I almost wish his whole book would camp out on this point. This is where I try to engage the culture. I learned this well from a friend and professor at SEBTS, and I love reading through secular books, watching movies, and looking at art with this critical mind at work.
3. “The New Testament calls us to engage in cultural activities with a deep sense of detachment from this world and of longing for our true home in the world to come.” (p 126) This is probably the hardest for me to deal with on a personal level. As I get more into style, design, photography, clothing, I tend to step back into a materialistic mindset which the Lord has saved me from, but Satan likes to wedge his foot in my mind.
While the author does a good job at bringing in cultural examples and has a personable writing style (unlike some theological books on differing subjects), I think VanDrunen could have made this a shorter book and made his argument more simple for the non-theological to grasp.
A word for all Christians: you can’t engage the world by separating yourself from it. Home-schooling families who only allow their children to be friends with other Christians, people who will never go to movies, read secular books, watch television, own ipods, allow their teenagers on social networks…this is no way to engage the culture. Read more on VanDrunen’s point #2.
Wherever you land in this discussion: one thing is for sure: We are to be shining lights in a crooked and depraved generation (Philippians 2)

6 Dec 2010

Crossway Book Review: Acts by R. C. Sproul

by | posted in: Books | 2

Crossway is a blessing to me. I love their books!
R. C. Sproul is a faithful, long-time minister of the gospel. He has set a standard in writing and preaching and theology. I was very ready to get his commentary on Acts. I got it in the mail last week, opened it in the car, and was flipping through it at red lights. That definitely tells you it is a good book. The pastoral staff at my church is going through Acts right now so it is perfect timing and I’m also using it for the second quarter of curriculum I’m writing which happens to be on missions.
Things I love about this commentary:
1. Readability.
2. Not just facts (like Greek terms and sentence parsings)
3. Personality of author (Sproul) comes through the pages
4. The cover (and I usually discard the dustjackets right away, not this one)
5. Very easy to navigate (headings, chapters, etc)

Here is a quote, just in time for Chistmas: “The glory of Christ shone through the veil of Jesus’ humanity.” (90)
I’ll definitely be using this for personal use come January when I plow through Acts in my quiet times.
Well done and useful for preaching, teaching, or personal study.

22 Nov 2010

Entrusted with the Gospel: Book Review

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Crossway released a sermon series based on The Gospel Coalition’s 2009 national conference. Just in case you couldn’t attend, you can now read the sermons. Edited by D. A. Carson (who is brilliant and pastoral), this book features such preaching power-houses as John Piper, Philip Ryken, Mark Driscoll, Edward Copeland, Bryan Chappell, and Ligon Duncan (thankful to his years of ministry to/with CBMW). This book shows the reader that good sermons ought to serve as quality commentaries. These aren’t pithy sermons, or topical. They all are applicable to the listener and concerns the text by Paul to Timothy in his second pastoral epistle to him.
My two favorites were by Ryken then Driscoll. But, here are some of my favorite quotes:
“Some people say that doctrine kills, but this way of thinking is completely alien to the apostle, who believed that sound doctrine brings life and health to the people of God.” – Ryken
“It is the Word that the holy Spirit has unbound and unchained for the salvation and the sanctification of the people of God.” – Ryken
“The first is that if we have died with Christ, we ought to live with him, which means our community life, our speech, our interactions and relationships, and our attraction to spiritual things ought to reflect the life Christ gives, not the death that separation from Him reflects.” – Driscoll
“Failure to recognize the urgency of the hour will cause you to waste time on the inconsequential.” – Copeland

All pastors, especially young pastors, need to read this book. Thank you Crossway, Carson, and preachers.

22 Nov 2010

On Being Neutral

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Reading Entrusted with the Gospel this morning, and came to the Mark Driscoll sermon. This quote is a good one. Whether in ministry, design, engaging the culture, reading, healthy living – whatever arena you find yourself: think through this quote:

“Neutrals are Christians (or anyone) at varying stages of their sanctification (or life) who are not leaders but rather easily influenced followers. These impressionable people are prone to being unsure, confused, and fearful, depending upon what information they are given and who they are in relationship with. Neutrals are often caught in the middle when there is a conflict between positives and negatives. A neutral becomes a positive or negative depending upon who their friends are, who they listen to, what information they have access to, what books they read, and which teachers they trust.” – Mark Driscoll, Entrusted with the Gospel, 61.

I don’t think I really started running into these (or can readily recall these) until I got to seminary in 2000. I found many _____-ites (people who followed certain people, fill in the blank). But, it happens in ministry and in blog world.

So…ask yourself: in what area of life are you a neutral? How can you change to be a positive?