CREATURE OF THE WORD – Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson and Eric Geiger


Our lives are wrapped up in the gospel.  Sinners have escaped the wrath of God, that is to say – they have been saved and they are being sanctified all because of the gospel.  In short, 1433678624_l“the gospel is God’s reconciling work in Christ – that through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, God is making all things new both personally for those who repent and believe, and cosmically as He redeems culture and creation from its subjection to futility.”  Sinners who entered into the kingdom of God owe their lives to the gospel.  The church, as a result should be Jesus-centered and gospel-centered.  These are the primary themes of Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church.

The authors set the stage in the opening chapter by noting that God has a purpose in bringing people to Himself: “Truly, God’s plan of redemption is about more than me and you and our neighbor down the street.  It’s about men and women from every tribe, tongue, and nation on earth becoming a part of His covenant community.”  They stand on the shoulders of the Reformers who believed that it was God who “spoke the church into existence,” what they referred to as the “Creature(s) of the Word.”  This church “is a place where individuals are transformed and empowered to join God’s corporate family and participate in God’s plan to reconcile all things to Himself.”  So from the outset, readers understand that the gospel stands at the center of God’s purposes.  Therefore, the gospel ought to stand as the central and defining element of the church.  The remainder of the book builds upon this reality.

The authors demonstrate how the Creature worships, how she relates to one another in community, how she serves, and how she multiplies.  Perhaps a few citations will capture the attention of some and motivate them to pour over the pages of this excellent work.  Notice, again how Jesus and His gospel stand at the center of the church:

“If a lack of serving pervades a church culture, the answer is not to crank up the guilt and arm-twisting but rather to instill a new, intense focus and awareness on the gospel.”

“A healthy gospel-centric culture turns the church from an institution into a movement of truth and grace where people’s lives are continually formed in the gospel.”

“It must be a continual priority to infuse the totality of our churches with the beauty and awesomeness of the gospel.”

“Without prophetic leadership centered on Jesus, the church will drift theologically either to legalism or to liberalism.  Without priestly leadership immersed in the gospel, the people (in practice) will be either pampered with false love or led without grace and mercy.  Without a kingly leader saturated in the gospel, the church will philosophically wander without clarity or will be clear on something other than Jesus.  The culture of a church suffers if one of these critical leadership functions is missing or if one of them is not immersed in the gospel.”

Creature of the Word: The Jesus Centered-Church is the antidote to the pragmatism that is being pandered in the church.  It is a not so subtle reminder that the church has veered off course and needs to return to its first love.  The authors beautifully summarize their arguments on the last page: “The gospel reality awakens us to pleasures evermore and causes us to abandon our prior delusions of grandeur to readily accept the inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for those who believe (1 Pet. 1:3-5).  In short, a successful church is motivated and empowered by the gospel to remain faithful to Christ and His mission to make disciples.”  Read and absorb Creature of Word: The Jesus-Centered Church and use it as a litmus test in your church to gauge gospel-centeredness.

4 stars

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? – Mark Driscoll (2013)

_225_350_Book.756.coverMark Driscoll has what is foreign to many other writers, namely, a virtually unlimited platform. Driscoll combines a free-flowing writing style with an informed biblical framework and an eye on culture. These qualities make him accessible to everyone from the student to the scholar.  Driscoll brings these qualities combined with a cutting edge wittiness to draw in readers from every stripe.

In his latest book, Who Do You Think You Are?,  Driscoll uncovers the true identity of every Christ-follower.  He makes it clear that many Christians have ignored or neglected their true identity in Christ.  The result is ominous, for “many who lose their individual identity idol simply choose another one, rather than turning to Jesus Christ.  Consequently, they repeat the entire painful process over and over in their lives.  Such people go from one addiction and compulsion to another, one religious commitment to another, and one relationship to another, continually seeking the answer to the question, ‘Who am I?'”  Calvin rightly identified that the human heart is an “idol factory” churning idols and worshiping lesser gods.  Driscoll merely alerts readers to the painful reality of idolatry that has taken root in the hearts of people.  The book, then, sets out to point readers to their true identity in Christ.

