Category: Books

Excerpts, Reviews, Recommendations, Classics

Book Review: What is The Mission of The Church? By Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert

Balanced Because It’s Biblical In What It Says About The Mission of the Church

As a pastor for over twenty years you see a lot of fads come and go in the way churches seek to make an impact in our communities and culture.  I have never met a pastor (worth his salt) who didn’t want to be pleasing to God and make a difference for the sake of Christ in his community and culture. However, I have become more and more concerned as I see pastors watering down the message of the gospel; focusing more on programs than on the message of the gospel; and being influenced more by the culture, than influencing culture with the message of the Bible. Therefore, I wholeheartedly endorse and applaud this latest offering on the “mission” of the church because I think it is an excellent treatment of the relevant biblical passages and how they bear on the issues we are facing in the 21st century on what the mission/purpose of the church should be. It is missional and Biblical; truthful and loving without compromise; theologically profound and culturally relevant.

Without giving away the mission of the church as defined and defended in this book, I can say that DeYoung and Gilbert do a fantastic job of discussing issues like helping the poor, economics and social justice, the Kingdom, the gospel, and how a church can make an impact on the world without sacrificing the truth and absolutes.

The strengths of this book lie in its simplicity and clarity, exposition and insightful interpretation of the Scriptures, and it’s very clear explanation and application of the gospel as revealed in the 66 books of the Bible. I recommend this book especially for pastor’s young and old, leadership teams of churches, missionaries, and Christians who want to know how they can be purposefully a part of the only organization of which the “gates of hell will not prevail.”

At the end of the day – this book is highly recommended because the author’s build a great case for how to be biblically focused, God-centered, and culturally penetrating without sacrificing the most important truths and main story line of the Bible – the centrality of Jesus Christ as Lord and King to whom is all praise, glory and honor forever.

Book Review: Preaching and Teaching the Last Things by Walter Kaiser

Walter Kaiser is a gifted Old Testament scholar who has the keen ability to be able to communicate well among lay people and scholars alike. In this new offering Dr. Kaiser does not disappoint. This book is especially geared toward pastors, but is also extremely helpful for all those who teach and desire to understand the Old Testament and it’s connections to the New Testament and the ultimate promise plan of God.

Dr. Kaiser lands somewhere between a “covenant” and “dispensational” theologian – in my opinion he is very balanced and makes an excellent case for each passage he exegetes. He definitely leans dispensational – taking passages and promises to Israel literally unless there is a textual indicator deeming otherwise.

The book is composed of six parts – covering different aspects of the end times. Each of these parts contains two or three passages of Scripture, and is broken down in this way:

1)   A discussion of the topic.

2)   Specific exegetical and sermonic helps for the specific passage being taught including: the text; title; focal point; homiletical key word; interrogative question; and teaching aim.

3)   A teaching outline for the passage.

4)   An exegetical discussion of the passage.

5)   Practical conclusions based on a thorough exegesis of the passage.

Here are the topics that Kaiser addresses in the book with thorough exegetical and insightful precision:

Part 1: The Individual and General Eschatology of the Old Testament

  1. Life and Death in the Old Testament (Psalm 49:1-20)
  2. The resurrection of Mortals in the Old Testament (Job 19:21-27)

Part 2: The Nation of Israel in Old Testament Eschatology

  1. The Everlasting Promises made to Israel (Jeremiah 32:27-44)
  2. The Future Resurrection and Reunification of the Nation (Ezekiel 37:1-28)
  3. The Future Return of Israel to the Land of Promise (Zechariah 10:2-12)

Part 3: The New Davidic King and the City of the great King in the Old Testament

  1. The Branch of the Lord and the New Zion (Isaiah 2:2-5; 4:2-6)
  2. The Extent of Messiah’s Rule and Reign (Psalm 72:1-17)

Part 4: The Day of the Lord and the Beginning of the Nations’ Struggle with Israel

  1. The Arrival of the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-3:21)
  2. God and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39)

Part 5: The Events of the Last Seven Years and the Arrival of the Western Confederacy

10. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27)

