Why every Christian needs a library May 21, 2007

I’ve been internally debating whether I should buy books to give away or to keep for myself. I used to think giving them away was always better because I shouldn’t be focused on “building treasure” for myself on earth. (And books are my particular weakness.) However, there are some pro’s to having your own library of Christian books…

 

Besides being able to use good books to better prepare for church and Bible studies, and use them as a reference after hearing something about Christianity you’re unsure about, having a library of books helps in evangelism.

 

After you chat to a friend and find out what’s preventing them from becoming a Christian, or what they’re struggling with as a Christian, you can lend them a book to help answer their questions. Lending the book rather than just giving it away gives you an opportunity to meet up when they return it and discuss what they’ve read. Also, lending a book puts a useful kind of pressure on someone to read it within a relatively short time span, whereas a gift book can gather dust on a shelf for years, and may not ever be read.

 

I suppose it all depends on the person you’re planning to lend/give the book to. An avid or eager reader can be given the book, while it might be better to lend to a not-so-curious reader.

 

One last thought: why not buy two copies of the next Christian book you buy? Or even three? One to keep, one on hand to give to a friend, and one to give to the St Stephen’s church library. We’re pretty desperate for new reads

Thank God it’s Monday May 21, 2007

Author: Mark Greene

 

By Jackie Kunze

I have to admit that when I was first asked to read the book “Thank God it’s Monday” for a review, one of my first thoughts was, “I cant do that, I’ve got too much work to do!” When I got book home and saw the subtitle “Ministry in the Workplace” I realised that I was just the kind of person that needed to read this book.

 

And I have to say that I was captivated from the first page. Mark Greene’s style is very easy to read and he uses lots of anecdotes of the modern workplace to illustrate his points. But more importantly, he draws on examples of biblical characters who faced similar challenges in their work.

 

He begins by challenging the commonly held perception that secular work is somehow inferior to full-time gospel work. He reminds us that the greater percentage of Christians are actually in the secular workplace and are therefore far more capable of forming trusting relationships with people who do not know God, and he gives lots of helpful suggestions on how to do that.

 

But Greene doesn’t just look at the workplace as a place for evangelism. He also challenges our attitude to work and the relationships we form there, including that with our boss, which I found especially helpful. He even paints a very clear picture of what Christian bosses should look like, or someone that has authority over others. Ultimately, he presents us with a blue print for the radical employee which is based on the concept of a ‘servant leader’ with Jesus as our primary role model.

 

One extract that really struck me was where he describes how we as Christians should stand out in the workplace as for many of our colleagues we may be the only exposure to Christianity that they might have had.

 

So, in conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who finds working in the secular environment a challenge or struggles to relate to the people that we meet on an everyday basis. It certainly challenged me to think about my own attitude to work and the way I view my colleagues.

Know Why You Believe May 21, 2007

Author: Paul E. Little

 

By Natalie Wassung

 

If you ever see yourself defending Christianity in a debate, or explaining doctrine to other Christians, this book will equip you to do so.  There are actually only a limited number of questions about Christianity; they just come in different forms. This book helps you to distinguish between these questions and give sufficient Biblical proof for convincing answers.

 

Author Paul Little deals with the frequently asked questions about Christianity in a clear and logical manner. It’s best to read the chapters in order, as Little does build on conclusions from previous chapters. However, if you’re in a hurry (or you have a pile of books waiting to be read!) you can read the chapters separately, as the author provides a summary sentence or two of his assumptions.

 

I thought the four chapters “Is Christ God?”, “Are the Bible Documents Reliable?”, “Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?” and “Does Christianity Differ From Other Religions?” were particularly well written, and would help you to satisfy the questions you’re most likely to be asked in today’s relativistic culture.

 

I think this book would be useful for Christians for two reasons. Firstly, our current questions about the Bible, doctrine or Christian living often arise because we’ve forgotten the foundations of our faith. Once these have been revisited, our current queries are usually answered. Secondly, the book would be a useful follow-up tool in evangelism. After a conversation with a non-Christian friend in which you discover his or her particular question, you can lend them the book and refer them to the appropriate chapter. I’m not the most eloquent of people, and this book is a relief when sensible words just won’t come out!   

God’s Big Picture May 21, 2007

Author: Vaughn Roberts

 

 

By Nicole Canning

Incidentally, I picked up this book at the same time that I began teaching a Sunday school class for the first time. As I planned lessons on those well-known Old testament stories like Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark and Moses in the Bulrushes, my reading of this book started to make it perfectly clear how important they are in the greater context of the bible. They weren’t just random snapshots of life long ago, they were instrumental parts of God’s big picture.