After an introductory chapter, the author unpacks fifteen theological realities; rock-solid biblical truths that mark every follower of Christ.  In this review, I am purposefully omitted the theological realities that concern our identity in Christ.  My hope is that readers will purchase the book and pour over the chapters, asking God to reveal himself afresh and remind them of who they are in Christ.  The net result will be a stronger walk and a fresh resolve to live in light of biblical truth.  Surely, the church and local communities will benefit from Christians who know and practice the truth of God’s Word; Christians who live out their identities which are rooted in Christ.

I have read several of Driscoll’s books over the years.  This new release is a decisive moment of depth, maturity, and pastoral wisdom.  While I have greatly enjoyed and benefitted from Mark’s other books, Who Do You Think You Are? will not only make a significant impact on the local church; it should silence the naysayers and perhaps build bridges with pastors who have been critical of Driscoll in the past.  You know who you are!

Thanks to Mark Driscoll for writing a book that will unleash a new army of Christ-followers who walk in the power of the Spirit and minister to people for the glory of God.

I received a complimentary book from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.

4 stars

BESTS READS OF 2012

Several good books were published in 2012.  My top reads are listed below:

1.  A PURITAN THEOLOGY: DOCTRINE FOR LIFE – Joel Beeke & Mark Jones (2012)

9781601781666m
A theological feast and reminder that the Puritans still matter.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

2. THE CONVICTION TO LEAD – Albert Mohler (2012)

0764210041_l

The most important leadership book of 2012 and one of the best I’ve read in some time.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

 

3.  THE MAN CHRIST JESUS – Bruce A. Ware (2012)    

1433513056_l

A tremendous Christological work.  Highly recommended!

See my Review

 

 

 

 

 

4. GOSPEL WAKEFULNESS – Jared C. Wilson (2012)

1433526360_l

The most important book on the gospel in 2012.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

 

5. KINGDOM THROUGH COVENANT – Peter Gentry & Stephen Wellum (2012)    See my Review

1433514648_l

The middle path between Dispensationalism and Covenant theology.  The book I needed in Seminary twenty years ago.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

6. THE RACKETEER – John Grisham (2012)

0385535147_l

Proof that John Grisham is not done writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  KILLING KENNEDY – Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard (2012)    

0805096663_l

A fascinating historical look at the Kennedy assassination.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

 

8.  SOJOURNERS AND STRANGERS  – Gregg Allison (2012)

1581346611_l

The best work on the church in years.

See my Review

 

 

 

 

 

9.  THE NEW REAGAN REVOLUTION – Michael Reagan (2011)    

031264454X_l

The book President Obama needs to read!

See  my Review

 

 

 

 

 

10.  THE SNOW CHILD – Eowyn Ivey (2012)

0316175668_l

A captivating read.

SOJOURNERS AND STRANGERS – Gregg Allison (2012)

1581346611_lDr. Gregg Allison leaves no stone unturned in his newest work, Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church.  Allison’s fine piece of work is the latest installment in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series, edited by John Feinberg.

Six majors themes form the skeletal structure of  Sojourners and Strangers.

Part One: Foundational Issues

Allison introduces the subject of ecclesiology and underscores his presuppositions at the outset: “I firmly maintain that the source – the sole source – and the starting point of our theology is Scripture, the Word of God.  He presents the basic idea of the church, which is “the people of God … the communion of the saints … and is composed of particular people: ‘sojourners and strangers.'”

The author presents his methodology for ecclesiology.  Realizing that one’s approach in this area has broad implications, Allison contrasts theological methods that embrace continuity and discontinuity between the testaments.  He stands somewhere in the middle of this debate by describing himself as one who embraces a moderate discontinuity, what some have described as progressive dispensationalism.  His conviction has a bearing on his view that concerns the origin of the church and the relationship between the church, Israel, and the ordinance of baptism.  This hermeneutical criteria is a helpful backdrop that serves the rest of the book well.

Part Two: The Biblical Vision – Characteristics of the Church

Here the author studies the inception of the church and her relationship to Israel and the kingdom of God.  Allison makes his position clear: “Because of the identity of the new covenant partners – God and Christ-followers – I draw the conclusion that the church began at Pentecost and did not exist prior to  that monumental event.”  While writing from a Reformed framework, the “line in the sand is drawn” by distinguishing himself from main stream Covenant theology.  The argument is straightforward: “But these faithful and obedient followers of  Jehovah, these people of God, did not  constitute the church.  Yes, God’s work of redemption began with Adam.  Yes, God’s promise to bless all human beings through a particular nation was made to Abraham.  Yes, God’s covenant with the particular people of Israel was given specific expression on Mount Sinai with Moses.  But the people of God post-Adamic covenant, post-Abrahamic covenant, and post-old/Mosaic covenant – up to the new covenant – did not constitute the church.”

