John Stott Called to Glory

One of the most beloved teachers of God’s Word (and one of my personal favorites), Dr. John R. W. Stott died yesterday.  He died at the age of 90 as a result of complications related to old age, and Dr. Stott’s friends and family say that, while the loss is tremendous, they’ve been preparing for this to happen for the past 15 years.   There are many articles reflecting upon this, but here’s the one of the most significant ones, published in Christianity Today - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/julyweb-only/john-stott-obit.html.

I  join with many others who are saddened by the loss, but I also rejoice at the amazingly full life that Dr. Stott led, the wealth of rich, biblical teaching that he left behind, and the countless lives that he’s touched by both his public proclamation of the gospel and his personal interaction with people around the world.  There was certainly a doctrine or two that I would’ve disagreed with him on (most specifically his belief in annihilationism as a solution to the problem of eternal suffering in Hell), but – in spite of this fact – I still count him as one of my very favorite proclaimers of biblical truth, and I hope to follow his fine example in many ways.

If you have never read (or heard) anything by Dr. Stott, then I certainly hope that you will permit this sad moment to motivate you to do so.  Among the books that I would most recommend from him are the following:

1. Basic Christianity – As the title indicates, this is a basic overview of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith – a classic which has sold millions of copies over the years.

2. Baptism and Fullness – His treatment of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit – Again, a classic of the Christian faith with a very broad circulation.

3. The Contemporary Christian – A motivational look at how to reach our culture for Jesus by “double-listening”, or carrying the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.  We must first determine the needs of our particular community, and then faithfully proclaim the gospel to them in a language that they can all understand clearly.

4. Christian Mission in the Modern World – A basic, yet very comprehensive study of the theology of Christian missions.

5. The Cross of Christ – Possibly the most “scholarly” book that Stott published, yet also his most significant.  A wonderful, deep, and biblical study of the most significant event in human history – and a book which has changed many lives over the years.

Even though I had recommended some of these same titles to you months back, I couldn’t let this extremely significant moment in history pass by without attempting to do so once more.  I, for one, will miss John Stott greatly, but I am so thankful that the Lord has worked through the writing, preaching, and teaching of Dr. Stott (as well as through a personal visit that I was blessed to have with him once, years ago) to help me grow in my own faith, sharpen my convictions, and develop a greater passion to live out biblical truth in every area of my life.  I look forward to “feasting” on the rich, biblical teaching of Dr. Stott’s for many years to come, and will hope to help pass on his teaching to the coming generations of biblical students.

I’m a DAD!

O.K. – I’ve been talking about this on Facebook and everywhere else, so I suppose I should formally “announce” this on my blog, too, just for posterity if nothing else.  My wife and I just had our first child!  We had a little boy, born on May 31, and we named him Luther Martin.  Of course, the name is primarily a reference to the great Reformer, Martin Luther.  However, it is also a tribute to my good friend and former Bible professor, Dr. Joe Martin.  Regardless, Luther is the most amazing, adorable, and ceaselessly fascinating baby that we’ve ever seen – and we are absolutely crazy about him!

I should write a great deal more about this and turn this into a “theological perspective of having a baby”….but, how can words do justice to this?  I don’t believe they can.  It’s just amazing and wonderful, and it makes me think that every un-married person in the world should pray for the Lord to bless you with a wonderful spouse (in His time) so that you might be able to experience this for yourself!

Anyway, at least now you know my reason for not having been writing more on here.  Preparing for a baby – and HAVING one – is really a team effort, and I expect that our schedules will only get less flexible from here!  Please pray for us, though, as we begin this new stage of life as a family of three!  Also, please be patient with me in regard to my blogging; Writing is one of my great passions in life, so I will surely get back to it as I’m able.  Thanks – and blessings to you and each of your families!

SIN Loses

Unless you’ve been living in a very distant land, you are probably already well-acquainted with at least some of the hype surrounding Rob Bell’s most recent book, titled Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.  Because there is so much material already written on this new book – and because the topic of “Hell” is so big – I’m really not even going to deal with the content of the book or the various arguments here.  This is probably a good idea, anyway, since I haven’t read the book, and have absolutely no intention of doing so (Truthfully, there are so many better writers who are publishing so many better books that I really can’t even imagine wasting my time on a book like this one.  I might would have considered reading it “in an effort to formulate a biblical response”, but – again – many others have done this very well already so that, thankfully, I can make better use of my free time.).  What I am seeking to do here, though, is to offer readers links to the best and most informative material that I’ve found online in response to the book.

