Category: Book Reviews

Book Review Knowing God by J. I. Packer

A Classic on the Character and Attributes of God

 The New Oxford American Dictionary defines a classic as that which is “judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.” Therefore, based on this definition I dub Packer’s book a “classic.” It is simply one of the most readable, and enjoyable books on the doctrine of God’s character and attributes in modern times. Originally written in 1971 – this book will be reprinted again and again for its wonderful portrayal of the transcendence and immanence of God and how we can know Him personally because of how He has revealed Himself to us in the Scriptures.

We can know God intimately and personally because He has chosen to come into human history through the Person and Work of Christ and the most direct route to knowing God is clearly summarized in the pages of this book as Packer “unpacks” what it means to know God with warmth, depth, reverence, and great joy. I love and agree with what my favorite theologian R.C. Sproul has to say about this book, “Knowing God is a masterpiece by a master theologian. It serves as a wake-up call for those who are asleep to the majesty of God.”

Perhaps the evangelist Billy Graham uttered the best tribute I have read on this book, “A hundred years from now only a handful of books written today will still be widely read and accepted as Christian classics. Dr. James I Packer’s Knowing God may well prove to be one of them. A gifted theologian and writer, Dr. Packer has the rare ability to deal with profound and basic spiritual truths in a practical and highly readable way. This book will help every reader grasp in a fuller way one of the Bible’s greatest truths: that we can know God personally, because God wants us to know him.”

I can attest to the fact that the greatest need of every human being on the planet is to know God personally through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. J. I. Packer’s book is MUST reading for anyone who wants to know God personally, intimately, daily, for this life, and for eternity.

Book Review: When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley

Helping You Balance God’s Priorities for Your Life

 One of the most difficult things I’ve experienced in life (as a pastor with five kids) is balancing work/ministry and family. Whether you are a dad, mom, single parent, in full time ministry or have a full time job – or no matter how you slice it – it’s hard to balance work and family.

In this book Andy Stanley articulates the modern realities that face us in the market place and in our homes. He does not minimize, rationalize, or make excuses for the break down of families. What he does very well is to show how we can be excellent in the marketplace and serve our families needs in a balanced and biblical manner.

Andy Stanley gives a myriad of practical examples of how we can prioritize our lives biblically and bring glory to God in the workplace and in our homes. I highly recommend this book is a very practical guide and help for you in seeking to be a balanced Christian that prioritizes life in a manner that contributes mightily to what is most pleasing to our Awesome God – for His ultimate glory.

Book Review: The Strategy of Satan by Warren Wiersbe

Understanding and Overcoming Satan’s Tactics Primer

Review by David P. Craig

 Warren Wiersbe can always be trusted to be biblical, concise, clear, and give ample practical illustrations and applications to modern life. In this short primer on Satan’s tactics and our responses to his tactics the book may be broken down in the following three ways:

First, the writer shows how Satan is the ultimate deceiver, destroyer, ruler, and accuser. In each of the first four chapters Wiersbe gives an Old Testament example in each of these four areas in order to demonstrate Satan’s target, weapon, purpose, and then tactical defenses we can use against his deceptions, evil plans, feeding our pride, and his accusations towards us.

Secondly, the middle of the book is about increasing our faith in God, and how not to give Satan a foothold in our life so as not to paralyze and immobilize us in God’s work on earth. He focuses on the positive ways we can overcome the Evil One’s tactics by trusting and obeying Christ.

Thirdly, Wiersbe gives a masterful exposition of all the armor we have been given in the battle against Satan and demons from Ephesians 6, and how Satan attacks the family, and churches as a key strategy in his arsenal of tactics.

Overall, this book is thorough, biblically sound, and very useful in its many practical applications. I highly recommend this book – especially if you have never read anything on the wiles of the Enemy and how to overcome our greatest Adversary.

*Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, Warren Wiersbe is the author of more than 100 books. Billy Graham calls him “one of the greatest Bible expositors of our generation.” Interestingly, Warren’s earliest works had nothing to do with scriptural interpretation. His interest was in magic, and his first published title was Action with Cards (1944).

“It was sort of imbecilic for a fifteen-year-old amateur magician to have the audacity to write a book and send it to one of the nation’s leading magic houses,” Warren says. But having a total of three books published by the L.L. Ireland Magic Company—before the age of 20—gave him a surge of confidence. In later years, he applied his confidence and writing talent to the Youth for Christ (YFC) ministry.

