Veritas et Lux

KUTLESS – Glory (2014)

I’ve followed Kutless for nearly ten years now. I’ve enjoyed their music but in all honesty, it would be a stretch to say that I am numbered among one of their fans. Last year, that changed when I took my kids to a Kutless show. I was very impressed with four guys who were musically tight and professional. But more important, their hearts were revealed on the stage that night. It became evident that the gospel is the true driver of their lives as well as their music.

Their newest release, Glory has only increased my respect for these guys. The first word that popped into my mind as I listened to these new songs was this – VERTICAL. A few lyric samples will highlight the vertical dimensions of this terrific album:

In Jesus Name is filled with gospel-saturated themes that give listeners hope as they rest in Christ alone —

Son of righteousness, crucified, hanging on the cross, you paid the price to give us life — In Jesus’ name, our sins are washed away, In Jesus’ name, we are rescued, we are saved. The love has come to make a way for us.

In Jesus’ name, there is freedom for the broken, In Jesus’ name, there is healing for the hopeless — For all our days, we rest in Jesus name.

You Alone fixates the attention of worship on God in all his glory —

At the Cross, You stretched out your arms, Now You wear the scars, You wear the scars — At Your Name, every knee will bow and every voice will shout, we will shout. There is no one like You, No one —

Great is the Lord, Ruler of all, You Alone, Conquered the Grave, You are the Way, You Alone, You Alone.

This album is presented as an act of worship to a holy God. It is filled with cross-saturated lyrics that magnify the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the music perfectly fits the God-centered song writing.

Many have commented in recent days that Kutless has finally arrived. I would stand in hearty agreement and note that their arrival has everything to do with remaining faithful to the gospel. My prediction: Glory will win the Dove Award but will probably be passed over when the Grammy’s are issued. My guess is that the boys in Kutless could care less. With hearts that are vertically fixed, their gaze is upon the Savior of their souls instead of the approval of men. Their reward will never perish, spoil, or fade!

5 stars

THE EVANGELISTIC ZEAL OF GEORGE WHITEFIELD – Steven Lawson (2014)

It is impossible to determine the impact that Reformation Trust’s, A Long Line of Godly Men Series will have. have personally been enriched, challenged, and inspired by this excellent series that has surveyed the likes of Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Martin Luther, C.H. Spurgeon, and John Knox. The latest installment, The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield by Steven Lawson packs a powerful punch and will leave readers hungry for more.

Several features make Dr. Lawson’s latest work noteworthy. First, the book is very interesting and readable. It is filled with historical facts that help readers contextualize the arena that Whitefield ministered in – on both sides of the Atlantic.

Second, the book raises critical awareness about the biblical relationship between the doctrine of election and the need to evangelize. Lawson is quick to point out that while Whitefield embraced the doctrines of grace, he was also eager to proclaim the gospel to every creature – a scathing indictment of hyper-Calvinism and a challenge to anyone who scoffs at the two-fold truths of election and evangelism.

Third, the book provides an inside look at a man who faced a myriad of trials and tribulations. Every preacher, indeed, every Christ-f0llower experiences trials. But I have yet to meet a pastor who was met by an angry mob who hurled dead cats and rotten fruit onto the platform. Whitefield endured this and more. Yet he endured each tribulation and he passed the test.

Fourth, the book acquaints readers with the evangelistic zeal of George Whitefield. Here is a man who took the Great Commission seriously! His ministry led to countless conversions – all a result of faithful proclamation.

Whitefield was a man who refused to compromise the truth. He delivered the truth with power and passion. And a multitude of lives of changed as a result of his preaching ministry. Lawson cites Arnold Dallimore who writes about the God-centered stature of George Whitefield: “And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace.” Oh that men in this age would model the Whitefield approach. May their hearts be consumed with nothing but the greatness of God. And may people from every tribe and nation be drawn to the sovereign Savior.

Highly recommended!

5 stars

THE DUDE’S GUIDE TO MANHOOD – Darrin Patrick (2014)

The Dude’s Guide to Manhood by Darrin Patrick is a primer on masculinity. It is a very basic look at the essential ingredients of manhood.

Patrick focuses on a handful of themes that any man can read, digest, and apply in one’s daily life. Themes include but are not limited to determination, discipline, career, contentedness, devotion, family, friendships, and emotions.

