Crazy Love by Francis Chan

     Think about your average day? Would it look any different if God didn’t exist? If the answer is no, then there’s a problem. According to Francis Chan, based on Scripture, the life of a believer should be different because God does exist. People should be able to tell from our actions, the way we live our lives, that we are Christians. We shouldn’t have to tell them. With examples from the both the early church and the modern world Chan shows what the “radical” life of a believer can look like when our full trust is in God.

The overall message is clear, if we’re not even thinking about God in our daily life then we are lukewarm and possibly not even truly saved. It’s a hard truth to take, but we should examine our faith. Think about what the Bible says: even the demons believe that Jesus is God and tremble… even Satan can quote Scripture. We need to examine our own personal relationships with God and think about how that relationship has changed how we live our lives. The most important question to ask is: Do I honestly love God? Not what God can do for me (including getting me into Heaven), but do I love God just because He’s God?

I think the biggest problem people will have with this book is the extreme nature of the examples given, though Chan admits that not all are called to be missionaries, or sell their house and give the money to the poor. The effect of the examples given can make you feel a bit worthless, but I don’t think that was the intent of the author. I’ve heard Francis Chan preach, and I’ve seen his love for both God and people. I honestly believe that this book was written in love, with an honest call for people to examine themselves. I also know that there are people who will say he is promoting salvation through works, but that is not the case. Francis Chan always preaches Grace… salvation by faith, through Grace alone. The works he’s talking about are what should come as a result of us being saved, keeping in line with the commandments to love God and our neighbor.

I give this one 4 out of 5.

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

Bookish Fellowship Forum

It’s been up for a while now, but I haven’t really promoted it. I thought with Plummer’s declaration of May being “Read a Historical Theology text month,” it might be a good time. If anyone will be reading the Historical Theology text by Gregg Allison and wants to discuss, please come sign up. Even if you decide to read another text, or not to participate in the historical theology reading at all… still come sign up! The Bookish Fellowship Forum has been created primarily for Christians who love to read (though everyone is welcome), whether it be fiction or non-fiction… or even just the Bible. If you love books half as much as I do then you should come join. You can head straight over to the forum by clicking here, or you can get to it from the blog’s menu. I’m also open to suggestions, as I’d like this to become a community for all to enjoy.

Hope to see you there!

Who Loves Bible Study? I DO!

Professor Rob Plummer has declared the month of May  “Read a Historical Theology text month.” What is historical theology? Plummer describes it as, “the academic discipline that looks at the development and articulation of Christian doctrine throughout church history.” He has decided to read about 30 pages a day from Gregg Allison’s “Historical Theology.” This book has been on my radar for a few months now, so I’ve decided to read along with Prof. Plummer. I ordered the book from CBD, which has it on sale for $28.99. I should get it next Thursday, and I’ll probably start it right away to give myself a little extra time as I am also using other textbooks right now to help in my Bible study.

Today I will finish the last assignment in Chapter 3 of “Grasping God’s Word,” a textbook that helps you learn how to really dig into the Biblical text, drawing out the meaning that was actually intended instead of reading meaning into the text. I also plan to read through Chapter 4 and do at least one assignment from that chapter. I’m using the second edition (which I also purchased from CBD), mostly because I got impatient and couldn’t wait for the third edition that is being released in May. There is also a workbook that goes along with it, which I highly suggest to you get if you use the textbook. So far, the material has been about practice, practice, practice… but I’m loving it, and I can’t wait to get to the deeper stuff.

I’ve also started over with Greek. I’m actually pleasantly surprised that I have retained even a little bit of what I had learned before. I am using Bill Mounce’s Greek Grammar and workbook (second edition… there is also a third edition available now) which I purchased a couple of years ago. I really want to learn this, but it’s very hard doing it alone. One of my goals for this year was to pick this up again, and I have… and I’m determined to stick with it.

I’m all-in right now. I purchased a few other resources as well, but I may not get to those for a while as I’m still doing other reading as well. Busy, busy, busy. But loving it!

3 Free E-books by Francis Chan

         

Available at eChristian until 11:59 Pacific time, TONIGHT! 3 free e-book downloads of Francis Chan’s Crazy Love, Forgotten God, and Erasing Hell. You do need to have an account, but it’s very quick to sign up, and it’s free. Check out these videos by Francis Chan that give you an idea what the books are about.

