New Book Reviews

Life, In Spite Of Me–An Inspiring Read

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life in spite of me

Do you need encouraged? Inspired? This book delivers. Kristen Jane Anderson gives us her tragic story that becomes transformed by the Lord into triumph. A suicide attempt on a train track left her a double amputee. She should never have lived (that’s no exaggeration as the book proves), but she did. Listen to her story and finally see the hand of God become clear.

I had never heard her story until my wife, a paraplegic herself, had been reading about Ms. Anderson and was fascinated by it. That intrigued me, but I began reading thinking I would decide for myself. I did and it was a page turner!

When you read the advertisements that this book is a tool for suicide prevention, don’t assume that is all the book is about. Yes, every person contemplating suicide needs this book. Beyond that, though, every person fighting depression, or even a round of discouragement, will find this volume a rallying cry to not give up. Actually, if all you are looking for is a story of the mighty power of God on a life, grab this book. It reads easy and holds your attention throughout.

What makes this book work? Ms. Anderson doesn’t hold back. No matter how unpleasant the detail, if it is needed to tell her story, she tells it. Depression, partying, all the things that added to the darkness she went through are given in all the gory details. At the same time, dark things are never glamorized. She tells us what she thought and felt each step of the way.

Adjusting to her new found disability was shown in a clear way that as one who watched his wife adjust, I could relate. I thought that part was especially well done. Then, there was guilt. It haunted her through everything and we find where she found victory. Even with counseling and dealing with prescription drug issues we are let into her life. Failures, setbacks, and finally success are laid bare.

The point where she found Christ was an emotional high in the book where you felt like cheering. Later, when her loving mother did the same, you find yourself excited again. Finally, there’s the lesson she learned–a loving God saved her on a train track so He could save her soul later. A lady with so much sadness became a lady filled with love and gratitude. Ms. Anderson, thank you for sharing your story that clearly can help so many.

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 . 

Some Fruits Of Solitude

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some fruits of solitude

Here’s a treasure trove of wisdom from yesteryear. Written be William Penn and given as “Proverbs, Wisdom, and Principles For Better Living.” Yes, that is the William Penn of Pennsylvania fame. It’s not a book about solitude, but the wisdom he came up within periods of solitude. Perhaps we need more solitude if we could have as much insight as he did.

The book is set up in categories like pride, luxury, frugality or bounty, right marriage, and many more. Yes, as you would expect, a category on friendship is included. This book can be taken in large or small chunks. I read several of these statements to my family and they spurred some good discussions. I would find my wife picking it up and reading it as well. Guess which one she found and loved the most?  “Between a man and his wife nothing ought to rule but love. Authority is for children and servants: yet not without sweetness.” Strangely, that’s the very same one the publishers found best to put on the back cover. She and I both felt this book had good things to say to families. Our children need these forgotten truths.

Older words are used at times and that may turn off some, but you can pretty easily understand the statements. Plus it has that classic look and feel to it.

As I read it I so wished the people with influence in our country still viewed the world as Mr. Penn did. I say let’s bring back this type of common sense.

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 . 

Father Hunger–An Urgent Read

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Just how important is fatherhood anyway? Our culture has no answer as it can’t think of one good reason for fatherhood beyond the biological one. For that matter, many fathers can’t add any more items to the list. Shall we listen to our culture? I’m not sure what our listless age has to commend to itself to be our guide. God, as the Master Designer, is left out of our thinking and the consequences are horrific. That’s where one of the most incredible books on fathers I have ever read comes into play. “Father Hunger” by Douglas Wilson is profound and greatly impacted me. Every page was like the hard steel blades of the plow tilling through the soil of my heart.

What Mr. Wilson was able to accomplish in this volume is rarely done. When the subtitle proclaims “Why God calls men to love and lead their families”, the book actually delivers on the “why.” Few books can give us the big picture and get especially practical as well. As an avid reader, it’s my opinion that most authors can give us only one or the other. Mr. Wilson, with verve, skill, and a pastoral heart actually pulls it off.