First, if you want a very thorough and well-written critique from an evangelical perspective, you can hardly do better than Pastor Kevin DeYoung’s thoughtful article, which may be found here – http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/.  Another great one, which was actually written using an advance reading  copy of the book (before it’s official release), is the one written by the “master blogger for Christians”, Tim Challies.  That one can be found here - http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/love-wins-a-review-of-rob-bells-new-book .  Louis at Baker Book House offers another critical review of the book from a more traditional Christian perspective, which may be found here -  http://bbhchurchconnection.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/love-wins-by-rob-bell-a-review/.  Finally, if you’d rather hear ROB explain (or, rather, try to explain) the convictions behind his book, here’s a very telling interview that he did with Martin Bashir –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg-qgmJ7nzA.

So, if you’re really in the mood for going through all the fine points of Rob’s book and seeing all of the ways that his thinking on the doctrine of Hell falls short of the biblical teaching on the subject, then please feel free to click on any or all of the above links (I’ve already watched and read these myself, and am satisfied that my own convictions are still in line with the vast majority of Bible teachers, both modern and ancient, as well as with Scripture itself.).  The only comments that I want to add here are about this whole process that’s been unfolding before us – the process of Rob’s authoring and releasing this book, of his church members and fans clamoring for copies of the book, and of the onslaught of people – most of whom I whole-heartedly agree with – responding to this controversial book.

In a nutshell, I really don’t think that Rob’s book would normally even deserve any serious attention.  Why would I say this?  Because he is not a scholar – and really not even what I would call a “thought-provoking” preacher or writer.  He’s the “hip” preacher of our day, who – like many other similar preachers – tries to say what he thinks the people would like to hear.

Now, his heart may be in the right place – and he may be “earnestly seeking the Scriptures” for what he believes to be the true, biblical responses to the hard questions of life.  But, because Rob spends so much time and energy trying to relate to, understand, and identify with the popular thinking of our day, his search for biblical truth gets severely jaded by his own cultural application of everything that he reads in the Bible.  In fact, long before Rob decided to take on the hefty topic of Hell, he had already established himself as an amusing and popular speaker with many confused ideas about biblical doctrine.  Spiritually immature laypeople enjoyed listening to his talks and reading his books because they were so creative, but most respectable preachers have never taken him seriously as a proclaimer of biblical truth.

Rob’s teaching style does nothing to help his reputation as a preacher.  Rob is very clever and skilled at raising the questions that everybody wants to talk about – but he’s very slow to offer any solid answers, from the Bible or anywhere else.  In fact, he’s so fond of this “ask-and-run” approach of teaching that he’s built an entire video series around the method, titled “Nooma”, which is designed for the express purpose of starting conversation in a small group setting.  The problem with this approach is that it entrusts the job of finding biblical truth in response to those hard questions (which is really the primary job of a Christian preacher) to whoever happens to be in the room at any given moment.  This would be dangerous enough if Rob only did this in his video series, but his books have always taken this same approach, as have many of his sermons.  And, as the interview shared above illustrates – or any of the other interviews with Rob that are available for viewing online – Rob works hard to avoid giving straight answers, even when asked simple and direct questions.

I mentioned above that Rob’s writings wouldn’t normally deserve any serious attention.  So, why does THIS book deserve it?  First, because he chose to write about one of the foundational truths of Christianity – one which has been agreed upon and proclaimed consistently throughout church history.

Second, because he is clearly arguing for an alternative view of this crucial doctrine.  Whether or not Rob is truly a “universalist” is still up for debate, but he is clearly attacking the historic, Christian view of the doctrine of Hell, and that’s an extremely dangerous thing to do – particularly when you are teaching your radical ideas to others (In spite of the fact that Bell’s book is different, his claims are not nearly new – they have been disregarded and rejected by church leaders of every generation, along with multitudes of other heresies that did not match up with the plain teaching of Scripture.).

Third, Rob’s book is “worth” talking about simply because so many people are buying it!  Does the substance and quality of the book justify its popularity?  Of course not, but because so many people who take the name of Christ (and many who don’t) are reading the book and thinking that it represents the best Christian perspective on the subject, it is left for intelligent Christians who know the REAL truth to offer an appropriate response and to re-direct people toward more biblical answers.

So, again, Rob Bell’s new book on Hell is not one that would really even demand a serious reading were it not so popular.  However, if you DO choose to read the book, I would encourage you to also read at least one good, book-length response to it (Several are in the works!).  The ones that are coming from Mark Galli (chief editor at Christianity Today), Michael Wittmer, or Francis Chan are sure to be worth studying as direct rebuttals of Bell’s book.  Some other outstanding books that have already proven their value in the study of this difficult subject include, “Crucial Answers About Hell” by Ajith Fernando, “Hell Under Fire” edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, “Hell On Trial” by Robert A. Peterson, and “Whatever Happened to Hell?” by John Blanchard, etc.  Whether you share all of my convictions on this important subject or not, I do encourage you to read well and read wisely on all matters pertaining to biblical theology.  Study to show thyself approved – regardless of what ideas might be popular at the bookstore – and trust the Spirit of God to guide you into proper understanding of that truth as you do so.