This first video is for Crazy Love, and is actually the first in a series that goes through the book chapter by chapter:

Forgotten God:

Erasing Hell:

 

 

The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott

     Simply read the title… that’s exactly what this book is about. In “The Cross of Christ” Stott discusses the purpose of the Cross, its effects, and how it should affect our lives today. He explains how the Cross worked to satisfy both God’s love and justice. The depth of this book is amazing. Stott discusses theological theories that have come up through the years as to exactly what was done at the Cross. Were we truly justified? Or are we supposed to be moved to justify ourselves by our behavior? Did Jesus really take our punishment? Did He die to defeat Satan? How does any of this apply to me today? This book has it all.

I can’t even begin to fully process this one after just one reading. This is a book I will read again and again. I think I’ll see something new each time. There’s just that much information. This is not a light read, though it is easily understandable. I think my favorite thing about this book is that the Conclusion actually summarizes (and even clarifies) the entire book very nicely. It’s a great refresher of what you’ve been reading.

Tim Challies suggested this book last year, and again this year, as one of his Easter reads. I’m glad I chose this one, and the others he suggested are on my wish list.

I give this one 5 out of 5.

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

1+1+1=1?

     The concept of the Trinity is probably one of the most confusing things in Christianity. It is more than the limited human brain can comprehend. As a Christian, I can tell you that I know that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three, yet one. I cannot tell you, however, how this is possible except to say that God does not exist within our limited understanding. God created man, so it stands to reason that there are things God knows and understands that we don’t.

One argument I see consistently against the Trinity is mathematical. 1+1+1 does not equal 1. This argument has always frustrated me, because it is man trying to use a man-made process to explain God. But I was thinking about it today, and in purely mathematical terms, this statement is correct. 1+1+1 cannot equal 1. This argument is correct. It does not, however, disprove the Trinity. All this means is that you cannot express the existence of God as 1+1+1=1.

How about 1³? That’s 1x1x1=1. Three individual numbers, yet when they are correctly applied, they come out to 1. This is “1-cubed”, or “1 to the third power”, or “1 to the power of 3″ (which I think is my favorite for this analogy). Jesus and the Holy Spirit do not add anything to God. Instead, they magnify Him.

Now, am I saying this mathematically proves the Trinity? Of course not. I’m just saying, if you’re going to compare God to mathematics, this one fits better than addition.

“God was not bound to provide us a Saviour, nor to open us a door of hope, nor to call us to repent and turn when once we had cast ourselves away by sin. But he has freely done it to magnify his mercy.” ~Richard Baxter, A Call to the Unconverted

Hateful Christianity?

Why is it that so many non-Christians see Christians as hateful and judgmental? We have to ask ourselves this question. The world of the internet, especially, opens up a large variety of views, but one that seems to be at the forefront is that Christians are hateful. Why is that? My answer may not be easily taken, but I believe it’s the truth: the most vocal people of the Christian world are the people who are hateful and judgmental. There are certain organizations that give all Christians a bad name. I won’t call out anyone in particular. I am not judging them. I don’t know why they act the way they do. I don’t know what causes the hatred they feel. All I know is it is not scriptural. It saddens me that Christians are so hated, not because people hate us, but because it causes them to hate Jesus, hate God, and close their ears and hearts to anything we might have to say.

The problem with organizations like the ones I mentioned above, and the people who share their thinking, is that they tend to focus on one sin as more sinful than others. Sin is sin. Anything that separates us from God is sin. This comes across as hatred of a particular group of people.  Another problem that arises is that instead of sharing the Gospel with love, they spew hatred and judgment. Judgment is not ours to hand out, and Christ called us to love everyone, even our enemies.

Does God hate sin? Yes! Why? Because sin separates us from Him and we were created for fellowship with Him. Does God punish sin? Yes. He forever separates us from Himself and, in the end, we go to Hell. I’m not going to focus on sin and Hell too much here, because this is not a call to the unsaved. It’s a plea to anyone who calls themselves “Christian.”

The Bible does NOT say “Go and tell the world I hate them.” No, the Bible says “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Cor 5:18-21). If we are speaking for Christ we need to ask ourselves, would Jesus have said what I am going to say?

The Jesus Lens: A Free Online Event

The Calvin Theological Seminary and Zondervan Publishers are hosting a free online event. I’ve already registered for the event and ordered the book from CBD (just got it today!) so I can start reading it after the discussion. I’m really looking forward to this, and I wanted to share it for others who may be interested.