With deftness he upholds the essential equality of men and women while showing that the Lord, again the Master Designer, has assigned men and women different roles. That will probably keep this book off the New York Times Bestseller List, but it will have the smile of Heaven for its Biblical faithfulness. God is Father, so do you imagine in His design fathers would have a non-essential role? Ladies, don’t panic—Mr. Wilson never gives men power to be selfish brats, just power to love and be unselfish and sacrifice himself for his family. Listen to this incredible statement on men taking responsibility: “… to take on a lifetime of sacrifice and hard work. A man who takes a woman to the altar is going there to die to himself. But that is all right because it is not good for man to be alone.”

He looks at our country and where it is today and sees the absent father as the biggest culprit for the mess we are in. From fathers who provide the seed for a child and vanish to the fathers who live at the same address and mostly do their own thing in life, we have a generation of absentee fathers. The Lord designed everyone to need a father. A father’s loving hand is needed in the life of every child. He says, “Your actual pursuits are a running scoreboard. They reveal what you actually prize.” Are you challenged here? I am.

He shows how feminism, or the dire warnings of overpopulation, or the design of the welfare system, or the plea for gay marriage are all direct attacks on fatherhood. It also a direct attack on what every one of us needs to thrive as God intended. Statistics on everything from crime to education are given. The jury is in and the verdict says that homes without fathers are destroying children today. Without a Dad they will much more likely be a school dropout or be in prison. Also, the worst we see out of men comes from not encouraging them to settle down, accept responsibility, and protect their family.   He shows how God is masculine (not male) and how masculinity (defined with care) is needed all around.

There’s so much more, but this review is getting ridiculously long. For the practical side, the chapter “Some Father Mechanics” is worth the price of the book alone. I saw my lack all over its pages. Thank you Mr. Wilson. If no one else needed your book, I did.

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 . 

Meet The Skeptic–A Timely Subject

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Here’s a book we’ve been needing–“Meet The Skeptic” by Bill Foster. So many of us witness by routine with a rote presentation with no regard if the person we witness to can make any sense out of a word we say. Or perhaps we use theological words, though great to us, which can no longer be understood in our Biblically illiterate world. Mr. Foster talks us through this problem, reminds us that it is people we are after, and guides to better methods and word choices.

For example, “salvation” would in no way mean to a guy with no church background what it would to those of us who have grown up in church. To ask “if you died today, would you go to Heaven” wouldn’t mean much to a lady who doesn’t believe there is a Heaven. To only quote the Bible might have little impact if that person has been indoctrinated to believe the Bible is full of errors. I believe the Bible has the answer, but how can I turn the conversation in a direction that would make Biblical truth something that the listener must reckon with?

That’s where this book comes in. Mr. Foster does a masterful job reorienting us. He introduces many insights that I honestly had never thought of before. What makes his presentation so powerful is his uncanny ability to let us know how others think, how they’ve come to think it, and how we might finally get through with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He explains the 4 main types of skepticism you may meet: spiritual skepticism, moral skepticism, scientific skepticism, and biblical skepticism (not believing the Bible is trustworthy). He describes the root idea behind the skepticism and offers probing questions to get them thinking. There’s even a quick reference chart at the end of the book designed to help you grasp what is fully brought out in text.

It’s not a gimmick; this book talks sense. I’ll keep mine handy for reference. Mr. Foster clearly admits that not everyone will turn to Christ with his approach. But wouldn’t you feel better knowing they rejected what they understood instead of what you ineptly explained?

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 . 

A Book Our Children Need Before They Leave Home

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It’s not academic analysis but real life that confronts us in “How Do We Know The Bible Is True? Volume 1”, edited by Ken Ham and Brodie Hodge. Yes, it passes the academic test, but it wants us to be able to face an antagonistic world. It addresses the questions the world is asking Christians today. Not only do we have little effect on a world for which we have no answers, but these are the type of questions that pull our children away from Christianity.