Allison’s hermeutical presuppositions are refreshing to be sure because while on one had he distinguishes himself from the covenantal framework, he also distinguishes himself from classical dispensationalism, i.e. “the church stands in both continuity and discontinuity with the people of God in the past.”  Near as I can tell, he is an agreement with the essence of the proposal but forth by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum in their excellent work, Kingdom Through Covenant.

Additionally, the orientation of the church is established in part two by examining seven characteristics of the church.

1. The Church is Doxological – oriented to the glory of God.

2. The Church is Logocentric – focused on the Word of God.

3. The Church is Pneumadynamic – empowered by the Holy Spirit.

4. The Church is Covenantal – with God and in covenant community with one another.

5. The Church is Confessional – united by a common Christian confession or creed.

6. The Church is Missional – called to proclaim the gospel and advance the kingdom of God.

7. The Church is Spatio-Temporal/Eschatological – a historical reality with a grand future.

Allison explains each characteristic in great detail and suggests practical suggestions for abiding by the biblical model.

Part Three: The Vision Actualized – The Growth of the Church

Part three demonstrates how the vision set forth in the previous section will be fostered and protected.  This vision will be actualized by maintaining the  purity and unity of the church.  Additionally, the commitment to church discipline plays a key role.  Church discipline is defined as “an anticipatory and declarative sign of the divine eschatological judgment, meted out by Jesus Christ through the church against its sinful members and sinful situations.”  Churches who neglect or reject church discipline do great harm to its members and the testimony of God’s people.

Part Four: The Government of the Church

In this critical section, Dr. Allison unpacks the offices of the church.  First, he examines the office of apostle which is “no longer operative” in the author’s view.  He continues to explore the office of elder and deacon, noting the biblical qualifications and responsibilities of each.

The subject of church government is set forth in a clear and understandable way.  Episcopalianism, Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism are explained in their historical context. The author presents his proposal for the governance of congregational churches – a model that is elder-led and congregationally affirmed – which appears to be the biblical model.

Part Five: The Ordinances of the Church

The various views of baptism and the Lord’s supper are presented in light of church history.  Disagreements that the author has with other views are set forth with charity and graciousness.

Part Six: The Ministries of the Church

Finally, Allison overviews the various spiritual gifts, a biblical theology of worship, and various ministries that emerge in the local church context.  The church should be “for the world and against (the sinful corruption) of the world.

Summary

I cannot recommend Gregg Allison’s work highly enough.  His treatment of ecclesiology should be applauded for its depth and breath.  And it should be celebrated for its gracious approach to disputable matters.  Readers will be remiss to find a shred of compromise or capitulation; yet his gentle approach weaves throughout the fabric of the book.  Sojourners and Strangers should be required reading for every Ecclesiology class for Bible College students and Seminarians alike.  This book will not only instruct and educate; it will help stem the tide of errors and mis-steps that have so characterized the last several years of church history, especially the blunders that have come out of the emergent and seeker-sensitive church.  I would also refer readers to his excellent work, Historical Theology for a superb look at the development of Christian theology in church history.

5 stars

LINCOLN BREWSTER – Joy to the World (2012)

000768512029_l_2318354Today, I’m awakening to the reality that there is a reason why much of what passes for Christmas music is so boring – no guitar solos!  Apart from the epic Christian metal band, Theocracy, who has a tradition of releasing a new Christmas song every December, the prospect of a good guitar solo in a Christmas song is about as likely as a witnessing a reindeer flying through the clouds.  However, the wait is over with the release of Lincoln Brewster’s new album, Joy to the World.

Lincoln treats listeners to a musical cacophony that is sure to please many kinds of music lovers, especially fans of sweeping Stratocaster guitar licks that have made him a household name.  The album begins on a triumphant note with Brewster’s version of Joy to the World.  The arrangement is fresh and pulsates with the vitality that Isaac Watts surely meant to convey.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing is a reverent rendition that moves with a majestic series of notes and a killer guitar solo.  I can see Charles Wesley slouching down in his chair and smiling to himself, caught up in the truth the song intends to convey:

Christ by highest heav’n adored/Christ the everlasting Lord/Late in time behold Him come/Offspring of a Virgin’s womb/Veiled in flesh the Godhead see/Hail the incarnate Deity/Pleased with man to dwell/Jesus, our Emmanuel/Hark! the Herald angel’s sing/Glory to the newborn King!

