Veritas et Lux

Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity – Tim Challies (2015)

Here’s a lofty claim: “I believe this book can improve your life.” This is a claim we’ve all heard before. Infomercials, hucksters, and television preachers make similar claims. The net result is generally less than satisfying. The consumer usually walks away from such a claim with a lighter wallet, a bruised ego, and more skepticism to boot.

Tim Challies is hedging his bets in his new book, Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity. He believes that lives will be changed if readers will invest a bit of time in his book.

Do More Better (DMB) is a fitting title as the author sets out to help readers lead more productive lives. But DMB should not be confused with the typical self-help books that saturate most book stores. It should not even be compared to some of the most popular books on the discipline of productivity. Works like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, What’s Best Next by Matthew Perman, or Getting Things Done by David Allen made their respective contributions in the field of productivity.

But DMB truly stands alone in a sea of books that promise productivity. The author argues that our lives must begin with a solid foundation. Ultimately, this foundation must rest on a commitment to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Glorifying God involves doing good works and making God look good. In typical Reformation fashion, the author reminds readers that good works are only possible because of Christ’s completed work on the cross.

So the author encourages readers to establish productivity on the solid rock of the gospel. Indeed, this is the highest form of productivity, namely, a life that “glorifies God by doing good to others.” This lofty aim is what sets DMB apart from other books on productivity.

Challies highlights several barriers to productivity, what he calls “productivity thieves.” Readers are encouraged to structure and organize their lives so they can do “maximum good for others,” which in turn brings maximum glory to God. The call to Christian character is a dominant theme here. The author argues, “No amount of organization and time management will compensate for lack of Christian character, not when it comes to this great calling of glory through good – bringing glory to God by doing good to others.”

Next, DMB urges readers to define their responsibilities and their roles. Responsibilities are general items such as personal, family, and church. Roles are more specific. For example, personal roles may include spiritual fitness, physical fitness, administration, etc.

Readers are then encouraged to write a purpose statement for each area of responsibility. Challies gives helpful examples to help assure success in this area.

Three tools are recommended for maximum productivity: a task management tool, scheduling tool, and information tool. Challies points readers to digital tools that will help and encourage personal productivity. Specific action steps are spelled out for each tool. Ultimately, readers are challenged to “live the system” that is presented in the book.

I have been reading about personal productivity for nearly twenty-five years. I have benefited from some of the works mentioned earlier. But once again, Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity, by Tim Challies truly stands alone. Three features set this book apart. This work is God-centered, practical, and offers users immediate help that is sure to boost personal productivity. I commend this excellent work and trust that God will use it to encourage many people!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say – Paul David Tripp (2015)

Some books are meant to be read. Others are meant to be devoured. Paul David’s Tripp’s new book is of the later sort. Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say, And Do is a soul-searching work that draws readers in, grabs them by the throat, shakes them around, molds and transforms their hearts – with the ultimate aim of setting them free to serve, worship, and glorify the God of the universe.

Dr. Tripp argues with Scripture that God’s goal is for creatures to be “in awe of his creation, but that awe cannot and should not be an end in itself.” “Where you look for awe,” says Tripp, “will shape the direction of your life.”

The author helps readers understand their position between the “already” of Adam’s sin and the “not yet” of final redemption. Our current position is where the war ensues. While sinners struggle with what Tripp calls “awe wrongness” (AWN), namely, misplaced awe, God patiently draws people to himself so they might find their satisfaction in him.

Dr. Tripp repeatedly shows how people turn to awe-substitutes to find satisfaction, a sure-fire road to depression, frustration, and meaninglessness. “Only grace can give us back our awe of God again,” writes Tripp. This marvelous grace principle dominates the book and urges readers to find their satisfaction, i.e. awe in Christ alone.

Tripp’s book is a real gem. Some Christian books are descriptive. Many are prescriptive. But very few Christian books these days include a deep, transparent, admission of personal struggle. That is to say, very few Christian writers these days admit weakness, struggle with temptation, propensity to fearfulness or anxiety, and the like. Paul David Tripp speaks clearly and biblically. But he also shares from the depth of his heart. He shares about his struggles. He shares his weaknesses. He admits that the ministry is often times lonely. He confesses his secret hope to “throw in the towel.” This kind of transparency is difficult for most writers. Indeed, it is difficult for most Christ-followers. So the author should be commended for his candid and transparent approach.

