Category: Tolle Lege

Readability:  1

Length: 187 pp

Author: Colin Hansen and John Woodbridge

Burnt on revival? Does the word conjure up images of a planned event that failed to produce the thing longed for?

If you are not longing for revival may I submit to you that it is because you don’t know what one is? It isn’t something we schedule. It isn’t something we pull down from heaven; rather it is heaven graciously coming down to us. Revival is God doing what He is always doing redemptively for His church, but in a concentrated manner. God is always saving and sanctifying His people, but in revival He does so in a marvelous way. We should long for this.

Here Colin Hansen and John Woodbridge help us in A God-Sized Vision. They show us that revival is both a Biblical and historical truth and reality. History is God’s story. The Bible is His inspired Word, but God has also spoken through church history for our edification. Church history is not infallible, but nonetheless, we like the ancient Israelites, would do well to remember what God has done in our past, so that we may anticipate His mighty redemption yet to come.

Here is a book of revival stories that will bring joy and inspiration, but best of all, that will move you to pray and long for God to do it again.

WTS Books: $11.38              Amazon:$11.55

Readability:  1

Length: 232 pp

Author: Alex and Brett Harris

Adolescence is a myth, and Alex and Brett Harris do an excellent job of exposing it. They defied the norm as teenagers and now call you to do so as well in Do Hard Things. Don’t just read this book, do it, do hard things!

In order to understand the modern “teenager” concept, we have to go back in time only a hundred years. At that time, right around the year 1900, a cascade of labor- and school-reform laws were passed in an attempt to protect kids from the harsh conditions in factories. These laws were good because conditions had been brutal, and children’s health and education suffered. Unfortunately, the laws had some unintended and far-reaching consequences. By completely removing children from the workplace and mandating school attendance through high school, teen’s once-established role as key producers and contributors came to an end. Suddenly their role was almost exclusively that of consumers.

Young people were suddenly stuck in a poorly defined category between childhood and adulthood. …Instead, the “teenager” was invented – a young person with most of the desires and abilities of an adult but few of the expectations or responsibilities.

 WTS Books: $10:58          Amazon:$9.81

Readability:  1

Length: 160 pp

Author: John Ensor

One of the most frequent and necessary areas of counseling teens and single adults is in the area of relationships. Culturally, they swim in a pool of insanity, so Biblical wisdom is essential. John Ensor reminds us what it means to be male and female, to have distinct roles. Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart is a great book for older teens, young singles, and married adults.

In the same way that hunger alone tells us nothing about eating nutritionally, our passions and urges do not teach us about loving well. We can be driven by the chemistry of creation to meet and greet but that is not the same as having a grasp on who we are meeting and what their needs are. Hormones and oxytocin bond us to those with whom we share a bed, but what it means to love beyond merely making love does not come from chemistry; it comes from theology. It comes from parenting. It comes by learning. Proverbs 19:2 says, “Desire without knowledge is not good.”

I once had a lively discussion with a brother who insisted that in his relationship everything was equal, and that this was the hallmark of their marriage. To him equal meant same and therefore interchangeable. He proudly rejected the idea of male initiation and female response. And what is more, he thought he was serving the cause of women in this.

I responded by saying that in my marriage, my wife and I never think about equality, though if forced to think about it we would affirm our mutual worth before God. Instead, I see my wife as better and more precious than I–of greater worth. And I told him my wife took no offense in this matter. Indeed she gets upset with me precisely at the point when I start treating her as my equal. To her it feels like a step down.

WTS Books: $9.47          Amazon:$9.59

Readability:  1

Length: 197

Author: Francis Chan

I was excited when I learned that Francis Chan would be writing a book that began as a response to Love Wins by Rob Bell. I was excited because I was expecting it to be Biblically faithful, and earnest and broken in tone. I also thought that if there was one author who could write such a response that would also sell on a level on par with Love Wins it might be Chan. I prayed that it would outsell Love Wins. I praise God that in Erasing Hell our prayers were answered.

Biblical clarity and faithfulness often comes in the wake of threatening heresy (i.e. the early church creeds), such is God’s blessed providence. Oh that this would lead to a generation believing the doctrine of hell as Chan articulates.

