Humility, True Greatness, by C.J. Mahaney

I appreciated the fact that Mahaney started the book by acknowledging that it is almost an oxymoron to say that you are writing a book on Humilty.  People immediately think you obviously have no humility if you think you can tell the rest of us what it is :)

But this little booklet is definitely a necessary book for those of us who need to defeat the sin of pride and develop the Biblical trait of humility.

His working definition for humility in this book is; “Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.”  That is a wonderful definition.  We all acknowledge that God is holy and we should all acknowledge that we are sinful.  So, if we stop to acknowledge these facts and that they apply to our private lives then we will be on the road to humility.

Chapter three of the book looks at Jesus and how He re-defines greatness!  As you read you will be reminded that Jesus reminded even his disciples that if you wished to be the greates in the kingdom of God you needed to become the least, the servant of all.  You need to humble yourself taking on the form of a bondservant.

Then Chapter 4 deals with the content that is essential to grasp the truth of what it means to be humble.  This is probably the most pivital chapter in the text.  Mahaney gives us many scriptural references to help us put the meat on the bones of humility.  When you finish chapter four you know what is needed to become humble, you probably just don’t know how to go about it.

So, starting in Chapter 5 Mahaney gives us his list of practical ways to weaken pride and cultivate humility.  He does state, “For your own purposes, think of the items on my list simply as recommendations, not requirements--as suggestions for your consideration.”  He is acknowledging that you don’t want to become legalistic in your trying to develop Humility.  It is a gift that God gives to you as you strive to develop your walk with Christ.

So, the recommendations flow through the rest of the book and are excellent.  When you finish I’m sure you will have a full list of things that you should be striving for in your battle to defeat sin, especially the sin of Pride and to put on the Christ-like character trait of humility.

To give just one example of the recommendations Mahaney starts with the recommendation to, “Reflect on the Wonder of the Cross.”  As you reflect on the cross you will not be able to look at it without seeing how sinful you are that it required Christ going to the cross to reconcile you with the Father.  Your pride will be put away as you realize the work of the cross and that it was done for you.  This will certainly drive you to your knees in humbleness as you declare to the Lord your thankfulness for what He has done.

Well, there are many other things in the book that will help you develop humility, but you won’t know what they are until you purchase and read this masterpiece on the Character Trait of Humility.

Enjoy!

The Gospel for Real Life, by Jerry Bridges

I found this book to be more than just a book about "The Gospel."  I have been reading several books on "The Gospel" for a discussion group and found that most were striving to explain the Gospel in very concrete terms and doing good exegesis of Biblical Passages that explain the Gospel message.

Then I read Bridges book.  While he does give a working definition of what "The Gospel" message is his book goes well beyond that.  He delves into our walk with Christ and how the Gospel effects so many areas of our Christian life.  The text starts with why the cross was necessary, why Christ was the perfect sacrifice, why obedience was important and how what Christ did for us on the cross was the perfect sacrifice to satisfy the judgement that God required.

I think the best part of this book was the explanation that Bridges gave about what the difference is between Propitiation and Expiation.  He gave a very readable definition for both and why they are complimentary and why we need to be sure an understand the difference between the two and realize why we need them both.

From here Bridges goes on to subjects such as why we need to be ransomed, what reconciliation is, what sanctification is, what it means to have confidence in the sacrificial work of Christ and how we as children of God should be grateful for the gift that Yahweh gave us in the presence of his Son taking on human form and becoming the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins.

Of all the books I have read I would say that Bridges is the easiest read and thus probably would be a favorite of lay people who want a good communicator to explain to them the many different subjects he touches on.  Scholar's, pastors and seminary students might feel the book is a bit to simplistic for their taste, but frankly I would remind them to not be snooty, but realize the great gift that Bridges gives to the church through his readable books that touch the hearts and lives of Christians everywhere.

If you purchase this book you will enjoy the read, learn the importance of the Gospel for your life and find many practical applications of this material for how you live, or at least how you should live.

Enjoy!

In My Place Condemned He Stood, by J.I. Packer & Mark Dever

Several Christian Scholars got together and were talking about how to write a book on the Gospel that would be a good primer for the laity of the church.  As they discussed how to go about writing the work they realized that the material had actually already been written and presented in several other places.

Each of the men realized that J.I. Packer had done a great defense of the Gospel in several articles and lectures that he had given at other times.  Also Mark Dever had an article he had presented that fit well with the flow of what they felt should be presented.

So they contacted J.I. Packer and asked him to submit his articles and do any revamping that he felt necessary.  He agreed and those three articles appear in this work along with an article from Mark Dever.

The main emphasis for this work is to “offer an aid and encouragement to Christians who want more deeply to understand the nature and accomplishments of Jesus’ death and thus to be lost in wonder, love, and praise to the gracious Father who gave and delivered up his only begotten Son on our behalf, and to the Son who loved us and gave himself for us, by the Holy Spirit, who alone enables us to say truly, “Jesus is Lord.”

Through these articles you will learn the difference between expiation and propitiation.  You will discover excellent discussions on why “Penal Substitution” is a necessary issue for the Christian to understand and believe in.

Further there is a wonderful article that will deal with the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism an why it is important for you to understand those differences and see how each of them relates to the Gospel message of the Bible.

Finally, the Gospel message will be expressed in the most Biblical of manners so that there is no equivocation on what The Gospel Is!

Then at the end of the book there are two chapters presented by Ligon Duncan on, “Books on the Cross of Christ,” and an “Annotated Bibliography.”  These two chapters give you a very exhaustive listing of books that will further solidify your thoughts on the Gospel Message and help you to develop your defense of your faith.

This book is a must read for all of us who proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Lord and Savior.