Warren wrote many articles and guidebooks for YFC over a three-year period, but not all his manuscripts were seen by the public eye. One effort in particular, The Life I Now Live, based on Galations 2:20, was never published. The reason, Warren explains with his characteristic humor, is simple: it was “a terrible book…Whenever I want to aggravate my wife, all I have to say is, ‘I think I’ll get out that Galations 2:20 manuscript and work on it.’” Fortunately, Warren’s good manuscripts far outnumbered the “terrible” ones, and he was eventually hired by Moody Press to write three books.

The much-sought-after author then moved on to writing books for Calvary Baptist Church. It was during his ten years at Calvary that Expository Outlines on the New Testament and Expository Outlines on the Old Testament took shape. These two works later became the foundation of Warren’s widely popular Bible studies known as the Be series, featuring such titles as Be Loyal (a study on Matthew) and Be Delivered (a study on Exodus). Several of these books have been translated into Spanish.

His next avenue of ministry was Chicago’s Moody Memorial Church, where he served for seven years. He wrote nearly 20 books at Moody before moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he and his wife, Betty, now live. Prior to relocating, he had been the senior pastor of Moody Church, a teacher at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a producer of the Back to the Bible radio program.

During all these years of ministry, Warren held many more posts and took part in other projects too numerous to mention. His accomplishments are extensive, and his catalog of biblical works is indeed impressive and far-reaching (many of his books have been translated into other languages). But Warren has no intention of slowing down any time soon, as he readily explains: “I don’t like it when people ask me how I’m enjoying my ‘retirement,’ because I’m still a very busy person who is not yet living on Social Security or a pension. Since my leaving Back to the Bible, at least a dozen books have been published, and the Lord willing, more are on the way.”

Wiersbe’s recent books include Your Next Miracle, The 20 Essential Qualities of a Child of God, The Bumps are What You Climb On, Classic Sermons on the Fruit of the Spirit, Classic Sermons on Jesus the Shepherd, Key Words of the Christian Life, Lonely People, A Gallery of Grace, Real Peace: Freedom and Conscience in the Christian Life, and On Being a Leader for God.

Book Review: Passages – How Reading the Bible In A Year Will Change Everything by Brian Hardin

Tremendous Motivations For Reading Your Bible Daily

 In Brian Hardin’s own words from his blog on the writing of this book, “In researching the book I discovered that 93% of professing Christians don’t have a daily relationship with the Bible.  I found that a majority of people find the Bible hard to understand.  And yet with these facts comes the startling reality that more than 200 million people in the United States alone would affirm that they believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it is the truth.  It’s an ironic disconnect that believers in Jesus think the Bible is true and contains the path to life but don’t actually learn that path by becoming intimate with Scripture.  This book was written to create a context for that path.  I wrote it to explain that the Bible is not a manual or rule book to live up to, rather, it’s a story….our story.  We can find ourselves in it’s passages.  It’s not a book of exceptions, rather, it’s a book of examples and we are invited as Walt Whitman so eloquently put it to, “contribute a verse.”

I enjoyed this book immensely. It’s fascinating to read this book and hear from Brian how he was led by the Holy Spirit to begin the Daily Audio Bible on the Internet and hear his own testimony of how reading the Bible daily has radically changed his life and the lives of millions of others around the world for the better.

If you have never read the Bible before this book will give you much added motivation for making this very enjoyable discipline a habit for life. The book contains many personal testimonies of people whose lives have been changed for the better that will inspire you to read and listen to God’s Word daily. The book also contains many resources on the Internet to help you begin the exciting journey of Bible reading. In the back of the book there are three reading plans to help you get started.

As a Pastor and Life Coach there is nothing that I can recommend more to help you in your life than to read the Bible and apply it daily. I agree and pray for you what Brian writes and prays at the end of the book, “The Bible is about becoming more like Christ. It constantly invites us to submit ourselves in obedience not to make us miserable but to change us from the inside out…May you find life in God’s Word, my friend, and may true life find you. May he make his face to shine upon you and keep you. May he lift up his countenance on you and give you peace. May the strength of God go with you. May the wisdom of God instruct you. May the hand of God protect you. May the Word of God direct you. May you be sealed in Christ this day and forevermore. Amen.”

Book Review: All In: Jerry Yang with Mark Tabb

Gripping Story From Beginning to End

 I got this book on a whim because I like Mark Tabb’s writing. I don’t claim to be a poker player or a son of a poker player (as a matter of fact – I don’t think my dad’s ever played poker). Anyway, this is a gripping story of a young boy’s life growing up near Laos and the tragedies and joy’s as his family escaped torture and persecution from the North Viet Nam Communists traveling from their small village in Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand and then to the USA. In the USA Jerry Yang tells the story of how he became the 2007 World Series Poker Champ.

