Veritas et Lux

FAVORITE READS OF 2014

My top reads from 2014 are listed below:

1. Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God – Timothy Keller (2014)

I’ve read many books about prayer over the last 25 years. This is the best by far!

See my review

2. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief – John Frame

Ranks alongside Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology as the best of the best.
See my review

3. Edwards on the Christian Life – Dane Ortlund

Dane Ortlund offers up a well-written book on the theology of Jonathan Edwards.

See my review

4. Gospel-Powered Humility – William Farley (2011)

A powerful treatment that every Christian needs to read and re-read.

See my review

5. Hand in HAND – Randy Alcorn (2014)

Alcorn offers good biblical wisdom on paradox of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

See my review

6. Jesus Continued – J.D. Greear (2014)

A terrific look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit from a Reformed perspective.

See my review

7. The Advocate – Randy Singer (2014)

A behind the scenes account of Theophilus in the first century. Historical fiction that sings! Highly recommended.

8. Essentialism – Greg McKeown(2014)

Personal productivity at it’s best.

See my review

9.True Beauty – Carolyn Mahaney (2014)

A truly beautiful book.

See my review

10. What’s Best Next – Matthew Perman

Gospel-centered personal productivity.

See my review

WRATH UPON THE WICKED TO THE UTTERMOST – Jonathan Edwards (1735)

The sermon is dated May, 1735. Jonathan Edwards makes his way into the pulpit to read his manuscript – which was his consistent habit. The full title of the sermon is When the Wicked Shall Have Filled Up the Measure of Their Sin, Wrath Will Come Upon Them to the Uttermost. The text that the preacher from Northampton utilizes is 1 Thessalonians 2:16 – “To fill up their sins alway; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”

Before Edwards wrestles with the doctrinal implications, he makes two important observations:

1. To what effect was the heinous wickedness and obstinacy of the Jews, viz. to fill up their sins.

2. The punishment of their wickedness: “The wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” There is a connection between the measure of men’s sin, and the measure of punishment. When they have filled up the measure of their sin, then is filled up the measure of God’s wrath. Edwards observes, “God often punishes men very dreadfully in this world; but in hell “wrath comes on them to the uttermost.” He alerts his congregation to the certainty of this punishment: “For though the punishment was then future, yet it is spoken of as present: ‘The wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.'”

Edwards repeats his doctrine and continues by setting forth 3 primary propositions.

Doctrine

When those that continue in sin shall have filled up the measure of their sin, then wrath will come upon them to the uttermost.

Proposition #1:

There is a certain measure that God hath set to the sin of every wicked man.

Edwards explains, “But sometimes the reason why God lets them alone is, because they have not filled up the measure of their sins. When they live in dreadful wickedness, they are but filling up the measure which God hath limited for them.” In other words, each person shall live until they reach the tipping point.

Proposition # 2:

While men continue in sin, they are filling the measure set them.

Proposition # 3:

When once the measure of their sins is filled up, then wrath will come upon them to the uttermost. God will then wait no longer upon them.

Edwards notes, “Now is the day of grace, and the day of patience, which they spend in filling up their sins; but when their sins shall be full, then will come the day of wrath, the day of the fierce anger of God.”

God’s wrath is never fully exerted against wicked men while in this world but once they have filled up the measure of their sins, wrath will come upon them to the uttermost as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:16. Edwards makes five important observations about God’s wrath which will be unleashed on unregenerate men when they reach what I call the “tipping point.”

1. Wrath will come upon them without any restraint or moderation in the degree of it.

“The wrath of God will be poured out like fire. He will come forth, not only in anger, but in the fierceness of his anger; he will execute wrath with power, so as to show what his wrath is, and make his power known. There will be nothing to alleviate his wrath; his heavy wrath will lie on them, without any thing to lighten the burden, or to keep off, in any measure, the full weight of it from pressing the soul.”

“Then shall wicked men know that God is the Lord; they shall know how great that majesty is which they have despised, and how dreadful that threatened wrath is which they have so little regarded. Then shall come on wicked men that punishment which they deserve.”

2. Wrath will then be executed without any merciful circumstances.

Edwards is quick to point out that in this life, God shows forbearance with sinners; he is merciful. “But in hell there will be no more exercises of divine patience.”

3. Wrath will be so executed, as to perfect the work to which wrath tends, viz. utterly to undo the subject of it.

“The soul will be, as it were utterly crushed; the wrath will be wholly intolerable. It must sink, and will utterly sink, and will have no more strength to keep itself from sinking, than a worm would have to keep itself from being crushed under the weight of a mountain.”