Enjoy!

Excellence by Andreas Kostenberger

This was my first book of 2012 to read through and I think it is going to be hard to find another book this year that will be able to top it as the Most Important Book that I read for 2012.

Andreas Köstenberger is writing this book for Theological Scholars, especially those who write books, articles and blogs.  His desire is to express to them the need for Excellence in all their work.  But while he is addressing scholars (of which I am not) he also states that this book is for non-scholars as well.  The principles that he expresses are necessary in the lives of every Christian, not just scholars.  But there will be sections of the book that you will note are written specifically with Scholars in mind.  But it’s OK, you will glean wisdom from these sections as well.

Köstenberger’s desire is that all Christians would see the need to strive for Excellence in all they do since what they are doing is as unto the Lord.  Their lives, their work, their play, their families, their worship is all done as unto the Lord, so it deserves our best.  He reminds us that Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount told us, “You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).  We have no option.

With that thought in mind he starts his book discussing the foundations of excellence in all that we do.  He approaches the topic from a clear Biblical perspective and develops his argument well with the use of lots of scripture.  As part of focusing on the Foundations he brings to thought the need for Holiness and Spirituality in our lives.  Two concepts that we must strive for as Disciples of Christ.

The rest of the book deals with the Christian Virtues that we must develop in our lives.  He starts with Vocational Excellence then Moral Excellence and finally Relational Excellence.

What is fascinating is that each of the Christian Virtues that he develops flow into the next virtue and are dependent upon the following virtue being present so that the virtue being discussed can be fully realized and implemented in our lives.

Each Chapter develops one of these virtues.  They include;

Diligence

Courage

Passion

Restraint

Creativity

Eloquence

Integrity

Fidelity

Wisdom

Grace 

Humility

Interdependence

Love

You will note and he points it out well that these virtues following along the fruits of the Spirit that Paul describes in his epistles. 

The question is, how well are you developing these virtues in your life?  Do you strive to develop these for the Glory of the Lord?  Do you strive to serve your Lord and Master in everything you do and then do it to the best of your abilities?

This book is not a quick easy read, but you will discover that you can’t put it down.  You want to finish it.

I finished it three days ago but waited to write a review because I wanted to ruminate on what I learned.  The more I meditated on the work, the more  I relized my complete failure to live a life of Excellence for the Lord.  It has lead me to a renewed vision and desire to serve the Lord with Excellence.

I am sure the book will have the same impact on your life if you read it with an open mind and start with the prayer of asking the Holy Spirit to teach you, lead you,  and reveal to you the areas in your life where you need to grow.

God bless and enjoy!

Rooms, by James Rubart

This book was originally published to be used as a discussion started for small groups.  So, it is interesting that it ended up at Amazon in the Novel's section.

I am amazed at the vast differences in the reviews for this book. So I am left with the thought that if you are seeking God you will enjoy the book. If you don't give a rip about God you will hate this book.

The authors intention is to make a statement. People strive after their own glory with the dream that it will make them happy. They avoid God or the fully giving of themselves to God because instead of happiness they believe that God wants to take everything from them and in return give nothing good back.

Micah Taylor has everything the world promises. He is the successful founder and President of a software company. He is young and already worth 60 million dollars. He has a beautiful girlfriend. He has everything he could want. So what is missing?

The missing thing is the peace and love he felt previously in life when he walked with God.

The novel deals with the battle of whether Micah can serve two masters, God and mammon. If he chooses God what will it cost him? Maybe everything.

This is a classic tale of the innermost battle tap hat we face, serve ourselves or serve our creator. The concepts brought out in this book would give a good platform for a discussion group. I kind of believe that was the point of the book in the first place.

I enjoyed the book. It gave me pause to think about some things in my relationship with God.

Again I believe that if you are seeking God you will enjoy this book. If you want nothing to do with God, then you will be disappointed.

The Cloud of Unknowing, published by Harper Collins Classical

This short book written hundreds of years ago by an unknown Monk is interesting, concise, humbling and relevant even today for the Christian who is seriously curious about delving into the spiritual realm of a contemplative.

This is not a "scholarly" writing, but that of a mentor to his friends whom he wants to instruct on how to go deeper in their walk with Christ. Some of the writing is a bit difficult at first to understand, you must read with a meditative reading style. I would alsonsuggestnreading it out loud as it will help with your attention and understanding.

The author expresses that this will be a difficult read for someone knew to the thoughts of a contemplative lifestyle. He recommends that you need to read this through two or three times to fully grasp the thoughts and lessons.

He also acknowledges that this task will be hard work. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't come quickly. It is a calling from God. But after all the hard labor the rewards are worth it.

I think that this translation by Harper Collins is well done and worth your consideration.

Enjoy!

The Rule of Saint Benedict, by Saint Benedict

I started a study on Monastic Life and this was one of the first books that was recommended to read. Written in the 6th century this short book gives the details of how Saint Benedict felt a Monastary should be run.

It gives details on admittance to the Monastic life, the choosing of an Abbot to oversee the life of the Monastary and provide guidance to the Monks who reside there. Also detailed is the life of prayer, the daily rituals, the daily readings,etc. also is guidance on the food and drink allotment for the brothers in residence. The further detailing of life is discussed in regards to humility, obedience, submission and love for each other. Not to mention discussion on control of the tongue and the need for silence and contemplation.

While written almost 1,600 years ago there is much that we can learn from the ideas that Saint Benedict confirms for us here. As an associate pastor of a church I was impressed how much of these rules would help in our church life to guide us and keep pride and arrogance from getting a foothold in our lives.

Whether you are Catholic or Protestant this book has many good virtues for you to read, practice and let rule your life for the Glory of God.

Enjoy!