Product Details

The chapters are 28 relevant questions answered by various authors. The first one had me hooked as it answered the question “How Do We Know The Bible Is True?”  How would you answer that question? We might answer “by faith”, but that means nothing to the non-Christian. Here and at other places in the book the laws of logic are brought to bear. What could be better in a world that says we believe the Bible against reason. Find out here that though faith will never be taken out  of the equation, our belief is not against reason!

In chapters on the reliability of the Old and New Testament we get answers (really good answers) to questions Christian young folks hear on college campuses or at the workplace. I heard these things attacked when I went to the University of Tennessee several years ago and I had to dig hard. I want my children to read this before they get in such a situation. I saw others then have their faith crumble as they had no answers to such things. But there are answers, and this book lays them out beautifully.

Some questions are not as critical as others–like the 3 days of Christ in the Tomb and so which day was Christ crucified on, or issues like polygamy. Others are great! People throw up Bible contradictions, or who wrote Genesis, or how to view evidence. In several places you will learn that carbon dating doesn’t prove a thing because of the assumptions made, that the assumption of uniformity is not legitimate on the part of evolutionists, or best of all, the strongest arguments that evolutionists make is only possible if God exists. You’ve got to read about that great fact.

I highly recommend this book. If Christian young people mastered the contents of this book, far fewer of them would drift away. May the Lord use this book to that end.

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 . 

Unashamed To Bear His Name by R.T. Kendall–Book Review

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unashamed to bear his nameWe have here a tale of two books–it was the best of times and it was the worst of times! The first book is quite a read as it highlights the very scriptural idea that Christians are called upon to bear reproach for the Name. That Name is the name that moves the heart of every believer–Jesus. A Christian should expect and gladly bear any shame the world hurls at us for that Name.  He defines using the words “stigma” and “scandal.”

He well explains that it is a privilege to bear this stigma as well as highlights the foolishness of being consumed with what others say. This is not so difficult a cross to bear. Why would followers of Jesus care what His enemies say?

Then he weaves his theses into the Gospel itself. Or perhaps we could say the practical side of bearing shame for Christ is upholding the truths of His Gospel. To say a positive word for Christ may get you in trouble, but saying that we are sinners in need of Christ will really get you in trouble. Mr. Kendall did a piece of work in defending this.

He further showed how Bible characters across the Scriptures suffered this reproach, and many of them did it gladly and reaped obvious benefits.  He follows this with defining what is bearing shame and is not bearing shame. The question is broached by what would he be willing to go to the stake for. That will put it in perspective quickly. I agree that Christ and the salvation He provides pretty much exhausts the list. Finally he vividly shows that needing vindication here in this life is a fault. His quoting of the song “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” tells the whole tale. Read it–you’ll see.

Now there’s the second book. He disintegrates into comparing his getting entangled in charismatic doctrine as this same idea. I could in no way see the connection. When his friends turned against that direction in his ministry, he feels like he is bearing shame for the doctrine of the Spirit. The book is still a worthy read though you may not need to read it to the end. You won’t need me to tell you when the book changes completely.

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.

Book Review–Commentary On The Psalms, Vol. 1 by Allen Ross

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psalms by ross

Another commentary on the Psalms? Yes, and better than most you already have on your shelves. Mr. Ross has spent a lifetime studying the Psalms and the fruit of it is handed right to us here. The style is pastor-friendly, yet the scholarship is rich. The difference seems to be that he doesn’t feel the need to impress other scholars as he ever aims at those who handle God’s Word. I loved that he had no problem consulting literature of yesteryear thereby avoiding the ridiculous idea that only the latest commentary has anything to say to us.

