The Life of God in the Soul of Man - Review

365: day 265
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The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal (1650-1678, bio)

What can someone who barely lived to see his 28th birthday in 1678 have to say? Enough that George Whitefield said he never really understood what true religion was till he had digested Scougal's treatise (from ccef.org).

Found off of a friend's recommended book list, I loved this book. Loved it. I was reading it with other people, and while they didn't like it, I kept enjoying it more and more.

The language is old and the sentences are long, but there is great reward in sorting through this treasure.

In describing the divine life:

It is a real participation of his nature, it is a beam of the eternal light, a drop of that infinite ocean of goodness; and they who are endowed with it may be said to have “God dwelling in their souls, and Christ formed within them.”

The Rise of Christianity - review

The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark is a sociologist's look at why Christianity grew in the few centuries following the death and resurrection of Christ.

Stark addresses how Christianity advanced by looking at several factors: class distinction, the mission to the Jews, epidemics, social networks, elevation of the status of women, urban outreach, ancient urban structure and culture, martyrs, and virtues held by the believers.

On the one hand, this is an aggravating book for me. Stark is not looking at the growth of the church as a work of the Sovereign Lord. He sees the growth of the church in purely horizontal (read: human relationships) terms.

On the other hand, this is a profound book. The contrast in the lives, actions, and community of the believers to the pagan culture they lived in was incredible. The Christians stayed during the plagues, they valued women, they had tight community that was deep and thick. Believers gladly went to their deaths in the face of persecution.

Stark's bibliography is long and he frequently references primary sources. His presentation is rather powerful even if there are portions that I disagree with. Given some caveats, this was a great and encouraging read.

The Jesus Storybook Bible - review

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a children's Bible. But it is more than that. Not only retells certain portions, but it points us to where these portions are heading. It is great book for anyone (any age!) who wants to understand the Bible and how it points to Christ. I can't read certain parts without getting choked up. I thought it was amazing.

For example, take the ending of the story of Abraham after he was about to sacrifice Isaac (p 69):

"One day Someone will be born into your family," God promised them. "And he will bring happiness to the world."

God was getting ready to give the whole world a wonderful present. It would be God's way to tell his people, "I love you."

Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back. Like Isaac, he would trust his Father and do what his Father asked. He wouldn't struggle or run away.

Who was he? God's Son, his only Son - the Son he loved.

The Lamb of God.

History Makers - review

St Mary's at Night
Originally uploaded by Lochinvar1.

History Makers, edited by Paul Hostetler and Grazyna Kozusznik (translated from Polish), is compilation of essays about church planting in Poland. Each of the articles is an autobiographical sketch of the church planter and the church plant.

These accounts seem to be quite honest and humble, yet expecting God to do great things. Many of the ministries have very small churches, have gone through difficult transitions, but have a deep love for Christ and His people.

I got this book from a missionary to Poland and was very intrigued. Carrie and I have both done church planting work in Poland so I was eager to see if I knew anyone. And I did, Piotr Zaremba from Poznan. I took this book with me when I taught at Seaside Missionary Training Center in Odessa and two of the Polish students were related to church planters in the book.

If you can find it, it is worth obtaining. It is real - failures and successes both are given in the book. It can stir the heart.

Not Under Bondage: Biblical Divorce for Abuse. Adultery & Desertion - review

Not Under Bondage: Biblical Divorce for Abuse. Adultery & Desertion by Barbara Roberts is a defense of biblical divorce for marital abuse, immorality, and abandonment. For full-disclosure, Roberts states upfront that she has been the victim of abuse and eventually divorced.

Roberts is quite clear that she is arguing for a distinction between "disciplinary divorce" - divorce because of abuse, adultery, and desertion which allows for the offended party to biblically remarry, and "treacherous divorce" - unbiblical divorce. She defines abuse, what the church and people involved should do in a situation of marital abuse, and provides a biblically-based defense of abuse as a sanctioned reason by Paul. Roberts spends most of the book on the issue of abuse since adultery and desertion have been well-served other places.

Most of her case centers around 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul allows a Christian to let an unbelieving spouse leave. Roberts argues that an abuser has become like an unbeliever and the believer can recognize that the offending spouse has already left. While Roberts gives a good argument and opened my eyes on a few passages, I feel her argument from 1 Corinthians 7 is wanting.

Roberts is quite thorough in her argumentation, similar in depth as to what one might find in Feinberg and Feinberg. She analyzes most of the important passages and gives some detailed commentary for them. Aesthetically, the print in this book is small and goes to the margins, so the text is a bit irritating to look at. That being said, this is a good volume to have if you'd like some interaction on what you think about biblical divorce and remarriage.

Teaching Cross-Culturally - review

Teaching Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching by Sherwood Lingenfelter and Judith Lingenfelter is to help the western-trained Christian educator to work well in a non-western or multicultural educational setting.

The authors take a look at many things a westerner might assume when teaching. This is then contrasted with learning styles, cultural expectations, and how the various roles in the teaching process are understood.

As I first read this book it initially seemed like blah, blah, blah. But it really is a gem. Great insight for teaching, whether in a western setting or not.

