New Book Reviews

The Jesus We Missed by Reardon–Book Review

/ jimmyreagan / Leave a comment
jesus we missed
What do we mean when we say that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human? Most Christians have some clear ideas about Jesus being fully God, but His being a man is harder to conceive and explain. In fact, most Christians would rather not discuss the subject for fear of inadvertently attacking Christ’s deity. It is in this usually avoided area of doctrine that Patrick Henry Reardon writes. This book, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, boldly tackles the subject.
Reverent study of the humanity of Christ will in no way lessen our respect of the divinity of Christ, but rather better define it. Actually, our appreciation of what Jesus did for us will grow exponentially  as we see that He suffered as we suffer, he felt pain and heartaches as we feel them, and He understands on every level all that we could ever go through.
In this thought-provoking work, we are forced to confront Christ’s humanity head on. Questions that you either never thought of, or thought it best to never think of, are asked in a way that you much decide or close the book. In the preface alone, the shocking question of did Jesus ever get sick and vomit is asked. Before you run away, ask yourself if that isn’t a worthy question. Does Jesus understand when I am in the middle of a bout of extreme nauseousness? At this point doctrine and daily living intersect.
I couldn’t say that I agree with  every conclusion of Mr. Reardon. When he speaks of Jesus and His mother Mary being at odds at the wedding where He turns water to wine, I feel he slightly stretches the extent of it. While I can appreciate the bewildering nature of Mary’s experience as Jesus  grew up, I can’t help but believe that she did think of Him as we usually picture it in light of the angel’s graphic description of the Child she would carry. The extraordinary fact of the Virgin Birth could never be lost on her for a moment, even though her being a human mother had to come out at times. Mr. Reardon also attributes more to the human author’s personal knowledge (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) than I would feel comfortable doing as it would overlook the ultimate authorship of the Holy Spirit.
But when Mr. Reardon talks about Jesus’ growing up always going to the synagogue, or His interaction with certain individuals, or His sufferings in Gethsemane or on the cross, he is spot on. I have  been blessed by studying Christology and it looks like we have a tool here to help those who have never studied it to get going.
Pastors can gain further insights on the Hypostatic Union while laymen can follow the discussion with minimal heavy theological terms. That makes this book, even with the few aforementioned caveats, a winner all the way around.
 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 .

Healing Your Church Hurt –Book Review

/ jimmyreagan / 1 Comment
healing your church hurt
Stephen Mansfield has given us a winner. It was with apprehension that I opened this book with the subtitle “What to do when you still love God but have been wounded by his people.” I thought, O no, a book to help people wallow in their hurts whether real or only perceived. The local church gets such bad press these days, perhaps I was preconditioned to think this way. Well, did I ever get a pleasant surprise.
Never was church itself criticized. He painted, however, the realistic portrait that the Christian life is rarely lived without some church issues. This is not broad strokes really, but, I suppose, to be expected with all those imperfect people being involved who make up every church. He admitted that some church members are truly hurt at church. We pastors like to live in the cloud that says it doesn’t really happen, but it does. With equal force he revealed that pastors, too, often get hurt by folks at church. I’m sure that was a shocking revelation to many church members. Then, with the greatest candor he confessed that many of our supposed hurts are petty and unbecoming of what we make of them. He did all this in just a few pages and I was hooked. I was ready to hear what he had to say.
Then the balance of the book is simply this–You are hurt in church. Whether it was real or imagined is not the issue. An analysis of the fiends who treated you so is pointless. What are you, the hurt one, going to do? You can’t change it. You can’t rewrite history with you being treated more justly. You really can’t give your enemies their due, especially in line with your being a Christian. So, what are we going to do?
He goes through that dark process that is so easy for any of us to go through that includes hard feelings, bitterness, and finally, even things far worse. How did Mr. Mansfield effectively show us this process? He surveyed the wreckage of his own church hurt. He was a successful pastor of a growing, thriving church and one day it all blew up in his face. When he first broached the subject, I wondered if he was going to use his position as a popular writer to get his revenge. I assure you that was not the case. He never called his enemies by name, and I felt he never told us more than was necessary about them to get the picture of what was going on in his heart. No, the one he exposed with all the gory details was himself.
He went far out on the limb and started cutting. He told us what he did, how he really felt, and the thoughts that came gushing out of his mind. They were grotesque. They overshadowed what his enemies, who I imagine truly were guilty, did. Such is the cherishing of bitterness for a Christian. Our Lord has simply not designed us to be able to function fueled by hate. It’s like trying to put milk in your   car’s gas tank. You won’t be going anywhere. He risked our disliking him. He opened himself up to the critical spirit of our age. You and I have probably been here, but we haven’t told anyone like he does in this book. I think his motive was to help us.
He took us through the process of his coming out of this darkness. He gratefully acknowledged some strong friends who pushed and prodded him. He spoke of false steps and false starts and clear failures. He explained that his bitterness was a multi-layered thing where he had to dig deeper and deeper to unroot it. What he said reminded me of the oft discussed concept of “pit dwelling” that I think came from Southern Baptists and has been popularized by authors like Beth Moore. In any event, the discussion is thoroughly biblical and worthy of our consideration. In the end, he showed us that it was worth whatever it cost him to leave his unreal world of bitterness. And the answer was old–forgiveness. Real forgiveness.
I give this book the highest possible recommendation with a prayer that it help many of us with a real, yet critical issue in our lives.
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. 
This book is published by Barna, an imprint of Tyndale Publishers. The publishers have kindly given me a link to share with you for more information and the ability for you to download a sample chapter to see what you think: http://www.tyndale.com/Healing-Your-Church-Hurt/9781414365602 Be sure to check it out.
Watch for a new blog post here within the next day where I will tell you how to enter a drawing for your own free copy of this book. 