“Spiritual growth is about recapturing your awe,” writes Dr. Tripp. Here lies the essence of the book, a theme that emerges throughout this fine work. Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say, And Do may be the most important book of 2015. I trust that many will read, wrestle, digest, absorb, and be awakened to the beauty and majesty of Jesus Christ – the only One worth of our worship. Indeed, our awe should be found in him alone!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

AWAKENING THE EVANGELICAL MIND – Owen Strachan (2015)

In the late 1940’s, V.W. Steele resigned as the Senior pastor at Bethel Baptist in Everett, Washington. He stepped away from his pulpit at the height of a revival as he felt prompted by God to move to another ministry. He loaded up the car with his young family made the long journey to Los Angeles. Providentially, he was commissioned by Charles Fuller to partner together and preach the gospel in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota. Pastor Steele was my grandfather, so I have a particular interest in his venture with Charles Fuller, the popular preacher on the Old Fashioned Revival Hour radio broadcast.

My grandfather pastored churches in a day where the battle lines were drawn. He lived in a day when men were willing to lose life and limb for the sake of doctrinal convictions. But he also lived in a day when the church was in a titanic struggle against the cultural monster of modernism.

Dr. Owen Strachan’s book, Awakening the Evangelical Mind provides an invaluable service for the church as he explores where the battle lines were drawn and introduces readers to the key players. These neo-evangelicals, including Harold Ockenga, Carl Henry, Billy Graham, and others helped establish the Christian mind in a culture awash in a sea of modernism.

Strachan traces the evangelical trajectory of these seminal thinkers by guiding readers through key historical turning points and decisions that were decisive for the establishment of the Christian mind in America. The author demonstrates how select Christian colleges and Seminaries were launched and the men who envisioned them. These are important historical details that the author skillfully tells; stories that have either been forgotten or worse yet, never heard!

R.C. Sproul and Mark Noll have both lamented about the decline of the Christian mind. Strachan’s excellent work is a much-needed corrective and salve for the soul. Strachan is eager to prop up the long history of the evangelical mind and optimistic about its future: “If the evangelical mind is not always appreciated, this simply cannot be because it does not exist. It does exist, and its contributions over two millennia are monumental.”

The author argues that evangelicals face some important decisions in the days ahead:

The church faces a profound choice: it can retreat and huddle, nursing its wounds as it accepts its intellectual marginalization. Or, it can learn once more from Ockenga, Henry, Graham, and the Cambridge evangelicals, and promote outstanding education that not only engages the questing heart but freshly awakens the evangelical mind.

Awakening the Evangelical Mind is a call to the next generation of Christian leaders to lead with biblical conviction and bold courage; to continue the legacy that was established by some great men of the faith.

A LOST GOD IN A LOST WORLD – Melvin Tinker (2015)

Augustine sounded the alarm in his magisterial work, The City of God. The date was 426 A.D. Augustine’s battle cry alerted Christ-followers to the beauty, majesty, and sovereignty of a holy God.

Melvin Tinker sounds another alarm in his new book, A Lost God in a Lost World. His intent is to articulate the sobering truths that concern the lostness of people and to magnify the greatness and glory of God with the aim of encouraging Christ-followers to cling tenaciously to the Gospel of Jesus. They will, in the final analysis, be emboldened to stand strong in the grace which is found in their Savior. The author adds, “We shall become more effective instruments of righteousness in his hand for the salvation of many and the glorification of his name.”

Tinker diagnoses the problem and points his finger in the right direction – straight at idolatry. Calvin identified the propensity of people to turn to idols by describing their hearts as “idol factories.” The author elaborates on this problem which continues to plague humanity: “When we turn away in our hearts from the one true God we engage in a cheap exchange, swapping the one who is of infinite weight and worth for something which is empty and worthless.”