Deep Church - review

Deep Church by Jim Belcher

Well.

Everyone seems to love Belcher's clarity on the issue of emerging/Emergent/traditional churches. His endorsement list is rather unbelievable. Most that are in the know regarding emerging church issues, feel that Belcher has really pegged the history and the current situation. The question is does his third way, his "Deep Church," provide common ground?

Sheepishly, I don't feel like I can give a good answer.

As an audio book, I have mixed feelings. It was great in the parts where Belcher was recounting some of the backdrop for some of the current emerging church debates. It is not good (as an audio book) where you need to stop and chew on something. Many good things have been said about this book and I remember enjoying it, but I can't hardly tell you what some of the author's thoughts are on a way forward for a church. With the audio book, I had a bit of trouble getting a larger sense of where we were going.

Buy the book to really chew on Belcher's third way, unless you just want a good listen on the dynamics of emerging, Emergent, contemporary, or confessional churches and related debates.

Unless you are a better listener than me. If given truth serum, my wife might put a good 98% of the human population in that category. So there you are.

For some good reviews of the book, try here (positive) and here (negative)

Have a Little Faith - review

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom is about the lives of three individuals:

*Albert Lewis, a rabbi who was dying and asked the prodigal congregant Mitch to do his eulogy.

*Henry Covington, an ex-con, former drug-addict/dealer that came to Christ and began preaching and addressing social needs in Detroit.

*Mitch Albom, a journalist that is going through the struggles of performing this eulogy and reckoning his own spiritual life. He tells the story of these two men.

Mitch is a good writer, very easy and entertaining to read. And this is a feel-good book. I got this book free for doing a review in return. While I have been out of country and not feeling well, I was hesitant as to what to say about this book. There is a tension that this book does not resolve concerning faith - what about truth? There is a sense of "we are all OK" but it isn't brought to full blossom. In fact I imagine that Mitch might be the only character (if any) pushing for that position. It seems that the important thing is to believe, without much regard as to it's object.

The stories of these two people (and Mitch) are superbly told. It is heart-warming, but incomplete as a treatise on faith. I'd probably enjoy Tuesdays With Maurie.

The Pomodoro Technique - review

The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo is an exercise to help one focus in their work. It is rather simple, you set a timer for 25 minutes and work without interruption according to your sheet, take a 5 minute break, and repeat three more times, when you take a longer break. There is more to it, but not much.

It has helped me to stay focused and I think it is worth a read. Don't buy the book. Just get the pdf. It is super helpful.

Seeing with New Eyes - review

Seeing with New Eyes by David Powlison guides us through counseling and the human condition through the lens of Scripture. This book "focuses on the conceptual. It unfolds Scripture's view of people and problems. It reinterprets common counseling phenomena through God's eyes, as revealed in Scripture." (p 7)

The book is divided into two parts: (1) Scripture opens blind eyes and (2) Reinterpreting life. Part 1 centers around opening various passages of Scripture to issues we face in life - Ephesians, Psalm 131, Psalm 10, and Luke 12:22-34. Part 2 looks at issues such as how to ask good questions, addressing desires, the "contraconditional" love of God, God as our Father, and weaknesses of following our feelings.

Powlison is a good writer and his robust explanations of how God's Word unfolds in a person's life has been very helpful for me. A recommended volume for anyone that either has a need for God's gracious Word or knows someone who does.

Grimm's Fairy Tales (Fun books) - review

Sometimes I 'review' fun reading just because I think that some would benefit from it. I don't know what sort of person benefits from Grimm's Fairy Tales, but if you want to step into bizzaro world, here is the door.

One of the best ways to die? Get stones sown into your belly and then get thrown into the river. A girl marrying a giant rabbit? Not a problem. There are a couple of people put into iron caskets with nails and rolled down the hill. And there's the guy that takes his leg off because he runs too fast with both legs.

It is insane. It is classic literature.

Growth Groups - review

Growth Groups by Colin Marshall (Mathhias Media) outlines important aspects of leading a small group.

Marshall uses a very broad purpose statement for small groups (receive Christ as Lord, live with Christ as Lord, p 12) and then outlines the dynamics of this group. The book gives some excellent discussion on the practical parts of a Growth Group but doesn't spend as much time providing a comprehensive vision for these groups in the context of the broader church.

This is a simple and easy to use book. There is a training program at the end so that you can begin training your new leaders. Excellent for what it does.

In a Sunburned Country - review

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is humorous travelogue on Bryson's trip throughout Australia.

Bryson journeys to the corners of Australia detailing the various sights, local history, and his own humorous encounters. He is quite entertaining (a bit crude at times), but much of the book is about Bryson himself on this journey. As an author, he moves you along quite nicely.

A snippet from a conversation between Bryson and a park ranger about the disappearance and presummed drowning of former Prime Minister Harold Holt (they were at the beach where he was swept to sea):

But as I (Bryson) was leaving he called to me with an afterthought. "They built a memorial to him in Melbourne," he said. "Know what it was?"

I indicated that I had no idea.

He grinned very slightly. "A municipal swimming pool."

"Seriously?"

His grin broadened, the nod was sincere.

"This is a terrific country," I said.