Guest Blogger-Kyle Shearin-“The Life of St. Paul” by James Stalker

/ jimmyreagan / Leave a comment
I am glad to have as guest blogger my friend, Kyle Shearin. We first met when he and his wife brought a summer singing group from Crown College through our area. He is a sharp, dedicated young man. He teaches at Crown College and is actively involved at Temple Baptist Church. I remember once talking to him as he shared how burdened he was for the Singles Ministry he was leading at Temple Baptist Church. Ironically, it was in that same ministry I met my wife 13 years ago. I gave him the choice of blogging on any book of his choice. His reading has been heavily leaning toward the Apostle Paul of late. He read several on that subject and it turns out an old one was his favorite. Thanks Kyle. Here’s what he had to say….

Many are the books that arebeneficial on the life of the Apostle Paul but few are the books that areconsidered “Classics” on the life of Paul. Stalker’s book is not the mostthorough you will find on the topic but it is among the most respected.
Somebooks on Paul leave you thinking that he was not only the “Apostle Paul” butalso the “Savior Paul”. The author walks you through the soaring ministry ofPaul as well as the stumbling ministry of Paul.
Highlight of the Book
Stalker’schapter on the missionary journeys of Paul is second to none. The chronology ofevents brought to life will have you walking the streets with Paul and seeingGod made strong through weakness.
Chapter Titles
His Place in History
His Unconscious Preparationfor His Work
His Conversion
His Gospel
The Work Awaiting the Worker
His Missionary Travels
His Writings and HisCharacter
Picture of a Pauline Church
His Great Controversy
The End (Paul’s End)
Author:
      James Stalker was born in Scotland in1848. He graduated from Edinburgh University and New College and served formany years as a pastor in the Free Church in Scotland. His most renowned bookis the “Life of Christ”.
Title– The Life of St. Paul
ISNB – 0-310-44181-1
Est. price – $16.00