Miraculum is a 6 minute Christmas feast for the ears.  The tune makes eager listeners wonder when Lincoln will release a solo instrumental album.  This is Lincoln Brewter at his best – a blues influence, laced with arpeggios that has a Keaggy feel to it.

The rest of the album is musically rich, doctrinally sound, and points listeners to the birth of our Savior.  This is Christmas music at its finest!

5 stars

 

A PURITAN THEOLOGY: DOCTRINE FOR LIFE – Joel Beeke and Mark Jones (2012)

A comprehensive  assessment of A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones is something akin to sharing one’s thoughts or emotions while gazing at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, or the Lincoln Memorial.  This magnum opus is like oxygen for the barren soul, light for a blind man, a symphony for a deaf man, and a Super Bowl ring for a lame man.

A Puritan Theology is exactly what it suggests.  The authors meticulously walk readers through each branch of systematic theology and discuss the typical view that was embraced by the Puritans.  Where the Puritans disagree, the authors are careful to represent each side with graciousness.  The book is nothing to trifle with.  It is a veritable tome that just falls short of 1,000 pages.  But readers should not be intimidated by the sheer volume; rather they should make their way through this valuable book, noting key insights and marking Puritan writers they were previously unfamiliar with.

While the entire book is worthy of a careful read, several chapters stand out as especially significant.  I enjoyed Chapter 4 – Stephen Charnock on the Attributes of God, Chapter 5 – The Puritans on the Trinity, Chapter 6 – John Owen on Communion with the Triune God, Chapter 10 – The Puritans on Providence, and Chapter 44 – John Bunyan’s Preaching to the Heart.  A few additional chapters are worth examining in some detail.

Chapter 26 – The Puritans on Understanding and Using God’s Promises

The authors remark, “The promises are the pathways where Christ meets the soul.”  It it critical to have a correct understanding of God’s promises.  Additionally, it is important to distinguish between different kinds of promises.  For instance, “Absolute promises make known a certain and sovereign purpose, while conditional promises reveal what God will do if the fulfillment of those promises glorifies Him and is best for His people.”

Christians must make right use of God’s promises.  The Puritan Andrew Gray is cited in this regard and notes ten specific ways to make right use of God’s promises:

1. Believing the promises greatly promotes the difficult work of mortification.

2. Believing the promises helps a Christian in the spiritual and heavenly performance of prayer.

3. Believing the promises upholds a Christian afflicted by spiritual desertions and temptations.

4. Believing fosters patience and submission in the midst of the saddest afflictions.

5. Believing helps a Christian distance himself from the world and live more as a pilgrim on earth.

6. Believing is the mother of much spiritual joy and divine consolation and helps a Christian to express praise.

7. Believing is a notable means to attain spiritual life.

8. Believing raises a Christian’s esteem of the thing promised.

9. Belief is the door through which the accomplishment of the promise enters.

10. Believing secures the advantages mentioned in 2 Peter 1:4: we are brought to the blessed conformity with God that we lost in the fall, and we put off the ugly defilements that are Satan’s images on our souls because of the fall.

The authors point to the Puritans who urged their readers to pray the promises of God which involves submission to the will and way of God.

Chapters 42 and 43 – The Puritans on Preaching 

My two favorite chapters in this work focussed on the biblical mandate of preaching God’s Word.  The Puritans, the authors note, “had a profound sense that God built His church primarily by the instrument of preaching,” an appropriate place to begin, given the reluctance of so many men to preach strong, dogmatic, theologically-informed, expository sermons.   “The Puritans were earnest preachers who made it their aim to please God rather than people.”

The authors point to the power of Puritan preaching who “preached out of a biblical framework to address the mind, the conscience, and the heart.”  Beeke and Jones add, “The Puritans thus reasoned with sinners through plain preaching, using biblical logic to persuade each listener that because of the value and purpose of life as well as the certainty of death and eternity, it was foolish not to seek and serve God … The Puritans understood that  a mindless Christianity fosters a spineless Christianity.