The first 179 pages give a powerful introduction to the Psalms. Written to be understood, he communicates what other commentaries couldn’t touch in double the pages.  When he writes on the value of the Psalms, we find out all we need to know about Mr. Ross. He loves, appreciates, and is in awe of the Psalms. He  realizes the special place the Psalms have always help among God’s people. I especially liked his discussion on the titles of the Psalms. He gives good help on the different types of Psalms. These discussions are crucial to understanding the text.  He well discusses how to interpret Biblical poetry, without which we are shooting in the dark. His “Psalms in Worship” are eyeopening and a good reminder on how the Lord used the Psalms in Israel. Then, he writes again about the various types of Psalms pulling out their theology.

What’s the last part of the introduction? He tells us how to develop an exposition of the Psalms. Whether you would do an exposition exactly as he would say or not, don’t you appreciate that emphasis?

Pages 181-887 cover Psalms 1-41. The depth is good. You may have some volumes on the Psalms that look thick on your shelves, but they cover all 150 Psalms and can be surprisingly thin and really not cover some verses at all. He gives background on each individual Psalm, an exegetical analysis, commentary in expository form, followed by message and application. That design is superior.

If this is what the Kregel Exegetical Library Series is going to be like, give us more. I hope Mr. Ross will give us the rest of the volumes to cover the Psalms in a timely manner. This is a winner, especially for the pastor!

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 . 

Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter–Book Review

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our favorite sins

The subtitle “The Sins We Commit & How You Can Quit” tells us both what we do not want to talk about as well as what we have all given thought to often. It’s uncomfortable to think about the sins that we not only commit, but actually fail in regularly. Fortunately, since Mr. Hunter stirs up such subjects for us to face, he goes on to tackle what we should do to overcome these temptations that follow us all through our lives.

In launching into his subject, Mr. Hunter admits the battle that we all face with temptation. He never hides the fact that the battle has been as fierce in his own life as he knows it is for we readers.  Quickly he establishes that our wrong desires, springing from pride, are deep inside us and are the ultimate problem  in the sins we commit. He makes an understandable and strong case here. I was convinced.

He explains how well we rationalize our sins. His description is really uncanny as I know I have rationalized the way he describes.  Then he describes the all too common situation of living years as a Christian and never quite getting victory. In that many of my failures are similar to what they were years ago, I too well know what he means. Add to that the fact that temptation is here to stay, and we are discussing one of the biggest issues of the Christian life.

In probing this issue for us he recognizes that what tempts me probably is not what tempts you. Based on those deep “disordered desires”  He ties it together in a clear way the process of desire, rationalization, and then failure. We become creatures who live to feed our desires. We feel helpless and only fail more. He analyzes survey respondents on how they handled temptation and shows that if we even try at all, our pathetic responses are doomed from the beginning.

Then he takes us on an expose of the most common temptations of our times. There’s worry, procrastinating, over-indulgence, social media addiction  (Let’s look out as I write on here as you read on here), and laziness. In chapters 9 and 10 he takes these common temptations and brings us back to his premise that our desires must be re-ordered though the power of Christ. It’s helpful stuff.

He has 2 chapters on Sacraments and the Lectionary that I found of little use. He’s an Anglican who uses these things though you would never know it outside these 2 chapters.

This is a great read that highlights the need of a transformational approach rather than the pitiful failing attempts we have used for years. This book can help us.

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 . 

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

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dug down deepHow would you like to read a book on systematic theology that you could enjoy, learn from, and constantly forget that you were reading a book on theology? In this volume that is exactly what you will get. There’s real depth here but it’s sprung on you subtly. The cumulative amount of doctrine taken in will surprise you by book’s end. In our day when Christians would rather face an IRS audit than read a book on systematic theology, this book has great potential. In fact, I don’t think large theology books are read by anyone outside the categories of pastor or scholar, and probably few pastors have read such a work in years. This book will allow you to think of the great subjects again.
Mr. Harris can write. There’s no question about that. When he uses the example of rumspringa from the Amish world in chapter one to lure us in, I was caught a third of the way in. We realize the gap between what we say we believe and what we do is often helplessly far apart. This could be because we have never really grasped what the Bible is saying to us as we have imagined we have. Another hint: Jesus Christ is part of the answer no matter what the question is. I loved how he used his story and the earlier story of his father to tell this story. That’s how he pulls it off. The story is captivating and doctrine woven through it. When you finish the story, you think, wow, that was interesting. Then as you think about it, you find yourself wrestling with the greatest doctrines.