Forgiveness by Harold Vaughan and T.P. Johnston

/ jimmyreagan / 1 Comment
Here’s a great book on a timely subject. It can’t quite live up to its subtitle “How To Get Along With Everybody All The Time!”, but then again, no book could. It does, however, thoroughly and convincingly cover  Biblical teaching on the subject. Forgiveness, or the lack thereof, is one of the biggest problems today in my observation. Perhaps because its so easy to not forgive, so common, and such a habit. It is a “respectable” sin in that someone even in the best Christian circles would take much more flack for allowing a cuss word to slip, or be caught smoking, and so on, than being filled to the brim with unforgiveness. Yet if we viewed the matter in terms of what the Lord spoke the most about needing our greatest emphasis, unforgiveness would vault to the top of the list of sins we’d better take care of today.
The subject matter divides into 3 sections: a) granting forgiveness, b) seeking forgiveness, and c) enjoying forgiveness. The book begins tackling the question “Why should I forgive?” and its arguments are unanswerable.
The key argument is that being at odds with others puts me at odds with Jesus Christ. If you consider yourself a dedicated Christian, or at least desire to be one, that is catastrophic! Then there’s a thorough explanation of what forgiveness actually is. It quickly dispenses with the bizarre idea that someone must ask me for my forgiveness before I can grant it. Jesus declaring from the agonies of His cross, “Father forgive them…”, forever settles that question.
Think of this statement: “Unforgiveness is a two-way street. If you decide to put someone in debtor’s prison, God will do the same to you!” If more people could see this truth, it would finally explain for them why their lives are so joyless despite possessing Christ’s forgiveness. What we think is trials and problems weighing our lives down may need an entirely different diagnosis. Chapter 4 expertly takes us through the process of what unforgiveness does in our lives. It is a journey through bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and finally, malice. I wonder if this destination makes us a much more grotesque sight than the one who originally did us wrong.
The whole book gives wise counsel and is thoroughly based on Scripture. You can look at these and other materials at christlifemin.org where other books and downloadable sermons are available. I highly recommend this book, especially if you know in your heart you need it.

Book Review–The Resignation of Eve

/ jimmyreagan / 3 Comments
resignation of eveThe Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson  is presented as tackling the “sad resignation…developing among dedicated Christian women who feel overworked and undervalued in the church.” I thought it might be the perfect counterpart to another book I recently read: Why Men Hate Going To Church. I felt the victim of bait and switch as I read this book.The real goal of this book is to promote women in the ministry. I must confess up front that women in the ministry is not a position that I find scripturally sound. He contends that many women are leaving church over this issue. Of course some women have left church if they could not have a key leadership/pastoral role in the church, but are we to believe that this is even in the top 5 reasons for women leaving church? What, then, is the reason men are leaving the church? Because leadership is open to them? He paints a dark picture of many more women leaving if they are not allowed to take any role they like.He makes his case with case studies of individual stories of women he interviewed. Each chapter is well written and you leave the chapter feeling you really know something about the woman be describes. Still, to prove a point, he uses only anecdotal evidence. Despite trying to say he used a good variety of women to present his case, the majority of Christian ladies I know could not be described by any example he used.

The few conservative women he wrote about were not the best examples he could have used (I mean these ladies no disrespect). Even with them I felt thay were presented as naive, just not sophisticated enough to see the obvious truth that  everything the Bible says about women not being pastors was culturally charged and without present bearing. Many thoughtful Bible students would disagree and to just state it as fact is weak.

As the book went along, you got the feeling that he was promoting the idea that we must structure church to give people what they want to get them to stay. There was never a discussion of what the Bible actually said about how church should be done.

He did mention a few inconsistencies among some churches that refuse women the office of a pastor.  But that alone couldn’t carry his premise.

The book should be advertised to the target audience of denominations that say they believe women are allowed to pastor but the numbers are out of kilter. Then the book could use arguments, as it did, that are used in the workplace. All in all, I cannot recommend this book.

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. 