There are 24 chapters in the book and Mark Tabb weaves the story of Jerry and his family’s escape and his rise as poker champion of the world. If you love good stories that end well – you will love this book. It gripped me from the beginning. The story has it all – it will grab your emotions and inspire you (it had me crying and laughing throughout). You will see how God’s providence is weaved throughout the story as well. Whether you like poker or not – you will love this book because it will restore your love for the things that have made the USA such a great country – immigrants fleeing for their lives to have opportunities, working hard, and achieving their dreams.

Jerry Yang is a tremendous role model and I think what he has done with his earnings and life since he won the 2007 championship is amazing and inspiring – not in the world of poker – but in helping other refugees like he was at one time. I highly recommend this book for your reading pleasure and to inspire you to once again believe in the American Dream from someone who has shown that you can be and do anything if you put your mind to it and work hard.

Book Review: When Will My Life Not Suck? By Ramon Presson

How To Live and Thrive in the Real World

 Most people have thought and spoken something similar to the title of this book. I for one think the title is unfortunate because it makes the book sound more sophomoric than it actually is. However, I think that every Christian has thought or uttered the words of the title – if not the actual words – definitely with the attitude that the title conveys. It’s actually a very good book which deals with and answers a lot of the questions and struggles that Christians wrestle with living in a fallen world.

The author primarily uses the apostle’s Paul’s writing to the Philippians as a guide in helping the reader deal with scars from the past, moving from “why?” to “what next?” and going from discontent to contentment. If there is a theme that ties everything together it’s the fact that we can use everything in life that we have encountered and integrate into our lives for something good and in order to bring glory to God.

I think this book has a lot of good principles from the life of Jesus, the apostle Paul, and the author’s personal life experiences as a counselor and pastor (he is very transparent and authentic) in order to show how we can go from our default modes to a God oriented way of thinking that leads to a productive, effective, and purposeful life.

The book is very encouraging, helpful, and full of wise advice. I recommend it highly – especially for people who feel like they have been given a raw deal. It will help get you out of the doldrums and onto the right track again.

Book Review: Life Coaching Activities & Powerful Questions by Phyllis Reardon

 Excellent Resource for Self & Life Coaching Others

I have been life coaching professionally for three years now, and I’m amazed at how many excellent resources are available for self-coaching and coaching others. This book is full of great questions, quotes, and exercises to help anyone set and achieve goals. I have given the book five stars because it is a very good resource that I will use for myself and to help others that I coach for years to come. Here are some of helpful topics covered in this resource/workbook:

What is life Coaching?

– Addresses issues related to what makes for success

Visioning Your Future Self

– Has a very helpful template called the “Wheel of life” consisting of balancing 8 life parts: family/relationships, career/work, health/fitness, personal growth, money/finances, physical environment, fun/joy, and romance.

Strategic Planning

Developing a Positive Image and Attitude

Communication

Work and Life Balance

Each section is loaded with great questions in workbook format, great insights for action, and good thought provoking quotes.

I have already used a lot of the ideas in this book in my personal life, and in coaching people in their relationships, in life balance, and goal setting. I highly recommend this workbook for anyone who wants to improve their own life, and the lives of others for the better. I will be coming to this resource again and again for years to come.

Book Review: Reflections on Words of the New Testament by W.E. Vine

Practical Application from the “Words” of God

William Edwy Vine’s (1873-1949) Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words has been one of the most useful tools written to date to help lay people and teachers of the Bible understand the New Testament due to its organizing words according to their English translations from the Greek. Vine’s book has been used primarily as a reference tool. However, this new book contains reflections by Gregory C. Benoit on 76 different words from the New Testament – words like “Abba,” “abundance,” “baptism,” “comfort,” “glory,” “holy,” “justification,” “love,” “obey,” “reconcile,” “sin,” and more.

Gregory C. Benoit’s purpose in writing these reflections in his own words, “The author (Vine) frequently included interesting insights into word meanings, origins, and practical applications that are a treasure of a different sort, offering suggestions on how to apply God’s Word to one’s life today, unexpected glimpses of God’s character, sobering reflections on the character of mankind, and much more. The purpose of this book is to emphasize those practical aspects of Vine’s writings.”

Benoit offers in each entry much of the “meat” from Vine’s work, but he has selected words that have a bearing on your walk and worship of God. This book has been designed to enhance your personal growth and enrich your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This book can be used as a devotional, or to help you with illustrations in teaching on different themes or passages of the Bible. If you love God’s Word, His words, and are an avid student of the Word – than you will thoroughly enjoy this book. I am only giving this book 4 stars because the one drawback is that I would have liked it to contain certain words that are missing – like “repentance,” “disciple,” and the like. Overall, a very helpful and encouraging resource for Bible students to use for life.

