THE GOSPEL AND THE MIND: Recovering and Shaping the Intellectual Life – Bradley G. Green (2010)

R.C. Sproul has stated, “We live in the most anti-intellectual period in church history.”  Sproul’s words are right on target.  His timely words are a sober reminder that once we have lost the Christian mind, we have lost all basis for discussion.  Indeed, we have lost our basis for meaning and morality.  When the epistemological scaffolding collapses, one may as well give up the quest for truth.  And when one abandons the quest for truth, one abandons the quest for God!

Bradley Green has brilliantly captured the essence of the Christian mind in his book, The Gospel and the Mind.  The subtitle goes to the core passion of the author, namely – “recovering and shaping the intellectual life.”

Green’s theses is clearly presented at the outset:

1. “The Christian vision of God, man, and the world provides the necessary precondition for the recovery of any meaningful intellectual life.”

2. The Christian vision of God, man, and the world offers a particular, unique understanding of what the intellectual life might look like.”

The remainder of the book defends the theses with skill and precision.  I found the book most helpful and should be included in the arsenal of any thinking Christian.

5 stars

RID OF MY DISGRACE: HOPE AND HEALING FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT – Justin and Lindsey Holcomb (2011)

Rid of My Disgrace, a book that explores the sin of sexual abuse has received some bad press.  None of it is justified.  Justin and Lindsey Holcomb have crafted a fine piece of work that is honest, transparent, and accurately unpacks the baggage that tragically has been laid at the feet of so many people in this country.   The authors are quick to point out that “at least one in four women and one in six men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime.”  Their aim is to offer hope to victims of sexual abuse; hope that is found in the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross and the gospel.

A myriad of resources are available for victims of sexual abuse, however most tools are rooted in Freudian psychology or man-centered ideology.  Rid of My Disgrace is a sharp departure from the typical drivel that floods the marketplace of ideas.

Part one exposes the sin and side effects of sexual assault.  Part two walks readers through the complicated emotional responses that most victims experience.  And part three presents hope for victims that is rooted in the gospel of Jesus.  This gospel is clearly articulated and applied specifically to the hurts experienced by those who have been sinned against.

Rid of My Disgrace is a powerful tool for pastors and counselors and a treasure chest of hope for victims of sexual abuse.  My hope is that this book receives a wide reading and will accomplish great things to glory of God in the days ahead.

Highly recommended

JESUS: THE ONLY WAY TO GOD – John Piper (2010)

For several years, we have been drowning in a sea of relativism.  This is certainly no secret to anyone who has strolled the postmodern beach that is littered with tolerance trash and the rubbish of situational ethics.  What comes as a shock is that this relativism is slowly creeping into the church.  Like an unnoticed leaky pipe, this diabolical worldview is creeping into the fabric of the church.  If we are not careful, we will soon find ourselves adrift – with no shore in sight.

John Piper addresses these concerns in his little book, Jesus: The Only Way to God.  He aggressively tackles the thorny question, “Must you hear the gospel in order to be saved?”  Piper’s passion is to “convince our minds and strengthen our hearts to do the loving thing, namely, t0 spread to all peoples the good news  of God’s work in Jesus to rescue sinners and someday renew the world.”  His mission is accomplished in six short chapters as he obliterates the heretical ideas of annihilationism and universalism.  He effectively answers the question that concerns whether or not a sincere person can receive eternal life, while never hearing the good news of Jesus’ gospel.  And the answer is a resounding “No!”

“The question for the church in every generation,” Piper writes, is: “Will we submit gladly to the Scriptures?  Will we devote ourselves to understanding them truly, valuing them supremely, applying them properly, obeying them wholeheartedly, and speaking them courageously and publicly?”  Piper’s work is a clarion call to the evangelical world.  It is a clear warning that utters the indispensable need for gospel proclamation – no matter the cost.  Followers of Christ have been duly warned.  Our task is to clearly communicate the Word of God.  Our task is to herald the truth concerning God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our task is to faithfully utter the gospel to the nations!

4.5 stars

MEN OF GOD – Trevor Archer and Tim Thornborough (2011)

Men of God is not for the faint at heart.  This excellent resource probes several areas that are of deep significance to Christian men.

The book is patterned after a typical Pauline epistle with a section on doctrine that is followed by a section on practical matters.

Part One: Men and the Gospel

The authors ground their work in the gospel of God.  This gospel is compared to an engine: “To become a Christian is to have the gospel of God installed in our hearts like a new engine to power our lives.”  The author endeavor to show how this gospel provides the fuel to live a life that honors Christ and enables men to serve their families as godly fathers and husbands.

Men are challenged to embrace three crucial weapons, namely – prayer, holiness, and the Scriptures: “The man of God is called to fight by prayer, by holiness of life and by the Word of God; to follow the captain of the Lord’s hosts, who himself won the battle by a sacrificial bravery that took him to the cross, and who calls his disciples to follow him.”  Part one effectively demonstrates the necessity of the gospel and propels men to live for Christ with all their hearts.

Part Two: Living for Christ

Part two includes short chapters on practical matters including marriage, singleness, fatherhood, sex, the church, work, witnessing, discipleship, and leisure.  Each chapter is brief, yet is grounded in Scripture and provides a wealth of suggestions and challenges for Christian men.

Men of God is an encouraging book that should be a source of strength and education for men who are seeking to obey Christ.  Don’t expect weighty exegetical arguments here.  This is truly a primer, a mere introduction – but one that is well worth reading and digesting.

4 stars

FATHER HUNGER – Douglas Wilson (2012)

Douglas Wilson is not known for timidity or soft-peddling the truth.  His writing style is bold, pithy, and loaded with biblical admonitions and rebukes.  His newest book, Father Hunger is no exception.

Father Hunger is not your typical parenting book.  Readers looking for popular parenting principles should look elsewhere.  The subtitle of Wilson’s work aptly describes the theme that emerges throughout, namely – “Why God calls men to love and lead their families.”  The author succeeds and does so in style.

Wilson draws a line in the sand in the opening chapter by confronting egalitarianism – a movement that has a death grip on the church in America.  Wilson alerts readers to this deadly ideology and presents the biblical blueprint for fathers: “God wants men both to work and to protect.  Work has to do with nurture and cultivation, while protection refers to a man’s duty to be a fortress for his family.”  The so-called “provide and protect” framework emerges throughout the work and guides the writer’s thoughts along the way.

The author describes the fatherless generation we live in and argues that the solution is to return to God: “The need of the hour is to return to the worship of God the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and all conducted in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  And so Wilson’s argument for fathers is rooted deeply in the doctrine of the Trinity.

Wilson draws the attention of readers to the true meaning of masculinity, defined simply as “the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility.”  He continues, “A man who assumes responsibility is learning masculinity, and a culture that encourages men to take responsibility is a culture that is a friend to masculinity.”  Tragically, this ideal of masculinity is being marginalized in American culture and is being replaced by effeminate men who are neglecting their God-ordained roles in the family and the church.

Perhaps the most helpful feature in Father Hunger is the balance and even-handed approach.  For example, Wilson goes to great lengths to encourage fathers to model the character of God the Father.  In one watershed moment, the author goes to the core of the issue: “This is why fathers need to learn how to be strict in the same way that God the Father is strict, and to be merciful in the same way that He is merciful  If we are strict only, we crush the spirit out of our children, or we provoke rebellion.  If we are merciful only, we create a culture of entitlement and self-indulgence in the home.  And, in the worst possible combination, if we are strict where God is merciful, and merciful where God is strict, then we are busy supplying the strip clubs of the future with all their pole dancers and customers.”  Readers offended by Wilson’s blunt language should seek to understand his heart here. In a stroke of pure genius, this author not only sums up a key plank of Christian parenting but demonstrates the painful consequences of disobeying God’s divine standard.”   In a stroke of pure genius, this author not only sums up a key plank of Christian parenting but demonstrates the painful consequences of disobeying God’s divine standard.

Father Hunger may not be for everyone.  One review gave Wilson low marks for using language that needed to be referenced in a dictionary.  Certainly not an admirable reason for rejecting a book!  Readers willing to think deeply and be challenged will greatly benefit from this book.  My prayer is that a new generation a godly fathers will commit themselves to providing for their families and protecting them in the way God intended – for his glory!

4 stars

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publisher in exchange for my review.

THE STRATEGY OF SATAN – Warren Wiersbe (1979)

I was recently browsing through the spiritual warfare section in the local Christian bookstore.  As usual, I was shocked and horrified with the amount of useless material that is being peddled to the unsuspecting.  Warren Wiersbe’s book, The Strategy of Satan cuts through the nonsense and effectively tackles two critical questions concerning spiritual warfare:

1. What is the strategy of  Satan?

2. How shall Christians detect and defeat him?

Wiersbe begins by characterizing Satan as a deceiver, destroyer, ruler, and accuser.  Satan targets the mind, body, will, heart, and conscience.  Wiersbe underscores the chief weapons that the enemy utilizes  and his purposes in wielding these weapons.  And the author includes the biblical defense against each of Satan’s stratagems.

The remaining chapters provide practical and biblical help in defeating the enemy.  Wiersbe’s counsel is rooted in sound exegesis and provide readers with a wealth of knowledge for the battlefield.  Warren Wiersbe brings his typical style to the table in this book – his writing is clear and simple to understand and his aim is directed at the heart of the believer.

Highly recommended!

4 stars

CALICO JOE – John Grisham (2012)

John Grisham’s newest novel proves that he is not done writing.  Calico Joe is a departure from the typical legal thriller that readers have grown to love over the years.  This short novel tracks the inner sanctuary of a young boy whose father is a major league pitcher – and a major league loser.  This deadbeat dad mistreats his son and engages in unethical and narcissistic behavior.  He intentionally “beans” a rookie prospect and effectively ends his  career.  The book explores the interplay between selfishness and  selflessness.  It alerts readers to the power of forgiveness.  And it even entertains along the way.

4 stars