Feed My Sheep

/ jimmyreagan / Leave a comment
Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea For Preaching published by Reformation Trust Publishing, which you can find at Ligonier.org, has 11 chapters by various authors calling us back to the prime importance of preaching. Feed My SheepAlbert Mohler first discusses the primacy of preaching citing history and Scripture (e.g. Col 1: 25-29) to build his case. He shows us that preaching is not one of a pastor’s important duties, but , in fact, it is the key one. We do live in an age where pastors are expected to do everything and some pastors prefer almost any administrative duty to the hard work of sermon preparation. Perhaps over time we become rather slick, but too superficial to do our people any good.  I loved his analysis about “product envy” for preachers. Other professions can look at how many items sold or made but results in the task of preaching are not so easy to calculate. The lack of quantifiable results may derail us from expounding the Word of God which carries the help those we minister to really needs.James Boice tackles the “foolishness of preaching”.  He argues that preaching is God’s wise way to show that the world’s wisdom is foolishness. He also speaks of how many Bible characters preached, and how preaching leads to conversions and church growth. Ultimately, this works because the Lord works through His Word.Derek Thomas writes on “Expository Preaching.” Really this is the type of preaching referred to in the whole book. Using the history of several great preachers, defining the terms of preaching carefully, he writes as an academician. His description of failed preaching types is really good.

Joel Beeke writes on experimental preaching, or getting beyond explanation to application as all good preaching should.  R.C. Sproul discusses teaching in preaching. Since we live in a generation that prefers light preaching this is a challenge to help our people learn the Word of God. R.C. Sproul Jr. has a brilliant chapter on “Preaching To The Mind”‘.

Sinclear Ferguson writes with good effect on “Preaching To The Heart.” His chapter is practical. Don Kistler gives us “Preaching With Authority”. He discusses how Jesus spoke with authority, an authority so obvious all noticed. He relates how Paul wrote about it, for example, Titus 2:15. He reminds us of what an awesome call we have in our call to preach. Eric Alexander writes on “Evangelistic Preaching”. Some might find it lacking.

John Piper speaks on “Preaching To Suffering People.” Perhaps this is an example of how productive a use this call to dedicated preaching can provide.  John MacArthur writes the closing chapter as a plea to take the contents of this book and go and do what a shepherd should do.

The book is an encouragement. It runs against the tide of modern-day preaching and is what we need. You may have noticed that every writer tightly holds to reformed theology, and though I definitely do not, we must graciously admit that reformed writers are simply giving us the best writings on preaching today. This book is a clear example of that fact. I want to be the preacher the Lord wants me to be. Don’t you?

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.

Tyndale by David Teems

/ jimmyreagan / Leave a comment

You always assumed, I’m sure, that William Tyndale was an important man in Christian history. This book shows just how amazingly important he was. You knew about his first English translation of the New Testament, perhaps you even knew he died as a martyr. Did you know, though, that he had a great effect on our English language? He is credited with many words in our language coming from his pen. If you are a lover of the KJV as I am, you will be shocked as I was to learn that many of the most memorable lines of the KJV came over unchanged from Tyndale. Consider:

Let not your hearts be troubled..
The Lord bless thee and keep thee.
The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be merciful unto thee.
…for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou dwellest, there I will dwell.

There are many others that Mr. Teems shares with us. You leave this book convinced that Tyndale has had the greatest influence of all on the Word of God in English. There really is no close second.

You are impressed too as you read of Tyndale’s simple faith and dogged determination to translate the Bible into English. It was his driving passion from which he never wavered. Mr. Teems quotes Tyndale in regards to his translation work:

…that I never altered one syllable of God’s word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in the earth, whether it be honour, pleasure, or riches, might be given me.

Though Mr. Teems didn’t exactly word it this way, it is obvious that Tyndale was especially gifted by God for his great work. It was his life’s work, one that cost him greatly, living and running as a fugitive with loneliness and danger always staring him in the face.

Mr. Teems has done us great service in this volume. He is handy with a pen. His own literary skill makes him able to demonstrate how deep Tyndale’s talents really go. He holds Tyndale up beside the great literary figures and even mentions where Shakespeare used Tyndale. I finished this book thinking that more than a heroic man, Tyndale was one of the really great ones. Perhaps he hasn’t had his due, but Mr. Teems while fairly showing his faults, accurately presents us with “Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice.”

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.