The remainder of the book describes the God-centeredness of God – the God who is crucified, the God who enters a life, the God who is proclaimed, the God who is embraced, the God who returns, and the God who makes all things new.

Tinker summarizes his excellent work in a concluding remark:

We have called this book, A Lost God in a Lost World because in the West an awareness of the real God has been lost and replaced by idolatrous thoughts with the result that people are lost, that is, they become disoriented, dissatisfied and detached form God and so from reality. It is not coincidental that this ‘loss of God’ and ‘loss of reality’ has gone hand in hand with a loss in the belief of heaven and hell – the ultimate realities.

Tinker’s work is a solid piece of work that will serve Christians well and will especially serve new comers to the Christian faith.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

FAITH ALONE – Thomas Schreiner (2015)

Faith Alone by Thomas Schreiner is much-needed treatment of the doctrine which was rediscovered during the days of the Protestant Reformation, namely, justification by faith alone. The author makes it plain from the beginning that he does not intend to offer a comprehensive treatment of this doctrine. Rather, he guides readers through a tour of the doctrine of justification. The contours of this fascinating tour are informed by history, theology, and biblical/exegetical arguments.

Dr. Schreiner is unique among theologians as he fairly represents opposing positions and graciously refutes them. His stance toward Rome, in particular, is refreshing and sure to pose a challenge to Roman Catholic thought.

Despite the gracious intent of the author, his arguments are robust and biblical. His allegiance to the Sola Scriptura principle is evident throughout and his love for the doctrine of justification by faith alone is clear.

I commend this work highly and expect it shall receive a wide reading.

THE SURPRISING IMAGINATION OF C.S. LEWIS – Jerry Root and Mark Neal (2015)

“We have seen, whether in his fiction or nonfiction, that Lewis is given to depictions, creating windows and images, inventing stories, developing metaphors, and crafting illustrations so his readers can see what he saw and more. He did these things that readers might better see and understand the real world.” So says Jerry Root and Mark Neal in their fascinating treatment of C.S. Lewis.

The book is The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis.The authors survey the literary mountain of books written by Lewis and focus their attention on his attempts to spark the imagination of readers. From the non-fiction works, Surprised by Joy and Mere Christianity to his fiction works like The Great Divorce and The Chronicles of Narnia, Root and Neal work hard to excavate the “imaginative ore” from the deep recesses of C.S. Lewis treasure trove. Indeed, “Lewis’s use of the imagination makes it possible for us to enter into collaboration with things once outside of our vision of the world.”

Having read much of Lewis’s work, I was personally fascinated and and inspired by the authors attempts to highlight his imagination. For the works I was less familiar with, such as the Space Triology the treatment was more difficult to follow.
The authors write, “Ultimately, the imagination is a vital ‘organ of meaning’ that we must cultivate if we desire to live well, if we are to grow and change and expand our understanding of the world that God has placed us in. God calls us to know it, and to know it well.”

Overall, the authors succeed in their attempt to draw readers into the imaginative world of C.S. Lewis. They conclude on a high note by challenging readers to fight a falsified notion of the imagination: “We encourage you to fight the notion that the imagination is simply ‘make-believe’ and therefore not to be trusted. Modern science certainly has not helped to foster the imagination as a source of truth. Reason, intellect, and method are prized above all else, while imagination is patted condescendingly on the head.” In the final analysis, readers are encouraged to marry reason and imagination – all with the intention of glorifying God.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

BRAND LUTHER – Andrew Pettegree (2015)

How can an unpublished, obscure Roman Catholic monk move from the shadows to the world stage in a matter of years. This is the subject of Andrew Pettegree’s book, Brand Luther. Pettegree walks meticulously through the events of the Reformer’s life; events that would mark a nation and rock the world. This is Brand Luther.

The author sets the stage by alerting readers to Luther’s fascinating background. From his birth in Eisleben to his university days in Erfurt, and his teaching days at in Wittenberg, Pettegree establishes Luther’s cultural context along with vivid allusions to the theological landscape. Ultimately, his design is to show how Luther rises to prominence in a most unusual way.

