Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category

Dec
29
2011

Mini Reviews #9

Thanks to my new NOOK, I’ve been on a reading tear lately. So here are two more mini-reviews:

The Cure for the Common Life  by Max Lucado

I appreciate Lucado’s unique gift at taking difficult concepts and making them easy for lay people to understand. In The Cure for the Common Life, Max shares a winsome, wise, and thoroughly biblical case for living a life of maximum impact. He encourages people to discover how God has gifted them, skills, abilities, opportunities, background, and leverage that for maximum Kingdom purpose. He grounds it in God’s desire to see His glory revealed in each of His children. He also uses specific examples of people who found their “sweet spot”, where their gifts, callings, and opportunities align with God’s purpose. What I like is that Lucado pushes replaces the cultural idea of “you can be what you want to be” and replaces it with “you can be what and who God wants you to be.”

Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

I have wanted to read this book for some time and finally downloaded it to my Nook and read it during this holiday break. It’s a unique book in that it is a memoir of life in the Old Order Amish. Anyone who fantasizes about the seemingly simple and idealized life of the Amish will quickly discover the frustrations and heartbreak that occur when living under a legalistic, closed system.

What I particularly enjoyed about this, more than most recent memoirs, is that this is not self-serving and it is very fair. Wagler is honest about his parents shortcomings and the problems with the Amish faith, but he’s also very complementary about some of the noble and good things about their community. While we may reject their theology, there are many things to admire about the Amish and Wagler points those out. He’s also very honest about the disappointment and hurt he caused in his relationships. You might expect him to blame all of his troubles on the Amish way, but he really doesn’t.

I found it fascinating to learn how real Amish live. I was surprised at how different various communities can be from each other, in terms of their rules and ways of life. I was also surprised at how plugged in some of the youth are to pop culture, even though they are sequestered in the community. Perhaps the most poignant part of the book is the struggle Wagler (and most Amish youth) had in leaving the community and coming back. It was only when he found true salvation in Christ by grace did he realize there was a third way between the life of the Amish (which he perceived as the only way to God) and the outside world.

The only weakness I see in this memoir is that it seems unfinished. He ends abrubtly with the last time he left the community. I would have loved to known about how the next twenty years went outside, how he adjusted to modern life, how he met his wife, built his career. I saw on his bio that he attended Bob Jones University for a spell–how did he get from Amish to BJU? Perhaps the editors felt the book was too long, but I was waiting for more.

All in all, though this is a wonderful memoir worth reading.

 

Dec
27
2011

My Favorite Books of 2011

I had the opportunity to read quite a few great books in 2011. Not quite as many (101) as my friend, Aaron Armstrong, but I read quite a few. Here are my top ten books. You’ll notice they are not necessarily all books that were published in 2011, but books I had the chance to read this year.

Unbroken by Lauren Hildenbrand

Lou Zamperini’s His life as told inUnbroken is a powerful story, a reminder of the sovereignty and grace of God in the life of one man, lived during one of the most ominous periods of world history.

Bonhoeffer by Erik Metaxes

Bonhoeffer is a book I highly recommend. It is a weighty, important biography of a man used greatly by God. Bonhoeffer was unsuccessful in taking down Hitler, but his life has become an inspiration for Christian boldness, faith, and cross-bearing in the many decades since he was martyred.

I have a feeling that this is the book Eric Metaxas will be always be known for. His painstaking work has given us a great gift.

Also, I conducted a very interesting interview with the author here.

Just As I Am by Billy Graham

I’ve always wanted to read this book. I’m intrigued by the biographies of well-known evangelical leaders.This book gave me a newfound appreciation for God’s work in his life. I’m amazed at how God took the son of a dairy farmer and used him to bring millions to Christ, influence world leaders, and help usher in this era of evangelicalism.

The God Who Is There by D.A. Carson

This is a great book for those who wonder how the Old Testament fits into the New. Carson clearly presents the “one big storyline” of the Bible.

The Next Story by Tim Challies

 I highly recommend this book for those who live and work in the digital world. I suspect it will be a texbook in Christian colleges. 

Dug Down Deep by Josh Harris

This may be the most readable book on doctrine available. It’s at times funny, honest, and personal. I would highly recommend it.

Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan

 I find myself soaking this book in a chapter or two at a time and then thinking deeply about each section. Mark talks biblically and with doctrinal precision about subjects such as sin, repentance, and the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, and church involvement.

Bloodlines by John Piper

 This is a brave and important book, tackling head-first the issue of race.

Lions of Kandahar by Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer

For someone who knows little about military lingo or strategy, this book was a delightful read. The authors were explanatory of situations, protocol, weapons, etc. It gave me such an appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives in places like Afganistan.

Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias

Reading Deliver Me From Evil gave me a disturbing, up-close look at the horrific problem of human trafficking. Kathi Macias weaves a story of a young girl who was kidnapped from her San Diego area home and forced into sexual slavery; a girl in the Golden Triangle in Thailand. In this novel, Kathi shares the awful exploitation of young girls in excruciating, but appropriate detail. These are girls whose innocence and freedom and self-worth are bought and sold to the highest bidder by the most evil of men.

 Honorable Mentions:
These books were as great as the other ten, so I wanted to put them here:
Work Matters by Tom Nelson
Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson
King Solomon by Phillip Ryken
A God-Sized Vision by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge
Dec
27
2011

Mini-Reviews #8

Just finished another great batch of books:

Work Matters by Tom Nelson.

This is a terrific book on a subject not explored fully enough in contemporary evangelicalism: a theology of work. As usual, Nelson (pastor of Christ Community Church in Leawood, Kansas), shares a comprehensive, balanced, biblical view of the doctrine of work.

A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias

Kathi Macias, a friend, is a gifted writer. The last few years she has devoted herself to writing what she calls “bold” fiction. She tackles a thorny social issue and weaves a story around it, opening up the reader’s eyes to issues of justice and suffering. I recently read and reviewed her novel, Deliver Me From Evil which puts a face on the scourge of human trafficking. It so disturbed me that I’ve renewed a committment to help in this fight.

A Christmas Journey Home tackles the subject of illegal immigration, something that provokes heated debate on both sides. What Kathi does is share the stories of two widows about to collide. One is the wife of a slain border agent. She and her son struggle in the year after his death, wondering why God allowed it to happen and taking her anger out on the illegals that cross the border. In her anger you can hear the frustration of those who wish the border was more secure.

The other story is one of a young pregnant Mexican wife who, with her husband, fled the violence in her hometown. Their once quiet neighborhoods were now racked by violence, the indiscriminate murder of innocent women and children. Her father gives the couple his life savings and urges them to try to cross the border. In their story you see the struggle to find a better situation for their growing family.

The two stories collide in a setting not dissimilar from the humble conditions of Jesus’ birth. It is the story of the Nativity that calls the border agent’s wife to find the forgiveness and grace to engage the wife of the illegal. This is not a book that offers bullet-point solutions to the issue of illegal immigration, but readers will put a human face on a problem, pushing past the stereotypes, posturing, and politics that plage the immigration crisis.

This is a great book first for church staff, pastors, and missionaries. Quite often we either send a message to the lay people in our congregation that their day job is less important than that of a ministry leader. We don’t preach often enough on the important doctrine of vocation, of work not simply as a means to an end (tithing, evangelism), but as a form of worship itself. Nelson covers the full orbit of work in a pastoral, encouraging way.

This is also a terrific book for lay leaders. Often you feel as if you’re “secular” work is sort of secondary to church involvement, as if what you do on Monday-Friday has no connection to worship on Sunday. Nelson will shatter that myth with biblical truth and give you a solid foundation from which to glorify God in your vocation.

After reading this book, I’m thinking of doing a future Sunday morning series on the theology of work. We pastors often fail to properly spiritually equip our people for their chosen calling in this world. Work Matters will go a long way toward helping us do that.

 

Dec
07
2011

A Novel Every Christian Should Read

I realize that there are many Christians who are ambivalent or even opposed to Christian fiction. I’ve never shared that belief, because I think fiction has a way of bringing important issues to light in a way that may be impossible for straightforward treatises. But even if you are someone who eschews novels, I’d urge you to take a look at Deliver Me From Evil a powerful and disturbing new novel written Kathi Macias, an accomplished author who also happens to be a great friend.

I’ve known Kathi for a few years and she has become a great friend. We also happen to be fellow New Hope authors. A few years ago, Andrea Mullins, publisher at New Hope, made a decision to launch into fiction for the first time in the history of the publishing house. But her desire was to do fiction in a way that was different, specifically fiction that fit with the ethos of New Hope which is to be gospel centered and mission driven. If you’ve met Andrea and have been with her for more than five minutes, you’ll feel her passion for missions.

Kathi Macias has led New Hope’s foray into what they call “missional fiction” by writing novels that tackle tough, thorny, often controversial issues of justice. Deliver Me From Evil is the first in her second series of books entitled The Freedom Series. This book is important and powerful because it puts a human face on the scourge of human trafficking.