The final chapter links the preceding subjects to the gospel: “True manhood doesn’t mean being perfect ourselves; it means trusting in Christ’s perfection for us. True manhood doesn’t mean being perfect ourselves; it means trusting in Christ’s perfection for us. True manhood doesn’t mean getting everything right; it means having the courage to say when we get things wrong and the confidence that come from receiving our acceptance from God in Christ.”

I have benefitted from Patrick’s other works and he certainly does not fall short in his newest effort. Readers should take into account the audience that Patrick intends to reach. He’s clearly not after the seasoned Christian man. Rather, he’s looking to reach the single man who has clearly not found his way. He’s looking for the married man who is failing in his marriage and commitments. His mark is set upon the man who needs some basic encouragement.

3 stars

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review.

GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND – David Wells (2014)

Jeremiah warned the people of God. He did not shirk his responsibility. And he never winked at sin. Jeremiah spoke the truth with clarity and passion. We are in desperate needs of prophetic voices in our day. We need men like Jeremiah who are unafraid of compromisers and capitulators. We need men like Jeremiah who shoot straight and stand straight.

David Wells is numbered among such men. He has been standing straight and shooting straight since he first published No Place for Truth: Or What Ever Happened to Evangelical Theology in 1993. I remember the deep impact that Wells writing had on me in those days as a rookie pastor. Over twenty years later, Dr. Wells continues to shoot straight and stand straight. He continues to warn the people of God, much like Jeremiah warned Israel in the Old Testament.

Yet, some people just can’t come to grips with reality. One reviewer on Amazon compares Dr. Well’s with a “grumpy old man.” He continues, “God in the Whirlwind” is big on complaining, lamenting, and raging against what is wrong and very short on how to make things better.”

At 75, Dr. Wells is getting older. This much is true. But to compare him to a grumpy old man is the height of arrogance and the epitome of disrespect. Dr. David Wells is the author of at least twenty books and has taught at Gordon-Conwell Seminary since 1979. Currently, he is the Distinguished Senior Research Professor at Gordon-Conwell.

David Well’s latest book, God in the Whirlwind is an honest look at culture and Christianity. He calls followers of Jesus Christ to cast aside the therapeutic vision of God and embrace the God of the Bible who is fully transcendent and immanent, what Well’s refers to as God’s “holy-love.” Well’s argues for a fresh vision of God that will transform individuals and impact communities for the sake of the gospel: “… We need a fresh vision of God and his character of holy-love. Our understanding of his greatness gets worn down, sometimes worn out, by the constant rubbing against our highly modernized life It is this vision, though, this knowing of God, that puts steel into spines and fire into Christian hearts. When we are God-centered in our thoughts, God-fearing in our hearts, when we see with clarity what his character of holy-love is like, he begins to have weight in our lives.”

4.5 stars

Highly recommended!

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP – J. Oswald Sanders (1967)

My Dad has given me some very important books over the years. I remember the first mind-rattling book that Dad gave me when I was about 17 years of age – Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Other books have made a significant impact as well. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge by Warren Bennis was a crucial book as I began my tenure as a pastor. But I think the most significant book that Dad has given me to date is Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. This gem first appeared in 1967 and has subsequently sold over 750,000 copies, a number far too small in my mind. My first exposure to J. Oswald Sanders came in the late 80’s as I began my undergraduate work at Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon. Those were the days when my interests consisted of sports and rock music. Listening to men like J. Oswald Sanders wasn’t exactly at the top of my priority list. Oh, what a fool I was! Only a few feet away stood a world-class Christian leader – a leader who I needed to learn from. Thankfully, those days are long past, although I still enjoy sports and rock music!

Thanks, Dad for challenging me to read the good books. I’m a better leader because of books like Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders.

LONE SURVIVOR – Marcus Luttrell (2007)

Honor, courage, and patriotism. Duty, determination, desire. Love for country and love for family. A willingness to exchange one’s life for his country. Brotherhood, accountability, and steel-hearted resolve. These characteristics describe Marcus Luttrell, the Navy Seal who survived a firefight with Taliban foot soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Lone Survivor is a book for every American. It recaptures the love for freedom that so many have either forgotten about or neglected. It restores confidence in America’s ability to lead the world, that is to say, when there is competent leadership in place – in this case, President George W. Bush.