There is no doubt that the Puritans aimed straight for the mind – but never to the exclusion of the heart: “Puritan preaching wooed the heart passionately … The Puritans used compelling preaching, personal pleading, earnest praying, biblical reasoning, solemn warning, joyful living – any means they could – to turn sinners from the road of destruction and to God via the mind, the conscience, and the heart – in that order.”

The Puritans were convinced that preaching must by definition, be doctrinal preaching: “The Puritans believed that to live well, people must know doctrine.”  J.I. Packer concurs: “Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal preaching that will save Christ’s sheep.  The preachers job is to proclaim the faith, not to provide entertainment for unbelievers.”

The Puritans simply believed that preaching was the primary way to nourish the flock of God.  John Owen writes, “The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the Word.”  The author concur and offer a challenge to readers: “It is not enough just to read the Puritans.  We need the authentic, biblical, intelligent piety of the Puritans in our hearts, our lives, our sermons, and our churches.”

The Puritan approach to the pulpit is a powerful antidote to the sappy preaching that is so prevalent, especially in American pulpits.  It is a vivid reminder that preaching stands at the center of God’s purposes for the church.

Chapter 52 – Puritan Theology Shaped by a Pilgrim Mentality

J.I. Packer notes, “Puritans saw themselves as God’s pilgrims traveling home, God’s warriors battling against the world, the flesh, and the devil; and God’s servants under orders to do all the good they could as they went along.”  The author pick up on these pilgrim portrait by showing how the Puritans lived the Christian life in practical terms.  First, they had a biblical outlook.  Thomas Watson (my favorite Puritan) and John Cotton are given as examples of men who sought to live their lives in a biblical framework.

Second, they had a pietist outlook – that is to say, they feared the Lord.  Beeke and Jones continue, “The genius of genuine Reformed piety is that it marries theology and piety so that head, heart, and hand motivate one another to live for God’s glory and our neighbor’s well-being.”

Third, they had a churchly outlook.  The authors explain, “We can learn much from the Puritans, especially when so many churches today give scant attention to purity in worship and put all their emphasis on what pleases people rather than God.  The Puritans did the opposite.  Their goal was to please God through holy worship.  The question was never, ‘What do I want in worship?’ but always, ‘What does God want in worship?'”

Fourth, they had a warfaring outlook.  There was a battleground mentality that the Puritans embraced, striving always to battle “the triple-headed enemy” by the power of the Spirit, through the instrumentality of God’s Word.  The authors reflect the mentality of the typical Puritan: “The Christian fights against the devil, the world, and his old nature by looking to Jesus and using the armor of His provision to stay upright as he progresses from this world to the next.”

The Puritans were indeed on a spiritual pilgrimage.  In the final analysis, the authors note: “They can teach us, as no other group of writers in church history, how to live a disciplined life to God’s glory without falling into dead orthodoxy or deadly legalism.”

SUMMARY

A Puritan Theology is a labor of love that should be cherished by the church for years to come.  It should be read for helpful theological insight.  It should be read devotionally.  The contents are bound to equip, encourage, and rebuke.  For me personally, the Puritans have been a deep source of encouragement, especially concerning the nature of God, the promises of God, the sovereignty of God, the lordship of Christ, sanctification, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Of course, no one surpasses the courage demonstrated by the Puritans as they sought to faithfully live the Christian life in the power of the Spirit.

It is not uncommon for people in our generation to marginalize and malign the Puritans.  Even more disturbing, it is not unusual to find people who caricature the Puritans or assign them false motives.  I know of one personally who accused the Puritans of becoming Unitarians!  Much to the contrary, the Puritans were a godly lot who battled sin and believed the promises of God, forever faithful on their Christian pilgrimage.  Oh, that we would learn the lesson of church history well and seek to emulate the Puritans.  May their love of Christ and his gospel permeate our hearts and minds.  May their hatred of sin enter the area of our lives.  May their disdain for the triple-headed monster – the world, the flesh, and the devil be weaved into the fabric of our worldviews.  And may their passion for God’s Word and holiness become a part of the warp and woof of our lives.

5 stars

Highly recommended!