Start the Year Well

Let’s face it….our days are numbered.  None of us know precisely how long we have to enjoy – and struggle through – our earthly lives.  We must admit that our lives could potentially end at any moment…even right now (though I hope not, since I’d at least like to think that you’ll finish reading this blog post! :O).

Now, is this a terrible and depressing way to begin my first blog entry of the new year?  Perhaps, but God’s Word tells us that it’s not only appropriate to occasionally think about the inevitable conclusion of our lives – it’s also a REALLY good idea.  Consider, for example, Ecclesiastes 7:2 – “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.”   Why would the Lord speak to us through the words of Solomon to tell us such a thing?  Is God trying to tell us that parties, celebrations, or even “fun” in general, are bad things?  I don’t think so.  But, on the other hand, if we ask whether Christians should be constantly pursuing the things that are most fun and enjoyable, and doing all that they can to (as one popular author phrased it) live their “best life now”, my answer would have to be “no”.

While God does bring us countless opportunities to grow in happiness, it should never become our primary purpose in life to pursue such opportunities.  That’s precisely how the non-believers approach life, and we are called to something very different – and, in fact, much better.  As Christians, our primary purpose in life should be to pursue holiness – or “Christ-likeness” – so that we will increasingly look, think, and act like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  By pursuing “fun”, we often only make ourselves happy – and sometimes, depending on what kind of “fun” you’re pursuing, leave a trail of regret and shame behind us.  By pursuing holiness, as God instructs us to do (1 Peter 1:14-16), we become more like our loving Heavenly Father, which makes our lives better, brings God greater glory, and serves as a better witness to other people.

Is growing in holiness “fun”?  In many instances, yes!  Though, not always.  Sometimes growing to be more like Christ forces us to do some very difficult things – such as humbling ourselves and confessing the sins that we’ve committed against others, or forgiving someone who has hurt us deeply and doesn’t really “deserve” our forgiveness, or loving and praising God faithfully even when it feels like our prayers are falling on deaf ears.  Yet, in all of these difficult experiences, God is working in our lives to make us holy – to make us more like Him – and, while it’s not always easy, it always leads to a richer, healthier, and ultimately more satisfying life.  Parties and the temporary pleasures of life can never produce such results.

One of the most extreme examples of suffering and difficulty that we are familiar with is the biblical example of Job.  Job lost almost everything that meant anything to him in a considerably short span of time.  Yet, even in his misery, Job acknowledged that God had a purpose and a plan for his suffering.  Job did not understand why he was suffering so greatly, but he knew that God was still in control and that only He could grant the insight and the resolution to Job’s problems.

In one of Job’s greatest moments of anguish, he wisely inquired of his wife, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10).  With this question, Job was not implying that God does evil or sinful things, but rather that God sometimes permits us to experience things that are not easy to take – things that seem “evil” or “unfair” to our finite minds.  Yet, what Job knew from the start – and learned much more clearly as a result of his trials – was that God alone is God and, while we will never fully understand all that He does in our lives, we are always expected to trust and obey Him.  Of course, this is much easier for us to do if we will simply remember that, “…for those who love God all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28).  Even in our darkest hours of life, God is working things out in ways that will make us the best individuals that we can be (i.e. more and more like Him) and which will bring Him the greatest glory.

So, as we begin another year, let’s “start with the ending” by remembering that God has put us here for only a short time, and – while the things of earth are ultimately fading away – we are created for eternity.  While it might be O.K. to do some things purely for fun every now and then, God has created us for a much higher purpose – namely, growing in holiness – and He wants that to be the central focus of each of our lives.

Unfortunately, we don’t grow to be like Christ automatically; we really have to work at it.  However, we can grow in holiness – and, in some respects, happiness, too – if we will make DAILY acknowledgments of the fact that we are utterly dependent upon God.  So, let’s talk to God in regular times of prayer, listen to God by reading His “love letter” to us, celebrate God by worshiping Him with songs and public praise in church every week, and experience God by doing as He instructs and watching Him work in the lives of others.  God doesn’t waste a single moment or experience of our lives.  Every moment is for His glory – and He brings that to pass most visibly by changing each of us into His likeness.  Let’s invite Him to do that in our lives this year – and let’s grow in anticipation for what He is certain to do – in us and through us – as a result.  May God be glorified in all that we do this year!

Give Thanks for Christmas!

Every November, Christians are reminded of our need to be giving continual thanks to God for all of the blessings that he showers upon us every day of our lives.  Admittedly, we all fall short in expressing gratitude to our loving heavenly Father as he deserves.  God – who (among other things) created us, loves us, forgives us, comforts us, guides us, convicts us, heals us, and blesses us – is worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving, not only for the “good things” that he does for us, but also for simply being who he is.  Where would we be if we didn’t have a loving, merciful, all-knowing God ruling over the world and our lives?  I, for one, can’t even imagine!