11. The New Coming Third Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40:1-41:26; 43:1-11)

12. The Coming Antichrist (Daniel 11:36-45)

13. The Battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-21)

Part 6: The Coming Millennial Rule of Christ and the Arrival of the Eternal State

14. The Millennial Rule and Reign of God (Isaiah 24:1-23)

15. The New Creation (Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:18-24)

I think this book is a welcome addition to any Bible student’s collection – especially due to the neglect of roughly 20-25% of the Bible being of a prophetic nature. Those of us who teach and preach God’s Word are required to teach the “whole counsel of God.” My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen him draw more parallels in the passages to Christ and how the gospel applies to believers in the here and now – and not solely in the past or future (read Tim Keller or Paul Tripp for excellence in this matter). Overall, I think it’s an excellent resource with wise insights into God’s Word and how His promise plan will ultimately be fulfilled.

*Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is the distinguished professor emeritus of Old Testament and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaiser has written over 40 books, including Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching; A History of Israel; The Messiah in the Old Testament; Recovering the Unity of the Bible; The Promise-Plan of God; Preaching and Teaching The Last Things; and coauthored (with Moises Silva) An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics. Dr. Kaiser and his wife, Marge, currently reside at Kerith Farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Dr. Kaiser’s website: www.walterckaiserjr.com

Book Review on Ben Patterson’s “Muscular Faith”

The premise of this book (written by an ex-pastor/college chaplain with a lot of life, and ministry experience – he is now in his sixties) is that the Christian life is NOT easy, is extremely difficult, and that the more you train and prepare for the inevitable hardships – the better.

The book is written in Four distinct sections: Part 1 makes a case for the call to be a Christian Warrior (using God as a model of this motif); Part 2 make a case for the vigorous requirements of the war that the Christian is continually engaged in; Part 3 explains three primary obstacles to our being effective in the battle; and Part 4 discusses 7 essential habits to develop to be successful in the Christian life and how to ultimately finish well and live a life pleasing to God.

I have read all of Patterson’s books and as a result I found that there was a lot of repetition from things he has said in previous books. As a matter of fact, if you read very much (especially C.S. Lewis) – there is precious little new information here. As a matter of fact – each principle, or illustration used with only a few exceptions I have heard or read elsewhere.

Therefore, I would not recommend this book to Christians who read a lot of Christian authors – simply because, you will feel like I did in reading this book – I kept reading things that I’ve read or heard before, so it actually got annoying. However, if you are new to Patterson, and have not read C.S. Lewis or very many Christian authors, then I would highly recommend this book.

Book Review: Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons by R.C. Sproul

Good Introduction to Heaven, Hell, Angels, and Satan

 Eminent Pastor, Writer, and Theologian R.C. Sproul has written a very helpful book addressing the “uncompromising supernaturalism at the heart of the Christian worldview.” The stated purpose of Sproul in this book is to provide a “brief tour through the Bible’s teachings in regard to heaven and hell, angels and demons [in order to] bolster your faith in Scripture’s teachings regarding the supernatural.”

Sproul Writes on the Supernatural in Four Parts:

Part One: Heaven – Using Key Passages of Scripture, personal anecdotes, and keen observations from theologians and philosophers – Sproul makes a biblical case for the realities of an objective material place called Heaven reserved for those who have been justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In these four chapters Sproul appeals to those things that we all long for – a permanent and secure home, no more pain, and perfect relationships with others and with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Part Two: Hell – In four compelling chapters Dr. Sproul gives an excellent Biblical case for the existence of a literal place where God’s judgment is executed with perfect justice by a God who of necessity because of His Holiness must punish the sin, and refusal to repent of the unrighteous who have refused to submit to the Lordship and salvific offer of the gospel through Jesus Christ.

Part Three: Angels – In five interesting chapters R.C. addresses the nature, character, and purpose of angels and how they interact with God and humanity.

Part Four: Satan – In the final two chapters of the book Dr. Sproul addresses how Satan is our adversary and how he deceives believers and non-believers.