4. When persons shall have filled up the measure of their sin, that wrath will come upon them which is eternal.

Edwards provides his congregation with divine perspective and adds, “Nothing can be longer than eternity.”

5. When persons shall have filled up the measure of their sin, then wrath will come upon them to the uttermost of what is threatened. Sin is an infinite evil; and the punishment which God hath threatened against it is very dreadful.

Application

Jonathan Edwards jumps immediately to application and draws the attention of his congregation to three concluding points. He is especially concerned to warn natural men to flee from sin!

1. Under what great means and advantages you continue in sin.

Edwards challenges adults who grew up in Northampton and were warned repeatedly to flee from sin. Some have even had what Edwards refers to as “awakenings,” but they continue in sin. He refers to some congregants who “narrowly escaped death by dangerous accidents” yet they continue to persist in their sin.

2. How dreadful the wrath of God is, when it is executed to the uttermost. To make you in some measure sensible of that, I desire you to consider whose wrath it is. The wrath of a king is the roaring of a lion; but this is the wrath of Jehovah, the Lord God Omnipotent.

3. Consider, you know not what wrath God may be about to execute upon wicked men in this world.

Edwards concludes with a stern warning: “Therefore it behooves all to haste and flee for their lives, to get into a safe condition, to get into Christ; then they need not fear, though the earth be removed, and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof: for God will be their refuge and strength; they need not be afraid of evil tidings; their hearts may be fixed, trust in the Lord.”

Jonathan Edwards reminds us of the importance of faith in Christ and the dreadful consequences of anyone who refuses to turn from their sin and flee to him for forgiveness. His preaching may sound strange to the postmodern ear. His theology may be uncomfortable. His tone may appear sharp and uninviting. But these concerns only indicate the great height from which we have fallen.

THE THINGS THAT BELONG TO TRUE RELIGION – Jonathan Edwards (1751)

The text is Acts 11:12-13 which describes an episode in the life of Cornelius. Edwards describes Cornelius as he preaches to the Mohawk indians at Stockbridge as a man who was a non-Jew, a man who came from the stock of a heathen nation; a man who came from a nation that had beaten down the Jews. This man had heard rumblings about God – but he knew nothing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This man had a teachable heart and prayed that God might instruct him. God listened to his prayer and sent an angel “to tell him how he should come into greater light.” When he heard Peter proclaim the message of the gospel, he surrendered; he trusted Christ for his eternal salvation.

Edwards tells Mohawk friends that his intent is to preach this same message: “Now I am come to preach the true religion to you and to your children, as Peter did to Cornelius and his family, that you and all your children may be saved.”

He describes the essence of true religion. As such he condemns the teaching of French Roman Catholics who must have gained a hearing among the indians: “True religion [does not] consist in praying to the Virgin Mary and to saints and angels. It [does not] consist in crossing themselves, in confessing sins to the priest, and worshipping images of Christ and of the saints, and other things that the French do.”

Doctrine

But these things which I am now going to tell you of belong to true religion.

Edwards wastes no time in getting to the core of his message: “In order to men’s being truly religious, they must see how they have sinned against God and made God angry: [they must see] what wicked creatures they [are], must see what wicked hearts they have, and [that they] are all over wicked … [They must see that they] deserve that God should hate ’em and should take ’em into hell and show ’em no mercy. He proceeds to proclaim the necessity of knowing about and understanding the person and work of Christ and turning to him for salvation. He adds, “[They must have] new hearts given to ’em.

In simple terms, Edwards describes the essence of saving faith which involves a turning from sin and a turning to Christ.

Application

Edwards encourages his readers that his commitment is to preach the message of the gospel – faithfully. He says, “Such as have this religion are happy men; they need not be afraid to die: death can do ’em no harm.”

The shift in the homiletical style of Edwards is evident in his move to the Stockbridge mission. He is a perfect example of contextualization. The message is more simple. The sentences are shorter. He is ministering to a people with very little education. As such, he contextualizes the message so they might understand and embrace the gospel.

Edwards was concerned that the Mohawks understood veritas et lux. His desire was that his new friends who embrace truth and light. For “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).

52 LITTLE LESSONS FROM LES MISERABLES – Bob Welch (2014)

Sin and salvation. Grace and greed. Mercy and justice. Good and evil. Truth and lies. God and the rejection of God. These are just a few of the themes that emerge in Victor Hugo’s monumental work, Les Misérables.