Still I must add that my one complaint with Chan is his leaving annihilationism as a possible alternative. While Chan thoroughly sees evidence for eternal conscious torment and leans toward that view himself, he doesn’t think the language is crystal clear. I disagree and recommend you read John Piper’s  dismantling of annihilationism in Let The Nations Be Glad.

I was excited that this book was being written. I am not, as Chan cautions, excited to read about hell. This isn’t an exciting book, but a necessary book. Hell does not make me glad, but I am glad this book on hell was written.

I really believe it’s time for us to stop apologizing for God and start apologizing to Him for being embarrassed by the ways He has chosen to reveal Himself.

And sending people to hell isn’t the only thing God does that is impossible to figure out. The Bible is bursting with divine acts that done make a lot of sense to us…

Would you have thought to rescue sinful people from their sins by sending your Son to take on human flesh? Would you have thought to enter creation through the womb of a young Jewish woman and be born in a feeding trough? Would you have thought to allow your created beings to torture your Son, lacerate His flesh with whips, and then drive nails through His hands and feet?

I’m almost sure I would not have done that if I were God.

Aren’t you glad I’m not God?

It’s incredibly arrogant to pick and choose which incomprehensible truths we embrace. No one wants to ditch God’s plan of redemption, even though it doesn’t make sense to us. Neither should we erase God’s revealed plan of punishment because it doesn’t sit well with us. As soon as we do this, we are putting God’s actions in submission to our own reasoning, which is a ridiculous thing for clay to do.

[W]e need to stop explaining away hell and start proclaiming His solution to it.

WTS Books: $10.04          Amazon: $8.31

Readability:  1

Length: 120 pp

Author: Thabiti Anyabwile

I still think every person in the pew should read 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, but I am so very glad that Thabiti has taken those marks, plus one, and made them directly applicable and more accessible to the church member in What is a Healthy Church Member?.

Too often we take more time to think through what it means to be a member of some club, or a citizen of a nation, this should not be so. Buy this little book and think through what it means to be a healthy church member.

The 9Marks series of books is premised on two basic ideas. First, the local church is far more important to the Christian life than many Christians today perhaps realize. A book called What Is a Healthy Church Member? might also be called What Is a Healthy Christian? We at 9Marks believe that a healthy Christian is a healthy church member.

Second, local churches grow in life and vitality as they organize their lives around God’s Word. God speaks. Churches should listen and follow. It’s that simple. When a church listens and follows, it begins to look like the One it is following. It reflects his love and holiness. It displays his glory. A church will look like him as it listens to him.

WTS Books: $10:15          Amazon:0.280.20.2

Readability:  1

Length: 145 pp

Author: R.C. Sproul

In my opinion this is not the best book on suffering that I have read; neither is this the most thorough book on suffering that I have read, nor is this the most moving or powerful book on suffering that I have read. Why then read Surprised by Suffering? Well it’s Sproul for one; that almost always makes a book worth reading. His fluid conversational style, superb ability to tell a story, and masterful teaching ability ensure you to profit.

The great contribution I think this book makes is its emphasis on death as suffering and then seeing all suffering in light of heaven. Also Sproul does a good job of working out suffering as a vocation.

We are followers of Christ. We follow Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. We follow Him into the Hall of Judgment. We follow Him along the Via Dolorosa. We follow Him unto death. But the gospel declares, we follow Him through the gates of Heaven. Because we suffer with Him, we shall also be raised with Him. If we are humiliated with Him we shall also be exalted with Him. It is because of Christ that our suffering is not useless. It is part of the total plan of God who has chosen to redeem the world through the pathway of suffering.

Readability:  1

Length: 172 pp

Author: Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges constantly tells us to “preach the gospel to ourselves every day,” in his books. Although he works this out in all of his books, this is the entire focus in The Gospel for Real Life. Jerry looks at the major facets of the cross such as propitiation, ransom, and imputation, and then shows you their significance for everyday life. We never mature beyond the gospel, but only in the gospel; Bridges will simply and powerfully remind you of this.

I once read a story about two men who happened to be kneeling side by side at the communion rail of an English church. One was a former convict who had served time and was now out of prison.  The other was the judge who had sentenced him to prison years before.

After the service the minister asked the judge, “Did you recognize the man kneeling beside you?”

“Yes I did,” replied the judge.  “That was a miracle of grace.”

