New Book Reviews

Miracle of Israel by Frazier and Fletcher

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israel

The miracle that is Israel is a story too little told in our day. Gary Frazier and Jim Fletcher wisely subtitle their work “The Shocking, Untold Story of God’s Love for His People.” Hatred of Israel is on the upswing yet again,and the saddest part of it is that many Christians fail to see the significance and rank evilness of it.

The book is an easy read and is appropriate for anyone. It begins with three chapters that review Israel’s history in the Old Testament. It is a satisfactory overview.

Part Two is four chapters that present the information that is most likely to be unknown to readers. Particularly, chapters 6 and 7 tell the incredible story of modern Israel. The Lord has worked in several miraculous and thrilling instances and that story is told here. It is my favorite part of the book.

The last Part is three chapters on the future. Here prophecy involving Israel is discussed. It is handled from a premillennial perspective. It was good, but occasionally saw something in the Biblical text that was perhaps at best a guess.

Some of the prophecies used from the Old Testament seemed a stretch too. Still, if this volume can help stem the tide among Christians against Israel, it will be a blessing. Those with genuine questions will find some answers as well.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Evangelism Handbook by Alvin Reid

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evangelism

I think I have found what I will use as my premier resource for evangelism in church and personal ministry. This volume by Alvin Reid is at once a passionate call for evangelism and a practical guide to several aspects of it. A Foreward by Thom Rainer and an Afterword by Roy Fish tells you type of book this one is going to be. It did not disappoint.

I loved Part 1 that was nine chapters on why evangelism is so essentially Biblical. It was so well done and accurate. It had the flavor and fervor of the old writers of evangelism, yet it was fully up-to-date.

Part 2 was five chapters on a subject that is missing in many modern works on evangelism–spiritual resourses. Some works present evangelism in such a mechanical way that methods, they suggest, guarantee results. Reid explains the role of the Spirit and the need of real spirituality on our parts. He also explained the nedd of and use of a personal testimony.

The rest of the book is good counsel on how to carry out evangelism and how to be missional. There may have been a sentence or a quote here and there that I disagreed with, but this book is nothing short of a home run!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Ecclesiastes & The Song of Songs (Apollos OT Commentary)

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ecc apollos

This volume is the joint production of Daniel C. Fredericks on Ecclesiastes and Daniel J. Estes on the Song of Solomon in the excellent Apollos commentary series. The task of the commentator is a challenging one on these two books of the Bible and this book holds up well among the competition of other major commentaries.

Fredericks writes in a different vein than most because he sees “vanity” (“hebel”) as “transience.” I must admit that affects every conclusion he makes. Some who hold that “hebel” means “emptiness” criticize this volume. I still hold to the idea of vanity personally, but see a wide meaning that includes both emptiness and transience. For that reason, the commentary was enlightening to me. I would recommend owning another commentary  to explain the emptiness angle, but you will enjoy Fredericks.

He is conservative on other introductory matters and writes well. I rank it highly.

Estes sees the Song as almost every modern commentator does–as holding a natural meaning rather than a spiritual or typological meaning. To me, that comes out a little strange on a few passages particularly and makes its very inclusion in the Bible hard to explain, but again, that is true in every modern commentary.

Still, among those modern commentaries this volume is in the upper echelon out there. Like the Ecclesiastes portion, it is conservative and well written. It is also not as graphic as some.

I highly recommend this volume for a modern, exegetical commentary that gives you a two-for-one deal on these two fascinating books of the Bible.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Biblical Counseling And The Church by Kellemen, Editor

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counseling

This attractive book is likely all you will ever need on the subject of counseling and the Church. Notice I didn’t say on counseling, as this volume zeros in on how churches might carry out counseling ministry. It will not replace volumes on how to actually do counseling itself, though it evens offers many insights in that area too.