Bob Welch, author of seventeen books has been touched by Hugo’s story and has a passion to share that story with his readers.

The title gives away the central purpose of this well-written book. Welch provides readers with a short, crisp introduction to Les Misérables and rightly argues that “context matters.” Once the context is in place, the author takes readers on a journey through this classic work and carefully enters the mind of Victor Hugo.

I was originally skeptical and wondered if Welch was prone to exaggerating and embellishing the story to make a quick buck. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Welch carefully weaves his way through the story and picks up on themes which are ultimately tied to real life situations. The gospel weaves in and out of these life lessons. The lessons could easily be developed and utilized in a small group setting.

52 Little Lessons From Les Misérables is a book worth reading and digesting. It is a book for all kinds of people – believers and unbelievers alike as one of the final citations illustrates so well. The author writes,

Challenged by an agnostic to tell the Christian message in ten words, Will Campbell, a Yale Divinity School graduate and former director of religious life at the University of Mississippi, said it like this: ‘We are all bastards but God loves us anyway.’

“Yes, we – les misérables.” [the poor” or the miserable ones]

4 stars

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

SPURGEON’S CALVINISM

The seventeenth century theologians at Dort responded swiftly and decisively to the rising tide of Arminianism. The official response came as a result of the Synod of Dort which convened in 1618-1619, over one hundred years after John Calvin’s birth in 1509. Their response is summarized in the famous TULIP acrostic:

T – Total depravity

U – Unconditional election

L – Limited Atonement

I – Irresistible Grace

P – Perseverance of the Saints

So while the formulation of Calvinism as we know it today did not originate with Calvin himself, it is important to understand that these doctrinal moorings originated with the apostles and Jesus himself, 1500 years before the birth of John Calvin!

This reality becomes clear in C.H. Spurgeon’s little book, “A Defense of Calvinism.” Spurgeon’s Calvinism, edited by Stephen McCaskell is an updated version of Spurgeon’s original work. The author has edited out much of Spurgeon’s Victorian language which will be a valuable service for most readers.

Spurgeon was a unashamed Calvinist, a label is wore until his death in 1892. He held that “Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.” In Spurgeon’s Calvinism, the Prince of Preachers walks readers through the five points that were formulated at Dort. Readers familiar with his style will be drawn to his passion for Scripture and his ability to relate the doctrines in a unified whole. While Spurgeon’s treatment of the doctrines of grace prove to be unshakeable in the final analysis, the real highlight of the book is its ability to draw worshippers to the throne of God. Spurgeon’s Calvinism is a fitting introduction to this biblical way of viewing God’s purposes in redemptive history.

“The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox’s gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again.” – C.H. Spurgeon

MASTERING GOLF’S MENTAL GAME – Michael T. Lardon (2014)

Reading an instructional book on the game of golf is a study in contrasts. I would rather watch paint dry than reading some of these books. On the other hand, some of these instructional books are quite inspirational and helpful. Dr. Michael T. Lardon’s book, Mastering Golf’s Mental Game is of the later sort.

The book is organized into two parts. Part one details what the author refers to as the six components of mental excellence, which include: (1) Attitude, (2) Motivation, (3) Control, (4) Optimization, (5) Concentration, and (6) Mental Plan.

The components are thoroughly research and have been field tested in several arenas. Most importantly, the six components of mental excellence have been tested on the golf course.

A chapter is devoted to each quality noted above. The author carefully describes each quality and backs the concept up with at least one case study. Additionally, each chapter includes a practical homework assignment where readers (or golfers in this case) can apply the principles that are presented.

Part two includes the “Mental Scorecard.” Dr. Lardon essentially takes the philosophical components in part one and applies the lessons which can be immediately utilized on the golf course.

The primary ingredient in the mental scorecard is the “pre-shot pyramid which is designed to fine tune the golf game of everyone from amateurs to professionals. The pre-shot pyramid includes three critical components, namely – 1) Calculate, 2) Create, and 3) Execute. Golfers are encouraged walk through these carefully defined steps which will theoretically improve one’s score. The author presents a workable system wherein golfers can apply each principle set forth in the book.

Mastering Golf’s Mental Game is a fascinating read that will be of tremendous help to golfers who seek to lower their scores. The writing is clear and concise. The case studies help show how the principles work in the real world. Essentially, the author presents a system; a system which is designed to renovate the mind and lead to positive results on the golf course.