R.C. has written a very helpful book and answers a lot of questions that Christians are asking about the supernatural. In a skeptical culture – it is important for us to be reminded of what God has said, and that He doesn’t lie. His truth stands forever, and it is of the uttermost importance that we understand the significance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and that our trust in his atoning death on our behalf is our only hope to experience the wonderful realities that await those who have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Also, the warnings of this book and the importance of what awaits those who reject Christ – must be headed so that through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ hope may be yours.

I recommend this book as a good introduction to these topics, and an excellent summary of the clear teachings of the Bible with reference to the unseen realities that exist now and are a part of everyone’s future. I believe that what Sproul has written is cogent, Biblical, practical, helpful, and matters for eternity.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Christian Focus Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Now, That’s a Good Question! By R. C. Sproul

Great Answers to God Questions

I love the format of this book: One of the finest theologians in America today, answering 300 questions from a radio audience off the cuff with answers to each of these individual questions in less than 4 minutes. The questions in this book are the original questions from the live call in audience, and the answers have been edited only insofar as missing assorted “uh’s” and “um’s.”

The questions are broken down Into 22 categories. R. C. Sproul is a reformed theologian and pastor, and his expertise is in the areas of theology, apologetics, philosophy, Bible exposition and interpretation. He is a brilliant communicator and has the ability to bring the cookies on the shelf for the layperson – no matter how complicated the issue. I have included all the categories listed below, along with two sample questions from the section.

1)    Knowing God (19 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Why does God remain invisible?” and “Why does God love us so much?”

2)    Who Is Jesus (9 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Was Christ capable of sinning?” and “Did Jesus ever laugh?”

3)    The Work of the Holy Spirit (10 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Does every human being have the potential to receive the Holy Spirit?” and “What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?”

4)    The Book of Books (17 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “How were the books of the Bible selected and compiled?” and “How do you know the Bible is true?”

5)    The Way of Salvation (23 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Why did God save me?” and “What do good deeds have to do with salvation?”

6)    Sin and the Sinner (13 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What is meant by the term original sin?” and “Are there gradations of sin?”

7)    Faith and Philosophy (14 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Doesn’t science disprove Christianity?” and “Is there a distinction between Christianity and religion?”

8)    The Power and Purpose of Payer (11 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “How can we, as Christians, have more power in our prayer lives?” and “Does God hear the prayers of the non-Christian?”

9)    The Growing Spiritual life (27 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What do you do in your daily devotions?” and “What concerns you most about today’s Christian?”

10) Understanding Satan (6 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Can the Devil read my mind?” and “Has Satan been given dominion over the earth until Jesus returns?”

11) Heaven and Hell (16 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Will we recognize each other in heaven?” and “What happens to animals when they die?”

12) Sharing the Faith (10 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What is faith?” and “Is the Christian faith really rational?”

13) Church Life (26 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What are the basics to church growth?” and “What is the most crucial issue confronting today’s church?”

14) Marriage and Family (22 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What should make Christian marriages distinctive?” and “Are there biblical grounds for divorce, and if so, what are they?”

15) Career Issues (9 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What is the biblical concept, if any, of retirement?” and “How can an employer show employees Christlike dignity?”

16) Money Matters (10 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What do you believe the Bible teaches about tithing as it relates to Christians today?” and “Is there a clear biblical position against lotteries and casino gambling?”

17) Life-and Death Issues (7 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Does the Bible say anything about euthanasia?” and “What should be the Christian stand on the death penalty?”

18) Suffering (12 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “What is the difference between God testing us and tempting us?” and “If God is all powerful, then why does he allow suffering?”

19) The End Times (12 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Are we living in the last days?” and “What does Scripture teach us about the future role of Israel?”

20) Lifestyle Ethics (17 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Should Christians impose their ethics on non-Christians?” and “Is it wrong for scientists to engage in genetic engineering?”

21) Christians and Government (13 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Are biblical solutions to world problems outdated?” and “Should Christians work to have Christian values in public policy?”