THE MAN JESUS CHRIST – Bruce A. Ware (2013)

The Man Jesus Christ is the latest installment from the pen of Southern Seminary professor, Dr. Bruce Ware.  The subtitle accurately describes the essence of the book – Theological 1433513056_lReflections on the Humanity of Christ.  The author sets the tone for the book in the preface by reminding readers that the purpose is to examine the humanity of Christ.  While never minimizing the deity of Christ, the author intends to unfold the facts of Christ’s humanity in a way that is understanding, compelling, and biblical.  What follows is eight chapters of thought-provoking, Christ-exalting reflections on the humanity of Christ.

The nature of the kenosis (self-emptying) of Jesus is explained and the typical errors that surround the kenosis are confronted: “It is a ‘subtraction’ (i.e., a pouring out, an emptying) by adding human nature to his divine nature.  He came, then, to become the God-man – the one whose very divine nature took on fully the existence of a created human nature.”  Ware also addresses the erroneous notion that Christ’s submission to the Father began at the point of the incarnation.  Much to the contrary, we find that Jesus has submitted to the Father from all eternity: “In short, the eternal Son submitted to and obeyed the will of his Father prior to his becoming incarnate.”

The author discusses the importance of Christ’s Spirit-empowered earthly ministry.  Here we find that while the Spirit does not contribute anything to the deity of Christ, the Spirit does contribute to the humanity of Christ: “The only way to make sense, then, of the fact that Jesus came in the power of the Spirit is to understand that he lived his life fundamentally as a man, and as such, he relied on the Spirit to provide the power, grace, knowledge, wisdom, direction, and enablement he needed, moment by moment and day by day, to fulfill the mission the Father sent him to accomplish … At the heart of who he is, we must see him [Jesus] as coming in the power of the Spirit.”  Surely, readers will not only be encouraged to gaze upon the God-man as he relies upon the Holy Spirit during his earthly ministry and seek to emulate Christ’s dependence on the Spirit.

Additionally, readers see how Jesus grew in wisdom as a man during his earthly ministry.  “… His knowledge was not out of his divine nature per se.  Rather, his human nature had to acquire the knowledge and wisdom that he later evidenced, whether at the age of twelve or thirty.”  And as Jesus grew in wisdom, so must we –  always remembering that the Spirit of God, uses the Word of God to transform the people of God.

Several subjects are explored including the impeccability of Christ, penal substitutionary atonement, and three crucial realities – the resurrection, reign, and return of Christ.  Over and over again, the author reminds readers about the importance of Jesus’s humanity.  For example, the author writes the following about the death and resurrection of Christ: “Just as God as God cannot die, so God as God cannot be raised from the dead.  But in Jesus, the God-man, we see that God as man has died for our sin, and likewise God as man has been raised from the dead.  The atoning death of Christ requires his full humanity, and the resurrection of Christ does likewise.”

One of the greatest strengths of The Man Jesus Christ is that it addresses some common Evangelical presuppositions that have been smuggled into the church.  These presuppositions are graciously exposed and the biblical worldview is advanced.  Dr. Bruce Ware presents a side of Christology (the humanity of Jesus) that has been neglected both in the church and the academy.  Joel Beeke rightly remarks, “… Christology must affect not only the mind but also take aim at the heart” (A Puritan Theology:Doctrine for Life, 977).  In  The Man Jesus Christ, Ware targets the mind with scholarly precision and sets his sights on the heart with the Godward affections of a caring shepherd.

This is a book that seeks, in the final analysis, to encourage and motivate believers to  live a Christ-centered life.  One of the final pages summarizes these thoughts nicely: “Oh, how our obedience matters!  So, how wrong it is of us to appeal to grace as license to disobey,  just as it is equally wrong to appeal to our obedience as the basis for our right standing before God! … May we see that just as his relentless and perfect obedience, rendered in the power of the Spirit and in faith, brought him the full approval of his Father and the reward of his exaltation, so our obedience, rendered in the power of the Spirit and in faith, likewise, will be seen and rewarded by our gracious and benevolent God.  Let us learn from Jesus that obedience matters.”

5 stars

FIRE OF THE RAGING DRAGON – Don Brown (2012)

0310330157_lFire of the Raging Dragon by Don Brown is a military thriller that sends readers into a fictional battle that escalates between the United States and China.  Tang Qhichen, the Chinese president sends his Navy to strike an island in the South China sea – controlled by Taiwan.  At the center of the story, is a Chinese ship that is overtaken by the Taiwanese military which leads to the discovery of a serious crime (which will not be revealed in this review).  The Taiwanese military requests American assistance at which point, the crime originally uncovered was more serious than  suspected.  American forces seize the ship in order to preserve the evidence of a crime with the hopes that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

The Chinese counterattack by seizing a US Navy warship, a submarine that does not have sufficient weapons to defend itself.  The plot thickens when the US President discovers that his daughter is aboard the USS Emory S. Land, the warship that is currently under Chinese control.