Before I read Deliver Me From Evil I was aware of the human trafficking problem, but was not engaged in it. I knew it happened in places like Thailand and Africa and the Middle East, but I did not invest myself emotionally in the full scope of the problem. I had heard folks say that there is more slavery in the 21st Century than at any time in history. But I have been engaged in other issues more deeply. I’m actively involved in the prolife issue here in our community, supporting a local pregnancy center and speaking out in columns and blogs and speeches on the issue. I’ve also been recently engaged on the issue of immigration, working toward a biblically based, gospel and kingdom-centered approach to this issue.

But reading Deliver Me From Evil gave me a disturbing, up-close look at the horrific problem of human trafficking. Kathi Macias weaves a story of a young girl who was kidnapped from her San Diego area home and forced into sexual slavery; a girl in the Golden Triangle in Thailand. In this novel, Kathi shares the awful exploitation of young girls in excruciating, but appropriate detail. These are girls whose innocence and freedom and self-worth are bought and sold to the highest bidder by the most evil of men.

Deliver Me From Evil is written in a honest, raw, disturbing way. It’s disturbing because what happens in this novel isn’t made up. It happens every day, not simply in a far off place across the ocean but in our own seemingly safe neighborhoods. It happens in our own cities and towns. My own daughter is approaching seven years old. When I read about the girls in Deliver Me From Evil, my jaw becomes clenched with anger because the girls being trafficked are my own daughter’s age.

I might have never read a nonfiction book on human trafficking, but reading this well-written novel that reveals real-world crimes has motivated me to do what I can to be a part of the solution. In fact, this year our family is giving a donation to International Justice Mission, who fights human trafficking.

I think this book may do for the issue of human trafficking what Randy Alcorn’s book, Safely Home did for the cause of persecuted believers in China. Frankly, this an issue in which the Church has been way ahead of the politicians and the media. I pray that those of us who work to fight abortion and HIV/AIDS virus add human trafficking to their portfolio of causes. IJM quotes National Geographic which estimates that there are 27 million people living in slavery today. The U.S. State Department estimates that there are 600,000-800,000 children, women, and men trafficked across international borders every year—up to 50% of them are minors.

I plan on writing about this issue more. But I think reading Deliver Me From Evil is an important first step.

Helpful Resources:

Interview with the author, Kathi Macias on her motivation on writing Deliver Me From Evil and what the sequel will look like.

A helpful list of ministries and information on combatting human trafficking

An article by Kathi Macias on the face of human trafficking

My friend Dillon Burroughs has written a book entitled, Not in My Town, also published by New Hope. He and his coauthor Charles Powell have founded an advocacy group, Mercy Movement.

 

Dec
06
2011

Mini-Reviews #7

Okay, I’m back with another installment of mini-reviews. Today I review four books, including a children’s book and an older biography.

Bloodlines, Race, the Cross, and the Christian by John Piper

This is a profound work by the gifted theologian. I know there are a lot of Piper-files, who soak up all of his books. I haven’t been one of those, though I respect his impact on the body of Christ. There are also quite a few who dislike Piper, because they dislike his Calvinist theology. I’m not one of those either.

Regardless of you are on that spectrum, you would be wise to read Bloodlines in its entirety. This is a brave and important book, tackling head-first the issue of race. I suspect this book will have a wide impact, because Piper’s largest sphere of influence is among conservative, mostly white, evangelicals. I believe it may got a long way toward racial reconciliation.

There are three things I like about Bloodlines: First, it is profoundly gospel-centered. Piper grounds his views of race on the gospel story. It is his motivation for writing the book and it is where he finds the solutions for racial problems. Second, Piper is intensely personal, offering his own Southern upbringing and previous racist tendencies as a test case of what the gospel can do in a man. He is not speaking as an enlightened finger-pointer, but as a man whose on a journey with Jesus to love his fellow brother more deeply. Third, Piper leans neither left or right, black or white. He has read widely from perspectives on all sides, knocks down falsehoods in every camp, and charts a biblical, gospel-centered way forward.

I came away, as a young, white, conservative evangelical with a broader understanding of racial reconciliation as laid out in Scripture. I felt the chapter on intermarriage is worth the price of the book itself. It’s a book I feel every pastor should have in his library.

The Prodigal Comes Home, My Story of Failure and God’s Story of Redemption by Michael English

This book came out almost four years ago, so why read and review now? Well sometimes I like to read books that are older that perhaps I wanted to read in the past but never had the chance. The backstory is that my wife and I attended a Gaither Homecoming a few weeks ago and I heard Michael English share his story of redemption live. I had the chance to meet Michael afterword. There was something about hearing his story that provoked in me the desire to hear more about it beyond the news clips and assumptions and gossip I’d heard when his issues were in the news. So while my wife was using the restroom at the concert during intermission, I used the Amazon app on my iPhone to buy a used copy of the book. Then I read it in a couple of days.