"Yeah," he agreed happily. "It is, you know." (p 143)

Life as a Vapor - review

Life as a Vapor by John Piper is a series of 31 meditations about our life in light of eternity. Piper tells us clearly the purpose of this book: "my prayer is that these meditations on the Word of God will link you with eternal joy, and make the vapor of your life an everlasting aroma of praise to the glory of Christ." (p 12)

Excellent stuff here folks! In doing many of these together as a family, I greatly appreciated the prayer at the end of each meditation - succinct, meaningful, passionate. Here is one to get a taste:

"Lord, You have been our dwelling

place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever You had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting You are God."

But we are like grass:

we flourish for a moment and then wither.

We are like a vapor:

we appear from the mouth,

and two seconds later we are gone.

Give us a mind to know the past,

lest we waste our fleeting lives

repeating its mistakes.

In Jesus' never-changing name,

Amen. (p 97)

groundswell - review

groundswell - winning in a world transformed by social technologies by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff answers three questions: (1) what is groundswell, (2) what to do about it, and (3) how you can use it to succeed in your company.

So, what is groundswell?

Ans.: a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations. (p 9)

Ex.: Brian Finkelstein filmed a Comcast technician who fell asleep on his couch in 2006, waiting on hold for help from the Comcast home office to fix an Internet problem. Now this video is the top result when searching "Comcast" on YouTube. (p 7)

Some of the technologies that create groundswell are blogs, social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace), wikis/open source, forums & ratings, and rss. The authors then go through describing the impact they have on the groundswell. They then detail how this can be used to a company's advantage.

The examples are excellent (Digg and the HD-DVD key, P&G's beinggirl.com, Loblaw and the BBQ cap), but it tended to get a bit dry by the end (a Social Technographics Profile isn't the most interesting thing in the world). Clearly pointed for business people and not just theoretcial ponderings about future of technology. This book either educates those who are newer to some of this tech or it helps bring focus to some of what we already experience. This is a valuable resource for those that interact with the outside world.

The Holman Illustrated Study Bible - review

The Holman Illustrated Study Bible combines the Holman Christian Standard with maps from the Holman Bible Atlas and lots of photos.

Each book begins with an overview including major themes, purpose, Christ, canonical setting, and literary features. Notes, aside from the few text critical footnotes, are topical and sporadic but the photos and vivid maps are quite helpful. There is an appendix that has various charts (millennial positions, canonical lists, measurements) and an abridged concordance.

What really hinders this study bible are aesthetics. The deep yellow for the footnotes is very distracting and the colors for the charts can be a bit grating. The first few pages include space to record births, deaths, etc. To me, those kinds of pages are curious enough, but there is a fake Hebrew type writing underneath each heading.


Notice how they make the Hebrew letters look like the English equivalents above. There is a mutilated Qof and several upside down Shins, to note a few of the errors. This is a perplexing choice - you wouldn't appreciate the line underneath unless you realized that they are Hebrew letters. But, if you knew they were Hebrew letters, you would know that Hebrew is read right to left, Hebrew letters (or words) don't simply correspond one to one with the English phrase above, and that many of the letters are adjusted, flipped, and twisted. If you didn't realize the silliness immediately, you'd figure it out with the helpful Hebrew alphabet acrostics printed with Psalm 119 and Lamentations.

If you don't mind a few visual quirks, this isn't a bad study bible. Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of content that separates this from better study bibles. My recommendation is the ESV Study Bible - great content and helps.

Silmarillion - review

Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien fills in the history of the events before The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

This was for pure fun. I liked it, but I can't imagine many that would - lots of names and relationships to keep straight. If you don't like pouring over a map, this is not the book for you. If you didn't like LOTR, then this really isn't the book for you. You might even like maps and LOTR but still not get into Silmarillion.

However, I did. Thanks Carrie!

The Shack - review

The Shack by William Young is a fictional story about Mack: his loss and his subsequent encounter with God.

Well I read it. If you want a detailed review, you can look here or here or even here (with a few disagreements). If you'd really like a deeper look, I have a friend that has corresponded with author about his concerns with the book. Yes it is fiction, but the author is trying to say something true about God. That's why you have people getting all up in arms about this book.

Actually, I didn't really enjoy it, but it is so popular that I felt I should read it. The hype didn't help. The event that precipitated Mack's journey to the 'shack' was so awful and random that it lost a real connection with me. Parts struck me as hokey. Yes, some things were good, but certain notions were just wrong. Others have said this in a much more eloquent and convincing manner.

If you'd like to read fiction, you could do better. If you'd like to read about God, you could do quite a bit better. For some better books on evil, God, and our response, I'd recommend How Long O Lord? and Where is God? (a true account).

Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees - review

Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees by Thomas Hale is about a missionary family's journey to Nepal.

Thomas and Cynthia Hale felt the call to serve in Nepal as medical missionaries from 1970 to 1980. This book tells of how God provided for their trip, some of the unique challenges that stood before them, successes, failures, and sitting on long bus rides.

This is a very enjoyable book. It isn't a hagiography, but an honest take on their time (with all of the messy details) while serving in the missionary hospital. It was very real and motivating. Serving the Lord is humbling, it shatters our expectations, and it is the most glorious we could ever be blessed to do!