One of the central questions of the book concerns the US President: How will he respond to the Chinese?  Will he capitulate since his daughter is aboard the USS Emory – 0r will his leadership reflect one who is ruled by principle instead of pragmatism.

Fire of the Raging Dragon is a good book – filled with plenty of action and warfare.   But the most fascinating component involves the ethical decisions that the president faces.  The book also reminds readers of the awkward political position of the United States in her relationship with the Chinese government, especially in light of the trillions of dollars of debt.  Perhaps even a fictional account like Fire of the Raging Dragon would remind the federal government to review and revise policies in our relations with China.

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.

3 stars

THE CONVICTION TO LEAD – Albert Mohler (2012)

0764210041_lLeadership books are “a dime a dozen” these days.  More often than not, the challenge for readers is finding a book devoted to leadership that is worth reading and filled with timeless wisdom.  Over the last several years, I’ve found a several books that pass this leadership test.  A few that come to mind include Credibility and The Leadership Challenge by Kounze and Posner, Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, and Leaders by Warren Bennis.  A recent book to hit the shelves that should be included among the best of the best is The Conviction to Lead by Albert Mohler.

Dr. Mohler doesn’t pull any punches.  He admits the agenda on the first page of the book: “Let me warn you right up front … I want to fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced.”  Mohler’s leadership agenda appears almost instantaneously: “My goal is to knock the blocks out from under the current models of leadership and forge a new way … I want to see a generation arise that is simultaneously leading with conviction and driven by the conviction to lead.”  What follows is a brief summary of Mohler’s commitment to articulate what he calls “convictional leadership.”

It is important to understand Dr. Mohler’s background before diving into the core of book.  Here is a man who was called to serve as the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention – at the ripe age of 33.  Mohler’s was faced with the massive task of recovering the theological backbone and purpose of the institution.  No doubt, it was a major undertaking.  But Mohler succeeded in large measure due to  strong leadership that was dependent upon the grace of God every step of the way.  The church of Jesus Christ is the recipient of his courageous leadership.  Under Mohler’s leadership, Southern Seminary equips pastors, teachers, missionaries, and lay leaders with a rock-solid education that is Reformed and stands at the center of Evangelicalism.

In the book, Mohler presents 25 principles for leadership.  Each of the principles are battle-tested and grounded in Scripture for maximum impact.  A sampling of quotes is included below:

“I want to see a generation arise that is simultaneously leading with conviction and driven by the conviction to lead.  The generation that accomplishes this will se the world on fire.”

“Conviction is absolutely central to the faithful Christian life … The leadership that really matters is all about conviction.”

“Without conviction, nothing really matters, and nothing of significance is passed on.”

‘Convictional intelligence is the product of learning the Christian faith, diving deeply into biblical truth, and discovering how to think like a Christian.”

“Real leadership doesn’t happen until worldviews are changed and realigned.”

“Our ultimate conviction is that everything we do is dignified and magnified by the fact that we were created for the glory of God.”

“The Christian leader is, by definition, committed to living in truth.”

“The leader who makes the greatest impact will be a master teacher who trains leaders at every level in the organization to teach withf faithfulness, enthusiasm, and confidence.”

“Everything humans build will one day be reduced to ruins, but our lives and our leadership will, in Christ, have eternal consequences and impact.”

Dr. Mohler appears to summarize his thoughts on leadership in the closing chapter: “The leader’s central concern with regard to legacy is the perpetuation of conviction.”  It is conviction that drives the leader.  Effective leaders say what they mean and mean what they say.  The Conviction to Lead is the book that many have been waiting for from the pen of Al Mohler.  This is clear-headed wisdom that echoes the timeless realities of God’s Word and is sure to make a difference in the kingdom for the glory of God.  May God use these leadership principles to foster strong leaders in the days ahead.

Highly recommended

5 stars

I received this book free from Bethany House Publisher.   I was not required to write a positive review.