20140124-210624.jpg

Why Men Hate Going To Church by David Murrow

/ jimmyreagan / 1 Comment
why men hate going to churchWhy Men Hate Going To Church—the title says it all. It’s the question we have all had, on a subject we have all noticed, without ever asking. Perhaps you imagined that there was no answer. It is just one of the mysteries of life. Read this book by David Murrow and you will have answers that will make you wonder that you never noticed them before. He gives answers that stem from the fundamental differences of men and women. We see some of these ideas in marriage books to our advantage. I will confess to being skeptical as I began, but this book is compelling. As a pastor I found his marketing/media perspective unique and thought provoking.
He shows that we have feminized church. Our services are much more favorable to women than men both in comfort and service. He gives a fascinating history of how this developed. As I read, I thought there is little than can be done about it, but in the last half of the book he gives practical advice. A new mindset is the key one.
He is friendly to the contemporary style of worship and I am firmly of the old fashioned variety, yet where his type of worship fails men he minces no words. I appreciate that kind of candor. This work doesn’t pretend to be theological at all. If some idea he offers sounds like a marketing ploy to give them what they want with no regard to God’s glory,  that is the reader’s problem. For what it is, this book could hardly be better.
I received this book free from the publisher through its book review bloggers program. 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 Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph Carroll

/ jimmyreagan / Leave a comment
worshipRecently Ryan Brown, Jamin Boyer, and I had the privilege to visit Dr. Tim Jayne’s new office. It’s beautiful, roomy, and as ideal as any preacher could imagine. We talked, had a great visit, and as Dr. Jayne is known to do, he gave us each a book. In addition to teaching college students the Bible, he is well known as one who encourages preachers to read fine books. I appreciate that emphasis in his ministry. There is an obvious passion in him that I share on that subject.While there he recommended a book that he wishes every pastor would read–“How To Worship Jesus Christ”. He has given scores of this book away over the years. Strangely, I already had the book and it was laying in a pile of books that I intended to read soon. Somehow, it was never the book I selected. I think I got it in a box of books I picked up at a library sale.Since he told us that many pastors he has introduced the book to read it every year, I read it right away. The book fully lived up to its reputation. He was a missionary for many years and the contents of this book were worked out in those days of service. His influences command respect. He called Hudson Taylor “the father of modern faith missions” (emphasis mine). A. W. Tozer, who never fails to challenge me, was clearly his greatest influence.

He effectively made the case for what our private time is all about. He says, “My quiet time then became something for Him, not something for me.” The great need, he says, is to worship Christ until He becomes real to you. That grows into it being about Him, not even the people to whom you minister. Perhaps preachers talking of that concept today learned it here. In any case, I have never heard it better said.

He quotes Phil 3:8 “…that I may win Christ” and spoke of intimate fellowship with Christ being the key. He explains that people who must always be pushed to do things like witnessing or supporting missions have a serious problem. Then he continues: “What was Paul always doing? He is consistently bringing you to Christ and leaving you with Christ.” To my mind, that is profound. Nuggets that really challenge you continue to the end of the book.

The book is still in print by Moody (My copy is older). Amazon.com and others have inexpensive used copies while a new copy can be gotten from CBD for $8.19 (Christianbook.com)

The Still Hour by Austin Phelps

/ jimmyreagan / 1 Comment
still hour
Here’s a book on prayer from the 1800s. I read once sometime ago that Peter Masters recommended the book and said it was “once enormously popular.” My copy includes a quote from Spurgeon saying the author “seems to truly and completely know the power of prayer.” It seems this book fell off the map for decades. Used copies can be found and Solid Ground Christian Books has a beautiful paperback volume in print now for an economical price. Check solid-ground-books.com. I have at least 20 volumes on prayer in my library and nothing quite moved me like this one. As a young Christian John R. Rice’s Prayer: Asking and Receiving  helped me as did R. A. Torrey’s volume on prayer. Mrs. Rosalind Goforth’s volume on How I know God Answers Prayer is not to be missed as well.

“The Still Hour” is a book, though, I wonder how I missed all these years. Read it at your own risk. I was greatly convicted and concluded I didn’t pray at all.

Listen to these chapter titles to get an idea of what you will encounter in this volume:

Absence of God in Prayer
Unhallowed Prayer
Romance in Prayer
Idolatry in Prayer

and many more. It’s only 136 pages, but a phenomenal read.