I commend Lone Survivor for freedom-loving Americans. It not only props up the cause of freedom in our great nation; it memorializes the men and women who have paid the ultimate price to protect the freedom we cherish so much.

5 stars

“GOLDEN” AIR IN THE EMERALD CITY

The Seattle Seahawks are world champions. I was ten years old when the Hawks made their way into the Emerald City. I sat for hours memorizing the names, numbers, and statistics of every player. Those were the days of Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, and Norm Evans – all committed Christ-followers. Even though touchdowns were few and far between, the enthusiasm of Pete Gross kept fans energized. “Touchdown Seahawks” is etched in my memory banks. The Hawks were not very good in those days but fans in Seattle were content to have an NFL franchise for the first time.

Thirty-eight years later, the Hawks have moved from goat to glory. And with a young team, the prospects for Super Bowl greatness should endure for the foreseeable future. But thanks to free agency, it becomes next to impossible to keep a winning team intact. For instance, Golden Tate will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Here’s the simple math: Successful receiver + Super Bowl champion + free agent status = huge contract with another team.

I remember being so disappointed as a kid when my favorite players were shuffled off to rival teams – all for the almighty dollar. Most players are quick to respond, “It’s only business.” That response was utter nonsense when I was a kid. That response is utter nonsense now! It appears that Seahawks receiver, Golden Tate agrees. When asked about his chances for signing a big contract, Tate responded, “Honestly, I would rather take a little less to be happy and win ballgames than to take way more and go to a crappy city where the fans don’t give a crap about the team, you win a game once a month – something like that.” For Tate, loyalty to his team trumps the almighty dollar.

Golden Tate is a breath of fresh air. His loyalty to the Seahawks is exemplary. Perhaps his passion to remain with a winning team will spread. After all, Steve Largent ran the grid iron for 13 years in Seattle, Edgar Martinez spent his entire 18 year career with the Mariners, and Cal Ripken, Jr. played for 21 years in Baltimore. Each of these players were committed to one team. Perhaps those days are gone. But if Tate gets his way, he’ll take less to remain in Seattle and thousands of little kids will rejoice. Tate’s young fans could care less about the cash and multi-year deals. They just want to see their hero in the end zone.

The Seahawks are world champions. The air is “golden” in the Emerald City!

A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23 – Phillip Keller (1970)

It is generally good advice to get help from an expert. Phillip Keller provides expert advice in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Keller owned sheep for a number of years and is uniquely qualified to address issues that pertain to the issues that arise in Psalm 23.

Keller’s work is a basic exposition of Psalm 23. It is a refreshing look from the perspective of a real-life shepherd. Line by line, Keller examines not only the role of the shepherd but gives readers an inside look at the characteristics and habits of sheep.

One criticism is worth noting. Keller evidently buys into the so-called “carnal Christian theory.” In his description of sheep who grow discontent with the shepherd, he writes, “These are carnal Christians – one might call them ‘fence crawlers’ or ‘half Christians’ who want the best of both worlds.” He continues, “There are many willful, wayward, indifferent, self-interested Christians who cannot really be classified as followers of Christ. There are relatively few diligent disciples who forsake all to follow the Master.”

Keller’s description of these wayward sheep is a legitimate description. But those who do not follow Christ are not disciples at all. They are not Christians.

Apart from this critique, Keller’s work is worth reading. His experience as a real-life shepherd is very insightful and opens up new “pastures” for readers to enjoy. In the final analysis, Keller points readers to the Shepherd, the Overseer of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 stars

BARACK OBAMA’S RULES FOR REVOLUTION – David Horowitz (2009)

It is a well known that President Obama is an admirer of the late Saul Alinsky. Better put, he is an advocate of Alinksy’s political ideology. Just before Obama was elected as President, he uttered these words that should be permanently etched onto every American mind: “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” Americans should remember these words because this is an important promise that the president has kept. He is indeed, fundamentally transforming America. David Horowitz demonstrates how Obama’s worldview is a reflection of Saul Alinksky is his thought-provoking book, Barak Obama’s Rules For Revoltution.

