Reading 2013

This past year I have read over 80 books.  The fact that ebooks and audio books are so available increased the number of books that I read this past year.  29 of the books were ebooks and 3 where audio books.  Apart from the Scripture, which I read through three times, here is my top five  books of the year.

5.  Flatland by Edwin Abbott.  This little mathematical novel is over 100 years old and though I have known about it for years I finally got around to reading it.  It is a delightful story about someone who lives in two dimensions and believes that that is all there is.  When he is introduced to the third dimension by a visitor from the third dimension he challenges his guest to think about a fourth dimension.  Like everyone in his two dimensional world the visitor will not believe that there is another dimension.  I think there is a lesson here for us who think we have everything figured out.

4.  Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian.  This was a delightful find as it showed up as a free ebook.  It is subtitled How Suffering sets you Free.  This book by the grandson of Billy Graham is worth the read and he shows you that suffering is part of being a follower of Jesus Christ, part of our path to freedom, part of the Gospel.

3.  The Covenant by James Michener.  This massive novel about the Boers of South Africa really opened my eyes to the roots of apartheid.  The Boers were convinced that they were the chosen people living in the promised land.

2.  The Meaning of Marriage by Tim and Kathy Keller.  This book which looks at marriage through the eyes of Scripture should be a must read for everyone getting married.

1.  The number one book on my list is a surprise.  It is an Old Testament commentary.  Deuteronomy, Loving Obedience to a Loving God by Ajith Fernando.  Though I have always loved the Old Testament and in particular I love the book of Deuteronomy this book brought Moses' words alive.  What a great commentary and I would recommend it to any one who wants to preach or teach the whole counsel of God.

I have a few honourable mentions but I may mention them another time.  I am looking forward to the surprises that God has for me in 2014.

Letters to a Future Church

A friend lent me a book written by a number of people who wrote letters to a future church.  Some of the letters I liked but some I didn't.  However, the book generally left me frustrated.  It took me awhile to understand why I was frustrated with the book. 

The book generally misses the mark when it comes to the mandate of the church.  Most of the book dealt with what is the mandate for Christians not the church.  Some may say what is the difference, don't Christians make up the church?  Yes they do but there are two different mandates.  The Christian is to fulfill the great commandment.  To love God and to love their neighbour.  This means that Christians should be involved in the community working along side non-Christians when necessary to feed the hungry, to clothe  the poor, to work for justice, to be involved in politics.  That is the responsibility of the Christain.  However, the church is to make disciples by going, baptising and teaching.  The church is to proclaim the Gospel and equip the believers to do the work of ministry.  When the church confuses the Great Commission with the Great Commandment then the Gospel is not proclaimed and the believers fail to fulfill their calling. 

Do I recommend the book?  Yes I do but with the reminder that it is letters to future Christians within the church not to be confused with letters to the church as we read in Revelation.

Money, Possesions, and Eternity.

The last post I ranted (I think that maybe what I should call it rather than venting) about Andy Stanley's illustration. Today I was reading in the other book that the teacher is using, Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions and Eternity. Here is what he said:
'Teaching the "seed faith" and "hundredfold return" principles, one pastor triumphantly told of a woman in his church whose still-new car was about to be repossessed. As an act of faith, claiming God's "promise' of a hundredfold return, she put $20 in the offering. Sure enough, the next day she received $2,000 in the mail and was able to catch up on her payments, keep her car, and gain some extra spending money.
'That's a nice testimoney, but it raises some questions. Did it occur to the woman (or the pastor) that perhaps she should not have gone into debt in the first plasce, that her beautiful car might be a luxury God didn't approve of, or that God might want her to give up her car and invest the $2,000 in his kingdom (and not expect a check in the mail for $200,000 to compensate for her doing so)? It apparently didn't occur to them that may unrighteous people also received checks in the mail that day, while many righteous people didn't'

Thanks Randy Alcorn. That is what I was trying to say.

Fields of Gold

Last Sunday our teacher shared with us from Andy Stanley's book, Fields of Gold. He used an illustration that made me somewhat uneasy. Let me explain.

In the book Andy Stanley talks about a couple who found themselves in debt; two car loans, student loans, mortgage and $20K credit card debt and they also discovered that the wife was pregnant and her job was being phased out. They were told to consider tithing and they didn't know if they could but decided to any way. They found out that the wife got a settlement from her company for $35K and that the husband got promoted to a much higher paying position that included the use of a company car. The implication was, though not directly, that it was the result of the couple making a decision to tithe.

So what is my problem? Don't I consider tithing important? Isn't God capable of doing this? The answer to the last two questions is a definite "yes". So then what is the answer to my problem? Or should I even have a problem?