Hale writes in a readable manner - this is no chore to get through. Personal stories aside, the observations about Nepalese culture make this book worth picking up. Reading this is time well spent.

The Pursuit of Holiness - review

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges is a book about the holiness of our Lord and the holiness in the life of the believer. Originally written in 1978, this book has not lost any luster.

Bridge's classic addresses the issues surrounding holiness: holiness of the Lord, understanding how holiness works in us, obedience, faith, joy, etc. Straightforward and lucid, Pursuit of Holiness guides the reader through the text of Scripture with great impact.

Some excerpts:

Acknowledging His holiness is one of the ways we are to praise God. (p 24)

Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervours, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks and willing as God wills. (p 47, quoting Scottish theologian John Brown)

We have to learn that we are dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to attain any degree of holiness. Then, as we look to Him, we will see Him working in us - revealing our sin, creating a desire for holiness, and giving us the strength to respond to Him in obedience. (p 76)

Joy not only results from a holy life, but there is also a sense in which joy helps produce a holy life. ... And as [the Christian] hopes in Christ, he begins to have joy. ... He then finds that the joy of a holy walk is infinitely more satisfying than the fleeting pleasures of sin. (p 151)

Definitely recommended.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking - review

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell investigates how some people can make highly accurate split decisions. And how our intuition can really let us down.

This book really gets you thinking. There has been some critique about Gladwell's analysis of what forms our thinking, how he sees this phenomena working, or that he just pulled together various articles and try to make a book out them. These accusations may be true, but this was a FUN book to read!

Gladwell looks at so many things: predicting divorce, picking out a fake sculpture, Tom Hanks, racial bias, Marines in Vietnam, Coke vs. Pepsi. The concept behind the show Lie To Me is addressed. You learn why orchestra auditions are done with a screen separating judges and applicant. The list goes on - awesome stuff!

Truth. - review

Truth. by Dave Bordon has 100 contrasting statements between what popular culture says and what Scripture says. Written in a style that allows someone to easily read a page at a time, the book is meant to highlight some of the messages we get bombarded with and confront them with the truth.

While I was a bit skeptical at first, I actually enjoyed this book. Yes, there is a bit of Christian sloganeering and there are few chapters that I would have said a bit differently. Arguments and analysis are not that in-depth. But the intent is to confront some of what is been told to us with Scripture. Truth. does that in an accessible, entry-level fashion.

A word of warning: this book is meant to be read in parts. There isn't any real cohesion between the sayings, so it is good for people that really don't like to read more than just a little bit at a time.

The Kite Runner - review

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about the life and redemption of Amir, a kid growing up in and then returning to Afghanistan.

In short, I enjoyed learning about Afghan culture and history, but the story was disappointing.


SPOILER ALERT!!!

SUMMARY OF THE STORY: This is a novel about a rich(er) kid, Amir, that grew up in Kabul. They have servants in the house and the servant boy, Hassan, is very fond of Amir, but he is a Hazara, an unpopular minority. One day Hassan gets a special kite for Amir, but a local bully, Assef, rapes him because he is Hazara and Amir, who sees it happen, does nothing. Amir, ashamed of his cowardice, drives out Hassan and his father out of his house and into a very desperate life.

Amir and his father eventually have to flee the country and they go to America. A relative of Amir, Rahim, asks him to come back to Afghanistan (during the Taliban era) and retrieve Hassan's son, Sohrab, from an orphanage. Amir finds Sohrab in the clutches of the same man, Assef, that raped Hassan - a druggie, a pedophile, and an executioner for the Taliban. Amir gets beat up by Assef, only to be saved by Sohrab before he dies. Though free from Assef, the Taliban, and Afghanistan, Sohrab never really recovers psychologically, even though he winds up getting adopted by Amir and living in the US.

The positives of the book: The author tells a very compelling tale. It grips at your heart. You feel anger and despair. You gain some insight into a culture that you might ever know about.

What did I not like about this book? This is essentially a story of the redemption of Amir for his cowardice when Hassan needed help. It seems that since Amir almost dies at the hands of Assef and he (reluctantly) adopts Sohrab, all is well. Everyone else dies before the truth of the whole situation comes out. It seems so trite; the events, though perfectly laid out, do not yield redemption for Amir. How does Amir's pummeling make everything better? How does Amir caring for a child that (seemingly) could have had a happy life with his real dad make the first act go away? It doesn't.

And having the villain as a doped-up, Nazi-loving, pedophile with John Lennon sunglasses who also happens to be a part of the Taliban(!) is a real stretch - even in this novel. I'm no friend of the Taliban, but that sort of portrayal seems to run contrary to Taliban values (like eradicating opium production, hating Western culture, enforcing sexual mores - you get the picture), which they conveniently disregard in the case of Assef.


The book is a page turner, no doubt about it. If you think that a certain amount of personal suffering can atone for very evil deeds, then you'll enjoy the flow of this novel. If not, you can learn a bit about kite fighting (which actually sounds kinda cool).

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God - review

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan is an audio book that talks about what it means to be a follower of Christ.