Consider briefly some of what God’s Word says to us about our need to be thankful.  Psalm 118:1 proclaims, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”  Psalm 145:10 addresses God directly, declaring, “All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you.”  Do we bless him, as this passage says?  If not, do we really fit the description of a “saint”, according to Scripture?  In the familiar text of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul exhorts believers to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (emphasis added).  Finally, Colossians 2:7 reminds Christians that we are to be, “….abounding in thanksgiving.”  Do we really abound in thanksgiving to God?  Sometimes it seems that we are so busy being pleased with our own efforts and abilities that we forget to give God any thanks at all, much less to actually abound in thanksgiving for all that he is, does, and has done for our sake.

As we persist in giving God less praise and thanksgiving than are truly due him, we should allow Luke 17:11-19 to serve as a serious warning to us.  When God does something magnificent in our lives – as he did for the ten lepers who were healed in this biblical account – he expects to receive thanks from us.  Anything less is unsatisfactory to God.  Just as parents like to be thanked from time to time for the multitude of ways that they provide for the needs of their children, so does our Creator appreciate and expect some gratitude from us – and, as terrific as parents can be, God is far more deserving of our thanks!  When we fail to thank God, he notices.  However, when we are faithful to thank God properly (as one of the lepers in this text illustrates), our lives are more richly blessed.

While a true spirit of thanksgiving should last year-round, our annual celebrations each December remind us of the single greatest reason that we have to be thankful – the gift of Jesus!  We are all born “innocent” by worldly standards, but enslaved to sin by God’s standards.  We inherit the sin nature which separates all of humanity from right standing with God, and this can only be remedied by genuine repentance for our sins, and by trusting in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Scripture teaches us that, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23), and that, “…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, emphasis added).

Did you catch that?  Salvation is a gift to those who trust in Christ – and the greatest one we will ever have the opportunity to receive!  Do you think that God wants us to receive this gift with proper gratitude and abounding thankfulness?  How foolish it will be if we don’t!  As Hebrews 2:3 inquires, “…how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”  We dare not refuse this marvelous gift of love, mercy, and forgiveness which is offered to us through the birth and sacrificial death of our savior, Jesus Christ.  And, for those of us who do receive this gift into our lives, we dare not fail to thank the loving heavenly Father who sent his only begotten Son into the world for our sake, nor the glorious Savior who died in our place.  So, as we celebrate Christmas once again, may we all be reminded afresh to keep our focus on Christ above all else, and to offer an ample supply of thanks to the God who loves us so much.

A Brief History of the Reformation

In popular culture, October 31 is recognized as “Halloween”, a holiday which is thought by many to be a harmless occasion for children to dress in costumes and collect candy from neighbors.  In truth, though, this is a pagan practice which originated with the ancient Celts, who held the belief that – on this one day of the year – the spirits of the dead can return to earth.  In time, it was determined that the best way to prevent attacks from the evil spirits as they returned was by wearing costumes and masks that disguised the individual as one of those spirits.

The celebration of “Halloween” is recorded as early as 1556, when it was first known as “All Hallow’s Eve” – the day before the Christian celebration of “All Hallow’s Day” (also known as “All Saints’ Day”) on November 1, when Christians historically celebrated the legacy of the Christians who had already died and entered Heaven.  Prior to the establishment of “Halloween” as a secular holiday, though, there was a far greater event which took place on October 31…

For centuries, to be a Christian was to be under the authority and leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.  Growing dissension within the church led to an event known as “The Great Schism” in 1054, when the church divided into two distinct faith traditions – Roman Catholic and Orthodox.  Still, for those who remained members of the Roman Catholic Church and struggled to live according to the teaching of their leaders, something else still needed to be done.  The priests had refused to let the Bible be translated into any other language besides Latin, arguing that nobody but trained priests were equipped to read and interpret the Bible.  As a result, the church members were forced to depend upon the clergy for spiritual instruction and guidance.

Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church had become increasingly governed by the superstitious beliefs and false doctrines of their leaders.  For example, the priests were calling upon the church members to purchase “indulgences” (pardons from sin) on behalf of their deceased loved ones who were believed to be in “purgatory”, waiting to be released from their eternal bondage and permitted into Heaven.  Rather than teaching what the Bible truly says about salvation, the church leaders were teaching their parishioners that only by purchasing specific “indulgences” could they – or their loved ones – be assured of an eternity in Heaven.  Each year, on “All Saints’ Day” (November 1), the church members would pay for the necessary indulgences, parade past a collection of spiritual relics owned by the church, and plead to the deceased saints for the release of their loved ones from purgatory.

A growing number of church leaders recognized that these teachings were heretical, and knew that change was desperately needed, but still they remained silent.  They lived in a day when the religious authorities would sentence anyone who spoke out against the Roman Catholic Church to excommunication from the church, or – worse yet – death by burning.  Then – as today – few people were willing to risk their own lives for the sake of what they knew to be true.

In God’s providence, a young monk and theology professor by the name of Martin Luther was assigned to a parish in the German town of Wittenburg.  He drafted a document, which came to be known as The Ninety-Five Theses, which offered a scholarly refutation of these unbiblical teachings, and on October 31, 1517 (“All Hallow’s Eve”), he nailed the document to the door of Castle Church (also known as “All Saints’ Church”).  The Ninety-Five Theses was quickly translated from Latin into German so that it might be more accessible to the people.  Within two weeks, copies of the document had spread throughout Germany; within two months, it had been circulated throughout Europe.

When Luther was brought before the religious authorities, accused of heresy, and called upon to recant, he offered the now famous reply, “…I am bound to the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.  I cannot do otherwise.  Here I stand.  May God help me, Amen.” Luther’s bold stand for the truth of God’s Word helped spark a movement which lasted until at least 1648, known as “The Protestant Reformation”, and it is from this movement that all Protestant churches (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.) are originally derived.

Luther additionally produced many excellent books and commentaries, wrote hymns for congregation singing (most notably, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”), and translated the entire Bible into German so that people other than priests would have direct access to God’s Word.  Luther and the other leaders of the Reformation movement (John Calvin, John Knox, etc.) served not only to initiate a new era of church history, but also to call upon all who profess faith in Christ to submit themselves to the true, authoritative teachings of Scripture.  Now that day – the day that God used one faithful monk to call people to Christian obedience – is a day worth remembering and celebrating through all the years!  Praise be to God for Christians like this – past and present – who are willing to risk all in order to stand for the preservation and proclamation of biblical truth!

Remember the Past

While debates persist concerning who actually said it first, most everyone is familiar with the oft-repeated quote, “Those who fail to learn from their past are doomed to repeat it.”  If this is true (and I believe it is), then why do so few people today give any thought to the study of history?  Is it really enough to only learn the newest technology, the most recent ideas – the hottest trends of our day?  Personally, I don’t think so.

There are certain undeniable principles for being a good employee, a good leader, or even a good person…and they’re as true today as they ever were, no matter what new ideas, strategies, and methods may be celebrated in the days to come.  As Ecclesiastes argues so succinctly, “Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’?  It has been already in the ages before us.” (Eccles. 1:10).  The secret to living a truly great life will never be new methods or cutting-edge ideas, but rather learning and applying the ageless principles of wisdom, knowledge, and love as set forth in the pages of Scripture.  One way that God’s Word repeatedly calls upon us to do this is by considering the stories of the saints of old, listening to the accounts of the struggles, fears, and doubts that they encountered throughout their spiritual pilgrimages, and – quite frankly – learning from their mistakes.

Of course, if we desire to learn from history we should always start with the Bible itself.  How will we endure times of suffering if we haven’t studied the book of Job?  How will we handle power in a wise manner if we haven’t heard about Solomon’s shortcomings as a leader?  How will we know what God can do through us – in spite of our imperfections – if we haven’t read about Moses, Joshua, and Paul?  If we truly want to live lives that are rich, full of purpose, and bring glory to God, then we must read, consider, and appreciate the lessons learned by the individuals in biblical history, and commit ourselves to living in a way that avoids the errors in their thinking and builds upon their wise choices.

History isn’t just relevant for biblical study, though – we also benefit from studying more modern historical accounts.  After all, isn’t it important to know who we are, where we come from, and what decisions and actions have helped put us where we are today?  While history strikes many potential readers as nothing more than dull lists of dates, names, and locations, this is not what history (properly articulated) is supposed to be!  On the contrary, it’s the exciting accounts of what God and people have done through history to bring the world to where it is today.  Some of the stories are tragic and heart-breaking; others are magnificent and awe-inspiring; even the less eventful accounts are significant, for they all helped to make our world – and us – what we are today.

Do you want to know the most exciting thing about this?  YOU are a PART of that history!  The things that you and I do – or fail to do – are playing a role in what our history will look like tomorrow.  That’s precisely why we must make history a regular part of our educational diet…so we can learn about the consequences of bad ideas, the blessings of faithfulness to good ideas, and avoid making the same foolish mistakes that those before us have already made!  With this in mind, we should seriously consider making time to learn about the history of our families, our churches, the companies we work for, the schools we consider attending, etc.  Undoubtedly, we wanted to learn all that we could about our spouse’s history prior to marriage (“Have you ever been in love before?”, “What is your greatest memory?”, “Why do you act the way you do in certain situations?”, “What experiences helped make you who you are today?”, etc.), so shouldn’t we have some similar interest in learning about the other significant parts of our lives, too?