Horowitz introduces readers to Saul Alinsky, a Chicago native who died in 1972. Alinsky blamed our capitalist society for creating dangerous criminals and maintained, in the words of Horowitz that “Criminality was not a character problem but a result of the social environment, in particular, the system of private property and individual rights, which radicals like him were determined to change.” So from the onset, readers get an inside look at the Marxist worldview that is part of the warp and woof of Alinksy’s worldview. In typical Marxist terms, Alinksy’s goal was “to take power from the Haves and give it to the Have-nots.”

The author notes, “Within the framework of their revolutionary agenda, they are flexible and opportunistic and will say anything (and pretend to be anything) to get what they want, which is resources and power.” An example of this strategy may be seen in President Obama’s insistence that Americans are free to keep their health care. On July 17, 2009 the president stated emphatically, “If you like your current insurance, you keep that insurance, period. End of story.” In fact, one journalist chronicled how the president made similar affirmations at least 36 times!

While the president never met Alinksy, he was hired by the Alinksy team in 1986 where he became popular as a community organizer. Horowitz alerts readers to the political ideology of Alinksy by defining what a true radical is. He says, “He [the radical] is not a reformer of the system but its would-be destroyer. In his own mind, the radical is building his own kingdom which to him is a kingdom of heaven on earth.” Again, this is simply rehashed Marxism put into contemporary terms, the building of a utopian society.

Alinsky, a self-proclaimed admirer of Lenin and Castro believes that the radical organizer “does not have a fixed truth – truth to him is relative and changing; everything to him is relative and changing. He is a political relativist.” He adds, “While liberals are most adept at breaking their own necks with their tongues, radicals are most adept at breaking the necks of conservatives.”

Horowitz focuses for the most part on Alinksy and gives readers the freedom to determine what extent his disciples will adhere to his worldview. The book is a reminder that Marxism, Socialism and Communism always results in devastation. It should serve a wake-up call for Americans who cherish their liberty.

THE PASTOR’S JUSTIFICATION – Jered C. Wilson (2013)

It is no secret that pastors get discouraged, overwhelmed, and frustrated in the ministry. Many resources are available for men who seek counsel in difficult church settings. Most of them pale in comparison to Jared Wilson’s offering, The Pastor’s Justification.

Wilson, a seasoned pastor himself brings experience to the table. But more than personal experience, Wilson brings the gospel to bear. The Pastor’s Justification is aimed directly at the heart.

Part 1, the Pastor’s Heart includes six chapters that uncover the motives, frustrations, and weakness of the shepherd leader. As a pastor, Wilson shoots straight here. He admits his shortcomings and my suspicion is that most, if not all pastors can relate.

In Part 1, Wilson exposits 1 Peter 5:1-11 and makes direct application to the pastor/elder. He reminds pastors of the mandate before them, namely – “shepherd the flock of God that is among you …” The author encourages pastors, “The freedom from shameful gain is found in the cross of Christ, the shame of which our Savior scorned, counting all the privileges of his deity but loss for the surpassing worth of the Father’s will in the purchase of the elect by blood, freely given.”

And while Wilson includes a wealth of practical help and encouragement, what really sets this book apart (his other books are no exception), is his unrelenting emphasis on grace, the gospel, and the completed work of Christ. An example of this kind of gospel-centeredness is found at the end of Part 1 as the author stresses the strict qualifications that a man must possess if he serves as an elder: “The kind of man the Scriptures call into church oversight seem beyond my power to become. And this is because he is. Left to my own devices and trusting in my own power, I can never be the pastor God has called me to be or the pastor my church needs. But the message of our faith is not ‘I am justified because I obey,’ but ‘I obey because I am justified.’ Embedded in the gospel is the power to fulfill its implications.” Gospel-centered and gospel empowered, pastors have all they need to minister to the flock in Christ-saturated grace.

Wilson concludes in Part 2 by surveying the five sola’s of the Protestant Reformation and reminded pastors that these five anchors ground both their lives and their ministries. Part two contains a theologically charged message that is sure to make the Reformers grin from ear to ear: “The justified pastor – the man justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to God’s glory alone, who happens to be a pastor – when taken on his good day or bad day, ministry high or ministry low, will be received with gladness and welcome. Clothed in righteousness of him in whom you trust, how can you be turned away?”

I cannot recommend The Pastor’s Justification high enough. Wilson’s approach is winsome, his theology is grounded in the cement of Reformed theology, and his shepherd’s heart is clearly revealed in a book that every pastor should read, absorb, and pass on to other shepherd leaders.

5 stars