What I found in English’s story was far different than I expected. When Michael fell from grace in the 90′s due to an affair with another singer, I reacted with the typical mix of judgement and anger. I castigated all of contemporary music as one big fraud. Then when he continued to make the news with arrests and other behavior, that added more weight to my opinion. So when his book came out in 2008, I sort did an eye-roll. Whatever, now he wants to sing again? When Bill Gaither asked him to rejoin the Gaither Vocal Band, I wondered if this was a good idea.

But hearing Michael sing–my wife and I typically watch the Gaither homecomings–and now seeing him life has given me a different perspective. Michael seems genuinely humbled and grateful for his second chance and his life is a picture of God’s amazing grace.

So I began reading this book with fresh eyes. And I was surprised by the content of the book. This is not a man giving excuses for his behavior, this is a man genuinely repentant, humbled, and full of grace. He is surprisingly candid about his poor choices. offers no excuses or justifications, and is thoroughly sorry for the people he hurt. He’s also very honest about the trappings of being a Christian celebrity and how easy it is to hide your real self.

It’s a gut-wrenching read in many parts. Michael spares no detail in describing his journey through addiction to prescription drugs. He talks of the ups and downs, the fits and starts, the depths to which an addict plunges in his quest to satisfy himself.

This is a wonderful book, a remarkable story of God’s pursuit of his children, through the mire and the muck. It’s a beautiful story of God’s great grace in restoring what sin destroys. I highly recommend it.

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R.C. Sproul and T. Lively Fluharty.

This is a wonderfully-written, beautifully illustrated children’s book. It tells the 500-year old story of Martin Luther’s book,  A Simple Way to Pray. Apparently, Luther wrote this book to answer a question his barber had about his prayer life. It’s a great read for children in that it gives the family a great model for prayer–praying through the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed, and The Ten Commandments. And yet it is a tremendous read for adults as well.

I am always looking for substantive books to read to my children. We enjoy the silly ones, of course, but books like The Barber Who Wanted to Pray are always creative ways to instill Scripture and character into our kids. I also liked the fact that this book includes all three–Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments in the back in case parents want to begin helping their children memorize.

This is a beautifully illustrated, well-written family discipleship tool. Highly recommended.


Nov
15
2011

Mini-Reviews #6

I’m back with another batch of mini-reviews. Today I discuss three outstanding books:

King Solomon by Philip Graham Ryken.

Solomon is not a Bible character typically covered in depth, so this book by Philip Graham Ryken is a welcome one. Ryken is the former pastor of the historic 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and the new President of Wheaton College. I found this book readable, meaty, theological, and practical. It’s rare a book hits all those high notes, but King Solomon does. What is particularly valuable about this book is that Ryken gives good historic and cultural background, fairly looks at Solomon’s life, both good and bad, and always finds the signposts to Jesus. He preaches Christ in the life of Solomon, but does it in a way that is not forced, not over-reaching for typology, but always directing the reader to “the better Solomon.” He also draws out terrific and practical life lessons from Solomon’s successes and failures. This is a rich and practical read. Highly recommended.

Walking the Spirit by Kenneth Berding 

This is a great little guide to walking the Spirit. It’s much-needed. Even though we talk much of living, walking, talking in the Spirit–what does this look like? It’s often tough to nail down. Berding does this with a deft touch. What I enjoyed about this is that Berding skips discussion of cessation and doesn’t cover the spiritual gifts. I like that because often talk of the Holy Spirit goes only to those places. Either an apologetic for or against the sign gifts or a discussion of finding your spiritual gift. Actually walking, obeying, and living in the Spirit in a practical sense is given short shrift.

The other great feature of this book is that it is concise and eminently readable for the lay person. Berding is a scholar who can write for the common man in everyday language. And yet he communicates profound and wonderful theology. I actually liked this book so much I ordered copies to sell in our resource center at Gages Lake. It’s a book I can give to Christians to help them know what it looks like to live in obedience to the Spirit. Highly, highly recommended.

Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson

Matthew Lee Anderson is a brilliant young thinker and the proprietor of the website Mere Orthodoxy. In Earthen Vessels, Anderson has given us a profound scholarly work on the relation between the body of and our faith. Evangelicals often practice a form of Gnosticism, in which we don’t fully realize the importance of our bodies to our relationship with God. In this book, Anderson covers all the topics related to the body, including subjects like human sexuality, homosexuality, tattoos, online church versus bodily presence, worship, and a host of other topics. It’s a thorough treatment of a subject not often discussed.