“You mean that a man you sentenced to prison should be kneeling beside you?”

“No, not at all,” said the judge.  “The miracle is that I should be kneeling beside him.  You see, that man knew clearly he was a sinner in need of a Savior.  But I was brought up in a religious home, have lived a decent, moral life, and have served my community.  It is much more difficult for someone such as I to recognize his need for a Savior.  I am the miracle of grace.”

Readability:  1

Length: 121

Author: Paul Williams and Barry Cooper

This book has some good questions. But that alone isn’t a reason to buy it, it also has good answers with British wit and sarcasm to boot.

If You Could Ask God One Question deals with twelve questions skeptics often ask today and deals with them scripturally, concisely, and humorously while remaining reverent. This is a great book if you want some answers for yourself or for a friend. Its friendly sarcasm and brevity make it great to give away and have conversations over. Here are the questions dealt with.

1. If you’re really there, God, why on earth don’t you prove it?
2. Isn’t the Bible just a bunch of made up stories?
3. All good people go to heaven, right?
4. If you’re a God of love, why send anyone to Hell?
5. If Jesus really was your Son, how come He got killed?
6. If I can be forgiven everything, doesn’t that mean I can do whatever I like?
7. How can anyone be sure there’s life after death?
8. What about followers of other religions?
9. Isn’t faith just a psychological crutch?
10. Why do you allow suffering?
11. Why do you hate sex?
12. Why don’t you just do a miracle?

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=glo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=190488945X

Readability:  3

Length: 302

Author: Michael D. Williams

Traversing a section of the Grand Canyon is majestic enough, but to really capture its grandeur you need a bird’s eye view. I am consistently awed to dive into a book of the Bible, but it is often when I step back to see its relation to the whole that I am most stunned by glory.

Do you have problems grasping the big story of the Bible? Confused as to how God’s covenant with Noah relates to His covenant to Israel? More confused still as to how the covenants of the Old Testament relate to those of the New? Then I highly encourage Far as the Curse Is Found.

I think overall that I like Robertson’s Christ of the Covenants better, I would have to read them both again to determine that, but I know that I appreciated and enjoyed Williams greater emphasis on the redemption of the earth. Also, while Williams may be more practical, realting all of this to daily life. If you are wondering what role the earth plays in God’s eternal plan, Williams is the better book to go to. Also I think Williams did a better job clarifying the relationship of the law to the gospel, perhaps he was just more easily understood, to make a fair assessment I would need to read them both again.

On resurrection morning God was able to say again what he had exclaimed over creation so long ago: ‘It is good. It is very good.’

Existence is not the issue. Of course the gods exist. Man makes them. He can hold his idol in his hand. The issue is action, person, character. The false god of the idol maker is blind; it sees nothing. It does nothing, for it is made of wood. It can speak no word that man does not first give it. It is an impotent dead thing. Yahweh is no such manmade, lifeless god. He is not the thing made. Yahweh is the maker of all. What sets Yahweh off from the idols is the fact that he is the sovereign one, the one who comes to us, not who comes from us.

As we will see, the function of law within Scripture is the maintenance of relationship, not the creation of relationship. Legal obligation is not the precondition for life and relationship. Rather, life and relationship form the necessary environment for obligation. I tell my son that he must pick up her room and neatly put things away. I require him to do it. It is necessary for a healthy and happy relationship between us. But the ground of our relationship is not his picking up his toys and books. If it were, a visiting playmate could straighten up Saywer’s room and then earn the right to become my son. But relationship precedes obligation.

Readability:  1

Length: 134

Author: Frederick Leahy

Frederick Leahy has written a trilogy, The Cross He Bore, The Victory of the Lamb and Is It Nothing to You?, of short little books on the cross that are all dynamite. Of the three Is It Nothing to You? is my least favorite, but it is still well worth reading. I would recommend anyone to read all three.

Leahy has a gift, a gift very valuable to a minister of the Word. It is the gift of a sanctified imagination. While remaining faithful to the word of God, Leahy takes you to the cross, and helps you to see vividly the spiritual realities of what happens there. There is both light and heat here.

This was paradoxical service: the greatest of all became the least of all, and he who clothes everything, retained nothing, that we might be clothed with the perfect spotless robe of righteousness.