Brand Luther is unique in that it captures the pathos of the 16th century. The author delves into matters that pertain to culture, theology, economics, and personal emotion – to name a few. The author has an uncanny ability of navigating readers on the path that Luther walked and placing them in the emotional state he experienced and the physical ailments he endured. The turmoil that Luther felt and the threat of impending death looms like London fog on a cold autumn evening.

The author argues that Luther’s writing along with the establishment of the printing press are integral to his success, not to mention the gains of the Protestant Reformation: “Many things conspired to ensure Luther’s unlikely survival through the first years of the Reformation, but one of them was undoubtedly print.” The book is filled with evidence that points in this direction which bolsters the author’s thesis along the way.

Brand Luther is a serious work of history which spans nearly 400 pages but the book reads like a novel – quite an accomplishment for a scholarly work!

Essential reading for students of the Reformation!

WE CANNOT BE SILENT – R. Albert Mohler (2015)

Postmodern culture is drowning in relativism and religious pluralism. The rising tide of liberalism and theological compromise has not only washed upon the secular shore; it has come crashing in upon the evangelical church with the force of a tsunami.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler explores this rising cultural storm in his new book, We Cannot Be Silent. The author describes the so-called sexual revolution in vivid terms; terms that sober readers and awaken them to this escalating challenge.

Mohler explains that this cultural revolution did not begin with same-sex marriage, however. Rather, four developments helped usher in the redefinition of marriage, namely, birth control and contraception, divorce, advanced reproductive technologies, and cohabitation.

The author guides readers through the various stages of cultural decay which include the acceptance of same-sex marriage, the transgender revolution, and the collapse of marriage.

Dr. Mohler provides the proper paradigm for thinking and acting biblically in these troubling times:

The fundamental axiom upon which evangelical Christians must base every response to homosexuality is this: God alone is sovereign, and he alone created the universe and everything within it by his own design and for his own good pleasure. Furthermore, he showed us his creative intention through Holy Scripture – and that intention is clearly to create and establish two distinct but complementary genders or sexes. The Genesis narrative demonstrates that this distinction of genders is neither accidental nor inconsequential to the divine design.

Navigating the cultural decay is no simple task, especially when more and more people appear to accept what the Bible prohibits – even in the church. Thankfully, we have the Word of God which reveals the heart of God in these matters. Indeed, the biblical testimony is clear and compelling: Mohler adds:

Homosexuality is a sin against God and a direct rejection of God’s intention and command in creation. All sin is a matter of eternal consequence. The redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ is the only hope for sinners. On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins and served as a substitute for the redeemed.

We Cannot Be Silent is essential reading for Christian leaders, Christian educators, and pastors. It contains a wealth of practical information, biblical responses, and draws readers into the center of the cultural tsunami. Mohler offers hope and Bible-soaked counsel for Christians who seek answers in the midst of the storm.

But the most important aspect of the author’s book is his heart which is clearly revealed. Mohler strikes a critical balance of love and grace from start to finish. He helps readers navigate the challenging waters of postmodern culture with biblical wisdom, skill, and winsomeness. Such an approach is imperative if the church intends on reaching people for the sake of the gospel.

I applaud We Cannot Be Silent for its depth, transparency, and clear commitment to Scripture. It deserves a wide reading and is bound to make an important difference in the lives of many people.

Highly recommended!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

A HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY – John Frame (2015)

The Word of God is emphatic about our role as we enter the marketplace of ideas. The apostle Paul sounds the warning in Colossians 2:8 – “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Scripture instructs Christ-followers, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ …” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5, ESV).

John Frame maintains and promotes such a mind-set in his latest offering, A History of Western Philosophy and Theology (HWPT). The discipline of philosophy, which is defined as “the disciplined attempt to articulate and defend a worldview,” is broken down into three subdivisions including metaphysics, epistemology, and value theory. Readers familiar with Frame’s work will immediately recognize his commitment to perspectivalism, a powerful grid for thinking which includes three perspectives: normative, situational, and existential. This commitment has been clearly articulated and defended in his Lordship series, a series of books which are essential tools in every pastor’s library.