22) Puzzling Passages (19 Questions asked and answered) – for example, “Why in the Old Testament does God demand so much violence and war of the Jewish nation?” and “The Lord says in the Old Testament that he loved Jacob but he hated Esau, and in 1 John, John actually says that if we say we love God but hate our brothers, we’re wrong. How can we reconcile these two passages?”

I think this is a resource you will use for life – especially for Christian leaders, pastors, counselors, missionaries, and teachers – who deal with similar questions in their respective ministries on a regular basis. The index in the back of the book makes this a resource that you can use to find if a specific question you are struggling with, or have been asked is included. It is not exhaustive, but has a lot of the questions that most Christians struggle with and are asking. It also makes a great gift for someone who loves to study God’s Word.

Book Review: This Day In Christian History – Edited by A. Kenneth Curtis and Daniel Graves

366 Compelling Events in the History of the Church

The stated purpose of this book by the editors is as follows: “It is our hope and prayer that these stories provide you with a sampling that at least suggests the incredible scope and reach of the Christian message, as well as the way that God has worked through an amazing diversity of individuals and institutions in countless circumstances. This volume offers one way to take the journey through our Christian past in a go-at-your-own-pace way that we hope we will stir your interest and fascination.”

The book does this very thing – it makes you marvel at God’s sovereignty and creativity in the various mysterious ways He works through individuals in all walks of life for His ultimate glory and unstoppable plan.

From January 1st to December 31st there is a full page for each day of the year with the top event of historical significance related to the Christian church for each day of the year. Each page has three inserts which are in black and white – usually a photo related to the event or person described, and painting, map detail, or something else related to the person or event, as well as descriptions of 2-7 other important events that took place on this particular day in history.

The end of the book contains a very helpful resources page for further study on any of the events, or people in the book, as well as very helpful subject index of dates, people, places, and events.

I have taken four classes in Church History in Seminary and have read various books on Church History and still found that this book contained events and people I had never heard of. If you know a lot about church history, or know nothing at all – you will benefit from and thoroughly enjoy this wide-ranging panorama of God’s work through peasants, pastors, missionaries, and Kings.

Book Review: Following Christ By R.C. Sproul

Four Great Books In One Place

If you can find this book it is a terrific buy. It contains four books by R.C. Sproul in one. The original four books were entitled “Who is Jesus?” (1983); “Ethics and the Christian” (1983); and “God’s Will and the Christian” and “Effective Prayer” – both issued in 1984. These books have been reworked by reformation Trust as individual titles again. However, if you want to get a better bang for your buck try to get a copy of this book. R C Sproul is a phenomenal communicator and writes clearly, articulately, theologically and practically.

The Way “Following Christ” is organized is as follows:

Part One: Who Is Jesus?

1) Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

2) The Titles of Jesus

3) The Life of Jesus

Does Prayer Change Things?

4) The Place of Prayer

5) The Purpose of Prayer

6) The Pattern of Prayer

7) The Practice of Prayer

8) The Prohibitions of Prayer

9) The Power of Prayer

How Can I Know God’s Will?

10) The Meaning of God’s Will

11) The Meaning of Man’s Will

12) God’s Will and Your Job

13) God’s Will in Marriage

How Should I Live in This World?

14) Ethics and Morals

15) Revealed Ethics

16) Legalism and Antinomianism

17) The Ethics of Materialism

18) The Ethics of Capital Punishment

19) The Ethics of War

20) The Ethics of Abortion

21) Ethics and Conscience

I can’t recommend this book highly enough – whether you get the four books in one, or individually as they have been reissued – either way – with Sproul it’s always a winner!

Book Review – For The City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel By Darrin Patrick & Matt Carter

How The Gospel Impacts and Transforms Culture for Christ

Darrin Patrick (Pastor of The Journey in St. Louis, MO) and Matt Carter (Pastor of Austin Stone Community Church in Texas) both tell the stories of their calling to plant churches – specifically in the city. The two pastors’ inspire existing churches to think through how we proclaim and live out the gospel, and extend a call to the masses to influence our cities with and for the gospel.