If we do not actively work to preserve, learn, remember, and teach our history to the next generation, it will be lost and forgotten and we will have learned nothing from it.  Scripture calls on us to not let this happen.  Consider, for example, the following Old Testament passage reflecting upon God’s promises to his people: “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children and your children’s children…” (Deut. 4:9).

Even artists take note of the significance of history, and the roles we play in helping to shape it for future generations.  Consider Walt Whitman’s poem, O Me!  O Life!, in which he contemplates the great ebb and flow of the human story and concludes, “That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.”  Do you want your “verse” to count, to be remembered with fondness, and to make this world a better place than it currently is?  Then study history and consider how to build upon the fruitful work of those who came before us.  History is important for all of us, and we neglect it to our own peril.

Time….definitely NOT on my side!

Truly, I have no idea WHAT the Rolling Stones were thinking when they penned a song declaring that, “Time is on my side..”.  If they were singing that in sincerity, then their lives must have been far less demanding and complicated than my own – and mine isn’t even that bad, compared to the lives of many people I know!  Every single day, I wake up with a list of about ten things that MUST get accomplished, and then sixteen or so hours later, I realize that – despite my best efforts – I haven’t even passed the half-way point in my list.  It’s a daily – hourly – struggle.  If time has EVER really been “on my side”, then I must have been too busy catching up on my list to notice.

In truth, if I were to select a song that more accurately reflects my own daily schedule, it would probably be “Fly Like an Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band, which reminds us (in words a bit more faithful to Scripture, I think), “Time keeps on slipping…into the future.”  As the opening chapter of Ecclesiastes so poetically explains to us, the world continues to maintain a regular pattern – the earth spins, the wind blows, the streams flow, the sun sets, and people die.  Time keeps marching steadily on, we are all painfully aware of this, and there’s not one single thing that any one of us can do about it.

It’s a sad truth….but, it IS a truth.  So then, what’s the good news behind this constant source of stress in our lives?  God is still sovereign!  Thankfully, though, most of the disappointing things about our lives – including its brevity – finds redemption when seen in light of the love, mercy, grace, and faithfulness of our loving heavenly Father.   We can be thankful that God’s Word offers clear, comforting passages that teach us how best to value the time that we do have.  Since many of you will likely be – like me – too busy to take time to read a lengthy article on the internet, I will limit the remainder of this article to just a few biblical passages upon which we should be meditating already.  If you feel stressed and frustrated because of the time constraints in your own day, then prayerfully consider the following passages:

“For man does not know his time.  Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. ” (Ecclesiastes 9:12-13)

“Wait for the LORD and keep his way….” (Psalm 37:34)

“This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” (Joshua 1:8)

“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)

“…pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

“…in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)

…and, of course, there are plenty more verses that could be added here.  Regardless of which verses you might would include in this list, though, God’s Word gives us some clear reminders that we are to be seizing the opportunities that God leads us to, living life to its very fullest, enjoying the good gifts which God has bestowed upon us, and – ALWAYS – thanking God for the ways that he blesses us, as well as for who he is.  May God continue to richly bless each of us as we make further efforts to fight the clock, focus our time on the most significant items on our daily checklists, and – most of all – seize every moment that we can for the glory of God.

Ten “Foundational” Books

A true lover of books always struggles a bit when trying to provide a “recommended book list” to others…not because there is any lack of good books to recommend, but rather because there are so many that are worth recommending that it’s hard to limit the list.  Furthermore, a person who has a passion for books (as I do) knows that he or she will be forever judged according to the quality and type of books that they recommend.  So, for example, if I were to recommend a book to you that you, ultimately, found to be quite awful, chances are good that you’d never trust my opinion on books again!  In that regard, recommending anything is always a risk…particularly if you value your “reputation” as an expert of any sort on the things which you recommend.  In other words, if you really don’t KNOW what’s good, then it’s certainly best for everyone involved if you don’t pretend that you do!

I certainly count myself as a “lover” of good books (Although, we certainly should not permit ourselves to “love” any material objects in the same way that we love people, or God, but I trust that you know what I mean…).  Since I have also worked for many years in the area of Christian book retail – and have had countless conversations with authors, publishers, book vendors, bookstore managers, and certainly a variety of avid readers, in addition to being an avid reader myself – then I have possibly also earned the title of “book expert”…at least by some people’s standards.  Regardless, based upon my years of reading and “book-related experience”, I do at least feel qualified to make a few recommendations to you, in hopes that – if you have not already read these particular books – you might feel challenged to do so and be blessed as a result.

I admit, again, that making a book list of any sort is tricky, and that it will always vary somewhat according to what the needs and interests of the individual reader might be.  Still, readers of good books will not limit themselves to only what they have found appealing in the past.  Rather, they will be willing to try reading new things (provided they have been recommended by a reliable source!) which might help them to grow as a reader, or – better yet – as a person.  With that in mind, here is a list of what I would recommend as ten excellent, yet very foundational, books for Christian living.  In other words, here are ten books that I think “every Christian should read” (…next to the Bible, of course!).