HWPT is dedicated to Dr. Cornelius Van Til, whose influence is evident throughout the book. Readers who are entrenched in Van Til’s methodology will quickly recognize themes such as the Creator-creature distinction and the charge that non-Christian thought lapses into the intellectual bankruptcies of rationalism and irrationalism.

On a large-scale, HWPT leads readers on a fascinating journey that educates, contextualizes, and warns.

Education

Frame has a reputation for educating not only his Seminary students but a rather broad reading audience. HWPT is no exception. The author gives readers an up-close look at the history of western thought. Unlike the typical tour of philosophy and theology, Dr. Frame provides readers with the proper lens with which to view such ideas. The book is built on the immutable, authoritative, infallible, inerrant Word of God. Readers are alerted in advance that the author carries certain presuppositions, above all – an allegiance to sacred Scripture. The author clearly reveals the presuppositions which guide his writing and inform his worldview:

“As a Christian, I am committed to a worldview that comes from the Bible: God the Creator, the world as his creation, man made in his image, sin and its consequences as our predicament, Christ’s atonement as our salvation, his return as the consummation of all things.”

Such an admission is rare in the world of philosophy. Frame’s candor should be respected and greatly appreciated by believer and non-believer alike.

Context

HWPT stands alone by contextualizing the various philosophic movements and the thinkers who represent those movements. The author helps readers understand how various philosophers influence future generations and worldviews. Such an approach is greatly needed, especially among undergraduate students who often see philosophy in bits and pieces instead of a unified whole.

Warning

The most helpful aspect of HWPT is the warning extended by Dr. Frame, a warning that takes Colossians 2:8 and 2 Corinthians 10:5 to heart. The author demonstrates how various philosophers have influenced generations and have contributed to the erosion of the Christian mind. These thinkers, most of whom continue to rule from the grave are exposed and for their futile thinking, which generally follows Van Til’s charge of being rationalistic and irrational at the same time.

I commend HWPT to pastors, Bible College students, Seminary students and Christ-followers who have a passion to see the picture in the world of philosophy and theology. HWPT is a serious book for serious Bible students. It is a book that I will return to again and again. May God use John Frame’s latest work to glorify the great God of the universe and encourage a new generation of Christian theologians, philosophers, pastors, and leaders.

Soli Deo Gloria!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

MESSY GRACE – Caleb Kaltenbach (2015)

Messy Grace by Caleb Kaltenbach is an insider’s look at a pastor who has developed a deep and growing love for the LGBT community. Pastor Kaltenbach has a unique perspective on this subject, as he grew up with parents who were gay.

After revealing some of the details of his painful story, the author challenges the church to reach out to the LGBT community in practical ways. What really stands out in this book is the balance between truth and grace. Most churches and indeed, most Christians appear to land in one arena or the other. Some professing Christians simply overlook the sin of homosexuality and give such people a pass. Grace covers a multitude of sins. Others, in an effort to be faithful to the Scriptures condemn the sin of homosexuality and alienate the LGBT community in the process. The truth shall set you free.

Kaltenbach argues for a radically different approach. His aim is to see the church demonstrate grace to the LGBT community, but never at the expense of truth. He challenges believers to love these people who struggle deeply with their sexual identity but without compromising biblical morality.

I anticipate this book will stir up a hornet’s nest in the evangelical world. It is a bold book. It is a controversial book. It will challenge conservative evangelicals. Most important, it will reveal the heart of the Pharisee.

May Christ-followers learn from Pastor Kaltenbach’s godly example. More importantly, may they follow the example of Jesus by reaching out and befriending people in the LBGT community. The recent Supreme Court decision, while disturbing and discouraging actually opened a huge door to Christians. This door will enable followers of Jesus to demonstrate love to people who are created in the image of God; people created with dignity and a purpose. Kaltenbach warns that such a move will prove costly. Such a move will be messy. But messy grace is the result of life-on-life relationships which are prompted by a desire to please our great God and sovereign king. Messy Grace is fueled by a deep desire to penetrate the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

4 stars