 

In this easy-to-read and concise book, Roberts gives an excellent overview of the timeline of the Bible, showing the relevance of each different part, how it all holds together and most importantly, how it all points to Jesus. He uses the theme of the ‘Kingdom of God’ as a unifying concept for the whole Bible and then divides his book up into 8 sections which he describes as the main epochs in God’s unfolding plan to establish and restore his Kingdom.

 

The Old Testament begins with The pattern of the kingdom – God’s people in God’s place, under God’s rule. We then see The perished kingdom as Adam and Eve turn away from God and in turn face his judgment. But God, in his great love, is determined to restore his kingdom, and as such has The Promised Kingdom that he calls Abraham and his descendents to. That promise is the gospel, only partially fulfilled in the history of Israel. The partial kingdom thus describes God’s people being led to Canaan. However, their problem is still sin, and this kingdom is thus soon dismantled as Israel falls apart. Roberts then moves on to The prophesised kingdom which includes the part of the Bible where God speaks through his prophets, offering them hope the future. The Old Testament ends as we wait for God’s king to appear to introduce his Kingdom. The present kingdom thus looks at the coming of Jesus, with his resurrection proving the success of his rescue mission, and announcing that those who trust in Christ can look forward to eternal life with him. We currently await The proclaimed kingdom, with the delay in these ‘last days’ enabling more people to hear about the good news of Christ. The perfected kingdom will come one day when Christ will return and make a great division between his enemies and his people. The book of Revelation describes a fully-restored kingdom: God’s people, Christians from all nations, in God’s place, the new creation (heaven), under God’s rule and therefore enjoying his blessing. As Roberts puts it, “nothing can spoil this happy ending. It is no fairy story; they really will live happily ever after.”

 

This book is by no means simply ‘Sunday school made sense’ but is, I believe, a fundamental read for all Christians, no matter where they are on their spiritual path. For less mature Christians, it will provide enlightening information, clarified by useful diagrams. For more mature Christians it gives insightful knowledge into the types of writings used in the Bible and equips one to point to Christ from any part of the Bible, rather than just from a few favourite passages. Ultimately, it encourages us to get to know and love Christ throughout all his scriptures.

Encouragement: How Words Change Lives May 21, 2007

Author: Gordon Cheng

Publisher: Matthias Media

 

 

By Shirley Emms

Encouragement is the most over-used word in Christian circles. But are we even sure we know what its means to encourage one another?

 

Is encouragement a pat on the back when someone feels sad? Or helping them stay happy? Well, I wasn’t sure at all myself what encouragement was and how I was meant to go about it.

 

We often feel that with topical books such as these that there is an art or science to encouragement or prayer etc. But what I’ve learnt in reading this series is how much I have lost the basics. I look for profound news. Yet Cheng offers a elegant and profound book which gave me a joyful reality check and reminded me of what is true and significant.

 

The book covers a very basic spectrum of key considerations. Gorden Cheng takes you on brief journey as he looks at how Christian encouragement works, how words themselves impact out lives and how Christian words should be taking root in our lives.

 

Some books often offer all theory and no practical tips and some all tips and no substance. But this book forms part of the Guidebooks for Life series which includes “Prayer and the Voice of God”, and “A Sinner’s Guide to Holiness”. They offer vital balance to theory and application. They dig into the Bible and challenge us by stirring us to change as we discover how God wants us live.

 

It includes a discussion guide, so why don’t you pick one up at the bookstall, read it with a friend and grapple with what it means to encourage and how you can best go about it as brothers in Christ.

Christianity Explored March 8, 2007

Authors: Rico Tice and Barry Cooper

Publisher: Authentic Lifestyle

ISBN-13: 978-1850783831

 

I bought this book to give away. Someone I know is interested in Christianity, and after chatting about it, I wasn’t sure that where he is getting his answers from doesn’t compromise the Gospel for the sake of a conversion. So I was looking for something straightforward that explained real Christianity, but without being patronising or overbearing.

 

I found Christianity Explored on the St Stephens book table and thought it looked promising. And learning from past experience, I actually read the book before I gave it my friend.

 

For a long-time Christian, this book was quite a wake-up call – in amongst all the sermons and Bible studies and quiet times, I needed to be reminded that the message of Jesus is an urgent one. The authors explain Christianity using the Gospel of Mark, and their fun, humorous style doesn’t conceal the serious matter of sin and salvation. The book isn’t observational, but throughout expects the reader to make a choice about what he believes.

 

I tend to read quite academic Christian books, so this personal approach was refreshing and reminded me not to get too bogged down in doctrine. After all, the message of Christ is simple – “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

John Blanchard in the Cape March 7, 2007

Dr. Blanchard is giving a series of talks on apologetics in the Cape this month. Please have a look at the schedule below for more information.