1 ) Basic Christianity – John R. W. Stott (Quite simply, the best basic overview of the Christian faith, written by one of the greatest living Bible teachers.)

2 ) Knowing God – J. I. Packer (This is the most popular book by Packer, who is arguably the most respected living theologian.  In this book, he offers a fantastic explanation of the character and attributes of God.)

3 ) Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis (A Christian classic for sure, this is Lewis’s collection of articles – originally presented as radio talks – which use basic human reasoning to persuade readers of the undeniable validity of the claims of Christ, and the wisdom of choosing to follow Christ.)

4 ) Celebration of Discipline – Richard Foster (Foster, a Quaker, sometimes strikes Protestant readers as a bit too “contemplative” or “meditative” in his conversations about prayer.  Still, there is no book yet that does a better job of clearly explaining each of the spiritual disciplines which Christians are called to practice on a regular basis [prayer, fasting, meditation, etc.], and challenging us to be faithful in exercising them!)

5 ) The Pursuit of Holiness – Jerry Bridges (Truly a fantastic book!  Here, Jerry Bridges gives a very clear explanation of what the Bible says about “holiness”, and why we should devote the rest of our lives to pursuing it.  If you like this book – as many do – then you might also want to read his follow-up book, The Practice of Godliness, which surveys the biblical teaching on the “fruit of the Spirit”.)

6 ) The Master Plan of Evangelism – Robert Coleman (A very basic explanation of how Jesus helped listeners to trust in Him, and how we can learn to do evangelism by looking at His example.  Billy Graham wrote the “Foreword” to this book.)

7 ) The Supremacy of Christ – Ajith Fernando (Ajith, who is often compared to John Stott, is the head of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka.  This excellent book, which is sadly getting harder to find and nearly out of print, gives a powerful presentation of Christ’s supremacy over all other [so-called] “gods”.  Jesus alone is our Savior, and this book makes that case in a very strong, inspiring manner.)

8 ) The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan (This is a classic allegory, written in a “screenplay-type” format [in which each individual character is notated every time that they speak], which beautifully depicts the spiritual journey – with all of its high’s and low’s – which every Christ-follower embarks upon.  Coincidentally, since being published in 1678, it has never been out of print, has been translated into over 200 languages, and is reportedly the best selling book in the world next to the Bible.)

9 ) Christian Mission in the Modern World – John R. W. Stott (Every Christian needs to get a sense of God’s missionary call on our lives, and nobody explains this more concisely, clearly, and biblically than does John Stott in this book.)

10 ) Knowing Scripture – R. C. Sproul (This is – many would agree – the best concise introduction to how we are to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word.)

As you might imagine, though, I have a few more titles that I wish could fit in the “top ten” list.  So, I’ll offer you five more recommendations as a supplement to the above list.  This list, however, will feature titles which are slightly more “theologically rich” (in other words, more in-depth, though not necessarily harder to read).  So, it would be a good idea to acquaint yourself with the books in the first list before proceeding to this one.

1 ) Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God – J. I. Packer (This just might be the greatest book ever written on evangelism.  While Coleman’s book [above] gives more emphasis to “how” we are to do evangelism, this one looks at the process more from God’s perspective, focusing more on why we do evangelism and how people actually come to faith.)

2 ) Pages from Church History – Stephen J. Nichols (We live in a culture that is FAR too neglectful of their history.  As Christians, we all need to acquire some sense of how the church has developed and grown over the past 2,000 years.  In this excellent book, Stephen Nichols [an outstanding college professor and personal friend of mine] offers a very manageable survey of church history by looking at 13 key “moments” from the time of Christ until today.)

3 ) Desiring God – John Piper (A bit more theologically specific, but still very significant!  John Piper’s argument throughout this book is that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  This is the signature book by my personal favorite preacher, and it receives strong endorsements from such respected theologians as Jerry Bridges and J. I. Packer.)

4 ) Know the Truth – Bruce Milne (If you want to read an overview of all of the major doctrines of the Bible, you will not find a better introductory book than this one!)

5 ) Baptism & Fullness – John Stott (In a day when wrong teaching about the Spirit of God is in vast abundance, this is a great corrective!  Everything that John Stott writes is worth reading, and this is one of his most beloved offerings.  If you wanted one more excellent book about the Holy Spirit to read alongside this one, I would also suggest Keep in Step with the Spirit by J. I. Packer.)

So, anyway, I hope that these lists will be a blessing to you.  Sure, this is just “one guy’s opinion” – and you are welcome to take it or leave it – but these are books that have endured in Christian circles for years, and if you read them all, then you will have “fed” your heart and mind some really good, biblically-based material on virtually every aspect of Christian theology.  If you have already read these titles, or if you read them based on my recommendation, I would love to hear how they’ve helped you on your faith journey.  Otherwise, keep reading things that bring glory to our Lord!