First, the book is deeply challenging. Looking through the lens of Scripture, Chan confronts mediocrity in the church without seeming whiny. Convicting. Inspiring. One of the better books I have 'read' this year.

Secondly, this is not a great audio book. For one, Chan reads it and his reading seems a bit dispassionate. Also, this is a book you want to go back to. He makes these annoying comments about putting down the book (to stop listening) and check out a particular video online or fall on your knees and I'm like, "Dude, I'm driving as I listen to you."

So buy the book. It was worth listening to, but I'll still need to go back over my own copy. (And set aside time to check out video, reflect, and seek my God.)

Who Is Jesus? - review

Who Is Jesus? by N.T. Wright evaluates three contemporary (1994) claims of who Jesus really is. The unfortunate (but deserving) victims of Wright's penetrating analysis are Barbara Thiering, A.N. Wilson, and John Sprong.

Barbara Thiering claims that Jesus was a figure in the community that wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Gospels are code (she claims pesher) for the happenings within that community. According to Thiering, Jesus is drugged on the cross in a trial and awakens in a cave. He eventually marries Mary Magdalene, has a daughter and two sons, divorces her, and marries again. Easy breezy for Wright to dismantle this mess.

A.N. Wilson claims that Jesus, as we know him, is mythical story. According to Wilson, Jesus actually died, but the people thought that James (Jesus' brother) was actually Jesus resurrected. Wilson's problems in his assessment center around two issues: (1) even though he is a good writer, he isn't that great with facts and using scholarship and (2) he has admittedly given up his Christian faith and (surprise, surprise) Jesus wouldn't have approved of the Christian faith either, all the while calling the NT writers biased. Wright shows his ability as a historian and Wilson readily goes down as well.

John Sprong attacks the birth of Jesus and calls the Gospels fanciful stories which aren't meant to be taken literally (calling them Midrash). Wright deals with Sprong skillfully, but this is a more intricate argument.


Wright is very easy to read; for a book reassessing the historical Jesus, it was a page-turner. There are a couple of comments Wright makes that get under my skin. While N.T. Wright takes positions that I do not hold, they are outside of this volume; this book is a keeper.

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism - review

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever is a short volume on our individual responsibly to see the Gospel spread. The core of the book is found in these seven chapters:

1. Why Don't We Evangelize?
2. What Is the Gospel?
3. Who Should Evangelize?
4. How Should We Evangelize?
5. What Isn't Evangelism?
6. What Should We Do After We Evangelize?
7. Why Should We Evangelize?

There are some final words on the "closing the sale" mentality, a recommended reading list, and a word to pastors.

Excellent stuff by Dever. Simple, biblical, clear. The intro about John Harper is worth having alone.

Yes, it appears that the dude pointing on the cover has been in the weight room.

How To Pray - review

How To Pray by Reuben A. Torrey (1900) is a straightforward guide on the why's and how to's of prayer. The chapters, correspondingly, follow in this fashion:
1. The Importance of Prayer
2. Praying Unto God
3. Obeying and Praying
4. Praying in the Name of Christ and According to the Will of God
5. Praying in the Spirit
6. Always Praying and Not Fainting
7. Praying with Thanksgiving
8. Hindrances to Prayer
9. When to Pray
10. The Need of Prayer Before and During Revivals

Some summaries and excerpts:
We are to pray, as Christ did: a great while before day, all night, before great crises, after great events and crises, when life was unusually busy, before great temptations, and as a habit of life.

A wife's prayer for her husband to be converted is selfish when it is because she wants a more pleasant life or even because of the pain she might feel knowing her husband is lost. Why should a woman desire the conversion of her husband? First of all and above all, that God may be glorified; because she cannot bear the thought that God the Father should be dishonored by her husband trampling underfoot the Son of God.


One might take issue with Torrey's concreteness, but this is a helpful work. There are a few places where I took issue with his presentation of Spirit baptism and how God responds to our efforts, but he offers some sound wisdom to the would be intercessor. Plus, it's free.

Frankenstein - review

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the classic fiction novel about Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous(?) creation.

This is a fun read that brings up all kinds of ethical issues. Chocked with detail and dialogue, Tom Clancy fans may be a bit disappointed. Nonetheless Shelley is a great author (it is a classic) and pulls the readers through to the very end.

Sticky Church - review

Sticky Church by Larry Osborne attempts to close the proverbial back door to churches.

The concept is really quite simple - plug new people in constantly forming sermon-based small groups. That's it. The rest of the book is why's, how's, and who's of implementing this plan.

The simplicity doesn't make this a bad book. Osborne has great insights into people and church dynamics, not to mention fine supplements in his appendices. Plus, he writes a book that is easy to read. Good stuff.

Total Church - review

Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis presents how the gospel and community should shape our churches.

The authors first argue why the gospel and community are the two key principles that need to shape our churches. They then spell out the implications of gospel and community in practice: evangelism, social involvement, church planting, world mission, discipleship and training, pastoral care, spirituality, theology, apologetics, children and young people, and success. Chester and Timmis conclude with some thoughts on having a passion for God.