I love Carter’s description of his “church model” taken largely from His reflections on reading about Charles Spurgeon’s amazingly effective ministry in London, England in the mid-1800’s:

“Imagine an urban church so influenced by the power of the gospel that it seized every opportunity to proclaim and live out the gospel for the good of the city. Imagine that this church physically and spiritually served the poorest of the poor, but also lovingly rebuked the wealthy. Imagine this church as the epicenter of straight-up, God-fearing, Spirit-filled, revival, leading thousands of people to eternal life in Christ in just a few years. Imagine a church that built elderly housing, housed all the orphans in the city, and taught wealthy business people to have a ‘double bottom line’ so they could run a profitable business in order to support the work of the church and meet the needs of the city. In other words, imagine a church that boldly preached the gospel and lived out the values of the kingdom. Don’t you want to be a part of a church like that?”

My answer is “yes” I do! Along the way the authors show what a gospel centered ministry looks like from their perspectives of planting and pasturing in Mid America and in the South. The subjects they address are how the gospel relates to contextualization, building community, serving in the city, equipping the saints, suffering, and sharing their weaknesses, failures, and by God’s grace – their successes too.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to grow in their understanding and application of the gospel and how to penetrate the culture with the gospel through the ministry of the local church.

Commentary Review: Holman 2 Volume OT Psalms 1-75; & 76-170 by Steven J. Lawson

Steven J. Lawson is one of the best God-centered and Christo-centric expository preachers of our time. He is like a cross between John Piper, James Montgomery Boice and R.C. Sproul. Therefore, if any of those names mean anything to you – you will love this commentary by Lawson.

All the commentaries in the Holman series are concise, homiletical in orientation, and immensely practical for teachers and preachers of God’s Word.

Volume one contains an excellent and brief introduction to the Psalms with discussion and explanations of the unique features of the Psalms, including it’s title, authors, time period, literary types, book divisions, literary style, figures of speech, acrostics, and why and how they are so life-changing.

In volume one the first 75 Psalms are covered and in volume two he covers Psalms 76-150 and each are broken down in 75 individual chapters in the following manner:

1)    A title that summarizes the topic of the Psalm.

2)    A helpful quote that delineates the theme of the Psalm – usually from a great Christian from the past – Lawson is a very knowledgeable Church historian.

3)    A commentary on the chapter from the Bible which contains – the main idea of the passage and the supporting ideas written out in an expository outline with explanation, grammatical help, and exegetical insights.

4)    A main idea review and a conclusion for the chapter.

5)    A Conclusion – usually an excellent illustration of the passage.

6)    A Life Application – typically questions, commands, and principles to be applied from the passage.

7)    A prayer based on the passages truths and applications – all very God-focused and oriented toward praise.

8)    A section on “deeper discoveries” – usually key word studies, theological insights, and historical, cultural, and textual facts & helps.

9)    A teaching outline for the passage.

10) Lastly, issues for discussion taken from the passage.

I highly recommend this commentary on the Psalms – especially if you are only going to have one or two commentaries on the Psalms. Lawson is practical, theological, and does a superb job of getting to the heart of each passage without too much discussion of the details. I find that the devotional and practical nature of the commentary makes it very suitable for personal study, as well as the communal study of God’s Word.

Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Max Anders – the editor of the series is the Senior Pastor of Castleview Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Book Review: Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

Why Should You Bother to Read This Book? 3 Reasons:

1)    We live in a cultural and theological environment that wants to shape our own God – rather than believe in the God that has been revealed in the Scriptures as both Holy and Loving.

2)    We need to be balanced in our thinking of the character and nature of God as revealed in the Bible – He is just and loving, so how do these two aspects of God’s character work with respect to the here and now, and on into eternity.

3)    We need to develop the heart of God for people who don’t know Him intimately and personally through Jesus Christ.

Chan and Sprinkle have written a compelling and cogent book that is logical, exegetically sound, and pulls at the intellect and the emotions to lead us to action in the pursuit of understanding what God is like, and being like Him for the sake of redeeming and restoring our culture – God’s way! I highly recommend this book as one that will help you grow in your understanding in the character and nature or God and mankind and what God’s plans are for the immediate present, and the fast approaching future through the person and work of our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ.