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 – LEADERSHIPMere 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 lone survivorfor 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

tateThe 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)

obamaIt 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)

wilsonIt 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

SHOULD YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? – K. Scott Oliphint

Pre-suppositional apologetics appears to be on the rise.  We can thank Francis Schaeffer shouldfor popularizing the presuppositional approach.  Of course Cornelius Van Til, John Frame, and Richard Pratt have played a huge part.  But I have been recently encouraged by K. Scott Oliphint as he wields a sharp presuppositional apologetic sword.   His work, Covenantal Apologetics is a fine introduction to the discipline.  His work, The Battle Belongs to the Lord demonstrates the power of Scripture for defending the faith.  But most recently, Oliphint presents Should You Believe in God?  a booklet written to equip people in the discipline of apologetics – with a presuppositional approach.

Should You Believe in God? is a a fictional dialogue between a Christian and a skeptic who actually embraces the notion of truth.  As such,  Oliphint begins this two-way dialogue by pouring the unshakable epistemological “cement.”  He admits his Christian presupposition up front and argues that this, indeed, is the only proper starting point: “Unless you submit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and stand on his Word, you will never find a real place to stand, or a real place to rest, and your curious search will never end.”

Next, the Christian directs the skeptic to think through the implications of a world which is created, sovereignly controlled, and sustained by the living God.  The only difference between a sovereign God who ordains all things and a skeptic who believes that all things are “accidentally conditioned” is that the pagan view has “no reference point.”  Whereas the Christian view has an integration point that finds rest in God alone.

He proceeds to describe how the Christian faith holds to two kinds of necessity, namely – “the necessity that belongs to God alone,” and “the kind of necessity that is what it is because God created it that way” (such as the laws of logic).

He continues to demonstrate the futility of unbelief by assuming a position of neutrality.   This view holds that one can hold a position (philosophical, scientifically, or otherwise) that is “neutral” and excludes God from the discussion.  The point is that unbelievers begin autonomously – that is, they begin with themselves.  Oliphint explains, “To assume neutrality at the outset is to assume that God has not spoken clearly through the things he has made.”  They effectively and tragically cut themselves off from the very source of knowledge (found in Christ) when they make this fatal move.

Oliphint rightly argues that seekers of truth should begin with God instead of themselves as the proper starting point: “We ought to begin our searching, our research, our reasoning, and our demonstration with the fact of who he is and what he has done …Only by assuming, and affirming at the outset, the Christian God who has spoken can we escape this morass of meaninglessness and despair” (what Schaeffer referred to as the “line of despair.”)

The skeptic, in the final analysis, is urged to turn from unbelief and erroneous autonomous assumptions – which only lead to hopelessness and futility.  The skeptic is challenged to turn to his Creator and bank all his hope and future on the living God: “If you will forsake your idols of independence and place yourself in his hands, this much is certain – he will redeem you.”

Should You Believe in God? is a powerful little tool that should receive a wide readership.  It is a brilliant retooling of Van Till’s apologetic method put in a contemporary setting.  Highly recommended!

SACRED WARRIOR – Waiting in Darkness (2013)

swThe 80’s was the decade of great Christian music.  Stryper led the way and several other bands followed.  Barren Cross, Bloodgood, Holy Soldier, and Guardian set a new direction and gave musical hope for a multitude of young people who grew tired of what passed for “music” in that generation.  One band that rose up during those formative years was Sacred Warrior.  What made this band special was their no-nonsense lyrics that confronted listeners with the biblical gospel.  They were never afraid of confronting sin and speaking plainly about the problem of evil.  SW eventually broke up and went their separate ways.

Almost thirty years later, Sacred Warrior has returned with a new lead singer and a fresh, updated sound.  Their new album, Waiting in Darkness has all of the features described above.  The only difference is this: The music is faster and the rock is heavier.  In fact, this is their heaviest album to date.  It should come as no surprise that this brain-rattling music is accompanied by the same non-compromising approach to the gospel.  Each song on the album is a testimony to the gospel of grace.

Track by Track:

The album begins by addressing the problem of evil and the reality of redemption:

Desperately wicked we are born Corrupted seeds/This stronghold grips humanity/The curse of sin

Flesh and spirit raging on the war within/Life or death cursed or blessed the choice is given/In the perfect sacrifice a hope remains                                                   Redemption by shedding of blood love overcame

The title track, Waiting in Darkness is a heavy metal exposition of spiritual warfare:

Through your anger they fuel the fire/Feeding off of your flesh’s sinful desires/Lies and confusion your faith put to the test

Focusing in on all of your weaknesses/We must be vigilant to thwart their evil plight/Be strong in the lord and in the power of his might/Be prepared for war

In Dust and Ashes is a Job-like lament written in the first person that is sure to grip the attention of anyone who is enduring a dark night of the soul:

Oh lord hear my cry/I’m a man with many troubles/ In the regions dark and deep /This world lies heavy on me/Your steadfast love remains/Even though I feel abandoned/Invade my soul/Break the chains of doubt and sorrow/Skin for skin all that I am/Will bless your name in your remain

In dust and ashes I repent/Resolved to make you my content/In dust and ashes I confess/My love for you within this test

Fear Me is a bold declaration of the sovereignty of God.

I speak and the waves obey I am governed by none, sovereign over all  Wisdom begins and ends with me/All authority is mine and I’ll put an end to evil’s reign   For vengeance is mine says the lord/Fear me like you’d fear a raging fire/You’d never run into the flames/Respect keeps you from the pain/Or the ragin of the ocean/You’de never jump into the waves and sink to your grave

Fear me

To deny that I exist/ Suppress the truth for a lie professing to be wise/The wrath I hold will be revealed/This world I will destroy                                                                 Judging all who reject my name

Fans of A.W. Pink will immediately wonder if the guys in Sacred Warrior have been meditating on the classic, The Sovereignty of God!  

Long Live the King continues to confront the listener with the sovereignty of God over all things.

He is the lightning he is on high/Always and eternal and his love will never die/He is forever the answer to the rhyme                                                                                      Of what will be for you and me before the start of time

I hear the thunder I hear the call/The armies of his angels from the royal temple hall/One day is a thousand years, still he’s drawing nigh/Lift up your voice unto the sky/shout the battle cry

Long live the king, Long live the king

Jealous Love is a ballad that glories in the Cross of Christ.

sac

Day of the Lord is the token eschatological metal anthem and is rerecorded from their first studio album, Rebellion.  This one is a real blast from the past!  This is the kind of music that put Sacred Warrior on the map.

Fans of Sacred Warrior will only be encouraged by their latest record.  The music is tight, sounds current, best of all – exalts the Lord Jesus Christ!

DEVOURING FREEDOM: CAN BIG GOVERNMENT EVER BE STOPPED? – W. James Antle III (2013)

freedomThere are three unshakable realities in life: Death, taxes, and an ever-expanding government.  The reality of death is one that each person must face.  Taxes are indeed a reality, but as every conservative argues, taxes in America must decrease or the economy will inevitably falter.  And while every American must deal with the reality of death and taxes, the growing federal government can and should be marginalized.  This final reality can and should be altered.  The new reality should be a smaller, leaner, more efficient government.  Herein lies the argument in W. James Antle’s  book, Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?

The author has done his homework in this well-written book.  Ten chapters guide readers on a journey that informs, educates, and most importantly, warns.  Any thoughtful American will appreciate the contrast between the big government promoted by the current president and the smaller government that was prompted by our nations greatest president, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

W. James Antle is no pushover Republican.  He not only warns readers about the manifold dangers of big government.  He also reports some of the Republican failures and compromises which have not served our nation well.

The author does not offer “pie in the sky” solutions either.  In fact, he is critical of any conservative who suggests such an approach.  Rather, he recognizes the rocky road before our great nation and suggests practical steps to smooth our path to greater prosperity.  But he does not write under any delusional pretense or promote a utopian vision.  He understands the road to a smaller government will not be easy.  He writes, “Sometimes it will seem impossible.  But like a parent yanking his child to safety at the last second before he dashes into the street, Divine Providence has pulled this nation back from the abyss before.”  Indeed, the path forward will be marked with pain.  But the pain now will be worth it in the days to come.

Conservatives must be prepared for the rocky road to smaller government.  The author rightly adds, “Conservatives who stick to their principles on taxes and spending get the Grover Norquist treatment.”  That is to say, anyone who argues for lower spending, lower taxes and smaller government will be unfairly demonized.  The attack adds against Paul Ryan during the last election cycle prove this sad point.

While the author sets forth several points which militate against big government, none is more important than the principle of liberty.  In President Reagan’s farewell address, he articulated this bold principle in vivid terms: “There is a clear cause and effect there that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.”  However Reagan’s law is evidently not etched into the liberal mindset as our current President and the majority leader in the Senate, Harry Reed seek to expand the federal government.  With this expansion comes the erosion of liberty.  The author aptly sums up this matter: “As government grows beyond its constitutional boundaries, it really does devour freedom.”

Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?  The author asks the right question and gives the right answer.  The only question is this: Do we have the courage to move in the direction of a smaller federal government?  Any negative answer will result in an erosion of freedom; the same freedom that was such an integral part of the dream which was articulated by the founding fathers.

4 stars

TRIUMPHING OVER SINFUL FEAR – John Flavel (2011)

flavelIn 1682, John Flavel published his work, A Practical Treatise of Fear.  Almost 330 years later, the fear continues to plague people.  The simple fact is this: There are two kinds of people in the world – people who admit the battle with fear and those who don’t.  For the people who fess up, Flavel’s writing is of tremendous help.

Reformation Heritage Books is a very helpful ministry that is devoted to reintroducing the writing ministry of the Puritans to an age that is increasingly tied to technology and postmodernism.  This title is appropriately retitled, Triumphing Over Sinful Fear and comes highly recommended.

John Flavel is quick to remind readers that the ultimate remedy for fear is a healthy fear of God.  This kind of fear is defines as “a  gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul, whereby the soul is kept under a holy awe of the eye of God, and from thence is inclined to perform and do what pleases him, and to shun and avoid whatever he forbids and hates.”

Flavel draws a sharp contrast between the carnal man who “fears man, not God” and the godly person who “fears God, not man.”  He adds, “The weak Christian fears man too much and God too little.”

Flavel continues, “There is a fear which is the effect of sin.  It springs from guilt and hurries the soul into more guilt.  There is a fear which is the effect of grace.  It springs from our love for God and His interest and drives the soul to Him in the way of duty.  The less fear a person has, the more happiness he has – unless, of course, it is that fear which is his happiness and excellency.”

So in a few words, the Puritan divine sets himself in opposition to the world that has invented a multitude of explanations for fear.  Flavel cuts through all the so-called justifications for fear and helps readers understand that sin is at the core of our struggle with fear.  “Sinful fear,” he says, “will cause the best people to attempt to help themselves through sinful compromises.”

Flavel utilizes Isaiah 8:13 as his primary text which he offers as a remedy for fear.  He comments, “The fear of God will swallow up the fear of man.  A reverential awe and dread of God will extinguish the creature’s slavish far, as the rain puts out the fire.   To sanctify the Lord of hosts is to acknowledge the glory of His sovereign power, wisdom, and faithfulness.  It includes not only a verbal confession, but internal acts of trust, confidence, and entire dependence upon Him.  These are our choicest respects towards God, and give Him the greatest glory.”  So fearing God is the primary remedy in the battle with fear.

The Puritan preacher alerts readers to the various kinds of fear: Natural fear, sinful fear, and religious fear.  Additionally, he argues that fear has several uses.  Sinful fear may be utilized as a tool in the hand of God as a “scourge to punish His enemies.”  Secondly, God may use sinful fear to “punish His enemies in hell.”  And God may use sinful fear to “scatter wicked people, especially when they align themselves against God.”

Religious fear may be uses to “excite and confirm His promises in the way of their duty,” namely – to fear God and obey His commandments.  Religious fear may be used to “preserve our conscience’s peace and purity.”  And finally, religious fear may be used by God to “make us prepare for future distress.”

Next, Flavel helps readers understand the various causes of fear including ignorance, guilt, unbelief, confusion, immoderation, and Satan.  The effects of sinful fear are set forth as well.  These effects may include but not be limited to distraction, deception, vulnerability, cowardice, bondage, and apostasy.

Finally, Flavel unpacks several rules for combatting fear:

1. Study the Covenant of Grace

2. Consider the Misery of Sinful Fear

3. Prepare for Future Suffering

4. Commit Yourself to God

5. Mortify Your Affections to the World

6. Imitate Faithful Saints

7. Confirm Your Interest in Christ

8. Keep Your Conscience Pure

9. Record Your Experiences of God’s Faithfulness

10. Consider Christ’s Providential Kingdom

11. Subject Your Carnal Reasoning to Faith

12. Exalt the Fear of God in Your Heart

This short review only scratches the surface of John Flavel’s excellent treatment on fear.  “You must exalt the fear of God in your hearts and let it gain the ascendency over all other fears.”  More than anything else in the book, this is the constant theme that emerges.  This is the constant theme that fear mongers must return to again and again.  Then and only then, will sinners be able to triumph over sinful fear.

Highly recommended!