Part 1 was my personal favorite, and outstanding in every way. Chapter one looked at how churches, pastor and people, should see counseling as part of what we do. The superb chapter 2 called on pastors to see that their role to shepherd required that they counsel in addition to preaching.  Drawing that conclusion from passages like I Peter 5:1-4, Ezekiel 34, and John 10 made that conclusion unanswerable. The next chapter tied in culture’s impact. We had a chapter on uniting the public and private aspects of giving the Word among others. The section on church discipline was well done too.

The balance of the book talked about how to implement counseling into the ministry of the church. Though I finished some chapters thinking that wouldn’t work in our church, the book strove to speak to churches of all sizes. It think it did a fine job in that regard.

The book was well written, had a high view of Scripture, was passionate about its subject, and clear in its suggestions. I recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Two New Titles From Hendrickson

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cross giving

Hendrickson has picked up two fine titles from the Lausanne Library.

The Grace of Giving by John Stott and Chris Wright

This short volume is actually two books in one: The Grace of Giving by John Stott written in 2004 and The Gift of Accountability by Chris Wright written in 2013. An easy, but provocative read, these two titles combine well.

Stott deduces ten principles for Christian giving from an exposition of II Corinthians 8 & 9–the kind of exposition where he always found his writing material. The beauty of it is how flawlessly his conclusions sprang from the text. It’s hard to believe that something so condensed could be so powerful, yet that is clearly the case here. Preachers might find it a seed plot for preaching on giving too.

Wright, a colleague and something of a keeper of the flame for the late Stott, did not duplicate Stott but looked at the same passage and found clear principles for accountability. It was a helpful addition to Stott and was particularly potent for our reckless generation.

Small enough for a wider distribution, this volume is a winner.

The Glory Of The Cross by James Philip

Subtitled ” Exploring the Meaning of the Death of Christ”, this volume in a manageable 60 pages well overviews its subject. Its size might make it a particular blessing for those who panic in the presence of larger theological tomes.

Still, don’t label it lightweight as it works to make a theological impact, and succeeds without surrendering accessibility. Tracing Christ from the Last Supper, to the Garden of Gethsemane, and on to the Cross, this book stays in His final 24 hours. No wonder Philip ends with Hallelujah! What a Saviour! before he gives a reminder of Jesus’ Return and the need to share the story of the death of Christ.

Small enough for a wider distribution, this book that could be read quickly might best be read slowly. I recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Redeeming Sex by Debra Hirsch

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hirsch

Well, Hirsch is certainly tackling the hot issue of our day. While she addresses the big perspective of sex in all our lives, she ultimately writes to confront how Christians and churches interact with the LGBT community. Having been deeply involved in the LGBT lifestyle herself, she writes as a believer now. While some of her insights were profound, I felt she often gave away the farm in an effort to plant the seeds of reaching them.

She did well when she explained that in many such things we are attempting in a flawed way to reach the God we desperately need. When she talked of the brokenness in many lives before and during their LGBT days, she was spot on. When she explained that we have been failing as Christians to reach that group, she often pegged our failures clearly.

The problem with the book is the solutions she presents. I felt that being a celibate gay was enough for her. I don’t know how that position could be maintained biblically, and she made little attempts to do so. She pointed out that we view a man leaving his wife for another woman differently than for another man as if to prove we are unfair. What she fails to see is that there is a possible holy relationship between a man and a woman that could never be true of a man and a man. Suggesting that cultural factors might weaken the force of what she admits are all negative biblical passages is a poor argument too.

She at least seemed sincere and caring as she wrote, but she did not, in my view, strike the right balance between holding to truth and not being overly judgmental. Some will love it, but I cannot give a high recommendation to it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Disaster Ministry Handbook by Aten and Boan

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disaster

Have you ever wondered how to respond to crisis or disaster as a church? The volume will provide all the detail you could ever need on the subject. The Introduction tells the interesting way the authors developed their passion for this ministry and explains why few have ever thought more deeply about the subject than they have.