The teacher is using four different books for his lesson and I cannot see Randy Alcorn, John Piper or David Platt using this illustration the way Andy Stanley used it. When we use an illustration it should not be open to the wrong interpretation and I think that this illustration flies in the face of David Platt's radically changed lifestyle approach, Randy Alcorn's eternity in view approach or John Piper's wasting your life approach.

Now to be fair to Andy Stanley and the couple they did look at involment in missions and they did put God first in the finances (or so they said).

There is no indication in the illustration that their lifestyle changed. What got them in the mess in the first place seemed to continue on in their lives. Unless we believe that it was their lack of giving to the Lord the problem. I don't think it was but rather it was what David Platt calls "living the American dream".

So let me run a couple of things by you. What would have happened if they did not decide to tithe? They may still of recieved the settlement and been promoted. Is it fair to say that it was the result of their tithing? I am not sure but I have to ask. What would have happened if they had to sell one of their cars, sell their house and move into something smaller because they didn't receive the settlement or the promotion? How would that have affected their decision? We are called to be faithful stewards with what God has given us even when the results of our decision goes against us.

But my biggest problem is that this illustration may lead us to the wrong conclusion. We may think that if we tithe God is obligated to reward us. That is not true. Too many times our teacher has reminded us that we do not give to get but we do get to give.

Those are just my thoughts and I would be delighted to hear from you whether you agree or disagree with me. If I am off base let me know. Remember I am not critising Stanley's book or even his illustration except that it is left open to what I consider the wrong intrepretation.

Just venting.

Reading 2011

I read 68 books last year and here is a list of the best of the books. I begin with a work of fiction. I read a number of fiction books but this was the best. The others are books that I read for study, devotion, or for education.

Radical

David Platt wrote a book called Radical. There are three questions that he asks:
1. Will you choose comfort or the cross?
2. Will you settle for maintenance in our churches or mission?
3. Will you be marked by an indecisive mind or an undivided heart?
One man who is reading this book said that it sometimes makes him glad and other times it makes him mad. I can understand that totally.

My Favorite Books - The Final

I was going to give a list of 50 of my favorite books but I have decided that it is time to bring this list to an end. I want to end with the book that has made the most difference in my life. It is a book that I have read through over 50 times and I am currently reading it again. I have read this book in many different versions including listening to it on tape. The book I am referring to is the Bible. I have read the Bible in the following versions:
King James
New King James
Revised Standard Version
Today's English Version
New American Standard Version
English Standard Version
Living Bible
The Message
The Amplified
And there are probably more.

My Favorite books Part 6

It is time to end this list but I have a few more books to add. Today I would like to add some of my favorite fiction books.

39. Randy Alcorn - Safely Home
40. Howard Fast - My Glorious Brothers.
41. Chaim Potok - The Chosen
42. John Grisham - The Appeal

And a few non- fiction works.

43. Keith Leenhouts - A Father, A Son, anda Three Mile Run
44. Bill Watterson - Calvin and Hobbs.

Still a few more to add.

My Favorite Books Part 5

Here is a continuation of my list of favorite books. I am currently reading Radical but I now it belongs on the list.

34. Randy Alcorn - Heaven
35. David Platt - Radical
36. Ken Sande - The Peace Maker
37. David Wells - No Place for Truth
38. Gary Gilley - This Little Church went to Market

Still more to come.

My Favorite Books Part 4

Continuing my list of favorite books:

28. Mack Stiles - Marks of the Messenger
29. Jerry Bridges - Pursuit of Holiness
30. Jerry Bridges - Practice of Godliness
31. Lee Stroble - A Case for Creation
32. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart - How to Read the Bible for all its Worth
33. John White - Daring to Draw Near

Continues later. Please add your list.

My Favorite Books Part 3

Here are some of my current favorite books. Please feel free to make suggestions.

18. The Reason for God - Timothy Keller
19. The Prodigal God - Timothy Keller
20. Knowing God - J. I. Packer
21. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God - J. I. Packer
22. What is the Gospel? - Gilbert
23. What's so Amazing About Grace? - Philip Yancey
24. The Jesus I Never Knew - Philip Yancey
25. Your God is too Safe - Mark Buchanan
26. The Trellis and the Vine - Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
27. The Call - Os Guinness

More to follow.

My Favorite Books Part 2

Yesterday I listed some books from those who have gone to glory. Today I would like to list a few books from those that I have heard this past year.

9. Don Carson - The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God
10. Don Carson - Scandalous
11. Don Carson - Memours of an Ordinary Pastor
12. R. C. Sproule - The Holiness of God.
14. C. J. Mahaney - The Cross Centred Life
15. Mark Dever - 9 Marks of a Healthy Church.
16. Arnold Cook - Historical Drift.
17. John Piper - Let the Nations be Glad

Next I would like to list some of my current favourite authors.