Confessing my addiction…

If it’s possible to be “addicted” to books, then I am most definitely addicted.  Soon after I became a Christian (in 1992), I discovered the joy and benefit of reading good, Christian books…and my interest in them has only increased over the years.  As a youth minister, I was required by my mentor to read three or four books a month.  As a college and seminary student, I was required to purchase and study many books for my classes.  Now, as I continue to read, study, teach, preach, and write, books are extremely important to me – only slightly less important, really, than air and food.

Without thoroughly-researched, well-written books at my fingertips (and, of course, THE book – the Bible – which supersedes all other books in it’s importance in my life), I would feel very insecure.  With my limited memory and limited knowledge, I would never feel equipped to impart information to others, because I would be afraid of interjecting my personal opinions in place of what is true and factual, or at least getting the facts badly jumbled in my efforts to communicate them.  Ray Bradbury’s classic novel “Fahrenheit 451″ (which imagines a culture in which books are illegal), is a truly horrific story for me, because a world without books – I think – would be a terrible place.

Fortunately, though (…or unfortunately, depending on how you’re looking at things…), there is an ever-increasing number of truly excellent books that are well-worth reading.  The novice reader, who is not really well-informed about what’s available and hasn’t learned what’s most edifying to read, will often make very poor choices in books.  This, of course, is clearly illustrated by the fact that “fluff” books are continually the best-sellers in the popular bookstores.

Many people will choose to read the “easiest” books that they can find for pure enjoyment and escape from the daily drudgery of life, and – for some – they are quite content to read these simple books throughout their lives.  This is unfortunate, though, because the better books – even the better fiction books, if that’s your preference – have so much more to offer to us than the books that are written for the sole purpose of making money and achieving celebrity status.  This is not to say that only difficult books should be pursued (though they are often more rewarding), but rather that truly good books should be our primary interest.  And if you have any trouble determining what those “good” books are, then you need only find an experienced book lover that you respect and ask their advice to start learning about them.

An appreciation for excellent books is a wonderful thing, and something which I wish every person in the world shared with one another.  How wonderful it would be if everybody realized how much our minds can be sharpened, our wisdom deepened, and our lives enhanced by committing ourselves to investing the energy and resources in the reading of good books!  For me, however, my realization of this years ago has turned into something of a problem for me now.  I find myself – as I said – “addicted” to books.  It is all but impossible for me to walk by a book display in a store – no matter what kind of store it is – and not at least look to see whether there is some new title which I might be in urgent need of.  If you could see my current library, though, you would know beyond doubt that I’m not in “urgent need” of ANY more books!

Recently, in applying for my new insurance policy, I needed to have an estimate for the value of my personal library, as well as for our other possessions.  All in all, I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,200 books.  There are some small bookstores that don’t keep that many titles in stock at a given time!  Needless to say, this poses a problem for Karen and I as I struggle to get all of the books into bookcases (I believe I have 15 or so large bookcases.), particularly since we are now living in a small church apartment!  So, I find myself having to – out of necessity – say goodbye to a small portion of my book collection.  Needless to say, this is a slow, difficult, and at times painful process.

Some of the books are admittedly outdated and less valuable to me now.  Most, however, are at least “good” if not truly “excellent” books, and these are much harder to sift through.  Deciding which ones to sell or give away is something like deciding which body part to let go of.  Is there one finger that’s less necessary to me than the others…perhaps one toe that doesn’t play too significant a role in my ability to stand or walk?  Hardly!  Yet, when I’ve assembled and filled every bookcase that will possibly fit into our apartment and I still have stacks of books all over, then changes must be made.

Anyway, I share this with you partly because I know that many of my minister friends have had to deal with a similar “book addiction” as I have, and perhaps you have some useful tips to offer to me in this time of personal struggle.  To other readers, though, I want to share that – in spite of the spacial complications that my book collection is currently causing in my life – I have, nonetheless, been greatly enriched by the good things that I have read.  Most of my knowledge and a great deal of my conviction is due to God working in my life through the things that I have read.  Reading is such a fruitful exercise – so much more so than the TV and movies that most of us enjoy far too often these days.

If you are comfortable checking books out of the library and returning them when you have finished reading them, then you will never risk having to manage your collection as I am now.  Besides, it has taken me many shopping sprees over a number of years to reach the point of having more books than I can comfortably store.  Whether you buy books or borrow them, though, please hear my challenge to READ GREAT BOOKS!  There are so many books to choose from, and the effort required to read them is so richly rewarded.  I once stumbled upon a quote, though I can’t recall the source of it, which said, “The man who can read but doesn’t is no better off than the man who can’t read.”  True indeed!  Please make time to read good books, and be blessed as a result.