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.