I felt chapter two on disaster basics was enlightening. Especially things like disaster phases gave insight into what needs really are present over time, even beyond the initial crisis.

Chapter three was the weakest as it used trendy terms to discuss Christian obligation. I believe a better theological presentation could have been given. The rest of the book is the nuts and bolts of disaster ministry including excellent forms to carry out their recommendations. That could hardly be better.

Few might read it through as it has more of a manual feel, but I doubt any one attempting to implement a large disaster ministry, or write about it, will be able to ignore this volume going forward. My only criticism is that I don’t see how smaller churches could implement it. Still, I recommend it for all those interested in disaster ministry.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The New Testament: Its Background and Message (2nd ed) by Lea and Black

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nt 2

Are you looking for a fine, conservative New Testament background for your studies? This volume appears to me to be aimed more at pastors and Bible students than scholars, though you will be made familiar with more important scholarly questions.

Part One was exceptional in the big picture background of the NT. The history from the end of the OT to the beginning of the NT well sets the stage. Daily life and the unique religious background of the times are carefully explained. The chapter on the text illumined canonicity in a small compass.

Part Two combines a study of the background of Jesus’ ministry and of the Gospels themselves. The four chapters on Jesus’s ministry and its changing geographical emphasis are essential to properly understanding the New Testament.

The balance of the book covers Paul and the Epistles. It ends with a chapter on Revelation where various viewpoints are covered. Each NT book has its contents, unique features, themes, and an outline given.

There are helpful charts interspersed throughout the text. One of the best traits of this volume that is often missing in such volumes is that it reads well. I recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Philosophy In Seven Sentences by Groothuis

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philosophy

This book is an experience. It takes an impenetrable subject for many and makes it fascinating. I found this volume far superior to a semester-long undergraduate class I took years ago. He makes it relevant, interesting, and all with a Christian guide to take you along. The writing style is engaging, enjoyable, and captivating. I only use the cliche “I couldn’t put it down” because I never dreamed that would be the case.

Taking seven great philosophers along with their most famous statements was a masterstroke in giving an introduction to philosophy in a small compass. Again, I opened the book thinking that would never work, only to discover it did.

He begins with Protagoras, who I knew nothing about, and taught me about using a measurement outside ourselves. He taught something about today. When he used a statement that many agree with,  including his students,  and then shocked us with the knowledge that it was a philosophy statement of a serial killer, you knew he had something worthwhile to say.

He brought Socrates to life. In fact, I feel I never knew him at all until this book. I learned too how we hear more of a caricature of these philosophers rather than what they really believed. It’s the same with Aristotle. We learn too that if we ignore the basic Law of Noncontradiction we give up everything we could ever know.

He well explained Augustine from a philosophic viewpoint while in no way damaging his theology. He made plain Descartes and Pascal too. He made me realize I had Kierkegard all wrong in that superb chapter.

All in all, this is a masterpiece.
 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Zechariah by Mark Boda (NICOT)

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zech

This is what an exhaustive commentary looks like. This commentary on the Minor Prophet of Zechariah is almost as large as the one on Psalms in this same New International Commentary series. I am not suggesting it is exhausting though. A judicious use of footnotes has made for a volume at once effective for scholarly pastors and academia. I can’t imagine the hours Boda must have put in here.

You would expect the Introduction to be massive in a volume so large, yet it is a manageable 45 pages. That means the bulk of the book is actual commentary on the text.

The Introduction contains a textual history as well as a competent historical background. A section called “Compositional History” overlapped with structure and was worthwhile. I couldn’t personally agree with some of his other conclusions on how the composition came together, but he still trusts the text. His section on the message of Zechariah was good as far as it went.

Again, it’s the actual commentary that will make this volume important for the next 50 years. It seems most every angle is discussed and it is almost encyclopedic. Still, as most will read it one text at a time, the depth will be appreciated. For that reason, I must give a strong recommendation.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.