While the personal experiences of the authors' was insightful, the way they brought the reader through the Scriptures was the real strength of this book. The concepts were simple, useful, and well grounded.

A personal favorite was the distinction between a personal relationship with the Lord and an individual relationship. The gospel is retold from an individualistic perspective and then contrasted with a more corporate (and comprehensive) perspective. (pp 148-149) The comparison is incredibly perceptive! (You'll have to get the book and see it for yourself.)

IMHO, this book is one of the better volumes that talk about how to do church.

On the Incarnation - review

Athanasius, St. Giles', Cambridge
Originally uploaded by TheRevSteve.

On the Incarnation by Athanasius is a defense of Christ's physical dwelling upon the earth. This defense includes responding to attacks from various groups of people, which is actually quite enlightening.

Athanasius moves in the following fashion:
*Creation and Fall
*The Divine Dilemma and its Solution in the Incarnation
*The Death of Christ
*The Resurrection
*Refutation of the Jews (OT review)
*Refutation of the Gentiles
*Conclusion

"Christ alone, using common speech and through the agency of men not clever with their tongues, has convinced whole assemblies of people all the world over to despise death, and to take heed to the things that do not die, to look past the things of time and gaze on things eternal, to think nothing of earthly glory and to aspire only to immortality."

A profitable read for any believer - I especially enjoyed some of his final thoughts about the profound difference Christ has made on so many different types of people.

Children of the Living God - review

Children of the Living God by Sinclair B. Ferguson shows how God is the Father of those who trust in Christ. While a seemingly simple concept, the implications are quite enormous.

The book flows in the following fashion:
*The Children of God
*New Birth
*Adopted Children
*The Family Traits
*Family Life
*The Spirit of Adoption
*Family Freedom
*Fatherly Discipline
*The Final Destiny

A snippet:

I am a child of God. He is my Father. He understands and cares for me. The Christian, of all people, should be increasingly aware of who he really is. That knowledge gives me stability in an unstable world. ... It sets me free from the world's anxious quest to 'be somebody'. (p 51)

This short book was required for a counseling class through CCEF and it was a real gem. You can almost hear Ferguson's Scottish Brogue, if you listen hard enough. Or, if you can cajole a certain pastor from Eagle Grove to read it to you, you can also get the proper effect.

The Externally Focused Church - review

The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson is an encouragement for the church to do real and relevant acts of service, something that is one of the most effective ways of reaching people with the gospel. (p 11) The two targets of these acts are those that are in the margins of society (p 18) and the city (p 20). Rusaw and Swanson spend eleven chapters drawing out what this looks like.

The book is filled with very practical stories, outlines, and diagrams for what an externally focused church looks like. At the end of each chapter are study and sermon helps that reinforce the particular progression of an externally focused church. The quotes, the references to history, the contemporary examples were excellent.

Here's a particular favorite from John Maxwell: "there is only one thing worse than equipping people and losing them; it is not equipping them and keeping them." (p 151)

If I might offer a critique, it would be in the area of Scriptural exposition. I felt that more time in dealing with the text on these issues would have been really helpful. Perhaps a companion volume? There were a few quirky issues as well - the diagram about the transformational sweet spot (p 61) was helpful but not all of the areas were described. Maybe a fuller explanation or a different sort of diagram might have been in order.

Those points aside, I really enjoyed this book. It offers very helpful advice for the Church in being externally focused.

Torn Asunder - review

Torn Asunder: Recovering From an Extramarital Affair by Dave Carder is book about processing an extramarital affair. The book is divided into three sections.

Section one has five chapters that deal with understanding an extramarital affairs. Explained are the types of affairs and environments that cause affairs to flourish.

Section two has six chapters that deal with the process of healing. Included is how the spouse and the infidel process the affair, answering the 'why?' of the affair, handling anger, rebuilding trust, and recovering intimacy.

Section three deals with whether or not to tell, emotional affairs, and an experiment for spouses that do not want to restore the relationship. The book concludes with a series of appendices - telling the kids, forming a support group, marital satisfaction time line, and a bibliography.

This is a heart wrenching book, but one that offers hope in an extramarital affair. While Torn Asunder is filled with stories, Carder uses lots of diagrams to describe patterns and paths to recovery. There are quite a few sound Biblical principles that guide the process but it would be good to see a more prominent gospel focus in the solutions.

The Heavenly Man - review

The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun is a biography of the miraculous life of Brother Yun, a Chinese church planter. Yun's stories focus on the persecutions he faced as a Chinese believer and on God's provision during these seemingly impossible times. Some excerpts:

About evangelism

God poured out his Spirit out to many desperate souls. Like thirsty men in the desert, they gleefully drank in the water of God's Word. Even though I was just a teenager, the Lord enabled me to lead more than 2,000 people to Jesus in my first year as a Christian. (p 40)

About visions and dreams (of which Brother Yun has many)

As Christians we are not to live by any vision or dream, nor should we seek after them. We must only live by the Word of God and seek the face of Jesus. But we should also be open to allow the Lord to speak to us in these ways if this is how he wants to. Any vision or dream we receive needs to be carefully weighed against the Scriptures, as nothing from God will ever contradict his Word. (p 108)