My Favorite Books Part 1

I would like to list what I think are the 50 books that have effected me the most. In the first listing I want to list those writers who are no longer alive.
These books are in no particular order. Plese feel free to add any to my list.
1. Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest
2. C. S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
3. C. S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters
4. A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God
5. A. W. Tozer - The Knowledge of the Holy
6. L. E. Maxwell - Born Crucified
7. Roy Hession - The Calvary Road
8. Brother Lawrence - The Practice of the Presence of God.

Next will be those that I have heard over the past year.

What do you want to be?

I have just finished reading Mack Stiles book, Marks of the Messenger. This is a must read. Mack talks about sharing the Gospel but he begins by warning us not to peddle the Gospel, not to add or subtract form the Gospel and not to assume the Gospel. He then talks about living the implications of the Gospel. He tells us to understand the Gospel and social change, conversion and the fear factor. He warns us again not to mistake the world's love for God's love and he talks about the importance of the church. This was a wonderful surprise when I read it and I would recommend it to everyone. The style is easy reading and the chapters are a great length for one-a-day.

Summer Reading Part 1

Here are some of the books I have been reading this summer.




1. Scandalous by D. A. Carson

This book deals with the central teaching of the Gospel regarding the death and ressurection of Jesus. Don Carson reminds us that we have no Gospel appart from the crucifixion and ressurection. This is a must read.




2. Finally Alive by John Piper.

John Piper reminds us that we must be born again. He then goes on to explain what that means.




3. The Trellis and the VIne by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. We often look at new people in our churches and try and fit them into the needs in our programs rather than looking at their giftedness and building our programs around them. Some programs may have to go to make room for new.




4. What is the Gospel? by Greg Gillert. This too is a must read. Many people do not know what the Gospel really is but they think they do. The Gospel is good news and this little book explains the good news.

Words from the Fire

I have just finished reading Albert Mohler's book, Words from the Fire. In this book Dr. Mohler shows how the Ten Commandments are not just a relic from the past but is extremely relevant to us today. As he goes through each of the commandments he shows that they apply to our lives today and our relationship with Christ. He shows that they are not simply rules to obey but shows us the very heart of the Gospel. I found his sermons on the Commandments better but I do recommend this book to all Christians. It is interesting that some want to make the Commandments rules for life as if we come into a saving relationship by obeying the commandments while others write them off as having no relevance for us today. They want to talk about grace but grace is meaningless without judgment and judgement is meaningless without seeing the holiness of God. The Ten Commandments show us that.

The Race Set Before Us.

I have just finished reading Thomas Schriener's and Ardel Canaday's book called The Race Set Before Us. This book was recommended to me by my son when we were talking about the warnings in the book of Hebrews. It certainly helped me understand the warnings better. I knew that the warnings were written to Christians but I found it hard to understand how these warnings fit with the reality that God will keep those who are His. This book answers that question.

Spiritual Leadership

I have just finished reading Henry Blackaby's book, Spiritual Leadership. The main point that I appreciated about this book was that he said that the church does not need vision but revelation. Vision is often man centered, man generated but revelation comes from God. It is good to dream big dreams but remember that God is able to do exceedingly more than we could ask or imagine. Let us pray that God will give us His revelation. We may be surprised that our dreams are too small.

Safely Home

I have just finished reading (again) the novel Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. Now I am not a fan of religious fiction as it as they often give a distorted view of both Christianity and the world. However, this is one novel I would recommend. You cannot read this novel and not have a burning in your heart for the persecuted church, a desire to see the Word of God in the hands of all peoples and a desire for the things that are eternal. At our local Bibles for Missions store our primary field as we raise money for the Bible League of Canada is China. Every one of us should read this book. When you go into a store and pick up an item check to see if it is made in China and then pray for those people who made that item. Very likely they are people of the underground church who are being persecuted for their faith. If you have any ideas of how to support the underground church in China I would like to hear from you. Let us pray for the persecuted Christians in China today.

Why I read fiction

I like to read fiction and most of what I read would not be classified as Christian fiction. I don't get to spend a lot of time with non-Christians so I don't know how they think or what they think but I can get that from some of the fiction I read. I recently read John Grisham's novel The Appeal. What I liked about that book was that it presented two different views by two different families from two different evangelical churches. Sometimes we think that all evangelicals think like we do but that is not the case. The other thing I liked about the book was how it showed that well meaning, devout Christians can be manipulated by the world without them knowing that it is happening to them.
I also like to read Chiam Potok and my favourte novel by him is The Chosen. That book helped me understand the Jewish culture and their way of life.
My favourite Christian novel is Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. I volunteer at a Bibles For Missions store that sends money for Bibles in China. I think all our volunteers should read Safely Home.