Here’s what Zondervan has to say:

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens

A Conversation with Michael Williams

March 6 | 8:00 pm EST

RSVP to get a reminder!

www.LiveStream.com/Zondervan

Or visit the FB event page.

Program will include a Q&A with Michael and our online audience.

Tim Challies recommends How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens.

“Michael Williams’ How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens is a helpful guide to a Christ-focused reading of the Bible… This is an ideal resource to refer to if you are involved in a Bible-reading plan or if you would just like to gain a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. As you begin reading a new book of the Bible, you will find it helpful to turn to How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens to get an overview of that book and to train yourself to read it through the Jesus lens. It will sharpen your understanding of what you have read (or are about to read) and help ensure that you do not miss Jesus amidst the stories and genealogies and all the other things that sometimes threaten to cloud our view.”

Mornings With Jesus 2012: A Devotional

     Mornings With Jesus 2012 is a collection of writings from seven women sharing their thoughts on Jesus, the example He set, and the instructions He gave us. This devotional challenges you to set aside a few minutes each morning to spend with Jesus. Each day’s reading is no more than one page long. You are presented with a short piece of scripture at the top of the page. One of the contributors with then tell you of an experience she’s had that relates to the scripture in some way. The bottom of the page has a short challenge for you, or simply something to think of for the day. Click here to see tomorrow’s reading as a sample (this will open in a new window).

This is what a devotional should be. The scripture at the top of the page gives you the focus of the reading. The experiences and stories that the ladies share are relatable (especially for those who are married, with children). The short challenge or thought at the end gives you the nudge to take the extra step. It will help you keep what you’ve read on your mind for the rest of the day. It may even be something that will encourage you to act on something, such as an act of love or kindness. These are actually my favorite part of the devotional. There has been a couple of times so far, when something has happened during the day that caused me to think of the little thought at the end of the day’s reading. It has been encouraging. The overall purpose is to put just a couple of minutes aside to be with the Savior each morning. Be still. Be with Jesus. Know that God is there, and let Him start your day on the right path.

Where to buy the book: Amazon

I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour, for review purposes, from LitFuse. To see other reviews check out the blog tour page.

Tyndale by David Teems

     Where would we be without the English Bible? How many people would never have read the Word of God for themselves? In “Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice” David Teems takes us through a time in history when translating the Bible into English was considered heretical and criminal. He follows the path of William Tyndale’s life as Tyndale put together the first English Bible translated from the original Greek and Hebrew languages.

The title of the book is a bit misleading. This isn’t really a biography like we’re used to. Not much is known about Tyndale outside of his written work. What is known about him personally has a lot of speculation around it. The subtitle captures the idea of the book more closely. There is a lot of information surrounding Tyndale’s English Bible. We get to see how Tyndale chose the best fitting words for the translation, the drama of the times, Tyndale’s exile and arrest, and how Tyndale has effected both literature (including Shakespeare) with his style and our modern English with words he introduced for the first time. However, Teems doesn’t just focus on Tyndale. We also learn a good bit about Thomas More, Tyndale’s biggest adversary (and the author of the famous “Utopia”) as well as other key people involved in the translation, both for and against Tyndale.

I had two problems with the book. The first is really a minor issue of just a little annoyance and I guess sort of a pet peeve for me: Teems often changes how he refers to King Henry VIII. Changing from Henry VIII, to H8, to Harry. If I remember correctly, the very first reference to the King is H8. At that point I had only assumed Teems was referring to Henry VIII, but as the book went on I saw that he used the Henry VIII and H8 interchangeably. Then I see “Harry” thrown in there and that kind of threw me. It’s not until a couple of “Harry” references later, in the last chapter or so, that we are told Henry VIII preferred to be called “Harry.” The second issue is a bit more serious in the way the book is organized. It doesn’t really follow a straight timeline. The chapters are somewhat theme-based and so it tends to jump around in time a bit, which left me feeling a bit disconnected at times.

What I loved about this book is the obvious respect, and I might even say affection, that Teems has for Tyndale. He talks about Tyndale as if he’d known the man for years. When the author cares that much, it’s hard not to feel drawn in by it.

1) Is it understandable? = 4.5
2) Presentation of Information = 3.5
3) Quality of Writing = 4.5
4) Overall Enjoyability = 4

Average of  score 4.1
Overall grade = B

This is the official book trailer (shared from David Teems’s website).

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from BookSneeze.