About family stress

I've suffered many tortures and torments in my life. I've had electric batons placed inside my mouth. I've been kicked and beaten until I longed to die. I've fasted 74 days without food or water. But I tell you from my heart that the most difficult thing I've ever experienced was seeing the condition of my family when they came to visit me [while I was in prison]. They were all skin and bones from lack of food, were dressed in rags, and I could see they were all struggling terribly. (p 209)

About revival in the West

The first thing needed for revival to return to your churches is the Word of the Lord. God's Word is missing. Sure, there are many preachers and thousands of tapes and videos of Bible teaching, but so little contains the sharp truth of God's Word. (p 296)

It is worth noting that Brother Yun has detractors, but most of the accusations leveled against him seem somewhat baseless. For example, Yun's critics claim that he isn't a large house church leader, but the book never makes such a claim. What is more curious is that some of the more miraculous aspects of this book are not in question.

This is a very readable and convicting volume. Many of the episodes have a short retelling by either Yun's wife or by a fellow pastor which add a unique dimension to the accounts. This is reminiscent of Safely Home, only not fiction.

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership - review

Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton offers guidance as to to how to seek God in the midst of ministry. The problem Barton addresses is that if Jesus were talking to "Christian leaders today, he might point out that it is possible to gain the world of ministry success and lose your own soul in the midst of it all." (p 13) The solution? "The More that we are looking for is the transformation of our souls in the presence of God." (p 14)

Some excerpts:

If we stay in solitude long enough, we become safe enough with ourselves and with God to say, yes this is how I am. We are able to surrender our to who we are - our limitations, our clinging and grasping and possessiveness, our selfishness and our fear. (p 52)

The practice of "turning aside to look" is a spiritual discipline that by its very nature set us up for an encounter with God. (p 62)

In the church [calling] can be little more than a pious euphemism for doing what we feel like doing. (p 79)

Ambivalence about the rigors of the spiritual journey is a predictable part of any true journey, and it is helpful for us as leaders to know this so that we don't take it too personally. A wise leader can help people understand their ambivalence as a very normal response to the challenges of the journey rather than an excuse to run back to what feels more secure. (p 95)

There are, however, some concerns. A full page Braveheart illustration (pp 96-97) doesn't really happen as Barton describes it. Sabbath-keeping is assumed as a spiritual discipline (p 122), but little support on how Barton comes to this conclusion. Lacking is an acknowledgment how she defines Sabbath-keeping, how various traditions use this term, or how this practice relates to the New Covenant. Barton also has some curious uses of Scripture, for example, Psalm 4:4-5 where "offering right sacrifices" is equivalent to staying faithful to our spiritual practices (p 125) and the idea that Jesus let Judas to stay hoping to the very end that Judas would make a different choice (p 185).

In order to fully appreciate what Barton was trying to take her readers through, I read only one chapter at a sitting. The selected quotes in the middle of the pages were relevant and new, not just a highlight of what Barton had already written. I enjoyed the book and the refreshing insights Barton gives.

Confession of Saint Patrick - review

Confession of Saint Patrick is a short (11 page) autobiography of the Irish evangelist/church planter. It is a quick but encouraging read.

Some of Patrick's closing thoughts:

Therefore may it never befall me to be separated by my God from his people whom he has won in this most remote land. I pray God that he gives me perseverance, and that he will deign that I should be a faithful witness for his sake right up to the time of my passing.

And if at any time I managed anything of good for the sake of my God whom I love, I beg of him that he grant it to me to shed my blood for his name with proselytes and captives, even should I be left unburied, or even were my wretched body to be torn limb from limb by dogs or savage beasts, or were it to be devoured by the birds of the air, I think, most surely, were this to have happened to me, I had saved both my soul and my body. For beyond any doubt on that day we shall rise again in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, as children of the living God and co-heirs of Christ, made in his image; for we shall reign through him and for him and in him.

Church Unique - review

Church Unique by Will Mancini is about helping a church find their particular vision (a Vision Pathway). Mancini proposes a three part process in this Vision Pathway: Discover your Kingdom Concept, Develop your Vision Frame, and Deliver your Vision Daily.

Pros:
This book was recommended for some of the features that it would offer, specifically, the Missional Motives and Missional Map portions of the Vision Frame. Filled with examples, Mancini gives some good direction on how to move forward in the murky world on vision casting. He also gives a solid critique of those who simply copy models looking for a silver bullet and identifies the sin of growth idolatry. Mancini is quite thorough and detailed throughout. Complete with a chapter on the history of the 'church growth' movement, Church Unique is well written with great charts and pertinent illustrations.

Cons:
Mancini seems to downplay the importance of doctrine in your Vision Pathway (see pp 123 & 132 for examples). At times Mancini comes across in a very black & white sort of way when it seems unwarranted or unsupported (see p 219 on hiring staff and p 201 on how soon a church can achieve the 'collaboration' stage). And this is thick reading.

While Mancini is very helpful in parts (especially for the reason I purchased it), the rest will have to simmer for a while for me to be able to make a decent verdict. With that being said, there is enough well done material to make this a worthy volume to have as a resource on church vision.