He begins with the doctrine of the Bible as a foundation to decide our beliefs. He reads well and is never superficial. From there he makes us face the doctrine of Christ. Next he carefully draws a realistic picture of the depths of the tragedy of sin in us. How our age needs this discussion! We forget how badly we need Jesus because we haven’t fully comprehended the mess we are in.

In chapter 7 the chapter is as good as its catchy title: “How Jesus Saved Gregg Eugene Harris”. I think you will find it quite similar to the story of how Jesus saved you. There’s no overt Calvinism in the chapter though you suspect he believes that regeneration precedes your putting faith in Christ. Still, the chapter was thought-provoking. In his chapter on the Holy Spirit I was absolutely shocked that he, to some degree, looked favorably on speaking in tongues. Had the few sentences that spoke of that   been deleted, you would find an exceptionally balanced presentation of the doctrine of the Spirit.

The book works on every level. He even addresses common misunderstanding that are driving the Christian world and how they don’t quite mesh with God’s Word. As a pastor, I found the book personally rewarding. It was review, it was more perspective, and it seemed to suggest dozens of sermon ideas. Beyond that, I recommend Christians every where read this book and mine its treasures.

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 .

How To Read The Bible Through The Jesus Lens by Michael Williams–Review

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Here’s a volume providing an overview of each book of the Bible with the special emphasis on how that book presents Jesus Christ to us. Quite a catchy emphasis, wouldn’t you agree? If you agree that the Person of Jesus Christ with His great mission of redemption is the key of the entire Bible as I do, then this is a worthwhile subject to pursue. Perhaps some books of the Bible reach for a more generalized subject matter and required some stretching on Mr. Williams part to give us the view through the Jesus lens, but the book has real value.
The publisher (Zondervan) asked that I focus on one segment of the Biblical corpus in this review, and I chose the Gospels since that has been a special point of emphasis in my studies for 4 or 5 years now. I thought his explanation of Mark and Luke were superior to those for Matthew and John. I might not personally agree with his ultimate opinion of each Gospel’s main theme, but his are worthy of consideration. Books of the Bible, and particularly the Gospels, have such depth that there will never be overwhelming consensus. What we readers need are those key and unique features of the book that will help us wrestle with our own conclusions about the book’s theme. Things like Matthew focusing on 5 key sermons, or Mark being geared toward Roman citizens, or Luke being fascinated with the problem of sin, or John highlighting the need to believe. These helpful discussions you will find in this book.
This book covers each book of the bible in around 4 pages. In every case there is a discussion of the theme and some specific “Jesus Lens” comments. These are quite good and are followed by “contemporary implications” and “Hook Questions” that are not quite as valuable. How would you pick the main contemporary implications of an entire book? I fear that would only give us the chance to say anything and yet nothing.
Still, this book is helpful. Don’t let the length fool you. It helps with perspective to look at some things from the big-picture viewpoint rather than just long, detailed, scholarly tomes.
Currently, a trend exists in many places to say that the redemptive aspect of every passage is what must be preached or we are just engaging in “moralistic preaching.” This is, of course, overdone as such an approach might make us miss what the Lord is actually saying in a passage. I can agree, however, that I should never let Jesus Christ get too far from my thinking in expounding a passage of Scripture or in personally studying it. It is in this vein that this book succeeds.
In my library there is a place for books that help me get the big picture of a Bible book that I am beginning to study, and this volume will take its place there as one that I will always consult. What better recommendation could I possibly give 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.