Book Review: Men of God edited by Trevor Archer and Tim Thornborough

Helping You in Becoming a Man of God

 The stated purpose of this book written by various British men is to answer the question: “What does it mean for modern men to know Christ?” The driving compass guiding this book resonates with a Christo-centric theology designed to “clarify the content of the gospel according to Scripture and then to explore its impact on how men should understand their identity in Christ. It is vital to understand that, without the gospel, what we do week by week in our churches, in our homes, in our leisure and in our working lives will inevitably become man-centered rather than God-centered. This is why we must always return again and again to the gospel as it is revealed in the Scriptures. Only when our lives are centered on the gospel of Christ will we be able to live for Christ.”

The rest of the chapters in the book are briefer than chapter one, all stand alone, and include a biblical section to start with containing applications, and practical case studies for the day to day realities that men face. Each chapter also provides discussion questions provided at the end of the chapter based on the Bible study – ideal for small groups, and discipleship among men (ideal for groups of two-three).

The topics dealt with in this book include men and 1) singleness; 2) marriage; 3) sex; 4) fatherhood; 5) church; 6) work; 7) witness; 8) witness; 9) discipling; 10) leisure. Some of the better-known authors (to Americans anyway) in this book include Tim Chester, David Jackman, and Vaughan Roberts.

I highly recommend this book for men and men’s ministries that have a passion for Christ-centered theology, and want their men to look, sound, and act more like Jesus and impact culture with the gospel. One of the really nice things about this book is that the chapters are short without sacrificing depth.

Book Review: Being George Washington by Glenn Beck

A Call To Lead in the Ilk of Our First President

 I was encouraged to read this book because of the gaping hole in leadership internationally, nationally, and locally – whether in politics, education, business, or in the church. Simultaneous with my reading of this book I was interested in something that John Gardner (in an essay on leadership) pointed out, “When the United States was formed, the population stood at around 3 million. That 3 million produced at least six leaders of world class—Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, and Hamilton.” Today we have a population 90 times larger than that and I can’t name a single leader that comes close to the aforementioned six men. Along with Gardner I ask the question “Where are they?”

Therefore, my curiosity was peaked in reading this book to discover what we can learn from Washington’s life – and whether we can truly produce great leaders today. One of the main points that Beck makes in the book early on is that “for America to achieve the greatness that George Washington achieved, we have to remember that it is achievable.” In story after story Beck brings out some of the keys to great leadership – character (based on a strong faith in God and His good providence); putting others before self – especially what’s best for the whole; having a vision for liberty and fighting for it; focusing on that which will last beyond us. In a nutshell Beck highlights Washington’s character, trust, and honor in story after story and demonstrates how he united America around freedom so that we could be the best we could be.

The primary lesson of this book and of great leadership is stated by Beck in this manner, “Everything we do in life—every battle that we fight and every mountain that we climb, no matter how many times we fall—may be for no other purpose than to prepare us for that moment when we are called upon to make a difference in this world…What Washington did do was accept the responsibility he had been given, beg the grace of God upon himself and his army, and then work relentlessly to accomplish his goals. What he did do was to keep on working, regardless of the personal sacrifices required or the setbacks that he encountered. He kept the faith, no matter who stood against him; regardless of the gossip, the naysayers and sometimes, regardless even of the betrayal of his friends.”

In conclusion Beck states that if you and I are to be like George Washington in today’s world means:

“a daily struggle between your heart and your brain; between instant gratification and enduring greatness.”

“looking out for our families, our neighbors, and our countrymen—standing for them when they can’t stand for themselves.”

“putting country before party.”

“becoming a leader – not of a country or army, but of yourself, your community, and your own family. It means taking personal responsibility for your actions and holding those around you to the same standard.”

“accepting that this country was chosen for Divine protection because the struggle for freedom is worthy of protection.”

In other words, great leadership involves humility before God; responsibility with what He has stewarded unto us, and faithfulness to the task at hand. This book was a pleasure to read, and pointed out both the strengths and weaknesses of Washington. However, the constant reminder was to be what we can be with God’s help, and do what we can do (not focus on what we can’t do), one step or opportunity at a time. Being a great leader like Washington involves great sacrifice, risk, unselfishness, and tremendous dedication. In the final analysis we need to be willing to personally answer the key question that Beck asks, “Are you willing to lose everything to do what is right?” I am grateful that Washington did, hope I will too, and that his tribe will increase abundantly.