Searching for God Knows What - review

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller is half Christian apologetic, half critique on the church. But it is all entertaining. And a bit of stream of consciousness. One of the primary points of the book is to emphasize the relationship we are to have with the Lord, not seeing following Christ as formulaic or 3 easy steps to a better you. This book was loaned to me by a friend.

A couple of the highlights

Regarding Jesus (pp 119-149): he believed all people were equal; he was ugly; he liked to be with people; he had no fear of intimacy; he was patient; he was kind; he was God; he is I AM.

Regarding beauty (pp 209-211): we will scarcely find an ugly person on a CD in a regular store, and never on a Christian CD.

Miller is quite penetrating, writes in nearly everything from the perspective of a story, and he does it while not being whiny. He really has a heart for the person who is jaded with religiosity and who wants to know the living God.

Passion for the Heart of God - review

Passion for the Heart of God by John Willis Zumwalt "is a jump start to renewed passion for Jesus and a roadmap for seeing Him walk out His life through us!" While the Amazon blurb might overstate the scope of this book, Zumwalt certainly challenges one towards seeing the Gospel spread throughout the world. This book was loaned to me by a friend.

Over and over, looking at passage after passage, you are confronted with the fact that our purpose is to glorify the Lord and to spread His gospel. This means to all people. All. This book is designed to stir our heart towards mission. Zumwalt does this so frequently that the chapters only build on one another somewhat; it would be better to say that you get hit repeatedly with same message. There are a few parts that I would either take issue with or I simply don't understand what Zumwalt is saying exactly. But, all in all, this is an excellent motivator to be about missions.

A sample:

When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.” To that, Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.” (p 160)

Heaven - review

Heaven by Randy Alcorn is a rather exhaustive look at the subject of what Heaven will be like. The book breaks down into three sections: a theology of Heaven, questions and answers about Heaven, and living in light of Heaven.

One of the basic themes that Alcorn addresses is the notion of Christoplatonism - the thought that the physical is bad and will not be a part of the afterlife. Alternatively, Alcorn shows that Heaven will be a physical place with physical items inhabited by physical beings. Another theme woven throughout the book is the idea of redemption, that is, that the physical world today is a shadow of what the New Earth will be like tomorrow.

This was a great book and will provide a valuable reference in the future. Alcorn offers quite a bit to discuss, but more importantly, he gives us a lot to hope for.

The Prodigal God - review

The Prodigal God by Tim Keller is a short book that focuses on Luke 15 and the parable commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Keller teases out the implications of how both sons (the younger and the older) see the world and see the Father.

From page 45:

The gospel is distinct from the other two approaches (religion or irreligion): In its view, everyone is wrong, everyone is loved, and everyone is called to recognize this and change. By contrast, elder brothers divide the world in two: "The good people (like us) are in and the bad people, who are the real problem with the world, are out." Younger brothers, even if they don't believe in God at all, do the same thing, saying: "No, the open-minded and tolerant people are in and the bigoted, narrow-minded people, who are the real problem with the world, are out."

But Jesus says: "The humble are in and the proud are out" (see Luke 18:14). The people who confess they aren't particularly good or open-minded are moving toward God, because the prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it. The people who think they are just fine, thatnk you, are moving away from God. "The Lord ... cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud" (Psalm 138:6).

When a newspaper posed the question, "What's Wrong with the World?" the Catholic thinker G. K. Chesterton reputedly wrote a brief letter in response: "Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely Yours, G. K. Chesterton." That is the attitude of someone who has grasped the message of Jesus.

This is an excellent short book!

Best books of 2008

Well, now that 2008 has come to a close, here are my top 10 favorite new reads of the past year:

1) Death by Love by Mark Driscoll
Theology and practice collide.

2) Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson
Exalts faithfulness in ministry.

3) Instruments in the Redeemers Hands by David Powlison
Great primer for seeing change in people's lives.

4) Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal by Richard F. Lovelace
A book from the previous generation, but helpful in thinking through the Christian life.

5) A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie
We just prayed these prayers for a bit and it gave us a bigger vision of God in our own lives.

6) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Sometimes it is about getting things done - completing this post is one more item off my next actions list.

7) The Holman Bible Atlas by Thomas Brisco
I love maps and I feverishly read this from cover to cover.

8) Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God by Larry Osborne
Legalists and performance addicts find recovery.

9) The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
There's lots of reasons for God.

10) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audio)
It sounds like audio was a good way to go for this gem.

10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible - review

10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible by Colin Smith gives the reader an overview of the Biblical storyline.

The 10 keys are:
* The Garden
* The Law
* The Sacrifice
* The Invitation
* The Manger
* The Cross
* The Tomb
* The Spirit
* The Fight
* The City

The book is quite short and I was hoping for something that would give a few more hooks to help someone climb through their Bible. The chapters seem to be modified sermons, which means that there is lots of illustrative material, but the sustained argument often lacks comprehensiveness. But, as advertised, Smith gives his readers a good picture of the Bible. And, it is rather easy to grasp hold of the keys. So, for what it does, it does quite well.

You want more after the intro? I suggest the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Smith's other books are probably good too; others will have to attest to this however.