Dr. John Blanchard is an internationally known Christian preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has written 25 books, including two of Britian’s most widely used evangelistic presentations, Right With God and the booklet Ultimate Questions. The latter has over fourteen million copies in print in over 40 languages. His major book Does God believe in Atheists?, published in 2000, was voted ‘Best Christian Book’ in the 2001 UK Christian Book Awards, and immediately became a best-seller, described as ‘a brilliant defence of belief in God’. Other books he has written include: Truth for Life, Whatever Happened to Hell, Meet the Real Jesus, and The Beatitudes for Today.

Dr. Blanchard is now heavily committed to Popular Christian Apologetics, a project involving writing, speaking, teaching and broadcasting in defence of the Christian faith. Following on from Does God Believe in Atheists? the next books in the series are Is God past His sell-by Date?, Why Believe the Bible? and Evolution: Fact or Fiction?

Source: www.johnblanchard.org

Tim Chester Books March 7, 2007

Tim Chester is a great author from the UK and his books are extremely challenging and worth the read. His little book ‘The Gospel Centered Church’ has been extremely influential on my thinking and that of many others. Here’s a link to all the books he’s authored and a short write up of each one. You can read more of his thoughts here at his blog.

The Gospel According to Mark March 5, 2007

The Pillar New Testament Commentary

Author: James R. Edwards

ISBN: 0-85111-778-3

Publisher: Eerdman’s Publishing Co., USA.

 

Edwards has written a wonderfully insightful commentary on the book of Mark. He is clearly a man who loves the Word of God and goes to great pains to ensure that few assumptions are made about it without sufficient evidence. He has a very humble approach in the way he discusses accepted doctrine, and when there is little support for a particular belief or practice, he says so. He refers to the work of the top non-liberal scholars, yet also includes pieces from apocryphal gospels (which he acknowledges as non-Scriptural) to place sections in historical context. Every claim is carefully footnoted with the appropriate resource. Verse by verse the book is explained and a whole new understanding of the ‘simple’ gospel is allowed.

 

The book is written for the Christian who wishes to get down and wrestle with the text. Edwards explains concepts clearly and humbly, so the book can be read by the layman as well as fellow scholars. Edwards writes in a flowing style that is easily readable. I especially enjoyed the way he summarises the overall meaning and larger purpose of each section, and what it means for us as Christians.

 

‘The Gospel According to Mark’ is a very comprehensive look at this gospel – it took me the better part of last year to read and digest it, section by section. If you’re not a reader, perhaps try something a bit shorter!

 

Highly recommended.

Prayer and the Voice of God March 5, 2007

Authors: Phillip D. Jensen & Tony Payne

Publisher: Matthias Media

ISBN: 1921068280

 

Do you ever feel as if your prayers are weak and ineffectual, or dare you say it – a waste of time? Are you ever stumped about what to say to God? Surely He knows everything anyway…!

 

 

 

Our prayers say a lot about our relationship with God, and our mind-set as Christians. This book answers these questions and more, and will encourage you to kick-start (or re-start) your prayer life. For the Christian, prayer is both a command and a blessing – and perhaps surprisingly, not just an optional extra.

 

“It’s our relationship of dependence upon God expressed in words. Prayer is audible faith.”

 

After all, relationship requires communication! Jensen and Payne remind us that prayer is purely and simply ‘asking God for things’. They go on to explain the two types of things we should be asking for, i.e. the desires of God and the anxieties of life.

 

 

 

I especially enjoyed the chapters ‘Why We Don’t Pray’ and ‘What Happens When We Pray’. Before reading this book, I had the idea that God would not interfere in the laws of nature that he has set down, and wondered if prayer was even worth it if God’s plan is sovereign and unchanging. I hadn’t realised that I had picked up some worldly views of prayer rather than God’s view as explained in the Bible, and that I was in fact limiting God. I had also subtly bought into the “name and claim it” view of prayer, which suggested that I hadn’t received what I’d asked for because my faith wasn’t strong enough. The book helped me to see that by thinking this way, I had in fact made prayer about “me and my faith” instead of “God and His grace”.

I think the authors could have written a bit more on how to pray in a group – I often feel as if I’m on show or fake when I pray with other Christians, and it makes my lips seize up.

 

Overall, the book is easy to read and a chapter is short enough to finish in a day. There’s an excellent summary of all the main points at the end of the book; I’m going to photocopy it and keep it handy! Also useful is a list of prayers from Scripture to use as examples. And that’s not all, folks – there are even discussion questions for each chapter, to do on your own or with a Christian friend.

 

I’m definitely going to read this little gem again.

 

 

Prayer and the Voice of God is available at the St Stephen’s bookstall for R84.