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

4 stars

FEARLESS FAITH: JOHN KNOX – Steven J. Lawson (2014)

2014 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Knox, the Protestant Reformer who risked life and limb for the sake of the gospel in Scotland and much of western Europe. Steven Lawson retells the story in his newest work, John Knox Fearless Faith.

The author guides readers though the fascinating account of Knox’s life – a life filled with pain and persecution, powerful preaching, and passionate appeals. He portrays the Protestant Reformer as one who “remained stout of heart and strong in conviction” even as he neared the end of his life. Lawson observes, “To the very end, Knox was preaching Christ and Him crucified, exalting his Savior and extolling his Lord.”

John Knox Fearless Faith is a boon for discouraged pastors who have experienced the sting of false accusation and the pain of persecution. It serves a sort of theological balm for pastors who are lonely in ministry and on the verge of throwing in the ecclesiastical towel. In a few short sentences, Dr. Lawson rightly summarizes the fiery Reformers passion for truth and his steely resolve:

Through these many dangers, Knox persevered in his ministry, boldly preaching the Word and trusting God for the outcome. Beneath his frail body was an unshakeable confidence in the sovereignty of God. He believed that his times were appointed for him by an all-powerful God. He knew that he was invincible within the allotted time of the divine will. His faith remained strong in the One who orders all things.

As Knox approached his final years, his commitment to God grew yet deeper. The opposition he faced never subsided, even to the end, but neither did his confidence in God.

May pastors find strength in this godly man whose birth 500 years ago marked church history and changed a generation. May John Knox fuel our resolve to boldly preach God’s Word and wield the mighty sword of Reformed truth for the world to see and savor. May pastors lead the next generation of Christians who live with the integrity and the zeal of Knox. May they rebuke and admonish carnal professors who seek to divide Christ’s church. May they be inspired by his example as they champion the cause of truth and challenge every rival from Rome, Mecca, Salt Lake City and every heresy that poses a threat to the gospel!

Semper Reformanda!

5 stars

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God – Timothy Keller (2014)

Over the past twenty-five years, I have read books on prayer by the Puritans and Reformers, the Quakers and the contemplative writers, the Desert Fathers, and even some living authors who think they have something unique to contribute to the discussion.

Timothy Keller’s newest work, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God is quite frankly the best book I’ve ever read on prayer. This short review will only touch the tip of the iceberg; so I encourage readers of Veritas et Lux to read this incredible book for themselves.

Keller’s work is divided into five parts:

Desiring Prayer
Understanding Prayer
Learning Prayer
Deepening Prayer
Doing Prayer

The book aims to show that “prayer is both conversation and encounter with God” and demonstrates that prayer is both “awe and intimacy, struggle and reality.”

Keller rightly notes, “A book on the essentials of prayer should contain three components: the theological, experiential, and methodological.” The author succeeds in presenting a lucid theological framework for understanding prayer. He presents the experiential side of prayer by citing numerous Scriptural examples and drawing on the work of many Christ-followers in Church history. And he sets forth a workable methodology, which in the final analysis includes many different forms that may appeal to different kinds of people.” Keller’s book is biblical, engaging, God-centered, gospel-centered, and Spirit-fueled.

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God will confront readers with the God-centeredness of Jonathan Edwards, the earthiness and practicality of Martin Luther, and the theological precision of John Calvin. This work will undoubtedly be used by God to encourage faithful prayer, enlist new prayer warriors, and revitalize a church that has neglected the important discipline of prayer.

5 stars

TAKE COMMAND – Jake Wood (2014)

“The key to relentless execution, quite simply, is the consistent and conscious choice of success over failure. It is living your personal life and leading your professional life in a way that acknowledges that when the stakes are high, the only thing that moves the needle from failure to success is the right attitude.” Jake Wood points leaders in the right direction with such a mindset in his book, Take Command.

A former Marine sniper turned businessman, Jake Wood shares his life experiences with readers with a systematic approach which is easy to read and apply to daily life situations.

The author presents eight lessons for leaders. These lessons are not mere theory; these lessons were forged on the battlefield and the business world. Relevant quotes from famous military leaders are found throughout the book.

The lessons are organized in four broad categories – prepare, analyze, decide, and act. Wood’s life experiences in the military and business world make the life lessons come alive. His approach is humble and inviting. There is no pretense here; only common sense principles for anyone who seeks to become a better leader.

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

3.5 stars

COMMUNION WITH GOD

“A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more.” – John Owen (1616-1683)