Anderson writes with clarity and authority. He has done his homework. What I enjoyed about Earthen Vessels was the depth. Often writes fill pages by employing the lazy tactic of straw men, creating caracatures easily toppled by our own shaky arguments. There are not straw men in Earthen Vessels. Anderson gives fair coverage to the ideas he opposes. He fully fleshes out the biblical and logical facts on every subject.

I suspect Earthen Vessels will be used as a textbook in many Christian colleges and will be a ready resource on the shelves of many pastors. This book is a gift to the Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct
30
2011

Books I’m Reading (10/29/11)

I’m about to turn in my manuscript which means more time for reading. Here’s what I’ve got on my nightstand:

Walking in the Spirit - Kenneth Berding. I’m halfway thru this book. It’s a terrific and practical guide to what exactly it looks like to walk in the spirt. I’m thinking I’ll order this as a resource for Gages Lake.

Earthen Vessels - Matthew Anderson. Matt is the brilliant blogger from Mere Orthodoxy. I haven’t cracked this one open yet, but I can’t wait. He seems to tackle a lot of important subjects related to the body and the Bible.

Jonathan Edwards, a Life – George Mardsen. I started reading this, then other books overtook it and writing and life overtook it. But I will finish it. It’s a good book, but one that requires a bit more discipline.

Deliver Me From Evil. - This is a novel in the “missional fiction” line written by my good friend, Kathi Macias. It deals with immigration, human trafficking and other ills. I’m eagerly awaiting this as well.

Bloodlines – John Piper – This is Piper’s latest work, perhaps his most important, an exhaustive book on race relations and the gospel. I have the feeling it will be a classic and a book I pray will stretch me.

Sep
29
2011

Mini-Reviews #5

Another batch of mini-reviews:

Raised Right by Alisa Harris

I have mixed feelings about this book. For one, I’m always a bit jaded by memoirs from people who are young. Alisa Harris is 26 years old. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it puts a personal touch, a face, on a generation of evangelical involvement in politics. Alisa Harris tells how she moved from a doctrinaire right-wing zealot to someone more moderate, even liberal in her politics. She correctly points out hypocrisies in evangelical conservative politics and how the church’s mission gets lost when it seeks power. However, there is a tendency for Harris to throw the baby out with the bathwater and reject every conservative plank, something I’m not willing to do. She seems to be a person still in process, searching for the right mix of activism and faith. Still, it’s a good, if not sometimes tedious, read. I appreciate her willingness to listen and to appreciate her Christian heritage, honor her parents, and earnestly seek the mind of Christ. For every politically-minded young evangelical processing politics and Scripture, this is an important read. Then I strongly suggest City of Man by Michael Gerson and Pete Wehner.

Letters to a Young Preacher by Calvin Miller

What would it be like to sit at the feet of a seasoned, successful, wise old pastor? Well every young preacher gets that chance by reading Letters to a Young Preacher. This book is a rich and wonderful read, filled with powerful and thought-provoking insights and reflections. Calvin Miller is more than a preacher. He’s a masterful storyteller and writer, whose words lift off the page. In this book, he’s extremely candid and skillfully critiques movements on all sides of Christianity, offering homespun advice to the young and green pastor. What I loved about this book is how he affirms the average pastor of a small church. He pushes the pastor away from seeking his own success and encourages him to get his hands dirty in ministering to God’s people. At times this book was deeply convicting to my own soul. I think every young pastor should read this.

I did have one minor irritant in this book. No work, however beautiful, is perfect. Miller loathes the mega-church and he seems to loathe famous pastors. This is a thread throughout the book that at times can be jarring. Most of his insights on mega-churches are spot-on, but I’m not willing, like he, to assume every single famos pastor is disingenuous and self-seeking. That aside, this is a jewel of a book. Get it and read it.

Dug Down Deep - Josh Harris

This book has been out for a while and I’ve wanted to read it. I hadn’t had the chance until now. This is a fantastic book, a readable, humorous, honest book on doctrine by pastor and author, Joshua Harris. This is less of a polemic and more of a personal story of Josh’s journey to loving and embracing doctrine in his life and ministry. He has coined the phrase, “Humble Orthdoxy”, which is to hold the truths of God firmly with a posture of awe and humility.

You will enjoy this book because Josh Harris is a fantastic writer with a pastoral heart and a love for the gospel.

This may be the most readable book on doctrine available. It’s at times funny, honest, and personal. I would highly recommend it.